Until There Was You Read online

  Until There Was You

  NANCY ANN HEALY

  Copyright © 2022 by Bumbling Bard Creations

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Some days are endless.

  “Macie!”

  Truly. Endless.

  “Macie!”

  “I’m in here!”

  “Don’t you have your phone?”

  Macie had her phone. She chose not to answer it. “What’s happening, Hayley?”

  “Dominick Bullard called.”

  “And?”

  “And? What do you mean, and?”

  Hayley was Macie’s assistant. Macie adored the younger woman, but she possessed a flair for the dramatic. “And?”

  “I thought you wanted to work with Bullard?”

  “I want to work with anyone who will pay me.”

  “Very funny, Macie.”

  “I want him to sit with things for a while,” Macie said. “Let Dominick think about our discussion.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Dominick doesn’t know what he needs. He also isn’t willing to listen to my thoughts about what he requires.”

  “Macie, you are the best photographer in this town.”

  “You already got a raise.” Macie got up from her chair and headed to the reception area to make a cup of coffee.

  “You didn’t let me finish,” Hayley said. “You aren’t the only photographer in this town.”

  “True.”

  “It would be a huge account.”

  “I suppose.”

  “Macie—”

  Hayley’s assessment of Dominick Bullard as a client was accurate. He owned seven restaurants—three in Manhattan, two in Brooklyn, and two in Connecticut. It would be a “huge” account for Macie to land. Acquiring Bullard’s business wasn’t necessary to keep her business afloat. It would be a bonus for her bank account. Macie also expected the additional frustration would match the additional revenue. She didn’t intend to let Dominick Bullard believe she needed him. She didn’t.

  “You’re so stubborn sometimes,” Hayley said.

  “No. I’m practical.”

  “Practicality would dictate you call Bullard back.”

  Macie retrieved her cup from underneath the coffee maker and took a generous sip. “Don’t worry so much,” she said. “I’ll call him before I leave the office.”

  “It’s your wallet.”

  “Why is this so important to you?” Macie was curious to know the answer.

  “It’s not. I just know that you haven’t been working as steadily for the last few months.”

  “True. I don’t need to work hundreds of hours, Hayley.”

  “You get bitchy when you’re at a desk too long.”

  Bitchy? “I don’t get bitchy.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  Macie heard Hayley’s footsteps on her heels as she made her way back to her office.

  “Okay. I get it,” Hayley said. “You don’t need the money. I get it. But you need something, Macie. Something outside this office. You slowed down with work so you could have more free time. Except you spend all your free time at your desk.”

  “The house is quiet,” Macie offered.

  “Maybe you should visit Emma.”

  “Oh, no, no, no. She would kill me. No.”

  “She won’t kill you.”

  “She won’t thank me either.”

  “What could a weekend visit hurt?” Hayley asked.

  “You talked to her, didn’t you?”

  “For a minute.”

  “I’m not crashing in on my daughter because I’m bored.”

  “Ah-ha! You are bored.”

  Macie was bored. No point denying it.

  “It’s not like you have to hop a jet to Vermont,” Hayley said. “And you know Emma misses you.”

  “Emma has a life without me. As she should.”

  “No. She has a life apart from you.”

  “Okay. What gives?” Macie asked.

  “Gives?”

  Hayley was seven years older than Emma. She had served as a big sister figure in Macie’s daughter’s life for the last twenty years. Emma was reluctant to tell Macie some things, or at least to tell her first. Emma ran those issues by Hayley before she shared them with her mother. “Yes. What gives? You’re not telling me something.”

  “And you call me dramatic.”

  “You are dramatic. What did Emma tell you she doesn’t want to tell me?”

  “She didn’t tell me anything. Not anything you don’t already know. I got the feeling there is something she wants to tell you.”

  “Oh, Jesus. Don’t tell me she’s pregnant.”

  “Oh, because you’d hate being a grandmother.”

  “I’m fifty-three. Too young.”

  Hayley laughed.

  “Why is that funny?”

  “It is funny. It’s not like she hasn’t been with Brendan for years. They own a house together. Why wouldn’t that make you happy?”

  Macie would be over the moon if Emma announced an engagement or a pregnancy. Emma made careful plans. It’s not that Emma was incapable of flexibility, but Macie knew Emma planned to get married before she started a family. She also knew not everything in life went according to plan.

  “Macie?”

  “Of course, I would be happy,” Macie replied. “I know that’s not the way Emma envisions things.”

  “And that bothers you.”

  “It doesn’t bother me.”

  Hayley claimed the chair in front of Macie’s desk. “Don’t tell me you think Emma judges you for being a single mom?”

  Macie didn’t think Emma judged her. Emma lived through Macie’s struggles as a single parent. Macie did the best she could to provide for Emma, both financially and emotionally. She harbored her share of guilt for buying fast-food meals on the way home, for waking up late and showing her frustration when Emma was late for school, for long hours at the studio, and for bringing work home too often. Emma’s father wasn’t the love of Macie’s life. He wasn’t even someone who commanded her interest for long. Drake Jensen was the friend of a friend. The friend of a friend who became an occasional casual companion and lover. Macie never saw fireworks when she kissed him. It was horrible to admit, but Drake was convenient. The last thing on Macie’s list of things to become was a mother. Not as a single woman, fresh out of college, struggling to build a career in New York City. But that’s what happened. She still thought about the day she told Drake she was pregnant.

  “Pregnant?” Drake asked. “As in having a baby?”

  “That’s generally what it means to be pregnant. Yes.”

  “And it’s mine?”

  Macie stared at him.

  “Wow. Okay. Do you need some money?”

  “Money?” Macie asked.

  “You know, for an abortion.”

  Macie stared at him again.

  “Don’t tell me you’re planning to have it?”
br />   “It?”

  “Macie, I don’t want kids.”

  “I didn’t ask you what you wanted,” Macie said. “I thought I owed it to you to tell you.”

  “So, you don’t want anything?”

  Macie wanted many things. Not one of those things was something Drake could provide—not for her. She hoped he would want to get to know their child. He didn’t. Macie never asked him for anything. Her friends and her parents tried to convince her she should demand Drake help provide for Emma financially. Macie couldn’t be bothered. If Drake didn’t care enough to see Emma or call Emma, she didn’t want his money.

  Hayley waved her hand. “Macie?”

  “Sorry.”

  “You know Emma doesn’t judge you.”

  “I don’t think she judges me, Hayley. She knows what it’s like to grow up with one parent who is a mess half the time and only half put together the rest of the time.”

  “You’re too hard on yourself.”

  “I’m honest. Emma has always been adamant about her kids having two parents.”

  “I must be missing something,” Hayley said. “First off, Emma didn’t say anything to make me think she was pregnant. You’re the one who jumped to that conclusion. And unless I’m missing more than something, if she gives you that news, the baby will have two parents.”

  Macie threw her head back. Projection was an ugly habit. “You’re right.”

  “And you say I worry,” Hayley said. “Call Bullard and get out of here.”

  “Now you’re kicking me out of my office?” Macie asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Nice.”

  “I love you, Macie. You need a project. Outside of one attached to this office. Or something. You said when you turned fifty, you were going to step back from this place and do the things you didn’t do when you were younger. But you’re still coming here every day! Visit Emma and Brendan. I don’t know. Plan a cruise. Go ride a camel in Egypt!”

  “Egypt? How did we go from a visit to Vermont to a trip to Egypt?”

  “Well, do something!”

  Macie held up her hands. “Fine. You call Bullard and set up a meeting for Tuesday. I’ll call Emma and see if she’s open to a visitor. Happy?”

  “Happier.”

  Macie laughed. “Well, let’s just hope Emma is up for company.”

  Hayley pulled herself out of the chair and walked to the door. “She will be.”

  We’ll see.

  “I wonder what your mom will say,” Brendan mused.

  “She won’t be surprised if that’s what you think. Hayley says she needs a project,” Emma said.

  “Hayley thinks your mom is her project.”

  “True.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t tell Hayley. She’s like your big sister.”

  “She is, but she would feel guilty if she didn’t tell Mom. Don’t get me wrong, Hayley wouldn’t tell my mother. It would be hard for her to keep anything a secret from my mom. She wishes Mom was her mother,” Emma said. “Are you planning to ask Ryan to help us plan the wedding?” she asked.

  “She has the summer free, and she loves to travel. If we pay her expenses, I think she’ll be open to the idea.”

  Emma hated to be skeptical. Ryan Lynch was more like a sibling to Brendan than his cousin. And while Brendan would likely never admit it, Emma knew Ryan was his hero. Ryan was adventurous, talented, and altogether fun to be around, and she adored Brendan. It would be hard for Ryan to deny him any request. But Emma feared wedding planning might be Ryan’s one exception. Ryan fell into the event planning business by accident. Her outgoing personality, eye for detail, and ability to negotiate a budget shot her to the top of the industry. People hired Ryan to plan epic destination weddings, elegant receptions, fancy corporate banquets, and large conventions for five years. It proved a lucrative business. Brendan expressed shock when Ryan announced she was taking a job as a high school teacher. The announcement wasn’t a revelation to Emma. Ryan loved people. She didn’t thrive in a fast-paced lane full of privileged people. Her idea of adventure was white water rafting or kayaking down the Colorado River. She even took flying lessons for a few months. And while Ryan could hold court anywhere with any group of people, Emma recognized that Ryan’s element was a dive bar more than a five-star hotel. “Don’t push her,” Emma advised.

  “Push her? Emma, this is what she does,” he said.

  “No. It’s something she did for a few years.”

  “Come on. Who wouldn’t want to travel for the summer on someone else’s dime?”

  Emma shrugged. Ryan.

  Macie always looked forward to visiting Emma. She couldn’t recall a time when making a trip to see Emma at college or the house she now shared with Brendan caused her anxiety. Something had her sixth sense tingling. She had spent the last twenty-four hours attempting to convince herself that boredom caused her anxiety. Macie was restless. Her house felt empty when Emma went away to college, but Macie knew Emma would return for holidays and summers. Emma chose Yale to complete her graduate studies. That meant Emma lived at home. Macie knew when Emma brought Brendan home, things would change. It took another two years before her prediction came true. The last time Emma made an announcement, she insisted on buying dinner at Macie’s favorite Cuban restaurant in Manhattan. It required three pitchers of sangria before Emma blurted the news that she had accepted a job in Vermont. Two months later, Emma and Brendan purchased a house in Woodstock. It excited Macie to see Emma’s life blossom. But home felt empty. Instead of Emma spending holidays at home, Macie found herself a guest in Vermont. She looked ahead at the colonial house where her daughter waited and sighed. Macie could always sense when change was on the horizon. Somehow, when it arrived, it still took her by surprise. Every. Single. Time.

  “Emma! Your mom just pulled into the driveway,” Brendan called out.

  “Thanks!”

  “Emma’s mom is here?” Ryan asked.

  “Yeah. She called yesterday.”

  “Have you told her yet?” Ryan asked.

  “About our engagement? No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Emma wants to tell her in person, not over the phone.”

  “I’ll play dumb.”

  “That might be hard if you accept my offer,” Brendan said.

  Ryan’s eyeballs rolled into their sockets. “Offer? What do you mean by offer?”

  “What?” Brendan feigned innocence. “It’s a terrific deal. We’ll give you a list—you can even add to it! We’ll pay your expenses to check out the venues for our wedding. You narrow it down to the top three picks and then we’ll visit.”

  “Or you could just visit yourself.”

  “I don’t know a thing about events, Ryan.”

  “Emma does.”

  “Yes, but Emma doesn’t have the time this summer to travel. She’s balls to the wall at work.”

  “Colorful.”

  “She is,” he said. “If she wants to take time next fall or winter for our wedding, she has to pay her dues now. Taking time off during peak season at a ski resort isn’t easy.”

  Ryan groaned. Brendan wasn’t about to make it easy for her to turn him down.

  “What else are you doing this summer? Nothing?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re looking forward to not having anything to do?”

  “Yes.”

  “You?”

  “Brendan,” Ryan said. “Look, I spent five years working non-stop. Summer was hell for me every year. Do you know how many weddings and events happen in the summer? Too many.”

  “I thought you wanted to teach because of the kids.”

  “I do. Summers off is a bonus.”

  “You’ll still be off,” he argued. “And we won’t follow you around asking questions. You know us as well as anyone. If anyone can narrow Emma’s ever-growing list, it’s you.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Brendan grinned.

&nbsp
; “I said, I’ll think about it.”

  Emma appeared in the doorway. “Hey. Ryan, you remember my mom?”

  Macie walked into the kitchen and smiled. “Hello.”

  “Actually, I don’t think we’ve met,” Ryan said.

  “No. You two met at the party Brendan and I had when we bought the house.”

  Ryan shook her head. Emma’s mother would have left an impression at first sight. “I wasn’t there. Remember? I was working at a wedding in Jamaica, as I recall.”

  “Oh, shit! That’s right! I’m sorry. Ryan, this is my mom, Macie. Mom, this is Brendan’s cousin, Ryan.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Macie said. “I hope I’m not crashing in on your time with Brendan and Emma.”

  “Please. If anyone is crashing, it’s me,” Ryan replied.

  “No one is crashing anything,” Emma said. “How about I open a bottle of wine and we take this out to the patio?”

  An offer of wine two minutes after Macie’s arrival confirmed her suspicions. Emma had news. Macie wondered how many bottles Emma would offer before the news broke. “I’m not driving,” Macie said. “Feel free to pour to your heart’s content.” Or until you have enough liquid courage.

  “I’ll grab another bottle of wine,” Emma said.

  “I’ll help,” Brendan offered.

  Macie chuckled.

  “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your time with Emma,” Ryan said.

  “Please. I think Emma is grateful for every distraction. I can’t imagine she got a new job when she just started this one, and I’m pretty sure they aren’t selling this house. She may have forgotten I didn’t go blind when I passed fifty. I can see the diamond on her finger.”

  Ryan cringed.

  “It’s okay,” Macie said. “I assume they already told you.”

  “Only because Brendan wants me to scout wedding venues for them. Emma wants elegant. And apparently, she prefers someplace old. I’m not sure what falls into that category.”