Hidden Miles: The Miles Family Book 4

by Kingsley, Claire

  “I bet it was exhausting.”

  “It was. Wonderful, and exhausting. But now… I can’t fix things for them anymore. When they’re little, everything is simple. If they get hurt, it’s mostly skinned elbows and knees. You clean them up, give them a bandage, and send them on their way.”

  “And now their hurts need more than bandages.”

  “Yes, they do,” she said. “I haven’t really thanked you for everything you’ve done for Leo.”

  My cheeks warmed. “I don’t know that I’ve done all that much.”

  “You have. Since you’ve been here, I’ve seen him smile more than I have in years. I can’t possibly thank you enough for that.”

  “He’s always been a good friend to me. I’m just trying to do the same.”

  “That’s priceless, Hannah. Thank you.”

  We talked a little more about ideas for Salishan’s branding while we ate breakfast. The food was delicious, and I was stuffed by the time we moved to the other room. She brought us more tea, and we settled onto the couch in her living room.

  “Would it be too much of a cliché if I showed you pictures from when Leo was little?” she asked.

  I had to stifle a gasp. Photos of a young Leo? Yes, please. “I’d love to see pictures.”

  Shannon got a leather-bound photo album from a bookcase and brought it to the couch. She set the heavy book in her lap and I scooted closer so I could see.

  “He’s going to grumble at me for showing you,” she said, flipping the pages. “There he is. Baby Leo.”

  A chubby blue-eyed baby, dressed in nothing but a blue t-shirt and a diaper, smiled from the page.

  “That’s Leo? He was so cute.”

  “He really was.” She flipped a few more pages. “Here he is with Roland around the time Cooper was born. Leo was two.”

  “Aw, look at them.”

  She pointed out more as she went through the book and I saw Leo go from a baby to a toddler to a boy. He was always smiling, his blue eyes bright.

  “What was he like when he was little?” I asked. “Quiet and serious?”

  “No.” Shannon traced her finger down a page. “He was quieter than his brothers, but that’s not hard when one of your brothers is Cooper.”

  I laughed. “That’s true.”

  “Leo was easy,” she said with a small shrug. “He was laid-back and happy most of the time. Almost never got in trouble. Did well in school. Loved sports. Had lots of friends.”

  She turned to the back of the book and pulled out a loose photo. I immediately recognized teenage Roland and Cooper. Brynn was on the end, with Cooper’s arm around her shoulders—just a little girl.

  In between Roland and Cooper was Leo.

  I stared at the fresh, young face. It looked exactly like him, and nothing like him all at once. Short hair. Smooth, square jaw. Wide smile.

  “Leo was about seventeen here. Roland would have been nineteen. Cooper fifteen, and Brynn was around ten.” She paused. “This was the boy I sent off to basic training, about a year after this picture. So young and innocent.”

  Sudden tears pricked my eyes and I swallowed the lump in my throat. He looked so different. But it wasn’t the fact that his face was now scarred, or he’d grown out his hair and beard. His eyes weren’t the same. The eyes of this Leo were bright blue and clear. The eyes of a young man who had no idea the things he’d soon face.

  “It must have been hard when he was injured,” I said.

  “The worst part was not knowing what was happening,” she said. “We heard he’d been hurt. Then we were told he might not make it. But we weren’t given any details. It was weeks before I was able to fly out and see him.”

  “That’s so awful.”

  “It was. It was such a relief when he was finally able to come home. Although I still don’t know how it happened.”

  “You don’t know how he was injured?”

  “I know there was an explosion, but that’s all. He’s never talked about it.”

  “Wow.”

  “After his accident, I thought I might never see him again,” she said. “And then he came home and I started to realize I was still in danger of losing him, just in a different way. But now…”

  I hesitated, waiting to see if she would finish.

  “Now I have hope for him again,” she said, her voice soft. She took a deep breath, and turned to look at me. “I’m sorry, I’m getting all nostalgic on you.”

  “I don’t mind. Thanks for sharing these pictures.”

  “My pleasure.” She gazed at the photo of her smiling children. “It’s fun to reminisce sometimes, even if it’s bittersweet.”

  We looked through more photos as we finished our tea. She showed me older pictures—her grandparents, who had founded Salishan. Her parents, who had continued the family business. I soaked it all in, loving every second. My parents had kept some photos from my childhood, but most were on old CDs or USB drives. Being in the military, we’d moved every few years, and my mom had become an expert at minimalism. Shannon’s collection of family photo albums seemed like a decadent luxury. An intimate glimpse into this family that I was quickly becoming enamored with.

  Eventually we finished our tea and I helped Shannon put the books away. She thanked me for coming and hugged me goodbye. It felt like I’d won the lottery. Had Shannon Miles really accepted me? It seemed that at least for now, she had.

  I paused on the front porch outside. Spending the morning with Shannon made me think about my own parents. I hadn’t tried to contact them since I’d told them I moved. Maybe I should try to talk to them, instead of just an email. It would be nice to hear their voices again.

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I took out my phone and called my mom. She was most likely to answer.

  One ring. Two. I waited through two more before her voicemail picked up.

  “Hi, you’ve reached Josephine Tate. Please leave a message.”

  Beep.

  I hesitated for a second. “Um, hi, Mom. It’s Hannah. I just… wanted to call and see how you and Dad are doing. Give me a call when you have time, okay? Thanks, Mom. Bye.”

  I ended the call, wondering if she was busy, or just didn’t want to take my call.

  Chase walked up the porch steps as I put my phone back in my pocket. Brynn’s husband was dressed in a worn brown jacket, with a dark t-shirt, jeans, and work boots.

  He smiled when he noticed me. “Oh hey, Hannah. How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good.” I glanced at his shirt. It read Married AF in big block letters. “Nice shirt. Did Brynn get that for you?”

  He tugged on the hem and looked down at it. “Nah. Cooper did.”

  “Cooper bought you that shirt?”

  “Yeah,” he said, stretching the word out, like he had no idea why I would question it. “He bought himself one, too. You know, for later.”

  “Oh. Cute.”

  He grinned. “I know, right? Is Shannon home?”

  “Yeah. We just finished breakfast.”

  His eyes lit up. “Are there leftovers?”

  I grinned at him. “Yep. Lots. I think she’s expecting you.”

  He did a fist pump. “Yes. Shannon’s such a good cook. I married into the best family. You should really consider marrying Leo. I know he’s kind of broody and doesn’t like… well, anything. But this family is awesome.”

  I stared at him, my mouth partially open. “Um…”

  He winced. “Sorry. That was probably… forget it. I’ll just go inside now.”

  I moved out of his way and went down the porch steps. Had he really said I should consider marrying Leo? We weren’t even dating. Were we? What were we doing?

  That was a very good question. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been too concerned with putting a label on things at this point. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Leo wasn’t a guy I’d started dating a month or two ago. I was living with him and sharing his bed. But interestingly, we weren’t in any so
rt of physical relationship.

  Yet. That was going to change. Soon, if I had anything to say about it.

  Twenty

  Leo

  I waited until Hannah left to get in the shower, so amped up I thought I might explode. Did she have any idea what she did to me? Just a little bit of contact—her body cuddled against mine, her hand brushing my skin—and I was ready to fire off like a rocket. I needed to take care of this before she came back. This hard-on was killing me.

  Hot water washed over me, streaming through my hair, down my face. I rubbed my beard, wondering if I should trim it. It had gotten thick lately.

  I touched my neck, where Hannah had kissed me. The sensation of her lips was still there, branded on my skin. I could practically feel her body pressed against me. Her head on my shoulder. Her leg draped over mine. The way she’d teased the skin across my stomach. Played with the hair that disappeared beneath my pants.

  Picturing that—and much more—I grabbed my solid erection. Stroked up and down a few times. I was already primed and ready to go. This wouldn’t take long. I imagined Hannah in my bed, her clothes on the floor. Hard, pink nipples wet from my mouth. Smooth skin. Her tattoos painting a picture across her body. Did she have ink on her thighs? In that little dip inside one of her hips?

  My cock throbbed in my hand as I stroked faster. Squeezed harder. I closed my eyes and indulged in the fantasies I’d had every day since I’d seen her in person for the first time.

  Hannah, her hands playfully bound, stretched above her head, tied to the bed frame. Her legs tipping open, her pussy wet and ready for me. I’d sink my cock inside her. Go as deep as I could. Fuck her while her tits bounced, her cheeks flushed pink, and her eyes rolled back in pleasure.

  Then I’d turn her over, lifting her ass into the air. Grab her hips and fuck her from behind. I’d watch my cock as it slid in and out, glistening wet. While her pussy tightened and clenched as she came all over me.

  With one hand against the tile to brace myself, I jerked my cock hard. Felt the exquisite pressure build as my balls tightened, on the brink of release. Closing my eyes, I gave in to the fantasy. Stroked my hard length to the image of fucking Hannah until she panted my name.

  My dick pulsed as I started to come, the first thick spurts mingling with the water. Groaning, I stroked it out fast. My muscles clenched and released, the intense pressure rolling through my entire body.

  I leaned against the tile while I caught my breath, feeling both better and worse. Better because at least I wasn’t worried I’d come in my pants the next time Hannah brushed up against me. Worse because this wasn’t enough.

  But I didn’t know if I could ever have what I really wanted.

  Hannah disarmed me in ways that were terrifying. She made it so easy to let my guard down—too easy. Although her touch didn’t hurt—it felt better than anything I could possibly imagine—I hadn’t let her anywhere near my scarred side. And I wasn’t sure if I could.

  She’d never seen me. Not really. I’d made sure of that. I always did, and not just with her. The only people who’d seen my scarred body were doctors and nurses, and the artist who’d done my tattoos. I’d never shown anyone else.

  It wasn’t just my appearance, although that was enough to make me question everything I’d done in the last week. Touching her. Holding her. Asking her to stay. Sleeping in bed with her.

  The problem was, I was at war with myself. With what my body—and my heart—wanted, and all the things I knew I couldn’t give her in return.

  * * *

  After I’d showered and dressed, I walked across the property to the Big House to see Roland. I needed to talk to him about Dad, and the things I’d found in the security footage.

  He was upstairs in his office. Unlike Zoe’s office, Roland’s was tidy and uncluttered. He had a large desk with dual monitors and several framed photos of Zoe and Hudson.

  He looked up when I walked in. “Hey, Leo. How’s Hannah?”

  Hearing her name made me think of her body next to mine. I cleared my throat. “She’s good. Having breakfast with Mom. Do you know anything about that?”

  “I do, actually. Mom wants to talk to her about redoing Salishan’s logo and branding package. The website, too.”

  A surge of pride filled me. I might have even puffed out my chest a little. “That’s great.”

  “Yeah, she and Zoe were talking about it the other day. We looked through her website. She’s talented. So, what’s up?”

  I shut the door and took a seat across from him. “I went with Mom to see Dad yesterday.”

  “She told me. How’d you get her agree to let you go with her? She didn’t even tell me she was going until after you two got back.”

  “I don’t think she meant to tell me, either. Seemed like it kind of slipped out. But I’m glad it did.”

  “How was it?”

  I didn’t want to talk about how hard it had been to leave the winery without Hannah. So I focused on Dad. “He looked like shit. I’m sure Mom told you he signed the divorce papers.”

  “Thank fuck. I swear, I don’t think he could have made things worse for her if he’d tried.”

  “He might have, actually.”

  “Oh shit. What now?”

  “The land grab in his counterproposal to the divorce, and the drugs,” I said. “Dad wasn’t trying to fund his retirement. He was trying to pay off gambling debt.”

  “That explains a lot, actually. I couldn’t figure out the drugs thing. Why do something so stupid?”

  “Desperation. But I’m worried these guys are going to come after us—more specifically, Mom—either to put pressure on Dad, or to try to get their money out of her.”

  “Jesus.”

  “I think they’re already watching her. There’s security footage from about three weeks ago that shows a guy walk onto the property, wander around a little, and then take some pictures. I’m pretty sure he was taking pictures of Mom.”

  “Do you know who he was?”

  “No, but I ran the footage through facial recognition and got a match. He’s been here at least three times. Always alone. Always parks somewhere off property.”

  “To keep us from recording his license plate?”

  “That was my thought.”

  “Fuck,” Roland said. “Wait, how do you have facial recognition software?”

  I shook my head. “You don’t want to know.”

  He narrowed his eyes, but apparently decided not to push that particular issue. “We need to go to Agent Rawlins with this.”

  “Right. I’ll give him what I have, but I want to see about increasing security. Especially around Mom. I wish I could get her a bodyguard.”

  “Yeah, but she’d fight you on that. Although…”

  “What?”

  “What if we get Ben to do it?”

  I’d been thinking someone armed, but Ben wasn’t a bad idea. I had a feeling Mom wouldn’t protest having him around more. “Yeah, good. That’s a start.”

  “I’ll give Chase a heads-up so he can watch out for Brynn. I can call Naomi and Grace, too. They need to know. What else?”

  “I’ll add some cameras to the blind spots. And go through past footage. See if I find anyone, or anything else that looks suspicious.”

  “Good. I’ll call Rawlins, but can you send him what you have so far?”

  “I will as soon as I get back to my place.”

  “Thanks, man.” Roland paused, pressing the tips of his fingers together. “Fair warning. Zoe’s going to invite you and Hannah over to our place for dinner. I’m not saying you have to come. I know it’s still hard for you. But if you say no, I can’t be held responsible for what Zoe decides to do.”

  I laughed, but it was relief, not anxiety, that filled me. I could actually do this. Going to dinner at your brother’s house was something normal people did every day. A couple of months ago, I wouldn’t have considered it. Hell, they wouldn’t have bothered inviting me. But now? It didn’t sou
nd half bad, especially if Hannah was with me.

  “Thanks, but Zoe won’t have to bring out the big guns. I think I can handle dinner.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s great, man. You seem like you’re doing a lot better.”

  “I’m getting there, I guess.”

  “Good.” He took a deep breath. “Thanks for the heads-up about Dad.”

  “No problem.” I stood. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  I went downstairs and quickly slipped through the lobby and out the front doors. I was planning to go straight home, but I noticed a familiar face coming up the steps. My half-sister, Grace.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey, Leo.”

  “Here to see Brynn?”

  “Yeah, we’re meeting for lunch later. But I’m off today, so I came down early.”

  I wanted to let her know about Dad and warn her to be careful. But standing out here didn’t seem like the best place to have this conversation.

  And this could be a chance to connect with Grace a little more. She’d become good friends with Brynn, but I hadn’t really spent any time with her one-on-one.

  Of course, I didn’t spend time with many people. I figured I should probably work on that.

  “Do you want to grab some coffee?”

  “Sure, that would be great.” She raised her eyebrows and pointed toward the Big House. “Here? Or…”

  I took a deep breath. I needed to be able to do this. “No, I meant at Ridge Coffee.”

  “Okay. I’d love to.”

  Ridge Coffee was a short walk from Salishan. My fingers twitched with the impulse to text Hannah to see if she could come, or meet us there. But she was probably still having breakfast with my mom. I didn’t want to interrupt. And I needed to get used to venturing out, whether or not Hannah was with me.

  I held the door for Grace as we went inside. The décor was cozy, with soft lighting, a few overstuffed chairs, and several round tables. I’d been in here with Hannah before, so it had a certain familiarity. That seemed to help. Plus, it was blessedly empty—just one customer sitting with their laptop.