by Morgan Henry
Karen sighed, her body slumping with sudden dejection. “Maybe another time.”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but you need to talk about it.”
“I just think this is over for me. I tried the business thing, tried the relationship thing, and it’s all ended in shit, so it’s time to move on.”
“Well, frankly, I don’t buy that for a second.” Mary plunked the plate of food down on the table hard enough that the pancakes jumped. She was astounded she found it easy to argue with her sister. Maybe her desire for her sister’s happiness trumped her fear of conflict. “Yes, you’ve had a setback. This happens in business. You deal with it, get back up, and become better than ever. I think this town will support your business and your friends will help you. Allan and Zander have taken another week off to help.”
“Well, they’re not going to be around forever.” Mary could hear the little choke in Karen’s voice.
“What do you mean?”
“They were talking about taking a job up north last night. For a year or more. It will pay really well. But hey, I get it. You have to have financial security in your life. That’s why I think I’ll give this up.”
“You must have misunderstood. You were too tired and distraught to hear properly.”
“I don’t think so.”
Mary felt the start of panic in her chest. She grabbed one of Karen’s hands. “Men or not, don’t give up on this. You’ve been so happy here. Don’t throw that away. I know what it feels like to have a job that sucks away your soul.”
It felt like acid eating a hole in her stomach.
Chapter 5
Derek Murray strolled into the ruin of Karen’s Kandies with his brother, Logan.
The shop was an absolute disaster—glass, crushed chocolates, and melting ice cream everywhere, all trying to go rancid. It was starting to smell like chocolate vomit.
He couldn’t believe that this had happened in Hardwick Bay. Everyone felt terrible for Karen.
“Hey, Karen,” he greeted her. Logan added his hello too.
“Hi. Thanks for coming. I thought you both would be working today.” Karen tried to smile at them, but Derek noted it didn’t reach her eyes.
“I could put off my appointments until tomorrow.” Derek gave her what he hoped was a supportive smile. He had only a few appointments booked for the day. They had all been people from town who were happy to reschedule when his receptionist told them the reason.
“I make my own hours,” added Logan. “Who’s your friend?”
Karen dragged the gorgeous woman Logan was talking about to her side. “Guys, this is my sister, Mary. Mary, this is Derek and Logan Murray. Derek’s the town’s optometrist, and Logan makes the most amazing furniture and cabinets.”
Derek could see the resemblance now that Karen had said they were sisters. He might be biased, but he thought Mary was prettier, with her glossy black hair and dark brown eyes. She had the same slightly olive skin as her sister and a cute little upturned nose that he wanted to tweak.
“Hi, Mary,” Derek greeted her warmly but not too warmly. It wouldn’t do to scare her off with the bolt of lust that had gone through his body. “Care to team up with us for the day?”
“Sure.” Mary had a lovely smile that she directed at the two men. She looked over at Karen. Her smile faded and Derek could see the concern in her eyes. “That okay with you?”
“Yeah, go.” Karen gave them a little wave.
“Let’s start up front and work our way back,” suggested Logan.
“Fine by me.” Mary started toward the front of the store.
Derek could appreciate her fine ass encased in faded jeans. They got glimpses of it as her untucked shirt swayed a little. She had a pair of pink rubber gloves in her hands already. They grabbed more manly yellow rubber gloves, a few garbage bags, and a rubber trashcan.
The three of them attacked the area around the cooler that used to house the handmade chocolates.
“This is so sad,” Mary said, looking at the glass counter that was smashed and dented, the glass shards hanging like jagged teeth. She started to reach into the counter to remove the glass and chocolate.
“Hang on,” Logan stopped her. “I’ve got way heavier gloves in our truck. Let me get them and then none of us will get cut by the glass.”
“That’s a good plan, Logan.” Derek approved. He didn’t want to see Mary cut, and there was plenty of other mess to clean up.
Mary narrowed her eyes a little as she looked at them and then at the counter. Then she shrugged. “Okay.”
Derek wasn’t sure if he was surprised that she had given in so easily or relieved. Or both. He was hoping she was just practical.
Logan slipped away to grab his gloves, and Derek shook the garbage bag open and placed it in the large rubber can.
Mary immediately started to pick up the chocolates and debris on the floor, using a dustpan as a scoop. Derek did the same.
Logan came back with his heavy leather gloves and a cardboard box to put the shattered glass bits in. He carefully started to transfer the glass to the box.
“So, you came to help when you heard about the store?” Logan asked.
“No, I arrived yesterday to find this mess. It was just as much a surprise to me as the rest of you. This just seems so unreal. Hardwick Bay just doesn’t seem like a place to have stuff like this happen.”
Derek remembered that Karen and Mary’s parents had a cottage in the area and they had been coming here since they were pre-teens.
“Yeah,” agreed Derek. “Do you know if the cops have any ideas?”
“Not that I know of,” answered Mary.
“So you were coming for a visit then? How long are you planning on staying?” Trust Logan to ferret out more information on the lovely Mary.
She was quiet for a moment. “Actually, I’d like to stay here for a while. Maybe permanently if I can get a job.”
Derek looked at Logan. Nice. Derek knew Logan well enough that he was sure his brother was thinking the same thing.
Derek wanted to probe her for more information, especially why she wanted to be here and what she was running from. He knew Logan did too, but he shook his head at his brother. Being too nosy wouldn’t help them right now.
“Well, what do you do? We’re both in business in town. We might know if your talents are especially needed.” Derek dumped another load of dead chocolate into the trash.
“Actually, I talked to Andrew already. I’m an accountant, and he seems to think that there’s room for another besides him. We’re going to meet up next week maybe and talk.” Mary stared picking up some of the destroyed candy bars that had been knocked from the shelves and stomped upon.
“That’s great. He’s right. A lot of the business owners need to go to Port Seguin to get their accounting done. Andrew’s only one guy and can only handle so many clients.” Derek wished that Andrew did their books. Maybe they could offer Mary the job.
“I think I’ll get some soap and water to start cleaning these shelves. Back in a second.” Mary headed for the back room of the store where she could get what she needed.
“Wow. There’s something about her, isn’t there?” Logan straightened to watch her go.
“There’s something about Mary? Don’t tell me you just said that.” Derek grinned, and Logan groaned.
“I can’t believe I did but yeah. At least she doesn’t appear to need any hair gel.” Now both of them laughed.
“Yeah. Beautiful, obviously smart if she’s an accountant. And you’re right. There’s something more there. I wonder if she knows about Hardwick Bay’s kinky side?” Derek mused.
He and Logan were in the town because they wanted a ménage relationship. They had grown up in Hardwick Bay around the ménage lifestyle, and it appealed to them. Their non-ménage parents were living in a retirement community in British Columbia and were fine with the idea.
“If not, we can show her.” Logan gave a
low chuckle.
“Let’s not spring it on the poor woman. We don’t want her to run away screaming,” Derek said drily. Mary should be gently introduced to the concept, given time to think about it, and then accept the two men with open arms.
Mary returned with a bucket of soapy water. She stretched up and started to clean the sticky mess off the shelves.
“So, since Karen’s seeing Allan and Zander, I’m assuming you’re up to speed on the ménage thing here in town?” Logan grinned at Mary then smirked at Derek.
Derek gave his brother a smack on the back of his head.
Mary just laughed. “Yeah, I got the rundown from Hanna yesterday. You do a good job of keeping it quiet. I never knew in all the years we visited in the summers.”
They worked hard all morning, continuing to chat. Slowly the store started to look cleaner yet so very empty.
Bit by bit, Mary gave them more information.
They heard that there was a security system going into the store, installed by Colin and Marcus, friends of the Barbers. They were retired RCMP officers who Allan and Zander had also hired to look into the break-in. Apparently Mary was somewhat intimidated by them and nicknamed them Hawk and Grumpy.
Logan told her they probably should be intimidating or people would think they didn’t know their job.
Derek had to suppress his laugh at her little sniff at Logan.
They also learned she was staying at Allan and Zander’s with Karen until said security system was installed. That relieved Derek’s mind a little. He had wondered where she was staying and was hoping it wasn’t here just yet.
She told them that she didn’t like her job in the city and was trying to find something that suited her better. She had a cat that she loved who was currently upstairs in Karen’s apartment. She liked reading and action movies and hated cocktail parties.
That was about all they could get out of her. Mary turned out to be pretty good at steering the conversation back to Hardwick Bay or Derek and Logan.
Before long they took a break for lunch. The Cottage, the local diner, had supplied enough food to feed the small army that was cleaning Karen’s store.
They ditched their rubber gloves, and Derek put his hand on the small of Mary’s back, wishing he could drop it to her fine backside, guiding her to the back room where there was a full kitchen kitted out for chocolate and ice cream making. The food was laid on the big stainless steel tables.
Derek and Logan put Mary between the two of them. They made sure to serve her, loading her plate with her choice of sandwiches and pouring her a coffee.
They leaned against the counter to eat. Karen’s few little tables and chairs in the store had been smashed, so there was nowhere to sit.
“Oh my! These are really good.” Mary swallowed, and Derek watched her finger wipe away the mayo from the corner of her mouth and lick it.
Oh my was right…
Those full lips looked great around her finger. They would look even better around his cock. Or Logan’s.
He shouldn’t leap aboard that train of thought right now. He shifted slightly, trying not to call attention to the aching erection starting to tent his pants.
“Gina and her men know how to feed a crowd,” observed Logan, glancing at Derek. His eyes said that he knew exactly what Derek was thinking.
Lunch was demolished quickly. The group had stood around the tables and made small talk as they ate. Derek was happy to see that Cailynn, Andrew, and Dan were there. He wanted Mary to see a ménage family in a “normal” setting, if cleaning up your sister’s busted-up store was normal.
“I guess we should get back at it.” Logan took her plate as Mary sipped at the last of her coffee.
“If you keep at the shelves, I’ll start mopping the floor and we’ll be done in no time.” Derek cocked his head at her, inviting her opinion.
“Fine by me.” She flashed him a grin, and there was something in her eyes. He wondered what she was thinking.
“I’m done with the candy counter, major-general.” Logan voice only held a small amount of sarcasm. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll start on the ice cream counter.”
Derek gave a mock growl. “You do that, recruit.”
Mary giggled at the two of them. “Let me guess, you’re the oldest,” she said to Derek.
“Yeah,” he drawled.
“The oldest is always the organizer. Obviously, I’m the older sister.” Mary started to fill her bucket with fresh, hot water.
“What does that make me?” Logan wanted to know.
“The artistic free spirit,” Mary said immediately.
“Artistic, yes. I’m not sure about the free spirit though. Logan’s just not that flaky,” Derek observed.
“A free spirit doesn’t mean flaky,” argued Mary. “It just means that they’re not so tied to rules and the expectations of others. At least, that’s how I think of it,” she added hastily.
“Still not sure that applies to me.” Logan reached in and picked up Mary’s bucket and put his own under the tap. “Not that it matters. We are who we are.”
“And people can’t change?” Mary asked the question with an odd intensity.
Logan looked at her thoughtfully. “No, they can change. But often I think what we see as change is more that person allowing who they really are to show.”
Derek could see Mary thinking hard about that.
Then she grinned impishly. “You’re not just another pretty face, are you?” she said, her tone light and teasing.
“Ha. She thinks I’m pretty, Derek.” Logan gave an exaggerated pose. “Too bad for you.” He grabbed his bucket and slung his arm around Mary’s waist. “Bring her bucket out, will you?” he tossed over his shoulder.
Laughing, Derek complied.
Anything for Miss Mary.
Chapter 6
Mary managed to slowly settle into Hardwick Bay over the next several weeks.
She helped Karen get the store back up and running. It was fun to arrange stuff on shelves and decorate for the grand re-opening. Very low stress, that was for sure. The re-opening went really, really well. Everyone in town it seemed was happy to see Karen’s Kandies back.
She worked at the store and did Karen’s books for her. She was learning a lot from the course she had enrolled for to further her qualifications in forensic accounting. She had briefly talked with Andrew, and they were thinking about a partnership. She prayed that they could work out some arrangement. It seemed there was more work in Hardwick Bay than she would have thought.
She managed to help the trio of Karen, Allan, and Zander avert a misunderstanding that might have broken them up. Mary was proud of that. Yeah, they probably would have managed to work it out themselves, but hell, she’d take the credit. She deeply wanted her sister happy, and those two men loved her to the depths of their souls. And Karen loved them back.
It had been a classic case of mistaken assumptions on everyone’s part. Karen assumed she wasn’t wanted in Hardwick Bay any longer and thought about getting a job elsewhere when she overheard Allan and Zander getting an offer for a lucrative transfer. What she didn’t know was that Allan and Zander didn’t want to accept it—until they thought Karen was leaving because she didn’t love them.
Mary confronted them about talking to each other and Karen had proposed to Allan and Zander. They had accepted, but wanted to propose to Karen as well. They pointed out she shouldn’t get all the fun.
And now there was a secret wedding being arranged quietly by Allan, Zander, Mary, Hanna, and a few more of Karen’s close friends. Karen was being completely weird about planning the ceremony, so they had taken it out of her hands. She wanted to get married and had agreed to get married but was dragging her heels planning anything because she couldn’t stand the thought of a huge fuss but knew Allan and Zander wanted a celebration, not just a city hall wedding. She was so conflicted about it she couldn’t seem to start planning anything.
They were slowly moving all of Kar
en’s personal items and the furniture she loved the most into Allan and Zander’s home. It decreased the amount of clutter in the space, which Mary was grateful for, without sacrificing any of the comfort. Mary had even picked up a few more of her own things out of her condo and moved them in.
Karen was living with her men, and Mary was happily settled in the apartment above the store. It was a great little space, and she and Sammy were comfortable and cozy. Sammy seemed to enjoy watching the world go by on the street below the front windows. There was certainly more to watch than there had been from the sixteenth floor of the condo. Mary loved the privacy, and the colourful furniture reminded her of Karen. She was thinking it wasn’t quite all her, but it was better than the neutral nothingness of her condo.
She was kicking herself for allowing people to believe she had quit her job and that the condo was on the market. Why had she done that? Maybe it was so they accepted her more readily. So they thought she was more invested in being in Hardwick Bay. Stupid though. Would they reject her if they thought she had a fallback plan? Maybe. Mary felt she couldn’t be completely sure of unconditional acceptance.
Karen was more or less the only family she had. Correction, the only family that was nice to her.
Despite what she had told the others, both her mom and Bob were still calling her regularly. And, masochist that she was, she still talked to them. Or, rather, they talked at her. Karen would have a fit if she knew how much.
The conversation about Karen’s engagement had not gone well. Karen had called with Mary there for support. Karen had put it on speaker.
“Hello, Karen,” answered her mother.
“Hi, Mom. I thought I’d let you know what was up with Mary and me.”
“Really? I can’t imagine what would be up, given that Mary doesn’t have a job and you don’t have one either.”
“Mary’s working at the store, which is better than ever. The insurance came through and so did a lot of great people in this town.” Karen’s voice held a lot of warmth for the people of Hardwick Bay.
“Oh, yes, and being a clerk hawking candy is such a good use of her degree,” snapped her mother.
