Arriving at the café, Shay jumped out of the truck and went in ahead of everyone. She was back to her old relaxed and playful self by the time they arrived. Thanks in great part to the triplets who not only reassured her but told her some of the new jokes they’d heard from their nieces to make her laugh.
Before the men could follow Shay in, Tia stopped them just outside the door. “Thanks for making her feel so loved and welcome guys. She’s been through an awful lot in the last few years. Too much for a little girl her age, and you spending the time reassuring her means the world to both of us.” A grin lit up his face when she tried to hug them all at the same time then realized how futile that was and instead gave each one of them a big hug then entered the café to look for Shay.
As they stood outside the café the triplets looked at each other.
“We’ve got to make sure that there is no way in hell that that prick can get to Shay. That little kid is the sweetest thing,” Dan said.
His brothers were surprised at how vehemently he had said the words. Dan had always been the quieter one, but with Tia he was more open and talkative. Shay brought out instincts in all of them that they didn’t know existed. Fatherly instincts, ones that brought them all to just short of killing James for putting her through this.
When they entered the café, they found Tia and Shay in one of the booths closer to the back.
* * * *
Sliding in beside Tia, Sam could hear the growl that Dan emitted when he beat his brother to the seat. Ryder took the spot beside Shay, so Dan slid in beside Ryder.
“Order whatever you want, Shay. Since I know my sister pretty well I don’t think she made a very big breakfast for you this morning,” Ryder said looking down at her.
“She’s a lot like Mom in the morning.” She giggled back at him. “Toast is about the only thing hot that Mom makes. Except on weekends when she makes the best French toast around.”
“French toast, huh? I love French toast. Maybe she’ll make it for us one morning.” Sam winked at her.
“Only if you’re a real good boy, Sam.” Tia winked back at him. “I don’t make it for just any Tom, Dick, or Harry, you know.”
Placing his arm along the back of the booth behind her, Sam leaned over and whispered into her ear so as to not let Shay hear.
“I’m always a good boy, kitten. Even when I’m bad, I’m good,” Sam whispered, watching as Tia gulped and her body shivered from his sexy words. She was probably hoping that he hadn’t caught the little tell-tales signs of just how much he affected her, but he had.
They all ordered, and Shay began regaling them all of her night with the twins and her first experience at a drive-in.
“Mom, we have to go sometime. There were three huge screens set up and they all played different movies at the same time. And when you had finished watching the first movie you wanted to see you could then drive around and park the car and watch the next movie on another screen and the same with the third movie.”
Their orders arrived and everyone watched as Shay dug in with gusto but between bites continued on with her story.
* * * *
Tia couldn’t help but smile at the changes she saw. Shay had always been easygoing, and making friends for her had never been difficult. But she had always seemed to hold back part of herself from people, just as her mom had. It became a habit when they lived with James. It seemed the only way that they could protect themselves from his verbal assaults.
The chimes over the door tinkled announcing that more customers had just entered the café.
Glancing up, Tia noticed the two men right away and how much they looked like older versions of the triplets.
They must be their dads.
Eyeing them, too, Dan raised an arm and gestured for the two men to come over.
“Hey, boys, we were just talking about you with your mom. She wants you to come out to the house for dinner next Friday. She misses you,” the man with the silver hair cut in a military style said to them.
“We’ll call and set up a time with her for us to bring Tia and little Shay here out to meet her,” Ryder smiled sheepishly.
“So these two lovely ladies are the ones that have stolen our boys’ hearts,” the dark hair man stated.
Leaning across the table and frowning at his sons, he extended his hand toward Tia. “I’m Michael Kinsey, and this here is my brother Mack. We’re ashamed to say it, but these three rude boys are our sons.”
“Rude?” Sam practically choked on the word.
“Yes rude, you little sh—” Mack was about to say a bad word but stopped himself because of Shay.
“You three couldn’t stop shoveling food into your faces long enough to introduce us to your ladies,” Michael said.
Smart enough to look chagrined, the men swallowed their mouthful of food and apologized.
Mack and Michael burst out laughing at the blushes that crossed their sons’ faces.
Speaking directly to Shay, Mack asked, “Did you have a good time with our granddaughters last night, Shay?”
Not at all one to be shy, Shay quickly went on to tell them about her first experience at the drive-in.
Both men pulled up chairs and sat intently listening as Shay went on and on.
“It was the best,” were the last words out of her mouth before she paled in fear when she looked up as the chimes on the door went off.
Everyone saw the change immediately and turned to see what had frightened her so badly.
James, Lacey, and two older people whom Tia assumed were Lacey’s parents entered the café together.
“What the hell are they doing here?” Tia asked aloud.
James spotted them immediately and headed for their table. Lacey followed right behind him.
“There you are, sweetheart.” His voice was dripping with fake sincerity.
“We went to the house you’re staying at, but you weren’t there, so we decided to come and have some lunch before heading over there again and waiting for you.”
Lacey’s parents had taken a booth at the front of the café, but their eyes were glued on their table. Lacey herself laced her fingers through James’s, smiled, and batted her eyelashes at all the men.
“It seems you’ve made some very handsome friends, Tia.” She purred.
Placing one hand on Sam’s as it lay on the table and snuggling into Ryder, Tia responded, “More than friends, Lacey.”
Mack choked and coughed on the coffee he had been sipping quietly.
“I came here to see if we could settle this amicably, Tia. I don’t want to have to pull Shay into our little disagreement,” James said, the sound of his voice like nails on a chalkboard to Tia.
Shay surprised everyone when she sat up straight and said, “I don’t want to go anywhere with you, James.” Wrapping her little arm around Dan’s forearm as if to draw strength from him, she continued. “You are no longer my father by your own choice, and Uncle Ryder said I don’t have to go anywhere with you.”
James’s face reddened in anger as he lashed out.
“Shay, you are my daughter and you will listen to me. I want you to come with me so I can introduce you to some very important people. They’re going to be your new grandparents, sweetheart.” The last statement oozed with more of his false sincerity.
“I already have new grandparents. Grandpa Mack, Grandpa Michael, and Grandma Janice are my new grandparents,” Shay told him.
Tia spoke up then. “James, this is not the time or the place to discuss this. I’ll call you when I can get together with you, but until then I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave.”
Ignoring Tia and her statement, James continued frowning down at the little girl.
“Shay, these aren’t your grandparents, and these aren’t your fathers. They’re just your mommy’s little playthings.” James sneered.
Pushing their chairs back, Michael and Mack moved quickly and stood in front of James. At six foot six they towered over his five-foot-ten f
rame.
“I suggest you leave before you insert your foot farther into your mouth, sir.” Michael scowled at him.
“I don’t know how long I’d be able to keep my sons from thrashing you for such idiotic statements. Hell, I’m having a hard time not smacking you upside your head for being just plain ignorant,” Mack said.
“And who are you to speak to my fiancé that way?” Lacey glared at him.
Leaning down so that they were practically nose to nose, Mack smiled and said, “We’re the new granddads, lady, so please take your fiancé over to your table and do as Tia has asked and wait for her to contact you. Otherwise, you might not have too much of a man left to marry.”
Pulling on James’s arm, Lacey said, “We need to see to my parents anyways, honey. You can deal with this later.”
James looked at Tia before turning to leave and said, “This isn’t done between us, Tia. You know I always get what I want when I put my mind to it.”
They walked over to the other couple without glancing back.
Mack looked at Tia with a gaze of utter astonishment on his face. “Please tell me that you had just had brain surgery and weren’t of your right mind when you married him”
Shay was the one to laugh out loud. Through all of the exchange, she had just sat quietly and listened as the adults talked.
Tia observed a calmness and an acceptance about Shay, which showed that she wasn’t afraid of James anymore because she knew she had a family that would protect her.
“He’s just a ray of sunshine, isn’t he?” Ryder asked through gritted teeth.
* * * *
Even though Shay had laughed at his dad’s comment, Ryder knew that all of this had to be taking a toll on her. She had been put through the ringer by that man, and they’d be damned if he would continued to do so. He just hoped that Simone would be able to give them some idea as to what to do about him because the next time he spoke about their girls in that tone of voice, not even his dads would be able to keep him from beating the shit out of him.
The rest of their meal was eaten in relative silence. Tia only picked at her food, and Shay didn’t seem to want hers at all anymore.
“C’mon, ladies,” Michael said, a grin spreading across his face.
“You can’t let him bother you. We’ll figure this out. Haven’t my sons told you that as a family we are unstoppable?”
Tia smiled back, but Ryder recognized just how difficult Tia was finding it to not pick Shay up and run to someplace far away where James couldn’t hurt Shay anymore.
“Uncle Dan, can you move over so that I can get up and go to the washroom?” Shay asked quietly.
“Sure, sweetie,” he said, sliding out of the booth to stand. “Did you want your mom to come with you?”
* * * *
He only asked because he was concerned, with James still in the restaurant.
“No, Uncle Dan Worrywart.” Shay laughed. “I’m a big girl and can go pee all by myself now.”
He watched as she walked to the washroom and closed the door behind her. Giving James a glare before turning back to his brothers, he said, “Something has to be done about that prick, and fast. Shay doesn’t need for him to keep playing with her like she’s a toy. It’s not fair to her, and I think she’s just about at her limit.”
“I agree,” Sam said. “After we talk to Simone we’ll have a better idea of where we stand.”
They were so busy talking amongst themselves and trying to figure out what to do that they didn’t notice Lacey stand and slip into the washroom.
* * * *
Shay was at the basin washing her hands when Lacey entered.
“Hi, Shay, remember me? I work with your dad, and we met at your mom’s lawyer’s office.”
“I know who you are,” Shay snapped.
“Your dad really wants you to come and live with us. We have a nice house that’s not too far from a school, so you won’t have far to walk. You’ll be able to see your old friends and ride the horses at my parents’ stables. We also have a pool for you to swim in. Doesn’t that sound like a great place to live?” Lacey’s phony smile was plastered to her face.
“I’ve got all that here and more. And I’ve got something that you could never give me, my mom.” Shay tried to push past her but the woman grabbed her arm so tight that it made her cry out in pain.
“Listen, you smarmy little brat, as far as I’m concerned you can stay with your stupid mother. But strangely enough my parents have decided they want grandkids, and I certainly do not want to mess up my figure and risk the chance of stretch marks by getting pregnant. With you we can have it all. An instant family, and then my parents would loosen their grip on my trust fund, and then your father and I could travel the world while you’re in boarding school. So just go along with the program and everyone will be happy.”
Shay yanked her arm out the grip that Lacey had on it and with tears rolling down her face left the washroom and headed back to the table.
* * * *
Tia noticed the instant Shay opened the door that something was wrong. She had gone to see what had been taking her so long and almost got run over by her when she all but sprinted from the room with Lacey not far behind.
“What did you say to her, Lacey?” Tia snarled at the young woman.
“All I told her was that she needed to weigh her options, that’s all.” And then she walked away.
Once Shay was back at their table, Tia saw how she was wedged between the three men, her little body shaking from the tears she was shedding. Watching the men as they consoled her girl, her heart both soared at the way Shay clung to the triplets, and broke into a million pieces at her young daughter’s tears. But what would Lacey have said to upset her so? There was only one way to find out, and that was to ask Shay.
As she approached the table, Shay lifted her tear-streaked face to her mom. Sam moved out of the booth and took Tia’s hand.
“Sweetheart, you need to tell us what Lacey said to you in the washroom to upset you so.” Tia stroked her daughter’s hair, kissing the top of her head, anything to soothe Shay’s nerves.
Shay started to relax but said she would only tell Ryder because she didn’t want Tia upset anymore.
It felt good, but awful at the same time, to know that Shay trusted the men enough to share the story. Shay was trying to protect her from whatever garbage Lacey had spewed and that wasn’t her job. Tia was supposed to protect her, but knowing it could be something really important, Tia nodded and headed out to the truck with Dan and his dads beside her all the way. Stopping at the side door, Tia turned and knew that Dan could see the hurt showing in her eyes.
Wrapping his arms around her he whispered, “She knows what James did to you before and she’s trying to protect you in her own special way. She’s not shutting you out, sweetling.”
Tia stepped back and looked up at him and just smiled. How he knew exactly what was bothering her she’d never know, and right now she really didn’t care.
* * * *
“We need to get her out of here right now. Whatever that little bitch said to her terrified her so much she’s still shaking,” Sam said, sliding in beside Shay to take her hand while she relayed the story to Ryder.
“C’mon, sweetie, let’s get you home and then we’ll tell your mom everything.”
Shay nodded and walked out with Sam, noticing that he kept his arm around her, and when they came closer to Lacey he picked her up so she could hide her face in his shoulder.
* * * *
Ryder threw some bills onto the table and walked toward the door. Stopping, he headed back and over to the table where James and Lacey were. Staring down at Lacey with his arms crossed over his chest he asked, “Do you enjoy upsetting little girls, miss?”
The older man stood and spoke first. “Now see here, young man. My Lacey is a sweetie pie and wouldn’t hurt any child’s feelings.”
Still looking down at Lacey, he could tell that this woman had been pulling
the wool over her parents’ eyes all her life. She was the type that would do anything to anyone to get what she wanted.
“Are you going to tell them or shall I?” was all he asked her.
“Lacey? What’s he talking about?” the older man asked.
“All I told her was how much her father wanted her to come live with us and that she’d be able to see all her old friends again.” The blush that rose on her face told everyone that she wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“That’s not all you said to her, was it?” Unlocking his arms, he placed his palms on the table and leaned forward so that he was almost nose to nose with Lacey.
“You also called her a smarmy little brat and told her that as soon as your parents were happy they had a grandchild that they’d loosen the purse strings a little so that you and James could travel while Shay was shipped off to a boarding school. That way you wouldn’t have to ruin your figure by getting pregnant. Am I close, Lacey?”
Both her parents gasped at the revelations. Her mother’s mouth gaped open and her eyes filled with tears.
“Please, Lacey, tell me you didn’t say anything that cruel to that poor child?” she asked her daughter.
“It wasn’t that bad, Mother. You know how kids tell tales.” She smiled sweetly and patted her mother’s hand.
Ryder was surprised when he heard James say, “No, Lacey. Shay doesn’t tell tales. The one thing I know about my daughter is that she is brutally honest for one so young. So if that’s what she said you told her, then that’s what you said.” In that moment Ryder saw a little bit of humanity in an otherwise worthless human being. Even though James wanted Shay only to further his career, he knew that Tia had raised her to always be truthful.
Bailey, Debbie - For Tia's Pleasure [Men of Kinsey 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 10
