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

by Melissa Foster

  “Told you!” Jules jumped up and ran over to hug each of them. She pulled Levi to his feet and said, “I love you, but please swap seats with me.” As Levi went to her seat, she sat down and snuggled up to Jock, lifting his arm and putting it around her. “This has been the best visit ever. You two are in love, and you’re here, and you’re staying overnight!”

  “What are we—chopped liver?” Levi teased.

  “No, but you guys visit all the time. Did you see how happy Mom and Dad and Grandma were tonight?” Jules asked.

  “We had a great time, too, and I’m glad we came,” Jock said. “But where’s Archer?”

  “He took off.” Levi shrugged.

  Jock sat back and said, “That sucks.”

  “I thought you’d be glad,” Levi said.

  “No, man. I’m not glad. I want to fix things between us. I hate that I’m here with you guys and he took off. I stayed away from the island so nobody would have to take sides, and look at this shit.”

  “We’re used to it,” Levi said reassuringly.

  Jock gritted his teeth. “That’s another problem.”

  Daphne put her hand over his and said, “Maybe it’s just too much, and you should try coming home by yourself so he doesn’t feel like he’s outnumbered.”

  “Maybe,” Jock said. “Or maybe I should go over to his boat and make him talk to me.”

  Jules shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that. He said he was heading home, but I bet he’s at Rock Bottom having drinks with Grant and the guys.”

  “Or keeping Wells away from Indi,” Leni said. “Is it just me, or are the guys in the city less overt with their sluttery?”

  They all chuckled.

  “I love being home with everyone—don’t get me wrong,” Leni said. “But I’ll be glad to hit the mainland tomorrow. What time are you guys leaving?”

  “I’m leaving with you right after breakfast,” Sutton answered.

  “We’re heading out after breakfast, too,” Levi said. “Joey’s got a playdate tomorrow, and I’m going to meet up with a few buddies for a motorcycle ride.”

  “Jock?” Leni asked, looking at Jock and Daphne.

  “Afternoon sometime. I’m going to show Daphne around the island.”

  Jules, Leni, and Sutton said, “Island fever!”

  Daphne giggled. “If there’s such thing as island fever, then why do two of you live in New York?”

  “Because they already burned through all the eligible bachelors here,” Jules joked.

  “Ha ha,” Leni said. “I travel all the time. It’s easier to get to clients from New York than it is from here.”

  “What about you, Sutton?” Daphne asked.

  “Because the only thing to edit on the island is the local newspaper, which has been owned by the same family for a hundred years.” Sutton looked at Jock and said, “By the way, why did we all have to hear secondhand that you’re writing again, Jock? That’s front-page news.”

  “It’s group-text worthy, too, but he forbade me to share,” Jules chimed in.

  Jock shrugged. “I’ve been a little busy trying to write and start living my life again.”

  He leaned in to kiss Daphne, and Levi said, “Hey, man, I’m just glad you’re here and an active part of the family again.”

  “I love my fam-i-ly,” Jules sang to the tune of “We Are Family.”

  “Oh boy, here she goes,” Sutton said with a laugh.

  Jules popped to her feet and started dancing and singing to the same tune. “I love my fam-i-ly. I got Levi, Leni, Sutton, Jock, and Daph-e-nee. They’re my fam-i-ly. Get up and sing with me!”

  Leni laughed and said, “No. Just no.”

  Jules shimmied her shoulders as she sang the chorus again, and Levi jumped up and shimmied with her, singing, “Look at us back together.”

  “As we hang outside!” Jules sang, reaching for Jock’s hand. “Get up now!”

  Jock pulled Daphne up with him and sang, “And we bicker like brothers and sisters. That’s who we are!” He twirled Daphne around, and they laughed and kissed as Leni and Sutton joined in, making up their own lyrics. Jock put his arms around Daphne, and they moved to their own private beat.

  Levi put his face beside them and sang, “Welcome to our fam-i-ly!”

  Jules popped up on the other side, singing, “Hey, girl!” and Daphne joined in with her own lyrics. “You got all your siblings with you! I love your fam-i-ly.”

  As Levi and Jules twirled away, singing their hearts out, Jock dirty danced with Daphne, singing, “Our life together has just beg-un.”

  “It’s al-ways just begun,” Jules shout-sang to the tune of “It’s Only Just Begun.”

  “No!” Leni and Sutton said through hysterical laughter.

  Levi hauled Jules over his shoulder as his sisters cheered him on, and Jock drew Daphne into his arms again. “Damn, baby. I could use a hell of a lot more nights like this, with you and Hadley, my family…”

  Her eyes lit up, and she said, “I’m in Jock, ready to enjoy each and every day, just like we promised your grandmother.”

  “Me too, angel, with both feet.” And on their perfect night, with his siblings causing a ruckus and his heart beating out a love song, he sealed their promises, dipping her over his arm and kissing her breathless.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  SHELLEY AND STEVE were early risers. By the time everyone came down for breakfast, there were fresh-baked banana-nut and apple-crumble muffins—Thank you, best boyfriend in the world, for cluing in your parents to my favorite type. The kitchen smelled heavenly and vibrated with sibling banter and laughter as everyone pitched in to prepare the rest of the meal. Archer hadn’t made an appearance yet. Jock had said he wouldn’t be surprised if Archer didn’t show up this morning, but Daphne hoped he would. It would be a shame for him to miss such a wonderful family gathering.

  “Okay, what else do we need to know?” Shelley asked, pulling Daphne from her thoughts. Lenore had joined them for breakfast, and the three of them had commandeered one end of the large farmhouse-style table to begin planning the wedding shower while Sutton and Indi finished setting it for breakfast.

  “You’ll need to talk to the bride-to-be and find out how many guests she expects, the atmosphere she’s hoping for—festive, classy, low-key, youthful. The time of day, which will determine the meal—brunch, lunch, dinner, just appetizers.”

  “Excuse me, ladies,” Indi said as she finished setting out the plates and utensils by them. “Remember, I’m your hair and makeup girl for events. I love this island, and I’d come back in a heartbeat to help with anything you need.”

  “Great idea,” Daphne said excitedly. “Having a hair and makeup person on site would be a fantastic selling point for weddings and bigger events.”

  “There’s an empty retail space a few doors down from me, Indi,” Jules said as she set a bowl of fruit she’d cut up on the table. “You could have your own shop.”

  “And you could bring your whip,” Lenore said with a wink. “Solve two problems at once.”

  “Mother,” Shelley said with a shake of her head. “That is something to think about—the on-site hair and makeup, not the whip. If we do decide to go big and handle more events, and you moved here, maybe you could get Leni here, too.”

  Indi glanced at Leni, who was talking on her cell phone to her cousin Shea in the living room, and said, “While I would love to live on the island, that girl in there has been citified. You might never get her back here full-time.”

  “But you keep dreaming, Mom,” Sutton said as she set down the last glass and kissed her mother’s cheek.

  Indi and Sutton headed into the kitchen with Jules, and Shelley said, “Okay, what else do we need to know?”

  Daphne glanced at Shelley’s list to see where they’d left off and said, “See if she has a type of food in mind, and if not, then we have to look into catering options. The food from the Bistro was amazing, and it’d be nice to use your friend, but do you have othe
r restaurants in mind just in case she wants something different?”

  “Plenty of them,” Lenore said. “We’ve got deep roots on this island, honey.”

  “I love that.” Daphne quickly realized she sounded a little dreamy, so in a more professional voice, she said, “We’ll also need to know what type of cake the bride is interested in, if she has a theme in mind, and if not, maybe you can suggest a few. We’ll need to prepare decorations and maybe music. You should ask her about that. You can do almost anything with the space, and the outdoor pavilion is great to block the sun or a light rain. The tasting rooms are perfect for smaller gatherings, and the larger area you showed me off the lobby would be ideal for larger events. If you do them, we’ll need to think about marketing, too.”

  “I have a granddaughter who is very experienced in marketing and public relations.” Lenore nodded toward Leni in the other room.

  “I’m sure Leni would squeeze us in. But I’m going to need Daphne’s help coming up with themes and decorations,” Shelley said. “With everything really. Tastings are so simple compared to this. Plus I’ve been doing them forever, so they’re second nature to me. This is all new and exciting. I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so revved up about hosting bigger events, especially since Margot is all for it.”

  “I’m excited, too. Jock and I are thinking about coming back the weekend after Hadley’s birthday so you and I can make more plans and get things in order. If that works with your schedule, of course.”

  “You’re coming back?” Shelley said softly, her eyes misting over. She gazed lovingly at Jock, standing at the stove making animal pancakes with Hadley.

  “Bigger eahs,” Hadley said from her perch on a chair beside Jock. “Mawshall has big eahs.”

  “Bigger ears coming up, princess.” Jock poured more batter into the pan and said, “I think I need to start watching PAW Patrol.”

  “I’ll get you a PAW Patrol gym bag.” Levi chuckled and cracked more eggs into the pan for the scrambled eggs he and Joey were making. He was wearing a black leather vest like Justin’s with the Dark Knights emblem on the back. It made him look even tougher.

  “My kitchen is full again.” Shelley put one hand over Daphne’s and the other on Lenore’s, but she didn’t say a word as she watched her children working together.

  Daphne thought about last night. After everyone else had gone inside, she and Jock had taken a walk through the vineyard. They’d talked about how nice it would be to spend more time on the island, how being there had made Jock long for the years he’d lost with his family, and how spending time with them had given him even more inspiration for his book. They both wished they could stay longer so he could have more time to try to get through to Archer and so they could visit with his parents and Jules without the commotion of the party. Watching Jock with his arm around Hadley, making her and Joey giggle at his comments, she was overcome with wanting more of this—for him, for them as a couple with Hadley, and for his family.

  Levi looked over his shoulder at no one in particular and said, “The bacon and sausages are done.”

  “I’ve got them.” Sutton came around the counter in her cute summer dress and grabbed the platter. “But first I need to taste-test the bacon.” She plucked a piece of bacon from the plate and bit into it. “Pretty darn good.”

  Steve snagged a piece of bacon as Sutton walked by, then followed her to the table. He’d been smiling all morning as he talked with everyone, putting a hand on his sons’ shoulders or around his daughters’ waists. He’d kissed Hadley good morning and she’d put her little arms around his neck and said, “Mownin’, Grwampa.” Steve had scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek, earning a big grin and making Daphne’s heart even fuller.

  “Better hurry, Leni,” Sutton called into the living room. “Dad’s going to eat all the bacon.”

  “Save some for my girls,” Jock said over his shoulder.

  Shelley squeezed Daphne’s hand.

  Indi peered around Hadley and said, “Those pancakes look great. You should make a snake for Archer. He’s a snake in the grass if I’ve ever met one.”

  “Make snake, Dock,” Hadley said.

  Jock arched a brow at Levi, who handed him something from a cabinet and said, “Go for it.”

  The kitchen door opened, and Archer walked in. Shelley squeezed Daphne’s hand again, this time a little harder.

  Archer’s hair was wet, his shirt stretched tight over his biceps and chest. His dark eyes swept over the kitchen, slowing on Jock, who managed a smile and a nod. Archer’s gaze paused on Indi, who crossed her arms and lifted her chin in defiance. Daphne wondered if they’d gone head to head last night, although Jock had wondered if Indi had ended up going hip to hip with Archer or Wells because she’d gotten in as late as Jock and Daphne had.

  “Hi, Uncle Archer!” Joey ran over and hugged him around the waist. “You smell good.”

  “Finally,” Sutton said. “You’re like a teenager, you sleep so late.”

  “Or like a thirtysomething guy with a life,” Archer said stoically.

  “Good morning, son,” Steve said. “Late night?”

  “Little bit.” Archer strode over to Shelley and Daphne, and Jock watched his every step. Archer seemed even bigger looming behind them, scanning their notes. “What’s all this?”

  “We’re hosting a bridal shower at the winery in a few weeks. Daphne is helping me plan for it. You can discuss it with your father and me later.”

  Daphne held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t start an argument.

  He eyed Daphne, and she managed a nervous smile. He looked at the notes again and said, “Do whatever you want—just don’t ruin my vines.”

  “Really?” Jules said, sharing a disbelieving glance with Sutton as Leni walked into the kitchen. “Archer, you must have gotten lucky last night not to put up a fight.”

  Archer smirked, his eyes drifting to Indi. “Making waves and taking no names.”

  “No freaking way.” Leni glared at Indi.

  “Don’t look at me! He’s your brother.” Indi turned angry eyes on Archer, who was chuckling, and said, “And, you, do not look at me like that. ‘Making waves and taking no names.’ How old are you? Sixteen?”

  Archer’s eyes narrowed. “Baby, I go twice as long as a sixteen-year-old and three times as often.”

  “Archer!” Shelley snapped. “That’s enough.”

  Archer scoffed. “Just stating the facts, Mom.”

  “Gets that from his grandfather,” Lenore said under her breath.

  Steve clapped a hand on Archer’s shoulder and said, “How about we get breakfast on the table.”

  There was a flurry of commotion as Shelley and Daphne put their papers away and the others carried the rest of the food and drinks to the table.

  Hadley turned on her chair by the stove, holding a plate, and said, “Awcher, your pancake is weady.”

  Jock put his arm around Hadley, chuckling with Levi and Indi as Archer took the plate, eyeing the snake pancake, his jaw clenching.

  “Like it?” Hadley asked.

  “Yeah,” Archer grumbled.

  “Indi, he likes the snake in the gwass!” Hadley announced as she scrambled off the chair and ran to the table.

  Archer looked like he was chewing on nails as he carried his plate over.

  “It’s so nice to have everyone under one roof,” Shelley said as the girls gathered around the table.

  Jock and Levi were whispering to each other as they put the pans in the sink, troublemaking grins on their faces. Daphne wondered what they were up to.

  Archer picked up the snake pancake with his fingers and ate half of it in one bite. His eyes watered, his face turned beet red, and he coughed and choked. He flew to his feet and grabbed the carafe of milk, guzzling it down.

  “Are you choking?” Shelley got up and started patting his back, but he pulled away, still guzzling the milk between coughs.

  “What’s happening?” Jules asked frantical
ly.

  “What did you two do?” Leni glowered at Jock and Levi, who were laughing hysterically in the kitchen.

  “It was just a little ghost-pepper extract,” Levi said through his laughter.

  Steve pinned a dark stare on them. “Seriously?”

  When Archer finally put the carafe down, chest heaving, hands fisting, he locked eyes with Jock and Levi, who were still cracking up, and gritted out, “You’re dead.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Jock said as he and Levi bolted out the back door with Archer on their heels.

  Panic exploded in Daphne’s chest.

  Hadley screamed, “Dock!” and scrambled off her chair. At the same time, Joey yelled, “Daddy!” and Jules ran for the door. Daphne scooped up a crying Hadley, and Steve caught Jules and demanded they stay inside. As Steve took off after the guys, Shelley comforted Joey, and with her heart in her throat, Daphne said to Hadley, “Shh, honey. They’re just playing tag,” wishing she could believe it, too.

  JOCK HEARD HIS brothers’ thundering footfalls behind him as they tore through the yard, Levi’s laughter joining his own. He hoped the prank would break the ice, and he couldn’t help grinning like a fool when Archer hollered at him. He spun around laughing, and Archer’s fist connected with his jaw, blindsiding him, sending him careening to the ground. He caught himself with one hand, his head spinning. Holy fuck. Guess we’re doing this now.

  Jock spit out a mouthful of blood and pushed to his feet. “That all you got?” He plowed forward as Archer came at him. “Come on. Get it all out.”

  Archer clocked him again, but Jock was ready this time. He stumbled, but remained standing. Levi grabbed Archer from behind.

  “I’ll fucking kill you, too, Levi.” Archer seethed, struggling to get free.

  “Let him go,” Jock commanded, putting his hands up and wiggling his fingers. “Come on, Archer. Give me all you got.” It was time for this shit to end.

  Archer sprinted forward, plowing his shoulder into Jock’s sternum, taking them both to the ground. But Jock was quick to get on his feet.

  “Go on,” Jock panted out. “It’s not going to bring her back.”