The Chocolate Garden (Dare River Book 2)

by Ava Miles

  “So tell me what happened,” Daddy finally said, sinking into a kitchen chair.

  The words didn’t come out smoothly, and the shaking started again as she remembered the thud that had awoken her. As she spoke, she lowered herself into the chair across from Daddy so she wouldn’t fall down.

  Rye rubbed her goose-pimpled arms when she was finished. “I don’t want you to be scared anymore. Beyond the guards I’m hiring, J.P.’s offered to stay here with you and the kids when I go back to the tour. I’d rather cancel the whole thing, but I just can’t do that. Tory and I talked about it last night. We can’t let the bastard win.”

  “I’ll be here with you too,” Tory said, reaching for Tammy’s hand.

  “No, darlin’,” Rye said, “you’re coming with me on tour like we planned. J.P. will take care of things at home, I promise. We can come back for visits on the open dates in the tour.”

  Tory stood and glared at him. “And you decided all this without talking to me?”

  “Now, honey—”

  “And what about me, Rye?” Tammy asked. “You sound like you already decided what’s best for me without asking my opinion.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Heavens, Tammy, that’s not how I meant it. I don’t want to leave y’all here alone with security guards. Y’all need a man around…one you know.”

  “And what am I?” Daddy asked, a querulous brow cocked.

  His sigh was long-suffering. “Daddy, you have your law practice to think about, not to mention the fact you had a heart attack a year ago and just separated from Mama. That’s a lot. I don’t want your health to suffer.”

  “That’s for me to decide,” Daddy said in a terse tone.

  “This isn’t going the way I’d planned. J.P. and I figured you’d be okay with the arrangement, Tammy. He said you two were…well, getting close.”

  He’d told her brother that?

  “Well, good for him,” she said, clenching her hands into fists.

  While part of her was glad she and the kids wouldn’t have to be left alone with strange men, it was irritating no one had thought to consult her. She wasn’t going back into the box she’d been caged in all her life.

  “And what about last night? I was all alone with my babies, and we managed just fine.”

  Tory glared at Rye. “We know that, Tammy. I think what Rye’s trying to say in his typical Neanderthal fashion is there’s no reason for you and the kids to be alone in the aftermath of something so jarring. We’ve all learned we don’t have to face anything alone anymore, right?”

  When the room fell silent, Daddy stood and circled the table so he could put an arm around Tammy while looking at Rye with a frown.

  “Let’s table this for now,” Daddy said like the lawyer he was. “Seems we all have a lot on our minds. Tammy, you take all the time you need to decide what’s best for you and the children. You don’t have to make a decision now.” He kissed her hair and helped her up from her chair. “Now, you go on back to the kids while I bring out your drinks.”

  Tory pointed to the door leading outside and gave her husband a pointed look. “And you, darlin’, should go chop more wood since us women can’t manage to be all big and tough like you boys.”

  Tammy almost smiled at that.

  Rye growled. “Tory—”

  “I said, ‘go.’”

  Shaking his head, he stalked off and slammed the side door behind him.

  “I can bring the kids their drinks, Daddy,” Tammy felt obliged to say.

  He winked at her and handed them over. “I see someone’s found her footing, and while I was raised to protect women too, I’m going to try something new. I’m going to sit back and let you tell me what you want me to do.”

  “Just be here for us, Daddy.”

  “Done. Someone else is still learning that lesson,” Daddy said, nodding to the door Rye had slammed. “Be patient with him. Nothing makes a man feel worse than being helpless.”

  Did men think women enjoyed feeling that way?

  “Or guilty,” Tory added, “but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. He’s being a boor.”

  Drinks in hand, Tammy wandered over to the window. Across the far expanse of the lawn, she saw Rye heft a log that would have made a lumberjack wince.

  Her brother might mean well, but she had a voice now.

  And no one was taking it away from her.

  Chapter 18

  As Amelia Ann came off the runway at Nashville International Airport, she leveled a heated gaze at Clayton.

  “Oh, it’s you.” Feeling off-kilter from a combination of adrenaline, fear for her family, and a sleepless night spent getting all her work in order before boarding the private plane Rye had chartered for her, Clayton Chandler was the last man she wanted to see right now.

  “And hello to you too, princess,” he said, taking her Louis Vuitton carry-on and reaching for her two suitcases with a distinct eye roll. “Awful lot of stuff to haul for a conference.”

  Clearly he never changed his mind about what he was going to wear in the morning like she usually did.

  “Why in the world would Rye have you pick me up?” she said to him, telling herself not to notice how handsome and rugged he looked in a white T-shirt and faded jeans. Rye had only texted that he’d have a friendly face pick her up. If only her brother could see his friend’s unshaven face now. Friendly wasn’t exactly an accurate description.

  “Your brother doesn’t know you have the hots for me,” he told her.

  Best keep it that way, she thought, not bothering to deny it.

  “Rye didn’t want to leave your sister and the kids alone,” he continued, “so he asked me to fetch you.”

  Anger had been burning a hole through her ever since she heard the news about the break-in, and Clayton’s comment pushed her over the edge.

  “Fetch me?” she snarled. “Am I a dog now, Clayton?”

  All her comment did was make her think about Bandit being hurt. She popped her sunglasses on so he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes. The last thing she needed to do was bawl in front of this man. He’d never let her forget it.

  “Are we going to fight or get on back to your brother’s house? You’re not the only one who’s pissed off about what happened, so you’d best mind yourself. If you want a fight today, you’ll have one.”

  “I can take one of my bags since you seem so put out,” she said, trying to pull one away from him out of principle.

  It wouldn’t budge.

  “Amelia Ann, you are trying my patience. I have slept all of one hour, and trust me, I turn into a mean, ugly son of a bitch when I don’t get enough sleep.”

  She put her hand on her hip, giving up on the bag. “Just when you’re tired? You’re a mean son of a bitch all the time, honey.” That little zing dried up all her tears right quick.

  “You left out ugly,” he drawled.

  No, she hadn’t. He was so handsome just the dark stubble on his face turned her knees to water.

  “Come on, now,” he said, taking off without waiting for her. “The car is waiting.”

  When they arrived at the black town car, which she expected was a rental, she cocked a brow. “Should I get in the back and call you James?” she asked coyly.

  He leveled a glance at her that could have melted the asphalt they stood on.

  She broke a nail when she tore open the door. “You know what, Clayton? I was kidding earlier, but you really are a mean son of a bitch.”

  He flicked on his own sunglasses. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, darlin'. You’d be wise to leave me alone.”

  Flouncing into the back of the car, she kept her gaze averted from his dark head in the driver’s seat.

  But every once in a while, she stole a glance at him. Their eyes would meet in the rear view mirror, and the volcano inside her would shake from the power of the connection.

  It was just her luck to have fallen for a mean son of a bitch.

  Chapter 1
9

  Like the mother hen she was, Tammy was nestled between her two kids on the sofa watching movies when John Parker returned. She still planned to give him an earful about what he and Rye had decided by that infernal woodpile, but she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him. Her brother was in the shower for the second time after demolishing more logs.

  After greeting Daddy, who was sitting beside them, John Parker took a seat on the floor near Tammy’s knee, and Annabelle repositioned herself so she could thread her hands in his hair, something she’d done as a baby.

  “John Parker,” Tammy began, “about the gardens…” It had finally struck her that the contractors’ work still needed supervising. And she had other clients to call. Surely they would have heard the news about the break-in? Perhaps she could steal away and send out a blanket email asking for their understanding while she postponed things for a short while.

  “Don’t you give it another thought,” he told her. “I talked to the crew when I went home today. Everything is running like clockwork. They know what they need to do, and they’re going to finish up their work without us around.”

  “But I still have to order the plants for your chocolate garden,” she protested.

  “But you have the other plants ordered, right?” he asked. “For the rest of the property?”

  She nodded. “Yes, and a crew hired to plant them.” With so many plants, there had been no way she could plant all of them. But she’d planned to handle his chocolate garden herself, as a special gesture to John Parker.

  “Then, we don’t need to supervise their work.”

  “But the chocolate garden...”

  “It’ll keep. You have enough on your mind. There’s no rush.”

  A part of her knew he was right, but deep down inside, she longed for nothing more than to fall to her knees in the grass, feel the sun on her back, and work in the dirt to create something beautiful.

  The doorbell pealed, and Rory jumped beside her. She kissed his head to calm him. “It’s all right, honey. There’s just someone at the door. I’ll go see who it is.” Frankly she needed a break. Her left arm was permanently asleep from the kids lying on her.

  Tammy checked the peephole first and turned the knob. “Amelia Ann!” she cried, and rushed outside to pull her sister into an embrace.

  “I figured I should ring the bell, what with all the guards around. Oh, Tammy! I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I’ll be here from now on, I promise.”

  No way was she going to let her sister derail her new life over this mess. Tammy was going to show them all she could stand on her own two feet—like she had done last night.

  Clayton rolled Amelia Ann’s luggage up to the door and nodded his head to Tammy. “Hey, darlin’.”

  “Hello, Clayton.”

  He looked about as tired as she felt. Heavens knew what arrangements he and Belle had been making on Rye’s behalf, everything from chartering planes for him and Amelia Ann to looking into security for the house to canceling the next stops on the tour.

  “Thank you for bringing my sister.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he replied, and Amelia Ann swung her head around to look at him as if surprised by his words. “How are y’all holding up?”

  “I won’t lie. We’re pretty shaken.”

  “That’s only natural. We’ll make it right, Tammy, I promise you.”

  Oh, great. Another protective male had just been added to the mix.

  “Tammy, I expect you have some business associates you need to contact. If you give me their names, I’ll do it for you.”

  Oh, how she trembled at his consideration. “But Clayton—”

  “No buts. You need to be with the kids right now. You don’t need Tallulah Parsons asking you a hundred questions about the break-in, and believe me…she’ll want to. The worry that something like this could happen to her will rattle her.”

  She hadn’t thought of that. “Yes, it would be great if you could let them know what happened and tell them I’ll be in touch as soon as everything has settled down. I’ll pay you for your time.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Is all the information on your smartphone?”

  “Yes. It’s in my purse in the kitchen. All of my business contacts should be in a special folder.”

  “Consider it done, and let me know if you need anything else. I’m here to help all of y’all.” He nodded to her sister. “I’ll just take your bags in, sugar.”

  Her sister’s mouth was pinched as tightly as if she’d forgotten to add sugar to their famous Hollins rosemary lemonade. “Thank you…sugar.”

  When they were alone on the front stoop, Tammy turned to her sister. “What’s going on with you two? There was enough venom in your tone to kill someone.”

  “Never mind. How are the kids?”

  She filled her sister in on everything she knew.

  When she was finished, Amelia Ann put her hand on her heart. “It’s simply inconceivable. I mean, dear God, Tammy. You were so brave and smart. I know it’s silly to say, but I’m just so proud of you right now.”

  Well that did it. Tammy dissolved then and there from her sister’s simple words of acknowledgment. She had risen to the occasion, and it was nice to have someone finally admit that instead of…well, going off to chop wood like a bunch of dumb men.

  Amelia Ann held her as she sniffed her way through a good cry. When she finished, her nose was stuffy, but she felt somewhat better.

  “Thank you.”

  “I had a good cry on the plane too. I can’t imagine why Mama told us never to cry. I always feel better afterwards.”

  “I guess I’m still getting used to that one. I see Rye hovering in the front window. We’d best join the others.”

  Rye met them in the hall. “Hey there, darlin’,” he called and pulled them both in for a hug.

  The three siblings simply stood there, leaning on each other for support, and for the moment Tammy forgot how angry she was at her brother.

  When they parted, Tory and Daddy came over and scooped Amelia Ann into hugs.

  “John Parker said he’d stay with the kids,” Daddy told Tammy, which erased her need to rush out and check on them.

  Clayton looked on, leaning against the hallway wall. Finally Rye spotted his friend and wandered over to greet him. The two shook hands warmly.

  “I was just telling Tory how you’ve been working on some paperwork things for me,” he said.

  Tammy turned her head to glance at them.

  Clayton nodded. “Yes. The press statement is ready.”

  Funny how Tammy didn’t believe either one of them. It sounded like more male collusion to her.

  “Well, then, why don’t we head to the study?”

  Clayton had already started to follow Rye, but Tammy decided she wasn’t going to put up with this for another minute. They were not going to handle anything else without her. She didn’t care how nice Clayton had been earlier.

  She stormed after them, and before her brother could close the door to his office, she pushed it open and strode inside.

  “Stop closing me out,” she told Rye. “First, you and John Parker make a decision about what’s best for me and the kids, and now you and Clayton mosey on in here to talk about a press release. Did you really think I’d buy that?”

  His jaw clenched. “I can’t handle you being mad at me right now. I’m just trying to do what’s right for you and the kids. Fix things. Protect y’all. Like I couldn’t do last night.”

  Some of the anger leaked out of her like air from an old balloon. “Rye, you’re not the only one who feels helpless, who wants to take action to fix things.”

  He hung his head. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized you’d feel that way.”

  “Well, I do. I want to…chop some stupid ol’ wood and scream until I’m hoarse. I’m scared too, okay? And this is worse than the fear I felt when I was with Sterling. With him, I knew what to expect. I learned how to handle it.”

  Her voice broke
then, and she had to stop. She glanced over at Clayton, who was busily studying Rye’s bookshelves. Inhaling as much air as she could, she pressed on. “What happened last night…the randomness of it…I don’t know how to handle it or help the kids process it, but I have no choice but to try.”

  “You have my word, Tammy,” he said, taking her shoulders in his hands. “I won’t shut you out again. I’ll include you in all the discussions from here on out.”

  “Including your dealings with the police?” she pressed.

  His exhalation was long suffering. “If that’s what you want.”

  “Yes, I want to know what the police know.”

  “Then fine. Clayton here has the official report.” He took her hand and led her over to the chair in front of his desk.

  She lowered herself, realizing she was shaking pretty much from head to toe, and Clayton joined her in the other chair while Rye sat on the edge of his mammoth desk.

  “As Rye’s mentioned, we want to add permanent guards around the house for the time being. The police recommended one at the gate and two guards both in the front and back of the house.” Clayton extended the first file to her. “I’m suggesting we hire Lanier Security. It’s a well respected company, and I’ve had four glowing references on them from people I trust. They’re discreet and especially good in situations involving women and children.”

  The security group’s information was secured with a large binder clip. She didn’t know anything about security, so she handed it to Rye. “I like that they’re good with kids.”

  “Fine. It’s done then,” Rye said, setting that file aside.

  “I’ll let them know. We’ll release the temporary guards the police arranged for us when the contract is signed. Should be later today. We can reassess the size of the contingent as time marches on.”

  “Good. What next?” Rye asked.

  “I’ve contacted your old contractor about replacing the broken window in your studio now that the police have given their go-ahead.”

  Rye glanced at her, and it was like he was pulling teeth when he briskly asked, “Is that all right, darlin’?”