Her thoughts whirled. She remained silent and wary but didn’t put up an argument.
In a gentle, motherly tone, Dottie asked, “What did you think would happen when you and Arnie reunited? Was all of you squeezing into this place part of it?”
“No,” she grumbled. “But it isn’t the point. You can’t just come in here and tell me how to live and what to feel as though I’m some daft twit without a clue. If you expected a compliant bimbo, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
“Compliant bimbo? Good lord, Summer. I can guarantee you not a single person in Arnie’s life imagines anything remotely close. Only a female whose strength equaled his was ever going to take a man like him down. It’s true, we don’t know you, but we know Arnie. He was always destined for someone extraordinarily special. You’re his twin self. He needs you.”
Winning an argument with this lady would never be easy. She was far too wise and way too observant.
Pushing the iPad forward, Dottie murmured, “Just take a look and then you tell me what works and what doesn’t. I won’t rest until you’re happy.”
Summer had to admit the slide show was impressive. Did deluxe accommodations at The Peninsula Hotel make her happy? She had a hard time finding fault with the one-bedroom suite with a complete kitchen. Dottie explained arrangements were already in the works for a crib and changing table. Whatever else she or Arianne needed would be provided. She wasn’t to worry about a thing. All she had to do was relax and go with the flow.
She nervously cleared her throat and twirled a long, wavy curl around her finger. “Where will Arnie be staying?”
Dottie’s smile was slow. She seemed to consider what to say next and then leaned across the space between them and took Summer’s hands.
“That goofy giant means a lot to me, so I wanted to like you.” She smiled and gave a smirky chuckle. “Summer, you are everything I ever hoped for. The simple fact you asked the question makes me like you even more. He can stay wherever he damn well pleases, but I won’t be making the arrangements. He’s a big boy. Time for him to prove it.”
Yep, yep. She was going to get along just fine with this lady.
Leaning forward, she put her arms on the table and lowered her head. With her face resting on her forearms, she turned to look at Dottie.
“Confession time. I’m tired. More tired than I knew was possible. And not just from the past two days. This single parenting thing is hard. It sucks,” she admitted.
Her head popped up, and she sat straight. “But I’ll be damned if sleepless nights and unending worry mean all is forgiven or forgotten.”
“And it shouldn’t be. Men like the Wanamakers have it far too easy as it is, and in Arnie’s case, he doesn’t appreciate what comes easy. Believe me, Summer, he doesn’t just deserve your scorn and bitchiness, he wants it. How else can he redeem himself?”
Made sense. And that explained why he was acting so strangely. The Arnie she knew wasn’t the silent wallflower type, but so far, except for when he was doing his ninja thing, or making rough, passionate love to her, he’d been far too docile for her liking.
She studied Dottie’s expression and took a chance.
“I’m inclined to hand over the reins and let you run the show, but I have questions first.”
“Smart girl,” Dottie said with a nod. “Go for it.”
“What happens now? A five-star hotel is the tip of the iceberg, isn’t it?”
“Plain talk?”
Summer nodded.
“In case this isn’t apparent yet, your daughter is the heiress to a vast fortune and a family name as old as dust.”
“Okay, hold up. I’ve heard this word more than once. An heiress? A bit old-fashioned, isn’t it?”
“Are you a Harry Potter fan?”
Summer chuckled. “The books are as old as I am, give or take. I’ve read them all, several times, and can recite film dialogue. Why?”
Dottie’s smile had a mocking vibe. “So you know about Gringotts then? The wizarding bank with vaults full of gold and treasure?” She winked. “Yeah, that.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Absolutely not and just so you know, Arnie doesn’t give a tinker’s ass for any of it. He’s completely indifferent most of the time and downright crotchety the rest. He might be a Wanamaker, but thanks to Ned, he’s cut from a different cloth than the rest of them. But just because the money means nothing doesn’t mean it isn’t a factor.”
“I think I have the picture,” she murmured. “Keep going.”
“There’s no easy way to say this except directly. Your life here is in the past. Arianne’s and your future will take you far from here.”
“New York?” She gave a half-shrug. “I was prepared to take a leap of faith and head east. If he wasn’t going to come find us, I was going to find him.”
“Once your whereabouts were determined, and Arnie discovered he had a daughter, you’ve been on NIGHTWIND’s protection radar. I know it doesn’t seem so, but you’ll have to trust me on this. Ned and Stan are only the start of a people explosion coming your way. There are NIGHTWIND’s CEOs, King Maddison and Jon Weston, their wives, plus Aliyah Hawkins, Felicity Toy, Milo Crawford, Neal Barber, and on and on. Oh, and you have a rival for the blond shithead’s attention.”
“Ex-cuse me?” A rival? Since when?
“Yes, her name is Nicole. She’s a very precocious preschooler, and I’m absolutely positive she’s had Uncle Arnie over for a tea party.”
“Aw, how sweet!”
“She’s King’s stepdaughter.”
“Wow. There are a lot of people in his life.”
“Yes, and every single one of them is curious about you.”
“Is this your way of telling me to buckle up?”
“If the saddle fits.” Dottie laughed. “And I’m naming names to make a point. Right now, at this moment, you have five adults and a baby crammed into a space for one person. Do you see why staying here now just isn’t practical?”
There was a lot to unpack in what she learned. The money wasn’t a surprise, but how much and its impact on Ari came as a shock.
So did the in-your-face reality of their life in Southern California coming to a close. Now that the long wait for Arnie to figure it the fuck out was over, she and Ari were embarking on a new journey.
It wasn’t neat or pretty, but in their own quirky way, they made a family. If she understood what Dottie was trying to tell her, it was up to Summer to make all the moving parts work together.
Dottie gave her some space to think. She ate more of the bear claw, licked her fingers, and stood. “Where’d I leave my bag? Oh, there it is.” She darted into the kitchen and grabbed the Kors bag. “I have some things for you.”
“Thank you again for the flowers. I did say thanks, didn’t I?”
Laughing, Dottie set the bag on a chair at the table. She remained standing, looking down at Summer. She was impressed by how skillfully the formidable lady blended the ballsiness of a New Yorker with the pitch-perfect style and presentation of a Beverly Hills housewife.
No joke—someone should write a screenplay about her.
A master class in languages was required to adequately describe the tone, key, pitch, and speed of Dottie’s riveting reply. Summer knew right away she was in the presence of a verbal master. It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it. Whether you got the message or not was a different matter altogether.
“My boyfriend has a theory about flowers. Well, actually,” she snortled, “Avery has a theory or an opinion about most things. All military alphas, whether currently serving or retired, have endless shit to fling about an entire encyclopedia of topics.”
Summer chuckled. Dottie was right. She drawled satirically, “One hundred,” and smirked along with Arnie’s second mom.
“But I digress,” she continued. “We’re talking about flowers. Avery says they’re an emotion-driven dialogue between two people. It starts with a gesture of giving and a h
ope the flowers will generate good thoughts and happy feelings. Once given, they represent a conduit of good vibes. Seeing them evokes goodwill and warm feelings.”
“I think I know what you’re saying. It’s a lovely gesture and a great way to begin a relationship.”
“I’m glad you see it the same way. And I’m glad you like roses because Arnie’s grandfather, the family patriarch—”
Summer interrupted. “Darnell Senior, right?”
“Smart girl! Connecting the dots right away. Yes, Senior. Anyway, he’s got a flower farm outside Santa Barbara.”
Dottie tore into her bag. She handed Summer a new iPhone, still in the box. “Charged up and ready to go. Everyone’s contact info is already loaded. You call me even if it’s to whine about the price of milk, okay?”
Hold on, she thought. A phone loaded with Arnie’s life? How convenient—for him. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably. “Um, okay,” she mumbled, startled by how fast things were moving.
“You need a lawyer.”
“Why?”
“Heiress, remember?”
She pulled the plug so fast Dottie looked startled when Summer abruptly shot out of her chair.
There was no place to go. Not in this tiny guesthouse. She couldn’t even go outside for some air because she kept getting glimpses through the window of Stan or Ned and occasionally Arnie as they milled around in the back.
Gritting her teeth in irritation, she grumbled, “My limit has been exceeded. You have to go.”
The shock on Dottie’s face barely registered. Summer didn’t care—not when she hit the wall at supersonic speed. Her fight or flee instinct kicked. Exhaustion coupled with zero fucks left her no option. She had to have space to breathe.
With nowhere else to go, she ran for the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Her head swam, and she didn’t feel very good.
She survived a lunatic’s attempt to steal her baby.
Arnie reappearing gave her hope, but right away, his life swallowed hers.
Moving to a larger location was presented to her not as an option but something mandatory and immediate.
Ari had a grandfather.
All of this, everything, down to the smallest detail, had been worked out without her input.
Unable to catch her breath, the last straw was someone else, a total stranger, buying her a phone and essentially reprogramming Summer’s life with Arnie’s.
The crash hit her swiftly and without warning.
Over and over in her mind, she replayed Dottie asking, “What did you think would happen when you and Arnie reunited?”
Squeezing her eyes shut, she drew her knees up and curled into the fetal position. When the bed stopped spinning, she’d pull it together, but until then, all she could do was pray her emotions didn’t fray completely.
Arnie perfected the art of run-sauntering after Dottie stomped into his personal space and suggested he get his ass inside to support Summer during a meltdown.
Moving with the speed of the fictional comic book hero Flash, he ran so fast his feet barely touched the ground. Slowing to a calm, cool, and collected saunter just outside her bedroom, he took a deep breath and slid past the partially open door.
The light-blocking drapes were open, allowing sunlight to softly filter through a pair of sheer curtains. Summer was on the bed, facing the crib where their infant daughter snoozed peacefully.
He paused just inside the door, and thought, So this is what being in over your head feels like.
What was he supposed to do, and how much leeway did he have? New to the relationship game, he found this part of the boyfriend equation baffling. Did other guys feel like he did? Were they also unprepared and totally ignorant about what makes a woman tick?
With nothing to look at except Summer’s back, he concentrated on the size and color of the energy field surrounding her. The pervasive shades were green and gray. She was confused, tired, and sad. Her aura appeared flat and lifeless.
Adding thinking with his dick to his acknowledged failures, he took responsibility for last night’s rash coupling. Sex only complicated matters. And he was pretty fucking sure what happened contributed to her unraveling.
Treading softly, he crossed the scant space and stood between the bed and crib. Ari lay on her back, wrapped snugly in a pink blanket. As long as he lived, he was never going to forget she was tucked inside a body sling while her brave as fuck mama fought not one but two deadly attackers. His kid already had badass bona fides.
When he bent slightly to get a glimpse of Summer’s face, he found her staring back at him. Her eyes were clear, but he sensed a shield was in place.
There was no room to sit next to her on the bed, so he went to his knee and gently stroked her arm.
“How can I make this better, baby girl?”
Her eyes bored into his. He felt her emotions pinball wildly as she reacted to the evocative pet name. The suggestive term fell easily off his tongue. He hadn’t intended to offend her and was genuinely attempting to calm her nerves during an obvious crisis. Taking care of her was just as important to him as taking care of Ari.
She rose from the pillow and sat cross-legged so they were more or less at eyeball level.
Instead of freaking out when his dick throbbed, he accepted the response for what it was—his primal side weighing in. He thanked the caveman for his enthusiasm but respectfully called a temporary time-out so he could work on repairing his and Summer’s rocky relationship.
With the matter settled for now, he gave one hundred and ten percent of his attention to his golden girl. Her outlook was a little cloudy, and if he hoped to change things, to bring the sunshine back, he had some work to do.
Dropping her chin, she looked away. He sensed her turmoil, but he wasn’t afraid of it. In fact, a little disorder or unrest wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Not at all. The strong reaction implied caring, and he could work with caring. It was a thousand times better than indifference.
“How can you make this better?” she parroted his question, mumbling in a wobbly voice.
He didn’t expect an answer, but she had one.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was husky and thick with emotion. “Can you turn back time? Can you make it so none of this happened?”
The agony in her voice was uncomfortable to hear. His discomfort turned to a sharp, stabbing pain when she tautly muttered, “All you had to do was pick me up from work when you were supposed to.”
Her eyes didn’t damn him, but they should have.
He had an entire year to come up with a rationale for his failure to send a simple message, but nothing plausible withstood the glare of reality. No matter how he cut it, he was still a dumbass. A card-carrying, head up his butt, alpha dumbass.
“I fucked up.”
“Ya think?” Her eyes blazed with fury.
Shock, fear, and panic assailed his senses when she burst into tears. “I can’t do this,” she wailed. “I can’t do this.” Her face dropped into her hands, and she shook her head.
He reacted with alarm and said the first words popping into his head. “Please don’t leave me.”
It came as quite an eye-opening surprise to discover blond hair could pulse and shoot sparks. How did she do that?
“Leave you? Leave you?” she spat disbelievingly. Her expression made him feel like the stupidest man alive.
Her hands flew everywhere, and no joke, for a brief second, he questioned the safety of his good ball. Sharply tapping her head, the universal sign for idiot alert, his lady love snarled, “Do you actually imagine in that thick skull of yours that all of this is about you? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Her voice rose slightly until it shook with incredulity and anger. The baby stirred, and Summer looked like she was considering whether or not to smack him.
“It’s about me, you shithead. Me. The girl you abandoned. The girl whose entire life went into the shitter because of you and the choices you made. Apparently, a year hasn’t made
a lick of difference because here you are again acting all big and bad and like you own the whole damn world.” She snapped her fingers to punctuate her words. “Bam, bam, bam. Decisions made for me, about me, affecting me, but am I involved? Consulted? My feelings or wants considered? No!”
The explosion was impressive, and her argument incredibly strong. He should have shut up and said nothing, but did he? Ha!
“Okay, so we clearly have some things to work out.” He thought he sounded reasonable and self-controlled, but she looked at him as if he’d grown a second head.
“Things to work out?” Her tone came off as brittle as the words.
Ari complained when her mom’s voice rose. It was a parenting wake-up for him. They were a family of three now.
“Great. See what you’ve done? Now the baby is up.”
What he’d done? Was she kidding? He’d barely said a word.
Welcome to day one of the Relationship 101 master class.
Her phone rang. She dug it out of her pants and looked at it. Tension exploded, filling the small bedroom.
“What is it?”
“Shit,” she mumbled. “It’s Lynda.” She tapped the phone and answered the call. “Hi. Lynda?”
He heard Lynda’s loud bark through the phone. “Why the hell is my house wrapped in crime scene tape, Summer?”
“You’re here?” Summer replied.
“In the driveway. Bud is freaking out.”
“Stay put. I’ll be right there.” She ended the call and scrambled off the bed.
He started to follow until she whirled around and gave him an incredulous look.
“Seriously, Arnie?”
“What? I thought you could use backup.”
She stared at him so hard he felt it. “Backup? Really? Gee, let me think,” she hissed. “Oh, I have an idea. How about you stay here and deal with your daughter? Hmm? Sound like a plan?”
His blinking eyes tapped out Morse code for fuck my life.
“Everything you need is at the changing table. Diapers, wipes, onesies.” Before she left, Summer issued a terse wake-up reality check.
“Don’t make me regret trusting you with her.”
Finding Summer (Nightwind Book 3) Page 62