Flirt With Me

by Kristen Proby

  “So, I knew that Hunter wouldn’t be spending time with a woman who had ulterior motives.”

  “No. He wouldn’t. Rachel means far too much to him. He wouldn’t allow anything of the sort.”

  “And what does Rachel mean to you?” he counters.

  I blow out a breath and turn to look out the window. “She’s my friend,” I say at last. “She makes me laugh, and I know that she cares about me. And I adore her. I enjoy working with her at the pub, and I just love the person that she is. You’ve all done a wonderful job of raising her to be a kind human being. Not to mention, I think my da has fallen in love with her. They put their heads together and eat my ma’s cakes.”

  “I noticed that they’ve already formed a sweet bond,” Jay says.

  “Does that hurt you?” I ask him.

  “No.” He smiles and crosses his arms over his chest. “If Carla’s parents were part of the picture, Rachel would have another grandfather. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that girl having more people in her life who love her.”

  “I don’t either. It’s just my family’s way, to include anyone we love.”

  His face softens. “That’s the word I was looking for.”

  “Things are still new,” I remind him. “But I wouldn’t be living here while my house is fixed if I didn’t love your son and Rachel. I have other places to go.”

  My stomach jumps at the words that just spilled from my mouth. Love. I love them. I’m completely in love with Hunter.

  I can’t imagine my life without him.

  “I suspected as much. Do you think you’ll be able to move out when your house is done?”

  I frown. The thought of leaving them already leaves a gaping hole in my chest.

  “I guess Hunter and I will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “Smart.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You’re a smart woman, Maeve.”

  “I have my moments.”

  “Are we going shopping yet?” Rachel asks as she bounces into the kitchen. “Or is Gramps still giving you the third degree?”

  “We’re going shopping,” I assure her. “Let’s go get the others and head out.”

  We’ll take the ferry to Seattle with Jay and Angie, and then Hunter and I plan to take Rachel shopping for school clothes and supplies. It’s going to be a busy, exhausting day in the city.

  “Seven pairs of jeans,” Rachel says to Maggie the next afternoon at the pub. We’re all working this afternoon, and Rachel is telling everyone all about our shopping trip and the loot she scored. “And way too many tops to count. Of course, new jackets because it’s colder here on the island. And tons of shoes.”

  “By tons, she means three pairs,” I add.

  “You scored,” Maggie says and offers her a high-five. “What about makeup?”

  “Maeve took me into Sephora, and we picked out some things, but I don’t usually wear much makeup.” The door opens, and a family of four stands near the podium, waiting for a table. “Oops, that’s me.”

  Rachel runs to seat the family, and Maggie grins at me. “She had fun.”

  “We all did. But let me tell you, I slept good last night. It was a lot. Angie and I went through Rachel’s closet on Saturday to see what she already had, and we discovered that she’d outgrown most of it. So, she pretty much got a whole new wardrobe. And we’re still a ways out from school starting, so she might need more.”

  “You know what I like?” Maggie asks as we watch Rachel smile and talk with the family she just seated. “That she’s grateful. I mean, she has to know that her dad is wealthy. But she’s not a spoiled brat.”

  “She’s not,” I agree. “But I will say that she also doesn’t really look at price tags or worry about how much things cost. She just picks stuff out. So, while it’s true that she’s grateful and excited, it’s also clear that she’s never had to worry about a budget.”

  “That makes sense, though,” Maggie reminds me.

  “It’s none of my business, but I wonder if she’ll ever have to worry about a budget.”

  “She might not,” Maggie says. “She’s not afraid of hard work. She’s shown us that much since Keegan hired her. But she may be lucky enough to work because she likes to, not because she has to. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  I nod in agreement and then pick up my tray and make my rounds, checking in on my tables. I take a few drink refill orders and then wave at Shawn and Lexi when they walk in, ready to get started on prepping for the dinner crowd.

  Since Ma and Da have been here, Ma’s covered lunch. Then Shawn and Lexi take over for dinner.

  I love having my parents here. When Ma’s in the kitchen and Da’s behind the bar, it feels like old times.

  But I know they miss Ireland and will likely return there in the next couple of weeks.

  Hunter pushes through the front door and blinks as his eyes adjust, then grins at me. He points to the bar and takes a seat, already chatting with Keegan.

  He’s started coming in every day that Rachel and I are on shift to say hello and grab a bite to eat.

  We’ve settled into a nice little routine.

  “Well, hey there, handsome.” I kiss his cheek and set my tray on the bar as I turn to Keegan. “I need three Cokes, one diet, and a pitcher of water.”

  “How’s your day so far?” Hunter asks.

  “Great. It’s been steady but not crazy, and everyone is happy and tipping well. We can’t complain.”

  “Do you have a minute?” he asks.

  “Sure.” I flag down Maggie. “I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem, I’ve got this.” She winks at Hunter. “Hey there.”

  “Hey, back to you,” he replies and walks behind me as I lead him to the storeroom.

  “What’s up?”

  “First, this is in order.” He frames my face and kisses me, long and deep. “It’s been a while since I was alone with you when we weren’t both exhausted.”

  “We had a busy weekend,” I agree with a laugh and brush my fingers through his hair. “How are you?”

  “I’m great.” He kisses my nose. “I got a call from my agent today. ESPN wants me to come be a guest commentator at a fight that’s happening in Vegas in a few days.”

  “Wow, that’s cool. Did you accept?”

  “Well, I wanted to check with you first.”

  “You don’t need my permission to work.”

  His lips twitch. “I know that. But I didn’t want to leave Rachel. At least not until I talked to you about it. I can ask my parents to come over and stay with her if you’d rather. I know she’ll have work, and she enjoys it here on the island. I don’t want to shuttle her back and forth to the city if I don’t have to. But I can if you’d rather.”

  “You should absolutely go. Rachel and I will be fine,” I assure him. “Honest. If your parents want to come, they’re welcome, but I don’t think they need to. How long will you be gone?”

  “Just one night. I’ll leave here that morning and be back the following afternoon.”

  “Oh, we’ll be fine,” I repeat.

  He leans in and kisses my forehead. “Thanks.”

  “We’ll have ice cream and talk about boys while you’re gone. You know, like girls do.”

  “There’d better not be any boys to talk about,” he says.

  I just laugh and pat him on the shoulder. “You’re painfully unprepared for your daughter to have a boyfriend.”

  “Has someone been sniffing around her?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I’m just saying, in general. It’s going to happen, Hunter. She’s adorable and sweet. Some nice kid is going to be smitten.”

  “I’ll smash his face in.”

  I cup his cheek. “No, you won’t.”

  “How did we go from Vegas to my daughter having a boyfriend?”

  I laugh and lead him back out to the bar. “I have to get back to work. What are you up to this afternoon?”

  “I’m goin
g to meet with some contractors. I’m having a gym built. I need more private space than I have in the house.”

  “You have plenty of property for it,” I agree, knowing that he bought the land next to his. “That’ll be great.”

  “What I have in mind will be better than great.” He winks at me and sits back on what I’ve come to think of as his stool, and I see that one of our regulars, Freddie, is sitting next to him.

  “Well, it’s a fine afternoon indeed if Freddie’s here.” I kick up my accent a bit as Freddie’s Irish himself, and I know he enjoys it. “How are you today?”

  “Ah, there’s a fine lass,” he says with sparkling blue eyes. “Maeve, me love, when are you going to run off and marry me?”

  “As soon as I finish me shift,” I assure him with a wink. “Now don’t you dare go pledgin’ your love to anyone else while I’m away.”

  Freddie takes a sip of his beer, both of us pleased as punch with our typical exchange, and I see Hunter smiling at me, clearly enjoying the show.

  I take my tray of drinks and deliver them to my tables. When I glance to my right, I see a woman walk through the door and survey the room.

  I don’t know her, though she looks vaguely familiar.

  “Um, Maeve?” Rachel asks. She slips her hand into mine, and her face has gone bone white.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Rachel licks her lips and nods toward the woman who’s now grinning and hurrying over to us.

  “Uh, that’s Carla. That’s my mom.”

  “Darling!” Carla wraps her arms around Rachel, hugging her tightly. But Rachel isn’t grinning. And she doesn’t hug the woman back.

  She only watches me with worried eyes.

  “Oh, my sweet girl, it’s so good to see you. Be a dear and go tell your boss you need the rest of the day off so we can catch up.”

  “I didn’t know you were coming, Carla. I can’t just take off of work.”

  “Since when do you call me Carla?” the woman demands and then shifts her attention to me, her blue eyes icing over. “Rachel is leaving.”

  “No.” It’s Hunter’s voice from behind me. “She isn’t leaving.”

  “Well, she certainly is. I’m here.”

  “Just go,” Rachel whispers. “You’re embarrassing me. I’ll call you when I’m finished with my shift.”

  “Well.” Carla’s face is mutinous. She brushes her hands down the red top that shows way too much cleavage. “Fine, then. I’m in town indefinitely, so I suppose there’s no hurry.”

  I blink in surprise, and Hunter sighs as Carla spins on her heel and stalks out of the bar.

  “You don’t have to stay,” I whisper to Rachel. “If you want to go.”

  “No. I have a job,” Rachel insists. “She can’t just come in here and demand that I leave.”

  And with that, Rachel hurries away to buss and wipe down some empty tables.

  “Did you know?” I ask Hunter.

  “No. But I should have.” He glances down at me. “She’s not here for Rachel. She’s here for you.”

  I frown. “Me? She doesn’t even know me.”

  “She saw the ESPYs,” he says. “And she’s jealous. She’s come to check you out and make trouble. I’m not going to Vegas. No way.”

  He turns away, but I tug on his arm, stopping him.

  “You’re going to Vegas. She’s not going to mess up everything here, Hunter. She’s not that important.”

  He just shakes his head. “We’ll see how big the shitshow is by tomorrow.”

  He watches Rachel with worried eyes.

  “Has she pulled this before?”

  “No, because I’ve never given her a reason to. We’ll talk more later. I think I’ll hang around, just in case.”

  “Want some stew?”

  “Yeah. And a beer.”

  Chapter 13

  ~Hunter~

  I’ve been sitting at the bar, brooding about the fact that Carla just waltzed in here and made a fool of herself, and decide that’s a bunch of bullshit. I’m not afraid of her. There’s absolutely nothing she can do to harm us. She signed over her rights as a mother the day after Rachel was born.

  I’ve just always tried to be civil for my daughter’s sake.

  I leave my place at the bar and walk outside, dialing Carla’s number.

  “What?” she says as a greeting.

  “What are you doing here, Carla?”

  “I’m obviously here to see my daughter.”

  “Don’t throw that shit at me. We both know that’s not the case. What are you trying to do?”

  “I don’t know why you’re being so cruel.” Fake tears fill her voice, and I roll my eyes toward the heavens. “I just want to see Rachel. I’ve missed out on so much.”

  “By choice,” I remind her.

  “Are you telling me I’m not welcome in Rachel’s life? That you both just want me to leave?”

  Yes. Yes, that’s what I’m fucking saying.

  But it’s not entirely up to me. Rachel is old enough to make her own choices regarding who she wants to have relationships with, so long as it doesn’t harm her—especially when it comes to her biological mother.

  “I don’t like that you decided to show up out of the blue, without any warning, and interrupted our lives. I don’t think you have innocent motives at all. I don’t want you here, and if push comes to shove, I can get a restraining order. But…I’ll let Rachel decide if she wants to spend time with you.”

  “She will.” Carla sounds confident when she sniffs into the phone. “We have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe I should come to your place on the water for dinner tonight.”

  I narrow my eyes. “You are not welcome in my home. I don’t want you anywhere near it. I’m not going to invite you over for a chummy meal. We’re not friends, Carla.”

  “I gave you a baby.”

  “And then you left her.”

  Carla hangs up on me, and I let out a sigh.

  I know her too well. She doesn’t want Rachel. She wants to mess with me, and she’s jealous of Maeve.

  She’s jealous of everything.

  Which I don’t understand because she’s been with Danny Kirkland for years. He’s not a particularly successful fighter in the industry, but he makes a shit ton of money and keeps Carla in the lifestyle she always wanted.

  It doesn’t matter.

  I want her gone.

  “Are you going to sleep at all?” Maeve reaches out and drags her hand up and down my arm in the darkness. I have the balcony door open so I can hear the waves crashing below, and the mattress is heated to keep us warm.

  I usually sleep like a damn baby in this room.

  But my brain won’t shut down.

  “I’m fine,” I reply softly. “Go back to sleep.”

  “You’re not fine.” Maeve sits up and scoots closer. Having her with me is soothing in and of itself. If I were alone, I’d be in the basement, punching the bag I hung down there last week.

  I can’t wait for the gym to be finished.

  “She just got home,” I inform her and push my hand through my hair. “Rachel walked through the door not even thirty minutes ago. It’s almost one in the goddamn morning. What in the hell could they have been doing this late?”

  “Maybe they were just talking,” Maeve suggests. “Catching up, like Carla said earlier.”

  “I don’t trust her,” I say, watching the white waves in the dark. “Like I said before, I don’t talk shit about Carla in front of Rachel because it’s up to my daughter to decide what she thinks of her mom. But Carla is a bad person, Maeve. She’s manipulative and selfish. And I’m worried that all she’s going to do here is hurt Rachel. All because she’s pissed that I’m doing well.”

  “Why is she pissed about that?” Maeve asks. “I don’t get it. Why does she care?”

  “Who knows? Because she’s unhappy, and she wants everyone else to be unhappy, too. Or she just wants me to be unhappy because I got what I wante
d. I got Rachel.”

  “I sincerely hope that you’re wrong, for Rachel’s sake,” she replies. “I hope that Carla has matured with age and realizes that she has an awesome daughter that she needs to get to know. And that she’s here for that reason only—because she’s missed out on a great kid.”

  I turn to her and cup her cheek in the darkness.

  “You’re such a good woman. You try to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt, even when they don’t deserve it.”

  “I don’t know her,” she says simply. “I don’t know if she deserves Rachel. From what you’ve told me, I’d say not. But, like I said, I hope she’s grown up and is here with good intentions. Because I promise you, if she hurts that sweet girl in any way, I’ll tear her fucking hair out.”

  I grin and lean into her, kissing her neck. I need to be with her.

  “Protective, aren’t you?”

  “Of the people I love? Hell, yes. I know you’re strong, but so am I. And I don’t stand for anyone hurting those I care about.”

  “I’m so happy that you love her.”

  She takes my cheeks in her hands, and with the moonlight dancing on her face, she smiles softly. “I love both of you, Hunter. Haven’t you figured that out?”

  I slide her down onto the bed and quietly make love to her with soft touches and breathless sighs. I moan at the tenderness of her touch and feel my heartbeat quicken when I’m inside her, pushing us both toward the ecstasy of climax.

  And when it’s calm again, when Maeve sleeps soundly, and I lie awake listening to the water, I’m at peace in the knowledge that we can face whatever chaos Carla brings our way.

  Together.

  “I didn’t know what to expect,” Rachel says to Maeve and me the next morning over bagels and cream cheese. “I don’t honestly know Carla all that well. I don’t see her often, you know? I mean, she’s always been nice to me, she just doesn’t come around much. Oh, and there was the embarrassing thing that happened at school. That was awful.”