All of Me (Compass Cove Book 3)

by Jeannie Moon

  “Of course. Sure. That would be great.”

  Lilly couldn’t tell if he was humoring her, horrified, or if he was fine taking a trip into North Harbor to her family’s house.

  North Harbor was—as the name implied—north of Compass Cove. The village had a distinct personality, rooted in the fact that it used to be a summer community. Originally, there were very few year-round residents, until fifty years ago when many of the summer bungalows were converted for continuous use. Her grandparents were some of the first to become full-time residents, making their small house a showpiece in their neighborhood.

  Over the years, her grandfather had been a groundskeeper at several of the large estates, and her grandmother had cooked. They worked hard, started a family, and eventually moved out of the caretaker’s quarters, buying a small house on the end of a dead-end street. The beach was nearby and there was a nice plot of land that allowed for a garden, a workshop, and space to expand the house. More than anything, there had been the community. They made friends for a lifetime. They all raised their children together in a large multi-cultural melting pot. It was life as it should be.

  When her grandfather died suddenly, her father worked three jobs to help out at home while getting his college education. He married, had kids, and raised them in the same house.

  Her mother, Lisa, was a city transplant from the Bronx. While there was a lot of love in their home, her mom was the more intense parent, while Dad was more easygoing. Lilly suspected that was why her parents’ marriage worked.

  Relationships were funny that way. No matter what life threw at them, her mom and dad handled the ups and downs as a team. Lilly held out hope that someday she’d experience that herself—but if her last relationship was any indication, hope might be all she had. Jack leaned over the steering wheel of his car once they pulled into her parents’ driveway.

  “I haven’t been here in years,” Jack said. “I like the new siding.”

  “My father did the job last summer.” Lilly vividly remembered her mother hiding in a house while her dad ripped old clapboard off the second story. Her mother swore she wasn’t going to watch her husband plummet to his death. “He did a good job, too. None of it flew off in the nor’easter last March.”

  That had been a killer storm, literally. A few people had lost their lives when an intense weather system raged across Long Island for several days in the early spring. After enduring twenty-four hours of flooding rains and violent winds, the temperature dropped and over twenty inches of snow fell from the sky. Power was out for days, and cleanup took weeks.

  About the only good thing that came out of it was Jordan and Nick. They found each other because of that crazy storm. It was definitely a story to tell their grandchildren.

  “I was only in town for the cleanup portion. The number of trees that came down on my grandparents’ property was outrageous. The woodsy area near the beach? It’s still being cleared.”

  From the corner of her eye, Lilly could see the curtain in the kitchen window move. Some things didn’t change. If Abuela heard a car pull in the driveway, she would peek out, just like she was doing now. “We’d better go in. We’re being watched.”

  Jack’s grin made him look eighteen again. “Your grandfather would do the same thing, Always watching. He helped me roll Luca in the house more than a few times after football games.”

  Chances were, Abuela and her parents knew exactly what was going on. Luca was a very noisy drunk. And while Jack, ever the Boy Scout, wasn’t completely shitfaced, he was never quiet. Jack owned every room he walked into.

  Pulling the handle, Lilly opened the car door. “Let’s go. It’s time for you to get your cheeks pinched.”

  Jack smiled but rubbed a hand across his face. “Isn’t she over that by now?”

  “Are you kidding? Come on Mr. FBI, she’s waiting.”

  Slowly and smoothly, Jack rose from the driver seat and Lilly got an excellent view. Closer to forty than he was to thirty, Jack cut an amazing figure. Tall, lean, with muscles defined in all the right places, Lilly couldn’t deny she was still wildly attracted to him. And it was not good.

  They hadn’t even gotten to the top step of the side porch when the door flew open, and Lilly’s Abuela could be seen on the other side. Petite, with ample curves, her Abuela had the bone structure of a goddess. Sharp cheekbones, an aquiline nose, full lips, and golden skin, she wore her years well. Her hair, which was pulled into a tight bun and had nothing left of the style from her trip to the salon, had only just started to go gray. Most of it was still jet black, except for a few strands of silver that Lilly had dubbed her grandmother’s special glitter. But her eyes were her most striking feature. Large and dark brown with a ring of gold on the outside of the iris, they told stories. And they could also see things. There was no hiding anything from Abuela.

  “Ah, finally. Finally back at my house,” she said to Jack. “You used to live in my kitchen, but how long has it been since you’ve been here? Hmm?”

  “Don’t interrogate him, Abuela. You know that Jack’s been busy playing secret agent man. He’s very important.”

  Jack knew the admonitions weren’t serious, but he had missed the old house and the people inside. Instead of apologizing, he leaned in and gave Abuela a big hug. “You’re right, I’ve been away too long, but your memory is slipping. I did see you the other day. Breakfast?”

  “Slipping? You’re fresh,” Abuela said on a laugh. “It’s not the same. You know I like to cook for you.”

  Taking in the aromas of the kitchen, he made his way toward the stove. “What smells so good?”

  That got a wry smile out of her grandmother. “Always thinking with your stomach. It’s good to know you haven’t changed much.” She turned to Lilly.

  “And you, Mi’ja? Where have you been? You live minutes away and we never see you, unless it’s at your shop. You’re too skinny.”

  That was Lilly’s cue that her grandmother’s attention would be firmly on her from this point on.

  Her comments were laced with love, or Lilly would barely be able to handle the criticism. Skinny? No one ever called Lilly skinny. Considering Maddie had to let out her dress for the wedding, skinny was not a word Lilly would use to describe herself. Curvy on a good day, but never skinny.

  “I am not skinny. Not even close.”

  Warmth flowed through her when she felt Jack’s breath tickled her ears. “I think you’re just right.”

  Lilly felt her breath catch in her throat. The comment was meant only for her. Intimate, quiet… deeply personal. A knot formed deep in her belly, then spread out between her thighs. Just his words had her hot and bothered. Wanting. Damn him.

  Trying to regain her focus, Lilly took in the familiar sights of the kitchen. The cherry cabinets glowed and the granite countertops shined as if they were just polished. That probably wasn’t far from the truth, since her grandmother was always cleaning something. It was her way, and even when her father, her grandfather, or anyone in the house for that matter, offered to help, Abuela would want to do it herself. It wasn’t about woman’s work so much as the pride her grandmother took in keeping her house.

  Since she’d moved back to Compass Cove, Lilly had started to understand. Puttering around her apartment comforted her. Cleaning, organizing, making the space hers, was sometimes the best medicine for her crowded mind.

  Aromas wafted through the kitchen, tickling Lilly’s nose. Savory smells piqued Jack’s interest, sending him sniffing under pot lids and peeking in the oven. He picked up his head when he saw what she was making and smiled at Abuela.

  “You made pernil? That’s my favorite.” The Puerto Rican style pork roast was one of her grandmother’s specialties. It took all day, but the flavor was legend.

  “I am aware. I am also making the rice you like, and tostones. And Brussels sprouts. I know you hate them, but I like them.”

  Tostones, or fried plantains, were Lilly’s absolute favorite thing. Growing up, she
’d sit in the kitchen whenever her grandmother made them so she could steal one or two before dinner. Just thinking about the feast Abuela prepared, Lilly could feel herself gaining weight, but she did love her grandmother’s cooking.

  “I love Brussels sprouts, Abuela. I’ll share them with you.”

  The light pat on her cheek brought such comfort, Lilly practically sighed. This was home. She loved her apartment, and loved the life she was making for herself, but nothing surpassed coming home. She did have to do it more.

  “How many for dinner?” Lilly asked.

  “Four,” Abuela responded, but for some odd reason, her grandmother’s eyes hadn’t left Jack. The look, the tension told her there was something on Abuela’s mind.

  “Lilliana, go to your old room and get one of the tablecloths for the dining room. Bottom drawer of the dresser.”

  Lilly started out of the room, but stopped in the doorway. This wasn’t right. “Um, sure. Is everything okay?”

  “Oh, si. Fine, Mi’ja. Fine. Just do like I ask.” She tried to soothe, Lilly, but still Abuela’s eyes were glued to Jack.

  Fantastic.

  *

  “Jack,” Abuela motioned to him for help. “Come get the good glasses. I can’t reach them.”

  Jack’s Spidey senses were firing like crazy. Abuela wanted information—the question was, how much? And what did she already know? Jack was going to assume, based on what Lilly had said, that Clarita didn’t know anything.

  He handed her the glasses, which she set one at a time on the counter.

  “Clarita, what’s on your mind?”

  “On my mind?” She picked up a towel and wiped the counter. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve known you most of my life, don’t pull that with me. If you want to talk about Lilly, you’d better hurry, because she’s on to you.”

  Clarita’s eyes narrowed with the intention of intimidating Jack, but again, it was all an act. The woman was simultaneously tough as nails and soft as goo. Where Lilly was concerned, it was mostly goo.

  “Come on, give it up. You’ve been thinking about this for days.”

  The first thing he saw was a softening in her shoulders, then her eyes turned to his, and in them he saw sadness. So much sadness.

  “Do you know what happened to her in California? Something had to have happened. This woman, she’s not my Mi’ja.” Clutching her hands to her chest, Jack could see the worry. It seeped out of every pore. “And don’t tell me you don’t know. You do. I can feel it.”

  He didn’t doubt that.

  “I… I can’t tell you. She trusted me with it, and I can’t break that.”

  “So, you’ll keep her secret? You won’t tell me? Her mama and papi are so worried.”

  Her voice was anguished, sad. It tore at Jack, but no matter what he thought about Lilly keeping what happened a secret from her family, he wouldn’t break her confidence. He couldn’t do it as a professional, but more than that, he couldn’t do it as her friend. “I can’t, Clarita.”

  Nodding, resigned to not knowing, Clarita reached up and patted his cheek. The gesture was her go-to, a gentle sign of acceptance. Jack remembered it all too well. “You’re a good man, Jack Miller. You were a pest to be sure, but you have grown to a good man. My Lilly is lucky to have you.”

  Jack didn’t know what that meant, because where Lilly was concerned, he was perpetually on thin ice. But his chest filled with pride and pleasure at the thought of Clarita’s approval. He’d always felt protective of Lilly, but now it seemed to mean something.

  The clomping of Lilly’s feet on the stairs was both sarcastic and annoyed. She knew she was being discussed, and she was going to make sure everyone could hear her displeasure. It was immature, to be sure, but it also showcased her undying spirit.

  Jack needed the reminder that it was still there. Especially seeing how worried her grandmother was.

  Lilly held the tablecloth in her hands when she reentered the room, her face flat and her lips pressed tightly together. She wasn’t even attempting to hide the annoyance, which Clarita wasn’t about to humor.

  “Oh, good, you found it.” Clarita took the table cover and stopped, glaring back at Lilly. “Truly, Mi’ja, you need to wipe that expression off your face. It’s going to freeze like that.”

  Jack knew better than to laugh, as he didn’t want to be added to the menu. That didn’t stop Lilly from issuing a warning.

  “Don’t, Jack. Just don’t.” Lilly’s voice was akin to a snarl.

  “I didn’t say a word.” He hadn’t, and he wouldn’t.

  “You didn’t have to, you were thinking it.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Excuse me?” Lilly narrowed her eyes in challenge.

  “Ridiculous. You are not a mind reader. And even if you were, you don’t get to tell me what to think.”

  Lilly spun on her heel and headed into the dining room. If there had been a door, she would have slammed it.

  “Your tantrums don’t work on me,” he called after her.

  “Bite me, Jack.”

  Those words got Clarita’s attention, and the laugh she suppressed was threatening to break the surface. “She is her mother’s daughter. So much fight in her.”

  That fight was going to get her through some tough times ahead. She hadn’t seen Gio since she’d moved out of their house in California and back to New York. He knew that as much as any survivor didn’t want to be a victim, and as hard as they tried to shake loose the power the attacker had over them, the fear was nothing to dismiss. It would come back, and Lilly would fight it every step of the way, but it would be there… either on full display, or lurking just below the surface.

  But fight she would, and she’d come out the other side stronger. And he’d be there for her. He’d fight with her, and for her if he had to. Gio Graham would never hurt Lilly again.

  The rage bubbled within, forcing his fist to flex. Open, close. Every muscle tightened, and it was only a slight nudge from Clarita that brought him back from the eventual eruption.

  “I trust you, Jack. You’ll take care of her. Whatever it is, I have faith.”

  He was glad she had faith, because Jack didn’t know what he believed. Watching Lilly snarl at him when she returned to the kitchen, he only knew one thing. He had to protect her, and she didn’t want to be protected.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I am so full.” Jack groaned as he took every step up to her apartment. Lilly told him he didn’t have to walk her in, but Jack had insisted. He said if it got out to his grandmother that he dropped her off at the curb, he’d never live it down. Lilly also knew he was going to walk through her apartment and do a safety check.

  At the top of the stairs, Lilly slipped the key in the lock, while Jack slumped against the wall. “I think Maddie is going to have to let out my suit. Why did you let me eat so much?”

  Dumbstruck, but amused at his nerve, Lilly pushed open the door. “Excuse me? I don’t recall force feeding you three pieces of chocolate cake, and a half gallon of milk.”

  “Hmpf. Details. You should have stopped me.” He closed the door behind him, groaning again, while Lilly flipped on the overhead light and set the alarm. She jumped when Barney climbed out of the sink and sat on the counter.

  “Jeez, cat. Why were you hiding in there? The sink of all places.”

  “You’re getting the stink eye. I think he wants his dinner.”

  “I left him food before we went to my parents’ house. This cat needs to stop being all coy and just get to the point.”

  Now Jack laughed. “Right. Okay.”

  Walking to her living room, he glanced around, checked the windows. Then he headed toward her bedroom. She saw him inspecting each space, all while rubbing his hand across his gut. With the amount of food he’d put away, it was a miracle he hadn’t exploded.

  Lilly didn’t say anything, she just watched as he eventually made his way back to the living room, finally plopping o
n her sofa. In one move, he grabbed the remote and pressed a series of buttons that filled her apartment with the sounds of tonight’s Yankee game.

  “Don’t you need to go home?”

  Jack looked up and shook his head. “Nah. I’m good. Did you want to watch something else?”

  “I hadn’t really thought about it. You want a beer while you watch?” She was being sarcastic, and if he noticed, he wasn’t letting on.

  “No, thanks. I have no room left. I might get sick.”

  Lilly sat on the other end of the couch and thought about all the times she’d dreamed about just this scenario. The two of them in for a quiet night, being a couple, watching TV…

  “Are you crazy?” Jack yelled and waved his arm at the screen. “Who steals in that situation? The guy runs like he has a piano on his back. Did you see that?”

  Jack had made himself completely at home, and Lilly had to admit she was mildly amused. She got a bigger chuckle when Barney climbed onto the back of the couch and hung over Jack’s shoulder. The man looked at the cat, scratched him under the chin, and Barney rewarded him with some loud purring and a tap on the face.

  “You’ve been accepted. I wonder if there’s an initiation into the tribe.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not going out to chase girls with him all night.” He glanced at Lilly. “This is a boy cat, right?”

  “Yes. I mean, I think so. I never really checked.”

  It was his turn to laugh. “That’s kind of important, isn’t it?”

  Lilly wondered, was it? “I think it’s only really important when he goes to get fixed. But the vet will be able to tell what parts need to get snipped, so no not really.”

  “You gave him a boy name.”

  “Eh. Boy, girl, who really cares? The cat doesn’t. He, or she, wants food, love, and a place to call home. Sounds like his priorities are straight.”

  “An excellent point.”

  The conversation about the cat drifted away, and they settled into a companionable silence to watch the game. Well, Lilly was silent. Jack continued to mutter, and occasionally yell, at the TV. It was barely nine o’clock, and she was exhausted. But Lilly had to admit, it was nice having him in the house. It had been a fun day. All the teasing and snarking at each other was part of it, because it felt so normal. And normal was the thing Lilly most craved since Gio had turned on her.