Текст книги "When You're Back"

Автор книги: Abbi Glines

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Reese

I had cleaned fabulous houses before, but none of them compared to this one. The Finlays’ place was massive and gorgeous. It sat directly on the water, and expensive cars filled the driveway. We were staying with Grant and Harlow, but they had left early to get things ready. We had offered to keep Lila Kate, but Grant said she’d get fussy if he wasn’t close by. Mase said it was more likely that Grant would get fussy. Watching Grant Carter with his daughter, as she wobbled around, trying to walk, was adorable. He hovered over her constantly, ready to catch her if she fell at any moment. The few times she did fall, he reacted lightning-fast, swooping her up and checking her out while kissing her little chubby knees.

“Kiro’s here. He must have Dean with him, since they brought the limo,” Mase said without emotion.

I was going to meet two of the music industry’s legends, but Mase was unimpressed. Then again, if Kiro had ignored him most of his life, I understood why he wasn’t excited about seeing the man. I wasn’t sure I was going to like him, anyway. He had a lot counting against him in my eyes.

Before I could step out of the Mercedes, Mase was there to give me a hand and help me down. I let him help me, since I was holding the large pink-and-brown polka-dot box with Lila Kate’s birthday present in it. We had gone shopping in Dallas to find the perfect present for his niece’s first birthday. When we saw a pair of pink cowboy boots with a matching pink leather hat, Mase had insisted we buy both of them. They were perfect gifts for Lila Kate from her uncle Mase.

I had bought her a plush horse that she could carry around to go with her new outfit. Mase had said that he would teach her to ride one day, but after watching Grant with his daughter, I doubted Lila Kate would ever get on the back of a horse. I didn’t think Grant could handle that.

“Let’s go party,” Mase said with a wink.

I smoothed out my yellow sundress after he took the present from my hands. It was a luau, so I had dressed in my best beach dress and a pair of strappy sandals. Harlow had been dressed similarly, so I wasn’t worried about being underdressed for this party.

“There are a lot of people here,” I said, looking around at the cars that kept arriving.

“Yeah, Grant’s been in Rosemary Beach most of his life. He’s friends with everyone.”

Mase knocked once, and a woman who could have been a Victoria’s Secret Angel opened the door, smiling brightly. “Mase, hello,” she said, then turned her striking green eyes to me. “Hi, Reese. How have you been?”

“Thank you for having me, Blaire. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

Blaire stood back and waved us in. “Me, you, Harlow, Bethy, and Della need to have a girl day soon. Even if we need to fly to Texas to do it,” Blaire said, sounding determined.

I had never had a girl day. That sounded like fun.

“Harlow is out at the pool. Grant has Lila Kate in the pool with Rush and Nate. Y’all go on out there and see everyone. I’m on door duty right now. I’ll take the gift and put it with the others.”

“Thanks, Blaire,” Mase said, then placed a hand on my lower back to lead me through the Finlays’ breathtaking home toward an impressive back patio, with stairs that led down to a pool that looked like it belonged at a luxury resort.

There were people everywhere. Some of the women were in bikinis, while others were dressed in short sundresses like mine. The men who wore swim trunks all looked like fitness models. I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face other than Harlow’s.

My eyes landed on someone I hadn’t expected to see here. Lounging in a chair in a pair of swim trunks, showing off a tan that most of the other men didn’t have, he looked like he lived on a boat. His hair was exactly as I remembered it from the barbecue. Brown with highlights, pulled back in a messy ponytail that looked like he hadn’t brushed it. Even with aviators on, I could feel his gaze locked on me. What the heck was he doing here?

“Mase, it’s so good to see you,” a female voice said from behind us, and I turned to see a face I recognized. I’d met Della Kerrington before, but this time, she was holding a small bundle in a blue blanket.

“And Reese,” she said. Her genuine smile made me feel immediately comfortable around her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Mase nodded his head at the baby in her arms. “Congratulations. I heard the little guy was born last month.”

Della gazed down at the bundle and smiled. “Yes. He came a month early, but he’s perfect, and I can’t remember ever being this happy. He completes us.”

“What’s his name?” Mase asked.

“Cruz,” she said, looking back up at us. “Cruz Woods Kerrington.”

“Cool name. I like it,” Mase replied.

“Me, too. And congratulations,” I added.

Della smiled warmly. “Thank you both. I intend to spend a little more time with you, Reese. But right now, I have a hungry little boy to feed,” she said before heading inside.

“I like her,” I said as I watched her go.

“Yeah, she’s the best thing that ever happened to Kerrington. Dude was a man-whore before her,” Mase said, and winked at me.

I laughed as he slid his hand around my waist and led me down the steps and toward the pool. I glanced over at the chair where I’d seen that familiar face earlier, but he was gone. Weird.

“Watch me jump, Daddy!” a small voice called out, and I turned to see an adorable little boy standing on the top of a rock waterfall. He looked too small to be up there, but he had a determined gleam in his eyes.

“I’m watching. Show me what you got,” a man called out from the water. I was too worried about the little boy to take my eyes off him and see who his daddy was. Did the boy’s mother know he was up there?

The boy flashed a big grin that told me he was a charmer, even if he was just a little kid. Then he jumped high and tucked his small body tightly and flipped twice in the air before diving into the water.

Everyone clapped and hollered, including me. I was amazed.

His little head surfaced, and he had pride shining on his face. It was precious. “Told ya I could do two,” he said, looking at Grant. Then he swam over and gave a muscular, tattooed man a high-five. Without Rush Finlay turning around, I knew exactly who it was. I’d seen him in magazines and on television before. He was Dean Finlay’s son. He turned around to smirk at Grant, who was chuckling.

“Don’t doubt my boy,” he said, which only made Grant shake his head as he laughed.

Rush Finlay had turned to swim toward the ladder when his eyes lifted and saw Mase. If I weren’t completely in love with Mase, I’d have to say this man was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. But I did love Mase, and no one compared. Rush would have to come in a close second.

“Mase,” Rush said with a smirk before pulling himself out of the water. I had to look away, because, seriously, he was pushing it. He even got out of the water in an attractive way.

“Talented kid you got there,” Mase replied.

“Hell, yeah, he is. Just like his daddy,” Rush said.

“And he likes to remind everyone of that,” Grant called out from the pool.

I forced myself to turn back around to face a wet Rush Finlay. I was thankful he had a towel wrapped around him now. Didn’t take away from the water droplets running down his chest, though.

Rush turned his attention to me. “Reese,” he said, surprising me by knowing my name. “Nice to meet you.”

I managed to get out a “Nice to meet you, too.”

Then he turned his attention back to Mase. “You seen Kiro?” Rush asked.

Mase shook his head. “Not yet.”

“He’s inside with Emily. He doesn’t want her out in the sun too much.”

Mase’s eyes went wide. “Emily is here?”

Rush ran a hand through his short, wet hair and nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t want her to miss her granddaughter’s birthday.”

Wow. From everything Mase had told me about Harlow’s mom, I never would have guessed Kiro would take her out of the special medical facility in Los Angeles, even for a day.

“Guess now that the world knows she’s alive, he feels safe taking her places,” Mase said, with a concerned look in his eyes.

“Dad says he thinks this is the last year Kiro will even record with Slacker Demon. He’s afraid Kiro is ready to leave the band. I figure it’s time for all of them. They’ve been at it for twenty-five years, after all.”

“It’s about time they retired,” Mase agreed.

“Music world won’t agree, though,” Rush said. “But if they’re all ready, then it’s time to stop. I just don’t know if my dad is there yet.”

They continued to talk, and I turned my attention to the others. I scanned the pool and a cabana set up nearby, and my eyes collided with those aviators again. He was still watching me.

Mase

We hadn’t seen Harlow since we arrived at the party, but now we knew she must be with her parents. Being around Emily was hard on her. She’d lived most of her life thinking her mother was dead. When she had discovered Emily was very much alive but unable to communicate or do anything, it had been difficult for her to handle. Had Kiro even thought about Harlow’s feelings when he chose to bring Emily here?

Frustrated, I looked for someone I could trust with Reese so I could find my sister and make sure she was OK. If our father had ruined this day for her, I was going to be pissed. For once, he needed to think of someone other than himself.

Blaire stepped outside, and I touched Reese’s elbow. “I need to check on Harlow and make sure she’s OK with her mother being here. It’s all new to her, and I’m worried. I’m going to leave you with Blaire for a few minutes. Is that OK?”

Reese nodded. “Of course.”

Blaire saw us headed her way and walked toward us. “I was going to go inside and check on Harlow. She’s not out here, and I know Emily is here, so . . .” I trailed off, knowing Blaire would understand my concern.

Blaire nodded. “Go on in. This gives me time to get to know Reese. We’ll have Mai Tais and chat.”

I glanced at Reese, and she nudged me to go. “She’s giving me Mai Tais. I’ll be fine. Go.”

Once it felt safe to leave her, I walked toward the house in search of my sister.

It didn’t take long to find her. She was standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the wall. This was what I’d been afraid of. Harlow shouldn’t have to deal with this shit on her daughter’s birthday. Sure, it was her mother, but she hadn’t been given long to process that she even had a mother, much less accept the fact that our father had kept her locked away and a secret from everyone.

“Harlow,” I said quietly, not wanting to startle her.

She turned around, and her eyes were watery with unshed tears. “Hey,” she said softly.

“I’m going to tell him to leave. He shouldn’t have done this to you,” I said, my voice betraying my anger.

She shook her head. “No, that’s not it. He told me he was bringing her. It’s just . . . I’m not crying because of her. I’m crying because of him. Watching him with her is heartbreaking, Mase. You haven’t seen it. There’s this side to our father that I didn’t even know existed until recently. When you see him with her, it makes complete sense. He makes complete sense. She was his everything, and he lost her so tragically after such a short time. I just see him, and I think . . . what if I hadn’t made it? What if I had died in that delivery room? What if Grant had been left to raise Lila Kate without me? Would he have been able to be this adoring, wonderful daddy that’s he’s turned out to be, or would he have become what Kiro became?” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You hold so much against him, and I understand why. I know he didn’t do right by you or your mother. But he was so broken, and for a moment, my mother saved him, only for him to lose her. He doesn’t know how to be happy. He lost the love of his life.”

I started to argue that the son of a bitch had kids to think of and responsibilities, but I stopped, because Reese’s face flashed before me. I’d found her. She had changed my world, and even after such a short time, I knew she was my future. What if I lost her? What if tomorrow she was gone? How would I cope? Could I ever heal from that?

“How is he with her?” I asked, needing to believe that Kiro could love like that. Even still, I wanted the man who gave me life to have some redeeming qualities. I’d grown up believing he had none.

Harlow smiled, and her eyes showed so much emotion. “He treats her like she’s precious. The most important, most precious thing in the world. He brushes her hair and tells her stories of their past. He calls her his angel. It’s . . . it’s beautiful. I wish he’d had a chance to live life with her. I think we’d both have grown up with a very different kind of father. Maybe even Nan would be different because of it.”

Could loving someone destroy you that completely? I’d never thought so deeply about it, but more than once, I’d wondered if Kiro had a soul. I watched the way he lived and wondered how my mother could have made such a massive mistake sleeping with that man even once.

But if he’d lost his soul when he’d lost his future with Emily, then it made him less of a monster in my eyes. It made him human—not the rock god the world knew but a man who had loved with his entire being and lost that love.

“He loves us. He loves you. He’s proud of you. I heard him telling Emily . . . my mom . . . about you the other day. Apparently, my mother loved you, too. He was telling her what a fine young man you’ve turned into and how proud she’d be of the little boy she had adored. He doesn’t show emotion well, but Emily is his heart. She’s his only link to happiness. I want her here with him.”

I’d never had Kiro tell me he was proud of me. I swallowed the emotion that tightened my throat and nodded. “OK. Then come outside with me. Enjoy your daughter’s party. Let’s celebrate life. Yours and hers.”

Harlow grinned and walked over to wrap her arms around my waist. “You’re another reason I love Dad. He gave me the best brother in the world.”

My eyes didn’t sting with unshed tears.

Well, maybe just a little.

Reese

Blaire got us each a Mai Tai from under the cabana and led me over to a couple of lounge chairs. She pointed at the rock waterfall. “You don’t want to miss this.”

I turned my attention to the waterfall as I took a sip of my drink. Nate Finlay was on top of the rock again, but this time, he was holding the hand of an older man. Even without the slender, muscular body covered in tattoos and the gold bracelets on his arms, I knew that man.

“Dean Finlay,” I said. I had known he would be here, but seeing him like this was not something I expected.

“Yep,” Blaire replied in an amused tone.

Nate yelled “Go!” and both of them dove into the water.

“He’s been trying to get Dean to flip with him, but Dean won’t do it. Said he’d break something important if he tried.”

I laughed, thinking of how funny it would be to see Dean flipping off a rock waterfall.

“You took my chair,” a deep male voice said behind me. I recognized it instantly.

I wasn’t sure if I should look up and meet his gaze or what. I still couldn’t figure out why he was even here. I kept waiting for Mase to notice him and say something, but he never did.

“Be nice, Captain. If you want to join us, you can have that seat.” She pointed to one on the other side of me.

Captain? But I thought his name was River Kipling. Neither of those names sounded like Captain.

“Reese, this is my brother, Captain. He’s a smart-ass one hundred percent of the time,” Blaire said.

Her brother? What?

“Not a smart-ass, Sis. Told you I just say what I’m thinking. I don’t beat around the bush. No point in wasting breath.”

Blaire let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. “He’s actually a nice guy once you get to know him.”

I had met him before, and I disagreed about him being a nice guy. But the guy I met had lied about his name.

“I, uh . . .” Should I tell Blaire I had met him before?

“What she’s trying to say is she’s met me already. We were at the same party my newest business partner was throwing. However, I introduced myself as River Kipling.” He turned to me. “That’s my given name. Captain is a nickname.”

Blaire’s eyes widened as she sat up straighter. “Really?”

I nodded. I wanted to add that he was an ass then, too, but I didn’t. I liked Blaire. I didn’t want to insult her brother.

“Your boyfriend been dancing any more with his cousin?” Captain, River, whatever his name was, asked.

I really didn’t like this guy. I managed a tight smile and shook my head no. Although they had gone horseback riding and to a cattle auction together. I had told Mase to do both in hopes that I could win Aida over as the laid-back girlfriend, but it didn’t do any good. She still glared at me or shot me triumphant little grins whenever she left the house alone with Mase, like she had won some sort of competition. It was incredibly weird.

“I’d watch that,” he said. “I asked Hawkins about them, and he said Aida wasn’t really Mase’s cousin. She’s his stepfather’s niece, and she’s also adopted. Girl looks like she has her eyes on your man.”

“Captain, that’s enough. Mase is very taken with Reese. She’s moved to Dallas to live with him. And the way he watches over her is the same way Rush watches over me. Don’t go giving her things to worry about.”

I appreciated Blaire’s words, but if what Captain said was true, then . . . was it possible Aida felt more for Mase than just a family bond? Did she want more? I cringed at the thought. That would be so messed-up if it were true.

“You ain’t seen his cousin,” Captain said in response to Blaire’s remarks. “Long blond hair, all legs and curves. She’s something to look at.”

What the heck? Was he trying to scare me? And why did this man dislike me so much? I hadn’t done anything to him. From the moment I met him, he’d been rude.

“So, Reese, what do you do out there on a ranch all day?” Blaire asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

Other than have sex with Mase, walk around, and clean, I did nothing, really. I needed to do something. I didn’t like living off Mase. I wanted to make my own money, and I wanted to get my GED. It was something I planned on talking to Mase about when we got back. I needed a plan for life.

“I visited my family in Chicago for a month, but ever since I got back, I’ve just been spending time with Mase and hanging around the ranch. I need to get a job first thing we’re back. I haven’t started looking yet, but I’m thinking maybe cleaning work. And I’d like to go back to school.” I didn’t mention that school meant classes to get my GED, followed by an online college program, if I could save enough.

“Do you enjoy cleaning houses?” Blaire asked.

Not really, but for so long, it was all I could do. Now that I could read better, I had other options. I was just worried about whether I could focus on reading and writing in a pinch if I got stressed out on the job. “It isn’t my dream job, but I’m good at it. If something better came along, I’d take it. I want to move on from cleaning houses.”

Blaire smiled. “Yeah, I wanted to move on from being a cart girl when I worked at the golf course, so I completely understand.”

“Reese.” Mase’s voice was a relief, and I looked up to see him standing in front of me. His gaze shifted from me to Captain.

“Kipling, was it?” he said, looking confused and a little angry.

“Colt, was it? I hear it’s actually Manning,” Captain replied, and he looked up at Mase with a bored expression.

“Mase, this is my brother, Captain, but his real name is River Kipling,” Blaire explained.

“Brother?” Mase asked, shooting her a curious glance.

She nodded. “Yep.”

“Small world and all that shit,” Captain said.

“Yeah,” Mase agreed, then held out a hand to me. “Thank you, Blaire, for watching over my girl and giving her some company. Harlow’s good and coming out to enjoy her daughter’s party now.”

Blaire looked relieved. “Good.”

I slipped my hand into Mase’s and stood up. “I enjoyed talking with you,” I said to Blaire, while avoiding eye contact with Captain.

I thought I heard a low chuckle at my obvious slight of him, but I ignored it.

“I’ll be by the ranch next week with Hawkins to see the cattle operation,” Captain said to Mase.

Mase nodded his head. “See you then.”

I could tell I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Captain River Kipling.

We walked across the yard, and Mase got me another drink. As he turned to hand it to me, his eyes focused on something, or someone, behind me.

“Kiro,” he said simply.

Kiro. As in Kiro Manning. I’d watched Dean Finlay jump off a rock with his grandson into the water, and now Kiro Manning was standing behind me.

“Glad you made it. Harlow wanted you here,” a deep voice replied.

Mase glared at him. “I’ve never let my sister down.”

The man behind me made a hmph sound, and Mase’s back went rigid. I reached over and ran a hand up his arm to try to calm him.

“You going to introduce me to your friend?” Kiro asked. I still hadn’t turned to look back at him.

Mase gazed down at me, and I moved to face Kiro. He was just like all the photos I’d seen of him and moved the same way he did in the music videos. But he’d also abandoned his son for years. I couldn’t forgive him for that.

“Kiro, this is my girlfriend, Reese. Reese, this is my father, Kiro Manning.”

Kiro grinned at me and shook his head. “This boy doesn’t introduce any girls as his girlfriend. You must be something else.”

“Uh, it’s, um . . . nice to meet you.” Kiro smirked. It looked so much like Mase’s smirk that I stared for a moment in fascination.

“I got to go find my granddaughter and see if I can’t get her from Grant long enough to take her inside to see Emmy,” he said, then walked off.

Mase didn’t seem surprised by his father’s abrupt departure at all. Instead, he touched my lower back and led me away. “Let’s find something to eat.”