The Bartender's Daughter

by Isabelle Flynn

  Serena wrapped her arms around her. “Sam, if this gives you both an opportunity to move on then let Dylan pay for it. He wants to take care of you. He wants to be with you. Give him a chance.” Serena pulled back, her hands still squeezing Sam’s upper arms.

  She had never cheated on Lee, not even when she thought he was a cheating bastard. She couldn’t do it now. “I only agreed to go to your parents’ club with him for that party as friends.”

  “It’s a good first step. You’re so used to being my brother’s gal-pal, maybe it’s time you see what happens when he turns on the charm for real.”

  Sam closed her eyes and tried not to think about the huge mistake she almost made today. No more. She couldn’t touch or taste or feel Lee again if she was going to finally move on.

  Chapter Eight

  One week of missed opportunities passed him by. Small emergencies at his other businesses kept him busy for the beginning of the week, and then Sam seemed to find every reason to stay out of his way. She avoided the office, as if he might corner her there and take advantage of the privacy. She stuck by Alan’s side during closing and asked one of the waitresses to help with opening. If she didn’t want him, a no would have sufficed but he took solace in the fact that she didn’t trust herself.

  Tonight, she wouldn’t have much of a choice but to be in his company. Alan was in charge of the bar while he and Sam were both planning on going to Oldport Country Club’s party. He looked forward to seeing how Sam handled the country club crowd and if her relationship with Dylan was as settled as Dylan led him to believe. He couldn’t believe the Sam he fell in love with could ever string two men along.

  Joanna drove with him to the club. He wasn’t completely comfortable with her choice of dress. It was a little too short and a little too low cut for his baby sister, but he had given up on giving her fashion advice a long time ago. If she wanted to deal with their mother’s disapproval, it would take some of the pressure off him and his lack of a date.

  “So Sam’s going to be there tonight?”

  “Yes.” He hoped his one word answer would keep her from asking more questions.

  Of course, it didn’t. “How do you feel about her dating Dylan?”

  “I don’t feel anything. Really. I’ve told you before. I don’t want to talk about my relationship with Sam. It’s in the past.”

  Joanna looked in the mirror again and reapplied her lipstick. “It didn’t look like it was in the past last Friday. It looked like you were ready to devour her whole.”

  Shock had him turning to his younger sister. “Joanna, that’s none of your business. If you’re not careful, I’ll be sending you back up to the big house.”

  “You wouldn’t dare, and anyway, it’s not like I was the only one who noticed how things have been between you. Everyone’s wondering. You should be more discreet if you’re going to be sleeping with your wife.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, Lee. The whole story sounds like something out of a soap opera. I can’t help myself.”

  He let her laugh it off and they spent the rest of the drive in silence. The last thing he needed was for their employees to gossip about his relationship with Sam. He handed his keys to the valet and walked around to grab Joanna’s arm. Judging by the heels she wore, she’d need his help to get across the brick drive.

  He couldn’t stop himself from one last brotherly admonishment. “Behave tonight. You know it’s easier to deal with all of them if you pretend you don’t care. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you.”

  “I know.” She straightened the hem of her dress and then pulled her head up. Her chin lifted in the air and he was proud of the way she strolled beside him into the club. Neither wanted to be there but he’d had years of practice. Joanna still struggled keeping her thoughts from flashing across her face. They were at the door about to enter the bustling lobby when he barely heard her next words. “But what about you?”

  He stumbled and his foot landed a little off, tweaking his knee. He held back the gasp of pain and continued. Damn his knee. Joanna noticed his limp and opened her mouth, but he nodded his head before she mentioned it.

  They went directly to the outdoor patio and the cool breeze off the bay. It was a humid night and he was already itching to remove his light suit jacket. He should be sitting on his deck, enjoying the clear starlit sky with a microbrew. Instead he was here, acknowledging people he could barely tolerate and expecting his wife to walk in with her boyfriend at any moment.

  He noticed her then on the opposite corner, standing alone under the pergola. He took a step toward her but stopped when he felt the tug on his arm. Joanna gestured to the bartender. “What do you want?”

  “Nothing for now. I’ll be right back.” He walked across the patio, only to be stopped halfway by the phone ringing in his pocket. He veered toward the shore, looking for a quiet, secluded spot where he could walk off the tightness in his knee.

  “Jake.”

  “Hey. I’m sorry to interrupt your little soiree there, but I thought you might want to hear what the investigator found out about Sam.” He strained to hear every word. The noise of the crowd diminishing behind him so that he could finally discover the truth about Sam.

  He stopped pacing, all of his concentration focused on the phone at his ear. “And?”

  He didn’t expect to hear what Jake said next. “She killed you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She’s been living as Mrs. Lee Stone. Her employers, her friends, they all think you’re dead. She never talked about you, never mentioned the circumstances of your death, but she definitely gave the impression that she was a widow. She was still wearing her wedding band.”

  “Then finding out I was very much alive must have come as a shock to Dylan.”

  Lee could hear Jake shifting paperwork, “About that… he’s been seen with several women. If they’re dating, it’s not exclusive, at least, not until recently.”

  “Is there anything else? I have to get back to Joanna.”

  “Just one more thing. You’re not going to like this. She was assaulted about a year ago. One of the fathers she worked for thought that certain privileges came with hiring a nanny. I don’t know exactly what happened but that’s when Dylan moved into the apartment with Serena and Sam. She didn’t work for a few months. Apparently, she didn’t go out much either. She pressed charges but eventually they were dropped.”

  His heart pounded in his chest. “Assaulted? She was raped?”

  “No. According to the police report, she ended up with some bruising but the arrival of a maid stopped things before they escalated.”

  “I have to go.” He ended the call without saying another word. Nausea rolled in his stomach. He had to find Sam. The need to make sure she was okay overruled any thoughts of remaining an observer tonight.

  ****

  She looked around at the dazzling display in front of her. Beautiful people in beautiful clothes milled around the outside patio. Dylan returned with her martini and slipped his arm around her waist, bringing her up close to his side. “You look great.”

  “Thank you.” She looked down at herself and another borrowed gown from Serena. It was a godsend that they happened to be the same size. Of course, Sam worked at staying in shape while Serena seemed to eat whatever she wanted and never struggled to maintain her figure. The gown was thrust upon her during Serena’s impromptu visit. She tried to convince her that she could afford another dress but after seeing what she was expected to wear, she accepted the loan. The gown was divine and sexy and nothing she would have ever picked out for herself. The yards of fabric in the front somehow revealed all of her curves while the back was completely open to the bottom of her spine. It was a dress to be desired in.

  “We can leave any time you’re ready.” He smiled and she wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind those words. He’d been keeping his hands on her in some way or another all night. Sam wanted to want him. She just didn’t.

 
; “You’ve said that about five times. I’m fine, really, and anyway, I wouldn’t want to drag Serena away from her admirers.”

  Three men surrounded Serena, each one handsome in his own way and all of them trying to keep her attention. When she laughed, all three couldn’t tear their eyes off her.

  “Those three have been after her since high school. She’s too nice and they all think they have a chance with her.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being nice, and anyway, how do you know she’s not interested in one of them?”

  He took a drink from his glass before answering. “Easy. She’s not blushing. She can pull off smooth just as long as she doesn’t really like the guy.”

  They turned to watch her, and sure enough Sam didn’t detect even a hint of red around her cheeks. She was about to take a sip of her martini when she felt his presence. Lee stood in front of her. He was breathtaking. The first few buttons of the white shirt under his khaki colored sport coat was open, revealing a tantalizing vee of tanned skin. She forced her eyes up to see anger burning in his bright blue eyes.

  “We need to talk.” He leveled his eyes at Dylan, moving up from the hand he still had around her waist. “Alone.”

  “Can’t this wait? You’re both off the clock, right?” Dylan’s hand tightened, his fingers lightly scraping across the skin at her back.

  She had to forcibly stop herself from moving away from Dylan. She had been trying so hard to keep her mind open to the possibilities. Dylan had been there for her in so many ways. She cared for him, and yet still discomfort welled up at the feel of his hand on her as Lee looked on. A relationship with Dylan would be safe and comfortable. She just wasn’t wired to want that when she could have reckless and thrilling.

  “It can’t wait. Sam, please.” Lee’s voice softened on the last word and he reached out for her.

  There was no way she could ignore that tone or the imploring look on his face. She turned to Dylan and handed him her drink. “I’ll be right back.”

  Lee took her hand and she had to lengthen her strides to keep up with him as he dragged her back into the club and up a flight of stairs. She became alarmed at his intensity. The lights were off, but he continued in the dark until he stopped at a set of double doors. He opened them and then pulled her into an unlit ballroom. Large windows looked out over the bay, the moonlight reflected off the water, illuminating the room.

  He dropped her hand and stalked off toward the windows. She followed him, curious to discover what his odd behavior was about. She was unprepared for the question when he spun around.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the assault?”

  She opened her mouth to answer but no words came. He knew. It shouldn’t have surprised her that he was finding out about her secrets just as she was discovering his. Still it angered her that he should demand answers when he hadn’t been so forthcoming.

  She stepped around him, placing her hand on the glass. “Why would I? There was no reason to.”

  “My God, Sam. I should have known.” His hands fisted at his sides, his body primed for a fight that was long over.

  The anger on his face shocked her, and she found herself walking back toward him, a need to soothe dousing the flames of her anger. “Lee, it wasn’t anything more than my boss getting too handsy. He thought I meant yes when I really meant no. It was over before it started.” She grabbed his right hand and smoothed out the fingers between her two hands.

  Her name escaped his lips through a ragged moan. His arms came around her, pulling her into him. “You should have come home to me.”

  How badly had she needed him? A year after moving to New York and she had wanted nothing more than to come back home and forget about everything Michelle had claimed. She wouldn’t let herself.

  He loosened his hold on her and tipped her chin up. The first kiss was soft, just a light butterfly touch to her lips. The second was harder, a nip on her bottom lip, and she was the aggressor, deepening the kiss. She didn’t realize they moved until her back hit the wall between the windows. His hands pulled her up against him, until she felt every one of his muscles. She wanted to dive into him, let go of the past and the worries of today. Her body craved him and it had been starved for years. Her stomach clenched almost painfully

  As his hands slid the diaphanous material of her dress up, uncertainty crept in. “I can’t do this to Dylan.”

  His hands fisted in the folds of her dress. “Right. We wouldn’t want to do this to Dylan.” He dropped the material and stepped back from her.

  She grabbed his hand before he could walk away. “He brought me here as his date. I can’t just escape upstairs to have sex with you. It’s wrong. As much as I want this, it’s not the time or place.” She tried to slow her breathing and calm her racing heart.

  Her words seemed to appease him. “Fine. Joanna’s down there, too, but, Sam, I’m coming to you tonight. Get rid of Dylan any way you need to but when I get there, you’re all mine.”

  ****

  Every muscle in his body demanded action. Jake’s words ran over and over in his mind. He imagined every scenario, every possible way Sam might have been hurt, and it angered him in a way he had never felt before. He wanted to leave, with Sam beside him, but he found himself escorting her back to Dylan.

  Joanna was cornered. Their sisters, Miranda and Janice, were standing in front of her. Miranda gestured to the dress while Janice’s mouth tightened, as if she had bitten into something bitter but was too polite to spit it out. Interrupting meant putting himself in the line of fire but, after confirming that Dylan’s hands weren’t anywhere near his wife, he joined the two. He could survive the rest of the evening, as long as he could keep one eye on Sam and know that tonight she’d be his.

  He walked up to his sisters and gave the older two kisses on their cheeks. “You both look beautiful. Doesn’t Joanna look great?”

  “How could you let her leave the house with that dress on?”

  “Despite the fact that she looks too good? No, I did not tell her to change. I’ll just stand here and dissuade any man from coming near her. Isn’t that what every big brother is supposed to do?” He coaxed a smile from Joanna with a wink.

  Miranda didn’t even crack a smile. “No, but this is just one more reason that she shouldn’t be living with you. You’re a bad influence.” She changed the topic, while scanning the room. “Where is Melissa? I didn’t see her when I walked in.”

  As if she didn’t already know that he hadn’t invited her friend as his date. “I wouldn’t know.”

  Janice leaned forward. “Here she is.”

  The tall raven-haired beauty entered the tent-covered patio and headed straight for him. She gave Miranda and Janice air kisses before enveloping him in her perfume-scented embrace. The kiss she gave his cheek lasted a little too long. She slid her arm around his waist and kept it there when she acknowledged Joanna. “Always nice to see you.”

  Joanna nodded. “You too. I need another drink.” She walked off without a look back.

  Lee watched his traitorous sister walk away, leaving him literally in his sisters’ and their friend’s clutches.

  “LJ, I’m so sorry I never called you back. I’ve been so busy with the foundation. Time just got away from me.” Melissa turned her charm on. Each of her words slipped delicately from her pouty mouth.

  He tried to ease back and put a little space between them but she followed him. He caught Sam’s eyes just as the crowd opened up between them. Pink spots bloomed across her cheeks just as she turned away from him and gave her friends her full attention.

  He had to go to her. “Excuse me, ladies. I see Dylan St. James and I’d like to say hello.”

  Miranda and Janice nodded but Melissa followed. She removed her hand from his waist, only to snag his arm with it. “I’ll go with you. I haven’t seen Serena in ages. I wonder who that woman is with Dylan.” She kept a steady stream of inane conversation as they walked to the other side of the patio, occasionally s
topping to talk to acquaintances.

  He had to forcibly slow his step to keep himself from breaking loose of her grip. They finally reached the small pergola at the end. Melissa hugged Dylan and Serena and then waited with wide eyes for Dylan to introduce Sam. He and Dylan barely acknowledged each other while Serena narrowed her eyes in his direction.

  Melissa didn’t seem to notice the tension pinging around the small group. “I’m so glad you both decided to come back for the party. It’s always so dull at these things.” She slipped her hand back around Lee’s waist and turned to look up at him. “Isn’t it?”

  Sam looked everywhere but at the two of them. He wanted to explain that this wasn’t his idea, that Melissa had simply showed up, without any kind of encouragement from him, but then Dylan took up the same position, placing his hand on Sam’s bare back.

  He gritted his teeth, remembered that her lips were still plump from his kisses, and released the tension from his shoulders.

  “Sam, are you from New York?” Melissa leveled her gaze on Sam.

  She finally turned to Melissa, giving her full attention. “No. I’m originally from Oldport.”

  “I am, too. I’m surprised we’ve never met before. Is your family a member of the club?”

  Lee caught the quick flare in her eyes before she tamped down on it. “No, my father would have rather been on his boat than out golfing.”

  “Since when was the club just about golfing?” She laughed and Sam only smiled in return.

  He looked around, hoping Dylan or Serena would save the conversation but they all centered their attention on him. He tried to come up with something to save the uncomfortable moment but, as he opened his mouth, his mother stepped up to their little group.

  She waited for Lee to give her a kiss on the cheek before leaning in to Melissa and giving her arm a light squeeze. “I’m so glad you could drag LJ away from work. He’s been much too busy for his own good.”

  His mother scanned the others and then smiled at Serena. Again he watched as his mother air kissed another cheek. She gave Dylan an expectant smile and stared at Sam, waiting for an introduction.