by A. P. Jensen
Maile tried to look innocent, confirming Juliet’s suspicions.
“I haven’t been this hungover since Gray gave me those college pamphlets!”
“I didn’t pour those drinks down your throat,” Maile said.
“You didn’t stop me from going off the deep end either!”
“So? You went home with Dom-i-nick,” Maile said as if Dominick were Prince William.
“You did this deliberately!” Juliet growled.
Maile took in the oversized shirt Juliet wore and waggled her brows. “How good is he? Give me all the dirty details.”
“Focus, Maile. Where the hell is all my stuff? I have to go.”
Maile pulled down the sheet that covered her exhausted partner. Juliet was sidetracked by the nicely muscled butt that Maile reclined on.
“Juliet, you have to stay,” Maile said in a reasonable tone.
“What? Why?”
“Obviously, you need more time here. Last night wasn’t a happy reunion.”
“This is none of your business, Maile,” Juliet snarled and threw a robe at her friend. “And it’s too late to change the past.”
Maile nipped the guy’s butt and he moaned. She slipped into the robe and blocked the doorway when Juliet tried to walk out. “You’re not going anywhere, Juliet Grant.”
“Get out of my way!”
“There’s no way you’re cutting out on me again. You owe me.”
“I owe you?”
“You’re the only family I had besides Nana. We promised to stick together.”
Juliet swallowed hard. “Where’s Nana?”
“She passed five years ago. Heart attack.”
Juliet closed her eyes as regret washed through her. “Oh, Maile, I’m so sorry—”
Maile slashed a hand through the air between them. “I don’t want to hear all that. I want you to tell me you’ll stay.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“He’d never allow…” Juliet trailed off.
Maile’s gaze sharpened. “What can Gray do to me?”
“More than you think.”
“So, you’re going to leave and continue to let him meddle in your life?” When Juliet glared at her, Maile raised her brows. “You think he’s going to let you have a nice life after what you did last night?”
“And what’s the alternative? Stay here and piss him off more?”
Maile shrugged. “Sounds better than going back to the mainland. You can live with me and be my bookkeeper.”
She and Maile fought and talked like they saw each other last week. They fell into old patterns Juliet suspected would never change. Despite all the years in between, Maile knew what buttons to push.
“You have nothing to return to. No job, no man,” Maile continued. “You can have both here!”
Juliet ignored the last part of her statement. “And my whole family is here,” she said through clenched teeth.
“And?”
“And you saw what happened last night!”
“Screw them, Juliet. They can’t run you off the island. You should tell them the truth about that night!”
“You think they’d believe me over Gray?” Juliet scoffed.
“Keep telling them until they believe!”
“You don’t get it, Maile. I don’t care if they believe me and it doesn’t matter what led up to it. I’m responsible, period.”
Maile held up a hand. “I don’t have the time right now to counsel you about how messed up that is. You can have my old room.”
Juliet’s hands fisted at her sides. “I don’t want to be here!”
“Too damn bad. You step foot on the island, you pay the price. Now, go make me something to eat. I have someone to do,” Maile said and turned back to the poor, unconscious man in the bed.
Juliet slammed the door as the man moaned. She stood in the hallway, debating. She gained nothing from this trip except a massive hangover. She wasn’t sure how much she had to pay to rebook another ticket to the mainland and her resources were alarmingly low. Could she work with Maile temporarily and then leave? Juliet jumped when Maile’s door opened. Maile gave her a killing glance before she grabbed Juliet’s arm and towed her to the guest room stark naked.
“You can’t fly without an ID,” Maile snapped. “And I didn’t see a suitcase in the car.”
“I don’t have one!” Juliet rubbed a hand down her face. This was spiraling out of control. “Maile, this is ridiculous.”
“Don’t be such a pussy, Juliet,” Maile sneered. “What, are you scared?”
Juliet lost her temper. She grabbed Maile’s wrist and twisted it behind her back. Maile shrieked and struggled like a hellion. Juliet was losing her grip so she shoved Maile face first on the bed and jumped on her back.
“Take that back!”
Maile turned her face to the side and laughed. “Make me!”
Juliet yanked on her arm and Maile hit some high notes. With her free hand, Maile grabbed a handful of Juliet’s hair and yanked hard. They were so focused on their skirmish that they didn’t hear the bedroom door open.
“Are you freaking kidding me?”
Juliet paused with her fist pulled back, ready to pummel Maile in the head. Scarlet and Callie stood in the doorway. Behind them was Maile’s semi-dressed boy toy.
“Don’t stop,” the guy pleaded.
Scarlet gave him a look that should have made him shrivel up and die. She stepped into the room with Callie and slammed the door in his disappointed face. Scarlet crossed her arms and looked down her nose at them. Maile tossed Juliet over her head where she landed with a whoof on the mattress. A cloud of dust enveloped her and she sneezed. Maile faced off with Scarlet who didn’t bat an eyelash at Maile’s nudity. Callie, on the other hand, looked miserable and admiring at the same time.
“You guys aren’t kids anymore,” Scarlet said.
“We sure aren’t,” Maile said and struck a Marilyn Monroe pose.
“Maybe just mentally, then,” Scarlet said acidly and turned to Juliet. “What are you doing here?”
Juliet scowled. “What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you aren’t here, which you are,” Scarlet said scathingly.
“I didn’t come for that reason,” Callie broke in. “I want you to stay.” When they all stared at her with varying degrees of surprise, she shrugged. “I mean, if you can… or want to.”
“Of course, she’s going to stay!” Maile rubbed Callie’s swollen tummy. “She isn’t going to miss the birth of your first born.”
“You’re going to stay?” Callie asked with such a hopeful expression that Juliet’s stomach clenched.
“You said you were leaving yesterday,” Scarlet interjected. “After that stunt you pulled at the wedding, I think its best you do so. You’re upsetting Daddy.”
“If I want to stay, there’s nothing you or Daddy can do about it,” Juliet said and ignored Maile who gave her a thumb’s up behind Scarlet’s back.
Scarlet pursed her lips. “How much?”
“How much what?”
“How much will it cost for you to disappear again?”
Before Juliet or Maile could say anything, Callie faced off with Scarlet.
“Juliet’s family whether you like it or not. If she’s staying, she has every right to. I want my baby to know both of her aunts,” Callie said.
Scarlet let out an angry hiss. “Callie, it’s her fault that Mom isn’t here today! She couldn’t even show her face at the funeral. She’s a selfish, irresponsible—”
“You don’t know what happened,” Callie cut in.
“She slept with Dominick!” Scarlet protested in a last-ditch effort to get Callie on her side.
“He’s very handsome,” Callie said mildly.
“You’re going to regret this,” Scarlet said scathingly. “Brent and Daddy won’t let her stay.”
“What are they going to do about it?” Maile challenged. “Juliet is welcome in my house and
she’s going to help me with my business. If either of them has a problem with that, have them stop by the consignment store between nine to five Monday through Friday.” When Scarlet curled her lip in disgust, Maile continued. “Saturdays we’re only open from eight to one, so make it snappy.” She raised her brows. “If you all don’t mind, I have to fuck that guy’s brains out. I’ll catch you later.”
Maile waltzed out of the room, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. Scarlet shot Juliet a killing look before she stomped out. As her anger faded, Juliet realized the magnitude of what she agreed to. She didn’t agree to stay, did she? How would Gray react when he found out she was still on the island? Goosebumps rippled over her arms, but she shook it off. Despite the alcohol and her inner slut breaking free, she was an adult. She needed money and could apply for jobs in Seattle while she was here.
Callie put a hand on Juliet’s arm. “It means a lot that you’d stay, especially after I didn’t…”
Juliet ignored the panic bubbling in her chest. “It was a long time ago. Do you have all your,” she searched for the right term and came up short, “baby stuff ready?”
“Yeah. If you don’t want to stay with Maile, you can stay with me.” At Juliet’s stunned look, she added. “Daddy and Brent might not like it—my husband either, but I want to help.”
“I’m not staying permanently.” She had to say it out loud to stop herself from panicking.
“Daddy hasn’t made it easy for you,” Callie said in a whisper. “I should have stood beside you last night. I should have said—”
“I can handle myself, Callie.”
Callie twisted her hands together nervously and bit her lip. “I want to reconnect. Will you come over so we can talk?”
“Sure,” Juliet said before she could stop herself.
Callie wrote her number and address down on an old notepad and entered Juliet’s number in her phone.
“I know you don’t want to be here, but I’m glad,” Callie said and gave her a sad smile before she walked down the hallway and out of sight. Juliet looked around Maile’s guest room, which contained an old set of drawers, bed and nightstand. The room was as familiar to her as the one she once had at the Grant mansion. She rubbed her aching temples as pain streaked through her head. What the hell did she get herself into?
Chapter Three
“So, you’re staying.”
Juliet turned to find Dominick in the doorway. “Temporarily.”
He nodded, unsurprised. Without a word, he turned and walked away. She opened and closed her mouth and then followed him outside. Dominick had the door of his truck open when she rushed onto the porch.
“I’m sorry, for everything,” she called. “And thanks for taking care of me last night. I’ll get your shirt back to you.”
Dominick’s eyes moved over her and his mouth quirked. “Keep it. Looks good on you.”
She did not want to keep his shirt, especially since it was soft and worn and smelled of him. Before she could insist, she heard a familiar ringtone. Juliet dashed into the house and followed the sound to the kitchen table. Juliet got down on her hands and knees and found her phone beneath one of the chairs. Her eyes narrowed on a text from Chad.
“Let’s talk,” she read aloud. “Not in this lifetime, asshole.”
Urgent noises drifted from Maile’s room. Juliet hastily walked out on the front porch and sat, very aware of the fact that she was clad in only a man’s shirt in the middle of nowhere. Maile owned an acre at least, which was good since the neighbors wouldn’t call the police when she “entertained.” Juliet clapped her hands over her ears as the moans and shouts rose into an impressive crescendo. Geez, didn’t Maile care that her bedroom window was open and she could hear everything?
The yard overflowed with exotic flowers and plants that people in the mainland would kill for. Here, they grew wild. The branches of a tree that she and Maile carved their initials into swayed gently in the breeze. It was very quiet. Juliet sat there, staring straight ahead, mind going a million miles a minute, her body wanting to follow suit. She agreed to stay for an unknown amount of time in a place she vowed never to return to. What had she expected? That Gray would admit that he deliberately sabotaged her for the past fifteen years? It was so insane that it never occurred to her that Gray would do such a thing for this many years.
Fifteen years ago, she fled and now there was nowhere to run. She had to deal with her past. Tears pricked her eyes as she went over last night’s confrontation with Gray. The hatred in his eyes demanded she cower in his presence. She refused. She wouldn’t let him break her, wouldn’t allow him to keep interfering in her life. All these years she believed her string of bad luck was karma until Chad admitted he had been bribed. Juliet called up past employers and didn’t stop until someone spoke to her. When a second person admitted to being blackmailed, she booked her ticket to Hawaii, but it had all been for nothing.
Juliet was trying to figure out how to handle her situation when the screen door slammed. Juliet turned and saw Maile’s bed partner. He had a broad grin on his face and he whistled as he tossed her rental car keys in one hand.
“I’ll return the car,” he said.
“But what am I going to drive?” Juliet asked, even though she couldn’t afford to keep the rental.
“Maile says she has something for you,” he said.
His eyes slid down her bare legs. Juliet resisted the urge to tug the shirt down and glared at him.
“See ya around,” he said and winked at her.
“Yeah,” Juliet mumbled.
She walked with him to the car only to find that Maile had already taken the clothes she wore on the plane out of the trunk. Juliet was on her way back to the porch when Maile strolled out freshly showered and blew a kiss as the guy honked and started down the dirt drive. Maile perched on the mossy railing and raised a brow.
“What happened with you and Dominick?” she asked
“Nothing,” Juliet growled and still couldn’t believe Maile let him take her home. Of course, it didn’t take more than a few minutes in Dominick’s company to realize that he was a stand up guy. Juliet didn’t know him, but was absolutely sure that nothing happened last night despite the fact that she took off her dress and slept in his bed in only lingerie. Most men would see that as the ultimate invitation. Dominick Bryson let her sleep it off and calmly drove her to Maile’s without complaint. He was a strange man.
“Who was that guy?” Juliet asked.
Maile glowed. “Bennie’s a friend of Lee’s.”
“And where did you meet Bennie?”
“At the wedding last night.”
Juliet said nothing to that.
Maile cocked her head to the side. “What? You had your own one-night stand. Don’t judge.”
“Nothing happened.”
“More alcohol next time, then. I’m sure Dominick—”
“Dominick nothing. I was engaged a month ago!”
“To that… Chad?” Maile asked with a grimace. “He bothered you on the dance floor last night and you pushed him away. He was okay looking, but if he was a man, he wouldn’t have given you up to Gray in the first place.”
“What else did I say?” Juliet asked warily.
“Enough for me to realize that you came back to tell Gray to stop fucking with you.”
Juliet ran her hands restlessly through her hair. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“You’re exactly where you should be. By the way, Bennie and I are supposed to go out tonight. You don’t mind, right? We have time to catch up since you’re staying until Callie gives birth.”
“No, I don’t mind,” Juliet said slowly and then crossed her arms over her chest. “By the way, that was messed up, trapping me with the baby.”
Maile showed no remorse. “Whatever it takes. Callie could use the support.”
“Support? She has the family and she’s married.”
“You two used to be tight.”
“That was a lo
ng time ago.”
“Family is family.”
Juliet stiffened. “You know what happened. Don’t throw that in my face. What happened last night has nothing to do with family.” Seeing her siblings surrounding Gray in a protective huddle was her worst nightmare come true.
Maile was silent for a beat before she said, “Right. Not my business.”
Juliet shook her head. “Sorry. I’m just… this is a lot.”
“I know. But, you can’t keep running, Juliet.”
She wished Maile wasn’t right. She decided to change the subject. “Bennie said you have something I can drive while I’m here?”
“You can borrow Nana’s bug.”
“It still works?”
“Of course.”
“You want to see my store?” Maile asked.
“Yes, let me shower first.”
They went inside. Juliet caught a whiff of a vanilla plug-in. At least Maile made some effort to clear up the smell of sex. There was a distant hum as the old washer in the backyard rocked from side to side.
Juliet made her way into the cramped, old bathroom. She showered and came out of the bathroom in a towel. She didn’t bother to knock when she walked into Maile’s room. Maile stood in front of an old vanity, applying fake eyelashes with her mouth open in concentration.
“I need to borrow clothes,” Juliet said.
“Help yourself,” Maile said and then, “you really didn’t bang Dominick?”
Juliet sighed, long and exaggerated as she sorted through Maile’s clothes which ranged from sleek and professional to slutty. “I thought you wanted him. Why are you pushing him on me?”
“He doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you so I’m trying to be gracious and let you have him.”
Dominick looked at her a certain way? Juliet pushed that thought away. “Let me have him? I don’t need you to let me have anything.”
“When you were dancing last night, he didn’t take his eyes off you.” Maile tried not to move her lips as she outlined them in dark red.
“Lee told him to keep tabs on me.”
“Sure.” Maile slipped into a purple wrap dress that flattered her curves. “Dominick is worth putting your new morals to the side, believe me.”
