Angel's Lake Box Set: Books 1-3 (Angel's Lake Series)

by Jody Holford

  “Mom!”

  “What?”

  “Hello family! Hi there, Alex. I guess you kind of suit that label, too, don’t you?” Mark asked, walking into the kitchen with the strap of his laptop case slung over his shoulder. He was dressed casually for a college professor—Khaki pants and a pale blue, striped polo. Mark waggled his eyebrows at Alex, but he didn’t think he could go any redder. Mark moved toward his wife immediately and kissed her cheek with such obvious affection that Alex felt a gut-deep pang of envy.

  “Stop it, you two. You’re embarrassing him,” Kate defended with a look that clearly said Alex had brought this on himself.

  “As I said to Lucy, no reason to be embarrassed, dear. Here, have a cookie,” Julie said, passing him a large, slightly warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. “Thank you,” he mumbled like a teenage boy caught with his girlfriend. He was here on official police business. How the hell did this happen?

  Lucy waited in the lobby of Posh Magazine. Waited was a generous term. Mostly, she sat on the luxurious leather sofa trying to not actually touch it with her body. She was essentially doing the most excruciating squat possible, because the couch looked like it had never been sat on before. Four women—who had to be models—sauntered by, and Lucy had the horrible image of leaving a wide bum indentation on the couch as she stood. The quiet clacking of the

  keyboard was interrupted by evenly paced, heavy footfalls. She almost whimpered with joy when Kael finally joined her in the eerily still room. She stood, ignoring the cramp in her legs, and turned to see him. Immediately, she laughed and then was swallowed in a large hug.

  “The expression ‘sight for sore eyes’ was made for when people like me get to look at people like you,” he said in his low, gravelly, vibrato voice. He smelled like honey and felt warm like fleece. Kael Makhai was a hulking man who went against every stereotype the fashion industry could possibly have. He was also a brilliant designer, and some of Lucy’s best photographs had been of his work.

  “I don’t even know if that makes sense,” Lucy squealed, tightening her arms around his neck, one palm brushing the nape of his black buzz cut. He put her down but kept his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length.

  “Of course it makes sense,” he chided, lowering his voice to a whisper before continuing. “I spend my day with women who avoid food so they don’t get fat, avoid laughing so they don’t get wrinkles, and avoid friendship so they don’t get stabbed in the back.”

  She slapped his Hawaiian-shirt-covered chest and laughed louder than she should have, earning a glare from the pencil-thin, unsmiling receptionist, who looked like an ad for Business Management School. Snooty Business Management School.

  “Don’t be so negative. I know there’re plenty of awesome people in this industry,” she said, following along as he guided her across the gold-flecked tile flooring. “In fact, I saw Lola yesterday.”

  “You should have called me. We could have all gone to lunch. Like old times.”

  “I didn’t stay long, but it was good to see her, and it’s good to see you.”

  He didn’t walk so much as shuffle along as his size allowed. He wore canvas shorts and sandals. Not one person, in all the time she had known him, had ever guessed his occupation correctly. It always amazed her that this brusque, large-framed man with hands the size of her head could create the most delicate, intricate designs favored all over runways in Europe.

  “Good to see you, too, my girl. It has been too long.”

  They made their way past racks of clothes, half-naked women, doorways leading to design rooms, photo shoot rooms, unused lunchrooms, several bathrooms, a fitness room, and a lounging area. Off of the lounging area, Kael led her into an open room with a wall of windows. Heading straight for them, she gave a small gasp.

  “You can see all of New York from here,” she said in both awe and envy. There was nothing like a good view of New York on a perfectly clear day. Except maybe the view from a mountain on an equally clear day.

  “Pretty close,” Kael laughed, coming up beside her. “You know, they’re looking for a photographer here. I could put in a good word. We could work side by side again. Two thirds of the dream team.” Along with Lola, they had made quite the crew: designer, model, and photographer—a trifecta of friendship. A lifeline at times.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, grateful she had worn a purse that could be slung across her body effortlessly. Lucy looked up at her friend, his tanned skin on his round face stretched smooth. She bumped his hip casually with her own, or tried to, but she was considerably shorter.

  “That would be pretty amazing.”

  “But? Tell me this doesn’t have anything to do with that ass or the Africa assignment?”

  Eyes wide, she unfolded her arms and began looking around his chaotically organized space. “You heard about that?”

  “I heard a bullshit rumor and figured the rest out for myself.”

  “Yes, well, I guess I’m not always wanted just for my great photography skills,” Lucy tried to joke. She ran her hand over his design table, careful not to touch the actual page that showed some sketches of a dress he was designing. She eyed the way the delicate curve of the neckline created folds and ruching as it came down to curve over the chest. It cinched at the waist and then simply exploded in extravagance. A wide, intricately designed skirt—for which she knew he would use some sort of delicate material—flowed out like the ripples of the creasing had burst into a river of fabric.

  “Don’t do that. It pisses me off,” he said, bringing her attention back, shuffling to his desk and opening up his laptop. “What?”

  “Your photography speaks for itself. Yes, you’re gorgeous. But you get work based on your talent. Vincent is well known for being a sick bastard. That has nothing to do with you, and your reputation isn’t in question. Don’t doubt that. It pisses me off,” Kael repeated. Lucy shrugged and moved to his back counter where shelves lined the wall. He had fabrics laid out, sketch books open, and dozens of pencils scattered. She loved looking at his space—imagined having her own little spot where she could line her cameras along the shelves and hang her shots. She pushed the thought aside.

  “Anyway, you turned my sister down for an internship,” she said without censure.

  He looked up at her in surprise, his dark eyebrows arching, wrinkling his beautiful skin.

  “What? First, I didn’t know you had a sister that wanted into fashion. Second, when? I get hundreds of applications a day. Most of them, I don’t even read. I get my assistant to do it.”

  “Well, to be honest, I didn’t know Kate wanted to be in fashion, either, but she applied for an internship, and when I asked her about it, she got defensive and shut down.”

  Kael grabbed a pen and a small notepad before leaning over his desk. “What’s her name?”

  “Kate Aarons.”

  “So, she shut down and then asked you to pull some strings?”

  Lucy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in his direction. He put up a hand and laughed at her expression. “No. She doesn’t know I’m here. I want…” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

  The moment of quiet seemed unsettling and when the phone rang, she was grateful for the interruption. She moved back to the window and took in the skyline again, savoring it and locking it away.

  “You okay, Luce?” Kael asked from behind her. She heard his feet shuffling away and looked back to see him closing his office door.

  “Yeah. It’s just that…” she started. She turned to face him and sat on the thin window seat. “Since I’ve been home, I’ve started to realize how much I’ve missed. How much I haven’t been a part of.”

  “Because you’ve been part of something else. Many something elses. You’ve traveled all over the world and taken some of the greatest photographs I’ve ever seen.”

  “Thank you. And yes … but at what cost, K? My baby sister is graduating from university. My older sister just had a baby. My oldest
niece is five now. Something is up with my mom. And being with my dad makes me realize how much I missed him. Them. They all take care of each other—”

  “Do you want them to take care of you?”

  She felt tears stinging her eyes and shook her head, unsure of how to explain or even of how she felt. “No. I guess. I don’t know. They take care of each other. I want to be part of that. Both ways.”

  Lucy wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands, rubbed her hands on her jeans brusquely, and stood up, smiling too brightly.

  “You want to do something for your sister. Even though she isn’t ready to confide in you,” Kael summarized, reading her as well as he always could. She nodded her head and bit the inside of her cheek to stop any further tears from falling.

  “Alright,” he said, moving back to his desk and picking up one of his cards. “Tell her to email me directly when she’s ready and remind me that she’s related to one of my favorite people.”

  She laughed and skipped toward him, making him laugh when she threw her arms around him. Or part of him anyway. He squeezed her back and placed an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

  During conversation over an impromptu lunch with Kate and her parents, Alex realized none of them knew Lucy would be back early the next morning. No one knew her flight times or arrangements. When they’d said good-bye to her, they figured she’d be back again or she would be in touch. Kate knew she had gone to New York to secure some items for the auction but little else. Why don’t they question her? Wonder when she’ll be back? A coping mechanism maybe? For him, it wouldn’t work. He crawled into bed early that night and texted Lucy, confirming her flight time. She said she would see him after he got home from work. Told him, she’d be fine getting herself home from the airport. She hadn’t seen reason to trouble anyone in her family with the details.

  Because she expected no more of them than they did of her. When she was here, she was here, and when she wasn’t, she wasn’t. But it wasn’t good enough for him. At all.

  “You still don’t know you matter,” he said to himself after texting that he missed her and looked forward to seeing her the next day. She texted back smiles and hearts and then a bunch of jumbled symbols that he guessed were meant to be X-rated, making him laugh.

  “But you will. You need to realize you belong. Here. With me.”

  He fell asleep with that thought in his head and a smile on his face.

  Lucy navigated the airport with the ease of a well-traveled person. The routine was as common to her as getting ready in the morning. Exit terminal, head to baggage, then customs if necessary, and find the cab stand. She yawned behind her hand and pulled her travel bag onto her shoulder more securely as she made her way toward the baggage claim. The air conditioning made her grateful for the dark grey, oversize, cable knit cardigan she had picked up in New York. It wasn’t frivolous if it was useful. It was early, but hundreds of travelers were milling about, rushing around as overhead pages rang out from speakers. Some people were laughing, others crying. One man was at an airline counter demanding a full refund and emphasizing his request with a slam of his fist. Two security officers moved in quickly, flanking the irate traveler on either side. Lucy side-stepped a little girl pushing a huge baggage cart, full to the brim, and smiled at the dad who gave Lucy a well-meaning shrug. She could smell coffee and pastries and wondered which one she wanted more at the moment. Both, obviously. Then she stopped short and stared. To her utter mortification, she burst into tears and covered her mouth with her hand.

  Between inelegant sobs, she wiped at her face with the sleeve of her hand. Alex walked toward her, a coffee in one hand and a pastry bag in another. He looked uncertain, a half smile on his lips and his eyes bright with concern. She moved then, straight to him, ignoring the coffee and the pastry, and put her arms around his neck, almost strangling him in her need to get closer. His arms came around her, despite being occupied, and she could feel the strength of his biceps as he crushed her to him.

  “Are these good tears?” he whispered into her ear. She nodded against his shoulder. She leaned back her cheeks wet, and put her palms to either side of his face.

  “No one has ever met me at the airport,” she whispered fiercely. Then she sealed her mouth to his, pouring everything she felt into the kiss. He backed them out of the aisle of foot traffic, his lips never leaving hers. She came up for a second of air when she heard a thud and felt his hands on her skin, pushing under the back of her sweater and T-shirt.

  “What?”

  She looked down at the trash can where he’d just deposited her coffee and treat and back at him. “Hey!”

  His hands gripped her tighter before he wove one hand into her hair, tangled his fingers at her nape, and brought her mouth back to his. “I’ll buy you more. As much as you want,” he said hoarsely against her lips.

  She grinned and tightened her arms around his neck again, absorbing his heat and strength, the feel of him against her, surrounding her, comforting her and driving her crazy at the same time. She had no idea how long they kissed, devouring each other, and gave no thought to those that passed them. All she could think, feel, and see was him. It was him that pulled back finally, his hands on her face while hers were wrapped around his waist, tucked under his lightweight coat.

  “Did you miss me?” she asked, no longer crying. He gave a short, harsh laugh. “A little bit.”

  She burrowed into his arms, absorbing the feel of him. Savoring the fact that he was here. His hands came to her shoulders before one hand trailed down her arm until it found her hand. He wove his fingers with hers then touched his mouth to hers, one more time. They walked toward the baggage claim, and Lucy couldn’t keep the smile from her face. Her cheeks were aching with it, and she wrapped her other hand around his arm, snuggling into his side.

  “I can’t believe you met me at the airport.”

  “I can’t believe no one ever has.”

  The luggage was starting to drop from the conveyer belt as they approached. She looked up at him. “I didn’t know it mattered to me. Maybe it didn’t. Until you.”

  His face tightened and he looked like he wanted to say something, his eyes holding hers captive just as his hand did. Not that there was anywhere else she wanted to be. He kissed her forehead, making her close her eyes and sigh. When she opened them again, he was still watching her with an intensity that made her heart stumble and her throat dry up.

  “That’s how I feel about most things when it comes to you,” he finally said. She saw her bright purple suitcase from the corner of her eye and moved to retrieve it before Alex could. She pulled the handle up and rolled it over to him. She wondered if her face showed all of the turbulent emotions swirling in her stomach and chest.

  “I believe you owe me coffee and a pastry. Then I think we should head home. To your house,” she correctly quickly, her heart skipping one quick beat. He smiled at her and once again took her hand.

  “Sounds perfect. If I remember correctly, you promised me the real thing when we get there.” He grinned, tugging her through the crowd. She laughed, but in her mind, she thought, doesn’t get much more real than this. The thought, which would have terrified her months ago, made her more eager to get back to his home.

  “We can grab coffee in a drive-through,” she insisted when he made to stop at a stand in the airport. “God, I missed you,” he laughed as they both quickened their pace.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alex didn’t follow the thread of Lucy’s conversation. She was telling him about New York and, he thought about his favorite songs and how he could listen to them repeatedly. Lucy’s voice was like that for him—knowing the words was irrelevant. As he took the overpass out of the airport parking lot, he covered her hand with his and smiled in her direction.

  “Have you ever been?” she asked.

  “To New York? No. I’ve been back to Chicago a few times to see family, but I’m not really much of a traveler,” he replied. She smelled like
vanilla and hotel soap. He wanted to yank her closer and wished he had a bench seat instead of buckets.

  “I don’t think I could live there anymore. I have to say, that surprised me when I realized it,” she said, tracing her fingers over the back of his hand. Traffic was fairly light at this time of day. Shoulder checking, he merged onto the freeway and relaxed, somehow rebalanced just by her presence.

  “Did you like living there?”

  “As much as I liked any place, I suppose. I never really attached to one place more than another. I had friends there, so I think that made a difference. I enjoyed the freelance work I was doing. But it’s too busy now.”

  He looked toward her and caught her profile as she stared through the windshield. Her hair was tied back but falling loose. He couldn’t wait to get his hands in it. Ignoring the burst of hope he felt, he teased, “Careful. You’ll end up craving a small town like Angel’s Lake.”

  She looked over then and their eyes met before he put his back on the road. She leaned a little so she could rest her hand on his thigh. His hand slipped to hers.

  “Somehow that doesn’t seem as terrifying as it once did,” she said so softly he thought he might have heard her wrong. He cast a fast glance and saw she was still looking at him.

  “Oh yeah?” He kept his voice measured, but his heart was battering his rib cage.

  “It’s got a nice view. It’s not far from major cities. There’s a Starbucks…” His lips quirked as he nodded. “And a brand new cinema.”

  “I do like movies.” She laughed.

  After a bit, he pulled off to follow the sign for food and beverages. They drove in silence, their hands on each other. Alex could feel her watching him as he kept his eyes on the road. He was trying to keep all of the emotion he was feeling locked down. He’d missed her—that was all. Nothing wrong with missing the woman you were seeing when she went away for a couple of days. Just because he felt like he could breathe again didn’t mean he was in way too deep. Once he had her home, in his bed, this swirl of emotions would settle. It would go back to hovering instead of eating away at him with an intensity he hadn’t faced before. Maybe she was feeling overwhelmed, too. Maybe he wasn’t the only one drowning. He wished he knew what was going on in that gorgeous head.