Unraveling Him: A Small Town Family Romance (The Bailey Brothers Book 3)

by Claire Kingsley

  I knew what it was like to have a less than perfect family situation. Our parents had died, leaving five little boys behind.

  But we’d never been alone. We’d always had our grandparents, and each other.

  Who had Fiona had? A couple of car thieves who she thought were mechanics? I was glad she’d had a few people in her life to be there for her—or at least do cool stuff with her when she was a kid. But who did she have in her life that she could really rely on? That she could trust no matter what?

  Regardless of how much my brothers drove me crazy, they were my pack. I trusted them wholeheartedly. It would have sucked to have to grow up without that.

  Without them.

  I slipped an arm around Fiona and pulled her against me. She had us now.

  “Um, Evan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Who’s that?” She pointed at something to our right.

  A man in a tattered cowboy hat crested the hill. He was dressed in a leather vest over an old flannel shirt, and a pickax hung from a loop on his belt.

  “That’s Harvey Johnston,” I said. “You haven’t met Harvey?”

  “No. Who is he?”

  How could I explain Harvey Johnston? “He lives just outside town—wanders around a lot and doesn’t always make sense. He’s a little weird, but he’s harmless. I wonder what he’s doing out here?”

  I stood and helped Fiona to her feet. I held my hand up in greeting as we approached. The noise of my brothers on their dirt bikes hummed in the background.

  “Hey, Harvey.”

  Harvey took his hat off, scratched his head, then put it back on. “Evan Bailey?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. What are you up to out here? Are you lost?”

  “No,” he said, his voice full of conviction. “I know right where I am.”

  “How’d you get here? Did you walk?”

  He looked down at his boots. “It ain’t that far.”

  “Fair enough. Do you need a ride back to town?”

  “No, no, not going to town. I went to town yesterday.” He pulled his pickax off his belt loop and held it up. “Today is for digging. You want to come help? You can come, too, young lady.”

  “I’m Fiona. What are you digging for?”

  He smiled a wide, toothy grin and his eyes lit up. “Treasure.”

  “Well, that was silly of me,” she said. “What else would you be digging for out here? Do you have a map?”

  “That’s the problem. There is no map. He didn’t leave one.”

  “Who?”

  “Ernest Montgomery,” he said. “He left the treasure for someone to find, but no map. Nope, none at all.”

  “That does make it more of a challenge.”

  “I won’t give up, though. I know it’s out there somewhere.” He lowered his voice to a gravelly whisper. “People say I’m crazy, but don’t you be listening to them, Miss Fiona. I’m right as rain up here in my noggin.”

  “Of course you are,” she said with a smile. “Maybe we’ll join your treasure hunt another time.”

  “Good.” Still holding the pickax, he patted his vest with his free hand, as if he were looking for something. “Now where did it go…”

  I tapped the top of the pickax with one finger. “Looking for this?”

  He held it out, his eyes widening with surprise. “There it is. Good thing. For a second, I thought the squirrels got it.”

  Fiona opened her mouth, probably to ask why the squirrels would take his pickax, but I caught her eye and shook my head. No need to get Harvey started on a rant about the Tilikum squirrels.

  “Okay, Harvey, be careful out there,” I said. “Stop by my place if you need anything, all right?”

  “Don’t worry, if I find the treasure on your land, I’ll be sure to split it with you.”

  “Sounds fair.”

  He tipped his hat to us, took a wobbly turn, and started off in the other direction.

  “Is he going to be okay?” Fiona asked.

  “Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s been wandering around Tilikum for decades.”

  “What do you think he’s looking for? Does he mean a chest of gold or something?”

  “Who knows. There’s an old story that claims one of town’s founders hid part of his fortune. But you know how it is with Tilikum stories.”

  “This town does love its tall tales. Did you know I ran away from home to be a trapeze artist in the circus until I developed a fear of heights?”

  “I have no idea where they come up with this shit.”

  “The treasure story is kind of cool, though.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Back in the 1920s, a journalist came out here and did a story on the Montgomery treasure. A bunch of people came to look for it, but of course no one found anything. Gram said excitement used to flare up once in a while and a bunch of new treasure hunters would show up. But it’s been a long time since that happened. Now it’s just Harvey.”

  “It does seem like someone would have found it, if there was anything to find.”

  “Exactly. Try telling that to him, though. He loves treasure hunting even more than he loves waging war against the squirrels.”

  “What does everyone have against the squirrels?” she asked. “Peek and Boo are the sweetest little things. Although I have a feeling Boo might have gotten into the shop and taken my torque wrench. Or maybe it was Peek.”

  “I told you not to feed the squirrels.”

  Smiling, she playfully smacked my arm.

  We walked back to where we’d left our bikes and met up with my brothers. They were dirty, sweaty, and tired. Even Gavin looked like he’d burned off most of his energy.

  “Summer project,” he said. “We build a jump to cross the ravine.”

  “No,” Levi and Logan said in unison.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’ll kill yourself trying to jump it, dork,” Logan said.

  Pouting, Gavin got back on his bike.

  We all mounted up and rode back to my place. The sun was starting to set, the light fading to dusk, when we came out of the trees near my house.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Something was wrong. I didn’t know how I knew, but I was sure of it.

  We stopped outside the house and as soon as the engines were off, I heard Sasquatch barking inside. He might have been barking at us, but the prickly feeling on the back of my neck didn’t let up.

  I dismounted and took off my helmet. My house looked fine, but the sense of danger grew as I jogged to the front door to let my dog out. As soon as the door was open, he ran past me, beelining for the shop.

  “Stay here.”

  I followed Sasquatch and as soon as I came in sight of the first garage bay door, a flood of adrenaline hit my system. The windows were broken and the shop door was wide open.

  Oh fuck. The Pontiac.

  33

  Fiona

  Sasquatch tore out of the house and ran toward the shop. Evan told the rest of us to stay and followed his dog.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  The air felt like it was charged with electricity. My heart beat faster and a tingle ran down my spine. Something was wrong.

  Despite the fact that Evan had told everyone to stay here, his brothers took off their helmets and went after him. So did I.

  I didn’t see anything unusual as I approached the shop. His brothers’ vehicles were parked out front, but no other cars. I scanned the trees, but everything was still. Not even a squirrel.

  But when I got around to the front, my heart skipped.

  All three garage bay doors had deep dents and broken windows, like someone had attacked them with a baseball bat. I ran inside behind his brothers.

  Chaos.

  Someone had trashed Evan’s shop. The floor was littered with tools and parts, broken glass everywhere. The windshield on the Caddy had been smashed and there were dents in the hood.

  Evan stood next to the Pontiac, his hand covering his mouth. I c
ouldn’t even look.

  “Sasquatch, come,” I called. He trotted over to me and I took him outside. “Good boy. Now, stay. I don’t want you cutting your paws on the glass.”

  With my heart in my throat, I went back inside.

  Evan stood next to the Pontiac while his brothers looked around. I crept closer, picking my footing carefully among the debris on the floor. The car had taken some serious damage—broken windshield, lots of dents in the body. One of the side mirrors lay broken on the floor.

  “Jack’s on his way,” Asher said, pocketing his phone.

  Evan didn’t answer.

  A sick feeling spread through my stomach as I took in the extent of the damage. The Cadillac had been hit, but only once or twice. They’d whaled on the Pontiac. It was like they’d known which car was more valuable—which car was more important.

  “Who the fuck would do this?” Logan asked.

  “If it was the Havens, they’re all going down,” Gavin said. “Fuck this.”

  “It wasn’t the Havens,” Levi said.

  “You sure about that?” Gavin asked. “Luke’s always had it out for Evan. Maybe he finally snapped.”

  “I don’t think Luke would do this,” I said.

  Evan whirled on me, his eyes blazing. “How would you know?”

  “This isn’t a prank, it’s a crime. And when was the last time you even saw him? Would he come up here out of the blue, totally unprovoked, and smash up your shop?”

  “She’s right,” Asher said. “I don’t think this was the Havens. If it was Luke, he’s lost it. The rest of them wouldn’t let him get away with something like this.”

  Evan ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck.”

  I could feel Evan’s rage, the heat of it beating at me. He was a powder keg ready to explode.

  My first instinct was to slink away. Be silent. Stay out of the way. Let him handle it.

  But Evan wasn’t my father. And I wasn’t going to let him face this alone.

  I slipped my hand in his and squeezed. He turned, looking down at me with a furrowed brow. A heartbeat later, his arms were around me, crushing me against him. He held me for a long moment, breathing into my neck, and the fact that he let me comfort him here, in front of the car that represented all his hopes for his business, made my eyes fill with tears.

  Because I had a feeling I knew who’d done this. And if I was right, it was my fault.

  “We should probably wait outside until the police get here,” I said softly.

  He let go and cast another glance at the destruction. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

  We went outside and waited in front of the shop. A few minutes later, a police car pulled up and a man in his late fifties got out. He had salt-and-pepper hair and a thick chest. Asher and Evan walked over to meet him.

  “That’s Jack Cordero,” Levi said. “He’s Grace’s stepdad.”

  “He’s a good guy,” Logan said. “He’ll help get this figured out.”

  I decided to take Sasquatch back to the house while Evan and his brothers talked to Jack. I got him settled, then went back outside.

  Evan and his brothers talked to Jack and showed him the damage. They disappeared inside the shop for a while. I didn’t want to get in the way, so I waited out front. I couldn’t decide if I felt like bursting into tears or throwing up. Maybe both.

  Did I know who’d done this?

  And if I did, could I turn him in?

  I knew my dad was far from perfect. He was an awful combination of dismissive and controlling. He lied, cheated, and stole.

  But did that mean he was capable of this?

  I’d always felt so guilty for suspecting he’d been involved with the fire at the nursery where I’d worked. The cause had been inconclusive; they hadn’t even officially ruled it an arson. But still, I’d wondered.

  And this time he’d said the same thing—told me I’d regret not coming back.

  Was this my fault?

  Jack and Evan came out and I took a deep breath. I knew what I had to do. Yes, he was my father. But that didn’t mean he deserved blind loyalty. Or any loyalty, really.

  I walked over to Evan and Jack. “Excuse me, Officer Cordero. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I might have information that’s important.”

  Evan’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  I swallowed hard. “I think my father might have done this. Or had someone do it.”

  “What makes you think that?” Jack asked.

  “He came here recently, trying to get me to come home. I used to work for him and he’s not happy that I quit. Before he left, he said I’d regret it. And I know that makes it sound like I’m jumping to conclusions, but my dad is… he’s been into some bad stuff. Criminal stuff. He was really angry, and I wouldn’t put it past him to retaliate.”

  I made myself glance up at Evan. It was hard to meet his eyes.

  But he didn’t look angry. His expression was soft with concern. I wanted to melt in his arms.

  “Tell you what,” Jack said. “I’ll finish up here and then you two come down to the station. We’ll get the information we need and go from there.”

  “Thanks, Jack,” Evan said.

  Jack glanced at the shop, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about this, man. We’ll do everything we can.”

  Evan put his arm around me and led me back toward the house.

  My eyes stung with tears. “Evan, I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey.” He stopped to pull me close and put his knuckle under my chin to tilt my face up. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “If my dad—”

  “Still not your fault. You didn’t make him do this.”

  “But if I hadn’t stayed, this wouldn’t have happened to you. The car show is coming up and what if you can’t fix it in time?”

  He cupped my cheeks. “Listen to me. If you hadn’t stayed, I wouldn’t have you. Fuck the car, I can fix it. It’s not important. You’re what’s important.”

  His lips met mine and I sank into his kiss. I hated that I’d brought this on him. Hated that my father kept poisoning my life.

  I had to face the hard truth. I hadn’t gone far enough. There wasn’t enough distance between me and my dad. It was too easy for him to reach me here.

  And I didn’t know what I was going to do about that.

  34

  Evan

  The incident at the shop had rattled Fiona. Since we’d come back from the sheriff’s office, she hadn’t said a word to her plants. I’d turned on some music, but that hadn’t seemed to help. No singing. Even when I’d started to softly sing along, she hadn’t joined in.

  I didn’t blame her for being upset. I was fucking furious. I had no idea how I was going to recover from this—whether I could fix the Pontiac in time. Or at all.

  But glass could be replaced. Dents pounded back into shape. I’d figure it out.

  The damage to my shop, even to the Pontiac, wasn’t why I was mad. It was the broken look in Fiona’s eyes when she’d told Jack she thought her dad was responsible.

  Fiona loved her father. Not that he deserved it, but she was a good person, so of course she loved her dad. The piece of shit had let her down so many times, in so many ways. I hated him for it. Not for attacking me. For hurting her.

  No one hurt my girl.

  But for now, there wasn’t much I could do about Shane Gallagher. I had to leave it to the authorities. Right now, I just wanted to help my girl.

  So when Asher texted to ask if we wanted to meet them for a drink at the Caboose, I didn’t immediately say no.

  Fiona perked up when I suggested we go out. She changed into my favorite pair of jeans—they made her ass look fantastic—and a black and gold top.

  My badass little ray of sunshine.

  The weather was decent, so we took my bike into town. There was still some hay around the edges of the parking lot in front of the Caboose. It made me wonder what my brothers were planning to do to get the Havens back. It had been
a while; they had to be up to something.

  We went inside and the place was awash with sound. The murmur of voices. The click of balls on the pool tables. Music in the background. The smell of fried food made my mouth water.

  Asher and Grace were at a table in the bar. I kept my hand on the small of Fiona’s back as we walked through the restaurant. A gentle but possessive touch. I saw the way guys looked at her. The way eyes traced her curves. I shot a few well-placed glares and they turned away.

  She was mine.

  Grace stood when we got to their table and hugged Fiona. “Asher told me what happened. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been one hell of a day.”

  We took a seat and ordered drinks and food. The girls chatted and I asked Asher how things were going at his gym. He’d been coaching martial arts classes for a while now and it was good to see him in a groove. His felony conviction had ruined his chance of being a firefighter, but he’d found a new path.

  I was pretty fucking proud of him.

  Cara swept up to the table out of nowhere, set down her drink, and grabbed Fiona’s hands. “Oh my god, our precious little starfish. I heard what happened. Are you okay? Who do I need to murder?”

  “I’m okay. Really. Besides, it’s Evan’s shop that got trashed.”

  She waved her hand. “He looks fine. You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

  “No, nobody was there when we got back.”

  “Well, that’s something at least.”

  She eyed the table for a second, as if something about it bothered her. Finally, she grabbed a chair from a neighboring table and dragged it to the end of ours, putting her between Fiona and Grace. I glanced at the empty chairs next to me and Asher and shrugged. Cara did what she wanted.

  Fiona tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let’s talk about something else. I think I need to get my mind off everything. The wedding is soon. That’s exciting.”

  Grace smiled, her whole face lighting up, and Asher slipped an arm around her shoulders.