Garvey knows, would respond with a clueless “huh?” or just a blank stare.
Not Caroline Quinn.
“Pardon me?”
“I just can’t imagine that you’d be out of bed before seven on a Saturday morning for anything less than a full-scale emergency evacuation.”
His beautiful daughter rewards him with a chuckle and tosses her long black hair. “Actually, we’re evacuating to the Hamptons—did you forget?”
He frowns. “Where’s your mother?”
“Right here.” Marin appears behind Caroline, wearing a crisp white linen dress and a straw hat. Snow White and Rose Red, Garvey finds himself thinking, as he often does when his wife and daughter stand together. Marin a fair, blue-eyed blonde looking ten years younger than she is, and Caroline a striking brunette who appears—well, if not a full decade older than her years, then at least twenty-one.
Caroline’s rapid maturation scares him.
A lot of things about Caroline scare him.
Back in July when he fired Sharon, the summer nanny, he had fully intended to replace her. Caroline had convinced him that she and Annie would be fine for the remainder of the summer.
“I’m sixteen, Daddy,” Caroline had said. “I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself and Annie for a few weeks. Right, Annie?”
“She’s more capable than the Bubblehead,” was Annie’s assessment.
True.
But Garvey worries. If anything were to happen…
And now his wife is taking the girls out to the beach?
Much too dangerous.
Rip currents, sharks, Caroline in a skimpy bikini…
And I can’t be there to keep an eye on her.
“What’s this about the Hamptons?” he asks Marin.
“I told you yesterday—Heather Cottington invited us out for the weekend, and the girls and I are going.”
“I wasn’t even here yesterday.”
“What else is new?”
“Why are you going to the beach? The weather is lousy.”
“It’s supposed to clear up by this afternoon.”
“Here in the city. You’ll be way out east. The rain is moving that way.”
“Then we’ll be at the beach in the rain,” she replies impatiently. “What do you want from me?”
He looks at Caroline.
“Daddy, please? I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“Don’t worry, Car, we’re going,” Marin assures her. “Please go tell Annie that the car will be here in five minutes and make sure she’s ready. Her asthma has been bothering her this morning, so make sure she did the nebulizer like I told her.”
Their daughter sighs heavily, but doesn’t protest. Ordinarily, she might, but Garvey can tell by her expression that she’s not thrilled to witness the tension between him and Marin.
Caroline plants a kiss on his cheek. “See you, Daddy. Have a good weekend.”
“You too, angel. And be careful.” He waits until his daughter has left the room, then turns to Marin. “Since when do you and the girls take off without at least telling me?”
“I told you about it on the phone when I called to ask you what you wanted me to do about that charity auction.”
Oh. Maybe she did.
He remembers that call. It came in on the heels of the one about Byron Gregson sniffing around the Grand Central Terminal lost and found. Needless to say, Garvey had been a little preoccupied when he was talking to his wife.
“When will you be back?” he asks Marin.
“Monday afternoon. Why?”
“ Why? ” he echoes incredulously.
“Why does it matter? You won’t even be here.”
“Yes, I will. I’m scheduled to be in the city all weekend.”
“But not here . And none of your appearances in the next few days involve us—not that I’m complaining,” she adds, seeing him open his mouth to remind her that it was her choice to take a break from the campaign whirlwind.
“I’m free tomorrow until mid-afternoon.”
“Then come out and meet us.”
He shakes his head. She just doesn’t get it.
“Why the beach?”
For that matter, why Heather Cottington? Marin’s long-time friend—a vocal Manhattan
Not Caroline Quinn.
“Pardon me?”
“I just can’t imagine that you’d be out of bed before seven on a Saturday morning for anything less than a full-scale emergency evacuation.”
His beautiful daughter rewards him with a chuckle and tosses her long black hair. “Actually, we’re evacuating to the Hamptons—did you forget?”
He frowns. “Where’s your mother?”
“Right here.” Marin appears behind Caroline, wearing a crisp white linen dress and a straw hat. Snow White and Rose Red, Garvey finds himself thinking, as he often does when his wife and daughter stand together. Marin a fair, blue-eyed blonde looking ten years younger than she is, and Caroline a striking brunette who appears—well, if not a full decade older than her years, then at least twenty-one.
Caroline’s rapid maturation scares him.
A lot of things about Caroline scare him.
Back in July when he fired Sharon, the summer nanny, he had fully intended to replace her. Caroline had convinced him that she and Annie would be fine for the remainder of the summer.
“I’m sixteen, Daddy,” Caroline had said. “I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself and Annie for a few weeks. Right, Annie?”
“She’s more capable than the Bubblehead,” was Annie’s assessment.
True.
But Garvey worries. If anything were to happen…
And now his wife is taking the girls out to the beach?
Much too dangerous.
Rip currents, sharks, Caroline in a skimpy bikini…
And I can’t be there to keep an eye on her.
“What’s this about the Hamptons?” he asks Marin.
“I told you yesterday—Heather Cottington invited us out for the weekend, and the girls and I are going.”
“I wasn’t even here yesterday.”
“What else is new?”
“Why are you going to the beach? The weather is lousy.”
“It’s supposed to clear up by this afternoon.”
“Here in the city. You’ll be way out east. The rain is moving that way.”
“Then we’ll be at the beach in the rain,” she replies impatiently. “What do you want from me?”
He looks at Caroline.
“Daddy, please? I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“Don’t worry, Car, we’re going,” Marin assures her. “Please go tell Annie that the car will be here in five minutes and make sure she’s ready. Her asthma has been bothering her this morning, so make sure she did the nebulizer like I told her.”
Their daughter sighs heavily, but doesn’t protest. Ordinarily, she might, but Garvey can tell by her expression that she’s not thrilled to witness the tension between him and Marin.
Caroline plants a kiss on his cheek. “See you, Daddy. Have a good weekend.”
“You too, angel. And be careful.” He waits until his daughter has left the room, then turns to Marin. “Since when do you and the girls take off without at least telling me?”
“I told you about it on the phone when I called to ask you what you wanted me to do about that charity auction.”
Oh. Maybe she did.
He remembers that call. It came in on the heels of the one about Byron Gregson sniffing around the Grand Central Terminal lost and found. Needless to say, Garvey had been a little preoccupied when he was talking to his wife.
“When will you be back?” he asks Marin.
“Monday afternoon. Why?”
“ Why? ” he echoes incredulously.
“Why does it matter? You won’t even be here.”
“Yes, I will. I’m scheduled to be in the city all weekend.”
“But not here . And none of your appearances in the next few days involve us—not that I’m complaining,” she adds, seeing him open his mouth to remind her that it was her choice to take a break from the campaign whirlwind.
“I’m free tomorrow until mid-afternoon.”
“Then come out and meet us.”
He shakes his head. She just doesn’t get it.
“Why the beach?”
For that matter, why Heather Cottington? Marin’s long-time friend—a vocal Manhattan
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