Kiss From a Rose

by Fontaine, Bella

  “You are so funny.” She giggled. “I’m going to see Halle first, and then it’s motel duty. When do I get to see you today, mister?”

  “I’m going to be away for the day, and most of the night maybe.”

  Today was D-day, and I already hated that this was perhaps the most I’d get to see of her for the day.

  Lopez had arranged for two beat cops to keep watch on Anya starting today. I’d message them the minute I left here, and their watch would begin. It felt bad to do this behind her back, but it was best. When I knew what we were up against, I’d tell her. Hopefully, that would be tomorrow.

  Hopefully.

  “All day?” She looked concerned. “What are you up to? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want… I’m just curious.”

  I smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “I’m going to see my father.”

  That was as much as I’d tell her. I didn’t have to say how long I would be seeing him for, although again, it did feel wrong not to share.

  “Oh, that’s good.”

  “I guess.”

  “You look uncertain.”

  “I am,” I confessed. “I sure am.”

  “Caine, I’ve never really asked, but I feel like it would be selfish not to, since you know me and my problems inside out. What happened between you two?”

  I glanced over to the drawing of the Battleship Carolina next to the wardrobe and stared for a while, contemplating how I was going to answer that question. When I looked back to her, I pulled in a deep breath and brought my hand to my chin.

  “Things were bad between us after my mom died.” That was putting it lightly.

  It was more of a lie.

  “I see.”

  “Yeah. It’s not good. I don’t like it, but my father isn’t one of my favorite people. He’s… not a good person, Anya.”

  Worry filled her beautiful eyes. “Really?”

  I shook my head. “No, he isn’t. It’s hard for me to be around someone like that. I guess most people don’t see me as a good person either, but I try to be.”

  She reached out her elegant hand and ran long fingers over my beard. “You’re a good person, Caine. The best guy I know. You are my hero, for all you’ve done for me and Halle. We’d be lost without you.”

  I took her hand and kissed the top, loving the silky feel of her skin and that sweet smell of her.

  “That means a lot, baby.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “I’d be lost without you too.” Lost and never knowing how life could be when you felt the way I did about her.

  The guy who professed to not being a relationship guy. It sure looked like I was in one now. She felt like mine. I hated when she wasn’t with me, and that part when we went to separate houses and said goodbye was getting harder.

  I did truly want her everywhere I was. It had dawned on me the other day that if I felt like this in just a few weeks, what would I be like after months?

  We’d known each other forever, and it felt like the start of something amazing.

  I guess, though, that was a conversation for another time.

  “That makes me happy, although I’m not sure it’s true.” She giggled. “So, are you seeing your dad all day? Wouldn’t you have time, say around five, to meet me in room twelve at the motel?”

  God, I wished I could say yes. Fuck, I really wished I could say yes.

  I was supposed to meet Lopez at three to go over what we were doing for the rest of the day.

  I couldn’t see myself being able to take such a break though, and I knew any kind of sexual break with her would take me all night. Or a good chunk. It was starting to look a little obvious at the motel that we kept disappearing together, and the other day, I’d maneuvered a booking into another room, so we’d have room eleven and twelve free for us.

  We couldn’t continue like that though. Eventually, we’d have to allow people to use those rooms.

  “You know how badly I want to say yes, but there’s some stuff I have to take care of.”

  “Caine, that sounds vague.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Like you don’t really want me to know what it is.”

  Very insightful. I sighed and decided to share a little more. “It’s stuff to do with the loan.”

  She pressed her lips together and bit the inside. “I don’t like that you’re having to deal with this.”

  “Baby, the way I remembered, it was that I didn’t give you much of a choice. But… I did tell you to trust me.”

  “I trust you. Doesn’t make me like the situation any more just because I trust you. I don’t like it.”

  And she would hate it if she really knew what was going on.

  “Don’t worry, baby. I got this, and you can focus on other important things. Allow me to take care of you.”

  Her eyes filled with awe and adoration as I said that. “Thank you. I’m grateful for you, Caine. Please be careful. Please.”

  “I’m always careful,” I promised.

  Going anywhere near Quick and Easy Loans was probably asking for trouble, but the thing I was worried about most was this meeting with Dad, and I guess going back home.

  Home to a place where the last week I’d spent there, I found my mother dead in her bedroom.

  * * *

  The house had an eerie feel to it that instantly stirred up that last week in my memory.

  It was strange how up until Mom died, the place felt like it was full of life. Full of life with all the events she used to host here on the grounds. She had her friends over and various groups she’d formed for charities. She was really big on charities and helping in whatever way she could. It was one of the things I’d loved about her, but it took up all her time.

  Maybe, though, that was how she’d dealt with being married to Dad. It was perhaps a distraction for her.

  I parked on the edge of the lengthy drive and looked around the place before taking the steps up to the large oak door.

  The grounds were immaculate and looked similar to when I’d left them, but I could tell Dad must have gotten someone to do a bit of landscaping because of the intricate designs I saw in the hedges and the flowers leading out to the secret garden.

  Looking away, I made my way up the steps and rang the bell.

  A butler answered. He was a short, blond middle-aged man with a handlebar moustache.

  “Mr. Donoghue,” he mused with a bright smile.

  “Hi.”

  “Your father is in the dining room.”

  “Cool. I know the way.” I nodded.

  “Of course.” The man chuckled and left me to come in.

  Walking inside felt weird. I glanced up the grand, wide staircase, and all I could see in front of me were memories of Mom. Her sauntering down the steps in some elegant dress. Her smiling, her happy to be doing whatever she was doing.

  Then Dad. Him not really taking note of any affection she showed him, him not telling her how beautiful she was, or looked. Other men would tell her, but not the one who should have. I didn’t remember him ever telling her that.

  I couldn’t imagine not telling Anya every day how beautiful she was and letting her know how special and important she was to me.

  And… there I went again. Thinking ahead, of her…

  Jesus Christ, what the hell was happening to me?

  I looked past the staircase and made my way down the corridor to the dining room.

  I didn’t look in the main sitting room because I knew there should have been family pictures in there. I didn’t know if Dad still kept them, but I didn’t want to risk looking and go back to that place to thinking about what used to be. I was already doing it enough as it was.

  Dad lifted his head as I entered the room and smiled.

  “Son.” He beamed, standing up and making his way over to me.

  He looked like he wanted to hug me, but I put out my hand to shake his.

  Uneasiness washed over his face, but he took my hand and shook it.

  “Than
k you, thank you for coming by. I asked Magda to make all your favorites.”

  “Magda?”

  “New chef. She was a sous chef at the Ritz in England. The doctors said I have to watch my cholesterol. She makes the most amazing healthy meals.”

  “Cool.” I nodded.

  “Sit.” He waved his hand to the dinner table and smiled.

  I sat, and he sat back where he had, which was just to the left of me.

  A woman I thought must be Magda came out with a tray of delicious food. She was a dark-haired lady with olive skin and a pointed nose. Friendly face though.

  The tray held lasagna, a platter with a fantastic-looking Mediterranean salad, and other little bowls of treats, like friend shrimp and garlic bread. Those were definitely some of my favorites. I was appreciative of how much effort Dad had made.

  “Hey, there, your father had me make all this.” She chuckled.

  “Wow, feels like I’m in a restaurant. Thank you.”

  “There’s more on the way.” She set the food down on the table and left us.

  “Thank you for doing this,” I felt I should say.

  “Thank you again for coming. It’s good. I tried not to be in your face about how much I want to see you.”

  I brought my hands together and looked him over. His attempts always left me feeling like I was the one at fault when I wasn’t. Now I felt like that again. Like I put him through a lot because I didn’t want to see him.

  “I guess this is a start.”

  “I hope so. It would be nice to rebuild. Rebuild us.”

  To truly do that he would have to come clean and tell whoever he was supposed to tell that Mom killed herself. I would need to see him throw that skeleton right out of the closet and tell the world what really happened and why she did it.

  I would need to see him stop caring about how that would make him look to his investors or whoever he was trying to keep his image up for.

  There was a lot, a lot I didn’t want to bring up, but maybe I should since we were talking about rebuilding.

  Not now though. This was lunch and our first official meeting. I didn’t want to spoil it, or rather, I didn’t want to tamp down the steps I’d made personally this morning in messaging him and coming here. Both were big things for me.

  “Sure, so how’s work, how’s the company doing?”

  Any talk of the company always got him going.

  “Aww, son, business is great. I’m thinking of expanding and setting up another office in LA or New York. Of course, the job’s yours if you want it, but I get it if you don’t. I just wanted to include you.”

  “I appreciate that, but I think I have my heart set on going into military intelligence as planned.”

  “That’s good. Have you thought of where yet? I guess both bases you mentioned would be doable for you. I looked up South Carolina, and while it’s quite a way, I reckon I could come by once a month and see you if you moved.”

  He was thinking ahead. Showed he cared and was trying.

  “I’m not sure about South Carolina.” Because it would take me too far away from Anya, and I was thinking about her again. “I may go with the base here. Seeing as I already have a house here.”

  His face brightened when I said that.

  “Wow, well, that would be great, but both sound good, son.”

  “I’m excited about it.”

  “Sounds exciting. What got you thinking about doing that? You seem more into the action side of things.”

  Now that was a chance for me to talk, and talk I did, to the point where I surprised myself.

  We ate and spoke, and I connected with him on a level that I hadn’t before, because way back when, he was always preaching to me about joining the company.

  “You know, I never knew you were so interested in any of this stuff. I’m proud of you, and happy you didn’t listen to me.”

  “Thanks. I owe it to Halle.”

  “Of course, right from that day when she took you to see the Battleship Carolina.”

  He remembered.

  “Yes, right from that day. I was eight. I knew what I wanted to do from that day on. I thought it was so cool to learn about the ships from World War II.”

  “It sure is. Forgive me, I didn’t ask how Halle was. Is she still in hospital?”

  “Yes, she’ll need surgery.”

  Dad looked sympathetic to hear that. “God, I didn’t know it was that bad. When I saw her a few weeks ago, I did think she looked weak, but I didn’t think it was as serious as that.”

  I went to answer to tell him more, but something dawned on me. “I… thought you said you hadn’t seen her in years?”

  Suddenly, he looked dazed and thrown off. His cheeks turned red, and he cleared his throat.

  “No… you must have misheard me.”

  I didn’t think so. I didn’t tend to mishear people, and I would have remembered if he’d told me he’d seen Halle.

  But then, Halle never mentioned seeing him either.

  “Pretty certain you said you hadn’t seen her in years.”

  Nervous laughter escaped his lips. “No, you definitely misheard. Ever so often, I check in on her. She’s done so well for herself with her motel. A few weeks back, I was doing the planning for a big meeting coming up in the fall, and I went to see her to get some brochures to send out the attendants flying in to Wilmington. That was when I saw how frail she looked. I offered to help with the business, but you know Halle. She’s a strong woman. Very strong-willed and eager to do everything by herself.”

  “Of course.”

  It sounded plausible, it did. I just wished I didn’t get the feeling that something was off-key with what he said. Like he was lying to me.

  Chapter 17

  Anya

  * * *

  “Halle, I’m perfectly capable of making that oil mix.” I giggled and shook my head in disbelief.

  She didn’t trust me to make a simple hair conditioning mask made of natural oils. Me with my beauty therapy qualifications, who specialized in everything organic.

  It was simple. Castor oil, coconut oil, neem oil, vitamin E oil, and jojoba.

  I kind of remembered the formula off the top of my head since she’d used the mixture in my hair since I was a kid, and she’d made Mom use it too.

  Today, though, she didn’t think I was capable of mixing her special blend because she thought I wouldn’t get the ingredients from the right places or mix it properly.

  “Child, please, I know what I mean. I’ll make a list, and if you bring the stuff here, I can mix it up myself.”

  “That is ridiculous.”

  “It’s not. It’s the whipping technique. I never showed you how to whip up the oils. I know how, and I won’t be able to go to the salon to get my hair straightened for a while.”

  Apparently, she thought her hair looked like a big puffy marshmallow. I wouldn’t be the one to argue with her and tell her she looked fine. It was a fight I wouldn’t win. Halle had better hair than me, probably because according to her, I didn’t know the correct whipping technique for the oils. Her hair was long and thick, rope strong. While it was relaxed to straighten it from the roots, her hair looked like it was full of health.

  My hair was similar, long and thick, but it didn’t have the same vibrancy Aunt Halle’s had. I was happy with how I looked. She, on the other hand, took it to the next level and beyond.

  And because I loved her and would put up with this craziness, I’d humor her.

  “Where do I get the ingredients?” With defeat in my voice, I folded my arms.

  “I have some boxes on top of the wardrobe in my room. Just bring the oils, a whisk, and one of the deep bowls from the kitchen. I don’t want to mess the place up with the whipping. I’ll also need the travel steam cap. I want my hair baby skin soft.”

  “Okay, anything else? You want fries with that?” I joked. She hated when I said anything like that.

  Sure enough, she grimaced at me. “Girl, when y
ou get to my age, you have to take care of the assets you have left. My hair is my beauty.”

  “Your hair is truly gorgeous, but personally, I think the whole of you is your beauty.” I gave her a big smile and inched over to give her a hug.

  I was in a good mood. It wasn’t that anything had changed in particular, but Caine made my days feel worth something.

  I wondered how he was getting on with his father, and it worried me how he hadn’t given any specifics about what he’d be doing later with the loan guys. It felt dangerous to me. Every time I thought about it made me feel nauseous, and again, I wondered what the hell I would have done without him.

  He’d seemed really cautious too when he spoke about his father. I found it strange that he hadn’t told me before that he was going to see him. Then there was what Halle had said the other week about Caine’s father.

  “Halle.” I pulled back and looked at her.

  “Yes, sweet girl.”

  “Did you tell Caine yet about his father’s offer?”

  She looked uneasy at the question. “No, I’m not going to. They don’t really get on, and I don’t want to cause any further problems between them.”

  “Caine went to see him today. He told me that they fell out after his mom died.”

  Halle nodded. “Yes. He was scheduled to leave for the Navy that same month, but he left home the same week she died and only came back for the funeral the following week. He stayed with friends until it was time to go to the training center. That was it for a while. I didn’t even get to see him off.”

  It was sad to hear this. I knew what he must have felt. Maybe he thought his father didn’t support him enough. He’d called him a bad person, and there had been something in his eyes that signaled more to the label.

  “What do you think of his father?”

  The tightlipped smile Halle gave me was answer enough. “Not a lot, let’s leave it at that.”

  I nodded, knowing when she didn’t want to talk about something.

  “Love you. I’ll bring the oils and everything tomorrow.”