Rocky Ground

by Kaylea Cross

  This time he couldn’t hide his reaction. He set his jaw, his face flushing hot. “Who?”

  His lawyer opened a file and slid it over for Brian to see. The names jumped right out at him.

  “It’s bullshit.” All of this was bullshit. He’d been put on house arrest and had to wear a fucking ankle monitor 24/7. It was degrading. He’d lost everything: the high-paying job he’d worked so long and hard for, had sacrificed so much for. His reputation. His friends and coworkers. Even his own family had cut him out of their lives because of the charges laid against him. How much worse would it get if he were actually convicted?

  Brian shook his head, struggling to keep the anger in check. He hadn’t had anything important taken from him since his innocence was stolen was a kid—he’d made sure of that. He’d never been looked at with disgust before. Even his damn lawyer, who he was paying an obscene amount of money to try and clear his name, looked at him with disgust. As if he was some kind of deviant pervert who’d just crawled out from beneath a rock somewhere.

  “So that’s it? There’s nothing you can do?” Brian demanded.

  “The State Attorney’s office has offered us a plea bargain.”

  His heart rate slowed a little, a glimmer of hope showing through the black cloud constantly hovering over his head. “What are they offering?”

  “Reduced charges. Maybe even a reduced sentence if you plead guilty to all the charges.”

  “All the charges?” Screw that.

  “Yes. Depending on what the judge rules, you’d be looking at a reduction of possibly a third or more of your sentence.”

  More blood rushed to his face, burning his skin, the volcanic anger boiling inside him impossible to repress. “I won’t do it. I didn’t hurt her. I never fucking touched her.”

  His lawyer’s face remained impassive. “What about the other two girls? Did you touch them?”

  The rage receded slightly as shame twisted his insides. “No,” he lied. But they’d been way too young to remember it. There was no way they could remember any of it, let alone prove it. Was there?

  Cold sweat gathered beneath his arms and his pulse increased. How much did they remember? Or were they planning to just make shit up now because they couldn’t remember the details and had heard about Tiana bringing charges against him?

  His lawyer studied him for a long, silent moment. Judged him, and found him guilty. Brian could see it in those steely eyes. “Are you willing to risk adding a third more time to your sentence? If you admit to everything and take this deal, it’s likely the prosecuting attorney will go easier on you. But if you refuse and force this to go to trial, force Ella and the others to testify against you…” He shook his head. “No judge is going to look kindly on that if you’re convicted.”

  “And you think that’s a foregone conclusion based on the evidence,” he spat.

  “Yes,” the man said without missing a beat.

  Brian didn’t want to hear that. The “evidence” against him was stupid. Stuff they’d found on his personal computer and phone, and Ella’s version of events. A freaking nine-year-old’s word against his.

  This whole thing was total BS. He hadn’t harmed a hair on Ella’s blonde head. He’d gone through way worse than she had, and no one had jumped to his defense. His abuser had never been arrested or brought to justice. Compared to what Brian had endured, Ella had nothing to complain about.

  “As your attorney, I advise that you take this deal. It’s the best you’re going to get.”

  You disgusting piece of shit. The man didn’t say it, but Brian knew he was thinking it. His expression and the cool look in his eyes said it loud and clear.

  The lawyer opened the folder in front of him and turned it around so Brian could see its contents. “Let’s go through everything in the offered agreement first. Then you can take some time to think about it if you want.” But his tone made it clear he thought Brian would be a fucking idiot not to take it.

  “Fine,” he muttered, crossing his arms as the man began to go through it. He wanted out of here. Away from everyone who knew what he was accused of and thought he was evil.

  Listening to all the charges against him read aloud were more solid blows to his ego. He hated hearing the words, loathed the labels people now gave him.

  Pervert. Pedophile.

  Monster.

  He was still fuming when he walked out of the office twenty minutes later. He couldn’t believe he was probably going to jail, and that his life had been destroyed over a few insignificant incidents.

  The Portland law office was busy. Clients filled the waiting area. To him it seemed like they all stared at him with judgmental expressions as he walked past, head high. Fuck them all. He couldn’t help the way he was. The urges. And he wasn’t violent.

  But oh, he could see the appeal of violence against those who had wronged him.

  What he wouldn’t give to punish Tiana and her daughter for doing this to him—being the ones to bring the world down around him. That would fuel his fantasies for a long time to come.

  The elevator let him out in the luxurious, marble-floored lobby. He stopped in the coffee shop to grab something for the road. Standing in line, he overheard the end of a conversation between two other men ahead of him.

  “Thanks for flying in to meet me,” the older man said to the younger one, dressed in a business suit. Brian recognized him—a family lawyer from another firm in the building.

  “I just want to see my daughter,” the younger one replied. He was in jeans and a dress shirt, somewhere in his early thirties. “Ella’s nine now.”

  Brian’s ears perked up.

  “I haven’t seen her or Tiana in years,” the younger man continued, “but Tiana hasn’t changed. She’s agreed to letting me have the initial visit, but she’s not happy about it. I want to make sure we avoid any kind of legal battle going forward, if possible.”

  No way. This was Evan? Ella’s father? The guy who had broken Tiana’s heart when he walked out on them? He ducked his head, riveted to every word, hoping neither of them would notice or recognize him.

  The older man patted Evan’s back in a show of support and reached for the coffees sitting on the bar. “Don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for. I’ll make sure you get regular access to your daughter from here on out.”

  They walked away, still chatting. Brian barely resisted the urge to follow them. As he waited for his order, an idea popped into his mind. Not a bad one, either. It wasn’t the kind of revenge he truly wanted, but it was a start and a hell of a lot better than nothing.

  He wouldn’t let Tiana get away with this without retaliating.

  A rush of vindication pulsed through him as he walked outside into the cold, spring rain. If he was going down, he was taking Tiana Fitzgerald with him.

  ****

  “Do you see her?” Holding Ella’s hand, Tiana anxiously scanned the passengers in the arrivals terminal at the airport.

  “No, but don’t worry. There’s no way we’ll miss her,” Ella said.

  A wry grin curved her lips. “True.” Lizzie was impossible to miss.

  “And we might even hear her before we see her.”

  Ha. “Also true.” She bounced on the balls of her feet, about to burst with anticipation. “Gah, I’m just so excited! Can’t wait to see her, it’s been way too—”

  A joyous cry rang out from somewhere beyond Tiana’s line of sight.

  Tiana went up on her toes, craning her neck to see, and an answering cry burst from her when she spotted the familiar mass of coppery curls bouncing toward them. She dragged Ella with her as she rushed forward to meet her aunt, who was running toward them in a blur of eye-popping neon pink, a jubilant smile lighting up her plump face. “Lizzie!”

  Her aunt let out another excited cry and dropped the handle of her rolling suitcase, leaving it sitting in the flow of human traffic so she could pounce, engulfing both of them in a floral-scented hug that put a lump in Tiana’s throat. “
Oh, I’m so glad to see you girls,” Lizzie gushed, squeezing tighter as she rained kisses on their faces. Tiana laughed. Then Lizzie stopped and cupped Ella’s cheeks in her hands. “You’ve grown a foot since I saw you last, I swear.”

  Ella grinned up at her. “Soon I’ll be as tall as you.”

  Lizzie’s green eyes sparkled. “Taller, I’ll bet.” She sighed and hugged them again, still smiling, her suitcase forming a boulder in the stream of passengers flowing around them. “So. When do I get to see this beautiful new town of yours?”

  The two-hour drive back to Crimson Point went by in a flash thanks to Lizzie’s animated chatter. Tiana loved her twelve-years-older aunt for a thousand different reasons, but one of the best was how much of a free spirit she was.

  Somehow she’d managed to find the strength to escape their toxic, controlling family a decade before Tiana had, and she’d even healed her emotional wounds enough to allow her a fulfilling life that gave her joy. She was Tiana’s hero and role model in every way. Without her, Tiana would never have found the courage to leave her parents and her life in Idaho far behind.

  Without her, Tiana would have become a victim rather than a survivor.

  “This is it,” Tiana said as she turned onto Front Street and the painted wooden Crimson Point sign came into view on the side of the road. “The beating heart of our picturesque little seaside town.”

  “Ohhh, isn’t it gorgeous,” Lizzie gasped, already taking pictures with her phone. “The pictures you sent didn’t do it justice.”

  “Do you like to fly kites, Aunt Lizzie?” Ella asked from the backseat.

  “I’m not sure if I’ve ever flown one.”

  In the rearview mirror Ella’s eyes widened. “What? Well then we have to teach you while you’re here.”

  “I’d love that.”

  “You hungry?” Tiana asked.

  “Ooh, let’s take her to Whale’s Tale,” Ella said. “Please?”

  “I could eat an entire whale’s tail right now,” Lizzie joked.

  Tiana parked out front of the quaint café/bookshop with a hand-painted wooden sign hanging from the roof out front boasting a humpback’s fluke. “My friend Poppy owns it. Best lunch and pastries in town.”

  “It’s nice to hear you talk about having friends,” Lizzie said.

  “Isn’t it?”

  “And cupcakes. Poppy also makes the best cupcakes,” Ella added, grabbing Lizzie’s hand and all but towing her inside.

  “Oh, good. I love cupcakes,” Lizzie said with a laugh.

  Behind the counter in a frilly half-apron, a plum-colored turtleneck and her golden blond hair pulled up in a twist, Poppy broke into a huge smile when she saw them. “Hey, great to see you guys. And who’s this?”

  “Aunt Lizzie,” Ella told her. “She’s my mom’s aunt, but my aunt too. She’s staying with us for a visit.”

  “Poppy,” she said, offering her hand to Lizzie, who shook it.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” Poppy smiled at all of them. “So. What can I get you ladies today? Maybe afternoon tea for three?”

  Lizzie looked down at Ella, shared a grin, and nodded. “That sounds lovely.”

  They sat at a table in the corner, and Poppy returned with a secret smile on her face. “Guess what just came in?” she asked Tiana, hand behind her back.

  “I don’t know, what?”

  “Ta da.” She produced the paperback she’d been hiding. “Katie Reus just released a new Redemption Harbor book.”

  “Oh! Gimme.” She snatched it, flipped it over to read the back cover copy.

  Lizzie read over her shoulder. “It sounds good.”

  “It is good. Poppy got me hooked on her stuff a while back. And she knows I’m old school and prefer paperbacks to ebooks.” She grinned up at her friend. “Put it on my tab.”

  “You got it.”

  “What about me?” Lizzie asked Poppy.

  Poppy stopped in surprise. “What do you like to read? Romance? Mystery? Thrillers?”

  “I like them all.”

  Poppy pursed her lips, thinking. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the bookshop at the back and came back with another paperback. “Here’s Toni Anderson’s latest. I think you’ll love her, she writes a mix of all three.”

  Lizzie took the book with a delighted grin. “Sold. Add it to her tab too,” she said of Tiana. Poppy laughed and left to get their food ready.

  Lizzie was in the middle of telling them about her latest travel adventure—riding a camel through the desert in Egypt—when the door opened and Tiana caught a whiff of a familiar scent that instantly put her on edge. Evergreen and spice and pure male confidence.

  “Well now, who’s this? A newcomer.”

  Tiana stiffened at the sound of that deep, Scottish burr behind her.

  “Mac!” Smiling, Ella jumped out of her chair to rush around the table and wrap her arms around Aidan’s waist. Tiana barely refrained from throwing out a hand to stop her.

  Aidan stood there in a snug pair of jeans that hugged his long, muscular legs, and a blue plaid, flannel shirt rolled up to the elbows, exposing his roped forearms. A broad smile warmed his rugged face, a few days of dark auburn growth on his cheeks and jaw.

  “How’s my wee lassie today?” he said to Ella, giving her a fond smile that made Tiana’s hackles bristle.

  “I’m good.”

  “And who’s this bonnie lady with you?” he asked, looking at Lizzie.

  Her aunt was already pushing to her feet, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor in her haste. “I’m their aunt Lizzie. Their charmed aunt,” she added with a coy grin.

  Aidan’s rumbling chuckle would have set Tiana’s teeth on edge if it weren’t for the strange little slivers of heat it caused low in her belly. He was outrageously hot, in a strong, masculine way, and while she might not want to notice it, she did.

  She tossed Lizzie a dirty look—not that her aunt would notice or care—and shook her head. Lizzie was a terrible, notorious flirt. Most of the time Tiana found it adorable and amusing, but apparently not with Aidan. And it was absolutely not out of some sort of jealousy, she assured herself.

  The man just…rubbed her the wrong way. All that confidence and strength combined with those looks? A flirt and a player if she’d ever seen one.

  “What are you lasses up to today?” he asked, this time directing the question at Tiana.

  The way his warm brown eyes delved into hers was unsettling to say the least. Whenever he directed his full attention on her, her brain stuttered.

  “Just stopped in for a bite to eat on the way home,” she answered, looking away. It was easier when she didn’t look at him. When she wasn’t forced to acknowledge his presence or the effortless, masculine appeal that heightened her awareness and put her on instant guard whenever she saw him. Men—at least the men she’d been attracted to in the past—were guaranteed to be bad news. She’d rather not take the chance again.

  “We’re having tea,” Ella announced, sounding so pleased and grown up that Tiana couldn’t help but smile at her.

  “Ah. And will you be having scones with it as well?”

  “I don’t know—Mom, do we get scones?”

  Before Tiana could respond, Aunt Lizzie reached over to pull the fourth chair out from the table. “Why don’t you sit and join us, Aidan? I’ll wager based on that accent you’re no stranger to afternoon tea, and if you stay I’ll be able to enjoy listening to you talk longer.”

  “Aye, I’ve been known to have tea and scones from time to time.” His gaze moved to Tiana. “But I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Don’t be silly, we’d love you to stay,” Lizzie said with an eager smile before Tiana could say otherwise.

  Tiana subtly kicked her aunt’s shin under the table, brining that bright green gaze to hers in annoyance. “We don’t want to interrupt his workday. He’s project manager for Beckett’s renovation company, so I’m sure he has better things
to do than sit here with us and waste time talking over a pot of tea.”

  “Not at all,” he said, coming around to take the seat Lizzie had offered. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he smiled at Tiana. “As it so happens, I’m just on my way back from a project we’re wrapping up, so I’ve got some time on my hands. I was going to take my lunch to go, but some lovely conversation with all of you and a cup of tea with one of Poppy’s scones would be brilliant right now.”

  Ugh, of course it would, she thought sourly. Bah. Why did he have to be so damn hot and keep trying to be nice to her? What was he after?

  Poppy came over to add his order to theirs, then brought out the three-tiered stands full of crustless finger sandwiches on the bottom plate, scones with clotted cream and jam on the middle one, and little tarts and cupcakes on the top. Tiana made an effort to be civil while they ate but not overly friendly, giving polite answers whenever he spoke to her, and he went out of his way to keep dragging her back into the conversation.

  Once, Lizzie even kicked her in the shin, giving her the what is wrong with you look. The upward quirk of Aidan’s lips told her he’d noticed the look and was enjoying Tiana’s aggravation.

  “Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time,” he said at last. “I’d best be getting back into work. Old houses don’t fix themselves, and we’ve got enough projects lined up to keep us busy for the next year and then some. Thanks for the invitation.”

  He dropped a twenty on the table, far more than what his portion and a tip had cost. Then he ruffled Ella’s hair affectionately, automatically making Tiana stiffen and earning an adoring smile from her daughter. “Lovely to have met you, Lizzie. I hope to see you around town again before you leave.”

  “Likewise,” her aunt replied with an admiring smile, chin propped in her hands as she watched Aidan saunter out of the café. As soon as the door shut behind him and he was out of view, she pulled her hands into her lap and spun toward Tiana with an incredulous stare. “Could you be any ruder?” she said in a loud whisper.

  Tiana scowled back and sipped her tea. “I wasn’t rude. I was totally polite.”