Mackenzie (Heritage Bay Series Book 2)

by M. A. Foster

  I shake my head. “I want to leave.”

  “You’re not leaving!” Josh yells. “She’s not leaving!” He points at Tony.

  Tony keeps his voice even and calm. “JC, calm down and let her go. What’s wrong with you, man?”

  Josh turns his remorseful eyes on me. “Babe, I’m sorry. You know I would never hurt you, right?” If he’d asked me that question before I walked into his office, I’d have said yes without hesitation.

  Josh would never put his hands on me. He’s not that guy. He’s sweet and attentive when he’s not busy with work or on his phone. But tonight, the way he was looking at that woman, that hurt me beyond repair.

  “Yes,” I lie.

  Josh doesn’t look convinced. He shouldn’t be. His shoulders drop as he exhales harshly and runs a hand through his hair. “Go straight home, Jade. I’m gonna wrap some things up here. I’ll be twenty minutes behind you.”

  Yeah, fuck that.

  “Okay.” I nod as I turn and walk out of Josh’s office, hurrying to my car. Pulling my phone from my purse, I call Mia.

  “Mia, it’s Harper,” I cry into the phone. “Can I come over?”

  “SO LET ME get this straight.” Mia huffs out a laugh of disbelief, plopping down on the opposite sofa and rubbing her hand across her forehead. “You used Jade’s ID to get a job working in a strip club, where you carried on an affair, and are currently living with the owner of said strip club. Correct?”

  She makes it sound so sleazy.

  On the drive over to Mia’s, I decided it was time to tell her the truth about everything. I hate that my lies and me moving out have driven a wedge between us. Mia has her own life and has always done her own thing, but she cared about me. She took care of me, and I betrayed her in the worst way. However, she seems to be taking it well.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  Or not.

  Mia jerks to her feet and throws her hands in the air. “I mean, my God, Harper,” she whisper-yells. I stare at her, confused. Why is she whispering? Is someone here? My eyes shift to the hallway. “What in the ever-loving fuck is wrong with you? How old is this guy? How did you get the job? You don’t even look like Jade.”

  I blow out a shaky breath. “First of all, it’s not a strip club,” I defend, and Mia’s eyes go wide. “It’s a gentlemen’s club. And all I did was serve drinks to rich men. Josh is twenty-nine. And, honestly, I don’t think he even looked at my ID. He just needed it for paperwork. He pays me cash. I’m not dumb, Mia.”

  Mia gives me a look that tells me she thinks otherwise. She props her hands on her hips and tilts her head to the side. “And what did you wear while you were serving drinks to rich men?” she taunts.

  My mouth is dry, making it hard to swallow. “A corset and booty shorts.”

  Mia shakes her head in disappointment. “What if someone had recognized you? A teacher or one of the parents you once babysat for.”

  “The lighting in the club is muted. And I wore a wig. All the girls wear the same wig.”

  She shakes her head again and looks down at the floor. “Sounds like someone has mommy issues,” she mumbles.

  I huff out a soft laugh. “No.”

  She jerks her head back up and narrows her eyes. “I guess you would know.”

  Mia clearly has her opinions of Josh, and I don’t think anything I say is going to change them. I don’t know what else there is to say. I lied to her for months and she’s upset. I deserve everything she throws at me.

  Mia stares at me for a moment before she blows out a breath, obviously frustrated. “Life hasn’t been very kind to you, and for that, I’m sorry, Harper. Your strength has always amazed me. Life keeps knocking you down, but you get back up, brush yourself off, and move on. Not many girls your age would have the strength to keep going after enduring the kind of loss you have. You still managed to go to school. You kept your grades up. You stayed out of trouble. Which is why I’m having a hard time with this strange and unsettling turn of events. You’re basically living a double life or something. Tell me why.”

  It wasn’t until I decided I was going to tell Mia the truth that I finally realized why I’d done it. All of it.

  Fear.

  I lower my head, focusing my attention on Mia’s cat, Whiskers, purring in my lap as I scratch behind his ear. “Because I’m afraid, Mia.”

  “Of what?”

  “Being alone.”

  “I don’t understand. What does that have to do with you lying about working at a strip club?”

  I roll my eyes. “It’s not a strip club. Stop saying that. I wasn’t a stripper,” I defend. “It’s like you said, I’ve suffered so much loss. I have no one—” My voices cracks and my lips tremble.

  “You have me,” she reminds me as she rounds the coffee table and plops down on the sofa beside me.

  “Do I?” I lift my head and look over at her. “What if something happens to you?”

  “Harper—”

  “I did it for the money, too. I made good money working there. Like really good money.” I sniff. “And I saved every penny, too, because I wanted to make sure that if I ever found myself alone again, I could afford to take care of myself.”

  Mia wipes at the tears streaming down her face, then throws her arms around me and pulls me into an awkward hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I had no idea you felt that way. I’m here for you. Always. Whatever you need. I’m sorry for ignoring you. I was mad at you because I knew you were keeping things from me. You’re always welcome here. You’ll have to sleep on the couch, since I gave your room to Holly, but we can make it work.”

  I nod as I pull back and swipe under my eyes. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime, sweetie.” She stands from the sofa and holds out her hand. “Holly is out for the night, so you can sleep in her bed. I’ll get you something to sleep in and we can talk more in the morning.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  I make my way to the bathroom to wash my face, and Mia brings me a change of clothes before she disappears into her bedroom. Shutting the water off, I reach for the towel and freeze when I hear a male voice echo from the other side of the wall.

  So she does have company.

  Crap.

  I hope he didn’t hear us.

  IN THE EARLY hours of the morning, I’m awakened for the second time by the sound of Mia’s headboard slamming against the opposite wall as she and her mystery man have wild monkey sex in the next room.

  Apparently, I’m not going back to sleep any time soon, so I toss the covers back, slide out of bed, and make my way to the bathroom. After I finish up, I step out into the hallway and catch sight of her retreating guest’s broad shoulders and very sexy ass just as it rounds the corner of the hallway, followed by the sound of the front door closing with a click.

  “Nice ass, huh?” Mia says, and I whirl around to find her leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed, biting her bottom lip.

  My lips curl into a devilish smile. “Very. He’s got quite the stamina, too.” I wiggle my brows.

  Mia barks out a laugh. “He’s an athlete. Of course he’s got stamina. Sorry if we woke you.”

  “Who was that?”

  Her lips pull up on one side. “Liam Mackenzie,” she admits, and I can tell she’s ready to burst at the seams.

  “You banged your boss’s son?” I quirk a brow.

  “Dr. Mackenzie is not my direct boss,” she defends.

  “Semantics.” I smirk. “Do you think he heard our conversation last night?”

  “I don’t think so.” She shrugs. “If he did, he didn’t say anything. Why?”

  I wince. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

  “AFTER LAST NIGHT’S revelations, nothing can shock me,” Mia declares.

  I raise my brows and pull my lips to one side. She’ll be eating those words, because this one’s a doozy.

  Mia pushes off the doorframe and brushes past me, heading for the kitchen. “I’m gonna need coffe
e before this conversation goes any further.”

  I follow her into the kitchen and take a seat on one of the stools at the granite countertop that separates the kitchen from the living room. “I’ll take a cup, too, please.”

  Whiskers hops up on the counter and purrs as he nudges his head against my hand. “Hey, buddy.” I reach out to scratch behind his ear but he snubs me, turning with his tail in the air and giving me a clear shot of his butthole. “Ugh.” I push his backside away from my face. “What’s his deal?”

  “I think he’s telling you he thinks you’re an asshole.” She smirks and slides a cup of coffee across the counter.

  I roll my eyes. “Did you tell Liam anything about me? I’m sure he was curious.”

  “Just that you were the sister of a friend who passed away and that you used to live here.”

  “Did you tell him that I work at Mac’s?”

  She rolls her eyes upward as if she’s trying to recall. “Actually, no. There wasn’t a whole lot of talking going on.” She rolls her lips between her teeth to hold back a laugh.

  Relieved, I snort and look down at my cup.

  “Harper,” Mia urges.

  I blow out a breath. “I go to school with Cole Mackenzie. He’s a senior, too. His dad owns Mac’s and his brother Dylan is one of my managers. Cole doesn’t know me or anything about me, or he didn’t until recently, but I knew of him because of his popularity and football status.” Not to mention he’s super-hot, but that’s not something I need to share with Mia. “Being on the yearbook committee, it’s my job to know who he is. We were introduced for the first time a few weeks ago while I was serving his family lunch. That same day, I also met Cole’s cousin Jayla. She had just moved here from California, which was the whole reason for the family lunch—”

  “You’re babbling,” Mia interrupts.

  “I’m not. I promise it’s relevant. Just let me finish.” I circle the rim of the coffee cup with my index finger. “Jay is also a senior this year. She’s been homeschooled for the past eleven years, so this is her first year attending a real high school and she’s careful who she surrounds herself with. Recently, she and I have become friends. Believe it or not, she’s the first real friend I’ve had since I started at Heritage Bay. And here’s where it gets complicated.” I blow out another breath. “While you, Holly, and I were packing up my apartment, I found a journal hidden inside a shoebox in Jade’s closet. I thought it was Jade’s at first, but it belonged to my mother. In the back of the journal, I found a copy of the patient information sheet belonging to Willow’s father.”

  Mia jerks upright and gasps, wide-eyed. “Please don’t tell me it’s Liam,” she pleas softly.

  I shake my head. “No. It’s Cole.”

  Mia just stands there speechless, staring at me.

  “Mia?” I wave in front of her face.

  “Oh my God,” she breathes out. “He’s just a kid.” Her eyes dart to me as the pieces begin to fall into place. “You’re working for his family.”

  I nod. “You can’t say anything to anyone, especially Liam. Please, Mia.”

  “I won’t.” She waves me off. “I don’t know him like that anyway.”

  “Or Dr. Mackenzie,” I add.

  She narrows her eyes. “Is that why you’re working at Mac’s?”

  I shrug a shoulder. “Yes and no. I applied there, hoping by chance I’d get to see Willow, but they weren’t hiring at the time. I pretty much gave up on waiting for the Mackenzies to contact me or trying to find ways to see Willow by the end of last summer. I let it go. I got a job at JC’s and started dating Josh. He made me happy, and it made the pain of losing my family easier to bear.”

  “Does Josh know about your family?”

  “He knows about my mom, but he doesn’t know about Jade or Willow. Remember, he thinks my name is Jade.”

  “Harper, this is crazy. You have to tell him the truth. I may not agree with his lifestyle, but the man doesn’t deserve your lies. You’re underage. Do you know how much trouble he could get into for shacking up with an underage girl?”

  “I know. I’m gonna tell him soon.” I promise.

  “Have you seen Willow since you started working at Mac’s?”

  My smile is instant. “Yes. She’s so beautiful and funny. She calls me Ahpee.”

  Mia’s eyes well up with tears, and I know she’s thinking about Jade. Which also reminds me…

  “What about Holly?”

  “I’ll talk to Holly. But, Harper, you need to come clean to everyone or this is going to blow up in your face, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to help you.”

  IT’S A GOOD thing I keep my uniform shirts in my locker, because I didn’t have time to go home and change before my shift today. To tell you the truth, I was afraid to go home after last night.

  After my shower this morning, I finally checked my phone to find over a dozen missed calls and texts from Josh.

  And several voice mails.

  “Babe, I know I fucked up and I’m sorry. You know I would never hurt you. I don’t want Tiffany. I want you and only you. Please don’t leave me, Jade. Give me a chance. I promise it won’t happen again. Come home. I love you.”

  The texts were more of the same: I’m sorry. I love you. Please come home.

  I haven’t returned his calls or replied to any of the dozens of texts. I don’t know what to say. Seeing the way he looked at that woman, the same way he looked at me, it broke something in me.

  Not my heart.

  But my trust.

  Because of all the pain and heartbreak I’ve experienced over the years, I’ve learned how to prevent myself from getting hurt. My body and my heart go into survival mode. I become numb to the pain. It’s the only way I’m able to cope, the only way I can move on.

  I’ll always love Josh because in a way, he saved me from living my life in doom and gloom. But I’m in survival mode now, and I have to move on.

  I just wish it were that easy.

  Things are going to get very messy.

  I can feel it down in my core.

  “HARPER,” JAY CALLS out excitedly. I look up to see Zach carrying her piggyback through the bar, followed by Jay’s mom, Emerson, and Bass. Jay has one arm around Zach’s neck and the other stretched in the air, making the universal rock sign, and her tongue pinched between her teeth. I snort a laugh. She’s wearing an LA Heat T-shirt and a backward baseball cap, and Zach is wearing a Tampa Bay Thunder shirt and a backward cap.

  Max closed off the bar this afternoon for a private party after the baseball game between the Tampa Bay Thunder and the LA Heat.

  Earlier, Max filled me in on the history between the Mackenzies and the Parkers and the friendship between his younger brother, Liam Mackenzie, and Cam Parker, who pitches for the Tampa Bay Thunder. Liam and Cam have been best friends since they were kids and have lived and breathed baseball since they were old enough to play. Cam and Liam both played for the LA Heat until this season, when Cam signed with the Thunder.

  Cam is also Zach Easton’s uncle.

  What a crazy web these two families weave.

  “Oh my God, Harper, you missed it.” Jay laughs and drops to her feet. “We kicked their asses.”

  “You beat us by two runs,” Zach corrects, smacking her on the butt.

  Jay returns a backhand to his stomach. “We still won. I have to pee.” She pops up on her toes and smacks a kiss on Zach’s cheek before she takes off for the bathroom.

  “She’s wound up today.” I laugh. “Let me get you something to drink. Powerade?” Zach gives me a questioning look. “It’s my job to know these things,” I add.

  He nods and smiles. “Yeah. Jay likes that sparkling water in the blue bottle.”

  “Yep, with lots of ice and a lime wedge. Got it.” I shoot him a wink and head over to the bar to get their drinks.

  Cheers erupt as Cam Parker walks into the bar carrying Liam Mackenzie bridal style with a handful of their teammates trailing in behind them. I burst o
ut laughing.

  “That’s their new thing,” a male voice says beside me just as something brushes against my arm. I look over to see Cole leaning against the bar, his face just inches from mine. When did he get here? “They used to be on the same team until this season. Now that they’re rivals, the loser has to carry the winner over the threshold.” He chuckles.

  “That’s funny,” I say through a laugh. I take advantage of his closeness to study his features. He’s beautiful. Damn near perfect. I take in his bright green eyes, same as Willow’s. My gaze moves down to his neck and I notice he’s wearing the same leather necklace as Dylan, with a guitar pick and angel wings. Now I’m even more curious as to what that means.

  I turn my attention back to the best friends just as Cam sets Liam on his feet. The two hug and slap each other on the back. Jay runs over and hugs Cam, then jumps on Liam’s back.

  Cole huffs out a laugh, reminding me he’s still there. “She’s the only person Liam loves more than himself,” he says, regarding Jay.

  “It looks like it.”

  Why is he being so nice to me all of a sudden?

  The double doors leading to the bar swing open and my heart stops when in walks Mia, Holly, and LA Heat pitcher Tyge Reynolds.

  What I didn’t tell Mia this morning, was that Liam Mackenzie, Tyge Reynolds, Cam Parker, and many other athletes are among the list of ‘rich men’ I served drinks to.

  One would think after working at JC’s, I’d be used to being surrounded by a bunch of gorgeous men. But there is so much alpha-male packed in this bar, I’m starting to sweat.

  “Harper!” Jay calls out.

  “Excuse me,” I say to Cole before making my way over to her.

  Jay drops to her feet and curls her arms around Liam’s waist. “Harper, this is my uncle Liam.” I’d met Liam Mackenzie many times at JC’s, but this is the first time I’ve met him up close and in the daylight. He’s just as beautiful as the rest of the Mackenzies: tall, dark hair, green eyes, not to mention the sexy ass I got a glimpse of this morning on his way out the door. Jay gestures to Cam. “And this is Cam, Liam’s boyfriend,” she jokes, and Liam barks out a laugh.