by Apryl Baker
The men all gather around the grill like they’ve never seen meat cooked before. I walk around refilling or getting everyone drinks, trying to be a good hostess. I’ve never thrown a party before, so I want to make sure that everyone is having fun.
I step outside. “Do you boys need a beer?”
Erik wraps his arm around my shoulders. “What are you doing with this old man?”
“His mom is paying me,” I say dryly. He barks out a laugh.
“Jack, she’s quick. She’s going to keep you on your toes.”
My man looks at me and winks.
“Jack, did you just wink at her?” Reece shakes his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wink before.” The men all start razzing him, and he takes it all in stride.
On that note, I head inside.
Chapter Seventeen
Jack
I hold the door open to the coffee shop and follow my parents inside. I wanted Harley to come with to take my parents to the airport, but she got edits back so she was in my office when we left working on them. My mom cracked up and took pictures of Fifty asleep on his little bed on my desk.
Surprisingly, my dad loved the bunny and was always holding him. Fifty was my dad’s buddy in the mornings when he’d sit outside drinking his coffee—forever snoozing in my dad’s lap.
The hostess seats us. “I wish Harley would’ve been able to come,” my mom says with a smile as she slides into the booth.
“I know, and she wanted to come, but she said she usually has a short amount of time to work on her edits before she has to send them back.” We order our coffees. “Do you guys think you’ll be able to come back up when Delilah has the baby?”
“We’re definitely going to try.” My mom reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “We really like Harley. I love the way she looks at you, the way she treats you, and the way she is with Delilah and the kids.”
Our waitress interrupts us to bring our coffee and take our orders. When she walks away, I look at my parents. “I think she’s the one. I know I always swore that I’d never go through with getting married again, but she makes me want to.”
My mom gives a little squeal; I can only shake my head. “Your mom’s happy, if you couldn’t tell,” my dad chimes in. “I’m happy for you, son. We’re just happy that you didn’t let the she-devil completely ruin you.”
My dad refuses to ever say my ex-wife’s name. When we first got divorced, my dad referred to her as “the fucking whore,” “the she-bitch,” and other names that I don’t care to repeat—no matter how much I hate her, she’s still Delilah’s mother.
After we finish eating, we head to the airport. My parents have me drop them off curbside in front of the gate for the airline they’re using. I hop out, wrapping my arms around my mom when I reach her. She sniffles and I know she’s crying. “How about once Delilah has the baby Harley and I come down to see you?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. She’s never seen the ocean.” I know Harley and my mom bonded during this visit, which makes me glad since Harley’s mom is gone. Mom kisses both my cheeks. “Take care of my babies for me, and you call me the minute my great-grandson is born.”
“I will, promise. I love you.”
Mom lets go so I can hug my dad. “Take care of yourself, old man.”
“You too, son, and give Harley our love.” I watch as my dad grabs my mom’s hand and they make their way toward the doors.
Airport security gives me a look, so I hop in my SUV and then head to the office. Cobi’s meeting me to discuss some information he’s discovered about the couple whose IP address was used by Martha.
After I pull into the parking garage, I hop out and make my way up. Carrie greets me when I step off the elevator. “Good morning, Jack.”
“Hey, darlin’. How are you?”
She stands up and runs a hand over a barely there bump. “We’re having another baby.”
I come around and give her a huge hug. “That’s wonderful news. What does Leif think about being a big brother?” Their son is just a few months older than Charlie.
“He wants the baby out now so they can play, and Egan’s over the moon.” Carrie smiles up at me.
“I’m sure he is.” I kiss her cheek and then head into the back.
Cobi is sitting in my office when I step inside. I sit down. “I appreciate you staying in Indy and doing more digging. Is Sara really Martha?”
He opens the folder in front of him. “Sara’s father is the pastor at the church they attend. Her father is the one that introduced her to Justin when he joined their congregation six years ago. I attended a service as someone looking for a new church and used my charm…had some of the female parishioners very eager to share information with me.”
“What we really need is to get into their home and look on their computer,” I mutter. “If either one of them are the ones sending the emails, we could find the proof we need. I need to see how friendly they are, or if they’re willing to invite a new member of their flock to their home.”
“When I was there, a few of the ladies introduced me to them and Justin is a Colts fan. I was able to talk out of my ass enough that he thinks we have a shared interest. I’ll go back this weekend and see if I can get an in.”
I flip through the papers in the file. Cobi got lots of information—he’s been a real asset to our team. The guy’s a chameleon, able to assimilate into any situation. “I appreciate it. Make sure you save all of your receipts and Shayla can make sure you get reimbursed for it.”
Cobi gets up and walks out of my office. I grab my phone and call Harley to check in on her.
“Hey, honey. Did your parents get off okay?”
“Yeah, they did. How are edits going?” A message pops up on my computer screen, grabbing my attention. “Babe, can I call you back?”
I hang up and head down the hall to Dalton’s office. “What the fuck happened to you?” He’s sporting a black eye and a split lip.
“Bloody hell…we were only sparring and she got pissed when I insulted her technique. She went ballistic and started trying to really fight me. They may ask me to step down, but I wanted you to know.” Dalton picks up an ice pack from his desk and places it on his face.
“I’ll have Marcus talk to the coach and try to smooth things over.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Back in my office, I go over the reports of cases my team’s been working on. I trust my crew to take care of business, but I just like to keep aware of everything.
***
I grip Harley’s hips hard enough to leave bruises, but she’s got me so hot right now that if I don’t come soon, I will literally die. She moans, cries, and babbles incoherently. The wet sound of her pussy as I pound into her echoes through our room. I love how wet I can make her and how responsive she is.
“You’re squeezing my dick so hard. Are you going to come again?” Harley moans and thrusts back hard against me. “Oh yeah, you’re going to fucking come, aren’t you?”
I reach around and begin strumming her clit. I feel it as she begins to come again. I grab her, pulling her up so her back is against my front and I begin thrusting up into her. I grab her by a chunk of hair and tilt her head to the side.
I bite into her neck and in no time I begin coming violently. I hold onto her because I’m sure I’m close to blacking out. When the feeling fades, I kiss the side of her neck, pulling my softening cock from her. “Let me get rid of the condom. I’ll be right back.”
I pull the rubber off as I step across the hall to the bathroom. Quickly, I clean up and then head back into the bedroom. Harley is lying on her side under the covers, watching me. Lifting the covers, I slide in next to her and pull her into my arms.
In the dark I hold her to my chest; I close my eyes and enjoy the feel of her in my arms. “Jack?”
“Yeah, baby?”
She snuggles in closer. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I was wondering if you’d find my dad for me.”<
br />
My body stiffens—what do I do? If I tell her yes and pretend to do it and she finds out I already knew, she’ll be pissed. But if I tell her right now I already did, she’ll be pissed. I’m just going to bite the bullet and do it. She’ll forgive me when I tell her what I found and why I kept it to myself…I hope.
“I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen to me before you say anything. I wanted to do something for you after that shit I pulled when I pushed you away. I decided to look for your dad.” She stiffens next to me. “I found him.”
She sits up in bed, and even in the dark I can feel her eyes on me. “Tell me what you found.” Harley’s voice sounds devoid of any emotion.
I turn on the lamp next to the bed and push myself up to rest against the headboard. “He lives downtown. He works at a realty company.” I scrub my face with my hands. “He’s married and…and you have a half-sister.”
“How old is she?” Harley wraps her arms around herself.
“Twenty-five.”
Before I can stop her, she’s up and out of bed, running out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. I jump out of bed and follow her, but when I try to open the door, I find that it’s locked. “Harley? Come on baby, let me in.”
I put my ear to the door, but hear nothing. I knock lightly. “Baby, let me in.” I hear a muffled cry coming through the door, and my heart aches. I want to break the damn door down and stop her tears. “Fuck me, I’m so sorry, Harley. That man doesn’t deserve your tears. He was a coward who abandoned his family when they needed him most.”
For an hour I sit on the floor in the hallway and listen to her cry, feeling like a helpless asshole. The door finally opens and I get up off the floor. My hip doesn’t like that and it takes me a minute to shake out the stiffness.
“Tomorrow, you’re going to take me to him.” Her voice is still flat and lifeless.
A part of me wants to laugh because the whole time we’re dealing with this we’re both naked, but instead I freeze. “You want me to take you to him?”
“Yes, you found him and you’re going to take me to see him. I want answers—I want to know why he left.”
I’d really like to talk her out of it, but if I don’t take her, she’ll go on her own. “Okay, baby. I’ll take you tomorrow.”
She nods and crawls into bed, pulling the covers up to her neck and closing her eyes. I climb in and shut off the lamp. Thankfully she lets me pull her into my arms. It’s a long time before I feel her finally relax, and only then do I allow myself to fall asleep.
***
Harley’s quiet and has been since we got up this morning. I know she’s upset with me, and I deserve her anger or her hurt. Honestly, I thought I was helping and doing something good—I should’ve just told her from the beginning.
I park my SUV down the street from the office the man works at. I called this morning before we left the house, making sure that her dad would be in the office. Harley’s leg bounces up and down rapidly, and she wrings her hands together.
I reach over, grabbing her face with both hands, making her look at me. “We don’t have to do this. We can go home right now.”
Harley shakes her head. “No, I need to do this or it’s going to eat at me.”
We climb out, and at least she lets me grab her hand as we walk toward the doors. I pull it open and let her pass through first. The receptionist looks up as we walk toward her. “May I help you?”
“We’re looking to speak with Randall Sanders, please,” I tell her. Nervous energy vibrates from Harley and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, hugging her into my side.
“Is he expecting you?”
“No, he’s not.” I hope that doesn’t stop them from letting us see him.
The receptionist picks up the phone. “Mr. Sanders, are you available? I have new clients who’ve come in to speak to you.” She listens to whatever is being said and then hangs up. “You can go on back. His office is the third door on the left.”
We head into the back. “You say the word and we’re gone, okay?” I whisper to her.
Harley nods, but keeps walking.
We reach his office and I knock on the doorframe. “Hello, how can I help you?” he asks, looking at me. When he turns to Harley, his face pales. “H-Harley? Is that you?” Randall walks toward her, but Harley holds up her hand, stopping him. “You’re so beautiful.”
“Shut up,” she whispers harshly. “You left us and started another family while I lost everyone. While you’ve been enjoying your new life I’ve been alone, afraid to truly let myself get close to people because the people I love kept leaving me.” Harley’s face is flushed, and her eyes are bright with unshed tears.
“If you’d let me just explain…sweetheart, things were so hard after your mom died.” Again the man tries to move toward her, but she backs away.
Harley looks at me. “I don’t know why I did this. This man is no longer my father.” She turns and rushes out of the office.
Randall looks at me and I can see the grief on his face. “I know I don’t deserve it, but I’d love to be able to explain why I did what I did. Can you talk to her for me?”
I shake my head. “No. If she decides to talk to you, it’ll be because she came to that decision herself, and we’ll be in touch. If she doesn’t, that’s her choice.”
He nods, looking defeated, and then I walk out of his office and out of the building. I find Harley leaning against my SUV. “I’m so sorry.”
She holds up her hand, her face showing so much sadness. “I know you were trying to do something nice, but don’t ever do something like that behind my back again. I wasn’t ready for this shit.”
I pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I seriously thought I was doing a good thing, but then when I found out you had a half-sister, I didn’t know what to do.”
We stop for lunch before we head home, but she only picks at her food. I reach across the table and grab her hand. “That man doesn’t deserve you. He had nothing to do with the strength that you have: That’s all you. Since I’ve known you, I’ve seen that you’re compassionate, giving, loving, and I could really go on and on. It’s why I fell in love with you.” Her eyes turn bright again. “If you decide you want to give him the time to explain, I’ll support you. I’ll stay by your side for whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Jack,” she says quietly.
Chapter Eighteen
Harley
It’s been a week since I’ve seen my dad. After doing a lot of thinking and talking to Jack’s mom on the phone, I’ve decided that right now I don’t really want to talk to him. Nothing he can say will make me forgive him for what he did. How do you abandon your children when they need you most, but turn around and start a new family not even two years later?
I’ve forgiven Jack for looking for my dad and not telling me right away, and I get why he did. He just wasn’t expecting to find that my dad had gotten remarried and had another child—a child I don’t ever care to know.
In the midst of all of that, Martha sent me another gift. Delilah had seen it get delivered, so she called us and Jack went to get it. She sent me a Bible with so many passages highlighted. All of them were centered around sin, sex, and punishment.
Jack took it to have it fingerprinted, and they took everything they had from Martha to a buddy of his on the police force. He was going to talk to someone at the Indy police force and see if they had enough evidence to bring Sara and Justin in for at least some questioning.
Last I knew, Jack was still waiting to hear back from their contact at the police department. I don’t dare admit that I’m scared. Before when it was just emails, I could handle that—just imagining that it was some keyboard warrior. But that was before the shredded book, and a Bible, and before someone made me wreck my car.
Jack has been so amazing; I know he’s got his team working round the clock trying to find out who Martha truly is, but it’s like she’s a ghost. A
part of me thinks that eventually Martha will go away, but then it reminds me of books I’ve read where the women think they’re safe and the next thing you know, they’re kidnapped or hurt at the hands of the bad guy.
While I watch Shameless on Netflix, I make goodie bags for my signing downtown this coming weekend. In each bag is a pen with my logo, a ChapStick, and some candy. For the people who pre-ordered books, they get goodie bags, a tumbler with my logo on it, and a cute little tote bag with my books on it.
Jack is coming with me as my “assistant”—he’s just worried and protective, but I’m surprising him with a stay in one of the hotel’s swanky suites instead of a regular room. I already told him that people may take his picture because he does look like he could be a cover model. He just shook his head and then kissed me.
Once I’m finished with all of the goodie bags, I put them in the big crafts container I have that goes on a little wheelie cart that makes it all easy to move. I grab all of my pre-order books and start signing them and putting them in a separate container from the books that I’ll have available for purchase.
I move all of my stuff into the corner of Jack’s dining room since we don’t really use it. I grab Fifty out of his cage and snuggle him to my chest. “How’s my baby? Are you Mommy’s sweet boy?” He loves when I scratch under his chin. I swear he’s got cat in him somewhere, because he leans into his scratches like a cat would.
In the refrigerator I grab him some greens and we go outside, where I let him sit on the deck while he eats his snack. When he’s done I carry him back inside, letting him hop around while I quickly clean his cage. Then I gently place him back in.
Yawning widely, I head upstairs and collapse on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as I get snuggled up.
“Harley.” I feel fingers touch my face, and I slap them away. “Baby, wake up.” Opening my eyes, I smile when I find Jack sitting next to me on the bed.
“Sorry, I was so tired.” I yawn and cover my mouth with the back of my hand. “How was your day?”
