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

by Melissa Foster

  “Yes, if we were that kind of business. But we’ve always been primarily a family-run business. We have other help, of course, but they’re from families we’ve known forever. And unfortunately, none of my kids besides Archer, who is knee-deep in operations, wants anything to do with the vineyard or the winery.”

  “I understand,” she said, but ideas continued sprouting in her mind like spring flowers. “If the Silvers have an event planner, maybe you could work with them and rent out this space for weddings. Then you’d just need a point person to coordinate with them.”

  “Now, that’s thinking creatively. If only I could steal you away from Bayside,” Shelley said with a wink.

  “If only…” Daphne said it casually, but that seed of longing inside her dug a little deeper. “In any case, you did a magnificent job with this entire setup. I can’t wait to see it all come together tonight. The cookies were so good, I can only imagine how tasty the pies and cakes you made for dessert are going to be. Are you having the dinner catered?”

  “I have to. I can’t cook for forty people and fit in time for our traditional touch-football game. My friend Ava de Messieres is catering for me. She owns a little bistro by the beach.”

  “A bistro? That sounds fancy.”

  Shelley shook her head. “It used to be quite nice, but Ava’s a bit too fond of the bottle, if you know what I mean. She has two beautiful daughters that are Leni’s and Sutton’s age, Abigail and Dierdra. The poor girls did the best they could by her, but they needed to get on with their own lives and have moved off the island. They’re doing well, but Ava’s bistro has been floundering for a while now. When our kids were younger, they’d help out at the bistro, waiting and busing tables sometimes, and we have always tried to give her business when we can.”

  The lights on some of the trees went out, and Archer cursed.

  Shelley winced. “Uh-oh. I think I’d better get that lighting information before Grandma’s next birthday party. Actually, you haven’t been properly introduced to Archer yet, have you?”

  Daphne tried to hide her nervousness with a smile. “Not yet.”

  “Are you feeling strong?” Shelley asked with a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

  “Strong enough,” she said, hoping it was true.

  Shelley gave her hand a supportive squeeze and said, “Good. Let me introduce you to my beautiful disgruntled boy.”

  As they walked across the patio, Daphne looked for Jock, but he must have gone into the building. Archer stood on a ladder fiddling with a string of lights.

  “Archer, honey?” Shelley said.

  “Yeah?” he said gruffly, and peered down at her.

  His dark eyes shifted to Daphne, brows slanted, making him look more like Jock. But while Jock’s eyes had been shadowed with hurt and anger when he’d told Daphne about the accident and the showdown with Archer, Archer’s blazed with ire. He had his father’s sharp jawline. He was a beast of a man and looked rock hard, with muscles upon muscles and tree-trunk legs. Daphne hoped his heart hadn’t become impenetrable, too.

  “I don’t think you’ve met Jock’s lovely girlfriend, Daphne,” Shelley said.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said curtly, and returned his attention to the lights.

  Daphne gathered her courage and said, “Hi. I understand you and Jock are having a hard time, but I hope one day Hadley and I can get to know you better.”

  He glowered down at her. “A hard time?” He scoffed.

  Daphne was shaking a little, but she wanted to be strong for Jock, so she didn’t give up trying to chip away at Archer’s walls. “I’m sorry for your loss, Archer. Jock said Kayla was very special to you, and I can’t imagine how hard it was to lose her.”

  “You’re right, you can’t,” he said gruffly. “I’ve got to get these lights fixed.”

  Shelley pursed her lips. “Archer Steele, I raised you to be kinder than that.”

  “Yes, you did,” he said through gritted teeth. “But sometimes life beats the kindness out of a person.”

  “I know something about being beaten down by life,” Daphne said carefully. “And about finding a way not to hate when you feel like your insides are made of shattered glass. You don’t have to like me or my daughter, Archer, but that doesn’t mean I’ll dislike you.”

  Archer’s brows knitted, but he didn’t say a word.

  Shelley studied Daphne for a moment with an empathetic and appreciative expression. “Well, then,” she said, cutting through the tension. “Just one more thing, Archer. Daphne has a background in event planning, and she has some interesting ideas. She was telling me about industrial lights that we can use to cut down on frustrations like these.”

  “These lights are fine,” he said sharply.

  “For now, yes, but maybe for next year we should look into them,” Shelley said.

  Having used up her courage and hoping to avoid any further conversation with Archer, Daphne said, “Shelley, why don’t I get your number and text you a link for the lights?”

  “Good idea. Archer, honey, what do you think about holding events here? Maybe working with the Silvers? It might be worth thinking about.”

  Without looking at them, he said, “I think that’s a family decision, and not one to be made on Grandma’s birthday.”

  “That’s a shame, honey,” Shelley said a little sarcastically as Jock came out of the winery. “I was hoping to get your two cents before I got my lips on your father and convinced him to take my side.”

  Jock’s brows slanted and his jaw clenched. He strode toward them, his every determined step making Daphne’s heart race. The last thing she wanted was to cause a confrontation. Thinking fast, she said, “It was nice to meet you, Archer. The lights are gorgeous. Thank you for introducing us, Shelley.” She hurried over to Jock, catching him a few yards from Archer, and took his arm, dragging him away.

  “What the hell just happened? What did he say to you?” Jock seethed.

  “Your mom was just introducing me. It was fine, and now we’ve met, so it’s done.”

  He stared as Archer climbed down from the ladder. Their eyes connected, both of their jaws clenching.

  Daphne touched Jock’s cheek, drawing his eyes to her. She desperately wanted to soothe the tension vibrating off him. She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “All those bad feelings between you two have the power to make or break today for everyone. I know you worry about me, but I’m fine. And I know you want to fix things, but he’s obviously not on the same page yet. So why don’t we focus on the good, spend time with your family, and enjoy this gorgeous day.”

  He rolled his shoulders back as if they pained him and said, “Yeah, okay.”

  “Jock!” His father waved him over as Archer stalked into the winery.

  “Are you okay, babe?” Jock asked.

  “Yes. I’m fine. I’m glad your mom introduced us. Now Hadley and I are people in Archer’s mind, instead of villains.”

  “Did he say that?” Jock snapped.

  “No. I just meant it might help to have met me. I’m fine, Jock. Go help your dad.” She nudged him away, loving his protective side as much as she adored the rest of him.

  By the time they finished setting up, Joey and Hadley were thick as thieves, and Hadley was calling Shelley and Steve Gwama and Gwampa. Daphne felt like she’d known Jock’s family forever, with the exception of Archer, who had pointedly kept his distance from both her and Jock. True to his word, Jock wasn’t letting Archer ruin his day. After a few minutes of stewing, he’d begun joking around and enjoying his family.

  As everyone else piled into the golf carts to head to the house for the touch-football game, Jock put his arm around Daphne, and together they watched Hadley settle in on Shelley’s lap and Joey climb onto Steve’s beside them.

  “What do you think, angel? Can you handle my family?”

  “Handle them? I love them, and it’s obvious how much they enjoy having you home. I can’t believe how well everyone worke
d together to get this place ready for the party. I had no idea your family didn’t host events here. They should. What a gorgeous venue. Your mom and I were talking about it, but I don’t think Archer is very keen on the idea.”

  “You talked with him about it?”

  “Your mom mentioned it to him. It was just a quick chat, nothing really. I hope you and Archer can eventually find your way back into each other’s good graces. It would be nice to spend more time with your family in the future.”

  He gathered her against him, grinning as he said, “I said we earlier, and you said future…I see a pattern forming.”

  As he pressed his lips to hers, Leni hollered, “Get a room!”

  Heat sparked in Jock’s eyes, and he said, “Now, there’s a great idea.”

  LUNCH WAS LOUD and chaotic, as per usual at the Steele house. Jock’s mother had prepared her famous chicken-parmesan sliders, macaroni and cheese, homemade potato salad, and fruit salad. Everyone helped set the table, and as they ate, their parents told stories about when Jock and his siblings were young. Daphne laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes, and even Archer and Hadley cracked smiles. Jock was glad his parents embarrassed everyone in equal measure, because Levi and the girls took their best cracks at embarrassing him. Joey was treating Hadley like a beloved little sister, which spurred comments about Levi giving Joey a sibling. Levi just shook his head and said it was someone else’s turn to deal with sleepless nights and dirty diapers. He said it like it was a bad thing, but to a guy who hadn’t seen a family in his future, it sounded like heaven.

  As they headed outside to play touch football, Joey and Hadley carried their toys to the shade beneath a tree. The girls huddled together, giggling and talking, and Daphne was right in the middle of it all. Archer and Levi went to get flags to mark the field, and Jock finally took a moment to breathe. He hated the tension between him and Archer, but Daphne’s continuous encouragement made him want to try even harder to find a way to fix their relationship. He was starting to think he might need a sledgehammer to break down Archer’s walls.

  His father sidled up to him and said, “Feeling the need to bolt yet?”

  “Not this time,” Jock said, watching the girls. “I never felt like it was right to make Archer more uncomfortable by being here. But then Daphne came into my life, and I want her and Hadley to know you guys. She makes me see everything differently, including all that I’ve been missing here, and I’ve got to tell you, Dad. I miss this a hell of a lot.”

  “We’ve missed it, too. I haven’t seen your mother this happy in years.” His tone turned serious, and he said, “What’s your plan with Archer?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t really have a plan beyond continuing to try to talk it out. Do you have any advice?”

  “Yeah, watch yourself around him. He’s like a volcano ready to explode. He keeps it under wraps pretty well until he hears you’re stopping by, and then there’s no hiding his animosity.”

  Jock knew that, and yet it still hurt to hear his father say it so easily. “I’m sorry to put you and Mom through this for so long. I’m not sure he’ll ever get past it, and that’s on me. I should have tried harder ages ago.”

  “This isn’t your fault. You were both devastated by what happened. We all were. I’m going to tell you something that I tried to tell you years ago, but you didn’t want to hear it then.”

  “You sure I want to hear it now?” Jock was only half-teasing.

  “No, but you need to hear it. When you kids were little, you’d come home from school whiny and argumentative. As a first-time father, I thought I needed to take control of the situation. Not that I could, of course. Tired kids have powers no one else in this world possesses, because they own pieces of their parents’ hearts, which makes it hard to do anything other than try to make things better. Anyway, I told your mother I felt like I was failing you and Archer by not teaching you boys to buck up. But she told me that every time we sent you off to school or to friends’ houses, we told you to behave, and the only place you could be tired and whiny was with us. We were your safe haven, and you knew we would love you no matter what. But you and Archer used to take everything out on each other, and that was another bone of contention for me, because it was one thing to accept it as a parent, but I couldn’t just watch you hurt each other. As you got older, we realized that with you and Archer, and eventually with Levi and Leni, we weren’t always your safe haven. Twins share a womb, and there is no stronger bond than that. You and Archer were a learning experience for us, and I don’t know if we did things right or wrong, but we did the best we could.”

  “You should have named us Trial and Error.” Jock watched Archer and Levi marking the field, remembering a few knock-down, drag-out fights with Archer that he thought they’d never recover from. But nothing compared to the pain of silence.

  “I guess so. As you two came into your own, we began to understand that you were each other’s safe havens. You would tear each other apart and test that bond with everything you had, but you were always the first to back each other up.”

  “That didn’t happen this time, Dad. When Archer cut me out of his life, I think he meant it.”

  “Unfortunately, so do I.”

  Jock felt gutted all over again.

  His father held his gaze and said, “I think he meant it at the time. We all say things we don’t mean, and you know Archer is fierce. He loves as hard as he hates. But I know my son, and he does not hate you. He’s lost, Jock. Lost in years of anger and pain, and he can’t find his way out. He sees you, and it’s a reminder of what he can’t do.”

  “Come on, Dad. You can’t believe that.”

  “I do believe it. The only way you two will get out of this storm is on each other’s backs. He needs you more than ever, and I know that’s a lot of pressure to put on you, son, so just take it for what it’s worth. I’d fix it if I could.”

  “You ladies going to chat all day?” Levi called over to them. “Or are you going to play?”

  His father put a hand on Jock’s back and said, “You ready to lose in football?”

  Jock scoffed, still processing what his father had said. “Not a chance, old man.”

  “Hurry up, you guys.” Jules waved them over to where everyone had gathered. “We’re divvying up teams.”

  They joined the others, and Levi said, “It’s me, Jock, Daphne, Jules, Joey, and Indi versus Dad, Archer, Tara, Leni, Mom, and Sutton.” He leaned closer to Jock and said, “I’ll block Archer.”

  Shelley was holding Hadley, and she said, “This little lady is playing for both teams, so watch your feet people.”

  “I don’t need to play. I’ll sit out with Hadley,” Daphne offered.

  “No, babe. This is what we do.” Jock took her hand and said, “Everyone plays—big or little. Joey’s been playing since she was younger than Hadley.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay?” Daphne asked worriedly. “Hadley might get in the way or get hurt. We’ve never played this before. Leni explained the rules, but Hadley—”

  “We’ll all watch out for her, I promise. Don’t worry.” Jock pressed his lips to hers.

  “Are we going to play or what?” Archer snapped.

  Jock glowered at him. “Chill out. It’s just a game.”

  Archer grumbled something indiscernible as everyone took their positions.

  Daphne took Hadley’s hand, falling in line beside Jock, and said, “We’re playing a big game of tag. Stay close to Mommy.”

  As Sutton prepared to hike the ball to Archer, Archer set a threatening gaze on Jock.

  “Down. Set,” Archer called out. “Hike!”

  Sutton hiked the ball, and Archer scanned the field as Levi ran toward him. Jock blocked their father, and everyone else scrambled to cover their counterparts. The girls laughed and cheered, and Hadley was right there with them, running after everyone and giggling up a storm as Archer threw the ball to Leni. Indi intercepted, causing an uproar of commotion as she ran towar
d the goal, dodging their mother and Tara. Archer plowed past everyone and swatted Indi’s ass, causing her to shriek and spin around, scowling at his laughter.

  Indi lifted her chin and said, “That’s probably the most tail you’ve gotten in years.” She strutted off, giving high-fives to all the girls, leaving Archer fuming.

  Archer stalked back to his side of the field, knocking into Jock’s shoulder as he passed.

  “Chill out, bro,” Levi called after him.

  Archer kept an angry stare locked on Jock over the next few plays. When Shelley scored a touchdown, their father smothered her face with kisses. Tara ran the ball and Levi picked her up as he had earlier, carrying her to the opposite goal, earning cheers and whoops. When Jock intercepted a pass, he scooped up Hadley and let her carry the ball into the endzone, where he lifted her over his head, cheering her on along with everyone else. He’d never seen Hadley or Daphne smile so bright—or Archer’s glare so dark.

  As the afternoon wore on, Archer made snide comments, but Jock let them roll off his back. He didn’t need to be dragged into his brother’s darkness. Not when everyone else was having so much fun. Their father lifted Joey up to catch a pass despite her being on the opposing team, and they both ran to the endzone, cheered on by everyone else. Joey spiked the ball like a pro, and she and their father went up on their toes in their wacky touchdown dance—knees waggling, fists pumping toward the sky. In the middle of the field, Hadley was trying to mimic the dance, which made everyone else, except Archer, crack up.

  Jock wished Archer would lighten up, but all the joking and laughing just seemed to add weight to the chip on his shoulder. In the next play, Jock covered their mother, shuffling to the right, then left, hands up, ready to intercept as she tried to distract him by tickling him from behind. He turned to tickle her, and the ball slammed into his back. Jock’s breath flew from his lungs.

  “Archer!” Jules and their mother yelled at once.

  Jock spun around, catching Archer’s vindictive grin as Daphne ran to Jock’s side. Jock gritted his teeth, hands fisting. “Dude, really?”