“And will you?” Halley asked.
Her mother swallowed hard. “I’d like to think not. And I appreciate you seeing me. Giving me a chance.”
Halley wasn’t sure what this was, a beginning, maybe. So far her mother hadn’t given any indication that she wanted something from her, so she was hopeful for a relationship with her going forward.
“I should let you go. I just wanted to… see you.” Her mother rose to her feet.
Halley and Kane followed. He’d been mostly silent through the visit, but his quiet support meant the world to her.
She walked her mother to the door. “Thanks for coming by.”
“I’ll be in touch,” her mother said.
Halley shut the door behind her and turned to Kane, sagging against the wall. “Well, that wasn’t too awkward,” she said sarcastically.
He shot her a sympathetic glance. “You have to start somewhere.”
She nodded. “I wonder if I’ll hear from her again soon.”
“You’ll see. She didn’t give you a way to contact her, so the ball’s in her court.”
“True.” She straightened and walked into the kitchen. “So… breakfast?” she asked, forcing cheer.
In reality she was exhausted from that brief visit and needed time to process having seen her mother for the first time in what felt like forever.
“Listen, I think I’m going to get going,” he said, stroking his knuckles down her cheek. “I’ll be back later to work, and in the meantime, you can think about what all this means to you.”
She reacted to his caress, her nipples tightening, her body swaying toward his, but he was right. As usual, he sensed what she needed and she was grateful.
“Before I go, I was wondering. Do you want to go to the festival in town next weekend?”
Halley knew the annual event was a combination of things. Rosewood’s vendors, like the florist and the bakery, and the clothing and other shops, would take their wares outside and sell from individual booths. It also involved carnival-like treats brought in by the town for a get-together that attracted locals and tourists alike.
Halley didn’t make a habit of going because of the large crowds, but she was hoping to get her newest work to Faith for display there. The project had been on the back burner for a long time. Halley had always known something was missing, but it was only lately, when she’d brought brighter colors into her work, that she realized how to make the canvas pop for the viewer. A short week and she’d finished a project that had been sitting for six months.
Glaziers had a catalogue of their paintings, and Faith had promised to include anything new Halley had. She could drop it off in a few days after it dried.
“Halley?”
“I hadn’t planned on going but—”
“But you’ll go with me,” he said, ending her sentence for her.
She studied his handsome face. She didn’t want to disappoint him, and she was happy he’d asked her to join him. She could push past her insecurities for one day. “Okay.”
Pleasure lit his expression. “Okay, we’ll discuss plans closer to the day. Now I’m really going to head home, shower, and come back to work.”
She started forward, intending to walk him out, but he hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.
“Uh-uh. You don’t get rid of me without a proper good-bye.” His eyes blazed with sudden heat and her body responded in kind.
He had that effect on her. All he needed to do was give her that look and she was melting. “What did you have in mind?” she asked, her voice a purr.
He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, the kiss going from zero to sixty in an instant. She parted her lips and he slipped his tongue inside. There was nothing tame about the way he took her mouth, devouring her and letting her know in no uncertain terms, he was claiming her. And by the time he lifted his head and came up for air, she was panting, not just out of breath but with very basic need.
He swiped his thumb over his damp lips. “Now that’s a proper good-bye.” He winked and released her, then strode to the door and let himself out, leaving her with shaky legs and desire pulsing through her veins.
* * *
Halley was watering her plants outside her front door. The carnations were in full bloom and beautiful red colors exploded on her porch. She wasn’t sure the flowers warranted a watering since she’d done this yesterday, but she needed the distraction from the myriad thoughts running through her mind.
Phoebe had called a little while ago and she wanted to talk, which meant Halley was going to have to tell her she’d seen their mother. And Halley wanted to have a conversation with Aunt Joy about her mom. Because the woman Halley had talked to hadn’t seemed to want anything other than a chance to get to know her daughter.
Which was exactly what Halley had desired, too. So why did she feel so uneasy now? She couldn’t place the discomfort, but it remained when she thought about her wayward parent.
She refocused on her flowers and had just finished up when a white car pulled up and parked on the street parallel to her house. Kane’s sister exited the vehicle with a foil-wrapped bundle in her hands.
Halley placed the watering can out front as Andrea approached. “Hi.”
“Hi,” the other woman said when she reached Halley. Andrea joined her on the porch, dressed as casually as Halley in a pair of jeans and a loose-fitting top.
“To what do I owe this visit?”
Andrea smiled, extending the item in her hands. “For one thing, I’m returning your plate. And for another, I wanted to apologize. Our family dinners can get loud, but last night we aired private business. That was rude and I’m sure it made you uncomfortable.” She held out the covered plate. “We ate your cookies last night. My boy can really devour them. But I made some sugar cookies for you to say I’m sorry.”
Halley accepted the plate. “Thank you, Andrea.”
“Call me Andi, please.”
She smiled. “Andi, that was thoughtful but I promise you, it’s fine. Nobody understands a little dysfunction more than me.” Especially after the visit from her mother.
Andi studied her intently. “I appreciate it, and if you don’t mind me saying so, I get why Kane is so interested in you. And trust me, my brother doesn’t get invested often.”
Was Kane invested? And did she want him to be? They were taking it one day at a time, no expectations, no labels. He’d even been the one to suggest it was okay to be casual.
Before she could respond, Andi went on. “You’re so kind and sensitive. Anyway, that’s it. I wanted to make things right for Kane in case you were upset.”
“Not at all. Umm… Do you want to come inside? Have a cold drink?” she offered.
“Sure!”
Andi eagerly followed her inside. And an hour later, she’d had her first girl time with anyone other than her sister, talking about things from who cut her hair and did her highlights to their favorite television shows to binge—Halley wasn’t a big binger but Andi had talked her into trying some of her favorites. They discussed sharing cooking recipes and Andi told her funny stories about raising a boy. Apparently her son was obsessed with his weiner.
By the time Andi went home, Halley was left with the odd feeling that she’d made a friend. She was a little dizzy from the woman’s friendly demeanor and bubbly personality, and overwhelmed since she didn’t usually do girl bonding. True, she had her sister, but never in her life had she made a true friend. It was odd since her treatment by girls in her past, both in foster care and when she’d gone to high school here afterwards, made her wary. Andi, like her brother, was different. She was genuine.
For Halley, having a real friend was going to take some getting used to.
* * *
Over the rest of the week, Kane fell into a set pattern. He would work his normal hours at the garage, and on days it didn’t rain, he would show up for a few hours of work on Halley’s house. The deck was coming along at an expectedly slo
w pace with one man doing the work.
Most nights he worked, she cooked dinner, giving him a chance to spend time with her and glean more insight into who she was as a person. She loved cooking shows, which was to his benefit, didn’t watch much television because she’d rather be painting, and she enjoyed reading romance novels. He’d cracked her shell, at least to the point where he could get her to laugh easily and often, which made his fucking day.
Sex wasn’t part of the equation, not because he didn’t want her, because he fucking did, but he didn’t want her to think he was using her because he had easy access thanks to his work on her house. And also because he wanted her to have time to think about him, want him, and miss what they’d shared that one time they’d been intimate.
Sex with Halley consumed his thoughts because she’d been so open and eager, surprisingly so considering her hesitance to get involved in a serious relationship. He figured that she’d been telling herself their situation was casual, but there had been nothing casual about how they came together. They fit in a way not all couples did in bed, and he wondered if she realized they had something special.
During their times together these last weeks, she’d kept their conversations casual, not delving deep into her past in foster care or anything else, for that matter. And he still wondered what was behind the walls she guarded. The one thing he knew for certain, he wasn’t finished figuring her out.
The Sunday of the festival, he picked her up at ten a.m. She greeted him at the door and shocked him with her outfit. Instead of wearing her usual flirty dress, she chose a flirty denim skirt with a ruffle that was short enough to showcase her long legs, a tucked-in bright purple tank top that gave him an enticing look at her full breasts but remained classy, and a pair of white Chucks on her feet.
Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her sunglasses were perched on top of her head. She appeared young, flirty, and happy, a look that was fairly new. When he’d come upon her on the road alongside her broken-down car, she’d been much more withdrawn and wary.
He hadn’t seen this excitement in her eyes before and he liked the change. “Looking forward to today?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t have thought so, but you’ve talked it up so much I actually am.”
“Good. We’ll have fun. Are you ready?” he asked, extending his hand.
“Ready.” She slowly reached out and accepted it, her smaller hand soft and delicate as she curled her fingers around his palm.
His skin burned and his cock jumped behind the denim of his jeans. Not the time, he told himself, counting down from ten and concentrating on the numbers, not her sexy self.
They drove the short distance and he parked on the outskirts of town. Together, they walked in comfortable silence toward the fair.
She didn’t argue when he grabbed her hand again, and he was proud to have her on his arm. It had been years since he’d shown up in town with a woman on his arm, and the last one had humiliated him spectacularly. He’d overheard her talking to a friend and she’d humiliated him in that conversation. Her comments had bruised his ego, and at the time, he’d thought she’d hurt his heart.
Only with distance had he realized that he’d been more infatuated with Liza than anything else. Still, it had caused him to pull back and be very wary of who he took to his bed. Local women who didn’t want much had worked well for his busy life and schedule. Until Halley.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked as the high white tents came into view.
“We’ll check out the booths and eat lots of sugary treats. I’ve been going to this fair since I was a little kid. I can vouch for the funnel cakes and the cotton candy.”
She grinned. “I can get behind that.”
They strode past various vendors, stopping when he saw someone he knew, which was often. Andi was working a food booth for the Blue Wall, Nicky by her side.
“Hey, guys! This morning I can offer you French toast sticks, and if you come back after lunch I’ll have sliders,” Andi said, a big grin on her face.
“They’re awesome!” Nicky said, bouncing up and down with excitement. “Mom said if I help her serve food, I can go look at the puppies later.”
“Puppies?” Halley asked, her voice perking up.
Andi pushed two plates with French toast sticks on them across the table. “Nicky, give Uncle Kane and Halley a napkin, please.”
“Here, Uncle Kane.” He slapped napkins down on the table.
Halley looked at the little boy. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re a great helper.”
“Puppies,” Kane noted to Halley. “That would keep any child happy.”
She turned and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Puppies,” she whispered, her voice exuding excitement.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him, burying his face in the back of her hair and taking a long breath in. She smelled of strawberry shampoo, and his groin tightened immediately. “I take it you want to go see the shelter stand?”
Her grin was the only answer he needed. He called to his sister to hang on to the food until later, took Halley’s hand, and headed in the direction of the puppies.
* * *
Halley was having a blast. So far, their day had been a far cry from the intense people-filled nightmare she’d envisioned. She could handle crowds; she just didn’t like individuals getting close enough to rub up against her or touch her in any way that felt like a violation. So far, so good. Besides, she had Kane beside her and that made up for any discomfort she might feel.
They approached the local shelter’s area, her heart racing with anticipation.
“Are you just excited to see the dogs or are you really interested in adoption?” he asked.
The truth was, this was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the minute Andi had mentioned that the puppies were here courtesy of the local shelter, that they were abandoned dogs who needed a home, her heart had been engaged.
“I hadn’t considered it until now but I love dogs. One of the homes I lived in had a black lab. He was so soft and gentle. He used to sleep beside me. I missed him when I left.” Since this had been before her last home, where that awful night had happened, she’d slept well, especially with Blackie by her side.
He tugged on her hand and they stopped walking. “Why did you leave that home?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. “One of the girls there accused me of stealing money she had stashed away. She lied. I wouldn’t take something that didn’t belong to me, but she carried on so much Mrs. B believed her.” She remembered how devastated she’d been because that had been one of the good homes she lived in.
She’d gone from there to the house where the woman in charge had a perv of a husband, and that had been a nightmare.
Kane squeezed her hand in reassurance. “I know you’d never steal. And I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Oh, that was a piece of cake compared to what came later.” Her eyes flew open wide as she realized what she’d just said.
“Halley? What—”
Before he could finish his question, someone bumped into her, jostling her side and sending her sprawling against Kane.
He grasped her arms and kept her steady. The same couldn’t be said for her rapidly beating heart. Between that trip into the past, her never faraway memories of him, and now someone pushing her, her throat was full and she was near tears.
“Hey.” Kane spoke softly. “Are you okay?” he asked, obviously concerned.
She managed a nod. “Can we just go see the dogs?” Burying her face in soft fur was exactly what she needed right now.
He studied her for a long while. “Okay. Puppies it is.” He still looked worried but he was obviously more concerned with keeping her calm.
They approached the booth and disappointment filled her. “There are so many people there,” she said, wondering how they’d get close with all the kids crowding the area with the dogs.
“I’m sure they’re not al
l legitimately interested in adopting. You are. We’ll get you up front,” he promised.
True to his word, he maneuvered them to the side of the booth and around the edge of the table, where he flagged down a volunteer. “We’d like to see the dogs,” he said to the young woman with a purple stripe in her hair. “We’re interested in adoption.” He glanced at Halley. “Well, she is.”
“Sure thing! Can you tell me if you’re interested in any specific kind of dog? Big? Small?”
Halley ran her tongue over her dry lips. “I want an easy personality. The kind that could be like an… emotional support dog,” she said, forcing the words past her tight throat.
The idea had come to her when she’d been talking about Blackie. Maybe getting a dog wouldn’t only be fun but it would help her sleep at night because she wouldn’t be alone.
“Be right back!” the girl said.
Halley looked up at Kane. “It’s not that I need the help but I—”
“You don’t owe me an explanation, beautiful. You need a dog in your life, period. I think it’ll be great for you.”
She smiled. “Yeah. Me, too. I’ll take it for walks on the beach and runs in the water.”
“He or she can sleep with you in bed and keep you company.” He leaned in and kissed her nose. “Except when I’m there. Then he or she is going to have to move aside.”
She laughed, almost relieved, because for the last week, he hadn’t made a move. Yes, he’d been present and interested, there’d been a lot of hugging and touching and brief kisses, but she’d honestly been left wondering why he wasn’t taking her in his arms and to bed. Instead he’d left her sexually frustrated each night when he said good-night, kissed her lips, and left her to climb beneath the sheets alone.
“Here we go. This is Monty.” The woman held out a fluffy dog with huge sad eyes, a gleaming black coat, and the sweetest look on his face.
Halley reached out and took him in her arms. “Hey, Monty. What’s your story, you sweet boy?”
“He was found abandoned in the park by someone who brought him to the shelter. It was winter and he was cold and matted, dirty, and so afraid,” the girl, whose name tag read Lyndie, said. “Then Gail, the woman who is in charge of the shelter, took him home to foster him.”
Fearless (Rosewood Bay Series Book 1) Page 9
