by Dana Mason
Bailey stood in the doorway to what was now Ryan’s music room and realized it’d be much like living here with her mother—there would always be music in the house. She smiled and remembered all the hours Ryan had already spent in that room, learning his craft. Bailey had tried, but she just didn’t have any rhythm. At least now she understood why her mother didn’t push harder. She knew Bailey hadn’t inherited any talent. At least she had Ryan to mold and teach. What a shame it would’ve been if her passion had died with her.
“You’re not changing your mind about that room, are you?” Ryan asked, coming up the stairs.
She bounced on her heels and wrapped her arms around him for a moment. “No, just thinking about my mom.”
He rubbed his hands up and down her back. When she pulled away, their eyes met and he squinted at her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just feeling nostalgic.”
“If this boy gives you any trouble, Bailey, give me a call, and I’ll come kick his ass for you,” Wade said, coming up behind Ryan.
“Thanks, but I’m pretty sure I can take him.” She held up her little fist and punched him in the arm. When he reached out to smack her back, she laughed and ran down the stairs to work in the living room and clear out more of the paperwork that remained on her mother’s desk.
She sat at the desk and looked at the piles. It didn’t look like she’d made a dent yet. She needed a plan. She ran to the garage and grabbed some small cardboard boxes. Back inside, she lined them up on the floor next to the desk.
“This one for paid bills.” She jotted a note on the side. “This one for letters.” She wrote ‘letters’ on the side. Then she moved the shredder closer to the desk. “That’s for personal information.” She wrote ‘recycling’ on another box. “And that’s for junk mail.” She scanned the boxes and nodded. “Okay, make sense first, then go through each box, one at a time.” She looked up when she heard the screen door smack the doorframe.
“Are you talking to yourself?” Mae looked down on her.
“Hey, what’s up?” Bailey smiled. She’d missed Mae. Two weeks was the longest she’d ever been away from the shop.
“I brought you something.”
“Really? What?”
Mae held out a little silver box. “These are for your night out with Dex.”
“Mae…” Bailey lifted the top of the box and shifted the cotton inside. They were triple droplet Swarovski crystal earrings, each of the three stones a different color. The longest and largest stone was clear, the next, ice blue, and the third and shortest was fuchsia pink. The colors matched her new dress perfectly.
“Mae, wow, I love them.”
“I hoped you would.”
“Hm.” Bailey gave her a sideways look. “I thought you didn’t want me to stay with Dex.”
“I want you to be happy. If Dex makes you happy, then I’ll mind my own business.”
Bailey stared at her for a long moment, then lowered her eyes to the earrings again.
“What is it, Bailey?” Mae tilted her head, trying to meet her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing, I just… I went to a lot of trouble to plan our Fourth of July date. I’m excited for our night out, but I’m also afraid he won’t show up.”
Mae let out a long and loud sigh. “You’re making it really hard for me to mind my own business, Bay.”
“Mae, if he doesn’t show up this time, I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive him.”
“Good! You shouldn’t.”
Bailey glanced up just as Ryan jumped off the bottom step. “Shouldn’t what?”
“Never mind,” Bailey said, slipping the earrings into her ears.
She looked back at Mae. “What are you doing for the Fourth?”
Mae gave her a sly smile. “I have a date.”
Ryan’s eyebrows rose. “A date, huh? With who?”
“I need to get back to the shop. See you Monday, Bay. Have a blast with Dex.”
“Thank you,” Bailey said, chuckling as Mae walked away. She turned back to Ryan. “What are you doing for the Fourth, Ryan?”
He sat down on the sofa and popped open a soda. “I’m taking the boat out with a case of beer and watching the fireworks. I might even spend the night out there.”
“Who are you taking with you?”
He sipped the soda. “No one. I’m going by myself…unless you want to join me.”
Bailey grabbed a pile of envelopes from the desk and started sorting into boxes. “I already made plans, but I’m sorry you’re spending the holiday alone.”
Ryan snorted. “Don’t be. I can’t wait for some peace and quiet. I spend all my time in a noisy bar. The lake is relaxing.”
“How can you consider the lake relaxing on the Fourth of July? Between all the other boats and the fireworks, it’s loud as hell.”
“Yeah, it is during the fireworks, but right after, everyone else pulls their boats in. Then it’s exceptionally quiet.”
“Do you often spend the—” Bailey stopped when she read the return name and address on the next letter she’d picked up.
It was another from Uncle Pat. She pulled out the stationery and stared at the words, not sure how to react. Ryan stepped up behind her, blocking the sun from the window.
Dear Helen,
You’ve had years to enjoy with your family. Don’t throw it away on a dying conscience. Take a moment, take a year, take a lifetime to think it over, then let the secret die with you. No good can come from your plan. You’ll only hurt the ones you love the most.
We both have people to protect, and maybe you don’t take this threat seriously, but I do. Not knowing who is making the threats doesn’t change the content. Please, please, don’t follow through with your plan.
Patrick
“Wow…what on earth?”
Bailey looked up and met his eyes. “This one’s dated before the other letter. What do you think this is about?”
Apparently, someone threatened them, but why? And who? ” Ryan took the paper and stared at it. “This is dated only three months ago.”
“I can’t imagine. My mother didn’t have any enemies. Everyone loved her.” She took the letter back from Ryan and placed it in the top drawer with the other one she found. She didn’t want to lose them or have them get confused with all the other paperwork. Maybe if she found more, she could put the pieces together and solve the puzzle.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Bailey pulled out her new dress and looked it over, hoping it would help her decide on which shoes to wear on her date with Dex. The dress was a wee bit shorter than she would normally wear, but she had the legs to pull it off.
It was a black one-shoulder with satin ribbon straps in electric blue that tied over her right shoulder. The fit was loose with a drop-banded waist and a flirty, short skirt. It was the quintessential little black dress, but with the blue trim and fuchsia color blocks dotting the top, it also had some serious color. She decided on sexy, high-heel, strappy sandals. Mae’s jewelry completed the look, perfect for a night out with Dex.
She finished her hair, pulling the last roller out and twisting the wide curl down over her shoulder. Then she carefully tied the dress into place. Before grabbing a black, sheer wrap, she looked herself over in the mirror. It’s good enough. She might even look better if she could do away with the dark circles under her eyes. She hoped her lack of a good night’s sleep wouldn’t be obvious to anyone else.
Dex planned to meet her at the El Lago dock bar. She had arranged to hitch a ride to Harrah’s on one of their water taxis so they could drink and not worry about driving. When the night was over, they could take Lyft from El Lago to her apartment.
Bailey had a lot riding on tonight. She hoped for the two of them to get back on track. She and Dex were out of sync; their relationship was strained, and she feared if she couldn’t get them back on the same page soon, things would never be the same. With these thoughts in mind, she’d decided to make this d
ate a do or die. Life was too short to waste it on people who wouldn’t commit to her in any official way.
She arrived ten minutes early, so she ordered a drink. As the dock bartender, Dennis, put the whiskey and Coke down in front of her, someone slid onto the barstool next to her.
“Damn, woman, who’re you out to kill tonight?” Wade handed a bag of cash over to Dennis, whistling as he looked her up and down.
She lifted a bare leg out and smiled back at him. “Do I get a passing grade?”
“Hell, yeah.” Wade jumped when a hand clamped his shoulder. They both looked up at Ryan. “Jesus, man, you scared the hell out of me. Don’t sneak up on me when I’m delivering a cash order.”
“Don’t get distracted, and you won’t have to worry.” Ryan released him and sat on Bailey’s other side.
Wade’s frown turned up when he looked back at Bailey. “Have a good time tonight, babe.” He glared at Ryan one more time then turned to leave.
“Thanks, I’ll come in for a drink when we get back.”
“Okay, see you then.” He waved over his shoulder as he stepped back into El Lago.
Bailey turned to Ryan. “Why are you two fighting so much these days?”
He nodded toward El Lago. “He’s a jerk.”
“He’s also your partner. It can’t be good for business to fight with him. You two must be driving Lucas crazy.”
“Nah, we’re fine. We fight like brothers, meaning we might kill each other, but we’d never throw each other out of the family.”
She rolled her eyes. “Great…”
He chuckled at her expression. “He’s right, though. You’re going to give some old guy a heart attack in that dress.” He whistled as he scanned her up and down.
“Thank you. It’s one of Madelyn’s new designs. She sent this one to the shop just for me.”
He tugged on the skirt hem. “She could’ve made it longer.”
She let out a loud, open-mouthed laugh. “Stop. It’s not too short.”
“Hm…I don’t know.” He bent over as if to look at her from underneath.
“Stop.” She snickered and held the bottom of her dress down.
When her phone rang, both their smiles faded. She pulled it out and saw Dex’s number on the caller ID.
“Hey, babe, I’m on the dock…”
“Bailey, I’m so sorry. I’m so freaking sorry—”
Her back stiffened. “Sorry for what? You’re coming, right?”
“I had to work late. I’m just now leaving Oakland.”
“Dex!” She stopped to take a breath. “It’s a three-hour drive. I’m on the dock right now, waiting for you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. You can hang out at El Lago until I get there.”
“And do what? For Pete’s sake, you should’ve called me hours ago. Why the hell would you wait until the last minute to tell me?”
She heard the whine in her voice, and that pissed her off even more. She would not sit at this bar and cry because she’d been stood up again.
“You know what? Just forget it. Don’t bother coming. Just…just stay away.” She punched the disconnect button and slid off the barstool, nearly tripping herself in the process. She took a step to gain her balance, but her heel stuck between the slats in the dock. She teetered forward, almost falling over, but Ryan caught her, his hands coming around her waist and clamping on.
“Stop, Bay. Just take a breath and stop for a second.”
She jerked on her foot, but the heel was jammed in too far. “I can’t move. I’m stuck,” she huffed.
“Take a breath,” Ryan whispered in her ear, holding her against him. She willed herself not to cry, even though the weight on her chest made it hard for her to breathe. She inhaled and closed her eyes for a minute. Dex… God, what a jerk. How could he do this to her? All the trouble she’d gone to. Getting tickets to that rooftop party wasn’t easy, the dealing she had to do to get reservations for the Fourth of July, and now she had to cancel. The dress, the jewelry, the shoes, all for nothing.
Ryan placed one of her hands on his left shoulder and said, “Hold on so you don’t lose your balance.” He lowered himself, circling her ankle with one hand and gripping her shoe with the other before jiggling her heel free.
“Thanks,” she said on an exhale.
“You’re welcome.” He released her and lifted back up, brushing the dirt off his hands. “I guess he flaked on you again.”
“Yeah, the son-of-a-bitch.” She said it a little too loud, and several people turned to look at her. “Sorry,” she whispered before turning to leave, wanting desperately to escape the crowd and the prying eyes. Ryan held her arm, keeping her from storming off.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Don’t go home alone. Come out on the boat with me.”
She shook her head violently.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and placed a hand over her lids, pressing her temples. “No, Ryan.”
“Bay, I’m not leaving you alone. Come with me, or I’ll go with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Come on,” he ground out.
Bailey turned to look at him. His eyes were lit with fire, and she was thankful Dex wasn’t there, or Ryan might have actually hurt him. She threw her hands out, then dropped them at her sides. “Ryan, I can’t go out on the boat dressed like this.”
“I have clothes on the boat: sweats, jackets, blankets. I have plenty of beer, and I’m on my way to the kitchen to pick up dinner.”
His expression softened, and she couldn’t deny she would rather be on the boat with him than home alone. She exhaled heavily and nodded.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her down the dock to his boat. He helped her board and said, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded again and took a seat on the vinyl bench. Her phone rang, and she looked to see Dex’s number. “Hello.”
“Bailey, I’m sorry. Will you talk to me?”
“No, Dex. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t spend my life waiting for you to show up.”
“Babe, I’m on my way right now.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t be here. I’m leaving town for a few days. Stay in Oakland. I don’t want you here.”
“I know you don’t mean that.”
The son-of-a-bitch thought he knew everything. He acted like she’d sit here and wait for him forever. Fuck that. She was done waiting for him. She saw her future flash before her eyes—sitting at El Lago, night after night, waiting for him, getting older and never settling down.
“Yes, I do mean that. I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“Bailey…”
Before he could say more, she hung up, turned her phone off, and dropped it in her purse.
She wouldn’t waste her time on a dead-end relationship, and she would not be a midnight booty call. She threw her sunglasses on, dropped her head back, and stared up at the bright sky while she waited for Ryan to return.
When she heard his footsteps on the dock, she wiped her face clear of tears. She wouldn’t let him see her cry over Dex. It was bad enough he’d been right about him all along. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her misery. Dammit. She thought about the number of times she’d forgiven Dex, just to be left stranded all over again. The amount of crap she’d put up with was embarrassing
Ryan stepped up onto the boat and stored the food in the cabin. Bailey didn’t look up. She let him untie the boat and pull out of the slip without her help, not that she could’ve done anything in a dress and heels. She should have just gone home. She’d have no problem getting drunk by herself, but if Dex showed up, she didn’t think she was strong enough right now to fight with him.
She listened to the hum of the motor as they slowly left the dock. Once they were out of the no-wake zone, the engine roared, and the boat tilted from the power. Mist covered her bare arms
, and the coolness was a relief from the sun’s heat.
Within a few minutes, Ryan stopped the motor, and they were stationary. She popped her head up and looked at him. He had two small plastic tumblers out and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskey.
Bailey held out her hand before he had it poured, and Ryan handed her a cup with a smile. She sipped the amber liquid and let it sink in. Seconds later, Ryan connected his iPhone to the Bluetooth speaker, and soft music started to play. It was a mixed playlist of some of their favorites.
“Is this okay?”
“Perfect,” she said, taking another drink. She tugged on the bottom of her dress to keep from exposing everything to Ryan.
Before she realized it, Ryan was unbuckling her shoe. She started to pull her feet away, but he held them steady.
“I’m taking these off, so you don’t lose your balance and fall overboard.”
Bailey twisted her foot so he could reach the buckle more easily. His touch on her foot was a little too gentle. His hands were almost soft, even though his fingers were calloused from playing his guitar. When her shoes were off, he smiled, his moss-colored eyes twinkling up at her.
“Sorry you picked such a grouch to share your night with.”
He waved her comment away. “You’re not a grouch. A couple more sips of that and you’ll forget all your problems.”
“You better keep up with me. I’m not getting drunk and crying on your shoulder unless I know you’re not going to remember it in the morning.”
He laughed at that. “Okay.” He drank down his first glass. “The fireworks don’t start for a while. Do you want to eat?”
“No, I don’t have an appetite right now.”
Ryan nodded, pulling his shirt and shoes off. He stepped on the bench then up on the stern deck. With a moan, he stretched out on the padded deck. “The sun feels good.”
“Yeah, it does. Too bad I don’t have shorts on, or I’d get up there and join you.”
