She drove back home, quietly seething about her life and everything happening in it out of her control.
“I’m coming back,” Park said from the passenger seat. “It’s just for a few days so I can meet Ty’s people and see if it’s a good fit. He got me a first-class ticket.”
“How long have you known?”
“He gave it to me on New Year’s Day just before he left. I know my timing sucks, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to take him up on it until now. I need to do this for us.”
“This is not for us, it’s for you.”
“I need a good job for our future,” he insisted. “To give you everything you deserve.”
She clamped her mouth shut. She knew he thought he was doing the right thing. Long experience told her that when Park got an idea in his head there was just no changing it. Too bad it sucked balls. Just like her life.
He squeezed her shoulder. “Come on, I can feel the tension radiating off you after I spent hours screwing it out of you.”
She glared at him. He gave her a small tender smile she found hard to resist.
She sighed. “Dad called a family meeting tonight about Tina.” Even the name Tina left a bad taste in her mouth. “What the hell is wrong with Dad? I want to crack their skulls together to knock some sense into them. I mean, what’s the point of them getting together at this stage in his life?”
“He’s only fifty-three,” Park pointed out. Cops could retire earlier than most careers with a full pension, so she supposed he wasn’t exactly old.
She loosened her death grip on the steering wheel. “Damn it all. All that screwing we did is wasted because now I want to throttle her again.”
“I wouldn’t say wasted,” he teased. “Filthy fun more like.”
A reluctant smile tugged at her lips.
“Can I give you some advice?” he asked.
“No.”
“She’ll always be a part of you, but you don’t have to let her rule you.”
She scowled. “Where’d you get that from, a fortune cookie?”
“She doesn’t have to be everything.”
She blinked rapidly, not wanting to cry over that woman, who didn’t deserve her tears.
He reached over and put a hand on her upper thigh. “Your dad told me that once about my mom.”
“Oh good, I’ll throw it in his face.”
“Don’t. I only said it to help you.”
Nothing can help me.
She kept the bleak thought to herself, where it burned a hole in her gut.
~ ~ ~
“Mad, glad to see you here for the family meeting,” her dad said, standing in front of the sofa where she sat.
She put her feet up on the coffee table and jerked her chin. “I live here.”
“Tina will be down in a minute,” her dad said.
“Fabulous.”
Her dad rocked back and forth on his heels. A long silence fell. She refused to make it easier on him. He’d brought that woman into her house. The house where she’d grown up motherless. That evil, abandoning, unfeeling bitch. She struggled to find her calm center again.
So fucking perfect that Park was on his way to Ty on the other side of the country, trying to be what he thought she wanted. But did he ask her? No! Did she want him doing stunts? Hell no.
She jumped up and paced.
The front door opened. Josh and Logan stepped inside. She immediately felt better. Josh was a rock. Logan, she suddenly realized, took after their mom. His hair was a light brown, unlike the rest of them with dark brown hair. He had her narrow nose, same ski-jump tilt at the end. Still, he was one of them. They’d shared a room growing up, her on top bunk, him on bottom, and he’d been her long-time late night confidant. When he wasn’t teasing her.
“I’m only here for you, Dad,” Josh said, taking off his black wool coat and hanging it in the front closet. “I have nothing to say to the woman who abandoned her six children.”
Mad went over and hugged Josh, so glad she wasn’t alone in this. He kissed the top of her head and ruffled her hair. She didn’t even complain about the hair thing.
Logan looked a little shell-shocked, not even taking off his black down jacket, just standing there staring at nothing. “I barely remember her.”
“I do,” Josh said. “Beauty queen, nose in the air, thinks she’s better than the commoners she’s forced to live with.”
“I want you to hear her out,” her dad said. “Alex coming?”
Josh spoke in a flat tone. “He doesn’t want Viv to meet her grandmother. Felt it would be confusing to her if she’s not going to stick around. Is she sticking around?”
“I hope so,” her dad said.
Josh shot Mad a look that she understood perfectly. You believe this?
Lucky for Jake he was missing all the drama, off on his honeymoon. Ty out in California would miss it too. She doubted Tina would stick around long enough to see them.
Tina walked downstairs, all grace and poise. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Logan said, watching her curiously.
Josh and Mad were silent.
“This is everyone,” her dad said.
Tina nodded. “I understand.” She stopped in the living room, where all of them were standing. Her blond hair was perfectly styled in waves to her shoulders. She wore a silk white blouse with a black pencil skirt and black heels. Completely overdressed and overly made up for a family meeting. But what could you expect? She’d probably never been to a family meeting. “So I want to start with saying how very sorry I am. I stayed away, ashamed to face all of you. I don’t deserve forgiveness. I reconnected with your dad and he encouraged me to talk to you.”
Mad, Josh, and Logan stared at her, silent. There was nothing to say. She was right. She didn’t deserve forgiveness.
Tina turned to Josh first. “Hello, Josh. It’s nice to see you again.”
Josh said nothing.
“I understand Jake is skiing in the Swiss Alps,” Tina said. “I’ve been. It’s lovely.”
Josh remained impassive, his expression giving nothing away.
Tina turned to Logan. “You’re so tall. The spitting image of your grandfather at this age.”
“Do you know how old I am?” Logan asked, no real rancor in his voice. Only curiosity. He studied her face like he was trying to memorize it or maybe remember it.
“Of course,” Tina said smoothly. “You’re twenty-nine. A mother never forgets the day she gave birth.”
“You sure forgot a helluva lot in between,” Josh said.
“Yeah,” Mad said, piling on. “I didn’t see any birthday cards coming in the mail.”
“Or phone calls,” Josh said.
“Or visits,” Mad finished.
“I’m sorry,” Tina said. “I had severe postpartum depression after I had Madison. I longed for escape. And when I got word that a former acquaintance was single, I jumped at the chance for the wealthy lifestyle he offered. I’m not proud of myself. I understand if you never want to forgive me.”
They were all quiet.
“Why are you here now?” Josh asked.
She folded her hands in front of her. “I realized I still love your dad. And my children, that love never goes away, though I don’t expect you to feel the same way.”
“And where is this wealthy acquaintance of yours?” Josh asked, his lip curling. “Dump you for a younger model?”
Tina flushed red and smoothed her hair back. “Things just didn’t work out with him.”
“I bet,” Mad put in.
“That’s enough,” her dad snapped. “Tina has given you a humble apology and I expect you to speak to her respectfully.”
“I’m out,” Josh said. He grabbed his coat and left, the door shutting quietly behind him. It might as well have been a slam for the sudden tense silence.
Her dad let out a long breath. “Why don’t you two have a seat,” he said to Mad and Logan, the two youngest in the family.
Logan sat
on the sofa, so Mad did too.
Her dad slid an arm around Tina. “Things have been going really well and we plan on getting remarried.”
“After two weekends of middle-aged fucking?” Mad blurted.
Tina gasped. Her dad let the remark slide.
Logan shot her a look and then turned back to their dad. “What’s the rush?”
“Tina needs a place to stay and we have plenty of room,” her dad said.
“So shack up with her,” Mad said. “I’m sure she’ll bail again as soon as the next wealthy acquaintance puts out word he needs a trophy wife.”
“I’m too old to be a trophy wife,” Tina said, acting all modest.
“Get some plastic surgery,” Mad suggested. “I’m sure you’ll be snatched up by some old moneybags real quick.”
“Mad,” her dad said in a low warning.
Logan muttered under his breath at her, “No filter,” and then louder, “Okay. Thanks for letting us know.” He stood and snagged Mad’s arm, pulling her with him. “We’re going to go. Bye, Tina.”
Mad went out the door with Logan, glad to get away from Tina. And especially the hold she seemed to have over Mad’s dad.
Logan stopped on the sidewalk, quickly shed his black down jacket and settled it over her shoulders. She was too distraught to protest the big-brother move.
“You got somewhere to go for a couple weeks?” he asked.
“You think I should move out?”
“Yeah. I think if we leave them alone, she’ll get bored and restless in the burbs and look for the next guy to latch onto.”
“Ya think?”
He nodded. “You see how dolled up she was just for a Monday night family meeting? And there’s dad in a flannel shirt and ancient jeans. He can’t keep up with her. Couldn’t back then and definitely not now.”
“I so want to believe you’re right.”
“I’d invite you to my place, but Ethan’s buddy’s got the sofa.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I’ll crash at Hailey’s place. She owes me for snagging a robber at Ludbury House.”
“Please tell me you’re not doing citizen arrests.”
“I’m not doing citizen arrests.”
“Don’t tell me anything else.”
“I’m with Park now.”
He flashed a smile. “Good for you. You’ve always loved him.”
“How do you know that?”
He widened his eyes and made an adoring cow face. “Everyone knew how you worshipped him.” Wow. Guess it wouldn’t be as hard as she thought for her family to see her and Park as a couple.
“Now he worships me,” she informed him.
“Where is he, anyway?”
“Out in LA with Ty.”
Logan winced. “Did not see that coming. I can’t believe Park would trash cars and bikes for stunts. He loves machines too much for that.”
“Maybe he’ll just jump out a window.” She cringed thinking of that. Not her Park. She’d finally gotten him back out of war zones. “Augh! I can’t think about it. See ya!”
He snagged the sleeve of his jacket, and she shrugged it off. “Keep me posted on Dad,” he said.
“Yup.”
She stepped back inside the house.
Her dad smiled at her, his arms wrapped around Tina. “We’re going to Vegas!”
“Great, you saved me from moving out. Go nuts.”
She went to the kitchen and got herself a drink. Talk about a midlife crisis. She wouldn’t even try to talk sense into her dad. Let him crash and burn. Maybe then it would finally get through his brain that Tina was no good for him.
Chapter Eighteen
Mad sat in the circle of eight women—her usual friends plus their newest members Missy, Sabrina, and Lexi—at the Happy Endings Book Club meeting at Something’s Brewing Café, feeling anything but happy. She pretended to be listening to Hailey reading chapter one of The Princess Bride out loud. It was Thursday night, she’d had only the briefest of phone calls from Park out in LA, and her damn midlife-crisis dad hadn’t returned yet from Vegas. She wasn’t sure if he’d married Tina or not, but she was not looking forward to family functions with that woman in attendance. At least Hailey was back to her usual cheerful self, no longer worried about break-ins at work. The man had turned out to be homeless, displaced from a mental institution that didn’t have the budget to keep him. He was now in a psychiatric hospital, getting the help he needed.
Someone snapped their fingers in her face and she swatted them away.
“You okay?”
She jerked her head up to see Charlotte looking at her with some concern.
She straightened. “Yeah. Just tired.” She suddenly noticed the women had gone quiet. She looked around at all the concerned faces, sensed it might be girl-talk time and just wasn’t ready to go there. She didn’t know some of the newcomers that well and every time she talked about Tina she wanted to kick someone’s ass.
“I brought brownies!” Hailey chirped, lifting the lid off a large square plastic container. “So the game is tell us if you like your man inked and muscled or trim and in a business suit, and then you get a brownie.”
“Can’t we have both?” Charlotte asked.
“No, silly,” Hailey said. “No man is both of those things.”
Josh immediately came to mind, but Mad was too depressed to even try to tease Hailey. Besides, he didn’t wear a business suit anymore.
Charlotte gestured for the brownies. “If I have to choose, I go with inked and muscled.” She took the tiniest piece of a brownie.
“Good to know,” Hailey said with a big wink.
Lauren took the container, said, “Business suit,” and quickly popped a brownie in her mouth.
Everyone else picked inked and muscled, big surprise. Mad took the container and reached for a brownie, but Hailey snatched the container out of her hand.
“Nope,” Hailey said. “You have to tell us which you prefer.”
The women started joking around, eating their brownies, the same brownie being denied Mad, their conversation rising in volume with her temper.
Hailey waved the container around enticingly.
“Who cares?” Mad barked. Hailey knew she was stuck on Park. The big jerk.
“It’s part of the game. Which kind of man do you prefer?” Hailey pressed.
Mad lost it. “You know what kind of man I prefer? The kind who sticks around!” She leapt to her feet in her agitation. “The kind who doesn’t have some twisted sense of honor that makes him bail! The kind that’s there for you when your biological mother decides to make an appearance for the first time in twenty-five years!”
The women were all staring at her, eyes wide, but there was no stopping her now.
She punched a fist in the air. “The kind who is man enough to stand by your side after making love to you so tenderly that he makes you cry!”
“Uh, Mad,” Lauren started.
“No!” Mad said, shaking her head for emphasis. “I won’t be nice!”
“Um…” Hailey said, her head tilting to the side.
Mad jabbed a finger at Hailey. “You want sharing?” she barked. “Parker Shaw still thinks he knows what’s best for me. Did he ask me if I want him to get a job throwing himself out windows and leaping off motorcycles? No! Does he care that my dad is marrying my mom and it makes me want to puke? No!” She yanked the V in her ripped shirt down to show them her hawk tattoo. “Does he care that this tattoo is a constant reminder that he’s got a hold of my heart?”
“I care,” a deep voice said.
“Aaaaahhh!” She let out a high-pitched girly scream, her entire body jerking with ungraceful shock. She whirled, face flaming. “Park.”
“I didn’t realize you shared so much at book club,” he said drily.
The women tittered.
She crossed to him, about to give him hell for sneaking up on her like that when he grabbed her in a bear hug and nuzzled into her neck.
“I missed
you,” he whispered.
The fury left her in a whoosh. “I missed you too.”
“I can’t do stunts with Ty. They’re destroying too many good motorcycles. I can’t bear the carnage.”
Her knees went weak with relief.
He brushed her hair back and cupped her jaw, his gaze warm and tender. “I’m home for good. I’ve got savings and I can open my own shop, fixing cars or bikes. Maybe both. I’ll figure it out.” He stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the man who stuck around like you needed. I will from now on.” He kissed her and spoke against her lips. “Forever.”
Her cheeks heated at the sudden mushy intensity because she knew he meant it. He was a man of honor, a man of his word. She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. Her friends hooted and hollered. She broke the kiss and turned to them. “Anyone have leads on clients for Park, let me know. He can fix anything with an engine.”
“I love working on planes,” Park said, “but I can do cars and bikes too.”
“My brother-in-law just lost his best mechanic,” Missy said. “The guy moved to Florida. Do you like classic cars?” Classic cars meant big money.
Park smiled widely. “Do I like classic cars?” He whooped. “Does a grease monkey like grease? Yes! I’d love to.” He strode quickly over to Missy for the contact info. Hailey handed him Mad’s coat and messenger bag. Then he stood in the circle of women, beautiful one and all, but his eyes were only for her. “You all mind if I steal this beauty? I’ve missed her something fierce.”
“Aww,” the women chorused.
“Go!” Hailey said. “Shoo. We don’t need her kind here. This club is for single ladies.” She gave Mad a wink and a smile.
Park slipped an arm around her shoulders and guided her out the door. “The job is at Exotic and Classic Car Restorations. Nico Marino runs it. That place is awesome.”
“I had no idea they needed someone there.” Hailey’s magic at work. She’d connected Missy into the self-defense class and then book club and that connected to her and Park.
He stopped on the sidewalk in front of the café and helped her on with her coat. “Did your dad get remarried?”
“I have no idea.” She zipped up the coat. “He’s been out of touch and it’s been three days.”
Inviting Trouble (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 2) Page 19