by L. P. Dover
“You can, but I might not answer.”
He winked. “I’ll take my chances.”
Chapter 13
Kellan
It turned out she did answer the phone last night. After the conversation we had by her pond, I could tell it upset her to talk about her past. I’d have given anything for her to tell me who the fucker was who screwed up her life, but keeping her secret was important. If Jason and Aylee had to keep watch over her, then it was something serious.
Practice was over, our team more than ready for our games against Florida this weekend. Even Maddox kept himself in check with the others. Coach Carlisle was happy about that and praised me on it. Maybe I needed to break Maddox’s nose more often.
When I got into the locker room, there was eight hundred dollars waiting for me in my locker. “I can’t believe you got the fucking girl. You suck, man,” Dallas grumbled halfheartedly. I turned around and he flipped me off, smiling the entire time.
Braeden marched out of the shower. “She probably wouldn’t have if you didn’t open your fucking mouth,” he said, glaring at Dallas.
I scoffed. “Whatever, cocksucker. I’m not a dick like you two. I’m not trying to just fuck her, and she knows that.”
Both of them froze, their mouths gaping until Dallas spoke up. “Tell me you didn’t just say that. Coming from the guy who’s slept with probably more women than me?”
I ran a towel through my wet hair before putting on my shirt. “I haven’t been like that in a long time. And I highly doubt I’ve fucked more girls than you.”
Dallas chuckled. “Probably not. I’m just wondering what you did to get her to go out with you. She’s turned every single one of us down for the past year.”
“Maybe she thinks I’m sexier,” I joked.
Dallas snorted. “What the fuck ever. Are you going out with her again?”
I grabbed the money and my keys. “Actually, I saw her yesterday and I’m seeing her again tonight. My dad and I are helping her with something.”
Braeden whistled. “Damn, you must be really into her.”
Shutting my locker, I pocketed the money. “What can I say? I’m sick of fucking around. It’s not fun anymore.” I slapped him on the shoulder as I walked past. “Thanks for the money.”
Before I could walk out the door, Dallas called out, “Tell your girlfriend I said hello. I think she needs to give me a big kiss for giving you five hundred bucks.”
“Good luck with that.” I laughed and hurried out the door. Although it would be pretty epic if he tried and she kicked his ass. That was one of the things I liked about her; she was strong.
Once in the truck, I drove to my dad’s house, and he was already waiting outside for me. We lived on the same lakefront road, just on opposite ends of the street. It was smaller than the one he had in Vermont, but when it went on the market, I had to buy it. It was one of the older houses, with yellow siding and a screened-in back porch with an excellent view of the water. Right now, the lake was low from the lack of rain. I hadn’t been out on my boat all summer.
My dad hopped into the truck and his stomach growled. “I could eat a horse right now, I’m so hungry. It’s past my dinnertime.” We started on our way to the pub.
“Not everyone eats at five o’clock like you,” I said.
“I happen to like eating at a reasonable time.” He glanced out the window and then quickly turned to me. “Oh, I got Kristen another client today. She’ll be really happy with this one. I wrote down everyone’s names and their numbers on this list.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to me. “You’ll need to give this to Kristen. They’re expecting her to call.”
“Who’s the new client?”
His smile widened. “Kevin Scott. I ended up playing a round of golf with him this afternoon. He said his wife would love to hire Kristen.”
“Hell yeah, that’s amazing.” Kevin Scott was one of the best golfers in the country right now. My dad used to play pro up until three years ago when he started having back issues. Now he was retired at fifty-nine and playing at his own leisure.
“You must really like this girl to go through all this trouble. I never thought I’d see the day.” My father laughed. Kristen was going to owe me big-time for what I’d done for her. Mainly, she owed my father, but I was going to be the one to collect.
“Neither did I. She’s feisty as shit. Must be the red in her hair.”
His eyes widened and I smiled. He loved red-haired women. “Well, I’ll be damned. I might have to steal her away from you.”
I snorted. “Sorry, she’s mine. Besides, I don’t think she dates old men.”
Chuckling, I watched him sit up straight and run a hand over his graying beard. “You’d be surprised at all the young women who hit on me at the golf course. Everyone says we look alike.”
It was true, we did, only I didn’t have wrinkles and I had more hair. We pulled into Sammy’s parking lot and I folded the list and stuck it into my back pocket before going inside. As usual, Kristen was behind the bar, and when she saw me, she smiled. She’d never done that before.
“Is that her?” my dad asked.
“Yep, let’s go.” We strolled over to the bar, and since it was a Monday, it wasn’t that crowded.
“Hey,” she said, settling her gaze on my father. “Let me guess, you’re his dad?”
Nodding, my father held out his hand. “Graham Carter. It’s nice to meet you.”
She shook his hand. “Likewise. I’m Kristen.” Her eyes darted back and forth between us. “You two look so much alike.”
My father sat down and I handed him a menu. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll take that as a compliment especially from the beautiful young woman who’s dating my son.”
“Dating, huh?” she said, grinning at me. “Is that what we’re doing?”
I winked. “After everything I’ve done for you, I’d say so. You owe me.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’ll see. Do you want the usual tonight?”
I shook my head. “A sweet tea would be great.”
“Same for me, please,” my dad said, shutting the menu.
She nodded and fixed our teas, which is cold, iced tea with sugar. Since I grew up in Vermont, there was no such thing as sweet tea until I moved to the South. I didn’t think it’d grow on me, but it did. “Are you eating tonight?”
My father’s stomach growled again and Kristen tried to hide her smile. “I’ll have the chipotle chicken sandwich with a side of baked beans, my dear,” he said.
“Sounds good. And you?” she asked me.
“I’ll take the ranch burger with fries.”
She winked. “I’ll go put in the order.” She walked off to give the guys in the kitchen our order and then came back. “How was practice?”
My father patted me on the shoulder. “Son, I’ll be right back. I just saw Maggie walk by outside. Excuse me,” he said, giving Kristen an apologetic smile. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“No worries at all,” she replied.
He hurried off and I watched him go. Maggie was the woman he went on a date with the other night; he seemed to really like her. “Sorry about that. He and Maggie are seeing each other now. She works at the bakery down the street.”
Her eyes lit up and she watched them outside the window. “That’s so sweet. I talk to her all the time when I go into her store to get cupcakes. I really like her.”
“That’s good to hear. I haven’t met her yet, but as long as she’s not like my mother, we’ll be fine.”
“Sounds like you’re not really fond of her. I remember you making a comment about your mother before, but I didn’t want to ask.”
I shrugged. “There’s not really much to tell other than the fact she cheated on my dad. They divorced fifteen years ago. She hated that I chose my father over her. She was too self-involved to even pay attention to me when I was a kid. After she inherited her family’s money, she got worse.”<
br />
“Money can do that to people,” she agreed.
“Tell me about it. Out of nowhere, one day she left for New York and then came back days later with fake tits and a tummy tuck. It was fucking insane.”
“Wow, that is insane. I can’t believe she’d leave like that. I guess I was just used to my parents always being happy and together. Our family vacations were some of my fondest memories.” Her eyes glistened and she smiled. “Hiking in Wyoming was my favorite. You should definitely try it sometime.”
“And maybe you can come with me,” I suggested.
Her face brightened. “Perhaps one day.” The kitchen bell rang and she gasped. “That’s probably your food. Be right back.” She strolled up to the window and I watched her walk away, her body swaying to the Jack Johnson tune playing over the speakers. Grabbing our plates, she carried them over. “I was right,” she said, setting them down. “Hopefully your dad comes in before it gets cold. I heard his stomach growling when he sat down.”
I laughed. “He’s probably forgotten all about that now.” He was still outside talking to Maggie with the biggest smile on his face.
“You never told me about practice. How did it go?”
I tossed a french fry into my mouth. “Good, actually. I didn’t have to break any noses. And speaking of hockey, would you like to come with me to the games this weekend?”
She stole one of my fries. “Sure. I have Friday off, and maybe I can switch shifts on Saturday.”
“What other days do you have off this week?” I asked.
Her gaze narrowed. “Wednesday, why? You want to take that day as well?”
I winked. “You owe me, buttercup.”
“For what?” she gasped.
“For helping you out.” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the list of clients, setting it in front of her. “Here’s a list of prominent clients who want your services. I told you I would help you and I did. Now it’s all up to you.”
She opened the paper and gasped. “Oh my God, I know some of these people. They’re golfers, right?”
I nodded. “Some of my dad’s friends. They have houses around here and are willing to give you references for when you apply to M&M. All you have to do is call them. Just charge them what you would at your last job.”
Staring down at the list, her eyes sparkled. “I don’t know what to say. Everything just feels so overwhelming and amazing all at the same time.”
I grabbed her hand. “Just say thank you.”
“And?” she said. “I’m sure there’s more you want.” She bit her lip and I silently groaned. I wanted a lot more, starting with that mouth of hers.
“I can think of a few things, but let’s start with Wednesday. You’re spending the evening with me.”
She folded the list and put it in her back pocket. “I think I can handle that.”
Chapter 14
Kristen
“You’re going to get how much?” Brooklyn gasped.
Holding the phone to my ear with one hand, I held up my notebook with the other. “Five grand in just a week. That’s just for consultations. Not to mention, they all said they had others who were interested as well.”
“Holy shit, that’s insane. You could quit your job and just do this until you get a position at M&M.”
“If I get a position there. They might not hire me even with an impressive list of clients.”
She scoffed. “You underestimate yourself. Have a little faith.”
“Kind of hard to do that when I’ve lost everything I cared about.”
“No, you didn’t. You have me and you have Kellan. I’m so happy to hear you two are working out. My brother says he’s a good guy. And if Jason likes someone, then that says something.”
I set my notebook down and laid my head back on the couch. “I know. It’s one of the only reasons why I agreed to go out with Kellan in the first place. I’m glad I did.”
“Does he know anything about you?” she asked.
“He knows the gist of everything, but I didn’t give him names. I know we just started dating, but I feel like I can trust him. Maybe one day I can tell him everything. I’m just not ready for that.”
“Does he understand?”
“Seems to. He’s not pushing for any answers.”
“That’s good. Do you think I’ll get to meet him? I’ll be out there in a couple of weeks.” I could hear the excitement in her voice. Hell, I was excited to see her; it’d been way too long.
“Of course,” I said. “Are you bringing the family?”
“No, they’re staying here. Camden knows I want to spend time with you when I come out there. Cole’s parents are expecting me and I think it’s time we let them know you’re okay. They’re so distraught right now. I’ve almost told them several times just to hear them happy.”
My heart ached and it killed me to know I was causing them pain. “Sounds good, B. I want to stop by the cemetery and put flowers on everyone’s graves as well.”
“Okay,” she murmured. “We can definitely do that. Until then, you take care of yourself. I’ll see you when I get there.”
We said our goodbyes and I closed my eyes. The wind blew in through the open windows and the birds chirped. Aylee and I had just gotten done with our workout so my body was tired. It was my day off and I needed to rest before my date with Kellan. There was no telling what kind of night he had planned.
Picking up my notebook, I looked at my long list of clients. If I was going to have the time to work with them, I had no choice but to quit my job at the pub. It was a risk, but one I had to take. Kellan was still at hockey practice so I decided it was now or never. I knew Chris would be at the pub so I grabbed my keys and headed out.
It was late morning, so there wouldn’t be anyone in there yet. When I arrived, Chris was behind the bar, drying off glasses. His gaze lifted and he smiled. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
I joined him at the bar and sat across from him. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Brows furrowed, he stared at me. “You okay?”
I shrugged. “Yes and no,” I said in all honesty. “I’ve loved working here, and it kills me to do this, but…”
“But you’re leaving?” he finished with a smile.
“Would you be mad at me if I said yes?”
Chuckling, he walked around the bar and sat with me. “Of course not. When I hired you, you made it clear this wasn’t a permanent job. I knew the day would come.”
“Thanks, Chris. I was nervous as hell coming in here.”
“I know, I could tell.” He laughed. “So are you leaving town or did you find another job?”
“Another job, I hope. Kellan put me in contact with a few people who want to hire me to decorate their homes. That’s what I went to school for. It’ll feel good to get back to it. Then, hopefully, once I build up my clientele here I can get a job at M&M Architectural Design. It’s been my dream to work there.”
“I have no doubt you’ll make it,” he said, getting to his feet. “You better come in and visit us.”
“Definitely. But don’t you want me to give a two-week notice?”
“That’s up to you, Kris. We have enough people on staff to take up your hours. I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine.” I hated leaving like that, but I could sure use the extra time.
“Okay, but if you need me you better call.”
He laughed. “I will. Now get out of here before I make you work.”
I hugged him hard. “You’re the best. I’ll see ya around.” I let him go and walked out the door. It felt like a new beginning.
—
For the rest of the day, I cleaned up the house and sat outside on the front porch. I had time to think when I was alone. Brooklyn didn’t take all of her belongings to California, so a lot of her old pictures from when we grew up were still at her house. They were stored in countless boxes that were stacked in the spare bedroom closet. I took them all outside and looked at them.
There were pictures of us when we were in middle school, all awkward with acne on our faces. Brooklyn didn’t really go through an acne phase, but I did. Cole was one of the cute ones, dating some of the most popular girls in school. One thing I always loved about him was that he never let them break our trio apart. His girlfriends hated that he was close to Brooklyn and me. None of them understood that we’d been inseparable since birth.
My phone rang, and when I looked down at it, Kellan’s name was blurry. “Hey,” I said, sniffling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I stacked the pictures back into the box. “Nothing. I was just looking at pictures of Brooklyn, Cole, and me. I still can’t believe he’s gone. Every time I look at his face in the pictures, a vision of him dead in the road flashes back.”
“You saw him after he died?” he asked.
I closed my eyes. “I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t get in touch with him. He had a fight with my ex the night before, and that was something you just didn’t do. There were consequences for those who did.”
“What the hell, Kristen. Was he in the fucking Mafia?” he growled.
That wouldn’t surprise me. “I’m not exactly sure, but I think so. He’s a powerful man.”
“Jesus Christ. I really hope you tell me who that fucker is one day. Maybe I can hire a hit man.”
I laughed once, wishing he could find someone to off Mitchell. The world would be a better place without him. “If I knew we could get away with it, I’d pull the trigger myself.”
The line went quiet, then Kellan sighed. “All right, buttercup, I’ll be there in a few. We need to get you happy again and my mind off that bastard.”
I took a deep breath. “I agree. I’ll see you when you get here.”
Stacking up the boxes of pictures, I took them inside, storing them in the closet. There were still boxes I hadn’t opened yet, but I could do that another day. I needed to get my mind in a better place. Once in my room, I changed out of my yoga pants into a pair of jeans and put my hair up in a ponytail. Whatever Kellan and I were doing, I knew it was going to be something active. I loved that he wasn’t like most guys, wining and dining the girl to get in her pants at the end of the night. He had money, but he didn’t flaunt it. I liked that.
