The Workaholic and the Realist (New Hampshire Bears #2)

by Mary Smith

  “What?” A gift from Harlow?

  “Here.” She handed me the puppy. “She said you’re a workaholic, and since the season is over, you’d be bored.”

  “Excuse me?” I glanced down at the puppy. “What the hell is she thinking?” I couldn’t handle a puppy.

  “It’s a male because she said you couldn’t handle a female. Here are his toys.” She pointed at a duffle bag. “And food.” Then she motioned to the large bag next to Vance.

  “What?” Baffled didn’t even begin to describe the scenario I was currently in.

  “Dacey, tell him the dog’s name.” Vance tried to hide his smile.

  She cleared her throat. “She’s been just calling him puppy.”

  On cue, the puppy barked.

  “Are you kidding me?” The puppy barked again. Now, what was I going to do?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Harlow

  Meadow and I were leaned in as far as we could, staring at Maxima. We arrived before she did at the restaurant, had a glass a wine, and debated what Maxima would do. Meadow really wanted to talk about Keaton, but right now, Dacey would be delivering the puppy to him.

  Childish. Immature. Utterly hilarious. All great ways to describe me sending a real life puppy to Keaton. I’d given a lot of thought to simply getting him a stuffed animal like he did for me, but this was a much more original idea.

  Maxima sat down, and it was clear from her face that she hadn’t slept well the past few days. Hell, maybe the past week.

  “Please tell me that bottle is for me.” Maxima pointed at the bottle of wine we’d ordered.

  “If you want it to be.” I pushed it over to her, and I watched her fill her glass high. “Um…Maxima, anything you want to tell us.”

  “I told him yes.” She held up her left hand, and a large diamond solitaire glistened under the lights.

  Meadow and I gasped. “Oh my God.”

  “Tell us everything,” I demanded.

  Maxima chugged the glass of wine, like she had been challenged at a frat party. “Arabella is funny, kind, has such contagious laugh. I fell in love with her instantly. When Remington is with her, the two of them are like peas in a pod.”

  “So that’s why you said yes?” Meadow asked.

  “Actually, I had been conflicted still. I made my decision when I met his ex-wife.”

  “Oh, what’s her deal?” I leaned closer anticipating the details.

  “Remington told me she was horrible, but when I saw her for the first time, I knew he’d told the truth.” Maxima’s voice cracked. “She reminded me of my mom. She called Arabella a paycheck, right to her face. It was…heart wrenching.” Tears fell from her eyes.

  “Did you punch her? Because I would have cleaned her clock.” Just because I didn’t want kids didn’t mean I wanted someone else to mistreat them.

  “Trust me; I seriously thought about it.”

  Meadow seemed shocked, like me. We’d seen Maxima stand up for Meadow one time, but ninety-nine percent of the time, Maxima was shy and reserved.

  “And that’s the reason you said yes.” Meadow took her hand.

  “No child should be treated that way, and Remington looked like he was about to lose it.”

  “What his plan?” He had to have one to save his daughter.

  “Actually, he gained temporary custody yesterday. Child protective services called and caught Rickie, the ex-wife drinking and Arabella home alone.”

  I gasped. “Wow, that’s crazy.”

  “I’m glad she’s okay,” Meadow added. “But was there any romance in the proposal?” Of course the romance author would ask that question?

  Maxima shrugged. “Sort of, I guess. He let me pick the ring, and he told me how appreciative he is for me putting my life on hold for the two of them.”

  “How long are you two going to remain engaged?” She couldn’t do this for her entire life.

  “Until he has full custody. At least a year, I guess.”

  “What about your stuff? Your house? Job?” Meadow still stared wide-eyed at Maxima.

  “Remington offered to pay my house off, but I declined. I told him I would keep my job and take care of my own bills. I agreed to live at his place, but no hanky-panky. Even though I’m certain he doesn’t want any of that from me.”

  “Wait,” I held up my hand. “First, stop saying hanky-panky. You’re not a ninety-year-old woman. Second, quit acting like you have the plague. Any guy would be lucky to stick his dick in you.”

  Maxima’s face turned twenty shades of red. “I doubt it. The only reason he asked is because no one else would do it.”

  “I think you’re wrong.” Meadow spoke up before I could. “Remington likes you.”

  Maxima actually scoffed. “No.”

  “You two dated,” I reminded her.

  She glared at me. “One date. He took me out on Valentine’s Day, and all we did was discuss this proposition. I couldn’t even eat.”

  “Maxima, it’ll all work out for the best. I just know it.” Meadow smiled. She hoped everyone got their fairy tale, like she had. I hated to break it to her, but not everyone got the same outcome.

  “How are you and Keaton?” Maxima changed the subject.

  “Well, after he sent me the book, I read it.” I stated matter-of-factly. “Then I sent a real puppy.”

  “What?” They both choked out the word.

  “I thought he needed to learn some responsibility, and this would be the perfect way.”

  “You have the strangest way of communicating.” Meadow shook her head. “Why can’t you just talk to him? Like a normal person.”

  “We have nothing to say to each other. In fact, he said plenty the last time we saw each other,” I lied. We had a lot to say to each other, but I wouldn’t subject myself to it. Moving on was the best way to forget about what’s his name.

  The three of us opted against any food and decided another bottle of wine wouldn’t be a good idea either. Meadow brightened up our mood by telling us about her new book. She hoped to have it done by the end of summer. It was going to be real-life story about dealing with death, depression, and love. I knew the instant she told me it would be big change for her. Meadow Hylton wrote sports romance, but she needed to do this book for her, and I was happy for her. She deserved to be selfish and write for her and not just the readers.

  The moon hung high and bright as the three of us strolled out of the restaurant. I hugged both of my friends since I parked on the other side of the lot. I dug around my purse, not paying attention to my surroundings when I realized someone stood in front of me.

  “Keaton.”

  His blond hair had grown out a bit, but his blue eyes were still bright.

  “We need to talk.” His tone was firm and precise.

  “Nothing to say.” I tried to brush past him, but he blocked my path.

  “No, we’re going to talk.”

  I stifled a laugh. “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with. I’m not the type of person you can order around. At my age, I’m pretty set in my ways.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He would not be pushing me around.

  “Harlow, I love you.”

  I stumbled on my heels as I stepped back.

  “I screwed up, big time. Our life was perfect, and I pushed you away when I shouldn’t have. You were trying to give me space to deal with Grams’ death, and I fucked it all up. I want a second chance or third chance or whatever number I’m on. I swear it’ll be different this time.”

  I knew my mouth had to be hanging open in shock. Did I just hear him correctly? Certainly, I did.

  “Keaton.” I said his name, but I didn’t know what else to say.

  “I’m asking you to forgive me,” he begged.

  I could have easily said yes, jumped into his arms, had a long night of incredible sex, and been just fine, but I stopped myself. “Do you realize how much you hurt me?”

  “Har—” He reached for me, but I cut him off.

  �
��Don’t touch me. You truly have no comprehension of what you did. I fucking fell in love with you when all it should have been was a casual fling. Do you have any clue how broken- hearted I am?”

  Keaton looked down at the ground.

  “I told you, I told you more than once you could break me, and you did. Well, congrats Keaton Jaco, because you’re the only man who’s ever done it, and you are the last. I’ve learned my lesson, and I don’t give second chances.”

  When he lifted his head, I saw the tears in his eyes. Good, he deserves to feel the same way I do.

  “Harlow, please. I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m glad you’re sorry, and I wish you the best in your future.” This time, I did make it around him and left him standing there.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Keaton

  I knew I shouldn’t have gone and groveled to Harlow, but when I saw her at the restaurant with Meadow and Maxima, I had to at least say something.

  Of course, I hoped it would have a different outcome.

  When I walked into my apartment, Axel, formerly named puppy, barked and tried to climb out of his cage. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be responsible for an animal. As I unlocked his door, Axel happily bounced around my feet.

  “Hey, big guy.” I reached down, picking him up. He tried to lick my entire face, and I dare say I chuckled because of it. “All right. Calm down, Axel.” I sat him back down, and he raced over to his pile of chew toys and bit down on a fox-looking stuffed animal, shaking it wildly.

  I tried to replay everything between Harlow and I, but it caused my head to throb. Maybe if I had gone about it a different way, it would have worked.

  Shoulda, woulda, coulda, Keaton.

  The morning came quickly and unwelcomed. I sat in front of my laptop, reading my grades and the comments from my final project.

  I didn’t finish as high as I would have liked too, but I had nothing lower than a B. It was better than I hoped, and elation filled me, until I picked up my phone to call Grams, only to remember my current reality.

  “I’ll call Harlow,” I announced to Axel, whose tail wagged. “Maybe a text,” I countered.

  Passed all my classes.

  I stared intently at my cell phone, but after almost ten minutes, I gave up and sat my phone down. I gathered up Axel, deciding a run would help clear my mind.

  The heat wasn’t too humid, even with the sun blazing down on me. I had my ear buds snugged in my ears and let my feet set the rhythm with the beat of the bass. Axel easily kept up with me, and I thought he enjoyed running as much as I did.

  Of course, Harlow reminded in my thoughts. In all honesty, I had no more options; I knew how hard headed she was, and she wouldn’t budge an inch. And I missed her.

  Her lips.

  Her tongue.

  Her body.

  Her smart mouth.

  Her brain.

  All of it.

  I should have taken her out more.

  I bet she’d understand how much I wanted her back then. I treated her wrong from the start.

  She’s right. I don’t know how to treat women.

  Now, I needed to learn.

  Felicia stared at the abundance of food spread out on Grams’ table. I had everything ready for her when she walked in from work.

  “Hi, Keaton.” The apprehension couldn’t be hidden from her tone.

  “I thought we’d have dinner again.” I nodded over at the food.

  “Okay. Sure.”

  Axel barked until Felicia bent down to pet him. He seemed to really like her as I observed her as she played with my dog.

  “Let me change and wash my hands.” Felicia left the kitchen.

  I didn’t know if she would be the right person to talk to, but I figured I’d get her opinion before talking to Meadow.

  When she came back in, she’d changed into jeans and a simple t-shirt. Right now, she didn’t look forty-five years old. Then again, if my memory served me correctly, she never really looked her age. It surprised me since she’d done so many drugs and drank so much for so many years.

  “What’s the occasion?” she asked, beginning to fill her plate.

  I shrugged, not answering her.

  Felicia stared at me for a bit. “You know, I’m definitely sure you don’t want to hear this, but you’re a lot like Marco.”

  You’re right; I don’t want to hear it.

  “He kept everything in, until he just exploded. It’s why he drank so much. To hide his feelings.”

  “Why?” Suddenly curious about my father, I didn’t know much about him. Sure, Grams told me stories when he was younger, and I only met him twice in my life and there hadn’t been much talking.

  “He felt like a failure mostly. When Grandpa died, Marco tried to do everything right, but without much success. He’d drink more and more, and it kept spinning out of control until…” she stopped.

  “He died,” I finished for her.

  “Yes,” she whispered and then cleared her throat. “You might not believe this, but we really did love each other.”

  I picked at the food in front of me. Like with Marco, I didn’t know much about their lives. “I guess,” I mumbled.

  “When we were sober, we had so much fun together. Marco always made me laugh. He was quite funny.”

  “Hhhmm.” What else was there to say?

  “Well, I’m sure you don’t want to hear anymore.” Felicia went back to her food.

  I finally spoke. “Did Marco treat you right?”

  She looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I asked,” I smarted off without meaning to.

  “He did. We didn’t fight a whole lot, and he never hit me, if that’s what you’re asking. We loved each other.”

  “Why did you leave me?”

  There it was. The big question. The child in me begged to know the answer. The adult in me wanted to say fuck off.

  She wiped her hands and mouth. “I wasn’t mature enough to take care of you, nor was Marco. We were twenty and partying all the time. That was our priority. Nothing, not even you, mattered as much. Then the more we drank, the worse it became. Soon, the drugs started, and I felt more and more like the shittiest mother alive. I stayed away from you so I wouldn’t ruin you.”

  I watched her wipe a tear from her cheek.

  “My first time in jail, I swore I would get clean and take you back. I remained clean for almost a full year, and I had a job, but Marco ended up in jail, and I lost it again.” She shrugged. “Then the cycle started again.”

  “Did you ever love me?”

  Oh for fuck’s sake.

  I didn’t want to pour out my guts like this. Ever.

  “Keaton, I‘ve loved you since the moment I found out I was having you.” More tears fell. “This might not make sense, but giving you to Grams was the smartest, and dumbest, thing we ever did.”

  “How so?”

  “Smart because you never would have made it this far if we had raised you. Dumb because…well…I missed you and everything you accomplished.” She patted her cheeks dry with a new napkin.

  I understood exactly what she meant. Who knew where the hell I would be if Grams hadn’t taken care of me? Jail? Homeless? Dead? I would forever be grateful for Grams stopping her life for me.

  “My wish is that you don’t hate me your entire life. Hatred is a hard burden to bear.”

  I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Felicia, I don’t hate you. Yes, I’m upset because you abandoned me, but Grams raised me right, and we are all in her debt.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Keaton. It’s nice to hear you don’t hate me.”

  We fell into silence as my stomach growled, and I devoured the food on my plate.

  “I saw Harlow last night,” I blurted out.

  “Oh,” Felicia seemed surprised. “What happened?”

  I went into detail about the disastrous encounter and even told her how Harlow said I didn’t know h
ow to treat a lady.

  “Well,” she tilted her head side-to-side. “She’s right.” Before I could counter, she kept talking. “No matter how hard headed or independent a female is, we all want to be wooed.”

  “Well, she’s very smart. I’d even classify her as an overachiever, but she’s such a hard worker, it’s probably the wrong way to describe her. She’s blunt, and I don’t think she has a filter. She loves her friends with everything she is and would kill anyone who hurt them. She loves to travel and will be going on a cruise—”

  “Wait. What?” Felicia cut me off.

  “What?”

  “You said she was going on a cruise.”

  “Yes, and got me a ticket too.”

  “Keaton.” She jumped up and shook my shoulders. “You need to go on that cruise.”

  “Okay, first, stop shaking me.” She released my shoulders. “Second, I have no one to watch Axel, and I’m still potty training him.” Words I’d never thought I’d be saying. “And third, she could easily kill me and get rid of my body.”

  Felicia laughed. “I’ll take care of Axel, and Harlow loves you. She won’t hurt you.”

  I waved my hands at her. “I’m not sure about that. She has a temper.”

  “Keaton.” Felicia stared at me. “If you love her, and want to get her back, then you need to go on this cruise and be your charming self. That is who she fell in love with. You are who she wants.”

  Maybe she was right. I could easily go, but how many broken bones would I have if I come back?

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Harlow

  “Let’s go over this one more time,” I instructed Dacey. I went over everything she needed to handle while I was on the cruise.

  “I finished the Patterson book last night, and it needs to go back after you finish your reads. I have the Felix manuscript with me, and I’ll have it done on the plane, since I’ll be on there so damn long,” I grumbled. Planes didn’t bother me, but the length of time did.

  “And Meadow will have the rest of hers by the end of the week,” Dacey reminded me.