Chapter Five
“More wine?”
When Hailey entered the living room with the wine bottle in hand, Kenzie and Delonna put out their glasses.
“Oh you can definitely top me off. I need it,” Delonna murmured as her friend sloshed some more merlot into her glass. She took a sip and appreciated the sweet warmth as it slid down her throat.
“I wish,” Sarah chimed in. “I know the doctor said a glass now and then wouldn’t hurt while breastfeeding, so it’s not that. I just know the wine will knock me out from being so sleep-deprived.”
“No worries, we’re just glad to have you here,” Hailey murmured. “And I’m not drinking either, as usual. I’m just here for the company.”
“Me too.” Sarah groaned. “I needed this Girls’ Night In more than you know.”
“You deserve it. Newborns are exhausting.” Kenzie took a sip of wine and raised a finger. “Mmm. Which is why I only babysit for a couple of hours at a time.”
“I’ll take those two hours gratefully, and besides you’re fabulous enough to take Emily plenty of times for overnights.”
As the discussion turned to Sarah’s nearly teen daughter Emily, Delonna looked around the living room. It was amazing that she and Kenzie had somehow gotten it cleaned before it was their turn to host a gathering tonight.
Girls’ Night In. It had to be the sixth one of these they’d had in the past year, since they started making it a thing. Wine, cheese and lots of girl talk once a month. It was replenishment for the soul.
“How is my little nephew Ben doing?” Kenzie asked.
“Very sweet and mild,” Sarah mused. “He’s a pretty easy baby. Clearly, he takes after me. Whereas Emily—”
“Is a dead ringer, personality-wise, for Ian,” Hailey finished dryly.
Anyone who knew Ian McLaughlin and Emily could tell right away which parent the girl took after temperament-wise. Physically, while she had the vibrant McLaughlin green eyes, she resembled her mother almost perfectly with her petite height and long, dark hair.
But her penchant for getting into trouble and having little to no filter on her words was so much like her dad. It was amazing more people hadn’t realized from the start that Emily was Ian’s child. Their whole romantic story sounded straight out of soap opera.
Delonna glanced at the three other women in the room. In the past couple of years they’d all become tight friends. Everyone in this room was either a blood McLaughlin or married to one. And then there was Delonna, who really had no romantic relation to any of the McLaughlins, just friends with them all.
Or no romantic relation until a couple months ago, a voice whispered in her head. And then again on Sunday.
A wave of heat slid through her and she took another sip of her wine, trying to distract herself from the memory of what had happened in Aleck’s office. But it was there. Tapping away in her memory like a woodpecker. She’d made out with her boss. Again. And holy shit it had been hot. Had felt so damn good. Why hadn’t she stopped him? Son of a biscuit, why hadn’t she stopped him?
“Delonna?”
Delonna blinked and glanced over at Sarah, who had said her name. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You were spacing out. Are we boring you with the baby talk?” Sarah gave a rueful smile. “I’m sorry, it’s kind of my whole reality right now. I’ll try not to ramble too much.”
“No. I love babies and Ben is adorable. I, just, my mind slipped elsewhere.” Like your brother-in-law. “Sorry.”
“Aye, the stolen money. And how could you not think about it?” Kenzie nodded, her gaze softening.
Stolen money. Right. One would think that would be first and foremost in her mind right now, but hey. Priorities.
“Yeah.” She ran with Kenzie’s assumption. “It’s hard not to think about it.”
“I’m so sorry about what happened. Colin mentioned it to me assuming I knew,” Hailey said cautiously, referring to her detective hubby.
“It’s fine. It’s not a secret.” Delonna gave a tight smile. “I’m putting out an APB for all my friends if you see James. Permission to kick him in the balls and run.”
“I’m in,” Hailey agreed. “What did the sheriff’s office say they could do for you?”
“They’re going to make an effort to find the guy, but it’s harder because he lives off the island.”
“Wait, wait. I’m lost. Baby brain, my fault.” Sarah shook her head. “Who stole your money?”
“James.”
Sarah gasped. “As in your boyfriend James?”
“Pretty safe to say they’ve broken up, aye?” Kenzie asked, shooting Delonna a quick look.
“Stealing six thousand dollars of my money is kind of a deal breaker in a relationship.”
Sarah nearly spit out the soda in her mouth. “Holy fucking shit.”
For someone who rarely swore, Sarah did so remarkably well when she wanted to.
“Exactly,” Delonna agreed, that sinking feeling in her stomach returning.
“I am so sorry, honey.”
“Me too.” She would not cry again. She wouldn’t. After blinking quickly about ten times until the moisture dried up, she took another sip of wine.
“Well. He was kind of a jerk anyway,” Sarah murmured.
“Mmm. I thought so too.” Hailey nodded.
Kenzie shrugged. “I mean, he was cute. In a rough-and-tough biker kind of way.”
Delonna frowned. “Wait, so none of you liked him? And no one said anything?”
She looked around at the guilty expressions.
“Well I mean, he wasn’t awful,” Sarah explained, “and you seemed into him. So we let you have fun. I mean, clearly he’s not the type of guy you marry, but then you’re only twenty-four.”
More murmurs of agreement and Delonna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. With her friends just starting their thirties, they tended to look at her as the younger party girl. Even if they’d learned by now she’d moved out of those days before even hitting the legal age to drink.
She might not be looking for serious right now, but that didn’t mean she was opposed to it if the right guy came along. He’d just have to be ridiculously right. Because a husband would be a big distraction from the plans she had.
“Well I hope they find the bastard.” Hailey shook her head. “Because that’s just awful.”
The other women made murmurs of agreement.
“So you’ve filed a police report. Are single again…” Sarah gave her a thoughtful look. “You know I might know this guy—”
“No.” Delonna gave a firm shake of her head. “I’m on a dating hiatus.”
Hailey grunted. “Maybe it’s for the best.”
Delonna felt it then. Kenzie’s gaze on her, just as scrutinizing and direct as Aleck’s could be. Delonna made the mistake of glancing up and making eye contact with her friend. The little knowing gleam in her eyes meant Kenzie had probably figured out what had happened between Delonna and Aleck on Sunday.
And yet she hadn’t said anything about it, though maybe that’s because they hadn’t had much time alone to chat. Delonna glanced away quickly, hoping the guilt wasn’t written all over her face.
“I think the artichoke dip is almost done cooking. Let me go check on that.” Looking for any excuse to escape for a moment, Delonna slipped from the room and went to the kitchen.
Her solitude was short-lived though as Kenzie appeared beside her. Averting her eyes, Delonna pulled the bubbling dip from the oven.
“That smells amazing.” Kenzie eyed it appreciatively. “Full of all kinds of sinful calories.”
“Absolutely.”
“Almost as sinful as making out with your boss, I’d imagine.”
And there it was. Kenzie wasn’t the type to let things go unsaid. Still, it didn’t mean Delonna had to confirm them.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Kenzie just arched a brow in the same aggravating manner that Aleck did.
“I mean, did you see something?” Delonna asked innocently as she grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and dumped them into a bowl. “Hear something?”
“It was what I didn’t hear that gave it away. You two were far too quiet in there.”
“Those doors are thick. I’m sure you just didn’t hear us talking.”
“Not that thick, and the way you stormed off I assumed there’d be a brilliant screaming match.” Kenzie plucked a chip from the bowl and took a bite of it.
“I didn’t storm off.”
“Aye, you certainly did. You were livid. But about what? That he abandoned a date for you?”
“No, I just…” Made a really stupid assumption, and had confronted him about it. Just thinking about it made mortification slide through her.
“I’m hardly going to judge you for getting involved with Aleck. I actually encouraged it in good fun—”
“We’re not involved.”
“But I should also warn you to be careful,” Kenzie continued, gentling her tone. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. Especially so soon after James.”
“Kenz.” Delonna struggled to find a reply, but realized her friend wasn’t going to waver on what she believed. “Fine. Yes, there was a moment of heavy kissing. Whatever. But that doesn’t really add up to me getting hurt or us even being involved. It was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”
“It will.” Kenzie looked grave as she grabbed another chip. “You’ve broken the seal and there’s no going back now. May as well just screw and get it over with.”
“Which is basically what you’ve been saying from the start. So why the concern now?”
“Because I never thought you guys would take me seriously, and now my conscience has kicked in. I know how Aleck is with women.”
“I do too. I’m not under any illusions that he’s looking to settle down anytime soon, Kenz.”
“Good.”
“Is that dip ready?” Sarah hollered from the living room. “Some of us are eating as if we were still pregnant.”
Delonna and Kenzie shared a laugh and moved away from the kitchen.
“And a kiss isn’t serious,” Delonna said softly again.
Kenzie gave a small sigh. “Is a kiss ever harmless? It’s the gateway to so much more. To potentially have amazing sex. Not that I’m trying to envision you and my brother having amazing sex. Let alone sex at all.”
“You know, this conversation is pretty sucky.”
“Aye, it is. All, I’m saying is, just…be careful.”
As her friend moved past her back into the living room, Delonna felt a slither of unease race through her.
For a moment she let herself briefly imagine hitting the accelerator instead of the brakes with Aleck. The way her pulse quickened and her body heated, she couldn’t deny it sounded all too appealing.
And a little concerning.
*
“How’s Delonna holding up?”
Aleck glanced up from where he was arranging the bottles of alcohol.
“She’s all right. Thanks for helping her file the police report.”
Colin nodded. “Aye, well she should’ve come to the station in the first place.”
“She was just worried, having not reported the tips and all. Where’s Hailey tonight?”
“Girls’ Night In over at Kenzie’s and Delonna’s. I’m surprised the ladies didn’t mention it.”
“Me too,” he mused. “Then again it’s Kenzie’s day off and Delonna worked the day shift. Who all goes?”
“The whole lot of them. Sarah, Hailey, Delonna and Kenzie.”
“Did Sarah bring the baby?”
“Not tonight. I dropped by Ian’s earlier and he and Emily were on the floor playing with the wee one. Tummy time or something of the sort.”
“He’s taken naturally to having an infant about. And he’s remarkably good with Emily as well.” Aleck shook his head.
And to think Ian had been the one they’d all said would never have children. Now he had two and was a natural at being a father.
“Aye. He’s doing quite well.”
“What about you and Hailey?” Aleck slid his brother another beer. “Starting a family soon?”
“Actually, aye, we’ve been trying.”
Not having expected that answer, Aleck gave a slow nod. Though why he was surprised, he couldn’t say. Maybe Hailey and Colin had only been married for a handful of months, but they were both just past thirty and clearly in the mind to become parents.
“Good. I’ll enjoy another niece or nephew.”
“And you?” Colin lifted an eyebrow. “Are you not getting the itch to settle down and have a family of your own?”
Any amusement faded and Aleck gave a brisk shake of his head. “I’m not the marrying sort.”
“It’s funny, because I sensed you once were.”
He glanced up sharply at his brother’s soft words. Aleck’s blood quickened and he gave a small shake of his head.
“That was another lifetime. I was a different man then.”
“You weren’t even a man, Aleck. More a boy.”
“I was seventeen. That’s hardly a child in nappies.”
“Maybe not, but it was nearly two decades ago. Shouldn’t you open yourself up to the possibility—”
“I’m happy with my life,” Aleck interrupted curtly. “I enjoy women on a certain level. A fun, physical level. Perhaps even a friendship level.”
“That’s a shallow place to exist with women. You should try deeper waters.”
“I have.”
“Try again. Love isn’t a one-shot deal in life, Aleck.”
“A matter of opinion. I’d rather not try to find out otherwise.” He’d rather stick a hot poker through his foot than go through that kind of pain again. “Spouses and wee ones may be in the cards for the rest of you, but it became evident that it was not my future.”
“What about Delonna?”
Aleck stilled and arched a brow at his brother. “What about her?”
“You two have a thing going yet?”
Yet? Apparently it was common theory that even if they didn’t they soon would.
“Delonna is an employee at the pub, and a friend at best. There’s nothing more there.”
“No?” Amusement flickered across Colin’s face. “All right then. I’ll let it drop for now.”
He’d damn well better. Aleck had a difficult time as it was trying not to think about what had happened between him and Delonna in the office. Now his younger brother was going to poke fun at him?
There was no point dwelling on it. Delonna had shut that door to their attraction as quickly as he’d opened it. But she was right. Best forget it had ever happened.
“Hey, so you talk to Da lately?” Colin asked randomly.
“Aye, late last night. Called and spoke to him and Ma.”
“I called in the morning Sunday. He didn’t sound quite right, did you notice?”
“Aye.” Aleck frowned, unsettled that his brother had noticed the same thing. “I’d assumed he was tired because I woke him, but he seemed distracted. Come to think of it, Ma did most of the talking.”
“That’s what I noticed.”
“Not completely uncommon.”
“No, a bit normal,” Colin agreed with a small laugh. “But still.”
“Still. I’ll call them later and make sure everything’s all right.”
“Good.” Colin pulled out his phone that had vibrated and glanced down. “And this would be Hailey, ready to be picked up from Girls’ Night it seems. I should head out.”
When his brother went to hand him money, Aleck waved it away. “You ought to know better by now. Give Hailey a kiss for me.”
“Aye, on the cheek. Her lips are mine.” Colin winked and turned away, calling out, “Thanks for the beer, Brother.”
After Colin had left the pub, Aleck turned his attention back to work. CJ was holding down the bar, and Theresa and Betty were working the floor.
It was slow enough he could potentially offer Betty the opportunity to go home early.
Unfortunately, he really shouldn’t send himself home, though the idea was tempting. Not that he had anywhere exciting to be. He’d killed any chance at getting laid with Melissa. Not that he really regretted it. It would’ve just been a couple nights of fun and then likely nothing else.
It was getting tiring. Boring. Colin’s words floated back to him, that maybe he’d want more.
No. He’d had more, and in the end it had given him nothing but regret and pain. Maybe it was a shallow existence, but the deep end of the romance pool was forever off limits to him.
Aleck set his jaw and went out to the floor to find Betty and offer her the choice to go home.
*
“You’re sure you’re okay with this?”
Delonna gave Kenzie a look of disbelief. Sarah and Hailey had gone home an hour ago, and Kenzie’s man Brett had showed up to drop something off but had ended up staying.
“I’m fine. I promise I have no issue with Brett staying the night. You crash at his place enough—I’m sure he appreciates you returning the favor. Seriously, Kenz, don’t sweat it. The walls are thick. I won’t hear anything.”
Kenzie turned slightly pink, even as she rolled her eyes. “Even if we do that we’ll keep it down.” She glanced down the hall. “Or I could just join him in the shower, right quick.”
“Now that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Half joking, she laughed as Kenzie nodded and made her way to the bathroom. She winked at Delonna, before slipping through the door.
A small pang of jealousy swept through her. Not necessarily at the sex her friend was about to have, but just that Kenzie had found someone she was so absolutely in love with.
Love. She wanted it some day. The romance. The husband and babies. But right now she was married to her future. Still, the idea of having someone was nice.
After making her way back to her room, Delonna grabbed a small folder from inside her dresser. From it she pulled out her five-year plan and sighed. It was going to look more like seven years with the way things were going.
She closed the folder and leaned back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She’d just have to rebuild her savings, and this time in an actual savings account. It had been stupid to hoard that kind of money in a coffee bin, no matter her reasons.
The sharp pealing of the doorbell had her glancing to the hallway with a frown.
It was nearly midnight. Who was that?
Grabbing the baseball bat she kept in her closet, she made her way to the front door. A quick glance through the peephole showed no one outside anymore, but a bouquet of flowers on the porch.
Interesting. They were probably not for Kenzie since her man was currently in the shower with her. Had Aleck sent them?
Leaning the bat against the wall, she unlocked the door and then the dead bolt. She swung it open a moment later and took a step out to retrieve the bouquet.
The hand that wrapped around her throat cut off her shocked gasp. She was shoved back against the door so hard she saw stars. In the dark she could barely see the shadowed gaze that peered at her through the ski mask.
“You tell your boyfriend I want the rest of my money,” a voice rasped. “Fifteen hundred isn’t going to cut it.”
She tried to choke out a reply, but he’d literally cut off her air supply with his gloved hands. Breathing was her number one goal, even as fear roared through her.
She clawed at his hand to try to free herself, but his grip didn’t ease a bit.
“He has until the end of the week. Next time I’m not going to be so polite while asking for my money.”
This was polite?
Her head began to feel light and her vision blurred. Then she was free. Crumbling to a hump on the porch and dragging in air as he ran off into the night.
Crawling to the door, she grabbed the handle and twisted, before falling inside with a ragged cry. The shower was still running, though, and she knew they wouldn’t hear her. She stumbled to her feet, the terror still so sharp she shook from it.
Tears blurred her eyes and she touched her sore neck, knowing there’d probably be red marks if she looked in the mirror.
Fuck. James clearly owed someone money, and whoever the violent ass-clown was, he had just decided to come after her.
She knew why. Because he couldn’t find James either.
The shower turned off and a few minutes later the door swung open. Luckily Kenzie glanced her way and saw her crumpled on the floor.
“What the hell?” Kenzie rushed forward, tightening the towel around her body. “What happened?”
God. She didn’t want to do this. She really didn’t want to do this. “Can you…dammit. Can you call the police?”
“Aye.” Kenzie’s eyes sharpened with realization and shock. “Brett, I need you. Now!”