Trace bet it wasn’t. “Thanks for calling, Ms. McGill.” He slammed down the phone.
He stopped to give Ben a kiss on top of his head, then looked at Charley. “I have to find a way to the Cape. Take care of him while I’m gone?”
Charley nodded. “Be careful.”
Trace didn’t just walk, he ran. He was going to get to Lily, come hail or stormy waters.
“Ooooh. God.” Lily’s moan echoed through the face rest of the massage chair at the Cape Celeste commuter airport. Why not go out the same way she’d come in? It was the first time she’d left the island since she’d arrived and had plenty of time to let Yin, her favorite airport masseuse, work out the knots in her back and shoulders. The storm had shut down the airport, and the next flight out wouldn’t leave for at least a few hours.
Yin used the base of her palm to dig into a wicked spasm between Lily’s shoulder blades, and she nearly whimpered. But then the pain melted away along with the spasm, and she moaned, “Ooooh. Yes.” Who cared what people thought? The airport was virtually empty because of the storm, anyway.
She was a woman who’d just rolled the dice and lost at love. Big. She was going to treat herself right before leaving with her tail between her legs. Anyone who didn’t like her moaning, well, they could bite her.
Yin’s magical fingers distracted Lily enough to keep her tears in check. She would not let the dam she’d held back since Trace fired her at the cove burst. She’d known he’d be hurt. Known his reaction wouldn’t be good. Known getting fired was a distinct possibility.
It still sucked.
“Ahhhh,” she moaned again as Yin went to work on a spasm in her neck.
She didn’t ask Trace to forgive her because she had no right to. She’d hoped he’d offer his forgiveness anyway because that’s what she’d do for someone she loved desperately. Loved madly. Loved with her whole heart. She loved him enough to let him go, though. Chasing him, begging him, asking him for anything would’ve only added to her humiliation, since he’d obviously had no intention of accepting her apology.
She made a mental note to add Never chase a man unless he’s driving an ice cream truck to her list of life lessons.
But then, she hadn’t paid much attention to her life lessons, had she?
Obviously, she sucked at picking the right guy to fall in love with. Getting fired by her boss the first time wasn’t enough for her to learn the lesson. She had to go and do it all over again.
She let out a heavy sigh that whistled through the headrest.
“You tight,” Yin said. “Lot of stress.”
Lily had heard that before, not so long ago.
“Need vacation,” Yin said.
Ha! Actually, Lily needed a job so she could pay for the vacation. And it was a bummer that the only job she really wanted was the one she’d just lost in the most beautiful vacation spot on the continent.
Well, at least her mother would be happy that her baby girl, Scarlett, was coming home.
Yin pressed her enchanted thumbs into Lily’s shoulders, and she moaned loudly. So loud, in fact, that Lin said, “Need boyfriend too.”
A sting started behind Lily’s eyes at the thought.
But then her phone dinged with a text. Probably her mother, because no one else on earth would be texting Lily at the moment.
She ignored it and let Yin work her magic.
Another ding had one of Lily’s eyes cracking open. Her purse was on the floor next to her chair, so she searched without looking and found her phone. She slid it under the headrest to read the text, and her breath caught.
We need to talk.
A hairline crack formed in Lily’s dam. Her thumbs flew over the keys, and she sniffed the tears back.
There’s nothing left to say.
I have a lot to say.
She was sure he did, and none of it would be good.
Not now. Maybe soon.
If he wanted to vent his pain and anger toward her, she’d let him, but she needed to put some time and distance between them first.
Her phone didn’t ding again.
Yin used her forearm to work the muscles in Lily’s lower back.
“That feels better than-”
“I’ll pay quadruple, plus a big tip for what she’s getting,” a familiar fluid voice said, just as a pair of suede hiking boots appeared under her headrest.
The deep masculine sound swelled and swirled inside her, making her insides tingle and her toes curl. Lily’s voice caught in her throat, and she couldn’t move without losing it.
“Wait your turn,” Yin said to him. “No other masseuse here today. Not enough customers.”
The boots disappeared, but the chair next to Lily creaked under the Voice’s weight. Because, oh yes, that beautiful silky voice couldn’t belong to anyone else.
“Enjoy your trip to this part of the country?” the Voice asked.
Lily could not look up. She couldn’t. Not without knocking a hole in that dam of tears the size of a cannonball. “Um,” her voice cracked. “Yes. Very much. Until today.”
“Meet any interesting people?”
“Yes. Some were more than interesting.” Her voice got croakier.
“Any worth sticking around for?” the Voice asked.
Lily’s head popped up.
Trace sat on the edge of the chair next to her, leaning in her direction with his elbows propped on his knees. “Because I know a few people who really want you to stay. For good, if you still want to.”
The dam broke, and Lily let the tears flow. “I’m so sorry.”
Trace reached over and took her hand in his, stroking her fingers. “I’m the one who’s sorry, babe. When you love someone, you don’t ask them to leave just because they made a mistake.”
She sat up and wiped her eyes.
Yin looked from Lily to Trace then back to Lily. “I take break.” She disappeared.
He kept stroking the length of her fingers with his. One swipe, then another, his calloused fingers warming her soul. “You’re willing to give me another chance?” she asked.
“If you’re willing to give me one. But I do have one condition.” A smile curved onto his lips. “Promise you’ll give up your obsession with transportation that ends with cycle,” he teased.
She threw her head back and laughed.
Trace pulled her into his lap and caressed her cheek. “I love you.” He smoothed a stray lock of hair from her forehead. “And so does Ben.” His eyes were as soft and silky as his tone.
Joy pushed out the sadness in her heart. “I love you too.” She leaned her forehead against his. “And Ben too. But I don’t want to stay if it’s going to hurt either one of you.”
“You were barely gone from the island an hour, and I felt like part of me had been torn away. I can’t imagine living a lifetime without you, and Ben would never forgive me.” He brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist. “I want you to stay at the Remington. Make it your home. Make it your job.” He placed another feathery kiss on her wrist that sent a tingle skating up her arm.
“What about the media?” she asked. “It’s only a matter of time before they find out where I’ve been. It could hurt your custody case, and it could hurt the resort.”
“I’ve watched you solve every problem in your path. We’ll figure this one out together.” He placed a soft, slow kiss on her lips. “I’m yours, Lily . . .”
Her breath caught.
“Or, uh, Scarlett?” he corrected.
“I’d love it if you’d keep calling me Lily.” She smiled and placed a kiss on his lips. “My grandmother called me Lily, and I loved it.”
He pressed another sweet kiss to her lips. “I’m hoping you could change your name one more time.”
A wrinkle appeared across her forehead.
“I like Lily Remington.” He smiled. “It has a special ring to it.”
“You make me feel special,” she breathed against his mouth.
“There’ll be no making me feel special until tomorrow when Ben’s at school,” she scolded.
Trace shook his head. “We’re getting a hotel room because my plane is at the resort, and the ferry is shut down until the storm passes.”
She leaned back to give him a questioning look. “How did you get here?”
He winked, and the sexy pilot she’d met right there in the same spot the day she’d arrived was back. “I have a friend in the coast guard. He owed me.”
Lily threw her arms around Trace’s neck and kissed him until neither one of them could breathe. Because only a man desperately in love would hitch a ride with the coast guard to stop his woman from leaving.
Chapter Twenty-Four
LILY’S LIFE LESSON #24
When life gets tough, keep on pedaling.
Trace and Lily sat in the back row of Ben’s classroom waiting for his turn to present his science project. Trace’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. When he took it out and saw the number on the screen, he leaned over to whisper in Lily’s ear. “Be right back.”
She nodded without looking at him. Instead, she gave Ben a thumbs-up for the hundredth time because he kept turning around to make sure she was still there.
Trace stepped into the hallway for privacy and answered the call. “Megan.” He kept his voice flat.
“Trace.” There was already a tremor in her tone. “Just so you know, I didn’t know anything about Ronald Parker until after he’d already visited the island the first time, and I didn’t know my agent was going to send him back to the island again.” She hesitated. “I’m looking for another agent.”
Hopefully, a more ethical one, if there was such a thing in Hollywood.
Trace responded with silence.
“I . . . I got the recording you sent,” she said. “I’m not going any further with the custody suit.”
“Good.” He went quiet and waited. Just waited.
She caved within seconds. “You didn’t have to have your girlfriend call the autistic foundation. I was planning to step down as their spokesperson after I heard what Ben had to say.”
Since Megan was so hell-bent to use Ben to get her face on television, Trace had decided to show her what her son really thought of her. Trace had recorded Ben with the ducks that day, talking about how his mother didn’t like him, thought he was weird, and how he’d compared his situation to the ducks, just like he had after Megan’s field trip–mommy drama. An Oscar-worthy motion picture couldn’t have been a bigger tearjerker, but it was time for Megan to see herself through Ben’s eyes.
“I didn’t have anyone call the autistic foundation,” he said. “But I should’ve called them myself.”
“Well, someone did.” Her voice cracked. “They knew all about my last visit.”
“Ben’s teacher and twenty kids were present. Kids do go home and tell their parents things, especially when there’s drama,” Trace said. “Any one of them could have made the call. You wanted to be on television, and now you’ve put a target on your own back.”
“Well, they let me go before I could quit.” She sniffed. “I suppose that makes you happy.”
“None of this makes me happy, Megan.” He crossed an arm over his chest.
“I . . . I’m sorry. I just wanted to catch a break for once in my career. I’m not getting any younger.” She sniffed. “I’m never going to be good with Ben. Not like you, Trace.”
“You don’t have to be like me,” Trace said. “But you do at least have to make an effort with him. If you can’t do that, then leave him alone completely because he doesn’t deserve the heartache.”
“Do you think Ben will ever forgive me?”
“He’s a great kid. I’m sure he will, but he’s already caught on to a lot. You’re going to have to do much better if you want him to want you in his life.”
After he allowed Megan more time for blubbering than she deserved, he ended the call. Only time would tell if she could change, but Trace wasn’t going to hold his breath. He had too much to look forward to with his new life with Lily. And so did Ben.
Lily was getting restless waiting for Trace to finish up his phone call in the hallway. Miss Etheridge introduced each of the kids who were presenting their science projects. Trace slipped back into the seat next to her just in time. It was the last week of school before summer break, and the class of second graders was jittery with excitement.
“Lily!” Everyone in the room heard Ben’s loud whisper.
You’ve got this, Lily mouthed at him and gave the thumbs-up again.
Trace slid an arm around the back of her chair, and his fingers gently caressed her shoulder. “Thank you,” he said low enough so only she could hear. “This project won Ben a lot of favor with the other kids.” The tenderness in his eyes said how much that meant to him as a father of a child who didn’t always fit in. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you and your tricycle,” he teased.
She elbowed him. “Careful. I have a new driver’s license.” Trace had brought her to the Cape the day before to get an in-state license. She needed to be mobile with the crazy busy summer ahead and the resort kicking off a record season in a few days. “If you think I was daring on a bike or trike, wait until you see me behind the wheel of a four-wheel-drive Jeep. No telling what type of animals I might bring to the resort now that we have a new pet-friendly policy.”
His expression blanked. “I think I’m scared.”
The rest of the Remingtons filtered in, squeezing Lily’s shoulder as they walked by, and sat on the far end of the row to take the last empty seats. They hadn’t blinked when she and Trace had walked into the resort several days before and he’d announced that she was staying and would eventually become an official member of the family.
After Lawrence made several lengthy telephone calls to animal-rights groups, environmentalist groups, and a Portland news station, the press had turned her into an overnight hero, robbing the haters back in NOLA of their juicy story. Her future father-in-law explained to everyone who’d taken his calls how Lily hadn’t let her tumultuous circumstances hold her back. Instead, she chose to start over, and in the process, she’d rescued a brood of baby ducklings that wouldn’t have survived on their own.
Donations were already pouring in to several bird sanctuaries up and down the West Coast, and they’d even invited Ben to bring the ducks there when he was ready.
But the thing that brought tears to Lily’s eyes and joy to her heart was her father. He’d called Lily, and they’d had the best conversation she could remember since she was a kid. Then he’d called Trace and thanked him for taking care of his baby girl.
“Next we have Ben Remington,” Miss Etheridge said. “And he’s brought an extra-special treat for us.”
Lily couldn’t contain her excitement any longer, and she clapped.
Several of the ladies turned around to glare at her. Probably PTA moms. Charley had warned her that PTA moms could be even more vicious than hockey moms. Now that Lily was going to be one of Ben’s parents, she’d have to volunteer and show them a thing or two about overseeing an event and running an organization. If that didn’t put them in their places, then maybe pepper spray would work because their glares were terrifying.
Ben set up his poster on the chalkboard, then went to the large covered pet crate in the corner that Lily and Trace had delivered to the classroom while the kids were at recess. Ben had learned that covering a birdcage quieted the ducks down. Besides a few low squawks and quacks, this brood had done pretty well. He pulled the blanket off to reveal the ducks, and they tuned up.
The kids cheered and chattered.
When Miss Etheridge finally got everyone quieted down, she said, “Okay, Ben. Continue.”
“This is Daisy, Sir Walter Raleigh”—he pointed to each and held up a different color Velcro foot band for each name—“Roxy, Oscar, Squeak
s, Bandit, Oreo, Scooter, and Belle.” Ben named every duck except one. Then he pointed to the one with a slightly smaller wing. “And this one’s Waddles. He’s different, like me.”
He launched into an explanation of their growth, their food, and his plan to let them go back into the wild from the cove behind the resort. “If Waddles can’t fly off with his family, then we’ll take care of him, and he can be part of our family, and the other ducks can fly back and visit him.” Ben’s little body thrummed with excitement. “Just like Lily is going to be part of our family from now on. And her mom and dad can come visit anytime they want.”
Lily got choked up that Ben had thought of her parents, and she covered Trace’s hand with hers.
She and Trace hadn’t explained the whole prison thing to Ben just yet, but soon they’d tell him why her father couldn’t visit the island. Lily’s mom was a different story, though. Lily had told her everything and introduced her to Trace and Ben through a live video call. As soon as the summer season was over, Trace and Lily promised to fly out and pick her mom up for a visit.
Trace stroked her shoulder and gave her a sexy wink.
When Ben was done, he passed out chocolate eggs to everyone, and Miss Etheridge let the class come forward to get a closer look at the ducks.
While they chattered and aahed over the ducks, Trace pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text.
Lily’s phone dinged, and she chuckled. Without looking at Trace, she retrieved her phone from her purse on the floor.
Did I mention how much I love you?
Lily’s thumbs flew over the screen.
Several times, but I never get tired of hearing it.
“Good.” He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Because I plan to tell you every morning.” He lowered his voice even more. “And show you every night.”
A shiver lanced through her. She lifted both brows at him as a warning. “We’re at Ben’s school,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “By the way, I just got good news. Megan dropped the custody suit.”
Dare Me Once Page 26