“Your children,” she repeated.

“Yes, I feel they should meet the woman I intend to marry.”

Shirley froze. The bag of popcorn she held fell from her hand and spilled its contents on the floor.

Six

Linc Wyse stepped outside the Wyse Man Garage and leaned against the building. Staying inside that office a moment longer would’ve been intolerable. The bills were piling up and he had nothing to pay them with. His bank account, which had been substantial and was supposed to carry him for six months, was nearly empty.

The frustration was killing him. Marrying Lori and keeping it a secret from her family, which hadn’t been his choice but hers, had created a fierce enemy in Lori’s father. Linc had tried but he’d been unable to convince Leonard Bellamy that he loved Lori, that he hadn’t married his daughter for her money. Not that Lori had any money now, except what she earned herself. But Linc didn’t care; he never had.

Despite that, Bellamy was out to ruin him and he was close to succeeding.

As Linc stared out at the street, a familiar truck passed, slowed down and then came to a stop in front of the garage. His brother-in-law. Linc straightened when Mack McAfee rolled down the driver’s window and called out, “Hey, Linc, how’s it going?”

Linc managed a grimace that he hoped would pass for a grin. “It’s going.”

“You don’t look that busy. Do you want to join me?”

“Where are you headed?”

“Mary Jo’s working late, Noelle’s at day care and I just finished helping a friend move. A beer sounds good to me.”

“It does to me, too, but I’d better stay here in case a job comes in.” The mid-September sunshine made for a warm afternoon, not that Linc noticed the weather much. With no work, he’d sent the men home. No point in paying for idle hands—but it would be just his luck to have two or three people show up and find no one there. That was a chance he couldn’t afford to take.

“Tell you what. I’ll pick us up a six-pack and be right back.”

Mack returned within fifteen minutes, got out of his truck and handed Linc a can. They sat in the office. Leaning back in his chair, Linc pulled the tab off the cold beer and took a long swallow, enjoying the taste. “Thanks,” he said to Mack, saluting him with the beer.

Mack nodded. “Haven’t seen much of you lately,” he commented.

Linc hadn’t been getting out. He didn’t have the inclination or, these days, the extra cash. But rather than respond, he shrugged.

“You look like a man who’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.” Mack leaned back, too. “Trouble?”

Once more he answered with a shrug. He was tired of holding everything inside and yet he was used to keeping his own counsel. Fixing his own problems. But this time he couldn’t. Bellamy was blackballing him—no other word for it—and the business was sinking fast. Not even Lori knew the extent of what her father had done, nor did she fully understand their financial situation. For that he had only himself to blame. Linc had told her next to nothing about any of this. Lori was angry enough with her father. Foolish and unrealistic though it seemed now, Linc had hoped to bring father and daughter together. It’d never been his intention to drive a wedge into their already strained relationship.

“Everyone’s got trouble,” Linc replied when he realized Mack was waiting for a response.

“True, but not all trouble is created equal, if you know what I mean.”

“Right,” Linc agreed.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

Linc regarded the man his sister had married. He’d liked Mack from the start, although he’d initially had doubts about their living arrangement. He’d gotten over those doubts pretty fast. A firefighter and paramedic, Mack had helped deliver Noelle, Mary Jo’s baby girl. While it had bothered him that Mary Jo didn’t live close to her family, he’d felt better knowing Mack was nearby. They’d shared a duplex, he on one side and she on the other. They’d married earlier in the year and Linc was happy for his sister.

“You might have noticed I’m not exactly overwhelmed with work here,” Linc began, finally giving in to the relief of divulging his problems to a sympathetic listener. “I’m not inexperienced in this business and I did my homework. By my calculations, I should have more repairs than I can handle.”

Mack gestured with his beer can. “Leonard Bellamy?”

Linc nodded. “Well, it’s not like you didn’t warn me.”

Mack sat up straight, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Yeah, but I don’t think I knew Bellamy wields that much power in Cedar Cove.”

“And Bremerton and all the surrounding areas, too, apparently. I couldn’t even guess what rumor he’s floating about me, but whatever it is, people in this community are buying it.”

“I suppose that’s causing problems between you and Lori.”

Linc glanced away, avoiding his brother-in-law’s eyes.

Mack nudged him. “Are you telling me she doesn’t know?”

“No one does.”

“So Lori’s in the dark about all this?”

“About almost everything.”

Mack stared at him as if he found that hard to believe. “You’ve got to be kidding, man! This is your wife. I know if I held anything back from Mary Jo, she’d be furious. That, in case you’re interested, is a lesson I learned the hard way.”

Linc gave him a brief smile. Being well-acquainted with his sister’s temper, he pitied Mack the wrath of Mary Jo.

“The Bellamys are her family,” Linc said, defending his silence. “I’m only trying to protect her.”

“Does she want to be protected?”

“Isn’t that a husband’s responsibility?”

Mack shook his head. “Not if it means keeping her ignorant of things she should know. And,” he added, “Bellamy might be her father but you’re her husband. You two are in this together—for better or worse. Remember?”

Linc would think about that, but for now he was saying nothing to Lori. They finished their beers, chatting about the football season and the Seahawks’ chances. Mack tossed his empty can in the recycling bin, then slapped Linc on the back and strolled out the door.

“Thanks for the beer,” Linc said, following him outside.

“My pleasure.” He raised his hand in farewell, climbed into the truck cab and was off.

Linc left work early and by the time he arrived home, Lori was already there. Just seeing her warm, loving smile dissolved the tension that had been with him all day—dissolved it for that night at least. Without a word she hurried across the room, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him with enough enthusiasm to weaken his knees.

“Was that for anything special?” he asked as he spread nibbling kisses down the side of her neck.

“Yup. We’re celebrating.”

“Hmm…celebrating what?”

“The fact that it’s Monday.”

Each and every Monday was special when he was with Lori. She’d changed his world, brought him joy, made him laugh. Before he’d met her, Linc had seen life as a series of obligations. He’d run the family auto repair business in Seattle with his two younger brothers. After their parents were killed in a car accident, Linc had assumed responsibility for holding the family together. He’d taken his role as the oldest seriously and was determined to keep his brothers and his sister safe, to maintain a cohesive unit. That hadn’t allowed time for anything frivolous like falling in love. Until he actually fell in love—with Lori—and his whole life went through a seismic shift.

“I bought you a present today,” she whispered seductively in his ear.

Shivers of awareness raced down his spine. They could barely afford groceries, let alone gifts. “Oh?”

“Do you want to see it?”

He released her and slowly walked away.

“Linc, don’t you want to see what I got you?”

“Lori, we’re in a bit of a…a financial bind at the moment. It would be best if you didn’t buy me anything for a while. I’m sorry, but I’d rather you didn’t make any unnecessary purchases. Okay?”

She blinked, then nodded reluctantly. “Of course. I’ll take it back. I still have the receipt.”

“Thank you.” He felt bad asking her to return the item. Whatever it was would be superfluous. He had everything he needed.

“I’d like to show it to you first, though. Okay?”

Linc agreed and sat in the recliner while Lori disappeared into the bedroom. His heart was heavy. He felt her disappointment but they couldn’t spend money indiscriminately, especially money they didn’t have.

His wife reappeared dressed in a see-through chiffon piece of nothing. Linc’s mouth sagged open. “That’s…the gift you got me?” Her tempting body was all but revealed, and Linc swallowed hard. “I…I think we might find room in our budget for that.” He got the words out, but with some difficulty.

“No, you’re right. I should know better than to buy—”

“Lori,” he said, closing his eyes. “I’m nearly broke. The business is failing. I don’t even know if I’ll last the month. I haven’t wanted to tell you, but I can’t hide it anymore.”

She placed her hand over her mouth and stared at him, wide-eyed with shock.

“I realize I was wrong to keep this from you, but I…have my reasons.”

Lori continued to stare at him as if she didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Leaning forward, he rubbed his hand across his face. “I’m so sorry.”

She came to him then, climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around him. “I married you because I love you. I don’t need anything but you.”

Linc buried his face in her neck and pulled her close. She lifted his head and he kissed her. Then she abruptly broke off the kiss, sliding off his lap and standing directly in front of him, her eyes flashing. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. Do you understand?”

“Kiss you?” he asked in bewilderment.

“Of course not! I’m talking about keeping the truth from me.” Whirling around, she went into their bedroom, returning a few minutes later, fully dressed. “Okay. What happened?” Her voice was brisk, all seductiveness gone.

“Happened?”

“To cause this financial shortfall. You’re…” She paused as though everything had started to come together in her mind. “My father.” She spoke in a low voice, then repeated the two words more loudly and with more conviction. “My father’s done something, hasn’t he?”

Linc didn’t reply.

“Hasn’t he?” she demanded again.

“I…can’t say for sure, but it seems that way.”

She began to pace, five steps in one direction, five in the other, making quick, precise turns.

Linc found her movements almost hypnotic. “Now, Lori,” he began, “there’s no need to get upset. I have everything under control.”