Chapter 21

twenty-one

T he cleanup was grueling, but Shelby enjoyed the camaraderie of their small crew. Silas entertained them with funny stories from life in prison. Savannah made up humorous songs about the bachelorettes. Both Harper and Savannah had lovely voices, and Shelby wasn't surprised to learn they'd once considered careers as country music singers. Harper talked excitedly about the wedding plans they'd begun to make for next May—a ceremony and reception on the lawn at Marsh Point, Savannah's family's waterfront home on Catawba Sound.

When Jenna appeared around ten o'clock, she was appalled at the state of the living room. "Oh my god. What happened in here?"

Shelby wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. "Your girls brought company home with them from Charleston. They had a raging party and vandalized the place. Where have you been?"

"They left me in Charleston. I was having a drink with a friend on a different floor of the bar. When I went to find them, they were gone. Nobody would answer their phone, not even the bus driver. I assume they're still sleeping. I'll go wake them up. We need to get on the road," Jenna said, approaching the stairs.

"They're not here," Pritchard said. "They're in jail."

Jenna stopped in her tracks and turned back around. "Seriously? Was the party that bad?"

Pritchard spread his arms wide. "Look around you. They ruined my family's home."

Jenna made a quick tour of the house. "You're right. This is bad. I hope you're planning to sue for damages."

"We have no choice," Pritchard said. "They destroyed some very valuable antiques."

"Let me see what I can find out," she said, her phone pressed to her ear as she exited the house.

Jenna returned two hours later with three female police officers and the hungover bachelorettes. As they trekked up the stairs for their belongings, not a single one made eye contact with Shelby, let alone apologized for the damage and disruption they'd caused.

Shelby was furious. She wanted to give that bride a piece of her mind. But Pritchard warned her to keep quiet. "Don't say anything they could potentially hold against you if this thing goes to court."

When the bridal party came back downstairs, Shelby followed them into the courtyard and watched to make certain the party bus left the property.

Blossom grilled hamburgers for their lunch and served them homemade pizza late afternoon.

At six o'clock, Pritchard declared their job complete. He said to their group, "The professional cleaning service can handle the rest. You have all worked hard today, and I don't know how to thank you."

An empty feeling overcame Shelby as she watched Pritchard leave with his wife and daughter. She longed to go home with them, to be part of their lovely little family.

Shelby had left her phone charging beside her bed that morning, and she'd been too preoccupied during the day to retrieve it. When she returned to her room, a long string of Matt's missed calls and texts greeted her. How could she have been so careless and insensitive to have forgotten their date?

She clicked on his number, and when he answered, she exclaimed, "Matt! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry." She babbled on about the vandalism last night, and the day she'd spent cleaning up. "Why didn't you come to the main house to get me?"

"I figured something had happened with work, and I didn't want to bother you."

Shelby laughed. "It's probably a good thing you didn't. Pritchard might have put you to work. What're you doing right now?"

"Meal prep for the week."

Meal prep? Shelby thought. Do people actually do that? "I was thinking about going for a swim in the pool. All the guests have left. There's no one here except Izzy, Blossom, and me. Wanna come over?"

He paused a beat before letting out a sigh of resignation. "Sure. Why not? I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Are you coming by boat or truck?" Shelby asked, rummaging through her bathing suit drawer.

"Boat. It's a nice night, and I could use the fresh air."

"Then I'll meet you on the dock. I promise I'll be there this time."

Ending the call, Shelby peeled off her sweaty clothes and slipped on her black, ruffly bikini. She was waiting on the dock twenty minutes later when his boat pulled up.

Matt greeted her with a tight smile and said little as they walked to the pool. He was clearly irritated at having been stood up earlier.

Shelby dove into the pool and swam to the other end without coming up for air. Treading water, she yelled down the pool to him, "Is there an oily streak around me? I'm polluting the water with all the sweat and grime from my body."

This made him smile, and he dove in after her. When he came up beside her, he asked, "How old are you, Shelby?"

"Twenty-four. I'll be twenty-five in August."

Matt's smile faded. "That's what I thought."

Shelby splashed him and said in a teasing tone, "Why? How old are you? Thirty?"

His face grew serious. "Thirty-one, actually."

Shelby's lips formed an O. "That's a big age difference."

"Yes, it is. If only you were a few years older, but you're so young." Matt grabbed two Styrofoam noodles from the side of the pool, handing one to her. "When you didn't show up for our date earlier, I worried I'd scared you off by talking so much about the past. You're not old enough to even have a past."

"That's not fair, Matt. I have no control over my age. I'm sorry if I'm not as mature as your old girlfriend."

He shook his head. "And that statement shows just how juvenile you are."

" Juvenile ? Ouch."

"If the shoe fits. Kayla and I were never going to get married. But she was my best friend, and she helped me through a difficult time," he said, his expression pained.

Shelby swam closer to him, touching her fingertips to his arm. "You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to."

"I need to clear the air. I made my past sound worse than it is. I don't want you to think I'm an ex-con or something." He raked his fingers through his damp hair. "Like many other guys, I chose a career path that was all wrong for me. I was miserably unhappy, and I lost my way for a while. But I'm much better now."

"I'm glad." Shelby didn't know what else to say. She sensed he was only touching the tip of the iceberg of his past, but she didn't encourage him to continue. Something had shifted in their relationship, and a void the size of a universe now separated them. Their spark had been extinguished, and their aura was now awkward. He no longer trusted her, whether because she'd stood him up or because of her age.

Matt pulled away from her and kicked toward the shallow end. Drying himself off with a towel, he said, "I should go. We're both tired. Let's forget about today and see what tomorrow brings."

He walked Shelby to the pool house but didn't kiss her goodnight, not even a peck on the cheek.

Shelby showered, put on her pajamas, and climbed into bed. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering about the career Matt had given up. Was he a med school dropout? Did he finish two years of law school before deciding a law profession wasn't for him? How had he lost his way? Did he have a substance abuse problem? Alcohol? Drugs? Their bond had seemed so strong in the beginning. How had it gone south so quickly? Was their age difference so important?

* * *

Pritchard startled, his heart skipping a beat, when he noticed Harper in the kitchen doorway. He and Savannah had been too engrossed in his father's journal to hear the front door open. After eating a light dinner, they'd remained at the table, sipping tea while he shared his father's dreams for Magnolia Shores.

"Harper! I didn't hear you come in," Pritchard said to his daughter.

"Obviously. You two were lost in your own world." Harper entered the kitchen. "What're you working on?"

"We were just discussing the work required to reopen the B&B."

Harper eyed the journal. "What's that?"

"Nothing." Pritchard closed the journal. "I was just making some notes for tomorrow's meeting with Will. It's getting late. Why aren't you at home?"

"I left my iPad in your car earlier. I'm sorry to bother you, but your car is locked."

"The keys are on the tray beside the front door." Pritchard stood to face her. "Since you're here, I'd like to officially hire you to refurbish the house. I'm not sure I made that clear earlier."

Harper shook her head. "I wasn't sure. Thanks for clarifying. I appreciate the business."

"You have excellent ideas and flawless style," Savannah chimed in.

Harper smiled. "Thank you. I still have a lot to learn. But I'm fortunate to have a talented team."

"When you get a chance, I'd like you to create a simple drawing of what you had in mind to turn Dad's study into a cocktail lounge. I'm going to ask Will to give us an estimate."

"That's exciting. I'll get right on it." Harper backed out of the kitchen. "I'll just grab my iPad and be out of your hair."

"I'll go with you." Pritchard followed her, grabbing his keys on the way out the front door. He unlocked the car and waited while she retrieved her iPad. "Good night, sweetheart. Have I told you lately how grateful I am that you're back in my life?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure. Does yesterday count as lately?" she asked, a smirk tugging at her lips.

He laughed. "I apologize in advance. I may never get tired of saying it."

"Good. Because I'll never get tired of hearing it." Harper stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Good night, Daddy."

Tears filled his eyes. "That's the first time you've called me that."

Harper blushed. "I hope it's okay. I wasn't sure you wanted me to. I feel like we're more friends than father and daughter."

"We can be both. Our relationship is evolving," he said, opening her car door. "Drive safely. I'll see you soon."

Pritchard returned to the kitchen, his fingers still touching his cheek where she kissed him. He lowered himself to his chair. "She called me Daddy. But she also said she thinks of me more as a friend than her father."

"That's understandable," Savannah said. Our situation is unusual. She'll think of you as her Daddy when you walk her down the aisle next spring. Why didn't you tell her about Magnolia Shores?"

Pritchard withdrew his hand from his face. "I started to, but telling her would make it official. Are we ready to commit to this project?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure," Savannah said, biting down on her lower lip. "Maybe we should give it a few more days. This will drastically change our lives, and I need a little more time to get comfortable with the commitment."

"If we decide to move forward, I very much want Harper to be involved. Do you think she's ready to handle all the design work?"

Savannah placed her hand on his. "Not alone. But she has Bridget to help her. And she's a real dynamo."

Pritchard frowned. "What if Harper wants nothing to do with this project? I'm building a future for her, as much as for you and me."

"And Shelby and all future St. Clair offspring."

Pritchard relished the idea. "Wouldn't it be amazing if generations from now, our great-great-grandchildren were running Magnolia Shores?"