Tempted by Love: Jack Jock Steele (The Steeles at Silver Island Book 1)

by Melissa Foster

  “It’s weird, isn’t it? Seeing my brothers ignore each other?” Jules asked as they spread a runner along another table.

  “I just feel bad for them. You can see they’re both hurting.”

  “Yup,” Jules said. “We should lock them in a room together and make them duke it out. That’s what they used to do. They’d get mad at each other and roll around on the grass wrestling. My father would pry them apart and haul their butts into the garage to fight it out in the boxing ring.”

  “You had a boxing ring in your garage?”

  “Yup. My dad boxed in college, and he taught my brothers and their friends to box, too. You’ll meet some of their friends tonight. Brant Remington and the Silver brothers, Grant, Fitz, and Wells. Everyone used to call Brant and Grant the Bee Gees just to piss them off. It was hilarious. You’ll meet my friends, too. You’re going to have so much fun.”

  The sounds of horns honking drew their attention to two golf carts cruising across the grass. Shelley was in the driver’s seat of the leading cart, with a cute little cinnamon-haired girl in her lap. The girl was steering, and the pretty blonde in the passenger seat was waving to Levi. The other cart was a bit farther out, but Daphne could see a blonde and an auburn-haired woman in the front, and another blonde in the back.

  “The troops have arrived!” Jules exclaimed. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

  “Is that Joey with your mom?” Daphne asked.

  “Yes, and the blonde with them is Tara Osten. She’s Joey’s aunt. She’s one of my closest friends, and she spends a lot of time with us, especially when Levi and Joey are in town.”

  “Will Joey’s mom be here tonight?”

  “No. Amelia is a travel writer, and her schedule is crazy.”

  “Let me grab Hadley.” Daphne turned to get her, but Jock was one step ahead and had already scooped Hadley into his arms. “I was just coming for her.”

  Jock flashed one of his devastating grins. “You’ve got to be quicker than that.”

  As everyone climbed out of the carts, Tara headed for Levi, and Joey ran to Jock. “Uncle Jack’s here!”

  “Give me Had so you can say hi.” Daphne reached for her daughter, and Joey jumped into Jock’s arms, hugging him tight.

  “My Dock! My Dock!” Hadley cried, thrusting her body toward Jock.

  “No, honey. Jock needs to visit with his niece. He can hug you in a minute,” Daphne said, rubbing Hadley’s back.

  “Dock, cawwy me!” Hadley pleaded.

  “Who’s that?” Joey asked, with one arm hooked around Jock’s neck.

  “Joey, this is Hadley, my girlfriend’s daughter.” He lifted Hadley into his other arm and said, “And this is my girlfriend, Daphne.”

  “Hi, Joey. I’m sorry about Hadley.” Daphne looked at Jock and said, “Are you sure you can handle both? I can take Hadley someplace else.”

  He gave her a get real look as Hadley put both arms around his neck and scowled at Joey.

  “She really likes Uncle Jack.” Joey waved at Hadley and said, “Hi, Hadley. I’m Joey.”

  Hadley buried her face in Jock’s neck, clinging tighter.

  “Hadley, be nice,” Daphne chided her softly. “I’m sorry, Joey. She doesn’t smile often.”

  Shelley joined them and said, “Now, that’s a sight I’ll never get tired of seeing.” She put out her arms and said, “Who wants to come to Grandma Shelley?”

  “Me!” Joey yelled. Steve intercepted her, and she yelled, “Grandpa!”

  “Grandma Shelley is my wife. I get the first kiss.” Holding Joey on one hip, Steve put his other arm around Shelley and kissed her right on the lips. “Missed you, gorgeous.”

  Shelley glowed with love as the other cart parked, and the auburn-haired woman hollered, “Get a room!”

  Jock leaned closer to Daphne and said, “That’s Leni, Levi’s twin.”

  The three women climbed out of the cart, and Jules said, “The tall blonde is our sister Sutton, and the petite blonde is Leni’s friend Indi.”

  Daphne noticed that all three of Jock’s sisters had dainty features. Leni and Sutton had porcelain skin, while Jules sported a golden tan.

  Sutton looked chic in a pair of navy capris and a white flowy tank top. She eyed Jock curiously and said, “First you’re a caretaker; now you’re a manny? Wait a second. You couldn’t go near Joey when she was little. How is this happening?”

  Before Jock could respond, Indi said, “It looks like there are benefits to having children.”

  “Back off, Indi,” Jules warned. “That’s my brother Jack, and he’s holding Hadley, his girlfriend Daphne’s daughter.”

  “Hi.” Daphne lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers as the girls hugged their parents.

  Indi’s eyes widened, and she said, “I’m so sorry. I’m really not a man stealer. It was just a joke.”

  “I’m not worried,” Daphne said.

  “Hi, Daphne. I’m Leni, Jack’s sister. Sorry about Indi. I can’t take her anywhere.” Leni opened her arms to embrace Daphne and said. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet all of you, too,” Daphne said as she hugged her. “But I think I’m going to need you to wear name tags.”

  “I’ll wear a name tag if you can tell me how you got my brother near your adorable little girl.” Sutton reached out to tickle Hadley.

  Hadley pushed closer to Jock and said, “Dock…?”

  The women awwed in unison.

  “It’s okay, Had, I’ve got you,” Jock said, rubbing Hadley’s back. “These are my sisters and their friend Indi. They’re nice people.” He introduced Hadley to each of the women by name and gave her a clue she could remember. “Sutton is really tall with blond hair like Mommy, and Leni has reddish hair. Indi is Leni’s friend, and she’s—”

  “Little wif yellow hair,” Hadley said, making them all laugh.

  Daphne was touched that he thought to take extra time to make sure Hadley knew who everyone was.

  Jock met his sisters’ curious gazes and put his arm around Daphne, pulling her closer as he said, “To answer your question about how I’m able to hold Hadley, these two beautiful girls came into my life, and I knew I had to get a handle on my past or I’d lose them.”

  Daphne smiled up at him, floored by his honesty, and he pressed his lips to hers.

  “Why can’t I find a guy like him?” Indi said.

  Jock chuckled and said, “Archer and Levi are single.”

  Indi scoffed. “Archer? He’s the grumpiest man I know.”

  “That’s because you haven’t met Grant Silver yet,” Jules said.

  “Hey, girls, let’s be nice, huh?” Shelley said as Tara squealed and ran past them with Levi chasing after her.

  “Daddy!” Joey pushed out of Steve’s arms and took off after them.

  Levi picked up Tara and slung her over his shoulder, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  “Do me, Daddy! Do me!” Joey yelled.

  “I bet Tara’s thinking the same thing,” Leni said quietly, making her sisters laugh.

  “Jules! Mrs. S! Help!” Tara hollered as she smacked Levi’s butt.

  “Quiet down back there,” Levi said, winking at the girls. He turned his back to them, over which Tara was hanging upside down, and said, “Daphne, say hi to Tara.”

  “Hi,” Daphne said.

  Tara twisted, lifting her smiling face to say, “Hi. I’m Tara. Some of these crazies still call me Mouse. I’ll answer to either.”

  “Say goodbye, ladies,” Levi said.

  Daphne and Tara said, “Bye,” in unison, and Levi sauntered off like he carried Tara around every day.

  “Guys like that do not exist in New York City,” Indi said.

  “No kidding,” Leni and Sutton said in unison.

  “All three of you live in the city?” Daphne asked.

  “No, just Indi and I do,” Leni said. “I work for my cousin Shea’s PR firm, and Indi is a hair and makeup artist. Sutton is a reporter for the Disco
very Hour show, which is part of Ladies Who Write Enterprises. She lives in Port Hudson, New York, near their headquarters. But she’s only about an hour away. You and Jack should come visit us sometime. We’ll make a weekend of it and show you around the city.”

  Thinking that the city would hold sad memories for Jock, she said, “I’m more of a small-town girl, but thank you.”

  “A girl after my own heart,” Shelley said. “And for you single big-city girls, if you’re really looking for love, all you have to do is come work at the winery.” She snuggled up to Steve. “That’s how I met Steve, and it’s how my mother met my father.”

  “No, thank you,” Sutton and Leni said.

  “Hey, if you need a hair and makeup artist for tastings, then sign me up,” Indi said cheerily. “I love the city, but this island snagged my heart the first time Leni brought me here.”

  “You’re going to have your hands full tonight with these ladies, Indi,” Steve said.

  “I almost forgot,” Jules exclaimed. “Daphne, we’re all getting ready together before the party, and Indi is going to do our hair and makeup. You have to join us.”

  “Indi really knows her stuff,” Leni said.

  “Thank you, but I have Hadley. I don’t want to ruin your fun,” Daphne said.

  “Don’t be silly,” Shelley said. “She needs to get ready, too. Joey has been getting ready with us for Grandma’s birthday parties since she was a tiny baby. It’s what we do, honey. I hope you’ll both join us.”

  Excitement bubbled up inside Daphne. “Okay, thank you.”

  Steve clapped his hands and said, “Now that everyone has been introduced, can we please get to work so we can eat lunch and play touch football?”

  Jock’s family cheered, and then Shelley said, “Okay, ladies, you know the drill. Let’s get movin’. Daph, you and Hadley are with me.”

  “You heard the boss, Had. I have to get to work.” Jock kissed Hadley’s cheek and set her on her feet.

  Hadley looked up at him and said, “I help you?”

  “No, honey. You’re going to help Mommy,” Daphne said.

  “Help Dock,” she pleaded. “Please? I be good!”

  Hoping Hadley wouldn’t have a meltdown, Daphne said, “Jock has to—”

  Jock whispered in Daphne’s ear, “She can hang with me if it’s okay with you.”

  She filled with gratitude, but before she could respond, Joey ran over carrying a backpack and said, “Can I play with Hadley? I have toys.” She unzipped the backpack and tugged it open, showing Hadley all the colorful toys.

  “Had, do you want to play with Joey?” Daphne asked.

  Hadley nodded.

  “Okay. Joey, I’ll be with Shelley if you need me, all right?”

  “Uh-huh, but I won’t. I play with little kids all the time.” Joey offered her hand to Hadley. Hadley took it, and Joey led her over to the grass, chattering about her toys.

  “Wow, that seemed too easy.” Daphne looked up at Jock and said, “Thank you for saying she could go with you. You can’t imagine how much it means to me.”

  “I think I can,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers.

  “Let’s go, lovebirds!” Leni said as she and Sutton sidled up to Daphne. “We need to get to know this wizard of a woman who captured our brother’s heart.”

  They took Daphne by the arms and led her away, rattling off questions about her and Jock. Archer streamed music through outdoor speakers, and over the next couple of hours, Daphne got a tour of the winery, which was warm and inviting with a mix of rich wood tones and stone, and she got to know Jock’s siblings as they set up tables and chairs, strung lights above the patio, hung candle lanterns from trees, and tied pretty purple ribbons—Grandma Lenore’s favorite color—onto each of the chairs. Every time Jock walked past, he stole a kiss, winked, or touched her hand or shoulder, and he kept an eagle eye on Hadley and Joey. Daphne had never felt so taken care of and loved.

  As she and Shelley tied ribbons on the chairs, Daphne thought about her earlier conversation with Shelley and the girls. She’d told them about her divorce, her job at the resort, and how she and Jock had met. She’d also told them about her family, and they had been thrilled to hear that she, too, was a twin. They’d joked about her and Jock getting married and having lots of twin babies. Daphne had tucked that enticing idea away beside her overzealous heart.

  “I love when all of my kids are here,” Shelley said as she picked up another ribbon. “Did you know this is the first time since Jock left the island that he’s stayed overnight?”

  “Yes, he told me. He misses coming here.”

  Shelley gazed at Jock across the courtyard and said, “We miss him, too. I bet you wonder why Steve and I haven’t intervened between him and Archer.”

  “I don’t really. I know it’s hard for everyone, and they’re adults.”

  Shelley glanced at Archer and said, “They were barely adults when the accident happened.” She came to Daphne’s side and said, “We probably should have done more back then, but they were so hurt and angry. Our efforts just made it worse. When it comes to their relationship, they’ve always had this bubble around them that nobody could penetrate. I used to think they’d be one of those twin sets who developed their own language, but they never did. They just had their own secrets.” Her lips curved into a smile. “But one day things will get better. Jock seems determined about that now that a certain someone and her little lady have opened up his heart again.”

  Shelley turned back to the ribbons. Daphne thought about what Archer had said to Jock in the hospital and wondered if it wasn’t such a big secret after all.

  When they finished with the chairs, they stood back to take it all in. Each table had white and lavender silk table runners, complemented by the purple bows on the chairs. The girls were putting out china place settings, decorative crystal candle holders, and elegant wineglasses with swirly designs on them on the tables. Daphne tried to imagine the floral centerpieces on the tables and the cloth napkins folded prettily and set in place.

  Shelley put her hands on her hips and said, “Jock said you were an event planner at your last job. Want to give me your professional opinion?”

  “I’m hardly a professional, but I do love event planning and I miss doing it. The closest I come to it these days is planning the monthly meeting for my book club, which I mentioned to you and the girls earlier. Thank you for letting me be part of this. It’s all beautiful. The china and crystal make the wooden tables country chic, which is all the rage right now. Once the centerpieces are put in place, they’ll tie it all together beautifully and really bring the setting to life, with the lights in the trees and strung over the patio”—as if on cue, the lights in the trees lit up, and Daphne’s breath caught. “Oh, Shelley. It’s magical.”

  “Let’s hope it stays that way. Two years ago, half of the lights went out during the party.”

  “That’s not an event planner’s worst nightmare, but it’s definitely a big one. I noticed you’re using holiday lights. They make heartier industrial string lights. Have you ever tried them?”

  “I didn’t even know they made them. Our lights are so old, it’s a wonder they work at all. We’ve been using the same lights and everything forever. My father used to throw my mom her birthday parties just like this. He passed away about fifteen years ago, and Steve and I took over. We thought it was best to keep things the way they were.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you. It was a long time ago. Tell me about those lights.”

  “They’re great. Since they’re commercial grade and made for outdoor use, you don’t have to take them down between events. They use bigger bulbs, and they’re not as finicky as holiday lights, so if you lose one bulb, you don’t lose the entire string.” She looked at the stone knee wall, her creative mind ticking into gear, and said, “I was thinking about the stone wall. It’s so unique. Have you thought about stringing blue lights along it? That would exten
d the party area for your larger events and give you a gorgeous backdrop for pictures for evening weddings or anniversary parties.”

  “We don’t do those types of events here,” Shelley said. “We do tastings, of course, and we hold my mother’s birthday party and the Halloween gathering, Field of Screams.”

  “Jock told me about that. It sounds fabulous.”

  “It’s a great gathering of friends. It’s funny how much you’ll do for your kids. But other than that, events are my friend Margot’s territory. She and her husband run the Silver House resort with their son Fitz. Silver House is the island’s premier event venue.”

  “Our friends were married there in the spring. It’s gorgeous.”

  “You were at the wedding with Jack—Jock?”

  “Not as a couple, but yes, Hadley and I, and all of our friends were there. But destination weddings are huge right now. Surely there’s enough event business for the Silver House and the winery. When I worked at the resort in North Carolina, people were always looking for unique venues. We were booked all year long and had to refer customers to other resorts.” She looked out at the vineyards and said, “This view is breathtaking. It’s a shame not to give it the exposure it deserves. Have you thought about working with Margot? I bet you could host bridal showers, weddings, anniversary parties, just about anything, and you could recommend Silver House as the lodging, or have them cater the event. That would give your friends new business. Or you could hold the rehearsal dinners and they hold the wedding, or vice versa.”

  “Those are great ideas, but between tastings and tours, I don’t have time to think about one more thing.”

  “Maybe you could hire someone to help you,” Daphne suggested.