“Thanks,” he murmured before his brother got on the line.
“What’s going on?”
Patrick repeated what Marissa had just shared with him. “So basically I was just calling to make sure you guys were alright.”
“I thought I saw one of the firetrucks go by a few minutes ago, but other than that no one’s said anything,” Jamie said casually. “Where are you at that you can’t just walk down here and ask?”
“Richmond, but I’m on my way home.”
“Oh, that’s right. Now I remember you mentioning that. I thought you were going to be there until Friday.”
So did he. After hearing Marissa’s voice, however, he knew something else was going on. They’d gotten closer in the last several months and between that and the fact that they’d known one another for five years, he was fairly confident that he could read her moods. She hadn’t mentioned anything crazy involving her mother or brother lately, but he knew that wouldn’t last long.
Leaving the conference really wasn’t an issue. If anything, he was looking for an excuse to leave. He just hoped he would get back to Laurel Bay and find out he had panicked for nothing.
“Hang on, Pat. Uncle Ronan looks like he’s got news. See ya when you get back!”
His uncle was on the line a moment later. “Okay, Patty, here’s the deal. There was a break-in at a house over on Dover and apparently whoever broke in doused the outside lawn with gasoline. Now…I can’t say who my sources are…”
His uncle was a legendary gossip and right now, Patrick was beyond thankful for it.
“Thanks, Uncle Ro,” he said solemnly. “I appreciate the info.”
“Marissa lives on Dover, doesn’t she?”
“She does,” he murmured.
“So do you think…?”
“I do. I definitely do.”
“Then I hope you’re on your way home!” his uncle stated firmly. “That poor girl has no one to help her except you! And with her mother in the hospital…”
“Wait. What? Her mother is in the hospital? When did this happen?”
“Sunday. Irene had a stroke. Last I heard, she was in stable condition, but not great.”
Unable to help himself, Patrick chuckled. “Is there anything in this town that you don’t know?”
“Well, now…you know people love to come in and talk over a few drinks,” Ronan said with amusement. “Being a bartender is the best job in the world!”
“Um…”
“Now you listen to me, Patrick Michael Donovan. You need to get your tail back here and help Marissa out. We all know you’re sweet on her and now’s your chance to do something about it!”
“Do something…? Sweet on…? What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded.
Rather than answer right away, his uncle laughed. “Fine. Be that way. Be clueless. Just get back here and make sure Marissa is safe. Although…I’m sure if I let your mother know, she’ll find some nice local guys to go over and help.”
He hated that he was taking the bait. “I’m on my way! I can only drive so fast, you know.”
“Good boy. If I hear anything more, I’ll let you know.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Once he hung up, Patrick seriously considered calling Marissa back and getting an update, but he needed some time to think.
We all know you’re sweet on her…
That was possibly the last thing he expected anyone to say to him. Marissa was his employee. His assistant. They worked together and only recently had they started to become friends. There wasn’t anything inappropriate about his behavior toward her and he certainly didn’t think he did anything to make anyone suspect that he had a thing for her.
Which he didn’t.
Or…maybe he did, but knew nothing was going to come of it.
We all know you’re sweet on her…
“Uncle Ro has just been hanging out with mom too much,” he grumbled. “Damn match-making nonsense. I’m not sweet on anyone. And who even says that anymore?”
With a growl of frustration, he drove along I-95 and cursed the fact that it would be three hours before he was back in Laurel Bay. With the radio playing softly, Patrick managed to wait a full hour before calling Marissa for an update.
But she didn’t answer.
He tried to reason that she was busy and couldn’t talk and decided to wait fifteen minutes before calling her again.
And she didn’t answer.
Muttering a curse, Patrick glanced at the clock and knew if traffic was on his side, he could be home in ninety minutes. A little sooner if all the traffic lights were on his side once he got off the interstate. Another fifteen minutes passed before he called again and he swore if Marissa didn’t answer this time, he was going to call the pub and send either Jamie, Ronan, or his mother over to her house to check on her.
“Hey, Patrick,” she said distractedly when she answered. “What’s up?”
“I was really just checking to make sure everything was okay. Did the gas leak get taken care of?”
“Um…yeah. It’s all fine.” She paused. “Can you just…hang on for a moment?”
“Sure.”
It sounded like she put her hand over the phone because everything she was saying was muffled and she clearly wasn’t alone.
“Patrick, listen, I need to go. The gas company is finishing up and I need to deal with that. Can we just touch base tomorrow?”
Something was definitely up, and he was glad he would be home soon.
“Sure. We’ll talk then. Bye.”
Unfortunately, traffic had other plans.
It was almost three hours later that he finally hit the Laurel Bay town limits.
By that time. All he wanted was to sleep in his own bed and stay under the radar for a few more days before he had to deal with his family.
Not like that was going to happen. Sunday dinners were mandatory at the Donovan home, and anyone who didn’t show up would have to deal with their mother’s wrath.
And he definitely wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s wrath.
But…he needed to stop by Marissa’s and talk to her. It bugged the crap out of him that she was being so evasive and wouldn’t even tell him about her mother. He thought they had grown closer and that she knew she could talk to him about this kind of thing.
“Pfft…clearly I was wrong,” he murmured, determined to get to her house and talk this out. But as he drove down Main Street—and past his office—Patrick noticed the lights were on. “What the hell?”
Pulling up to the front, he parked and was out of the car in the blink of an eye. The front door was locked, but he could see Marissa staring wide-eyed at him as he unlocked it and let himself in.
Her expression went from shock to politeness in the blink of an eye. “Oh, hey! I thought you were going to stay for the rest of the conference?”
He knew a diversion when he heard one.
“My heart wasn’t in it and besides, I was worried about you.”
“Oh, um…there’s no reason to.” Shrugging, she immediately began collecting her things and pulling her purse from her desk drawer. “Everything’s fine. I just decided to come in and take care of some stuff since I had to take the afternoon off.” She gave him a smile, but he could tell it was forced.