“I’m sorry you were born with such poor decision-making skills, but I’m happy you want to make things right, Mark.” I squeezed Chance’s hand that was now draped over my shoulder. “Hopefully, the people who were harmed by your family will be able to recover.”
Mark switched his gaze from mine to Chance’s and he took a step forward.
“Thank you for not clocking me,” he said, sticking out his hand to Chance.
I felt Chance’s body stiffen, but he shook Mark’s hand.
“I hope you find the peace that eludes you,” Chance told him.
Mark gave a quick nod and turned his gaze to me.
There was no flutter of excitement, no singe of fury, or expectation of acceptance.
There was nothing inside of me when I looked at Mark, and I couldn’t have asked for a bigger gift.
I’d moved on to bigger and better people, places, and things . . . even if I did want to remind him not to drop the soap when he went to prison.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Now, this looks absolutely gorgeous.” Hildie clapped her hands and spun around the tiny space where my teas took up home in the store at the farm.
“You like?” I asked.
Holly and I tried to blend our little corner into the rest of Hildie’s store. Nick had made shelving for our teas out of reclaimed wood, along with a simple rocking chair and a table, while Sophie, who ran a successful interior design and décor company, picked out the perfect rug and created signage to pull our space together.
“This just makes me want to sit in that rocking chair and sip tea all day,” Hildie gushed. “Perfect melding of two worlds.”
“It’s so kind of you to help me expand my little business.”
“Nonsense. This isn’t a favor. It’s a wise business move.” She winked and put her hands on her hips. “So how are you doing with everything? It’s been a couple weeks since your visitor, hasn’t it?”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded.
“Yeah, although it seems like just yesterday.” I shivered unexpectedly.
“Well, you held it together with such class and dignity.” Hildie smiled. “I don’t know many women who would’ve been nearly as forgiving as you.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, my son . . .” She shook her head. “I’m surprised he kept his poise. From the moment he told me what happened to you, I think he’d been itching to deck the guy.”
I laughed, knowing her assessment of her son was more than accurate. By all appearances, Chance was laid-back, sweet, and loyal, but I also knew underneath all that he was fiercely protective of the ones he loved.
“Chance is always the gentleman.” I grinned, seeing a glimpse of him in the back part of the store, hanging more wreaths and lavender swags for sale. “It’s going to be so weird without Chance around.”
Hildie clutched my hand and nodded. “It is really going to be a change I’m gonna have to get used to, and I’m not even sure that it’s possible.”
My chest constricted, and I had to look at the weave of the rug below to force the unexpected flood of emotion away. This was the right decision for him, and I wasn’t going to stand in the way.
“I’m glad he’s got such a good network of friends down there.” I smiled, bringing my gaze to Hildie’s.
“They’re definitely an interesting bunch of folks,” she agreed. “Did Chance mention that his cousin, Brooke, will be coming out at the end of February?”
“No. Where is she from?” I asked.
“She’s currently living in Colorado, but she’s making the move to Hound to take over for Chance. He’s going to start training her as soon as she gets here.”
“I guess that means it’s really happening.” My heart dropped, but I kept the smile plastered to my face.
“Does seem that way.” Hildie formed her lips into a little scowl.
“Why the long faces?” Chance strode over, carrying a box of candles he sat on the table.
“No reason.” I tried to make my smile even bigger.
“I told her that Brooke will be coming out from Colorado.” Hildie nodded, twisting her fingers together.
“You’ll like Brooke. She’ll be great to work with.” Chance’s gaze stayed on mine.
“Can’t wait to meet her.”
“I’m off to put dinner on.” Hildie patted my shoulder. “You’ll stay for dinner?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Good.”
Hildie hurried out of the shop, and I brought my eyes back to Chance.
“You doing okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. I think so.” I reached out and rearranged some tins of tea. “It’s starting to dawn on me that you’re really moving to Portland.”
“It looks that way.” He sank his teeth into his bottom lip, and my mind flashed to where I wanted those perfect lips. “What’s got you suddenly smiling?”
“I must be so transparent.” I sighed, shaking my head.
“As transparent as cellophane.” He smirked.
“I was just thinking about where all I’d like those lips.”
Chance’s gaze darkened immediately, and he took a step forward, pulling me into him.
“And where would that be?” he murmured, kissing right under my ear.
I longed for his mouth everywhere.
“All over, really,” I whispered, feeling the connection to him I knew meant more to me than I ever thought possible.
“How about here?” He moved his lips to the crook of my neck and my body trembled with want.
“Mmhm.”
“And here?” His mouth trailed along my collarbone.
“Yes,” I breathed. “I’m going to miss this.”
Chance nodded and brought his lips to mine.
“So am I,” he murmured between kisses. “So am I.”
I kept my eyes closed trying to memorize everything about Chance: the sweetness of his lips, the tenderness of his touch, the way his whiskers softly tickled my chin. I drew in a breath, feeling him pull away.
“I want you to come away with me.”
“To Portland?” I asked, panic quickly settling in.
“I’ve rented a little cabin up in the mountains for Valentine’s Day.” He looped his fingers through mine. “I want to spend as much time with you as possible. Do you think Holly would watch the store?”
I nodded and he pressed his forehead against mine.
“Good.” He kissed my lips softly, but we both heard an employee in the back room.
Chance stepped away, keeping his fingers locked with mine.
“I’ll be looking forward to the cabin,” I told him and he nodded.
“Me too. More than you know.”
“Has Brad said anything since you submitted your tentative offer?” I asked the question I’d been dreading all day.
“Not a word. I know there’s another offer on the table, but I also know mine is stronger.”
“Well, the right thing will happen.” I glanced at my Soothing Mind tea and wondered if I should make a batch.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I slipped it out and saw a text from my sister.
Are you near a television?
My brows knitted together and I typed back.
No, but I can get to one. Why?
She quickly wrote back.
I think there’s a lot more to Mark’s story than he let on. Minchester Bank is on the National News.
“What’s going on?” Chance asked, rubbing my back. “You look sick.”
“I’m not really sure. My sister just said that Mark or his family or bank or something is on the news.”
“Ooh, that’s not good. We can go to my house, but my mom’s is closer.”
I nodded and he led me out of the store. We quickly followed the path to Hildie’s, rain pelting us along the way. By the time we flew into her kitchen, we were drenched.
“A storm has hit,” Hildie said, tossing us a couple of clean towel
s from the laundry room.
“In more ways than one,” Chance said, and Hildie’s brows rose in surprise.
“How so?”
“My sister just texted and said that something’s on the national news about Mark or his family.”
“Oh, dear.” Hildie frowned but ushered us into the family room.
Chance grabbed the remote and turned on the cable news.
Sure enough, images of Mark, his father, and several bank branches were being highlighted.
“Millions of dollars?” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief.
I watched Mark walk up the steps to the courthouse wearing a beige trench coat and my stomach turned at the sight of him.
“Mark Minchester is getting eight years,” Hildie read off the ticker scrolling on the bottom of the screen.
“And that was his idea of a good plea?” Chance asked surprised. “I wonder what all they had on him?”
“Or what all they’ll be able to pin on his dad with his help.” I shook my head, completely grateful that my life had veered from Mark’s so long ago.
“They were skimming off the top.” Hildie looked horrified at the families and sums of money flashing across the screen.
“I wonder how many years they’ve been doing this,” I whispered in a near state of shock. “I can’t believe they would be so cruel and heartless.”
My phone buzzed again and this time it was a text from my mom asking if I’d seen the news.
I quickly texted back.
I thought I had the worst headline back at home. Guess Not!
My mom wrote back.
That’s the spirit! Would you like to come over for dinner soon?
I glanced up at the screen to see Mark’s father. He hadn’t changed much. He looked as smug as ever. I wondered what his wife thought about everything. I wondered if she’d turned the other way all this time or if she didn’t know? Did she want to cling onto a lifestyle that wasn’t hers to have or did she honestly not know what he was up to?
I wrote a quick text back to my mom letting her know I was at Hildie’s, and my mom sent back a smiley face and an invitation for Hildie and Chance to come over to their new home for dinner. I had mixed thoughts about having Hildie and Chance over to my parents’ place. It was almost like I didn’t want my parents to get their hopes up. It was one thing for me to be a realist about the odds of a long-distance relationship, but I didn’t want to drag my parents into the highs and lows of everything.
“You okay over there?” Chance asked softly.
“Yeah. Sorry.” I shook my head. “Just a lot to take in with everything.”
“I’m really proud of how you handled things,” Hildie said again, and I believed her.
“I just feel so bad for the people they did this stuff to.”
“Takes all kinds to make the world go around,” Hildie said, spinning her finger in the air. “Just highlights what’s important in life. Family, friendship, and love. If you can get all three with the same person, you’re one lucky individual.”
I nodded, feeling Chance’s gaze on me, but I didn’t want to look over. I was afraid I’d let on what I was really feeling.
There was no doubt that I was falling in love with Chance.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, reaching for my hand.
“It’s a shame about this Portland opportunity.” Hildie sighed. “I’m all for going for the gusto and taking opportunities with the unknown nipping at the edges of reality. Shoot. I named you Chance for cryin’ out loud but talk about timing.”
I let out a nervous laugh and noticed the news had gone onto a new topic.
“All I’m saying is that it’s not every single day that I see what I see between you two.” She scooted back in her chair. “In fact, I’ve never seen my son so smitten.”
“Don’t believe her,” Chance said. “She’s been trying to marry me off for years.”
“I have not,” Hildie said, completely exasperated. She glanced at the television, which now showed footage from another snowstorm barreling into the state.
“Before I forget, my mom invited you both over for dinner sometime.”
“Oh, that would be lovely.”
“Yeah, It will be a nice sendoff for Chance.” I looked in his direction and noticed his expression fell.
My phone buzzed again, but this time it was someone calling from a number I didn’t recognize so I let it go to voicemail and waited for the notification.
“You tell us when and we’ll be there, right?” Hildie looked over at Chance and smiled. “I’m really looking forward to meeting your parents. I’m sure they’re absolutely lovely people.”
“They are unique for sure.” I smiled, thinking about my mom’s latest frantic message about a faucet that turned on by itself.
I wasn’t sure if my dad was just teasing her or if Muppet had learned some new tricks. I held up the phone to my ear and began listening to the message.
“Maddie, what’s wrong?” Chance asked.
I turned off my phone and let out a sigh. “Some reporter reached out about Mark. They want to interview me.”
Another number I didn’t recognize flashed across my screen and I sent it to voicemail and groaned. This wasn’t exactly how I envisioned my leaving it all behind would go.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Boy did you luck out after all with that mess.” My dad wrinkled his nose, looking over his reading glasses. He was sitting on the couch and my mom was in the kitchen. Hildie and Chance were on their way over from visiting Jake and Jewels.
After not returning any phone calls, the press began staking out my store and home waiting for me to respond to the Minchester allegations. It turned out this was a much larger issue than I knew. The amount embezzled from their bank was upwards of thirty million dollars over two decades. Mark’s father had been a busy man in more ways than one.
So rather than go home, I went to my parents’ cottage on the beach. There was a lull with the reporters lingering outside my store early this afternoon—some of them must have gotten hungry—and I dashed out, leaving my sister to close up shop.
“I think that’s an understatement.” I sucked in a breath and let it out just as loud. “It’s so hard to believe how well they kept it hidden.” I glanced at the television and saw a blonde, in a floral top, identified as Heather sitting in front of the camera. “Turn it up.”
My dad reached for the remote and increased the volume.
“That’s Heather, his last fiancée,” I told my dad.
“She dodged a bullet there.” My dad scowled. “Honey, come look at Mark’s other fiancée.”
My mom nearly flew into the room, wiping her hands on a blue kitchen towel as she craned her neck to see the woman being interviewed, and she didn’t hold back.
“Oh my gosh.” My mom cringed in disgust. “Mark’s dad tried to come onto her? What a creep.”
The woman kept talking and the pit in my stomach only grew. I’d never told my parents that Mark’s father groped me and had attempted similar things on my wedding day.
“Honey, if this doesn’t show that things tend to work out even when we don’t know why certain things happen. . .” She shook her head. “I don’t know what would.”
I nodded, listening to this woman rip the Minchesters to shreds, and for some curious reason, all I could be was grateful that it wasn’t me sitting in front of the camera. I understood the hostility beneath Heather’s words, tone, and expressions, but I had no desire to tell my story. I didn’t want to be connected with these men in any way.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” My mom asked softly, coming over to me. Her gaze fell to a tissue that I’d apparently ripped to shreds in my lap.
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Just relieved I got out when I did.”
My mom sat next to me and held my hand. “What else is bothering you?”
“I’m not really sure.” I turned to look into her eyes and knew I could no longer keep the
secret.
A few seconds of silence ticked by as Heather continued to describe her experiences with the Minchesters, now moving onto Mrs. Minchester.
“Did he do something to you?” My mom asked and my breath caught.
I stood up and took a deep breath. “Yes.”
“When?” The vein in my father’s neck throbbed.
“He’d flirted the entire time, but I wrote it off as his personality.” Nausea settled deep in my stomach. “But the day he became the most aggressive was on my wedding day. When I realized Mark wasn’t coming, and I’d chased you guys away, he came into the dressing room.”
“What a lecherous bastard.” My father’s cheeks flamed red, and he whipped off his glasses. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to go to prison. Believe it or not, I love having my parents around without having to go through extreme security measures to visit you.”
My father chuckled as he steadied his breathing.
“She has a point, dear. You do have a temper.” She flashed an adoring smile.
“Only when it matters.” My father brought his gaze back to mine. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” A smile touched my lips. “I pepper sprayed him.”
“That’s my girl.” My dad nodded and clapped.
I let out a long breath of pure relief. “That’s why my loan was called.”
“It makes more sense now,” my mom said rather matter-of-factly.
“Doesn’t it?”
“It does,” she nearly hummed. “This wasn’t what I expected tonight.”
She walked over to Muppet who seemed to be quietly taking it all in. “I actually expected to hear Chance had wanted your hand in marriage.” A twinkle in her eyes lit the room up and I shook my head, laughing.
“Glad we have our priorities straight.” I chuckled, sitting back down. “But no, that won’t be happening, mom. It looks like Chance will be headed to Portland.”
“That’s a shame. I like him. I really wanted that to fall through.” Her brows pressed together.
Chance at Love on Mystic Bay (Island County Series Book 6) Page 18