He would never blame himself.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “Not this time, Jeremy. I’m just starting this new job, and I don’t have any extra money lying around.” Not a lie, but not the reason she was saying no either. “And I helped you a few months ago. I shouldn’t do it again. If you’d just save—”
“David was right about you, bitch,” Jeremy spat before hanging up on her.
Kenzie closed her eyes, willing the tears away as she placed her cell back in her bag. She shouldn’t have even bothered to answer the phone. She’d known going in that nothing good could come of it, but she hadn’t been able to give up hope that there was a slim chance that Jeremy wanted to be more than he was.
Saying no to him hurt, and she knew he’d call in a few weeks to apologize, telling her that he hadn’t meant to say those things and that everything had worked out in the end. Then, soon after, he’d call again, asking for money once more or berating her for leaving David after staying too long in a relationship that had slowly drained the life from her.
There was a creak of the wood floor behind her, and she turned, quickly wiping her eyes as she composed herself.
“Loch, sorry, can I do something for you?” The eldest Collins brother was wide with muscle, and had a scowl on his face most days unless he was looking at his daughter. She had spoken to Dare and Fox far more than she had Loch, even though she’d seen him more over the past two days than she had the others.
He not only owned a gym, but he also taught self-defense classes in the evenings—something she might look into once she found the courage. And when he wasn’t doing that or taking care of Misty, he was working around the inn on the small things that needed to be fixed. She knew when the time came for more in-depth upgrades, he’d help her and his parents find a larger company, but for now, he was good with his hands.
Of course, that statement made her wonder if Dare was good with his hands, and she firmly pushed that thought from her mind. She wasn’t ready to start thinking about men that way, and her boss’s son was definitely not a man she should even tempt fate thinking about.
Loch, leaning against the doorway, studied her a moment before shaking his head. “I was just coming in here for a pen, actually. Didn’t mean to startle you. You okay, Kenzie?”
She nodded, hoping her tears had dried. She was through crying for things out of her control. “I’m fine. Let me find you that pen.”
“Are you bothering the new innkeeper?” a voice asked from behind Loch. And before the man could answer, a slender woman with long, chestnut hair and a wide grin ducked under Loch’s arm and stood by his side. “Hi, Kenzie. I’m Ainsley. Sorry it took me so long to come over and say hi. Work’s been keeping me busy, and with back to school things, it’s been a little insane.”
Ainsley. The Collinses had mentioned the other woman. She was a family friend and, most importantly, Loch’s best friend. Ainsley also taught high school chemistry and ninth-grade science at the local high school.
Kenzie held out her hand and shook the other woman’s, smiling as she did. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Barb and Bob speak highly of you.”
If possible, the other woman smiled even wider. “Good to know they’re keeping the scary stuff hidden. Anyway, I was coming up here to see if you wanted to have a drink with me before your dinner. To welcome you to Whiskey.”
The other woman bounced as she spoke and leaned into Loch ever so slightly. When she did, however, Loch stayed stock-still, not moving away from her touch but not leaning in closer either.
Interesting.
“You know, that sounds wonderful.” And after the call she’d just had, it did. Before, she might have hidden away upstairs so she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone, but that wasn’t how she wanted to react now.
“I’ll leave you both to it,” Loch said roughly, taking a step back. He looked down at his watch and frowned. “I need to head over to pick up Misty. I’ll finish up what I was working on tomorrow, Kenzie. Sorry I couldn’t finish today.”
“You’re doing a hundred different things. I’m just glad you’re able to do what you can.” She didn’t know where Loch found the energy, but she was grateful for it.
“You okay tonight with Misty?” Ainsley asked, her eyes on Loch’s. “I can stop by later and watch her if you have work to do.”
He shook his head. “We’re good tonight. You do enough, Ains.” And with that, he nodded at Kenzie before walking out, leaving the other woman looking not quite as bubbly as she had before.
“Have you had a taste of one of our whiskeys yet?” Ainsley asked, her smile bright again, but Kenzie had seen it dim ever so slightly when Loch left.
“You know, I haven’t. And since I live in a town named for the famed drink, I should probably remedy that.”
“I think that sounds like a plan. But since it’s whiskey and not a single glass of wine, we’ll probably have to order some tapas. Dare’s working the bar tonight, so he’ll do us right.”
Dare. Of course, Dare’s name would come up and set her mind going in a direction she didn’t want. Why did she keep thinking about him anyway? Just because she found him mildly attractive when she didn’t find anyone good-looking these days didn’t mean a thing.
The man was living up to his name. A dare.
Something she couldn’t possibly take.
Ever.
Chapter 5
“Dad! Look at this!” Nathan ran over to Dare’s side with something in his tiny, clenched fist, and a wide grin on his face. His kid looked just like Dare had when he was Nate’s age, albeit with slightly shorter hair since Monica didn’t like it hanging in Nate’s face. But the two of them still had the same color eyes, same smile, and according to his mother, the same bundle of energy that sent them bouncing from one side of the house to the other.
And maybe it was because Dare didn’t have as much time with Nathan as he wanted, but hell, he’d take every ounce of energy this kid had just so he could be near his son.
“What is it, Nate?” Dare asked as he crouched down so he was at eye level with his four-year-old.
Nate opened his hand to reveal a particularly smooth rock. “It’s special. Right?”
Dare smiled and ran his hand through Nate’s hair. “Yeah, it’s pretty special all right. Want me to keep it safe for you while you play?”
“Yes, please.” His kid beamed and handed the rock over to his dad before running back toward his toys in the small yard. Dare didn’t have much, but he’d saved all he had to make sure Nate had a home to come to and call his when he wasn’t at his mom’s.
“Dare? Are you listening to me?” Monica asked from behind him, and Dare let out a sigh. She usually just dropped Nate off, but today, she’d had a few things she wanted to talk about, and that meant Dare had to listen to the subtle put-downs he was sure she didn’t even realize she was giving him. She expected more from him because, apparently, he hadn’t been the man she thought he was…and he couldn’t quite blame her.
And he’d stand there and listen because to not do so meant he risked time with his son.
“Sorry, what was it you were saying?” he asked, his eyes on Nate as he put the rock into his pocket.
“I hope you aren’t planning to let Nathan take that home with him after this weekend. He has so many rocks and shells from the beach in his room that they’ll spill over into the hallway any moment.”
Dare finally turned and looked over at Monica. She looked the same as she had for as long as he’d known her. Long, dark hair; big, green eyes; and a frown on her face when she caught sight of him.
Sigh.
“I’ll keep it in his room here.” He didn’t bother to mention the word home when it came to Nate’s bedroom in his place—at least not in front of Monica. That just made things awkward for everyone involved. His son knew he loved him, and that was all that should matter.
Monica’s mouth twitched into smile. “Soon you’re going to have those r
ocks and shells in your hallway, too.”
Dare shrugged. “Either he’ll grow out of it, or he’ll end up a geologist. It’s what kids do.”
“True,” Monica said softly. “So, I wanted to talk to you about Christmas.”
Frowning, Dare turned. “What about Christmas? It’s my year, right?” They alternated holidays according to the custody agreement, and he wasn’t about to lose time with Nate.
Monica bit her lip. “You see, Auggie’s work wants to send him to Paris for a conference over the holidays, and he wants his family with him. They’re doing a whole event there with games and parties for the children. It will be really good for Auggie’s place at the company to have us there.”
Dare’s jaw set. “He’s my son, Monica. Auggie’s a good stepdad, but I’m Nate’s father.”
She blew out a breath and started pacing. “I get that, Dare. But Nathan spends more time with Auggie than he does you.”
“And whose fault is that?” Dare bit out. “Don’t throw my lack of time with my son in my face, Monica. Not when you’re the one who took him away from me.”
“The courts chose best, Dare.”
“Fuck that,” he whispered, not wanting Nate to hear him. “Don’t come at me with that. And if you want your husband to look good for his big bosses, then you go. But Nathan is staying with me this Christmas like we agreed. It’s my holiday. My parents are already planning a big family event, and it’s still months away. Don’t fight me on this. Don’t take away my son.”
Fire came into her eyes, and she curled her lip before she masked her emotions as she normally did. “We’ll see.”
And with that, she went to Nate’s side and kissed the top of his head before striding out of Dare’s backyard without another word.
“Jesus Christ,” Dare muttered, pissed off all over again at what his life had turned into. He might not be a cop anymore, putting his life on the line but, apparently, he still wasn’t good enough to be a full-time dad.
He’d been a cop for four years before he was shot in the shoulder and lost his partner all in one night. Monica had been three months pregnant at the time and hadn’t stayed by his side through his recovery or his grief. His brothers and the people he’d worked with at the precinct had never forgiven her, and hell, he wasn’t sure he could either. Yes, she’d hated his job and loathed what it had done to their relationship, but she’d left him and taken Nate with her. She’d used her family money, and a high-powered lawyer, to get what she’d thought would be best for their son and had left him with almost nothing to hold onto when he recovered.
He’d never forgive himself—or Monica for that matter—for what had become of his relationship with his kid.
“Daddy?” Nate asked from his side. “Are you sad?”
Dare pushed out the thoughts of failure and whatever else Monica brought with her and shook his head. “No, not really.” He didn’t want to lie to Nate, but sometimes he had to be careful with what he said so he didn’t hurt the little guy without thinking. “Just worrying about little things I shouldn’t. Not when I could be playing with you.”
Nate beamed and tugged at Dare’s hand, and soon, the two were embroiled in a foam gun battle between monsters and aliens, all thoughts of what could have been long forgotten.
“What do you want for lunch, kid?” Dare asked as he settled Nate into one of the booths at the bar. Misty sat on the other side with Ainsley, her coloring book open in front of her as she pulled out her crayons for her and Nate to play with. Dare would never let memories like this fade from his mind and knew he’d do whatever he could to have more of them.
“Hot dogs!” Nate shouted, and Dare sighed.
“Inside voice, Nate.” He winked when Nate blushed and wiggled in his seat. “And you can have a hot dog, but then you have to have apple slices on the side.”
“Okay. If I have to.” Nate gave a dramatic sigh, and Dare did his best not to laugh and encourage the little stinker.
“I like apples,” Misty said sweetly.
“Of course, you do,” Ainsley said as she leaned back in her seat. “Fruit is like dessert they let you have all the time. So, really, you have dessert on the side of your meal.” She looked up at Dare and smiled. “Are you taking all of our orders for Rick, or should I go up there myself? I don’t want to bother Shelly or Kayla since they’re so busy.”
Dare glanced over his shoulder and looked around the full bar. They had families and singles at each table, and there was a wait group that made his business owner-self happy. Kayla and Shelly were busy but not running around like crazy. If they needed him, they’d let him know. The last time he’d tried to step in on his afternoon off, he’d gotten shoved out of the way and called a micromanager. He knew better now. Somewhat.
“I’ll take it up to Rick,” he said finally, keeping his eyes on his bar. “I’m not working tonight, obviously, but I still like to come in and check in, you know?” He didn’t work on the weekends he had Nathan and trusted Rick and the rest of his staff to handle the place for those two nights of the month.
“Thank you!” Ainsley told him her order before she leaned over to hand Misty another crayon. She was so good with that little girl, and Dare still sometimes wondered why she wasn’t with Loch even though they were best friends. He’d thought they might be something more, but what did he know.
As he walked back to the booth, Kenzie walked into the bar area, a stack of leather folders in her arms and reading glasses on the tip of her nose. Her hair flowed around her shoulders and down her back, and he realized it was the first time he’d seen her hair down since that first night in the bar. And he had to say, he liked it better this way. He could imagine it wrapped around his fist as he…
Okay, enough of that.
He might find her attractive, but there was no way he would act on it. They worked together, sort of, and they were just now figuring out how not to be awkward and weird around each.
“Kenzie!” Ainsley called. “Come over here.”
Dare watched as surprise crossed Kenzie’s features before she schooled them and smiled softly over at the booth. He grabbed his and Nate’s drinks and headed over, walking alongside her.
“Hey, Kenzie.”
“Dare, I thought you were off today.”
“I am, but I like to come into the place for lunch when I have Nate.” He set the drinks down on the table and gestured toward his son. “Nate, meet Kenzie, our new innkeeper. Kenzie, this is my son, Nate.”
“Hi,” Nate said quickly before turning back to his coloring with Misty.
“Hey there,” Kenzie said and shifted her weight while still holding those thick binders.
“Here, let me take those,” Dare said, pulling the leather folders from her arms. Their skin brushed, and he did his best not to react. His attraction to her was dangerous and a distraction.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile.
“Take a seat, Kenzie,” Ainsley said as she scooted over. “There’s plenty of room since this is technically a six-top. We just take it since it’s in the back corner and not near a big window. That leaves the other spots open for the tourists.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Kenzie said, taking a step back, but Dare put his hand on the small of her back to steady her.
Mistake.
“Come on, there’s room, and you came down here for a reason, didn’t you?” Dare said softly.
Kenzie shook her head. “I was just going to sit at the bar and catch up on some paperwork while I ate.”
“Then sit here and do it with us,” Ainsley urged. “Come on, get to know the rest of the Collins family.”
Misty leaned around Ainsley and held out a crayon. “You can help us color if you want. Nate likes blue though, so you’ll have to use green.”
“Blue’s the best color,” Nate said as he bent over his page, his little face a mask of concentration. “But I like pink, too. It’s pretty.”
“Because pink isn’t a girl color. That’s just
what the media tells you to think.” Misty said it so matter-of-factly that it took Dare a minute to comprehend that she had to be mimicking something someone else had said word for word. Not that he didn’t totally agree with the idea, but he had a feeling he knew who had taught Misty that phrase.
Dare and Kenzie laughed together as they sat down on opposite ends of the booth while Ainsley blushed.
“It’s true,” Kenzie agreed. “And I’m very happy you think that way.”
Misty beamed. “Ainsley teaches me lots of things.”
“I’d say she does,” Dare murmured, and Ainsley shot him a look. “Does Loch know that his daughter’s a proud feminist?”
“Of course. He’s one, too, darn it.” Ainsley winked before leaning into Kenzie’s shoulder. “So, how are you liking Whiskey now that you’re a little more settled?”
Dare didn’t know when the two of them had become friendly, but he was glad. Not only did Kenzie have a friend here now, but Ainsley also had a girlfriend. Between work and Misty, Dare wasn’t sure Ainsley had many friends outside of Loch and the rest of the family.
“I’m still settling, but Whiskey is a wonderful place,” Kenzie said softly. “I feel like it could be home, you know?” There was something almost wistful in her voice, and Dare wondered what that was all about. He didn’t know who exactly this woman was, but he knew she had secrets.
Hell, they all had secrets, things they’d rather others not know. But with Kenzie? Dare had a feeling it was something more. Maybe if he were still a cop, he’d want to dive into that even deeper, but since he wasn’t, he told himself he’d give her space. She had a right to what she wanted and needed to keep to herself, and hell, who was he to pry, especially when he told himself there needed to be boundaries.
Kenzie’s leg brushed his, and they both stiffened before Dare forced himself to relax. Ainsley raised a brow as she looked between the two of them, and he cleared his throat.
Whiskey Secrets Page 5
