Barefoot Bay_A Family for the Holidays

by Karen Ann Dell

Several hours later, Mike gave up on sleep and went to find his brother.

  “Owen. Owen, wake up, bro. We have to go.” Mike shook his brother’s shoulder to speed the wake up process.

  “Wha—?” Owen opened bleary blue eyes long enough to find his alarm clock. “Jesus Christ! It’s 4 a.m. for God’s sakes. I can sleep for another hour and a half.” He rolled over and hugged his pillow.

  Mike shook him again. This time Owen came up off the mattress and grabbed his brother’s wrist. “Shake me again and you’ll pull back a bloody stump, asshole. Now bug out and don’t come back until 5:30.”

  Mike grunted. “I just don’t want us to be late.”

  Owen mumbled into his pillow, “How could we be late? This is a pleasure flight, not a damn shuttle service. There is no schedule, so when we get there, we get there. Now, for the last time, get lost!”

  Mike gave up and went downstairs to make coffee. When he got to the kitchen, he found his dad already half a cup into his morning. “Hey, Dad, you’re up early.”

  “Up late’s more like it,” his dad grumbled. “Had another ruptured appendix at 1 a.m.” He poured coffee into Mike’s mug. “Why the hell don’t appys go bad in the middle of the day?”

  “They’re nocturnal?” Mike grinned at his father’s scowl.

  “What are you doing up so early? Wait. Aren’t you and Owen flying that new plane of his to Florida today?”

  Mike gulped coffee, winced at the scalding of his tongue, and nodded. “Yeah, I tried to get him up, but he’s not having it this early.”

  His dad gave him a shrewd look from beneath eyebrows that rivaled Chris Pine’s. “In a hurry to get there, are you?”

  “Well, I’ve got those properties to go see.”

  “And that will take you all of, what? Two hours? Could there be something else that got you out of the sack at this unholy hour? A girl, maybe?” He smirked into his coffee cup.

  Mike hid his discomfort by searching for something to eat. Surely there were doughnuts or bagels around here somewhere. It always amazed him that with the number of hours his father spent away from home, he still knew every damn thing that went on with his children. Even things his kids weren’t quite sure of themselves.

  “I’ll probably stay at Sky’s condo, so Kelly’s bound to be around.” He finally found one forlorn English muffin in the breadbox, which he split and dropped into the toaster.

  “When are you going to bring that girl up here to meet us?”

  Mike was glad his head was in the fridge so his dad didn’t see the panic his question had caused. Meet his family? No way. Meeting family was a not-so-subtle announcement that “she’s the ONE.” He was not going to go there. Definitely. Not.

  “I imagine when Skylark and AJ tie the knot, Kelly’ll be in the wedding party. You’ll get to meet her then.” Mike busied himself slathering cream cheese on his muffin.

  His mother sauntered into the kitchen, tying the sash on the chenille bathrobe he and Jed had given her for Christmas ten years ago. The life had been pretty much washed out of it, but she wouldn’t give it up. “Two of my favorite men in the kitchen at the same time. I’m one lucky woman.”

  His father slung an arm around her waist and tugged her in for a smacking kiss. “Morning, beautiful. What got you up so early?”

  “Oh, I knew Mike would be chomping at the bit to get out of here this morning, and I didn’t want to miss saying goodbye.” She ruffled her fingers through Mike’s already tousled dark brown locks.

  Seriously? Was there some kind of special radar people got when they became parents? If so, he’d gone to school with several buddies whose parents hadn’t had that gift.

  His mom joined them at the table, her coffee several shades lighter. “Give our regards to Kelly when you see her. After Sky told us that her mother had Alzheimer’s, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. That poor girl. I understand she doesn’t have any other family, either.”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah, what a bummer. Most of the time her mom doesn’t even recognize her.” He was suddenly more grateful for his parents than usual.

  “Mike, you should invite her up here for Thanksgiving,” his mom said. “Think how awful the holidays must be for her. I doubt her mother even knows when it is Thanksgiving—or Christmas either, for that matter.”

  “I’ll do that, Mom. Thanks for thinking of it—and offering.” So Dad will meet Kelly soon after all. He glanced from one to the other and shook his head. This pair made an awesome team.

  She smiled tenderly at him and put her palm against his cheek. No matter how old they got, they were never too old for Mom to show her affection with a touch or a kiss.

  He’d never really thought about how lonely Kelly must get with no family to talk with or to lean on when times got tough. Man, that must suck battery acid.

  Chapter Two

  Kelly woke at 5 and gave up trying to go back to sleep by 5:30. She enjoyed the luxury of a tub bath and slathered on the skin-softening lotion she’d bought at the Eucalyptus Spa. The fragrance was called Prelude to a Promise, and if that wasn’t a poetically perfect name, she’d never heard one. It turned her skin to satin and made her feel absolutely decadent. She slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and decided to wear her white long-sleeved jersey with the shoulder cut-outs and silver studs sprinkled down the front. She left her long blond hair loose, its natural wave framing her face. A little lip gloss, a swipe of mascara and she was ready to go.

  Trouble was, it was barely nine o’clock. The trip to the airport wouldn’t take longer than thirty minutes. That left her with half an hour to kill. I bet Mike didn’t have breakfast, she thought, and he’s always hungry. She scanned the fridge and took out a package of bacon. If I cook some now, I can reheat them quick as a wink when we get back. She took six strips out of the pack and got them started, then peeled and diced potatoes for home fries while they browned. She transferred the bacon to a pan lined with paper towels and dumped the home fries into the drippings. Ten minutes later, they joined the bacon in the oven to stay warm. There. A few eggs over easy, and she’d have a man-sized breakfast ready in minutes when they returned.

  Kelly loved to cook but seldom had anyone to cook for. She wasn’t sure how long Mike would stay, but she would take advantage of his visit to make some delicious dinners. No reason they had to dine out. Eating at home was so much more … cozy.

  She huffed out a breath at her own machinations. How much encouragement did she have to give this man before he got the message? All summer long she’d tried to entice him without going total slut-city. There were times she thought she’d gotten his attention, but then—nothing. She considered buying a red cape and brandishing it in front of him. Big Bad Wolf or raging bull, she didn’t give a damn what metaphor got him in motion as long as he understood her white flag meant complete surrender.

  She drove to the airport Grace Kelly-style. Big sunglasses and a scarf to keep her hair from becoming a mass of tangles with the top down on the Mercedes-Benz she’d inherited from her mother. When she parked by the private hangars, she ditched the Hollywood props and got out. She wasn’t sure what kind of plane Owen had, so she wandered slowly across the tarmac to the small operations building.

  Just as she reached for the knob, the door opened and Mike filled the frame. And filled was the correct term. Six-two and about two-twenty, all of it muscle, the man’s body was a sculptor’s vision of perfection. And a woman’s vision of heaven. A very hot heaven. His biceps stretched the sleeves of the black polo shirt tucked into worn black jeans that snugged his slim hips and outlined his muscular thighs. His dark hair was a little longer than the last time she’d seen him. Tousled in the sexiest of bed-heads, it begged for her fingers. His eyes were hidden behind the aviator sunglasses meeting his chiseled cheekbones, and his sensual lips curved into a smile that almost stopped her breath.

  Keep your cool, Kel. He doesn’t need to know how desperate you are to feel those lips or thread your fingers through his hair. Or run yo
ur hands across those broad shoulders, down his pecs, past his six-pack… Stop. Right. There. Remember, he’s Sky’s brother and just a friend. Yeah, sure.

  Oh, the hell with propriety.

  She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. And, wonder of wonders, he returned the embrace. Kelly leaned back in his arms and grinned up at him. “Hey, flyboy, need a lift?”

  “Who could turn down an offer like that? I’m all yours, babe.”

  He kept his arm around her waist as they walked to the car. Kelly wasn’t absolutely sure her feet actually touched the ground.

  “Good flight?” she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear the heartbeat that sounded so loud in her ears.

  “The best. Owen is awesome. He makes me feel like a total loser. Two years older than me and his net worth is already five times mine. That plane is the bomb, too. You’re gonna have to take a ride in it.”

  “I’d love to, sometime. I thought I’d get to meet him.”

  “Yeah, uh, we got here earlier than we planned. Guess we had a tailwind. Anyway, he gassed up and took off for Key West already. You’ll get to meet him when he comes back to pick me up.”

  He stowed his bag in the trunk, then settled into the passenger seat while Kelly tied her hair back with the scarf. She still hadn’t caught a glimpse of his cognac-colored eyes, and the reflective lenses on his glasses put her off a bit. She was about to don her own pair when he slid his down and looked over the rims at her.

  “It’s good to see you, Kel. You look great.”

  She smiled, and the butterflies in her belly settled. “Thanks. It’s good to see you, too.”

  “Maybe we could stop on the way back to the condo and get some breakfast. We left so early, I didn’t have much more than coffee.”

  Kelly’s grin widened. “I thought you might be hungry. Hang on a bit longer. I have a big breakfast waiting at home.”

  “Damn, woman, you’re amazing.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose and tilted his head back.

  Amazing, huh? Wow. Maybe things would be different between them this time.

  ~~~

  Holy shit! He was doomed.

  When he opened that door and saw Kelly standing there looking like the hottest, sweetest, sexiest woman on the planet, he lost all ability to think rationally. And when she hugged him, she imprinted every dip, every curve, every soft, sweet-smelling ounce of womanhood on his stunned brain, etched with the white-hot power of a solar flare.

  Where it would torment him for all eternity.

  Had he actually spoken? He must have said something, although all he could remember was his arm making sure he didn’t lose contact as they walked to the car. He mentioned something about arriving earlier than expected—ha! Owen would have had something to say about that, had he not refueled and blown out of Naples with all possible speed.

  Mike kept his conversation to simple topics so he could admire the perfection of her face and the lush curves of her body. He kept his sunglasses on, their reflective lenses giving him the opportunity to drink his fill without appearing to stare.

  Did he pull off the I’m-just-a-friend persona he’d stuck to all summer? Doubtful. Kelly was much too smart not to feel the heat and magnetism he struggled to keep under control.

  Yeah, he was doomed. Up to his ass in alligators.

  If he made it through the week without winding up in Kelly’s bed, it would only be because he was comatose. Probably because she’d brain him with a wine bottle if he got too close.

  He slouched down in his seat and tipped his head back to let the Florida sun burn his lust down to manageable proportions. Pretty nice to ride with the top down in November. He inhaled deeply, the salty tang of the gulf mixing with the fresh fragrance Kelly wore.

  Mike carried his bag back to the guest room he usually shared with Jed and unpacked while Kelly busied herself in the kitchen. The awareness that it would just be the two of them here for an entire week changed the whole feel of the place. He’d fought his attraction to Kelly all summer, partly because she was Sky’s roommate and he felt awkward around both of them, but mostly because he had no intention to start a serious affair with any woman. He instinctively felt a relationship with Kelly wouldn’t remain a light-hearted, casual fling. The brakes that Sky’s presence had helped put on his libido were gone now, and he doubted he was strong enough to resist Kelly’s allure. He’d give it his best shot, though, and headed for the kitchen with his emotions on a tight leash.

  Kelly had set the table for two and put an apron on, which still left her shoulders bare. She was cute as hell as she stirred home fries at the stove. She’d turned the radio on and moved to the beat of the music as she cracked eggs into another frying pan. The sway of her hips caused his leash to slip a bit. Who knew a woman cooking could be so sexy? He leaned over her shoulder and sniffed. “Mmm, smells good.” And not just the food, either.

  “Thanks. I’ve got bacon, potatoes, and grapefruit juice ready. Eggs over easy are going in the pan now, and the toast should be done any second. Anything I missed?”

  The aroma of fresh coffee made his stomach growl. “Nope. You shouldn’t have gone to this much trouble, but I won’t let it go to waste. Anything I can do to help?” As if on cue, the toast popped up. Kelly nodded at it and pointed to a plate nearby. Mike plated the bread and dropped two more slices of bread into the toaster.

  In five minutes, breakfast was ready. Kelly slipped off her apron, and Mike helped carry the plates to the table. He took in the whole picture and said, totally without thinking, “Kel, you’re going to make some lucky guy a terrific wife.”

  The expression on Kelly’s face was unreadable as she thanked him for the compliment. He felt a distinct chill from her side of the table, though, which was enough to tell him he’d effed up somehow. He concentrated on the meal for a few minutes, then tried again to get a conversation going. “How are things at work?”

  “Fairly quiet now that the season’s over. The players who live out of town have already left, and those staying in the barracks spend a lot of their time in the gym working to keep in shape. With so little for me to do, I’ve been working half-days.”

  “Hey, then maybe you could join me when I go see the properties my Realtor found?”

  “If you want me to, I’d be glad to come along for the ride. When did you plan to meet with him?”

  “Monday morning was the original plan, but I’ll call and ask him to change the appointments to the afternoon, now that you can come with me.” Half afraid that praising her cooking would get him another dose of frost, he sipped his coffee after cleaning his plate. “Thanks for breakfast, Kel. It was delicious.”

  Her eyes softened and her mouth quirked up at the corners. “You’re welcome, Mike. I’m glad you liked it.” She pointed to his cup. “More coffee?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll get it. I didn’t come down here so you’d have to wait on me.” He got up. “How about you? Need a refill?”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  He brought pot to the table and filled their cups, then returned with the cream and sugar for Kelly. “Two sugars and extra cream, right?”

  “You remember how I take my coffee?” she asked in surprise.

  “Sure.” He shrugged as though it was hardly a big deal. I remember everything I’ve ever learned about you. That you like songs by Journey, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, and walking on the beach to search for shells.

  “So, tell me what’s going on up north. How are your parents?”

  “They’re good. Dad is his usual self. He puts an amazing number of hours in at work, between seeing patients, doing surgery and post-op care. I’m really glad that Luke decided to follow in those footsteps. I don’t think I could handle the workload. Mom’s got four classes of kids this year for algebra, so she spends a lot of time correcting papers. She’s thrilled that Sky is getting married, naturally. They like AJ, and even Jed has started to come around.”

  They both chuckled remembering the first d
inner they’d had together. Baseball talk had degenerated into a fierce debate over the designated hitter rule, and Jed had taken AJ’s stance on the issue a bit too personally.

  “Before she left, Sky told me they had decided to have a small wedding and save the thousands of dollars big ones cost these days. They’d rather put that money in the bank for a down payment on a house some day.”

  Kelly’s expression was wistful. “That’s a smart idea.”

  “Sky wants to get married in our parish church around Christmas. She’s always been a holiday junkie.” He saw Kelly blink several times and realized talk about the holidays must be especially tough for her now. “Hey, Kel, I didn’t want to make you feel bad. I guess your mom isn’t doing so well, huh?” She shook her head, and the sadness in her eyes tugged on his heart.

  “I went to see her yesterday. She recognized me for a few minutes but then she called me Francine.” She sighed. “The docs told me that when Alzheimer’s starts at a younger age, it usually progresses fast. I’m afraid she may not have much time left.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly got up and went to the kitchen.

  Crap. He followed her and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she stood at the window blotting her eyes with a tissue.

  “Hey Kel, is there anything I can do?” While his first instinct was to comfort her, as he felt her relax against him and tilt her head back to lean on his shoulder, other emotions began to take over. Her distinctive scent made him drop his head to nuzzle her neck for more. Before he knew it, he was kissing the tender spot behind her ear.

  She turned in his arms and tilted her head to meet his gaze, a sad smile turning her lips up the slightest bit. “There’s nothing anyone can do, but you’re so sweet to care. Thank you for that.”

  Sweet? He was not sweet. He was six-feet-two of solid muscle, built like a tank and able to intimidate the toughest gang members he’d ever run across. He was a lot of things, but sweet was definitely not one of them. He felt the leash slip again and knew if she stayed in his arms, he’d have to kiss her. And one kiss wouldn’t be enough to quench his thirst for her. That was a threshold he’d fought against breaching for six months.