Tainted Love

by Stacy Claflin

  She deleted his comment. Then she saw something that made her blood run cold. He’d sent the same exact message to her email. He’d hunted down her email address.

  This guy was dangerous. Too close to figuring out the truth.

  She needed to do something about him, and fast.

  Late

  Ava tried to pay attention to the movie, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Mason’s texts. She was tempted to block him—the moron couldn’t take a clue—but she needed to know if he was coming to Washington or staying in Idaho. Hopefully, he’d stay away but that seemed unlikely. Why else would he have traveled from Kansas to Idaho?

  He was technically a runaway since he was supposed to be living with his grandparents—Dave’s parents. But he’d taken off, supposedly with a girlfriend, but Ava was sure that was a lie. She couldn’t picture anyone putting up with Mason. He might be able to hide his creepiness factor for a date or two, but not long enough to land a girlfriend.

  “You watching this?” Braylon put his arm around Ava.

  She looked around and realized everyone in the theater was laughing, except her. “I, uh, got lost in my thoughts for a moment.”

  He frowned. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately. What’s going on?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it here.” Or anywhere.

  Braylon nodded, his brows knitting together. “Okay. We can grab something to eat after.”

  Ava forced a smile. “Great.”

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat with him. She adored Braylon. They’d been neighbors since moving into the house, and she’d fallen in love with him the moment she saw him—as lame as that sounded. She’d always scoffed at the idea of love at first sight, at least until she’d laid eyes on him. His intense blue eyes and the dark wavy hair falling over them had taken her breath away the moment their gazes locked, and she still had the same reaction after all this time.

  She leaned against him and tried to focus on the movie’s plot. Luckily, it was mostly explosions and car chases, so she hadn’t missed much.

  By the time the movie ended, she’d almost forgotten about Mason and his texts. Almost. In the ladies’ room, she peeked at her phone. Twelve new texts.

  “Anyone else would get a clue.” She stuffed it back into her purse.

  “Problems with Braylon?” Emma, a girl from school, gave her a sympathetic smile as she washed her hands.

  Ava shook her head. “Family drama.”

  “Ugh.” Emma grimaced. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad it’s not Braylon. You two are so cute together.”

  “Thanks.” Ava looked to the side, feeling her cheeks warm. She’d never been a girly-girl but Braylon seemed to be slowly changing that.

  “Well, see you later.” Emma waved on her way to the door.

  Ava returned the gesture and murmured, “Bye.” Then she checked her makeup before heading out.

  Braylon was talking to Emma and her boyfriend by the video games. He put his arm around her. “Aiden and Emma are going to play laser tag. I know we talked about getting some food. What do you think about laser tag first?”

  Laser tag would mean she didn’t have to talk about what was on her mind during the movie—Mason. Ava smiled widely. “That sounds like fun! I’m gonna kick your butt, though.”

  He chuckled, his eyes shining. “I’d like to see you try.”

  “Sounds like you’re in.” Aiden grinned. “My uncle owns the place, so if there’s a long line, I can get us in without waiting.”

  “Even better.” Ava leaned against Braylon.

  The two couples headed to the parking lot, where the car Aiden had called for was waiting. At the laser tag park, they found teens and young adults lined up around the building.

  “You weren’t kidding about the wait.” Braylon nudged Aiden.

  Ava shook her head. “No, he wasn’t. Remind me not to come here again on a Friday night without them.”

  The car let them off near the entrance. They made their way inside after Aiden spoke with the girl at the ticket counter.

  “What do I owe you?” Braylon asked, pulling out his wallet.

  “Nothing. She just let us in.”

  “What about the ride?”

  “We were going to take it anyway. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Seriously?” Ava asked.

  Braylon laughed. “I think we just found ourselves new best friends.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” Aiden looked around. “We still have to wait in line for the room. Which one do we want? There’s a forest, a desert, an open field, and caves.”

  They settled on the caves and got in line. Once inside, Ava had more fun than she’d had in a long time. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much, and as promised, she kicked Braylon’s butt.

  Growing up with a brother, she’d played with more toy guns than she cared to think about and as a result, had great aim.

  After a few rounds, Aiden had to take Emma home. As they headed to the parking lot, Ava checked the time and realized it was past her curfew. And she had three missed calls from her dad.

  She swore as they approached the car—Braylon insisted on paying for that one.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “It’s after ten. My dad’s pissed.”

  “Uh-oh. Want me to talk to him?”

  “No, he’ll probably kill you. Police captain’s daughter, remember?”

  “Busted!” Aiden gave Braylon a playful shove.

  “He likes me.”

  “Not after this.” Emma giggled.

  Once they were seated, Ava texted him apologetically explaining that they’d lost track of time.

  Dad: You’re with Braylon?

  Ava: And 2 others.

  Dad: On your way home?

  Ava: Yeah. I swear. Lost track of time.

  Dad: We’ll talk when you get here.

  She groaned.

  Ava: OK.

  Braylon wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’m more worried about you.”

  He glanced at the texting conversation. “See how he asked if I was with you? Because he trusts me.”

  “Or because he wants to lay down the law.” Aiden snickered.

  Everyone teased Braylon until the driver dropped them off in front of Ava’s house. They waved, then she turned to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You think I’m going to let you face him alone? I’ll have a man-to-man with him if necessary.”

  She winced at the thought.

  “Come on.”

  “Really, just go home. It’s fine.”

  “Nope.” He put his arm around her waist and led her to the front door.

  It opened before they reached the welcome mat. Dad appeared and blocked the door. “Almost ten-thirty.”

  “Dad, it was an accident. I had my phone on silent and missed my alarm reminder.”

  He crossed his arms. “Why did you do that?”

  She hesitated. If she told him about Mason, he would forget all about the broken curfew. But then she’d have a whole other set of problems.

  Braylon spoke. “They always say to silence cell phones at the movies, sir. She was just being a responsible citizen.”

  Ava held back a smile. Sir. Nice touch.

  “How long was the movie?”

  They explained the whole thing about running into Aiden and Emma and getting into laser tag for free.

  “It won’t happen again,” Braylon insisted. “I promise. I’ll make sure to set a reminder on my phone from now on, too, as backup. I’m really sorry.”

  She held her breath, knowing her dad wouldn’t budge. He was going to ground Ava, and she and Braylon wouldn’t be able to go anywhere together for a while. It was all Mason’s fault. If he hadn�
��t been texting her like a jealous boyfriend, she’d have never put her phone on silent. Maybe she should block him. Or maybe she should just pay closer attention to the time.

  Dad looked deep in thought. He crossed his arms and then uncrossed them. Time seemed to stand still.

  Braylon and Ava exchanged a worried glance. Her stomach knotted. This was going to be bad.

  Dad cleared his throat. “I can’t say that I’ve never lost track of time. It’s happened to everyone. Just don’t let it happen again. Okay?”

  Ava’s mouth fell open. He was going to let it slide?

  “Yes, sir.” Braylon stood taller.

  “Daddy!” Hanna called from down the hall.

  “I’d better see what she needs. You two say goodnight.” He nodded toward Braylon, then marched down the hall and into Hanna’s room.

  Ava pinched herself. “I’m awake. Did he really just let us off the hook?”

  A slow smile spread across Braylon’s adorable face. “I told you he likes me.”

  “He’s never done that.”

  Braylon cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss. “Goodnight. I’ll text you in a little bit.”

  “Okay.” She was still in shock that her dad hadn’t laid down the law.

  “Love you.”

  Ava turned and stared into his eyes. “Love you, too.”

  Braylon showed himself out.

  She locked the door then headed for her room, where she took her phone off silent. Halfway down the hall, it buzzed with a text. She grinned. “That was fast.”

  But the text wasn’t from Braylon. It was from Mason.

  Decision

  Nick rolled the engagement ring between his fingers and took a deep breath. He knew he wanted to marry Genevieve. He also knew she wanted it. The kids all seemed to be on board, too.

  Why was he so nervous? Genevieve was beautiful, smart, kind, and strong. She’d adopted Tinsley, a girl with more problems than a math book, and she also loved Nick’s kids just as much. But Genevieve was still young—not even thirty yet. Nick was more than twelve years her senior and brought with him more baggage than an airport. He had three kids and a murderous ex-wife, but at least Corrine was in prison without a chance at bail.

  Guilt pinched Nick’s gut. That was why he hesitated in giving her the ring. Genevieve deserved better than he could give her. He could give her his heart, but was it enough? Was he being selfish?

  The topic hadn’t come up, but surely she would want a baby. And why wouldn’t she? She deserved to have as many as she wanted, but if she jumped into Nick’s ready-made family, they would have four kids between them already.

  He would give her a baby. Heck, he would give her the world if he could. Tinsley, too. He adored them both and wanted them to have the very best—but was that really him?

  Sure, it was what they wanted. Now. But would they wake up one day with regrets? Would Genevieve look at him on his fiftieth birthday and wonder what she’d been thinking, marrying someone so much older? Would Ava give her so much attitude that she would think he wasn’t worth the trouble?

  His door burst open, and Hanna ran inside. “Can I make breakfast, Daddy?”

  Nick lowered the ring and sat up. “Sure. Just let me help you.”

  “Okay.” She beamed and bounced onto the bed. “Is that the ring you’re gonna give Genevieve?”

  His pulse raced. “Yeah. What do you think of that?”

  “I can’t wait!” Hanna grinned. “Tinsley’s one of my best friends, and she’s going to become my sister. How cool is that? She always wanted a big family. Did you know that?”

  Nick shook his head. “Did she tell you that?”

  “Yep. We tell each other everything.”

  He smiled, relief washing through him. Maybe he was overthinking his doubts. “Does she want to be part of our family?”

  Hanna scooted closer. “She wants you to be her daddy, too.”

  Nick’s heart jumped into his throat. “She does?”

  “Uh-huh. And I want Genevieve to be my new mom.”

  His stomach knotted. “But your mom is alive.”

  She frowned. “I know, and she’ll always be my mom. But she’s in jail, and that’s the only place I can see her ever again. It’s not the same thing. Genevieve can be here and do all the mom things, you know?”

  Nick ruffled her hair. “I get it. And she’ll be happy to do all the mom things, but she also doesn’t want to replace your mom.”

  “I know.” Hanna jumped from the bed. “Hurry up. I wanna make breakfast.” She skipped out of the room.

  He looked at the ring again. Maybe it was time to make a date for the proposal.

  “Daddy!” Hanna called.

  “Hold on!” He climbed out of bed and tucked the ring into his nightstand before going out to the kitchen.

  He and Hanna made bacon, eggs, and pancakes until the aromas finally drew out the late sleepers. Both Ava and Parker came out, rubbing their eyes and asking for coffee.

  “It’s going to stunt your growth,” Nick said as he handed a mug to his son.

  “Getting up this early is going to stunt my growth.” Parker poured enough creamer to turn the black drink white.

  Ava drank it straight. “Ahh, much better.”

  “Time to eat!” Hanna handed Ava a heaping plate, then gave one to Parker.

  “Dang.” Ava looked at her sister. “You must think I’m a football player.”

  Hanna giggled.

  They all sat around the table and joked around. Nick’s heart warmed, glad everyone was in good spirits. It was hit and miss with the older two, and even more rare that they were both happy at the same time.

  Parker was the first to rise. “I’m going to Noah’s. We’re going to play flag football at the park with some other kids.”

  Nick arched a brow. “Flag football isn’t code for something else, is it?”

  “No, Dad.” Parker threw his head back. “It’s only flag football. Just because you see druggie kids at work all day doesn’t mean that’s what I’m up to.”

  “You’re right. Sorry, kiddo. And for the record, I don’t see druggie kids at work all day.”

  Ava snickered.

  “Great. See ya.” Parker spun around.

  “Wait,” Nick said.

  “What?” Parker sighed dramatically and turned back around.

  “Sit down. I just have a quick question for you kids.”

  Parker sat, then all three stared at him expectantly.

  Nick cleared his throat. “I’ve spoken with all of you about this already in one manner or another, but I want to double-check. I want to ask Genevieve to marry me, but I also want to make sure you’re all on board. That you want this, too.”

  Ava leaned forward. “We just want you happy, Dad.”

  The other two nodded in agreement.

  “But we’ll be adding two more people into the mix. Someone will probably have to share a room.”

  “I claim Tinsley!” Hanna raised her hand. “Please!”

  Nick laughed. “I also have another question.”

  Parker groaned. “We know it’ll change things, and we don’t care. Genevieve’s great. Tinsley’s great. Can we go now?”

  “Now you’re changing your tone?” Ava gave him a double-take.

  He crossed his arms. “None of your business.”

  “But you—”

  “Enough!” Nick glared at them. “That wasn’t my question, Parker. I was thinking that we, as a family, could ask the two of them. What do you think?”

  Ava rested her chin on her palms. “It’s sweet, but it isn’t romantic. Ask her yourself. Blow it out of the water, Dad.”

  Nick gave her a double-take. He hadn’t been expecting that response. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that you should do something really cool. So romantic that she can’t say no. S
he—”

  “You think she’ll say no?”

  Ava rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. She’d say yes if you asked her in a shack covered in mud, but make it special. Make it about her. Not any of us kids. We appreciate you wanting to bring us in, though. Right, guys?”

  Hanna and Parker both nodded.

  Nick studied his oldest daughter, surprised at her insight on the topic. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Of course I am.”

  He held back a smile. “Okay. It’s settled, then. Now I just need to figure out what to do. Have any ideas?”

  “The playground!” Hanna grinned.

  “Take her to a beach,” Parker said. “Chicks love the water.”

  “Women aren’t chicks, son.”

  He shrugged.

  Nick turned to Ava. “You’re full of wisdom today. What do you think?”

  “Pinterest. That’s where I get all my good ideas.”

  “I’ll have to check that out.” Nick rose. “Let’s get these dishes cleaned up, then you can hang out with your friends.”

  The kids grumbled but helped. As they were clearing the table, Ava kept glancing at her phone.

  “Braylon?” Nick asked.

  “What?” Ava looked up with wide eyes.

  “Is he texting you?”

  “Oh, right. Yeah.” Her tone was distracted. Off.

  “Everything okay in paradise?”

  She nodded. “It’s great. He’s grateful you didn’t get mad last night. We both are.”

  Nick couldn’t help feeling like she was hiding something. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right? And if you don’t feel comfortable, you can talk to Genevieve about anything, too.”

  Ava turned to the dishes in the sink. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Over the next five minutes, she checked her phone three times. Each time, her expression darkened with what looked like worry.

  And that made Nick concerned. If he couldn’t get to the bottom of it, he’d have to see if Genevieve could.