Hold Me

by Susan Mallery

  A few tables were already taken, mostly with groups of women. Destiny saw Shelby sitting with several other women and walked toward her. Shelby looked up and waved vigorously.

  “You made it,” Shelby called out as Destiny and Starr approached the table. “Great. Come meet everyone.” She motioned to the blonde at the end of the rectangular table. “This is Madeline. She works at Paper Moon.”

  “I’m on the wedding gown side,” Madeline said with a grin. “So if you’re thinking of getting married, come see me.”

  “Thanks,” Destiny murmured, thinking that while marriage was appealing, finding the right guy was especially difficult. At least for her.

  “Bailey, you probably met at Mayor Marsha’s office,” Shelby continued.

  “No, she didn’t,” the pretty redhead said. “I was out that day. Chloe was home sick.” Bailey smiled. “My daughter. She got what’s been going around. Isn’t that always the way?”

  Destiny nodded and tried to pay attention to the rest of the names. There was a Larissa, a Consuelo and maybe a woman named Patience, but she wasn’t sure.

  “I’m Destiny,” she said when everyone else had been introduced. “This is my half sister, Starr. We’re new, but then you probably already know that.”

  Bailey pulled out the chair next to her. “Starr, honey, come sit by me. I think our hair’s the same color, and that almost never happens to me.”

  Starr hesitated only a second before taking the offered seat. Destiny settled across from her, by Madeline.

  “How long have you been in town?” Madeline asked.

  “A week.”

  “I can’t imagine what that must be like,” Madeline admitted. “I’ve been here forever. Patience, too.”

  Patience nodded. “Born and raised. I never left. Madeline, didn’t you spend a year or so in San Francisco?”

  “I did. I tried a lot of different jobs before finding the one I love. Helping a bride find the right dress is so satisfying.”

  Shelby leaned forward. “Patience owns Brew-haha.”

  “The coffee shop,” Starr said then shrugged. “I’ve been reading about the town. It’s an interesting place.”

  “We have a history of powerful women.”

  The last speaker was Consuelo, Destiny thought. She was petite but looked strong. With her dark hair and eyes, she was the most striking of the group. Destiny momentarily wished she looked more exotic. Or maybe she was simply hoping not to look so much like her parents. So far no one had said anything. Maybe Kipling hadn’t gone out and told everyone she was Jimmy Don and Lacey Mills’s daughter. And wouldn’t that be nice?

  She supposed she shouldn’t spend so much time hiding who she was, but honestly, she just didn’t want to answer all the questions. What was it like growing up with famous parents? Could she sing? Was Lacey really that sexy in person? That was one of the worst. No child wanted to hear about how sexy people found their parents. With her dad, it was worse. She’d had groupies give her their phone number, their email address and one particularly pushy older lady in Dallas had offered a naked picture of herself for Jimmy Don. Destiny had refused to take it, let alone deliver the photograph.

  “Centuries ago, a group of Mayan women migrated north to this part of the country,” Patience said with a grin. “They set up a matriarchal society. I’m not saying it’s mystical or anything, but I think their power, or whatever you want to call it, lingers.”

  “I’m sure it does,” Larissa said. “Haven’t you ever walked into a place and just known it had a happy vibe? Or an evil one?”

  Several of them nodded. A waitress walked up to the table, a notepad in her hands. “Hi, everyone,” she said, then looked at Destiny and Starr. “You two are new. Sisters?”

  “Half,” Destiny said and introduced them.

  “I’m Jo. Welcome. First drink is on me. What would you like?”

  Consuelo sighed. “It’s been a long week. I vote for margaritas.” She glanced at Starr. “Make one of those virgin.”

  Everyone nodded eagerly.

  “My only appointment of the day was this morning,” Madeline said. “I’m in.”

  “I’m not working, either,” Patience said. “Bring ’em by the pitcher, Jo.”

  Destiny was both shocked and amused. Grandma Nell would have loved this group, she thought, even as she wondered at the wisdom of day drinking. Still, it was Saturday, and it wasn’t like she had to drive.

  “Will do,” Jo told them. “Nachos to go with that?”

  “You know it,” Larissa said.

  Jo nodded and left. When she was gone, Patience leaned in and lowered her voice. “Has anyone seen the inside of The Man Cave yet?”

  “You have got to let that go,” Consuelo told her. “Businesses are allowed to open.”

  “But this one is different.”

  Madeline nodded. “There’s going to be trouble.”

  “What are you talking about?” Destiny asked.

  Madeline glanced over her shoulder, then returned her attention to the group. “There’s a new bar opening in town.”

  Destiny waited for the rest of the announcement, but there didn’t seem to be anything else.

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “And that’s bad why?”

  “Because Jo’s Bar is the bar in town. Now there will be two. That’s not how things work here.”

  “But that’s not true. I’ve seen more than one restaurant. More than one dry cleaners.”

  “Sure,” Bailey said. “And several of the hotels have bars. But this is more like direct competition. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Mayor Marsha hasn’t said anything yet, but I’m sure she will.”

  Patience pointed at Madeline. “Have you heard? Nick’s the manager.”

  Madeline shook her head and sagged back in her chair. “Don’t go there, I beg you.”

  “Nick, huh?” Larissa teased. “You have a thing?”

  Consuelo rolled her eyes. “Do you even know who he is?”

  “He’s the manager of The Man Cave.”

  Consuelo groaned. “Have you ever met him?”

  Larissa laughed. “No, and why does that matter? What if they have a romantic thing going on? Don’t you want to hear their story? How they met, and how they fell in love?”

  Destiny waited for a snappy comeback. Consuelo surprised her by sighing. “You know what? I would like to hear it. Which is horrifying. I used to be so tough.”

  “You still scare me,” Bailey told her.

  “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

  “I promise.”

  “Can we get back to Madeline and Nick, please?” Patience asked. “So how long have you two been going out?”

  Madeline stretched out her arms on the table and rested her head on them. “I give,” she mumbled. “Someone shoot me. Or her. I don’t care which.”

  “You do care,” Larissa told her. “So what’s Nick like?”

  Everyone laughed. Madeline straightened.

  “Nick is one of the Mitchell brothers,” she said. “Their father is a glass-blowing artist.”

  “Ceallach Mitchell,” Bailey told everyone. “He’s world famous. His pieces are exhibited everywhere.” She turned to Starr. “I work for the mayor. I have to know these things.”

  “Does he live here?” the teen asked.

  “He does. With his wife. Two of his sons are still in town.” Bailey frowned. “Is that right?”

  “Yes,” Patience said firmly. “Del left years ago. He was in college, and there was this girl, Maya. They were totally in love and then she left and he left, but not together. I’m between them in age, so it was all very exciting. She wasn’t from around here. Then there’s Aidan. He’s in Fool’s Gold. He runs the family tour business. Nick is in the middle. He’s the one with the artistic talent, like his dad, only he doesn’t work with glass anymore. I have no idea why. Then the twins.”

  Destiny’s head was spinning, and she hadn’t had any of her margarita yet. “How do
you keep this all straight?”

  “I live here. It’s not hard.” Patience grinned at Madeline. “Are you the reason Nick lost his ability to create? Did you wound him?”

  “We had one summer,” Madeline protested. “Years ago. We were seniors in high school, and it was hot and heavy and then it ended. Nick created this big glass piece, and I remember being terrified because I thought maybe it was going to be about us or sex or him taking my virginity, but it wasn’t. It was trees. So I was fine.”

  Madeline pressed her lips together then cleared her throat. She turned to Starr. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t talk about that in front of you. We were in love, but still. Not married. Bad me.”

  Starr smiled. “I know people have sex and that it’s supposed to be romantic, but it still sounds kind of gross to me.”

  “It is,” Madeline said quickly. “Very gross. Not something you want to be doing.”

  Jo appeared with the margaritas. As they were passed around, Destiny thought that the group of women was very welcoming. A little out there, but when it came to friendship, that was okay.

  She was grateful Starr didn’t seem to be in a hurry to fall in love. Or have sex. That was a complication neither of them needed.

  Honestly, she’d never understood the appeal of getting so lost in another person that you totally went crazy. What was the point? Take Kipling. Sure he was a nice guy and good-looking. While she didn’t get the whole ski-at-the-speed-of-sound thing, she respected that he’d had a dream and had worked to achieve it. Hard work made sense to her.

  But throwing herself in front of him and begging to be taken? Why? Yes, she liked thinking about him, and being around him was nice, too. And she wouldn’t go so far as to think touching him would be gross. But thinking about kissing wasn’t the same as sex at all. She was very clear on that. She could enjoy Kipling’s company and admire his body and not have sex with him. She wasn’t some wild animal.

  “So you’re saying no sparks with Nick,” Larissa said.

  “Not anymore.”

  Shelby smiled at Destiny. “I’m totally lost. You?”

  “Pretty much, but in a good way. Sounds like life here is interesting.”

  “It is,” Shelby assured her. “I’ve enjoyed it.”

  “You have a hot brother,” Patience announced. “Not that I’m the least bit interested. I’m married to the best guy in the world, and he’s fabulous. I’m simply noting that Kipling is hot from an intellectual place. I am allowed to observe things.”

  Consuelo groaned. “Even you can’t be drunk that fast. You’ve had two sips.”

  “I know, but I haven’t eaten today.”

  “Lightweight,” Consuelo grumbled, but her tone was affectionate.

  Destiny was more interested in her conversation with Shelby. If Kipling had told anyone about who she was, it would have been his sister. But Shelby didn’t give the slightest hint that she was the least bit intrigued by Destiny’s parents.

  “Kipling might be hot,” Shelby said. “But sometimes he’s annoying—he has this burning need to fix things. Not every situation needs fixing. But aside from that, he’s basically a good guy.” She brightened. “And single. Anyone want to date him?”

  Everyone looked at Destiny and Madeline, which made Destiny realize they were the only single adult women at the table.

  Madeline held up both hands. “I’m not interested. He and I have met, and there’s no chemistry.”

  Destiny thought about her sensible plan and knew she didn’t want to get into that with anyone else. She’d discovered that most people simply didn’t understand her reasoning. Of course most people hadn’t grown up with her parents.

  “I’m only in town for a couple of months.”

  Patience raised her eyebrows. “You notice Destiny didn’t say anything about a lack of chemistry.”

  Shelby laughed. “You can say he’s hot. It’s okay. I won’t read anything into it.”

  “Thank you. He’s hot.”

  Patience sipped her margarita. “There are a lot of hot guys in town. It’s interesting. And nice for us.”

  “My husband is totally dreamy,” Larissa said with a sigh. “That body.” She paused as everyone looked at her. “TMI?”

  Patience pointed to Starr and raised her eyebrows.

  Larissa nodded. “So, um, Starr, who’s hot in your world? You’re what? Seventeen?”

  Starr blushed. “Fifteen.”

  “Really? You look so sophisticated. It’s the hair.” Larissa sighed. “Everyone thinks the blond thing is so cool, but there are a million of us. Redheads are special.”

  Starr smiled impishly. “Destiny and I just found out we won’t be going gray. Redheads don’t.”

  “Okay, now I’m bitter,” Patience said cheerfully. “So who do you like? Not Justin Bieber, please. I worry about him.”

  “One Direction?” Bailey asked. “I like their music. And I can’t help it. I love Taylor Swift.”

  “No one here is surprised,” Consuelo told her.

  “I like Cody Simpson,” Starr said. “For pop music. I’m more into country, though.”

  Destiny froze in the act of swallowing. Was Starr going to out them? But her sister didn’t say anything else.

  Destiny waited to see if anyone would pick up on the country part, but Shelby only said, “I know he’s kind of old but I have a thing for Matt Damon. He’s just so sexy and nice.”

  Madeline laughed. “And married. I like to crush on the single guys. You want to talk about hot? What about Jonny Blaze? OMG, he’s incredible. That body, those dark green eyes. The way he moves.” She used her hand to fan herself.

  Starr giggled. “He’s pretty cute.”

  “I love him in all his movies,” Larissa said. “He’s an action star with a brain. And the muscles don’t hurt.”

  Consuelo made a fist with her thumb up. “He gets the fights right. The hand-to-hand stuff. Most movies don’t even try, but he’s into the details.”

  Madeline leaned close to Destiny and lowered her voice. “Consuelo used to be in Special Forces or something. She teaches the most amazing classes at the bodyguard school here in town. She started with self-defense, but now she does these killer exercise classes. I’ve been taking them since the first of the year, and I now have muscles in places I didn’t know you could have muscles. But every now and then she scares me. I swear, she could kill someone with a paper towel.”

  “I’m impressed and intimidated,” Destiny admitted.

  “Tell me about it. Let me know if you ever want to go to class with me. It’s hard, but it’s fun.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  Jo arrived with two big platters of nachos. Starr laughed at something Larissa said. Conversations at the other tables in the bar flowed just as freely.

  Destiny had to admit that she was more than a little surprised by Fool’s Gold. She generally had a good time on her assignments, but she’d been worried about this one. Mostly because of Starr. But from everything she’d seen so far, Fool’s Gold was welcoming and an easy place to live. She already felt as if she’d been here for months instead of only a week. There was a sense of connection she wasn’t used to. Belonging. She liked the women she’d met and was grateful they were being so nice to her and Starr. Not that she was looking for permanent, but it would be nice while it lasted.

  * * *

  FAMILY MAN AIR CHARTERS was housed in a hangar by the airport. Finn Andersson, a tall man in his midthirties, leaned back in his chair while Kipling explained about Miles and the helicopter. Aidan Mitchell sat in the other visitor’s chair and listened.

  “Helicopter time isn’t cheap,” Kipling explained. “But it offers a unique perspective.”

  Aidan and Finn glanced at each other.

  “Interesting,” Aidan said. “Finn and I have been bouncing around the idea of getting something permanent going for the tour company. A helicopter would offer some interesting advantages.”

  Finn nodded. “Right. We c
ould take people up into the mountains, and they could hike down. Or into the backwoods that are too remote to reach any other way. How long is Miles around?”

  “Two months,” Kipling told him. “The mapping should be done by mid to late July.”

  “Enough time to see if there’s interest,” Aidan said. “Because if we move forward with a helicopter, that’s a big investment.”

  “I could get my helicopter license.” Finn sounded excited by the prospect. “It would have to make business sense, but that would be a fun challenge.”

  Aidan chuckled. “Any excuse to fly.” His expression turned thoughtful. “You know, we could talk to Mayor Marsha about the city going in on the helicopter with us. You and I could buy it, and then the city could contract with us when there was an emergency.”

  “I can talk to Destiny about how a helicopter fits in with the STORMS project,” Kipling offered.

  “This is good,” Aidan said.

  “I agree,” Finn added. “We should have thought of this ourselves. We’ll be in touch with Miles and see if he wants some extra work while he’s in town.”

  “Happy to help,” Kipling told them. “I hope it works out.” Because he enjoyed solving a problem when he encountered one.

  When the meeting finished, he walked toward his Jeep. The mountains seemed closer today, which wasn’t possible. But he felt them all the same. Looming. Insistent. Taunting.

  He hurt. The places where the bones had shattered were the worst. Most of his joints knew when it was going to rain two days before the local weather guy. He reminded himself he’d survived. That he was walking, and the odds had been against him ever getting out of a wheelchair. He should be grateful.

  When he reached the Jeep, he glanced up at the mountains and imagined them covered in snow. If there was snow, he could take them, he thought grimly. Or he had been able to. Once. Just not anymore.

  * * *

  “THEY’RE INTENSE,” KIPLING SAID.

  Destiny watched the two tech guys work on the computers. They wore headphones and typed intently. She would guess they had no idea there were other people in the room.

  “They’re the best,” she told him. “They’ll get everything up and running, work out the bugs and disappear into the night. When we’re near the end of the training, they’ll come back and put in all the customization we’ve figured out you’re going to need for your program. Then we test it, and you’re good to go.”