by Natalie Ann
“Quit intimidating my customers, I don’t like it,” she said, arms crossed under full breasts.
As disgruntled as he was, his pulse still kicked up at her proximity. “You need a dress code here, that kid over there looks like a hoodlum.”
Amusement made her pretty eyes sparkle. “Then I’d have to kick you two out, as well.” She stared pointedly at their track clothes. “Still running from your problems, Michaels?”
“Mo,” her brother warned. “Play nice.”
Trace rubbed his chest where her words had stabbed him. “I deserved it,” he told his friend. “Sorry,” he said to Mona—for now and for the past.
She hesitated, her face clouding, then she nodded and took a seat. “It’s probably not my place to say anything, but if you keep coming down so hard on that girl, she’s going to close herself off from you. I don’t think that’s what you want.”
Trace frowned, but had to acknowledge her words. How was he supposed to protect Bailey if he wasn’t allowed to do anything? Was it too late to send her to an all-girls school?
A moment later, Bailey was heading their way with stars in her eyes. “Hi, Dad, are you ready to go? I need to clean my room.”
Jake laughed, then coughed into his hand, eyes watering. “See you at the party, Jane can’t wait.”
Bailey looked confused, her mind obviously on something—or someone—else. She made a quick recovery though. “Oh, right. Dad, we have to go shopping. I know exactly what I want to get her.” She grinned, all sunshine and rainbows while a storm cloud hovered over Trace’s head.
The other family funneled past them on their way out the door and the kid had the temerity to wink at Bailey. Trace saw red and would have risen, if not for Mona’s fingers digging into his thigh.
She shot him a glare, then smiled at the Kennedys. “Thank you for stopping by, come back anytime.”
Mrs. Kennedy put her hand on her son’s shoulder, slowing him down. He obliged without argument, standing at her side while the father continued on out the door. “This was Billy’s idea. He said a friend at school recommended the café to him.” She smiled at Bailey. “I’m glad we came; the meal and the service were perfect.”
Billy swept shaggy bangs off his forehead and squinted at Bailey from half-closed eyes—the punk. “See you at school?”
Bailey turned ketchup red. “Sure,” she mumbled.
The mother nodded at Mona and then they moved off, leaving a weighty silence in their wake.
Mona patted Trace’s leg and let him go. “Well, I better get back to work before they fire me,” she joked, rising.
Bailey gave her a surprising hug. “Thanks for letting me stay over,” she mumbled.
Mona kissed her brow. “Our house is your house. The hair looks even better today, doesn’t it, guys?” She shot them an agree-with-me-or-else look.
Jacob nodded willingly. “It suits you,” he agreed. “Though I liked your old hair, too.”
Way to walk the line, buddy. Trace raised his brow and Jake shrugged as though to say, “Women, what can you do?”
“Dad, do you like my hair?” Bailey’s voice trembled slightly, though she looked him in the eye.
What could he say? “It’s beautiful, honey. It makes you seem all grown up.” His hand flexed on his leg, wishing Mona’s fingers were still there.
Bailey’s smile was worth the angst. “That’s because I am, Dad. I can even go out on a date soon. You said when I turned sixteen, right?”
Aw, shit. That was before he realized it could actually happen. This island wasn’t big enough for him and Bailey’s potential suitors. It wouldn’t be good for the mayor to land in jail.
Chapter Eight
Mona cursed the rain, juggling keys and the pink pastry box containing her niece’s birthday cake while trying to open the car door. On the other side of the vehicle, Amber was doing the same with a bulky cat carrier, bags of food and litter, and a gift-wrapped box filled with half the cat toys from the pet store. The caged kitten yowled her displeasure, not impressed with the trap she found herself in.
Finally, they managed to get settled without losing cake or cat and she sighed her relief. “Ready, kiddo?” She glanced in the backseat to check on their precious cargo. “I hope Jane likes her surprise.”
Amber did up her seatbelt and stared pointedly until Mona reached for hers before answering. “Jane’s best friend is diabetic, Mom. A unicorn means a perfect blood glucose reading. She’s going to love the cake.”
Mona’s heart squeezed. Her niece had been through a rough couple of years with the loss of her mother in the car accident and her subsequent paralysis. She would do just about anything for that little girl. “Don’t forget the cat. Uncle Jacob will be thrilled.” She grinned, picturing her dour brother chasing the little monster around his fancy house.
“Is Jason coming to the party?” Amber casually brushed a speck of non-existent lint from her pleated skirt.
Mona frowned at her daughter’s bent head. “To an eight-year old’s birthday party? I don’t think that’s really Jason’s speed, but you never know.” She started the car and played with the vents until Amber glanced up. “Do you have something you’d like to tell me?” she said calmly while inside a dozen angry hornets buzzed in her ears. Jason was too… everything for her daughter. He was five years older (or so his resume stated), rough around the edges, hadn’t finished school, rode a motorcycle, and had a tattoo. She knew because she’d seen it peeking out from the neck of a ragged t-shirt he’d worn when he came to help her on the docks. Not that she was judging him. He seemed like a nice kid and had a good work ethic. But, and it was a big but, he was not the right guy for Amber to get attached to—she’d only get hurt.
“No! Jeez, Mom.” Amber flounced back in her seat and stared out the windshield. “We’re just friends, okay? I thought it would be nice to have someone there that was closer to my age, that’s all.”
“Well, no problem then,” Mona replied, backing out of the driveway and gunning it down the street. “Josie will be there, and you get along fine with her.” It was true that Jacob’s new wife was ten years younger than him, but she’d infused so much light and love into their home that the age difference didn’t seem to matter.
She still didn’t want that for Amber though. Her daughter was going places. Her grades were excellent, and she was already sending out applications to colleges and universities across the country. Mona was determined Amber would get the opportunities that she’d missed out on because of a love affair with the wrong boy. History was not going to get a chance to repeat itself.
The rest of the drive was completed in stony silence with Amber pouting in the corner and Mona mentally girding her loins for the upcoming confrontation with Trace. She should have told him yesterday about her decision to run against him. It would have been easier in a full restaurant where he couldn’t create a scene, but he deserved to know and she’d rather it came from her than say… his ex-wife. Just thinking about that woman and how she took advantage of her kind-hearted father got Mona’s back up. Poor Mr. Hayward didn’t deserve the shrew that was his daughter.
The climb up the mountain from town was spectacular. Small wonder Jacob had bought land up here. The rain had stopped and now the trees glittered under bright sunshine while the ocean played peek-a-boo far below them and eagles soared overhead. The drive was private, a slash of gray asphalt among the verdant greens of the forest floor. The house was modern, sleek and stylish with a million-dollar view overlooking the strait below. He’d built it for his first wife and almost sold it after her death, but Josie had convinced him to keep it as a legacy for Jane and Mona would be forever grateful to her for that.
They pulled in behind a shiny sedan and the front door of the house flew open. Mischief bounded out, living up to his name by racing around the vehicles barking like he was spring-loaded, with Jane following close behind in her electric wheelchair.
“Aunty, Aunty,” Mona heard as she stepped ou
t of the car. “Everyone is here and I was worried you wouldn’t make it, but Daddy said, ‘Quit worrying, you know your aunt is always running late,’ and he was right, because you are,” she ended in a breathless rush, grinning ear to ear.
Mona laughed and leaned down to give her niece a warm squeeze, inhaling the strawberry shampoo she favored. “Well, we’re here now, so the party can start,” she said, spying her brother and Josie in the doorway. “I hear someone turned seven today?”
“Aunty.” The munchkin laughed. “I’m eight now. Did you forget?”
Mona pretended to look surprised. Even though they played this same game at all of her birthdays, it never got old. “Really?” she said. “That could be a problem then, I only brought enough candles for seven.” She took a step back to her car. “I’ll be right back, if I can find a store to sell me one candle.”
Jane shrieked and the dog went ballistic, which in turn caused the kitten that Amber had just removed from the backseat to bounce so hard it knocked the carrier out of her arms. The basket hit the ground, popped open, and a streak of gray raced for the woods with Mischief hot on its trail.
***
Trace picked his way over decomposing logs blanketed in a thick green coat of moss and pushed aside towering ferns as high as his thighs in a futile effort to find the missing kitten. Mona marched along a few feet away, waving her cell phone’s flashlight from side to side like a homing beacon—one the scared cat ignored.
Further down the ridge, Jacob and Josie worked a grid pattern with Amber and Jason (who’d arrived at the party against Mona’s wishes) while Bailey waited at the house with a distraught Jane and her friends. Mischief had been banished to his kennel with his tail between his legs. Obviously, he knew he’d made a mistake in his choice of chew toys.
“This is impossible.” Mona stopped and clamped her hands onto shapely hips. “That kitten is probably halfway to town by now.”
Trace privately agreed with her, but Jane’s woebegone face wouldn’t let him give up the search. “Come on, Samuels. I never took you for a quitter.” He grinned as her eyes flashed and she began to beat the bushes around her legs. “Are you trying to rescue that cat or do it physical injury?”
“Do I get a choice?” She grumbled. “I’m not a fan of bugs, okay? Who knows what’s living in these woods? Slugs and spiders and earwigs are not my friend, so go away,” she warned any would-be creepy-crawlies.
Trace chuckled.
“What are you laughing about?” Mona swatted the air around her head. “Oh, Lord, I think I just walked through a giant spider web.”
“They’re more scared of you than you are of them.” He took pity on her and removed his jacket so she could use it to cover her hair. “Here, use this.”
She accepted the coat with a grudging thanks. “I’m not really the outdoorsy type,” she murmured.
“No kidding.” Trace helped situate the material to protect her face and neck, holding the lapels against her cheeks. “Here I was, thinking you were invincible.”
Whiskey brown eyes stared up at him. “My heart bleeds, Trace. Want to ask me how I know?”
Regret closed his throat. He’d made so many mistakes, but none worse than what he’d done to this woman. “Mona,” he croaked. “You’re killing me here.”
A sad smile tipped her lips. “Sorry, I guess I’m feeling sentimental today. Ignore me.”
He shook his head and kissed her brow. “Not possible, sweetheart. You’re pretty much unforgettable.” Immediately, he could tell he’d said the wrong thing. She stiffened in the circle of his arms and took a step back, breaking contact.
“Funny, that’s not the impression I got at all.” She tossed his jacket at him, narrowly missing his face. “Seems to me, the moment you set eyes on Sally Hayward, I became old news.” She lifted her chin. “Am I missing anything?”
Damn, she was beautiful when she was mad—or aroused. But she was also wrong. Sally had turned his head, sure. He’d been a hot-blooded teen and she’d been willing, but he would never have cheated on Mona if he knew then what he knew now. The trick would be to convince her to give him another chance. Going by her expression at the moment, that would be approximately… never.
“There’s more to the story, things you should know, but—” He glanced around the forest, hearing the faint calls from the others searching for the kitten. “Now is not the time. Just…” he grasped her arm when she would have turned away, “give me a chance?”
She stared down at his hand, her jaw clenched. “I need you to let go of me,” she gritted.
He released her, stunned by the hurt and anger he saw in her eyes. “Mona, talk to me.”
Instead, she grabbed his wrist and lifted it up so he couldn’t avoid seeing the gold band on his ring finger. “Still up to your old games, Trace?” She choked out a laugh. “You’d think I’d learn, wouldn’t you?”
She dropped his arm like it was one of those bugs she was so worried about and wanted to stomp into the ground. “Just stay away from Amber and me. We don’t need you. We never have.”
Before he could figure out what that was supposed to mean, she took off toward the house as though her tail was on fire. He stared after her, cursing her hot temper and his idiocy in never removing his wedding ring. It hadn’t meant anything to him in a long time, but he thought maybe Bailey took some comfort from the knowledge her parents had once cared for one another. He tugged it off and dropped the warm metal in his pocket—too little, too late.
“Hey, Trace,” Amber called, appearing with that kid from the docks. “Look, we found the kitten.” She held the bedraggled cat in the air. “Where’s Mom?”
Trace glanced hard at the boy’s arm around her waist before forcing a smile. “She was tired, so she headed back to the house.”
Amber nodded. “She’s been working really hard since she decided to run for mayor—oops! I wasn’t supposed to say anything until she’s ready to make the announcement.” She covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes big.
Dazed, Trace rubbed his chest, feeling as though he’d had the rug pulled out from under him. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,” he mumbled. “You better get that kitten up to Jane before she thinks her party is a disaster.”
Amber looked at him, concerned. “Are you, uhm, okay?”
Depends. Was it possible to survive a direct hit to the solar plexus? She’d been right there, too. Why hadn’t she told him what she’d planned? Dammit, if she was trying to ruin his life for revenge, Mona Samuels was going to have a war on her hands.
Chapter Nine
Bailey pretended to have a good time at Jane’s party (thanks to Amber finding the kitten) but it was impossible not to notice the strain between her dad and Mona. Ever since they’d returned from the woods—separately—Mona had gone out of her way to avoid him while his scowl was enough to scare all but the bravest away.
She wished Billy was here. Amber and Jason were helping Josie in the kitchen, Jacob was talking to her dad, and by the look on his face it wasn’t a pleasant conversation, while Mona helped Jane with the new kitten. She could join them, but it felt like she’d be betraying her dad to hang out with the enemy, so to speak.
Sighing, she walked over to her father, intending to ask him if he’d like a drink. Instead, she stumbled into a heated argument.
“If you knew, you should have told me—we’re supposed to be friends,” her dad growled.
Jacob snorted. “In the first place, I wasn’t sure she was going through with it, and second, she’s my sister. Give me a break, man. If I could have mentioned it, I would have.”
Bailey’s heart battered her chest. The animosity between the men was almost a physical presence. She’d never seen her dad so riled. She tucked her hand in his and received a comforting squeeze.
“Everything okay, Dad?”
He glanced down at her, his expression grim. “Just a misunderstanding, honey. Don’t worry about it.” His gaze migrated across the room. “Look
s like Jane loves her new kitten.”
Bailey frowned. “I’m not a kid anymore, you can quit hiding things from me.” Like when her mother had given her up without a fight.
He tucked her under his arm and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll always be my baby girl, no matter how old and decrepit you become.” He smiled and she was too relieved to see the tension dissipate to remain frustrated.
“Gee, thanks, Dad. Seriously, what’s going on? Mona looked upset when she came in. Does this have something to do with her?”
“Josie probably needs a hand, so I’ll leave you to it,” Jacob said. He gave his friend a warning look, then strode over to hug Jane and have a word with Mona.
Her dad’s gaze followed them, his expression melancholy, and suddenly Bailey got it. “Dad, do you like Mona?” It seemed so obvious now, the way he always watched her and the odd tension between them whenever they were close. The snarky comments took on another context from her new perspective. Images of their blended families filled her head. Amber would be her sister, Jane a cousin. Aunts and uncles; a stepmother. A family. It had been just her and her dad for so long, it would be a dream come true if she could figure out a way to bring them together.
He startled and took her arm to lead her over to the floor-to-ceiling picture window. When they were out of earshot, he said, “We’ve known each other for years, of course I like her.”
He wasn’t going to confide in her. That was okay. There was more than one way to get the deets. “She’s pretty, isn’t she? I love her eyes, and she’s such a great mom. Amber is so lucky.”
Instead of getting him to confess his undying love, Bailey got worried dad. “Honey, you know you can tell me anything, right? And your mom isn’t very far away…”
Maybe not, but as far as she was concerned Sally (she preferred not to be called Mom) could be on the other side of the world.
“This isn’t about me, Dad. Something is going on between you and Mona and I want to know what it is.”
