by Jaime Lewis
Chapter Sixteen
After the incredible dinner, Irish helped with the dishes until Sienna was ready to build her fortress. Bailey assured him that she was capable of finishing things up and that she would join them when she was done. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was capable of cleaning a kitchen; he just didn’t want to leave her side. Plus, with everything she did for him today, including cooking, he felt bad for not helping more.
He could tell something had upset her right before they were getting ready to eat dinner. She seemed to perk up during dinner, but he could tell she was starting to revert to her quiet self.
He didn’t want to push, but he also wanted to make sure he hadn’t done or said something to upset her. God, this relationship stuff was stressful. He wasn’t used to it, the feelings, emotions, and all that went with it. When he wanted a woman, all he had to do was walk into a bar, and women threw themselves at him.
He had a strong feeling that Bailey had been hurt or betrayed by someone in her past. He wondered if the guy who showed up at Bayside the other night was an ex-boyfriend. That was on his list of questions he planned on asking her.
◆◆◆
Once the fort was built, the three of them sat in it, playing Candyland with battery-operated lanterns for light. The storm had started to move in, and the wind started to blow. He looked over and saw Sienna was practically asleep against Bailey. Bailey looked down and smiled as she ran her hand over Sienna’s hair. She was a natural with kids, and he could see that Sienna was already attached to her.
“Uncle Ky…I’m sleepy,” Sienna told him, barely able to keep her eyes open.
“Okay, peanut. Do you want to sleep here in your sleeping bag?”
She yawned, “No. I want to sleep in my bed. This floor is hard.” He laughed to himself. If she only knew all the places and conditions he’d had to sleep in. The sleeping bag under him made a lot of his nights in the field feel like a thousand-dollar mattress.
“You know, the power might go out, which means your fairy lights won’t work.”
Sienna scrunched her nose up in thought. Then Bailey spoke up. “Actually, Sienna, you could borrow my magic lantern. It has magic powers that keep out all the scary creatures that like to come out at night.”
Irish watched as Sienna’s eyes widened. “Really? But what about you. I don’t want the scary monsters to come after you.”
Bailey smirked and glanced at Irish. “I think I’ll be fine tonight.”
“Uncle Ky can keep you safe. That’s what he does at work. He keeps people safe.” Sienna looked at him. He was amazed at what Sienna understood. Sure, she didn’t know exactly what he did for a living but to hear what she said actually made him feel proud. And he would do exactly what Sienna said. He would protect Bailey. And not just tonight; he wanted to protect her forever. “Uncle Ky, can Ms. Bailey tuck me in tonight?”
“If she wants to, it’s fine with me. But I still want my kiss, hug, and nuzzes.”
As Bailey went to crawl out of the fort, Irish reached out and grabbed her hand. “You don’t have to. I can do it.”
She gave him a warm smile that he felt all the way to his heart. “You’ve had a busy day. Stay put and relax. I don’t mind.”
“You are coming back?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Yeah,” he smiled, feeling giddy inside. Shit, he’d never gotten giddy over a woman.
“Then, yes. Give me a few minutes to get Sienna situated in her room.”
◆◆◆
After getting Sienna tucked into bed and putting new batteries into the “magic” lantern, so it would stay lit through the night, Bailey made her way back out into the living room. She stood there, looking at the fortress that Sienna called it and smiled. It was huge and took up a good portion of the living room, but considering Ky had built it, she shouldn’t be surprised. Those guys seem to go all out in whatever they did. They all lived by that motto, go big or go home.
She followed the light coming from the small lantern inside the fort, and crawled back in. Irish was lying on his back with his hands tucked behind his head, looking relaxed and comfortable. The way his arms were bent made his biceps flex. He had his eyes closed, but she knew he was awake. She could feel a shift in the atmosphere. There was like this strange pull of energy between the two of them. She laid down in the spot next to him, mimicking his pose. It was silent except for the howling winds and rain outside. She should have felt a little on edge considering they were getting hammered with some of the outer bands of the hurricane, but instead it felt peaceful with Irish by her side.
“Is Sienna all settled?” He said, breaking the silence but keeping his eyes closed.
“Yep. No dragons or trolls will enter her room with the magic lantern lit.” She smiled, thinking about the magic lantern that her grandfather had given her when she was a little girl. He promised her that as long as she had it lit, nothing bad would bother her at night. Too bad that didn’t include her parents because they were monsters.
Irish’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “You’re really good with kids. What made you become a teacher?”
That was a loaded question, and she thought about how to answer without opening herself up to more questioning, but the more she thought about it, there was really only one answer. “Probably because of my childhood.”
“What do you mean?” He rolled onto his side and leaned on his elbow, looking down at her. She kept her eyes glued to the ceiling of the fort. “Sometimes, I think I’m trying to relive my childhood through the kids I teach. My childhood isn’t a time that I like to remember nor talk about. I enjoy seeing my students learn new things and experiencing new challenges and conquering them. It gives me satisfaction that I’m doing what I was meant to do.”
He placed his hand over her clasped hands that rested on her stomach.
“Was your childhood really that bad?”
She chuckled, but not in a happy way. “Oh, it was bad. Believe me.” She felt a little self-conscious, but then Alex’s words came to mind. She needed to be open and honest. Let him learn about her just as she wanted to know about him. Nobody really knew what she underwent as a child and into her early adulthood. Well, except for Ms. Kay. Ms. Kay was the family’s housekeeper. But to Bailey, Ms. Kay was her only true friend at the time.
“It’s so bad; you may want to throw me out and let the wind carry me back home.”
Irish squeezed her hands and said, “If it’s too much, you don’t have to.”
She let out a sigh. “No, it’s not that; it’s just I’ve really never have spoken to anyone about it before. I’ve never had to.”
She rolled onto her side, facing Irish. She too had her elbow propped up, with her head resting in her palm.
“Lay it on me,” he said, and oh, how she wished she could just forget about the whole conversation piece and just lay one on him. She wanted to feel those lips of his again.
She smiled at him. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And so, she began. “I was born into a very wealthy and controlling family. I’m an only child to the world’s most ungrateful parents. I did, though, have an amazing and loving set of grandparents on my dad’s side.
“I attended boarding school at a very young age, where I only came home during holidays, and even then, I didn’t have much interaction with my parents. When I was home, I mostly stayed with my grandparents while my parents jetted all over the world. My grandparents weren’t happy about the situation, but there was nothing they could really do.”
She closed her eyes for a minute, thinking about how she was going to explain the next chapter in her life. She felt his hand slide to her hip, and her eyes popped open. His touch was comforting.
He ran his hand up and down her bare arm. “We can talk about something else if this upsets you. I would be just as happy if we just lay here quietly. I’m a patient man.”
He was so sweet and caring, and she wondered again how she was so lucky o
r, in her case, unlucky to meet him. But she’d already started down the path, so she may as well get it all out. And quite frankly, it felt good talking about it. It was like she was able to rid herself of all the demons and emotions she’d been hoarding over the years.
“That’s funny because you don’t seem to come across as patient. I thought you guys were the get in there and got it done type.”
He laughed. “We are, but we can also be very patient when the need arises. Trust me, with my specialty; patience is key.”
“What exactly is your specialty Mr. G.I. Joe? Or is that something you can’t tell me?” She teased.
He playfully poked her in the side, making her giggle. “First of all, I’m Navy, G.I. Joe is Army,” he grinned, and she laughed. “My bad. I’ll be sure to remember that, Sailor.” She gave him a grin and wink.
“I’m a sniper.”
“Oh, wow, I guess being patient is a key skill.”
“Do you know how to shoot?” He asked her, still stroking her arm.
“No. But it’s something I’ve always wanted to learn but never got around to it.” She wrinkled her nose and looked at him. “Can you teach me?”
She watched as a smile took over his face. “I’d love to. And considering I’m an expert marksman, I’m the best teacher you could have.”
He stared into her eyes, and then he got serious again. “So, now that we can add teaching you to shoot to your ‘to-do list,’ do you want to continue telling me what happened with your folks?”
Okay, he may be patient, but he was a pushy sexy man, although he acted in a subtle way.
“Things only got worse, especially when my grandma died, and then my grandfather became ill. I was fourteen when grandma passed away. Pop only made it to the end of my junior year.” She blinked away the tears in her eyes. She had been devastated when Pop died. They had been her lifeline, the only family she could turn to for guidance or confide in. She had an aunt from her mother’s side, along with her husband and son, Jonathan, who she kept in contact with regularly. But aside from them, she had no one else. Nobody to spend holidays with, nobody to just talk to.
Irish brought her hand to his lips. “I’m sorry. You must miss them a lot.”
She sniffled but managed a slight smile, knowing they would want to see her happy and with someone like Irish who seemed to care about her. “I miss them very much. I think they would’ve liked you.”
“Yeah?” He said, grinning and his eyes twinkling.
“Yeah,” she replied, smiling back at him. “Anyway, after Pop passed, my parents became even more distant, almost to the point of non-existent. Their behavior had worsened, and they became more controlling. I know it had to do with money. My grandfather built the Anderson empire. So, when he died, everything, of course, went to my father. Businesses, the mansion, bank accounts, you name it.” Everything except for the secret trust fund he had left her. But she wasn’t ready to bring that up. At least not right now.
“After high school, my parents expected me to follow in my father’s footsteps and attend an Ivy League school. But unbeknownst to them, I had applied and was accepted to the University of Central Florida.” She smiled, remembering when she told her dad. “Man, was my father pissed when he found out. He threatened to pull my college tuition money.”
“What did you do?”
She grinned. “I was eighteen, a legal adult, so I did what I wanted to do, I left for UCF at the end of the summer. I was going, come hell or high water.”
“You were such a rebel,” he teased her. “If you don’t mind me asking, how were you able to afford to go? That is, assuming your dad made good on his threat. I mean, any college is expensive nowadays.”
Her lips twitched upward. “Ah, yes. Well, my dear old dad wasn’t aware that Pop had set up a college fund to cover my undergraduate degree. Everything from tuition, housing, books and even spending money was included. I got to keep whatever was left in the account after I graduated.” She couldn’t stop a tear from escaping as she remembered the day she graduated from college. The only people in attendance were her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. Her parents hadn’t even called to congratulate her. She wished her grandparents could’ve been there. But she knew deep down in her soul that they were both watching from above, smiling and cheering as she walked that stage and accepted her diploma.
Irish used his thumb to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. He spoke in such a caring and compassionate voice while looking deep into her eyes. “Your Pop sounds like he was a really special man and obviously, cared for you deeply. I wish I could’ve gotten the chance to meet him.”
“My dad was so angry. My grandfather had hired an attorney from out of state to handle my college account. That was done to prevent my mother and father from meddling and getting their hands on the money. After college, I made a grave mistake and moved back to Birmingham. I did, though, purchase a nice little ranch style house and got a job teaching at the local elementary school. That only added to the feud with my parents. They were embarrassed because I chose to work instead of pretending I was some rich, spoiled debutante. If you weren’t kissing my parents’ asses, then they would turn their noses up at you. That just isn’t me; I actually have to remind myself that I’m related to them.”
◆◆◆
Irish was flabbergasted as he laid there and listened to Bailey tell her story. To have gone through such a shitty childhood as she had but then to come out on top and be who she was today was astonishing. He could already see that she was nothing like her parents. So many emotions swept over him. On one end, he was furious and angry at her parents. But then he was feeling excited because the situation had brought her here.
His mind was working overtime, trying to listen and figure out if there was ever any boyfriend anywhere in there because she hadn’t mentioned one. Then he thought of the incident the other night with the asshole. Why not just come right out and ask?
“The guy who showed up the other night, was he an ex-boyfriend or something?”
When her eyes widened in surprise, Irish knew there was definitely a past of some sort between them. He wondered if she even planned on bringing up that ordeal. He squeezed her hand. When she swallowed hard and paused before saying anything, he had a feeling that whatever she was going to say wasn’t going to be good. He was still pissed off at seeing those marks on her neck.
“Yes, but not an ex-boyfriend. He’s someone who I wish I had never met.” He moved his hand to her hip, and his thumb grazed her exposed skin where her shirt had ridden up. Her skin was soft and smooth. “I knew it wouldn’t take him and my parents long to find me. They probably had their private investigators looking for me the moment they realized I was gone.”
His hands stilled, and he stared at her. “Are you saying that your parents didn’t know you had moved? You didn’t tell them?”
She looked up at him with those blue eyes of hers and grinned in an adorable way. “Nope. I managed to sell my house under the radar. Then I informed my mother I was moving the day I signed the closing papers. I don’t even think the ink was dry before I was in the car and on my way here.”
He released her hand and ran his hand through his hair. Jesus! What kind of people were her parents to make her take that kind of action? Then he became worried. If they were as controlling and conniving as she portrayed them to be, would they cause trouble for her here? He placed his hand back on her. He needed for her to feel the connection and know he was here for her.
“Are your parents and this guy going to be a problem? I mean, the guy already showed up once, and honestly, I’m concerned, considering how aggressive he was. Do you even know if he is still around?” He reached out and ran his fingers along her neck, where the guy had held her.
She looked him in the eye and swallowed hard, and he could sense her fear. “I can’t say for sure, but they are a relentless group, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to stir up trouble. Part of me wonders if there is something else driving th
eir aggressive ways. And to answer the second part, no, according to a voicemail my mother left the other day, Randy is back in Birmingham.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Randy. The guy who Bear saved me from is the son of my parent’s best friends. He’s eight years older than me. The first summer I was home from college, he was around a lot. He was always wanting to take me out, always coming over to the house. Showing up at places where I was. At first, I wasn’t sure what his deal was, but then one night, when my parents thought I was out, I overheard a conversation between them and Randy.”
He lifted her chin for her to look at him. When he saw the fear and tears in her eyes, he wanted to take her into his arms and shield her from everything and everyone.
She covered her mouth, and tears cascaded down her cheeks. “Oh God, Ky. It was awful. They were laying out plans for the rest of my life. How I would belong to Randy, and once that happened, how our family’s assets would merge. Basically, they were going to sell me out to gain more power and money.”
Son of a bitch! He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he said, kissing her temple.
She shook her head and pulled away but kept her hand on him, which he was thankful for. It was like she was reaching out and finding that strength she could grab hold of. He wanted to be here for her.
“That’s not the worst. This is so embarrassing. I’m so sorry. This is probably too much drama for you to worry about.”
She started to pull away, but damn if he was going to let her do that. There were no side doors here that she could easily slip out of. She was his, and he was going to protect her no matter what.
“Slow down there, sweetness.” The poor thing was shaking like a leaf, and he wiped her tears again. “Sweetheart, there is no reason to be sorry or embarrassed. You have no control over your family’s doings. But look at you. You didn’t let them win. You went on to live your life like your grandparents wanted you to do.”
