by Tamara Lush
The door swings open and Chloe goes running through the house, probably to her room. It’s nine at night and I’m beat to shit. Between a full day of work, the sex earlier with Natalia, and the flight over and back to Fort Lauderdale, all I want is to relax with a beer in front of the TV.
“Daddy, I love the bunk beds! If I make friends, can I have sleepovers?” Chloe shouts from down the hall, her voice filled with childish glee. All of her seriousness from a few minutes before has vanished — quick shifts in mood, I’m told, are common in tween girls. “Please? Like slumber parties? This is the best room ever!” She hugs a stuffed unicorn — the one Natalia brought over.
Sleepovers? Oh shit.
Buckle up, dude. The next few years are going to be like this, times a million.
“Please? Please? Oooh, I hope I make friends at Sunday’s party.” She’s sitting on the bed, bouncing, her straight, auburn hair flopping in her face.
“I’m certain you will, Cubster.” I roll the bags into the room.
“Daddy, oh-em-gee! You framed my Jin poster!” Chloe’s voice is a squeal as she flops back on the bed, staring at her K-pop idol.
Tween years, here we come.
Chapter Fifteen
NATALIA
My phone pings and I lunge for the device that’s resting on the sofa cushion next to my hip. Maybe it’s Matthew. He’s been with his daughter all day and hasn’t had time to talk much. I’m dying to know if Chloe likes her newly decorated bedroom, and whether she’s excited for tomorrow’s party.
Instead of Matthew, it’s Kate.
Can you come get Chunky, please?
I groan out loud at Kate’s text. “Ugh, nooo,” I whine into my empty living room.
I’m in yoga pants and a T-shirt. There are crumbs on the shirt because I’ve been snarfing down oatmeal raisin cookies from a bag. I’m nestled on my sofa with Mister Sinister, reading a twisty thriller. At the end of the chapter, I was going to pour myself a glass of wine.
Cookies and chardonnay are my usual Saturday night dinner offerings.
Can’t you have someone drop him off? Or call Ma, I reply.
No. I can’t. I’m sorry. Your parents are on the mainland at some concert. I’m in a world of shit here and can’t deal.
I frown at my phone. The text is very unlike Kate. Normally, she loves having Chunky at the bar. And usually, she can deal with anything that a Saturday night shift at the tiki bar throws her way. Drunk tourists, crazy locals, the occasional fist fight. She handles it all with barely a raised voice because Kate is firm and graceful. That’s part of the reason why my brother loves her.
Please? Please? I can practically hear the desperation in her texts.
Hunh.
“Guess I’m going out tonight after all, Sin,” I say to the black cat who’s glued to my side. When I stand up, he mewls in protest and stretches on the cushion where I’d been sitting.
I briefly consider changing clothes but decide against it. Because, screw it. It’s just the tiki bar, where people will be half-clothed at best. And Chunky’s fur will just get all over me, anyway. Oh God, I hope he doesn’t still have that farting problem.
I grab my car keys and purse, popping another cookie in my mouth and glancing at my kitty. He always smells like a downy ball of fluff.
“Okay, Sin. I’m going to get your stinky cousin. Be right back.”
It doesn’t take long to drive to Lime and Salt. When I arrive, there’s a handful of regulars sitting around the tables and at the bar. Everyone’s chatting amicably. The cashier from Jake’s Market waves, as does Jane, the server.
Odd. I expected to see a Star Wars Cantina-like situation or a full-on brawl going on. Or something out of place.
Kate’s behind the bar, wiping the counter, staring blankly at her hand that’s going around and around in a circular motion.
I slide onto a stool at the end. “Hey.”
She doesn’t notice me. Weird. It’s not that loud, and she’s usually so attentive.
“Kate?”
Nothing.
“Hey, Kate,” I call out, this time louder.
Finally, she looks up. “Oh. Hey. Thanks for coming. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
She shuffles over to me, and that’s when I realize that her eyes are puffy.
“What’s wrong?”
Her hand goes to her hip and she shakes her head. It’s as if she’s trying not to cry. She wipes her nose with her arm.
I lean in, wide-eyed. “What? Tell me? Did something happen here? Did the cops just leave? Did someone mess with you?” I look around at the people drinking and chatting. A couple of guys are watching sports highlights on a TV at the end of the bar.
She licks her lips and comes around, then slides onto a seat next to me. Her shoulders slump.
“It’s Damien.”
My chest seizes up. “What about Damien?” I ask, my voice tight and high. I sip in a breath and hold it. Any news about my brother in Syria can’t be good, because the only possible positive outcome is that he gets his ass back home in one piece. And since I don’t see him sitting here, and he’s not supposed to be home for another few months…
“They’ve asked him to stay in Syria for a few more months. Some classified mission.”
I blink. “They, as in the company he works for?” In exchange for doing dangerous, top-secret clearance work, he’s given an astronomical paycheck for being a military contractor.
“Yeah.” It dawns on me that her tear-stained eyes and inability to deal with a routine Saturday night aren’t from sadness but anger. Oh, shit.
“What did he say?” I chew on my bottom lip.
“He said he’s thinking about it. I’m trying to get him to say no. Goddammit, Nat. Why can’t he just come home? He’s so close. He’s only got what, four and a half months left? I’d psychologically gotten past the halfway mark, was still on a high from visiting him in Rome during his leave week and… goddammit.”
She covers her face with her hands. I slide off my seat and wrap my arms around her. I begin doing mental calculations of the time change between here and Syria, thinking about how I should call my little brother and read him the riot act. Dumbass, making Kate this upset.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m sure he’s not going to say yes.”
“He might,” she sniffles, pulling back from my embrace. “He thinks the extra money will be good for us. That’s what he says. And it is good money. An entire year’s salary in four months. He’s probably right. I hate that he’s right.”
I roll my eyes. “He doesn’t need the money that badly. Jesus. Our parents can help him, you two, any time, if you guys need.”
“You know him. He wants to be self-sufficient.”
“Fucking male ego.”
This makes her laugh. A tear spills loose from one eye. “I want him home.”
“We all do, Kate. Maybe he’ll take some time to think about it, realize it’s a bad idea, and say no.” Although, I know my brother, and he tends to err on the side of practical.
“I wish I hadn’t told him…” Her voice trails off and she bursts into tears. A few of the bar patrons glance at her strangely, but in the annals of Saturday nights at the Lime and Salt Tiki Hut, a crying bartender doesn’t even make the top five list of strangest events.
“What? Told him what?” My voice is probably a little too loud and a touch too sharp.
She slips off her chair and tugs on my arm, pulling me into the hallway next to the bar. She scoops her hair into her hands and winds it into a bun. Then she takes a breath. There’s a pause, and the hum of bar conversation is replaced by a tune on the jukebox, a Doobie Brothers song, since the patrons here are stuck in the seventies.
Kate scowls, her pretty face scrunching. “Nat, don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Tell anyone what?”
“I’m pregnant.”
At least fifteen seconds pass before I realize that my mouth is hanging open. The song “Takin’
It to the Streets” blares ridiculously.
“You’re…”
“Pregnant. It happened when I went to Rome.”
I blink rapidly. Am I supposed to be happy for her? On the one hand, I’m ecstatic. I’ll be the cool aunt, finally. It’s what I’m meant to be. On the other hand…
My stupid brother is thinking about staying in Syria for four additional months. For the entirety of her pregnancy. I’m ready to call him right now and yell at him for an hour straight. And when Dad and Max hear about this… I blow out a breath.
“What the hell is he thinking?” I blurt. “Sorry. I mean, congratulations.”
She swallows hard and I fling my arms around her. “Oh, Kate. Congratulations. You’re going to be an amazing mom. And Damien, he’ll be a great dad.”
As soon as he gets his ass back to Paradise Beach.
She nods into my neck and mumbles something I can’t understand. Oh, she’s crying. Not talking. Crap. I rub her back.
“I can’t wait to be an aunt to your little one. I’ve been training for this role my whole life.” I laugh, suddenly ecstatic. And she does, too, through her tears.
“I’m three months. I didn’t want to tell anyone yet. Well, I’ve told Lauren. And you. And Damien, of course.”
I pull away from her, wiping the unexpected tears from my eyes. “And what did he say? Why is he even considering this stupid idea of staying in Syria longer, when you’re pregnant?”
Inside, I’m preparing all of the things I’m going to say to my brother, and my anger’s mixing with the joy. What is he thinking?
“He wants us to have enough money to both stay home with the baby for several months. He figures he’ll work for some extra months and be home by the time I give birth. And there’s the health insurance piece. I get his reasoning. It’s a responsible choice. But…”
“But it’s an asinine idea.” I clench my back teeth.
She shrugs. “We had a blowout today. That’s why I couldn’t deal with Chunky on top of everything.”
I rub her bare shoulder. She’s in a tank top. “How are you feeling?”
“Meh. Okay. A little morning sickness. Nothing bad. Mom hasn’t noticed yet.” Kate lives with her mother, at least she will until Damien comes home.
“Don’t you worry. I’ll take the Chunkster home. Do you need help here at the bar?”
She waves me off. “Nah. Jane’s around here somewhere. I told her, too. But you’re both sworn to secrecy.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. And I mean anything, okay? Where’s the pupper?”
“In the office. I really gotta get back to the bar. Here.” She walks down the hall and fishes around her jean shorts pockets to extract a key. She opens the door slowly. “Hey, Chunky, guess who’s here?”
Turning to me, she musters a smile. “Okay, talk later. Don’t say anything to anyone yet, okay? His leash is on the desk.”
“You’ve got my word. I’ll lock and shut this door, kay?”
We give quick hugs.
“Hey, see you tomorrow at Mermosa. I’m doing the mermaid face painting for the kids,” she calls out as she walks away.
“Good deal,” I holler back.
“Hey, dude,” I say to the dog, and clip his leash onto his collar. We stroll out and I wave to Kate.
In my car, Chunky nestles into the back seat and immediately falls asleep. That dog loves the car. Just as I’m starting the engine, my phone pings with a text. I assume it’s from Kate, but it’s not.
Hey cutie, what are you doing?
Matthew. Awareness electrifies my entire body.
Hey! Had to pick up my brother’s dog from the tiki bar.
Oh? Is everything okay?
Other than the fact that I’m going to kill my brother, yes. It’s all good. I’m going to be an aunt! Oh crap. I’ve already screwed that secret up. Well, Matthew won’t tell anyone.
Uh…not sure what to say to that. Congratulations!
Yeah, I’ll explain later. I’m leaving the tiki bar.
You okay to drive?
I haven’t been drinking. Chunky is Tate’s dog, but we all care for him. I’ll explain that later, too.
I see.
There’s a pause, and as I’m typing a message about how I’ll call him when I get home, another message comes through.
Chloe’s asleep. Want to come over for a little while?
Do I? Hell yes. I’ve been missing him something fierce and I last saw him yesterday. Plus, I want to talk with somebody about what I’ve just learned, and it’s not like I can tell anyone in my family. I grin, then glance into the rearview mirror at the sleeping dog.
Sure. Let me just drop Chunk off so he and Mister Sinister can have their own party.
Thank God the island is so small that it allows me to get back to my house in under ten minutes. I’m able to swing by my place, deposit Chunky on the sofa next to a petulant Sin, and change into something slightly less slobby. I slide one of my white, cotton, T-shirt dresses over my head and spritz on perfume. There. That’s my nod to femininity.
I pause, glancing at myself in the mirror. Well, maybe I should put in a bit of extra effort, try to be a little more seductive. I unearth a tube of pink lip gloss from a drawer and swipe it on my lips.
Hmm. Maybe I should sex it up a little more? My faded grey, cotton underwear is a little ratty. I go to my bureau. I’d bought some new panties the other day, intending to wear them for Matthew. Yeah, the white lace thong is definitely a better choice, and it does make me feel sexy as hell.
Heh. Now I’m ready to go.
“Hold down the fort, you two,” I quip to the slumbering dog and the sullen cat as I sail past the sofa.
Chapter Sixteen
MATTHEW
I’m sitting on the front porch swing, drinking a beer and listening to the nighttime song of frogs and crickets. The front door is open. The screen door lets the hall light filter out while keeping the bugs from getting inside. I’m halfway through the beer when Natalia pulls up.
She climbs out of the car wearing what looks like a long, white T-shirt, black flip-flops, and a huge smile. Her blonde hair is loose and straight, and her mere presence makes my entire body warm and tingly.
“Hey,” she says softly.
I stop the swing with my foot and she slides on, sitting close. The beer goes on a nearby table and I slip my arm around her.
“Hey babe,” I whisper, trailing my nose across her cheek. She smells like sugar.
Her hand caresses my face and our lips find one another’s.
I’ve missed you, I want to say. But I don’t, because we’ve only been apart a day and I don’t want to seem creepy or overbearing. Instead, I kiss her slow and deep, and she sighs. That one, faint noise of hers means she’s content. It means I’m making her happy.
I run my hands over her hair. “Long night?” I ask.
She laughs, a little breathy noise. “You don’t even know. How’s Chloe settling in?”
“Good. I’ll tell you how it’s been. Want a beer, though?”
“I’ll take a sip of yours. I don’t want you to leave me to go inside.”
Grinning, I reach for my bottle and hand it to her. While she takes a sip, she moves her foot so that the swing rocks in time with the warm breeze.
“We had a good day. She spent the morning arranging her room how she wanted. She loved the unicorn, by the way. How did you know that those particular unicorn plushies are popular among the tween crowd?”
She shrugs and smiles. “I have my ways.”
“Well, she loved it. Then I took her to lunch at the Square Grouper, then over to the office. We rode around the island, then…let’s see. Got ice cream, watched some YouTube videos featuring some people I’ve never heard of, ate burgers, watched more videos, and then she crashed. She’s excited about tomorrow, though.”
“Excellent. I am, too. I spoke with Leilani and we’re all set. We’ve got snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, face painting, and
lots of mermaids set to swim.”
I lean in and nuzzle her neck, kissing softly. “You’re amazing, you know that? Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I like being the cruise ship director, so to speak. I’m happy when things run smoothly. Some people say I’m a control freak.” She shrugs. “Hopefully Chloe will hit it off with some of the kids.”
“I’m hopeful, too. Tell me about your night. Why were you driving your brother’s dog around? I don’t get it.” I kiss her temple.
“I guess I haven’t told you about Chunky.” She snorts a laugh. “Tate adopted this obese pug a while back, and our mother put the dog on a diet and decided that Chunky could never be alone.”
“Why?” I frown, genuinely baffled.
“I… dunno. We never really asked. We kind of just go along with what Ma says because she’s usually right.” Natalia moves her legs back and forth so the swing rocks gently.
“I see.” The more I find out about the Hastings family, the more I think they’re charmingly eccentric. I can’t wait to meet them.
“Ma put together this entire spreadsheet schedule so we all care for him when Tate can’t. So he can stick to his diet and eat every three hours or whatever. I don’t know. He’s losing weight, so I guess it’s working.”
“So, you had Chunky duty tonight? Wait. Does Mister Sinister like the dog?”
She squints one eye adorably. “Yeah. Except when he farts. Sin batted him on the head when he farted out loud one time.” She sips her beer and I let out a guffaw.
“But no, I didn’t have Chunky duty. I was sitting at home, reading a book and eating cookies. Hoping you’d text.” Her mouth opens and she bites my shoulder gently, sending a surge of lust right to my dick.
“Hey.” I pull her hair, just slightly, so she tips her head back. I kiss her, with tongue. “Love the way you kiss.”
She pulls back, her cheeks tinged with pink. “My sister-in-law, Kate, asked me to come get the dog. She’s going through some, ah, stuff. You saw Kate that day at the beach. She was one of the crazy spies who came with Chunky in sunglasses. You’ll meet her tomorrow; she’s doing the face painting.”