He nodded in the direction of the huge canopy where several tables were set up. “She headed over to save us seats by Allie and Rick.” Holding out both plates, Charlie gestured toward the fresh-grilled burgers. “Can I get a couple of those?”
As the guys continued to bullshit, Mike’s gaze slid back to Bernie, who seemed quite cheerful as she chatted away with Marone. Maybe a little too cheerful. His feet started in their direction before his brain could even give the command.
Nathan Cooper, a friend and fellow officer, stepped into Mike’s line of vision, effectually halting his progress. Frustration gripped him. “Hey, Coop, what’s up?”
“Nothing work related, don’t worry.” Nate glanced around as if looking for someone. “I, uh…just heard your sister was back in town.”
Hmm. He remembered hearing a few years back that Coop had a thing for Gracie, though, unfortunately, she’d already been dating Derek the Dickhead by then. Could the guy still be holding a torch for her? Wait… “Heard it from where? She literally just drove in last night.”
Coop chuckled. “Marv told me. Said he saw her car in your mom’s driveway this morning.”
Ah. Mystery solved. Little sister sported vanity plates.
“So…is she coming to the barbecue?”
Mike held a smile in check over the hopeful lilt in his friend’s tone. “Maybe later. She got in pretty late, said she wanted to sleep in.”
Coop nodded, then followed it up with a ‘no big deal’ shrug. “If not, I’m sure I’ll catch her another time.”
“No doubt.”
Bernie’s distinctive laugh drew his attention. She laughed again before giving Marone a playful slap on the arm. When the guy responded by resting his hand on her knee, Mike’s pulse went through the roof, his hand flexing as he imagined smashing his fist into that smug face.
She couldn’t possibly be considering getting back together with the guy…could she? He’d been almost certain she still had feelings for him, even if she hadn’t, as of yet, been able to put the past to rest. He used to think it was a lost cause, that she’d never look at him the same way again. But his gut had told him a different story the night of the wedding, when he’d held her in his arms.
Coop chuckled and gave him a thump on the shoulder. “I’ll catch you later, man.”
Mike nodded, only a little embarrassed to have been caught staring like a lovesick teenager. He started forward again, but stopped short when he spotted Noah and Marone’s daughter, Holly, looking around suspiciously before slipping into the house through the patio doors.
His cop’s instinct kicked in. Grateful for the distraction, he set his plate on the nearest table and followed after to investigate.
Voices drifted down from the second floor as he quietly slid the patio doors closed behind him. Now, why would they have headed upstairs? He recalled the conversation he’d had with Hutch about the tip jar, and a bad feeling bloomed in his gut. He heard a toilet flush, though being familiar with Matt’s house, he knew the sound had come from the bathroom on the main floor, across from the laundry room. The door opened, and he plastered a smile on his face as Mrs. Tupinski, who worked at the post office, came around the corner.
She stopped short and smiled. “Well, hello, Officer Donovan. Lovely party, hey?”
“The best yet,” he agreed, stepping forward as if he’d been waiting on the bathroom himself.
She patted his arm as she continued by, and as soon as she disappeared outside, Mike quietly slipped upstairs.
His gaze landed on Noah the moment he reached the second floor. The teenager was standing inside one of the bedrooms, leaning against the doorjamb and busily texting on his cell phone. He didn’t hear Mike approach.
“Mind telling me what you’re doing up here?”
The kid jumped. His reaction would’ve been comical under normal circumstances, but Mike knew it meant he was probably up to no good. Noah slipped his phone in his back pocket and glanced past him, as if making sure he’d come alone.
Mike stepped inside and glanced around. Typical male bedroom: king-size bed, mahogany furniture, a few pictures on the wall, but little else. “And where’s Holly?”
“She’s in the bathroom. She felt funny coming inside herself, so she asked me to come with. Got a problem with that?”
“What I have a problem with is your attitude.” Since he had no idea if Bernie talked to her brother about the missing tip jar money, Mike decided not to say anything about it. Then he heard another, much closer, toilet flush, and realized the kid was telling the truth.
The water ran as she probably washed her hands, then the master bathroom door opened and out walked Holly Marone. Her eyes widened slightly as she assessed the situation.
“Officer Donovan, um…is something wrong?”
“That’s what I was just checking on. Saw you two slip into the house together, thought I’d better check and make sure—”
“Make sure I wasn’t attacking her or something, right?” Noah demanded.
“Calm down, kid,” Mike said, afraid maybe he’d let his feeling about Holly’s father cloud his judgment. “I’m a cop. When something seems suspicious to me, I investigate.”
“And it seemed suspicious for someone to have to go to the bathroom? You know, I thought we were cool. But the truth is, you just don’t like me, admit it,” Noah persisted.
“I didn’t know you were coming in to use the bathroom,” Mike quietly defended. “I saw you both look around before sneaking inside, so I decided to check things out. That’s all there is to it.”
Holly’s face grew flushed. “I…didn’t want my dad to see us go into the house together. He’s been a little…overprotective lately.”
Realizing the truth of the situation, Mike almost smiled. With a daughter of his own, who would grow into a beautiful young lady like Holly one day, Mike suddenly felt an odd kinship with Marone. Gently, he said, “It’s a father’s job to keep his children safe. And don’t worry, I have no reason to mention this to your father, or anyone else.”
“Thank you,” she said with a small smile of relief.
“Enjoy the rest of the party.”
Once downstairs, he stepped outside, giving the kids a thumbs up gesture when he saw Marone was facing away from them.
And still chatting with Bernadette.
The two of them were now alone at the table. What could they possibly have to talk about for so long?
Once Noah and Holly slipped back out, Mike cast a disgusted glance at his now fly-covered food before deciding enough was enough. He and Bernie were meant to be together, and nobody—especially Marone—was going to get in the way of his happily ever after.
He strode purposefully toward their table, but stopped short when he caught the tail end of Marone’s last comment.
“…and I was hoping we could give it another try. I’d love to take you out to dinner one night this week.”
Sonofabitch. Mike waited with bated breath as Bernie looked down at her lap, a sure sign she was uncomfortable. A good sign, from Mike’s viewpoint. Though it didn’t mean she would turn the guy down either, and unwilling to take that chance, Mike cleared his throat. Loudly.
Marone glanced over, a frown quirking his brow. “Hey, Mike. Something you need to talk to me about?”
“Not you. I was hoping I could steal Bernadette away for a few minutes.” He met her gaze. “I think we should talk.”
Panic darkened her eyes. “Is it Noah? Did something happen?”
He nodded. Desperate times and all that. “I just need a few minutes. But if now isn’t a good time…”
“We were kind of in the middle of something,” Marone pointed out, his words clipped as his annoyance started to show.
Bernie touched his leg, setting Mike’s teeth on edge. “I’m sorry. Just give me a minute, please.”
His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sure. Think I’ll go pour myself another glass of lemonade. Can I get you anything?”
; “I’d love another glass as well, thanks.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Take your time,” Mike told him as he strode away.
Bernie stood and watched him expectantly. “Well? What is it?”
“I, uh, just wanted to apologize for yesterday.”
Her brows rose. “For what, exactly?”
“You know. The whole tip jar thing. I should have given it a few days, waited to see if the money turned up before calling you.”
She stared at him, her exasperation clear. “And that’s it? You had me worried to death, dammit.”
“Sorry. I just—”
“You just overheard John asking me out on a date, and your macho pride couldn’t wait for my response, so you decided to kill the moment.”
Damn if she didn’t hit the nail on the head. “Pffft. No.”
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. Those luscious, perfectly shaped lips.
“Okay, maybe.”
She chuckled, the sound music to Mike’s ears.
“Very mature of you.”
He stepped forward until he was close enough to pull her into his arms. A soft gasp told him she might not be as indifferent to him as she put on. Not wanting to set back the tiny bit of progress he’d made, he stuck his hands in his pockets, deciding to keep things moving at a slow and steady pace. “Marone isn’t the guy for you.”
“And I suppose you are?” she countered, her tone challenging.
“You’re damn right I am. And if you’d give me half a chance, I could prove it to you.”
“How?” she whispered.
That one breathless word tightened Mike’s groin with near painful anticipation.
He reached up and traced the line of her jaw with his forefinger before gently tilting her chin up. “A kiss. Just one kiss is all it’ll take to convince you we belong together.” He leaned in, his heart pounding with a combination of anticipation and desire as her eyes started to close and she pressed a hand to his chest.
“Mike, I—”
“Shhh,” he whispered. “Don’t fight it, sweetheart. Haven’t we waited long enough for—”
“Hey, get your damn hands off my sister!”
Mike glanced up in surprise while Bernie pulled back so fast she nearly tripped. He grabbed her upper arms to steady her. “Watch your mouth,” he quietly told Noah, whose face screwed up with fury.
“Don’t tell me what to do. You ain’t my father! And I don’t want you dating my sister.” Noah spun to face Bernie. “Why this guy? He hates me. You know he hates me.”
“Mike doesn’t—”
“I don’t hate you, but I sure as hell don’t appreciate the way you talk to people. Especially your sister. She’s doing the best she can to take care of you and—”
“My sister is none of your business,” Noah interjected. “She likes Holly’s dad. Isn’t that right?”
They both stared at her—Noah for confirmation, Mike for a denial. No way in hell could she be interested in Marone. He and Bernie belonged together. The sooner she admitted that to herself, the sooner they could all get on with their lives.
“I have a headache,” she announced, snatching her purse off the table, refusing to make eye contact with him. Instead, she met her brother’s annoyed scowl and informed him, “Mike is right. You need to get your attitude in check. And you”—she met his gaze—“need to let me handle my brother on my own. I appreciate your concern, but we’ll figure things out on our own.”
Mike decided to keep his mouth shut as she ushered Noah past him. She stopped to say a few words to Marone, then Lindy and Carrie, before leading her brother through the house and out of sight.
“Well, that went well,” he muttered as he went in search of Maddie and his mom. With any luck, they were both as ready to get the hell out of there as he was.
Chapter 7
Mike spent most of Labor Day helping Maddie get ready for her first day of Kindergarten. And Gracie had been a huge help when it came to choosing the perfect outfit to wear. He hadn’t realized what a fashionista his little girl was until he’d suggested she wear the cute Packers T-shirt he’d bought her. She and her auntie had a good laugh at his expense, went on about how boys didn’t know “anything about anything,” then put together an outfit for each day of the week and carefully hung them in the closet.
With her clothes picked out and her Hello Kitty backpack filled with school supplies including crayons, markers, sharpened pencils, notebooks, and glue sticks, all that was left was her bath.
Since Mike owned a home just down the block from his mom, he’d agreed to let Maddie spend the night at grandma’s, who had a whirlpool tub and every kind of bubble bath imaginable. He stood inside the door playfully shaking his head while his mom gleefully told the story about how he wet himself on his first day of school, and his teacher had to call home for fresh clothes. Maddie giggled all through her bath.
He was about to offer to lift her from the tub, thinking how lucky he was to have his little girl in his life, when a stray thought about the baby he and Bernie had lost shot to the forefront of his mind. His throat closed and his eyes suddenly filled with tears. What the hell?
Pretending to have a tickle in his throat, he ran down to the kitchen and braced his hands on the edge of the sink as he sucked in a few deep breaths.
He’d thought about their baby many times over the years, but he’d never felt such a powerful surge of emotion before. Like he’d taken a kick to the ribs by a mule. Regret and guilt ate at him until it was all he could do to keep drawing air into his lungs. He’d always feared he was to blame for Bernie’s miscarriage. That he’d caused her to lose their baby with that one thoughtless command…
“You have to get an abortion.”
The utter devastation his unthinkable words had caused her—wiping the smile of hopeful joy from her young face as the sheer horror of what he’d said sank in—still haunted him. If only he’d immediately taken them back. If only he’d hugged her and assured her everything would be all right. But no, he’d taken the cowardly road. So afraid of what their parents would do when they found out, he’d thrown all the responsibility onto her vulnerable shoulders, destroying their future—and their baby’s—with those six awful words. The fact he’d still been a kid himself was no excuse.
Clearing his throat, he opened the cupboard above the sink and pulled out his father’s old bottle of Jack and a shot glass. He tossed one back, then another, praying for immediate relief from the demons of his past. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes, grimacing as the booze burned a numbing path to his stomach. He’d just poured a third when the back door opened and in walked his sister. She took one look at him, quickly assessed the situation, and strode over to give him a hug before leaning against the counter beside him.
“Mind if I get one of those?”
He tossed back the third shot, then refilled the glass and handed it to her. She sipped it, her face pulling taut with pure disgust—which in turn made him smile—before gulping the rest down.
“Man, this stuff is awful. Never understood how Dad could drink it.”
“It’s not so bad. And it’s quick, which is what I needed.”
“I can see that.” She dispensed herself a second shot and drank it before handing him back both the glass and bottle. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Not so much.” He poured himself a fourth and downed it, feeling oddly unsettled, and uncomfortable in his own skin. It suddenly dawned on him that Maddie would be coming down in her jammies any minute, so he returned the Jack to the cupboard, then opened the fridge to search around for something to soak up the excess alcohol floating around in his stomach.
A hand settled on his arm.
“Go sit,” Gracie told him. “I’ll make you a sandwich.”
He nodded, grateful for her presence. Though they’d had some rough patches in their relationship over the years—mostly over her loser of an ex—when it came down to it
, she always had his back. And he hers.
He watched in appreciative silence as she pulled bread, ham, cheese, mayo, and mustard from the fridge, then deposited everything on the counter.
She cast him a sidelong glance as she worked the twist tie from the bread. “I’m sure Maddie’s first day of school has you a little tense, but I can’t help thinking something else is bothering you.” She made quick work of the sandwich, set it onto a plate, and slid it in front of him.
“Thanks.”
“Did you run into Bernie at the barbecue yesterday?”
His heart skipped a beat. Damn that women’s intuition stuff. “I ran into a lot of people at the barbecue. Half the town showed up. Including Nate Cooper, by the way, who asked about you.”
Mike took a bite of his sandwich and watched as a whisper of interest crossed her face, followed by a brief…smile? Huh. Maybe there was a mutual attraction between his baby sister and Officer Cooper. Could it possibly have anything to do with the reason she’d broken things off with Derek?
She busied herself putting away the sandwich fixings. “Nice deflection. So, you did run into her. What did she say? What did you say? Is it true her brother’s living in Redemption now?”
“Whoa, slow down.” He gave a soft laugh. “We talked for about a minute, that’s it. And yes, Noah’s living with Bernie now. In fact, he starts his first year of high school tomorrow.”
Gracie regarded him thoughtfully. “Sounds like you guys talked for more than just a minute.”
“We’ve had a few run-ins lately.”
When her brow lifted in curiosity, he quickly explained how he had Maddie help him secure a dance at the wedding, then what had happened at the convenience store, and Hutch’s Diner, though he left out the part about the tip jar money missing.
His little sister’s brow crunched as she grew thoughtful again. “If yours and Bernie’s child had lived, he or she would be starting high school tomorrow as well. Is that maybe what’s on your mind?”
He set his sandwich down, propped his elbows on the table, and laced his fingers together. Damn if she hadn’t hit the nail on the head. “If I hadn’t practically ordered her to have an abortion and caused her to miscarry? Yeah, it’s been on my mind.”
Say You Love Me (Welcome To Redemption #9) Page 5