Hold on to Love Page 30

  “Where are you going?” Her mother raised her voice when Alyssa approached the coat rack and took her warm coat off a hook. She wasn’t going to stay a minute longer, not if that man was here.

  “Home.” She put on her coat and buttoned it up. Her mother grabbed her forearm and spun her around.

  “No, you’re not. You’re having lunch with us and using the opportunity to get to know Julian better.”

  “Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t have to take orders from you, so if I want to go home and sleep through tomorrow I’ll do it and you won’t be able to stop me.”

  Her mother let out a gasp. “When have you started taking that attitude with your mother? Don’t you dare talk like that to me again, Alyssa.”

  “Or what? Will you accuse me of insubordination and give me a fine?”

  “That’s enough.” Her face had turned an unusual shade of red and she was breathing heavily, as if she’d just run a marathon.

  Why was she so set on Julian? What was so special about him?

  “You take that coat off now, and join everyone else in the dining room. You’re not going to spoil our Thanksgiving.”

  Alyssa rolled her eyes; this felt so much like being ten again. She wished she could just turn back and leave, go to Wind Creek, drag Sean back to the log cabin, and spend the rest of the day snuggled up by the fire in his arms. The last thing she wanted was to listen to that big-headed jerk talk about his successes.

  “Mom, Lissy, are you coming? We’re waiting for you to start eating.” Derek popped his head out of the dining room and called them.

  Her mother spun elegantly on her heels and walked down the corridor. Alyssa wished she were strong enough to just walk out the door and leave her mother to think of a good excuse to explain her daughter’s behavior to Julian. But the good-mannered girl in her, the one her mother had spent so much effort in raising, thought that pushing it too far would only make Jane O’Riordan angrier, and right now Alyssa didn’t feel strong enough to face her mother’s ire again. She needed a little time to recover from the first round of what she envisioned would be a long, exhausting battle.

  This was the first time in her life she’d ever stood up and actually rebelled; she should take it slow if she didn’t want to mess it up.

  She hung her coat on the hook again and thought about stomping her feet all the way to the dining room just to drive her mother crazy.

  This was going to be by far the worst Thanksgiving of her whole life, she was sure.

  Chapter 44

  As lunch dragged on, with Julian playing the perfect gentleman and charming her mother even more than he already had, Alyssa kept wondering what Thanksgiving at the Maclaines’ would be like. Sean had told her they had a few guests over this weekend, some regulars who came every year to celebrate Thanksgiving away from the city, so she could imagine Mrs. Maclaine would be busy making food for everyone. She wondered if the Maclaines would join their guests or if they’d celebrate in their private kitchen. Sean’s older brother would probably be there with his wife and kids, and she imagined Sean playing with the two toddlers, making them laugh as he carried them around the backyard piggyback-style.

  She smiled as the scene rolled in front of her eyes, and when she saw herself holding on to Sean’s neck while he carried her on his back, she felt a squeeze at her heart. She was so engrossed in the vision that she didn’t realize Julian was talking to her; when Derek gave her a playful kick under the table she flinched, turning around to glare at him.

  “Where were you, Lissy?” he asked with a smirk, and she thought about telling him and everyone in the room where exactly her thoughts had gone just a moment ago. “Julian was talking to you.”

  Alyssa stared at Julian and the smug grin she saw on his face made her stomach quiver. Would the turkey come all the way up now? She might as well puke all over his expensive Ralph Lauren suit, just out of fun. Wouldn’t she love to see her mother’s reaction to that!

  “I’m sorry, I was… you were saying?” she asked, when her mother stared at her with an impatient frown. If her brows furrowed just a tiny bit more, they’d become one.

  “Your mother once mentioned you love boats, so I thought we could go out on my yacht tomorrow. It’s supposed to be a nice sunny day.” The turkey was slowly crawling up her esophagus and she was sure it wouldn’t be long until she threw up in his face. “We could go all the way to the Hamptons and spend the weekend in my house.”

  Alyssa brought a hand to her mouth and stifled the urge to either vomit or scream. How cheesy and downright rude could the man be? Did he not read the signs at all or was he just thinking she was playing hard to get? Sure, he wasn’t to blame since her mother had no doubt been telling him Alyssa loved boats—although when had she ever heard Alyssa say such thing? She’d enjoyed going out a couple of times on sailboats when she was on vacation, but that was about it. Besides, she wouldn’t be going anywhere with him, not even for a cruise on the Hudson River.

  “That would be wonderful,” her mother replied on her behalf. Julian’s face lit up. This had to stop. Now.

  “Um, Julian, I think my mother exaggerated a little. I’m not that fond of boats. I used to like going sailing with Dad in the summer, and that was when I was little.”

  Her mother’s complexion turned a shade of gray, as if she were just about to have a fit. Alyssa cheered inwardly, knowing her attempts at pissing her mother off had succeeded.

  Score one for me, Mommy dear.

  “Well, I’m sure going on Julian’s yacht would be a great experience. It’s been ages since we’ve been at the Hamptons; you probably don’t even remember the place. You’d love it there,” Alyssa’s mother said once she’d recovered from the whiplash. She wasn’t playing dumb; Alyssa was sure she was playing dirtier than usual, just because she was pissed at what Alyssa had told her earlier.

  There was no way Alyssa would go on a yacht with that revolting man, let alone spend the weekend with him in his house. Her mother could go ahead and disown her or whatever she wanted to do. Sean was the only man she’d ever want to be with and there was no way she would even think about cheating on him—and with that man, on top of it all.

  “Yeah, you’d love it. My house has a lovely view of the beach from the bedroom; you could spend all day in bed just staring out at the sea.”

  Alyssa choked on the turkey, and frantically patted her chest, gasping for air. Had he really just made a comment in front of her family about her spending all day in his bed?

  Derek chuckled and helped her by patting her back. Her mother frowned and so did her father, although his was worried.

  “Alyssa, sweetheart, are you okay?” he asked, talking for the first time since her mother and Julian had started monopolizing the conversation with this stupid discussion about yachts and beach houses. “Here, have a sip of water.”

  He held out her glass for her and she snatched it from his hand, gulping down half of its content and taking a long breath afterward. He patted her back gently and for a moment tears stung her eyes. She hated Julian and she hated the way her mother was trying to force him into her life, but her father… he was totally unaware of what was going on, as usual. Her mother had always been great at making him believe whatever she wanted, and he’d always been too busy to argue.

  Alyssa had had enough now, though. Her mother was not going to force her to spend the weekend with Julian, no matter how charming and amazing her mother thought he was. This would be the best time to leave the room; excusing herself to go to the bathroom after almost choking would be a perfect way to escape. Hopefully, by the time she came back, the subject “beach house” would have been dropped and she’d be off the hook.

  She pushed her chair back and excused herself, faking a little cough to pretend she was still not okay. Her father smiled at her while her mother’s frown only intensified. She’d need a bucket-load of anti-wrinkle cream to get rid of that deep crease between her brows.

  She left the dining
room and closed the door behind her. She ran down the corridor and made it to the living room in two seconds flat. Just before she stepped through the arched doorway she looked behind her to make sure nobody had followed, and by the time she’d reached the window and sat on the leather armchair looking out on Central Park, she was already calling Sean’s number. She hoped it would be either Sean or Tammy to answer the phone, because she’d feel stupid if either of his parents picked it up. What would she say, then? Would she be able to pretend she’d called only to wish them happy Thanksgiving, or would they be able to tell there was more behind that phone call?

  Whatever. She needed to speak to Sean, and if she’d have to tell them the truth, she would—as long as they put her through to him afterward.

  Her train of thought was interrupted by Tammy’s bright voice on the other end of the line, and Alyssa finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Tammy, hi. It’s Alyssa. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Tammy was delighted to hear from her, and started talking non-stop in her usual bubbly way. Although Alyssa was happy to talk to her, she really needed to speak to Sean now, before anyone came looking for her and dragged her back to the dining room.

  “But I suppose you want to speak to Sean, right?” Tammy asked, giggling, when Alyssa’s silence probably made her realize the reason why Alyssa had used the landline number instead of waiting for their usual Skype chat. “I’ll get him for you, he’s playing with the twins. They’re monopolizing him, as usual.”

  Alyssa chuckled; she’d guessed right, after all. Tammy’s footsteps clicked on the wooden floors, and a moment later kids squeals reached her ears, followed by Sean’s unmistakable laughter, that deep rumble that made her belly quiver every single time. She wished she were there to see the scene unfold in front of her eyes.

  “Alyssa?” Sean’s voice came on the line, and tears filled her eyes. Just the sound of his rich, masculine tone was enough to make her want to hire a private jet and reach him. “Hey, is everything okay? I thought we’d be chatting tonight?”

  Alyssa swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to keep her tone even. “I miss you. I… I needed to hear your voice.”

  “Hang on a sec,” he said, then he whispered to Tammy to look after the kids for a minute, and a door clicked closed before he came back on the line. “Sorry, I had to get out or the kids wouldn’t leave me alone; I’m all yours now. What happened, baby? You sound sad.”

  Her heart swelled.

  Baby.

  He’d never called her baby before; it sounded so good on his lips, it made her tingle all over. She couldn’t wait to be on her way and reach him; this distance between them was killing her.

  “I’m having lunch with my family and guess what my sweet mother did?” She paused for a second for emphasis, but didn’t give him the chance to say anything. “She invited Julian. Remember the guy I went out with before I came to Wind Creek? She’s still trying to set me up. And guess what? He invited me to go on his yacht tomorrow and spend the weekend at his beach house in the Hamptons. Isn’t that just fantastic?”

  Sean cleared his throat. “I can’t believe you’d prefer a weekend on a yacht to one milking cows and brushing horses. It’s quite offensive, you know. I could actually hang up on you, now.”

  “Are you serious?” His tone didn’t tell her whether he was joking. He couldn’t really mean it though, could he?

  He chuckled. “Of course I’m not, baby.” Her heart thumped; there went that word again. “Listen, put me through to him for a minute, so I can thank him properly.”

  “Thank him?” What would he want to thank Julian for?

  “If he hadn’t been stalking you, you probably wouldn’t have left New York to come to a godforsaken town in Wyoming, and we never would’ve met,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. Alyssa grinned like the Cheshire cat; he was so adorable. “So, yeah, I want to thank the guy. And if inviting you on his yacht will cause you to flee again, he definitely deserves another thank you from me.”

  At that, Alyssa laughed. She’d known Sean would cheer her up; he had the uncanny ability to make her happy with only a few words. She loved him for that, especially now.

  “I don’t think he’d be happy to hear that I slapped him when he tried to kiss me and because of that I ended up rolling in the hay with you. I think it might actually deflate his ego.” Sean laughed. “And my mother definitely wouldn’t be pleased. I’ve actually pissed her off quite epically today.”

  “My, my, City Girl. You’re turning into a naughty little thing, aren’t you?”

  Alyssa laughed. “It’s your fault. You brought out the real me that had been asleep for years. There’s no going back now, so if you want to back off from our deal, you should say it now—”

  “Or forever hold my peace?” He cut in, with a chuckle. “I love this real you, Alyssa. If that’s what I’m going to get, then I’ll accept it gratefully.”

  His words made her blush, and she found herself dumbfounded for a minute. Today he’d called her baby twice and said he loved her the way she was. At that very moment she knew without any trace of doubt that she had made the right decision. If she’d had even the slightest insecurity before, she knew for sure now that leaving her job and her life behind to be with Sean was the only way things were meant to be. Sean was the one certainty in her life, and she would give up everything just to be with him.

  There was no point in pretending to be the perfect daughter anymore; she’d go back into the dining room, say goodbye and leave. No more acting just so her mother would be happy. She’d return to her apartment and start planning her new life in Wyoming. She’d have to check out a few websites, look for information on college, apartments and moving companies. She should probably keep her apartment here in New York, but she’d have to move most of her stuff out anyway, and she definitely wasn’t going to carry it all around in a suitcase.

  Determination rushed through her as a smile curled her lips. She was ready for a new life, at last.

  “I’d better let you go back to your munchkins, now. Will we get to Skype tonight, anyway?”

  “Of course we will. I need to see your beautiful face; talking on the phone is never enough.” Sean’s husky tone gave her flutters all around her belly.

  “Well, then I guess I’ll say see you later, Cowboy.”

  He laughed. “I love you, City Girl. And yes, I’ll see ya later.”

  “I love you, too. Happy Thanksgiving, Sean.” She hung up with a smile, and brought the phone to her heart for a minute, letting the words sink in.

  Chapter 45

  “So there’s a man behind all this; that’s interesting.”

  Alyssa gave a start and spun around, finding Derek leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest. Her cheeks flushed, more from anger than from embarrassment.

  “Since when have you started sneaking up on people and eavesdropping?”

  He shrugged and pushed off the door, took a step toward her and uncrossed his arms. When he took her hands, Alyssa flinched.

  “You’re turning your life upside-down because of a man? Lissy, I thought you were smarter than that.” He shook his head in disappointment and Alyssa’s blood rushed to her head. She pulled her hands free and hugged her waist as if to protect herself. “Men are usually only after one thing; in your case, he may be even after something else.” Alyssa frowned. “Have you considered the fact that he could be after your money?”

  At that, Alyssa completely lost her temper. He’d been ignoring her for months, and now he was playing the part of the caring brother? He had no right to tell her what to do, and least of all, to judge Sean.

  “Why would you care? Are you afraid I’d be running back to you, begging for a loan?” she asked, her tone venomous. “You’ve been living your happy life in Yale and never bothered checking how I was, and now you worry about me?”

  “Lissy, I’ve been busy studying.” He took a step forward and she moved back. She needed
to put as much space as she could between them. “Aw, come on. I’m your brother. Of course I worry about men who could hurt you. It’s normal.”

  “It’s normal for other people, but not for you, Derek. You’ve never cared about me before and I don’t need you to start now, especially if you go around spitting out judgments without even knowing the man in question.”

  “And I suppose you know him well, huh?” Derek asked with a smug grin that made Alyssa’s blood boil. What happened to the cute little brother who trotted alongside her, holding her hand and thinking the world revolved around her? This Armani-clad handsome young man standing in front of her was a total stranger; a cynical, male version of their mother, who knew nothing of her sister and now pretended to care.

  “I know him well enough to be sure he’s not after my money,” she said, lifting her chin in defiance. “I love him and he loves me. That’s just as much as you need to know, Derek.”

  He let out an amused chuckle, and shook his head. “You visited him how long: two weeks? Three weeks? And you love him? For a grown woman, you believe too much in fairy tales, Lissy.”

  “I’ve known him long enough to know my feelings—our feelings are true.” Alyssa let out a scoff, and turned her back on him; she’d had enough. Holiday or not, she wasn’t going to stay a minute longer just to please her family. It had been the worst Thanksgiving of her life.

  “Your feelings? Come on Alyssa, listen to yourself, now. How can anyone fall in love with a guy in three weeks and leave everything for him?”

  “Well, hear this: I did. I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks. I love him and I’m going to be with him, whether you like it or not.”

  “You what?”

  Their mother’s voice behind them made them both jump. When Alyssa looked at her, she saw she’d gone pale and her eyes were wide-open in shock. She’d never seen her mother like that. Alyssa’s heart started racing wildly in her chest; it was the moment of truth, the one she’d been dreading all of her life. It was time to tell her mother she wouldn’t follow her orders anymore.