Renovation (A Golden Beach Novel)

by Loraine, Kim

  “Yeah, he was more likely to spend a few hours with a girl, then send her packing.” Grace’s eyebrows rose. “You must be something special. Angie said he’s been following you around like a puppy since he rescued you at the pool.”

  Heat filled her cheeks. “I don’t know. We’re just seeing how it goes. He’s . . . well . . .”

  “Hot,” Grace said. “He’s definitely hot.”

  The front door clicked shut as Drew Tensley, Grace’s fiancée, walked in. “Really, Miss McConnell? I leave you alone for one minute and you’ve already taken a fancy to some other bloke?”

  He was adorably disheveled, his hair sticking up every which way. Wearing a pair of well-loved jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, he seemed relaxed and comfortable.

  “Hi, Drew.” She couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face.

  Drew wrapped her in a hug, his tall frame enveloping her own small one.

  “Val. It’s good to see you. Grace and I are so pleased you could come.”

  The soft sound of Angela clearing her throat redirected her attention from the man who’d brought her friend such happiness.

  “I’m sorry, Drew. This is my sister, Angela.”

  Angela’s face was a mixture of incredulity and adoration. She took his hand and shook it, all the while staring intently. “Nice to meet you.”

  Valerie observed Grace as she tried to laugh off the most complicated aspect of her relationship with Drew.

  “Angela knew John growing up. She had a huge crush on him when she was in high school,” Valerie said, feeling the need to explain her sister.

  Drew’s eyes widened, amusement twinkling in them. “Looks like you’ll need to watch out for this one then, love.”

  Angela’s cheeks reddened. “Not necessary, Valerie,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Oh, come on. Fair is fair. You told Grace about Donovan.”

  Angela looked at Drew again with disbelief. “So, you two were really twins. That’s kind of amazing.”

  A sad look passed over Grace’s face and she tensed. Drew wrapped her in his arms and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. He linked his fingers with hers and turned his attention back to Valerie and Angela.

  “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure, but I’ve loads to do still at the shop before closing. Will you be joining us tonight for dinner?”

  Valerie nodded. “See you tonight, Drew. Tell your dad hi for me.”

  “Quite right.” He grinned and kissed Grace soundly before heading out the door.

  Angela plopped down on the couch, her face a mask of shock and humiliation. “Grace, I’m so sorry. It’s just . . . he looks . . .”

  “It’s okay, Angie. I think I just forget sometimes. I stopped seeing him as John’s double a long time ago.” Grace sat next to her and smiled. “It’s hard to accept at first. You’ll see, once you get to know him. He’s not John.”

  Tension eased in Valerie’s shoulders as she watched Grace handle Angela’s reaction like a seasoned pro.

  “So . . . back to Donovan,” Grace said, as a smirk worked its way across her lips.

  The calm and quiet streets of Braley had always given Valerie a sense of peace. Particularly in the late hours, just before last call, when the drunkards hadn’t yet started their happy, wobbly walks home. She hadn’t been able to sleep and decided to take a stroll in the spring moonlight to clear her head. She remembered Braley as a safe place, somewhere you didn’t have to constantly look over your shoulder.

  Tonight, the blue-black sky was free of clouds and lit by stars. She sucked in deep breaths of the clean, cold air and smiled. Grace was happy, marrying the man she never dreamed she’d find. She herself was in the beginnings of something that felt different from all other aspects of her life. Things were changing.

  Walking past the church, which was covered in scaffolding for the restoration project Grace was working on, she grinned. Grace finally got her hands on the whole damn town. She remembered her friend had been chomping at the bit to take on this project. If it hadn’t been for the roof collapse two winters earlier, would Valerie still be here? Would she have decided to make the change and go back home? She shivered as the cold of a cloudless night seeped through her light sweater.

  “Oi, there’s a pretty face I thought I’d never see again.”

  She shuddered as Mick’s rough voice hit her. He’d just come out of the pub around the corner with a few of his friends. His rugged charm, once so appealing, was lost on her. Now, her memories of him were only ones of tears, terror, and pain.

  “Mick,” she said, curt and direct. She turned on her heel to put space between them.

  “I’ll catch up later, mates. I’ve got some business to attend to.”

  His friends laughed as they made their way back down to the center of town.

  “Leave me alone, Mick.” She fought to keep the tremor out of her voice, hating that he made her feel like this.

  “Oh, come on, love. It’s been an age since we saw each other last.” He jogged down the path to catch up with her.

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to forget the last time we saw each other.”

  Her heart beat a staccato rhythm against her ribcage as he grasped her arm and pulled her into an alley.

  “You tell anyone about that, you’ll wish you’d kept your gob shut,” he hissed. His face was just inches from hers as he pressed her against the stone wall. His fingers dug into her shoulders so hard it hurt.

  “Stop it.”

  His lips scraped along her jaw and she could smell beer mixed with peppermint on him. She felt sick as his hot breath left a damp trail down her neck.

  “Get off me, Mick. I’m not interested.”

  He pressed his hips against hers, and her stomach rolled at the feel of his arousal against her belly.

  “You used to be willing.”

  “That was before you became an abusive, possessive asshole.” She pushed back, but he pressed harder against her.

  “Come on, love. For old time’s sake,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed his hand under her shirt.

  A cold sweat covered her skin, making her shiver uncontrollably. As Mick brought his lips down to hers and silenced any hope of alerting a passerby to her distress, she squirmed, using her small build to bring one knee free of his body. Before he could react, she had a knee connecting with his groin as hard as possible. Mick doubled over, coughing and groaning as she jumped away and raced down the darkened streets of the town she’d loved so well.

  Her lungs burned and her sides ached with the effort of sprinting all the way back to the cottage. Irrational fear took hold as she fumbled with the key and she turned back, sure she’d see him lumbering along after her, ready to finish what he’d started. She breathed heavily, working to control herself when she saw the empty street behind her. The door opened before she could manage to get the key to turn and a sleep-rumpled Angela stood facing her, questions in her eyes and concern on her face,

  “Valerie, what in hell are you doing out here? It’s two o’clock in the morning.”

  She rushed inside and crumpled to the floor, her body wracked with sobs.

  “Oh, my God, what happened? Are you hurt?”

  Hurt? Psychologically, yes. Physically, no. She shook her head. Her hands were ice cold and she shivered uncontrollably, unable to speak over her chattering teeth.

  “Okay, let me draw you a hot bath and get you something to calm you down. Then we talk.”

  She held herself together by sheer will as the familiar sounds of water running and the kettle boiling soothed her. Before long, Angela had her in a hot bubble bath with a steaming beverage. As she sipped, she realized the drink was actually a whole lot of brandy with only a drop of tea.

  “What the
hell happened?” Angela sat perched on a small stool, waiting patiently.

  She had to tell the truth now, especially since Mick was here and real. Being so far away from him made it seem like just a nightmare she’d had.

  “You remember I told you about Mick?”

  Angela nodded and motioned for her to continue.

  “I didn’t leave here just because I wanted to come home. I . . . When I tried to break up with Mick, he . . . he started stalking me and it didn’t end well.”

  Angela’s eyebrows raised. “How do you mean?”

  “He got violent, abusive. He forced himself on me.”

  “Fuck. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  She fought against the trembling in her lower lip. She’d curled herself up in the bubbles, trying to stop the shaking, which had started again despite the steaming bath.

  “It was done. I’d left and didn’t think I’d ever see him again. It was stupid to come back here. I should have just told Grace I couldn’t make it for the wedding.”

  “Grace doesn’t know, does she?”

  She shook her head. “Please don’t tell her. I don’t want her to have anything else to worry about. She took care of me when I was here with her. I went a little wild, partying, going to clubs, all that. She helped me level off, find a better version of myself. I can’t ask her to take care of me again. Not when her wedding is so close, when she’s finally happy.”

  Angela chewed on a fingernail, considering Valerie’s request. “Fine, but if this guy shows up again, I can guarantee he’ll go home unable to produce children. If you get my meaning.”

  “I think I probably already took care of that.”

  Angela cast her a questioning glance.

  “I ran into him on my walk tonight.”

  “Yeah, I figured.”

  “I kneed him in the balls pretty hard.”

  A bright smile spread across Angela’s lips, sending a wave of pride over Valerie. “Excellent.”

  “It kind of was. Of course, I’d rather have not seen him at all, but at least I know he’s out of commission for a few days. Hopefully, we can get through the time we’ll spend here in Braley without having to see him, and then we’ll be in Edinburgh for the rest of the trip.”

  “He better hope we don’t see him.”

  “Angie?”

  Her sister looked up from her ragged fingernail. “Yeah?”

  “Don’t tell Donovan.”

  A frown creased her sister’s forehead, but she nodded. “You’ll need to do that. It’s not my business.”

  Worry inched its way into her brain. What would Donovan think of her? She’d willingly come back to the hometown of the man who’d abused and raped her. Undoubtedly, he’d be pretty unhappy if he found out. Could she risk telling him?

  Chapter 12

  Three days after their arrival in Braley, Angela and Valerie were preparing for Grace’s bachelorette party—or Hen Night, as it was called here. There’d been no sign of Mick since their altercation in the alley. Valerie was on pins and needles at every turn. She needed a carefree, good time with friends in the safety of numbers. The plan was for a subdued night out, dinner at Grace’s favorite Indian restaurant, drinks at the local wine bar, and maybe a little dancing. Grace wasn’t a partier, and Valerie had spent more than her share of time in the London club scene the first time she was in Braley.

  “No penis veil? What about penis gummies soaked in vodka?” Angela asked as she applied a second coat of smoky eye-shadow.

  “Nope. That’s not Grace’s style. Trust me, we will have fun. It’s just not going to be filled with strippers and Jell-O shots.”

  Angela pouted at her reflection in the mirror. “Can’t I at least give her the penis straw I brought?” She laughed as she pulled a swirly straw, with a large penis attached to the top, out of her bag. “It glows in the dark.”

  The bachelorette party consisted of Grace, Valerie, Angela, and Grace’s newfound friend, Sam. Sam worked as a florist in a local shop that serviced Braley and the surrounding areas. She specialized in unique arrangements and exotic flowers, which made her extremely sought after in the wedding market. The girls sat around their table at their second stop for the night, the local wine bar, and sipped from their full glasses, enjoying the low lighting and gentle jazz in the background.

  “Are you guys having a good time?” Grace asked. She worried at her cuticles and cast her eyes down at her wine glass.

  “Yes, this is so nice. I needed a relaxing night out after everything that happened back home.” Valerie tried to ease her friend’s worries. Grace was a people-pleaser, she always put others’ desires above her own.

  “I think we need to spice this party up a bit,” Angela crowed. She’d downed her third glass of wine and Valerie could tell she was getting antsy.

  Sam laughed and nodded. “It is rather dull in here. Shall we pop down the road for some dancing?”

  Valerie shot a glance at the bride-to-be. “Grace, we don’t have to if you don’t want to.” In truth, dancing sounded awesome, but she wanted Grace to have the party she wanted.

  “Let’s go. I haven’t been dancing in forever.” Grace’s genuine smile eased her worries.

  “Okay, but first I have to make some changes to the bride-to-be’s wardrobe.” Angela had a devilish look in her eyes.

  A sinking feeling hit her as she watched her sister pull out a bag and begin distributing penis paraphernalia. Before her eyes, Grace was covered in a veil with glow in the dark penises all over the tulle, a sash that clearly stated she was the bachelorette, and a necklace sporting beaded penises.

  Grace laughed as Angela handed out buttons for the rest of them that read Kiss me, I’m not the Bride.

  “All right, then, shall we?” Sam chuckled as Angela flipped a small switch on each button, causing them to start flashing.

  Grace nodded, still laughing, and the four of them made their way down the street toward the only bar they could dance in without sticking out like sore thumbs. Valerie tensed as a group of men came barreling out of a pub.

  “Val? What’s wrong?” Grace’s soft voice calmed her.

  “Nothing, nothing. I just thought I saw someone.”

  “Mick?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You need to tell me something?”

  “Nah, I’m fine. I dealt with it.”

  “Okay, but I’m always here to listen. You know that, right?”

  She nodded, biting back the emotion that rose to the surface.

  As soon as they walked into the bar, Grace’s smile brightened. She grabbed Valerie’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. The music was a remix of a fast-paced dance song they both loved.

  Valerie let loose. She danced until her heart hammered in her chest and her calves ached. She was hot and sweaty in her light jacket, and without thinking, she took it off, welcoming the cooler air on her bare arms.

  Grace eyed her as they danced, her hawk-eyed gaze zeroing in on the purplish bruises on Valerie’s arms. “What are those?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Liar.”

  Valerie tried to come up with a plausible excuse, but failed. “I ran into Mick the other night.”

  A horrified look crossed Grace’s face. “Jesus, what happened? He hurt you.”

  “He kissed me, I kneed him in the balls. I’m pretty sure he’s shut down.”

  Anger flashed in Grace’s eyes. “I’ll kill him, then Drew will make sure the job is done.”

  “Murder isn’t necessary. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bring you into this.”

  “Bring me into what?”

  “My drama. You’re getting married, let’s focus on the happy.”

  “We will talk about this. Soon.”

>   She nodded, touched by her friend’s protective reaction. As they danced, she couldn’t help but continually cast glances around the bar, looking for Mick, fearing he was lurking in the shadows.

  “You need this more than me.” Grace handed her the cosmopolitan some guy had bought for the bride-to-be.

  She shot her a suspicious look and took the offered drink. “Grace?”

  “Oh, look at that, I’ve got to pee.” Grace turned on her heel and walked toward the bathroom.

  Downing the drink, she followed her friend, knowing exactly what she was going to hear.

  “Grace McConnell. Don’t you run off. You’ve been nursing your drinks all night. Is there something you’re not sharing with the class?”

  Grace turned to face her, a glowing smile on her face. “I . . . It’s just a feeling. I’m late.” She placed a hand over her flat belly and a look of worry crossed her face. “I don’t want to jinx it.”

  “Does Drew know this time?”

  She shook her head and Valerie groaned inwardly.

  “I’m going to tell him. I just want to give it a few days to sink in before I take a test.”

  She couldn’t blame her. There was so much going on in their lives, she could see why keeping the lid on something like this would make sense.

  Grace’s eyes locked on something across the room and an expression of pure happiness flooded her features. “Drew’s here.” She turned to Valerie. “Not a word. Got it?”

  She couldn’t conceal her smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

  For the rest of the evening, she stealthily downed Grace’s drinks without anyone noticing and by the time they called it a night, she was sloshed. Absolutely hammered drunk.

  When she woke the next morning, her pulse pounded in her temples, her mouth tasted sickly sweet and sticky, and her hair was plastered to her drool-covered cheek. Angela had left her a tall glass of water and two aspirin, along with a note that read, Check your phone. Dread dropped in her stomach like a stone.