CHAPTER 16
Mara’s Kitchen kept right on growing, and Jared was there every step of the way, clearing out other problems so she could focus on the products. She started working early and finished late at night. But she’d never been happier in her life.
The evening before Sarah’s wedding, she and Jared sat at the living room table signing the contracts he’d finally produced. It had taken another threat of switching her business partnership to include Evan instead of Jared to get him to finally do the business paperwork. Mara had hated every moment of using that against him, but she’d hate herself even more for continuing to take advantage of Jared’s kindness.
He’d hired a few teenagers temporarily for a summer job because her orders were getting overwhelming. She now had Nina to help her do some of the basics with the cooking prep, and Todd to do the continual cleaning of the kettles and equipment she needed several times every day. Jared had asked Emily to help him recruit the teens, both of them coming from families that Emily knew could really benefit from the extra money, since she ran the Youth Center and was aware of which families in the area were in need. Both of them worked hard at their assigned tasks, and it took a considerable amount of pressure off Mara to have their help every day. Jared worked on the marketing and business aspects of Mara’s Kitchen, and he was doing an incredible job, judging by the explosive amount of orders she was getting on a daily basis. She knew that Jared was also starting to work on contracts for restaurants and businesses outside of Amesport to use her products on a regular basis.
“We need a hell of a lot bigger site for production, and a bunch of permanent employees,” Jared grumbled as he signed his name grudgingly to the contracts that gave him equal interest in the company after Mara had signed.
Mara smiled at him, both of them sitting at the dining room table, papers spread out in front of them. “We can keep going like this for a while. We need to make money before we spend it.”
“You need to invest money to make more money,” Jared rumbled. “And you can’t keep working these kinds of hours.” He paused for a moment before he asked hesitantly, “Do you miss the doll shop?”
“No,” she answered honestly. “I still regret the irreplaceable things I lost, stuff that belonged to my mom, but I’ve always loved making my consumable products more than I loved making dolls. I’ll enjoy it as a hobby someday when I have more time, but making my products for the market has always been my favorite thing to do. Coming up with new things is challenging, new products that can be used for different recipes. Cooking has always been my first love.” Mara sighed. “I wanted to hold on to my mother, but I’ve realized I didn’t need the doll shop. She’ll always be here.” She put her right hand over her heart, her finger adorned by her mother’s wedding ring. “I think she’d be proud of what I’m doing now. I may not be making dolls, but I’m still using traditions that have been passed down for generations, with my own twist. Honestly, I don’t think she would have cared what I decided to do as long as I was happy doing it.”
Jared leaned toward her and clasped the hand over her heart, bringing it to his lips to kiss her palm gently. “I think she would, too, baby,” he said huskily.
“Do you think you’ll ever go back to doing what you really love someday?” she asked him carefully. His former love of restoring old homes was a touchy subject.
“How did you know?” He released her hand gently, busying himself with arranging the papers they had signed.
“Evan. He told me you loved restoring old homes, that it was your first choice of careers. It’s what you were going to do with Alan. I know you have some bad memories about that, but I want to see you be happy doing what you want to do.” Would he ever be able to do it again? If she were in his place, she wasn’t certain whether or not she could go back. Mara wasn’t even positive that he should unless he could completely let go of the bitterness associated with what he loved. But the fact remained that it was his passion, something that gave him an immense amount of satisfaction. It broke her heart to think he might never pursue it again someday.
Jared released a heavy, masculine sigh and pinned her with an open gaze. “I don’t know. I’ve never stopped studying the latest methods of restoration, or looking at old homes and imagining how they could be restored to their former glory, but I’ve never quite been able to gather the same enthusiasm I had when I first finished college.”
Mara felt her eyes begin to water. Jared was an enigma to her sometimes. He was over-the-top gorgeous, and completely confident in running his commercial real estate company. He was a dirty-talking, arrogant, completely alpha male who seemed like he was in command of everything he touched. But there were times when he was vulnerable, exposing a gentle, wounded spirit that she was fairly certain was only visible to her. Now was one of those moments. “I just want you to be as happy as I am right now. It doesn’t seem fair that I’m getting my dream and you aren’t.”
“I’m happier with you than I’ve been in my entire life, sweetheart. Don’t cry for me.” Leaning over, he snatched her out of her chair and into his lap. “I like helping you build something that you want. I’m enjoying what I’m doing right now.”
“But later—”
“Later will take care of itself. Right now all I want is you,” he growled. “You fill all of the lonely, unhappy places inside me, Mara. That’s a damn miracle for me.”
His words made the tears flow, and she hugged him to her, hoping the Fates would let her keep him forever. “I love you.” The three little words popped out of her mouth unchecked. She’d been wanting to say them, needing to say them, but she’d been hesitant, unsure of whether he wanted to hear them or not. Now, she needed him to hear her, needed him to know he was loved. Between his loveless childhood and the big betrayal, Jared Sinclair needed somebody who loved him no matter what.
“What did you say?” he asked dubiously, as though he wasn’t certain he’d heard her correctly.
“I said that I love you,” she said firmly. “It doesn’t have to mean anything to you, and I’m not saying it to trap you into anything. I just need to say the words and have you know how I feel. I promised myself and you that I’d be open. That’s how I feel. I love you. It’s just that simple. We don’t need to act on it in any way. I just wanted to be able to tell you.”
“Tell me again,” he demanded, taking her face between his hands and forcing her to meet his gaze. “And it does mean something. It means everything to me.”
“I love you, Jared Sinclair.” Her voice was even louder, certain now that it was something he needed to hear.
He jerked her lips down to his, as though he was trying to capture the words with his mouth. Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, opening to him and shivering at the fierceness of his embrace. He devoured her as though he hadn’t had a meal in days, penetrating her mouth desperately, but with a reverence that made her heart melt. The kiss was as worshipful as it was erotic, and the combination made her heart skitter as she tangled her tongue with his, needing the connection as desperately as he did.
Having said the words, she felt vulnerable, defenseless. But Jared’s reassurance was in his nonverbal communication, wrapping her in his protection with every stroke of his tongue. His hands threaded through her hair, holding her mouth exactly where he wanted it and kissing her until she was breathless.
Finally, he released her mouth and buried his face in her hair, his powerful arms holding her tightly against him. “I need you, Mara. I need you so damn much that I can hardly breathe. Don’t leave me. Please don’t ever leave me.”
Her heart wrenched with pain, his agonized voice shooting a burning ache through her soul. Everyone he’d ever cared about had left him and betrayed him. If he was feeling as raw as she was right now, he had to be in hell. “I won’t. Not ever.” And she meant it. He’d have to pry her off him to get rid of her now, unless he didn’t want her around anymore. She wanted to be with him forever, help him heal all of his wounds. She wanted him to finally be happy.
“If you do leave, I’ll find you,” he growled.
Mara smiled against his chest at his sudden arrogance. He was a conundrum . . . again. But he was getting easier to unravel. Hot and cold. Demanding and kind. Dominant and vulnerable. She loved every single stubborn part of this man she was clinging to at the moment, because she was starting to understand every one of his reactions. His strength of character was incredible. Though he may have buried the sensitive part of himself for protection, it was still there. It showed in just about everything he did, even though he tried to hide it, tried to bury it forever.
“How hard would you look?” she asked him teasingly.
“I’d follow your beautiful ass to the ends of the earth,” he vowed fiercely. “Now that I know that you love me, you’re never getting rid of me.”
Like she’d ever want to? Highly unlikely.
She shivered at his declaration. When Jared was possessive and dominant, he gripped and jerked an answering carnal response from her that she couldn’t deny.
The jarring ring of Jared’s cell phone interrupted her thoughts, and she glanced up at the clock. “The family dinner,” she reminded Jared reluctantly. “It’s probably Emily. We’re late.”
“You think I give a shit right now?” His lips skimmed over the vulnerable skin of her neck.
“Yes,” Mara answered with a feigned calm she wasn’t feeling at the moment. “Hope and Jason are there. You haven’t seen them yet.” Hope and Jason Sutherland had flown in this evening for the wedding tomorrow. Mara knew Jared hadn’t seen Hope in a while. “Answer the phone and tell them we’re coming.”
Jared let go of Mara with an irritated sigh. “I wish we were coming at home right now,” he grumbled unhappily, pulling the phone out of his pocket once Mara had slid off his lap.
She tried to stifle her laughter as Jared reluctantly answered the phone.
The evening dinner at Grady’s home was casual, almost everybody in jeans . . . except for Evan, of course. He was dressed in his usual pristine suit and tie. The moment she saw Evan at the gathering, Mara swore she was going to buy the man a pair of jeans.
Emily had barbecued for the get-together, and Sarah had opted to keep the guests to just the Sinclair siblings and their significant others. Evan was leaving right after the wedding reception; Dante and Sarah were sneaking away for a week to honeymoon since Dante would be starting his new job as a detective for the Amesport Police Department right after they returned. Since Hope was pregnant and suffering severe morning sickness, Jason was taking her with him back to New York so he could finish his commitments there as soon as possible. Mara could tell by the way Jason looked at Hope that he wasn’t letting his pregnant wife out of his sight. All the family was ecstatic over Hope’s announcement that she and Jason were planning on making Amesport their permanent home in a few months. Her husband had to wrap up some things in New York and they’d be free to move their home base to Amesport permanently.
Mara didn’t miss the satisfied light in Jared’s eyes as Hope stood in the family room after dinner and made her official announcement.
Sitting next to him on the couch, she leaned in closer and whispered, “That’s been your plan all along, wasn’t it? You built a house for every one of your siblings here on the Peninsula to bring your family back together again.” Mara knew it was true as certainly as she knew she loved Jared. He hadn’t come here and built homes for all of his siblings after the accident just because he was bored, or because he’d wanted to escape from the pain of losing his friend and girlfriend. Jared had yearned to have his siblings back in the same area, together after years of being scattered across the country, and in Evan’s case, across the world. Mara’s heart skittered, aching for a man so lonely that he had come to where Grady had already made his permanent home and had meticulously used his architectural skills to carefully construct what he hoped would become more than just a vacation home for each of his siblings. For years, the plan hadn’t worked, all of his siblings single and busy with their own lives. Now, he was going to have Hope, Grady, and Dante all in the same location, something Mara was pretty certain had been Jared’s secret longing all along.
“I didn’t admit it at the time, but I think that was what I really wanted,” he answered in a husky whisper near her ear. “It’s hard to believe it’s actually happening. There’s only Evan now.”
Mara’s heart skipped a beat. Did that mean Jared was planning on staying in Amesport forever? That his home on the Peninsula would be his permanent residence? Obviously he’d have to travel at times. He had projects all over the world. But was he planning on spending the majority of his time here in Maine?
“I’m not certain the little Amesport airport can accommodate that many private jets,” she said with a levity she wasn’t feeling, trying to calm her agitated nerves.
Jared grinned at her. “Then we’ll make it bigger. That’s one good thing about having a lot of billionaires in one town. There will be plenty of money around to help with improvements.”
Mara could think of plenty of benefits, the most important one being that Jared would be in Amesport often. She opened her mouth to answer him, but her attention was taken away from Jared as Hope sat down on her husband’s lap in a recliner and spoke more quietly. “Since we’re all here right now, there’s something else I need to tell you. I hid some things from all of you, and I’m sorry.”
Mara saw Jason’s face change instantly, his expression immediately concerned, his eyes growing dim as he ran a hand up and down Hope’s back. “Sweetheart, maybe now isn’t the best time . . .” Jason started to speak gravely.
“It is,” Hope interrupted. “We’re never all together, and I want them to know the truth. We’re going to be close again, living in the same place. I need this for closure, Jason. I don’t want to go on living a lie with my family. I love them. It’s time.”
Mara watched the interplay between Hope and Jason as they looked at each other, so much communicated without words, before Jason finally nodded his handsome blond head reluctantly. It was a signal that he was standing beside Hope no matter what.
The beautiful, auburn-haired Hope opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was weak and tremulous. “I lied. I’ve been lying to all of you for years until recently.”
“Why?” Grady asked, sounding confused as Emily slipped her hand into Grady’s from their place on a love seat.
“How?” Dante questioned gruffly as Sarah wrapped an arm around her fiancé’s shoulders from her place in his lap in another chair.
Mara reached for and clasped Jared’s hand, sensing that whatever Hope was going to say would impact the Sinclair siblings emotionally.
Tears sprang to Hope’s eyes, and she tried to continue. “I-I hid things,” she said in a voice heavy with sorrow.
Evan’s voice boomed from his position in another recliner across the room from Hope. “She went to school for photography, a fact that none of us really knew. We all thought she was getting a useless degree, but in fact she graduated as a very talented photographer and started making her living traveling around the globe on risky assignments as an extreme weather photographer. She never shared what she was doing or where she was going because she knew we’d stop her.” Evan turned his ice-blue eyes toward his sister as she gaped at him. “And damn right we would have if we had known. She would have had protection around the clock.” Evan’s voice was matter-of-fact, but his eyes never left Hope. “While she was in India chasing a cyclone, she was kidnapped, tortured, and . . .” Evan coughed into a fisted hand before he got out the last words. “She was repeatedly beaten, assaulted, and raped.”
For the first time, Mara heard a note of anguish and remorse in Evan’s usually ice-cold voice as he spoke the last sentence. His face was still neutral, but he hadn’t been able to hide how he felt about what had happened to Hope. Mara squeezed Jared’s hand as she saw the disbelieving, tortured look on his face.
“How did you know?” Hope asked Evan flatly, lowering her eyes to her lap.
“I didn’t know until after you were involved with Sutherland, or I would have done something to prevent your dangerous activities. I only sent investigators on your trail when you disappeared in Colorado. I got the sense that everything wasn’t quite what it seemed,” Evan replied, his voice stern and angry.
“I was found the same day,” Hope argued.
“I didn’t give a shit,” Evan snapped. “You’re my baby sister, and I wanted to know what the hell I was missing.”
“What the fuck happened after you were kidnapped?” Jared growled.
“Who the hell did it?” Dante asked angrily.
“We’ll kill the bastard,” Grady interjected furiously.
“He’s dead,” Hope explained quietly. “He was a political radical and crazy. Our Special Forces were already tracking him in a top-secret mission because they knew he was hiding in India. They saved my life, and they killed him when they stormed the remote building he was using for cover. He was holding me there.” Hope took a deep breath before adding, “I’m sorry I lied to you all. After the way we were brought up, I just wanted to be free. You’re all overprotective, and I love that about all of you, but I needed to live my own life.”
Hope answered all of her brothers’ rapid-fire questions, trying to smooth over all of the hurt feelings. The women all backed up Hope’s decision, pointing out to their men that they were all overprotective, and that Hope had a right to her own life. Even if it meant that she had to lie to them to get her independence.
“I admire your work, Hope,” Mara told her during a rare period of silence. Hope had mentioned her professional name of H. L. Sinclair while everyone had been arguing. “I’ve never seen any of your extreme weather pictures, but I have actually seen some of your nature shots. I wanted some prints to put on my wall a while ago, and I came across some of your photos. They’re extraordinary.” She looked around her, noticing every set of eyes in the room was on her. “Hope is incredibly talented. Have any of you actually ever seen her photographs?”
“She’s a photography genius. Hope is probably one of the most respected photographers in the world for her extreme weather photography. She has a gift, and she’s amazingly skilled,” Jason said supportively. “Luckily, her focus is now on her landscapes and nature photographs. She has nothing to prove to anyone anymore.” Jason and Hope exchanged a look of understanding, something that nobody probably understood except them.
Everyone grumbled that they hadn’t . . . except Evan. “I’ve seen them all,” Evan mentioned nonchalantly. “I agree she’s incredibly talented. I have a number of her works on my walls now,” Evan admitted. “I have to admit that I’m relieved that she’s decided to change her focus. If she hadn’t, I’d have agents all over her.”
“They’d have to get in line after mine,” Grady said sullenly.
“Mine would be there, too,” Jared added.
“I’d hire some,” Dante agreed in a surly voice.
“You’d all be too late,” Jason told them defensively. “I’d already planned her protection had she not chosen to get out of the field on her own. And I would have been with her every moment no matter where she was.”
Hope leaned over and kissed her husband tenderly before focusing her attention on Evan. “You really have some of my photos on your walls?” Hope asked hesitantly, hopefully, her eyes expressing her surprise.
Evan nodded sharply. “I’m proud of you, Hope.”
Mara knew Evan’s simple comment encompassed more than just her work as a photographer. Mara’s heart squeezed thinking about what Hope had endured in the hands of her kidnapper, although she hadn’t shared the gruesome details. She hurt for the physical and emotional pain that Hope had been through. “You’re incredibly brave,” Mara told Hope earnestly. “I’m just sorry for what happened to you.”
Hope gave Mara a small smile. “Thank you. I got through it, and I’m happier now than I could have ever dreamed I’d be.” She stopped to give her husband, Jason, an adoring look, her hand going to her still-flat abdomen protectively.
“We should have been there for you. You could have told us,” Grady rumbled.
“Please understand that I needed time, Grady. I love you all, but I had to have time to heal,” Hope answered softly.
“If this incident was top secret and it was hidden from the public eye, how the hell did Evan find out?” Dante questioned, looking directly at his eldest brother.
Evan stared back at Dante, his eyes neutral. “There aren’t many areas where I don’t have contacts.” He shrugged mysteriously.
Jared let go of Mara’s hand and stood, making his way slowly to his sister. “We weren’t there for you then, but we are now. Hug me, dammit,” he insisted gruffly.
Tears streaming down her face, Mara bit her lip as Jason let go of his wife, a tearful Hope rising to fling herself into Jared’s arms. “I’m so sorry. I love you all so much,” Hope sobbed as she clung to her youngest brother.
Everyone else except Evan rose, including the women, and passed Hope around for heartfelt hugs of forgiveness and love.
Although Evan watched every moment of the reunion, he never moved to hug his sister, or to join in the family rebonding.
He remained alone.