by K. C. Crowne
“No, you won’t,” Emily said gently. “But you can love her and raise her to be happy and healthy, just like they would. I believe in you, big brother.”
I’m glad someone did, because I sure as hell didn’t. “Thanks, Em. You’re the best.”
Chapter 6
Leah
Little Cubs Daycare was on my way to work, so when I had time, I usually stopped in and dropped off a coffee for Piper, whose day started several hours before mine. I don’t know how she managed, but she always did it. She and her staff were amazing at what they did, and our town was truly blessed to have such compassionate caregivers.
I stepped inside the daycare, and already, five little munchkins were playing in a circle on the floor. Tabitha, Piper’s sister, was leading them in a game of some sort. I waved at Tabby as I headed to the back. Since Piper wasn’t in front, she was probably stuck in the back doing the boring paperwork required to keep her business up and running. I knew she’d have rather been up front with the kids, but Tabby was still in college - an art major, with the intention of teaching - and had no idea how to take care of the books.
I knocked on Piper’s office, waving at one of Piper’s oldest and most loyal employees. Unlike Tabby, Frannie wasn’t just there for the summer. She worked full-time, like Piper, while most everyone else worked part-time. She was a sweet old lady whose only son moved away years ago without giving her any grandkids. She was Liberty’s grandmother, however, and everyone who knew her, loved her.
“How are you today?” she asked, stopping me with a smile.
“I’m good. Been pretty busy with the event coming up,” I said. “Just wanted to stop by and surprise Piper.”
“She needs it, poor girl. Working herself to death,” Frannie said, shaking her head. “I told her I’d help with the accounting, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be, and I don’t know computers very well.”
“I’m sure she appreciated the offer.”
Miss Frannie, as the children called her, was an amazing caregiver. She might not be up to date with technology, but there wasn’t a child in Liberty who didn’t adore her. Hell, even as a kid, I loved her, she’d been around that long.
The door to the daycare opened and closed, and Frannie hurried off to greet parents. I knocked gently on the door to Piper’s office before entering.
“Thank God,” she moaned, leaning back in her office chair. Her adorable pixie cut hair was all over the place, as much as short hair can be.
“What’s going on?” I asked, shutting the door behind me. I handed her the coffee, which she sipped with her eyes closed, savoring the warm liquid before answering. I took a seat across from her, sipping my own coffee.
“I just don’t know how I can make ends meet,” she revealed. “The rent on this building went up, and Lord knows Frannie deserves a raise for all she does around here. Tabby too. But no matter how I crunch the numbers, I just can’t make it work.”
“Have you considered raising your rates a bit?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Piper had been in business for five years, and never once had she raised the rates for her service. She also lowered her rates for families who couldn’t afford regular childcare, because that’s just the way business was done in Liberty. We looked out for one another. But if her business went under, there’d be no other options in town, and everyone would be in trouble then.
“I hate to do that,” she murmured. “No one here makes a ton of money. Except maybe the landlord.” She rolled her eyes.
I often forgot that Piper rented her space, since most people in Liberty owned their own businesses. Her landlord wasn’t local. He lived here, briefly, years ago, but moved to Las Vegas or some other big city where he lived a comfortable lifestyle.
“Have you talked to him?” I asked. “Told him that you’re losing money?”
“Of course,” she sighed. “But he doesn’t care. And he told me someone else is interested in the property, so if I can’t afford to pay the rent, well…”
“Did he mention who wanted to buy it?”
No one in Liberty would have done it. Not that I could think of. Everyone knew Little Cubs was vital to the community, to the working parents who needed affordable, quality childcare.
“No, I’m afraid not. Said it was a businessman, though.”
“Yeah, I have an idea who that might be,” I muttered, thinking about my run-in with Donovan Russo.
“I guess Frannie and Tabby won’t get raises,” Piper said, sounding defeated. “And I’m going to take a pay cut.”
“Can you afford to do that?”
“What choice do I have? I can’t let Tabby go. She needs this internship experience, and Frannie – well, there’s no way we’re going to let go of Frannie.”
“I didn’t mean to let anyone go,” I consoled. “Just, you sure you can’t ask some of your better-off clients to pay a teensy bit more?”
“Maybe, but most people barely get by as it is,” she said softly.
There was a knock at the door, then Frannie’s soft voice spoke up. “Piper, there’s someone here to see you.”
“I’ll be right out.”
I followed my best friend to the front of the daycare, and my eyes nearly popped out of my skull when I saw who was standing there. The guy from the cafe in the big pickup truck, the mysterious stranger. And he had an infant with him who couldn’t be more than a few weeks old.
He carried the child in a carrier across his chest. It was such an odd, albeit adorable, sight to see such a big man with a tiny baby cradled against him.
I stayed behind Piper, not wanting to interfere with her business, but my ovaries were screaming at the sight.
The idea of him having a baby also sent a shockwave to my gut. If he had a baby that young, it meant there was a woman. A wife or girlfriend. I knew so little about him, but for some reason, the thought of him being taken hurt more than it should.
“What do we have here?” Piper cooed, her voice as peppy as usual. You wouldn’t have known that minutes before, she was stressing about keeping her doors opened. “What a beautiful baby girl, Mr…?”
“Mayberry,” he said, his voice gruff. “Kellen Mayberry. And this is Matilda.”
“Matilda,” Piper simpered in a high-pitched voice. “What an adorable name.”
Kellen Mayberry locked eyes with me, and for a moment, no one said anything. Piper doted on the baby as Tabby and Frannie also came by to check on the new arrival.
I couldn’t find my voice for a few moments, and Kellen seemed to be shocked to see me there, as I had been to see him. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to Piper.
“A friend recommended your services,” he said. “But I have a few questions first.”
“Of course,” Piper said with a smile. “I’m an open book, and you can meet the rest of the staff, get a tour of the place. Whatever you need, Mr. Mayberry.”
“Call me Kellen,” he offered. “Oh, and I heard something about parenting classes. I thought we could start there so I can get a feel for the place first.”
I tapped Piper on the arm and mouthed the words, “I’m going to go,” while motioning toward the door. I had to get to work and didn’t want to keep Piper from securing a new client. My heart jumped into my throat as I walked past Kellen and his daughter. She was absolutely adorable and oh so precious. The love for her was clear in his eyes.
Why did it bother me so much that he had a child? He was a stranger. Yes, he was hot as hell, especially in those tight ass jeans that showed off his buns of steel. My mouth watered just looking at him, briefly forgetting that he was an asshole.
He smiled as I walked by, and I offered a friendly smile in return.
Then I got the hell out of there.
Ooo000ooo
I was busy planning the charity event, but my mind kept going back to Kellen. I’d often find myself staring off into space, picturing that nice ass of his, and then kicking myself for having those thoughts because
clearly, he was taken by someone else. And I wasn’t the kind of woman who went after taken men. Cheating was one of the absolute worst things a person could do, so every time I caught myself thinking about the sexy stranger, I’d remind myself of our little run-in at the café. He was an asshole, and he wasn’t my asshole.
He was someone else’s.
I threw myself into my work, preparing the ballroom for my biggest charity event. People from all over the country were coming to Liberty for this event. The charity was near and dear to my heart, and all funds would go to children with cancer - providing their family with the support they needed and helping with medical bills in a time when they needed it most. The charity would also fund cancer research by doctors dedicated to find a cure.
No child should ever have to go through what Caroline did.
No family should have to struggle the way ours had.
And I’d do everything in my power to find cures for childhood cancers. It might not happen in my lifetime, but even small strides could change the lives of large numbers of people.
To me, it was worth fighting for even the smallest of miracles.
Grant was helping me move the tables into the ballroom when his phone rang. He stepped away, but I heard bits and pieces of his conversation and realized his friend, the one he was going into business with, was on the other end.
I couldn’t help but grin at him when he came back into the ballroom.
“What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, just wondering when I get to meet this friend of yours,” I said, wiping the sweat from my brow.
“Soon,” Grant said with a half-grin. “He’s not much of a people person.”
“Yeah, sounds about right for around here,” I laughed. “But come on, I have to meet your future business partner. We work together, Grant.”
“I know, I know,” he chuckled. “And you’ll meet him, don’t you worry. He’s going to help me with repairs around the hotel.”
“Well, ain’t that sweet of you two,” I swooned playfully, my heart swelling. “Thank you, Grant. For everything.”
“Hey, you’re my sister. I’d do anything for you.”
“And I’d do anything for you, big brother.”
We got back to work, and just as we finished setting the tables up, I heard footsteps behind us.
“Hello?” a familiar voice said before I turned around.
I knew right away who it was. With a grin, I turned around. “Ella! What are you doing here?” I rushed over to my longtime friend and hugged her tightly.
Eleanor - Ella to her closest friends - looked as ravishing as usual. She could easily be a model if she were a few inches taller. She had the body for it - tall and lean with long, silky blonde hair and large brown eyes. She’d been away the last several years, and we’d kept in touch and saw each other on holidays.
“Well, I have a surprise announcement,” she said with a large grin. “I’m moving back to Liberty.”
“What? Why?” I asked. “I thought you loved New York City?”
“I did,” she said, shrugging. “But it’s time to come home. You heard about Dad, right?”
My heart dropped. “I’m sorry, Ella, of course. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“It’s fine,” she said, her smile faltering a bit. “He’s doing alright, just needs a little help, that’s all. Which is why I’m here - and taking over the Liberty Chronicle.”
Ella had been freelancing and traveling the world, writing about her adventures and trying to break into the world of journalism. She had a few minor successes, articles posted in some major publications, but nothing that stuck. No job offers, nothing permanent. I knew it bugged her but didn’t think she’d ever give up.
“You’re kidding, right? Jasper’s stepping down?”
“Yep, the old man finally decided to retire,” Ella said with a laugh. She looked at my brother, offering a friendly wave. The two of them never really got along back in high school. Ella was too much of an extrovert, and it often felt like she was interviewing you even in the most casual of conversations. She’d been a journalist even back then, writing for the high school newspaper, and she’d taken her job very seriously.
Grant waved back, then excused himself. I didn’t ask him what was going on; he often tried to avoid my peppier friends. He was, after all, a loner like a lot of folks in Liberty. He liked to keep to himself as often as he could.
“Wow, I think I need to sit down,” I said. “Have you seen Piper? Or Felicity yet?”
“Not yet, you were the first person I wanted to see,” she said, nibbling her lower lip. I knew that look - she wanted to ask me something. She hesitated for only a second. “In fact, the reason I came here first, after finalizing everything with Jasper, is because I want to write about the event.”
“Really?” I asked, eyes wide. “You want to write about me?”
“Uh yeah. Look at you, Little Miss Go-Getter, inviting millionaires and CEOs from all over the country to the little town of Liberty. This is a big deal, Leah.”
My cheeks flushed with color. Call it a case of Imposter Syndrome, but I didn’t see myself as anyone worth writing about. Especially someone like Ella, who’d written for Time and The Washington Post. She might be publishing the article in our local newspaper, but it was also posted online with her name on the byline. It might not seem like a big deal to some, but it made me feel like something of a celebrity.
Ooo000ooo
“This is it,” I said to myself as I stared into the mirror. “This is for you, baby sister.”
My hair was piled high into a Victorian style updo, tendrils of curly brown hair falling around my face. I placed the red, glittering mask on my face, concealing everything but my eyes and lips. It matched my red sequined dress perfectly - a dress my mother had made me for the event. I made the mask myself, and it turned out perfectly.
Red had been Caroline’s favorite color, so she’d worn it constantly. And she loved anything that sparkled.
The event was family-friendly, and I wanted to awe the kids with our attire. The children would also be dressed up. Many of them would never make it to prom, and I wanted to give them a night to shine and feel like the stars they were.
Taking a deep breath, I exited the restroom and walked into the ballroom.
The place was filled to the brim with bright colors and costumes - sequins and golden accessories made the room swirl like a disco ball. The people in that room had money, and it showed in their attire. My dress was beautiful, but it was nothing like the designer gowns of the guests. But I’d rather spend my money on things that mattered - not fancy dresses. And my dress was made with love, for my sister.
I stepped onto the stage, removed my mask, and cleared my throat, speaking into the microphone. It was nerve-wracking to speak in front of such a large crowd, but over time, I’d gotten used to it. This was by far the biggest group I’d ever stood in front of, however, and I prayed I wouldn’t mess anything up.
So many eyes turned toward me, and for a second, I forgot everything I’d wanted to say.
Finally, I found the words and spoke from the heart.
“Thank you to everyone who’s in attendance this evening,” I said. “As you may or may not know, I’m Leah Barnes, and my family owns this hotel. My sister, Caroline, used to spend every day after school in these halls, and our summers were spent in the pool. She was a happy child, so full of life and energy. Anyone who knew her, loved it…”
I told the story of my baby sister and what this cause meant to my family and me. Tears stung my eyes, and I didn’t stop them from falling. I wanted everyone to see what this meant to me, how much I appreciated their time and money going toward helping these kids.
When I finished speaking, the audience applauded, and I continued thanking them as I stepped off the stage to join them in the ballroom. Music started playing, and the dance floor filled up right away. Not just with the adults, but also ch
ildren and teens - all of whom were decked out in their own formal attire.
My heart swelled as I watched the happy and lively crowd.
I was stopped by people as I made my way around the ballroom. Most of them I didn’t recognize, and of those I did, I only knew because they were rich or famous. I hadn’t known them personally, but they talked to me like we were old friends. I never knew what to say - their lives and mine were totally different. I wasn’t wealthy, but I did what I could. I found myself saying thank you to a lot of strangers before stepping out into the hallway to catch my breath.
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. I thought I was alone until someone cleared their throat.
“Nice speech,” a gruff voice said.
My eyes sprung open. I found myself staring into the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Since he was wearing a black raven’s mask that covered his entire face, his eyes were the only part of him I could see. There was something familiar about those eyes, but I couldn’t place it.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“You’re clearly very passionate, and I admire that.”
My eyes moved over the rest of his body. He was wearing all black. There was no glitter or sparkle about him, which made him stand out because he was dressed to disappear into the crowd, probably not what he’d intended when choosing his outfit.
The man continued. “I lost my best friend not that long ago. He was like a brother to me,” he revealed. He averted his gaze to the floor and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t like talking about it, but hearing you talk about your sister… well, I could relate to a lot of your feelings.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss,” I said, unable to control my wandering gaze. He had an amazing body - big and strong. His clothes were immaculately tailored to his body, fitting him perfectly and showing off the smooth muscles in his thick arms.