by Mj Fields
“Just get the fuck out of here,” I hear Pace say as he pulls the woman back, holding her like a football player holds a ball as he runs toward the end zone.
“Babička, calm down or you’ll be next to Dad in that hospital.”
“I want to kill him,” she says in English now.
“Trust me; I know the feeling,” Paige sputters.
I see another woman, standing back and crying. She has dark hair and is smaller than Paige, but the resemblance is there. I know it’s her mother.
Not wanting to overstep—yet anyway—I walk over and wrap my arm around her. When she looks up at me, she looks shocked. She’s not alone. I am certainly shocked at my behavior, as well.
The fucking Paige effect, I tell myself.
“Mrs. Arnesen?” I ask.
She nods.
“I’m a friend of Paige’s. Let’s get you inside so you can have a seat.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m never—”
“You’re fine,” I assure her.
“Your name?”
“Vincent. I worked for Valentina Segretti.”
She smiles and nods.
“I want you to get the fuck out of here before I let her go at you, you son of a bitch.”
“Oh God.” Mrs. Arnesen covers her eyes. “My mother is going to jail.”
“The feisty one?” I ask, and she nods. “Can I try to get her in here with you?”
She nods again. “Please.”
“Her name?” I ask, hoping to arm myself with something familiar. On my boat, I listened to a few audiobooks about dementia. I knew Paige’s grandmother had it, since I overheard talk.
“Babička works best.” She pulls a hanky out of her overall pocket and blots her tears.
“Then Babička it is.”
“I don’t know what you people don’t understand about twenty-four hours. You should be thanking me that I found an owner who gave you thirty days. And if you’d hear me out, you’d know he has no interest in running it. He’d like to hire you on.”
I look at the fucker and know it’s Warren Black. My blood boils as I get closer.
When I take Babička’s hand, she looks up at me. “Stephan?”
Paige and Pace look at me, shocked, and then Paige nods her head furiously.
“Yes?” I respond.
“Who is this man? And why are we here?”
“You’re just out for a stroll, Babička,” Pace tells her.
She reaches up and cups my cheek. “You haven’t aged at all.”
Paige puts her hand on her chest, and a silent sob heaves beneath them.
“Let’s get you inside so I can help your grandchildren.”
She giggles. “Ours, Stephan, ours.”
I nod as I lead her inside, grateful there is no fighting distracting me from taking it easy and not hurrying the old gal.
When she looks at Paige’s mother—her daughter, I assume—she smiles brightly.
“Coffee, Mom?”
Babička nods as she sits down.
Paige’s mother mouths, “thank you,” and then I hurry my ass back to where Warren fucking Black is standing too close to Paige for my liking. I wouldn’t have left her had her brother not been there.
When I walk out, Paige’s back is to me.
Warren glances up at me then back at her. “As promised, I am bringing you a copy of the contract you requested. It’s perfectly legal, but feel free to spend money you clearly don’t have to investigate.”
“Do you think for one minute”—Paige pokes him in the chest hard—“that I would believe a word you say!”
He holds his hands in the air. “I’ve never lied to you, Paige.”
She pokes him harder now. “You agreed to give me twenty-four hours if I agreed to sit with you through a dinner.”
“You?” he huffs.
“You’re pathetic.” She pokes him again, and he steps back. “A liar.” Again, she pokes him, and he steps back again. He’s dangerously close to the edge of the dock.
I look at her brother who notices the same thing and shrugs at me.
She pokes him again. “Insecure.” Poke. “Unaccomplished.”
“Unaccomplished? Your family can’t even hang on to a measly two fishing boat operation on a tourist island!”
Having had enough, I nudge him with my hip as I walk around him to face her.
She snatches the file before he falls off the dock and into the water below.
Paige’s angry glare changes to wild amusement. I can’t help loving that I did that to her.
“You’ll pay for that!”
I turn around and squat, looking at the fool. “It was an accident.”
“Who the fuck is this?” Warren yells, pulling seaweed off his suit.
Pace chuckles. “My new best friend.”
I hold my hand out. “Again, it was an accident.”
He goes to reach for my hand, when I pull it back and stand.
“Asshole,” he sputters.
As I follow Paige and her brother inside, Pace glances back at me. “I’ll get you that paperwork.”
“For what?” Paige asks, sitting down at the table, nose in the file.
“For the docking fee,” Pace tells her.
“Why charge him so some asshole can make money after he stole our family’s company?”
“He didn’t steal it. He bought it,” Mrs. Arnesen says, walking over to the table and sitting down next to her.
Paige looks back and sighs when she sees her grandmother sleeping. “I should cut his nuts off and feed them to the sharks,” she grumbles.
“Paige,” her mother hushes, “we have company.”
She looks at her mother then at me.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Arnesen. I’ve known Paige for years and have come to expect certain things,” I tell her, looking back at Paige. “Maybe your mother is right. Maybe the new owner simply saw a business opportunity, looked into your family, and thought maybe it could be a win-win situation.”
Pace takes the folder from Paige as she shoots daggers at me.
I hold her stare, counting inside my head to see how long it takes for her to stop being annoyed with me. When I get to fifty, I realize I may have misjudged the effect I have on her.
“He’s offering benefits, retirement, bonuses based on business, vacation where he’ll hire temporary employees to fill in, and …” Pace pauses. “Well, shit.”
“See? Not everything is as good as it sounds,” Paige says, looking away from me at seventy-eight seconds.
“If we agree to stay on for two years, the house will be signed over to you.” Pace looks at his sister as he pushes the file toward her.
“Me?” she gasps. “Why me?”
Chapter 10
Fight Song
Paige
“It makes no sense at all. None,” I say as I continue to skim through the file of lies. “I’m still going to take it down to Old Man Thorn to have him look it over.”
Pace chuckles. “That bastard is the only person still making money on this island.”
“That’s because Warren has bled everyone dry and run them out of business.”
“Pace should go back to school and put him out of business,” Mom says with a smile.
“I agree. This seems too good to be true. I think we should walk away. My retirement account is big enough to buy a house for the three of you.”
“You know we won’t allow that.” Mom reaches over slowly, her hand shaking. I push mine closer so I don’t have to see her struggle.
“Mom, I’m going to insist.” I look down at the paperwork, sure that I am missing something big.
I look up at Mom when I feel her trembling.
I see Vincent hand her a tissue from across the table. I have no idea what has gotten into him. This isn’t the uptight brute, better than everyone else man I have known for years. I almost laugh out loud when I think it may possibly have to do with a finger, or two.
My emotions are all over
the place since coming home. One second I’m crying, and the next, I’m angry. Then the next nearing murderous, and the next, completely and utterly turned on that Vincent came here for me. Even if it is just my ass he’s after. I expect it isn’t, and any other time, maybe he and I could have actually gotten to know one another, but now all my covers are blown, everything about me is exposed. Years ago, I would have been mortified. Now, the way he looks at me, it feels good. And honestly, if all he wants is my ass, he can have it.
I pry my lustful eyes away from him and turn to Mom. “You and Dad have given us everything we ever wanted.”
“You wanted more,” she says sweetly, but it feels like a knife being thrust in my chest.
“I had more.” I lean in and whisper, “It wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”
She slowly shakes her head, and I nod.
“I didn’t take a vacation in nine years, Mom. I will admit to you and only you that I felt like maybe I was better than others, because I was insanely career driven and hardworking, like my family. But when I look at my friends, and look at you all, I realize what I have missed out on. I’m going to find that bastard”—I grab the file in search of his name—“and I’m going to tell him that he can sell me our house, and I’m not taking no for an answer. You know why, Mom?”
She giggles. “Because you’re a Viking warrior princess.”
“Who only became one because I have a sword, because of you.”
I hug my mom, and only when her sobbing slows down, do I sit back and look at Vincent, who looks like he’s either confused or ready to head for the hills.
I lean in, give my mom a kiss, and tell her, “My friend over here is being patient and sitting through one heck of a lot of family drama. I think maybe I should give him a few minutes to tell me why he stopped in on our little corner of the world.” I look at Vincent. “Would you like to take a walk?”
He nods his head, but doesn’t get up. “I bought that boat out there, planning to run the coast, toss a few lines, and not have to look over my shoulder, or watch anyone else’s back.” He shrugs. “I knew you lived here and thought I’d stop and see if maybe you’d like to join me, since you yourself are on an extended vacation.”
I smile. “That’s one heck of a first date.”
“It would have been.” He returns my smile as his eyes soften and he searches my face.
“What’s your name again?” Pace asks.
“Vincent. Vincent Stratos.” Vincent and Pace stare at each other for a few seconds, and then Pace looks down at the file now in front of him.
Pace then clasps his hands behind his head and smirks. “This is gonna be good.”
“I’m hoping so.” Vincent looks down and takes a deep breath before reaching across the table and grabbing my hand. “Paige, do you trust me?”
I’m confused, completely confused, but answer truthfully, “Yes.”
“Why?” He smirks, eyes dancing. For the first time, I swear I see stars in them.
I look at our hands and know it should feel awkward, especially in front of my brother, my mom, and a sleeping Babička who thinks he’s Dědeček.
“Because Laney, Mel, Valentina, Nikki, the Steel family—all of them trust you.”
He doesn’t seem displeased by my response, but it doesn’t make stars dance in his eyes either.
“That’s good.” He releases my hand and pats it before leaning back and looking at Pace.
Pace chuckles. “Don’t be a pussy now, man.”
“I need to ask you something,” he says.
Oh, my God, did he tell Pace that he was going to ask me to marry him? I mean, of course not. That would be totally and utterly insane. Then again, the way Pace is acting … the way Vincent is acting … Oh, my God, he’s lost his mind over two fingers in his ass.
I shake my head.
“No?” he asks.
“No. The answer is no. I know that you think … well, I know you and I have some …” I pause and stand up, deciding to stop dancing around the obvious. “I won’t marry you.”
Pace starts laughing when Vincent’s eyebrows shoot up and his jaw drops.
My face immediately is on fire with embarrassment because I was clearly wrong. Absolutely and totally wrong.
I turn to walk out the door when I hear Vincent’s deep demand.
“Stop.”
I take a deep breath and turn around, saying, “I need to eat, sleep, drink my face off, and you should really just take off. I obviously have lost my ever-loving mind.”
“Pea, you just turned from red to green.” Pace stands up and grabs my elbow. “Sit down for just a few minutes.”
I rip my elbow from his loose grip. “I can’t deal with him and Warren, and—”
“I’m not fucking Warren.” Vincent slams his fist on the table, and I look back.
“Well, good! That makes two of us!”
“But you would have … to save this business.” Vincent stands and begins pacing, running his hand through his thick, black, wavy locks. “You went to him, not your friends, not me. You went to him, a man you despise and …” He stops, places both hands on the table, and glares at me. “Do you think I would let that happen?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I gasp as I look at my mom, mortified, then quickly look back at him.
He reaches across the table and grabs the file, flips to the back page, and then pushes it to where I was sitting.
Pace chuckles. “Pea, I think you should have a seat.”
Vincent points to a barely legible signature that I have probably looked at several times and then it hits me.
“You bought my family’s business!” I grip the edge of the table, holding myself back from climbing over it and possibly strangling him.
“Oh dear,” Mom whispers.
“You bought my family’s fucking business, Vincent”—I look at the paper to see his last name again—“Stratos?”
“Watch your mouth,” he hisses.
“Screw you,” I snap.
“The thought has—”
“Shut up, Vincent, just shut up!” I sit down in my chair, cover my ears, and close my eyes.
“When you’ve calmed down enough to discuss this like an adult, I’ll be on my boat.”
That does it! I’m seething!
“Like adults? This coming from a man who bought a company because he was afraid I was going to bang Warren Black.”
“So what if I did? You’re not his!”
When Vincent hurries around the table toward me, all my anger turns into heat … emotion … I want him to leave, to just go.
He grabs my chin in his hand. “You deserve better than any men you’ve dated over the past nine years I’ve known you. Better than that slimy piece of shit Warren Black. And believe it or not, I’m the better man. I’m also possibly the only one who can see past your shit and be stupid enough to still want you, even though you are the epitome of trouble.”
He stops and releases me as he steps back. Then he turns and looks at my mother. “I apologize for the outburst. I hope you understand there was no ill will in me purchasing your business, and whether she”—he pauses and clears his throat—“likes it or not, I’m not willing to let it fail.”
Mom nods, and then he hurries to the door.
I let my head fall on to the table. The same table I would like to hide under.
“Pea,” Pace says as he laughs and stands up.
When I look up at him, he just shakes his head and laughs more.
“I’m going after him. Might drag him back in here and tie his ass to the table so he can’t leave.” He muses up my hair. “I think he likes you, Pea.”
I know my already red face deepened in color as soon as he said tie him. I quickly hide it under my arms again.
“What are you going to do, sweet pea?” Mom asks.
I turn my head to the side so I can look at her. “I have no idea.”
“I don’t see how you have any more of a ch
oice as you gave me moments ago.”
I force myself to stand up. “Let’s get back to the house so I can make dinner before Babička forgets she’s hungry.” It’s true. So many times my grandmother, my partner in crime when I was younger and needed to act outlandishly, sleeps more, eats less, and is becoming more confused by the day.
I help Mom up, even though she is capable, and then we walk at her pace to Babička.
“Let me wake her. You go say goodbye to your brother. Maybe invite that …” she pauses and whispers, “beautiful man to dinner.”
“He is, right?” I say sadly, and she nods. “Too good-looking, too independent, too stubborn—”
“Too much like you?”
Her words make me think. I shrug.
“Go, Pea. Invite him to dinner.” Mom kisses my cheek. “Go or I will.”
Because I’m stubborn and don’t really like being told what to do, or maybe because I’m afraid to talk to him, I help Mom wake Babička.
As we walk out, I see Vincent and Pace at the end of the dock. Pace is laughing, while Vincent is standing stone-faced and expressionless. That’s the Vincent I have known for years, the one at Queens House, in the car to the airport, on the phone. I can accept slight changes. However, the man who is here on Tybee Island, the one who just blew my mind inside the marina, the one I’m not sure if I’m angry at or hugely turned on by, or will allow myself to think there are possibilities of something more, something long-term … well, I have no clue what to do about him.
Truth be told, even the strongest girl dreams of a handsome knight riding in to save the day when she has done everything she could and failed, even the younger me who always loved the way my parents looked at one another, how they complemented each other perfectly, could accept this. But the college me, the one shattered by a self-absorbed asshole, who isn’t nearly half as handsome as Vincent, gave up on the idea and took to accepting that any man prettier than me will not be allowed in my heart. And Vincent, well, he’s not even seeking permission to enter that delicate and guarded area. He’s just taking it.
“Paige, do it,” Mom softly demands.
“Dad will never go for this, Mom. What if it makes things worse?”