“She’d kick your ass.” Isabelle grinned.
“I wonder how she’s doing with training.” Kristy hadn’t spoken to the middle sister in a few days. Since Jess started training, the sisters didn't get to talk every day. Kristy never went more than a day without a text or a phone call from Isabelle or Jess, so it was a little bizarre not to hear from Jess.
“She’s supposed to Facetime tonight, and she’ll be back in Hopedale for the weekend.” Isabelle stood up and stretched.
“Maybe we can have a sister’s night while she’s home. I know St. John’s is only ten minutes away, but it’s probably the last chance we’ll get to do it before I leave for Tors Cove.” Kristy followed Isabelle into the house.
“We can get Pam to join us too. I don’t know what’s up her ass lately, but she’s wound up tighter than a drum.” Isabelle said.
Pam was Cora’s only child and arrived back in Hopedale out of the blue more than a year ago. She’d lived on the mainland since she left at the age of twenty. Pam still hadn’t told anyone why she’d come home so abruptly. Even Keith was in the dark and out of all the cousins she was closest to him.
“She needs a good stiff one.” Kristy wiggled her eyebrows.
“You’re terrible.” Isabelle shook her head.
“What? She needs a good stiff drink. Get your mind out of the gutter.” Kristy pointed her finger at her sister.
“Yeah, ok sure. I’ll get Dominic to take over early Friday.” Isabelle pulled her phone from her pocket.
Kristy took the chance to call Cora to thank her for the lead on the job. Her aunt ran a very successful private care and physical therapy business. She had connections with a lot of the hospitals, and homes all over the province.
Cora was another reason Kristy was so torn up over Dean. The family cupid swore Kristy belonged with Dean and she’d never been wrong before. It was hard to believe it when year after year passed, and the only thing she got was an aching heart.
“Hello.” Her aunt sounded distracted.
“Hi Aunt Cora, it’s Kristy.”
“Hi sweetie. I was just finishing up some contracts.” Cora was her father’s sister. She was kind of quirky but always had a smile.
“I won’t keep you. I wanted to thank you for letting me know about Comfort Life Care Center.”
“I don’t know anyone better suited for the job.” Cora chuckled.
“I know it’s temporary, but at least it’s more experience.” Kristy wasn’t technically unemployed because along with the few shifts she got from the hospital, Kristy helped at her mother’s pub until she got a full-time nursing position.
“I’ll keep my eye out for you while you’re out there. I’d love to have you work with us, but I'm fully staffed at the moment.” Cora said.
“That’d be great. Thanks again Aunt Cora.” Kristy loved the thought of a position with, Nightingale’s Private Care and Therapy but she didn’t care as long as she got to do what she loved.
“Don’t worry, Kristy. He’ll come around.” Cora didn’t give Kristy a chance to respond. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you Sunday at Sean and Kathleen’s place.”
Her uncle and aunt held the monthly family dinner at their house for years. Attendance was mandatory unless you were close to death or off the island. It had become so much more than a family thing over the last few years.
Not only did the entire O’Connor family attend, but so did the families of her cousins’ wives and the men that worked for Keith and Dean.
According to Nanny Betty, it was okay if the guys were on jobs and couldn’t attend but when they weren’t, it was mandatory for them as well. If they didn’t her grandmother would hunt them down with her text messages and explain why no wasn’t acceptable.
It wasn’t that Kristy didn’t enjoy her family or even everyone else. To see Dean and not show how he’d ripped out her heart was difficult. Not that he’d ever know that. She’d become a pro hiding how she felt about him.
“Did I tell you I love Dominic Cook?” Isabelle slipped her phone into her back pocket.
“Ummm… isn’t he married?” Kristy laughed.
“Yes, and his wife is fine with me loving him. The fact that she’s his sous chef helps.” Isabelle laughed.
“You hired his wife too?” Kristy didn’t realize her sister had hired more than a new chef.
“Petra applied for a job first and told me about her husband.” Isabelle plopped down on the couch.
“Do you want to help me find a cheap apartment in Tors Cove?” Kristy sat next to her and opened her laptop.
“Why it’s not that far of a drive from Tors Cove to Hopedale. Fifteen minutes or maybe twenty if the weather is sucky.” Isabelle propped her feet up on the coffee table.
“I’ll be working twelve-hour shifts. I don’t want to have to drive back and forth when I’m working.”
“We live such exciting lives.” Isabelle sighed.
“Shut up. The male O’Connors can keep all the drama.” Kristy shuddered.
Over the last few years, five of her male cousins might have found love and started families, but it wasn’t without danger and near-death experiences. They were happy, but Kristy wasn’t sure love was worth all the drama.
“No thank you. I want a calm and serene existence.” Kristy opened her internet browser.
“Is that even possible in this family?” Isabelle nudged her with her elbow.
God, she certainly hoped it was.
Chapter 3
Dean finally found the perfect place for Peyton. Keith enlisted his aunt Cora to help but as far as she was concerned it was for Mr. Flynn’s niece. Technically it wasn’t a lie because Dean was the elusive Mr. Flynn, but the sweet, quirky aunt of his best friend didn’t know that. Of course, he needed to use the fake last name to keep his niece out of the clutches of her father’s brother.
Now instead of Peyton Decker-Humphrey, his niece was now Peyton Flynn. She thought the whole thing was ridiculous because it was hard for her to believe her uncle would hurt her. Dean explained why she needed to stay hidden, but it was hard to make her understand that a man that was her uncle was out to get her.
Comfort Life Care was a beautiful property in Tors Cove. When they called to say there was a spot available, he left Hopedale in the middle of Mike’s wedding to move her. Her security was one of Newfoundland Security Services employees but as far as the guy knew Dean was only there to take over.
Joel ‘Cannon’ Wiseman was new to the team which was why Keith assigned the kid to Peyton. He wouldn’t ask a lot of questions when Dean moved her with no notice. As far as Cannon was concerned, Augustus Flynn was a new client who needed security for his sick niece.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to help with the transfer?” Cannon asked as he loaded Peyton’s suitcase into the truck.
“Nope, Mr. Flynn will meet us there.” Dean glanced at Peyton in time to see her roll her eyes from where she sat perched in her wheelchair.
“Okay,” Joel nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Flynn.” Joel smiled at Peyton then jumped in his car.
“I don’t like the name Flynn,” Peyton grumbled as Dean helped her into the front of his truck.
“Don’t start, Pey. Besides, Flynn was my mom’s maiden name. Don’t diss the name.” Dean folded her chair and pushed it into the back of the truck.
“I seriously doubt Uncle Eric is going to hunt me down.” She fixed her oxygen hose and took a deep breath.
“You don’t know Eric as well as you think you do.” Dean adjusted his mirrors and let Joel drive away before he pulled onto the road.
“Have you talked to mom?” It seemed his niece didn’t want to discuss whether or not her uncle was a nice guy but the sadness in her voice broke his heart.
“I talked to her just before I picked you up.” Dean reached over and squeezed Peyton’s hand.
“Maybe we can set up a time to call her when I get settled.” Peyton sighed.
She missed her mother, and it w
as the first time Peyton was cared for by someone outside of her mom for more than a day or so.
Hannah was twenty years old when she got pregnant, but Ivan Humphrey stood by her and Dean respected the man for that. Especially, after Peyton got diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at three years old and he still didn't run away. When Hannah and Ivan got the news, they did everything in their power to make sure their daughter had as healthy a life as was possible.
Dean was fourteen years younger than his sister. He’d been a surprise when his parents assumed they couldn’t have any more children. Dean and Hannah grew up in a small town on the west coast of Newfoundland called Jersey Harbour. His father came from what his mother used to call old money. Whenever Peyton needed anything, Dean’s parents made sure the little girl had it.
When Peyton’s illness got worse, they had to make more trips to the hospital in St. John’s for treatment. Dean’s father didn’t like the idea of dragging his ailing granddaughter back and forth, so he bought a house in the city to make it easier. Dean was happy with their decision because he was attending university in the city at the time. It meant he could spend more time with his family.
Ivan’s parents moved to the city as well. Dean’s dad gave them the in-law apartment over the garage in the new house. They wanted to be close to Ivan and their granddaughter. It was good for everyone involved
Well, almost everyone. Ivan’s older brother still lived with Ivan’s parents when they decided to move to St. John’s. According to Ivan, Eric was furious that the family house was sold, but Ivan didn’t care what Eric thought. Ivan almost seemed relieved Eric was finally forced to grow up.
At first, Eric called Ivan several times. It got so bad the family filed several restraining orders. For several years Eric left them alone and even moved out of the province for a short while. It was why Dean felt comfortable to take off to Yellowknife. He returned three years later when Keith decided to move their security service back to Newfoundland.
By that time, Ivan’s parents had passed, and Eric’s harassment commenced again. It was stressful for Ivan, but his brother-in-law was able to deal with all of it because of Dean’s family’s support.
Dean’s mother died when he was twenty-six, and as much as he tried to go on, his father couldn’t dig his way out of the pit of grief. It was hard since Dean still lived in Yellowknife when it happened and felt as if he’d abandoned his father.
Three years later his dad staggered from a pub and got behind the wheel of his car. He didn’t make it two blocks when he ran into a pole and died on impact. Dean still carried guilt over that. It was why he didn’t talk about them and managed to sidetrack anyone who asked about his family. Even Keith and Sandy didn’t ask questions because they knew it was pointless.
Hannah took the deaths of their parents hard, and Dean had to keep it together for all their sakes. His father owned numerous commercial properties in the province, and although Dean was supposed to take over in his father’s place, he had his own business to run and he wasn’t a Decker in name.
When he was younger, most people would be fake, and Dean hated that. Dean wanted to make his own way in life, and when he used his given name, people would practically bow at his feet because of his family. It was why he dropped Augustus and started to go by his middle name before he ever left Newfoundland.
After he’d arrived in Yellowknife he decided to change his last name as well as his appearance. He shaved his head and did the one thing he’d always wanted. He got his first tattoo and soon most of his torso and arms were covered with them. A couple of body piercings and he looked nothing like Augustus Decker anymore.
His father wasn’t pleased about it back then but understood and to make his father happy; Dean used the last name Nash. It was Dean’s maternal grandfather’s name. Sandy waved her magic fingers, and Dean Nash became his legal name.
Dean buried Augustus Decker when he left Newfoundland, and it was a good thing because rumors started to swirl over some of the business transactions his father entered after his mother died.
Since Dean kept himself out of the public eye, he wasn’t about to put himself in the middle of his father’s business. It’s why he made Ivan the president of Decker Corporation with Dean basically in the background for any major decisions.
Ivan did ask if he could hire an assistant and called Dean to help with interviews and weeding through resumes. Dean told his brother-in-law to hire the person that was the most qualified for what he needed. It wasn’t some sort of critical issue with the company.
“Are we going to be passing by a Dairy Queen, I’d love to have an ice cream cone.” Peyton dragged him from his thoughts.
She was so much like her mother and more like a sister than a niece to him. Hannah always joked that Peyton was the little sister Dean never wanted. Peyton was six years younger than him and the same age as Kristy.
“You have an addiction.” Dean chuckled.
“The first step is admitting it, and I don’t deny it.” Peyton shrugged her shoulders and adjusted her oxygen.
Dean would do anything for her because he was the only family she had at her disposal. With her father dead, and her mother in jail for his murder, Peyton had nobody left. Dean didn’t believe for a minute Hannah would kill Ivan. His sister wasn’t that type of person, but she was found in the bed next to him with the gun in her hand.
Hannah told the police Ivan wasn’t supposed to be home until the next day. He’d sent a text that afternoon to let her know his flight got delayed and he probably wouldn’t make it home until the next day. That evening she received a package from her husband with chocolates and a note that said he loved her. She didn’t think anything weird about it because he did it every time he would get delayed overnight.
Hannah ate a couple of the chocolates while she watched a movie on the couch and couldn’t remember when Ivan arrived home or how she got to bed. She was confident she didn’t shoot the gun because she was terrified of the things. His sister didn’t know where the gun came from and the chocolates with the note had vanished.
Hannah could never hurt anyone, but the evidence disagreed. She was charged with first-degree murder and sat in jail until her trial. That was over four months ago, and Dean juggled his life ever since. Luckily Ivan’s assistant didn’t hesitate when Dean asked him to step in for Ivan. Vince Day took over duties for Decker Corp, and he called Dean if he was unsure of anything.
Keith offered to help several times, but Dean turned him down. Worry over involving the O’Connor family or his pride prevented him from accepting any help from his friend. Guilt gnawed at him for shutting out his friends, but Keith’s family went through enough shit over the last few years. They didn't need his drama too.
It’s why he was glad to get Peyton into the Comfort Life Care Center. He’d moved her to a house in Gander with round the clock nursing care and security from N.S.S short for Newfoundland Security Services, but the three-hour drive back and forth was about to kill him. Cora warned him to tell Mr. Flynn it would be expensive, but he assured her it wasn’t an issue. It was probably one of the first times he was glad to come from money.
Tors Cove was only fifteen minutes from Hopedale which made it a lot easier for him to keep Peyton close and be able to visit his sister in jail.
“Pey, we’re here,” Dean spoke softly as he opened her door.
“Isn’t ice cream supposed to make you hyper?” Peyton stretched her arms overhead.
“It does, but then you crash.” Dean helped her from the truck, and she stood on her own for a moment. It wasn’t that she couldn’t walk, she got winded quickly.
“This is beautiful. It doesn’t look like a hospital.” She seemed absorbed in the green lawns covered with flowers and trees. People were seated in wheelchairs and on benches enjoying the warm late August weather.
“It’s not a hospital, remember?” Dean pulled back the chair once she finally sat in it.
“I still think it’s stupid not to use my
real last name,” Peyton complained.
“Pey, I told you, Eric wants money, and he will not give up until he gets what you inherited from my parents, your dad and your mom signed everything over to you as well before she was formally charged. Plus, if the reporters get wind of you being here, they’ll swarm this place.” Dean crouched so he could meet her eyes.
“You truly believe Eric would hurt me for money?” Peyton’s eyes filled with tears.
“Pey, your dad had major concerns about him before he died. He said Eric threatened him, your mom and you.” Dean promised Hannah to be completely honest about everything with Peyton, and he was. He didn't hide things from Peyton.
“Okay, so I’m Peyton Flynn.” She sat back in the chair and rested her hands on her lap.
Dean was almost at the entrance to meet with the director of the facility when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and cursed. Keith again. Dean couldn’t ignore the man much longer because his friend would get Sandy to track the phone and then he’d come find him.
“Hang on a sec, Pey.” Dean stepped back enough to where she wouldn’t hear him. “Hello.”
“It’s about fucking time, asshole,” Keith growled.
“Sorry, service is in and out.” He lied.
“Yeah, right. Are you out fishing?” Keith chuckled
Dean rolled his eyes but laughed. Fishing was a term he and Keith used when they were out to pick up women. Keith was married now which meant his fishing days were over. Dean was in a bit of a dry spell, but it wasn’t because he couldn’t find someone to have a quick fuck. It was because of how he felt about Kristy.
“Nah, getting to old for that shit.” Dean turned to see Peyton staring at him. “One sec.” He mouthed the words.
“Anyway, why didn’t you tell me you were moving her today?” Leave it to Keith not to beat around the bush.
“I got this under control.” Lie again.
“You’re hiding something, Bull. It’s pissing me off, but I won’t push it for now. You do know I’m here if you need anything?” Dean didn’t doubt it for a second.
Hidden Betrayal (O'Connor Girls Book 1) Page 2
