Her hands were shaking as she opened the letter from the man who always scared her a little bit. She remembered him clearly, seeing him pass her and her momma on the streets or as she played in the office at the courthouse. But mainly she remembered his eyes as he always looked at her, so cold and callous.
To My Dearest Daughter,
If ever there were a moment that will live in my heart forever, it would be the moment I held you in my arms for the first time. When you opened your eyes, I saw forever, and I knew then that I was hopelessly devoted to you. Please forgive me, pumpkin.
Your father,
Judge Owen Connelly
Chapter Nineteen
A week had passed since Macie and Braxton had learned the truth of their birth. Word quickly spread, and soon everyone was eager to congratulate them. With something happy and exciting to talk about, it didn’t take long for almost everyone to forget about the events that happened just a short few days ago.
Life continued in Treasure Cove, and eventually everything began to settle. There was still no word on who killed Mrs. Van Ottoman, and nobody genuinely cared, well, except for the Feds, but since they didn’t live in Treasure Cove, their opinions didn’t matter much.
It was gearing up to be another hot day when the doorbell chimed in Macie’s Diner. As usual, the place was hopping as townsfolk came and went about their day.
Looking up, Macie smiled and yelled, “Hey, bro!”
Laughing, Braxton replied, “Hey, sis!”
As he sat at the counter, he asked. “Are you ever going to stop saying that?”
Placing a glass of sweet tea in front of him, she smiled. “Nope! I like saying it, so get used to it, little brother.”
“God, I really hate when you say that.” He grinned. “So where are my nephews?”
“Oh, they are upstairs with Cricket. We were able to clean out the place and help Cricket get it set up as a temporary daycare. However, I just got word from the new city council that they want to move the daycare back to the community center. Apparently, those who closed it down were the ones that left town a couple of days ago. So now, this weekend, a bunch of us are going to help Cricket get everything moved again. Wanna help?” she asked.
“Sure, I’ll let Jordan know.”
“Great, when we’re finished, we are going to have a barbecue out at the farm. Tell Charlotte she needs to make something eatable.”
Macie didn’t move quickly enough before Braxton spit his tea right in her face. Laughing, he quickly apologized and said, “Uh, sis, you know Charlotte can’t cook, right?”
“Yes, you Neanderthal, I know,” she said, wiping her face with her apron. “But she needs to bring something anyway.”
“Hope you like bottled water,” he mumbled and ducked when she flung a towel at him. “Damn, who knew having a sister could be detrimental!”
“Speaking of detrimental, Matthew called. He needs to speak with you,” Macie said, placing a plate of food before him. When he groaned, she tried to hide her smile.
“What now?”
“I don’t know. He just called and asked after lunch if you could swing by the office he would be grateful.”
“Fine,” he mumbled, grabbing the sandwich from the plate and heading for the door.
“Hey, buster, you forgot to pay for that!” Macie shouted.
“I don’t have to pay anymore. My sister owns this joint!” he said, grinning as he walked out of the diner.
* * * *
Crossing the street, Braxton smiled and waved as patrons moved about the town. Walking into the law office of Matthew Jenkins, he was greeted by Matthews’s secretary. “Hey, Sheriff, Mr. Jenkins is waiting on you.”
Nodding, Braxton took a bite of his sandwich and walked on in and made himself at home.
“Hey, Matt, what’s up?” he said with a mouthful of food.
Just then, Andrew walked into the office and closed the door.
“About time you showed up, asshole. I thought I was going to have to do this myself,” Matthew chided his brother as he took a seat next to Braxton.
“Shut up, Matty. You wanted to do this, not me.”
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“Whatever. I am doing it with or without it.”
“You know something, asshole, you can be so stubborn sometimes.”
“Yeah, and you can be a dick, so we’re even. I’m here. Ask,” Andrew grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.
The two brothers argued back and forth as he continued to eat his sandwich. He had no clue why Matthew needed to see him, or why Andrew was here. But watching them both bicker back and forth, he felt a twinge of sympathy for his sister.
“Um, guys, why am I here?” Braxton asked, popping the last bit of his sandwich in his mouth.
Clearing his throat, Matthew looked at him. For the first time, the man with an extensive vocabulary couldn’t form a single word. “Well?”
“Oh for fuck’s sake! We want to marry your sister,” Andrew blurted out.
“Okay,” Braxton said as if it was nothing, and got up to leave.
Matthew stopped him. “Wait! Okay? That’s all you have to say?”
“Yep!” Braxton grinned, grabbing for the doorknob. As he opened the door, he clearly heard the two Jenkins brothers begin to argue, curse, and shout at each other. Shaking his head, he looked at the pretty secretary and said, “Damn, I hope for my sister’s sake, she has mastered those two men, because they are a handful!”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Joyce is your typical housewife and mother. The daughter of a retired military service member, Rebecca tries to incorporate the sights, smells, and adventures of her travels, but mainly she writes of the buff, gorgeous men she drooled after in her teen years! There is just somethin’ about a man in uniform…WOW!
Growing up in the military, Rebecca Joyce, along with her family, moved from state to state, enjoying the never-ending game of “Where are we moving to next?”…which happened every two to three years!
After high school, Rebecca met and married her own military service member and now devotes her time to her husband and children. Her “spawns,” as she lovingly calls them, demand and expect a lot of her attention. When she is not catering to the whims of her family, Rebecca spends her quiet time reading or writing.
As an avid reader from an early age, Rebecca decided to try her hand at writing while her husband was away on a deployment to pass the time. Since then, she finds time in her hectic day to scribble her hopes, wishes, and dreams.
Though her real life sometimes interferes with her imaginative life, Rebecca tries to balance each with wit, sarcasm, and humor…“Screwing up takes practice…I think I’m well rehearsed!”
Rebecca Joyce currently lives in the United States with her husband of eighteen years and their three children.
For all titles by Rebecca Joyce, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/rebecca-joyce
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Mastering Macie [The Men of Treasure Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 28