by Whitley Cox
She hadn’t even realized she’d stopped to watch the three of them.
Atlas paused, his sexy feet still bare and covered in sand. He turned around too. “You coming?”
With her heart feeling lighter than it had in ages, she grinned as she jogged to catch up. Aria reached for her hand and she was about to take it when a bark she would recognize in a field full of dogs made her heart lurch inside her chest.
Forest.
There it was again. She would recognize it anywhere. Like a mother penguin locating its chick in a rookery of other chicks, she would recognize his call anywhere.
The beach was dotted with people and dogs enjoying the hot late May day, and with something almost akin to panic in her chest, she spun around searching for that bark.
And then she saw him.
With tongue lolling out, a smile on his face and fur in the breeze, he ran toward her, barking. When he saw that she had spotted him, his canter quickened, and before she knew it, she was on her knees in the sand and Forest was licking her face and going crazy in her arms.
“Oh, Forest.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, burying her face in the soft fur of his neck. He smelled clean but also salty like the sea. He looked good, felt healthy.
“Sorry about that,” a man’s voice said, drawing nearer. “I’m dog-sitting for a friend, and although Forest has great recall, sometimes he gets a bit excited.”
Swallowing down the razor blades in her throat, she reluctantly stood up. “I’m Forest’s owner. I’m Carlyle’s ex.”
The man was young, like maybe twenty-five if that, and the look on his face was pure terror. He attempted to reach for Forest’s collar, but Tessa had it first and backed a step away. “I’m not supposed to let you near him,” the guy said. “He says you were cruel to Forest. That you neglected and beat him.”
Well, now she thought she might be sick.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to stay standing. Forest leaned against her leg for support. “I would never lay a hurtful hand on this dog. Everything Carlyle told you about me was a lie. He is my dog, and I love him like I would a child.”
Unease drifted into the young man’s brown eyes.
“Do you think he would greet me this way if I hurt him?”
She felt Atlas behind her.
“Daddy, whose dog is that?” Aria asked.
“He’s Tessa’s dog, sweetie,” he whispered.
“Oh, I like him. He’s pretty.”
“I’m sorry, miss,” the young man said. “Mr. Rickson left me very clear instructions. I can see that Forest loves you, but I—I can’t let you take him.” He approached her and Forest as if either one of them might lunge out and bite off his hand. Forest didn’t growl, but he did try to hide behind Tessa, ducking his head and backing up around her legs. The young man grew more confident though, and he slid his fingers around Forest’s collar. Reluctantly, she released her own grip and stepped away.
Forest went to pull away from the man and return to her. He began to whimper, his feet slipping in the wet sand as he struggled to throw on the brakes and gain some traction. Instead, he just stirred up sand.
A harsh sob caught in her throat, and she wiped away the tears that fell. “Please be kind to him. He’s so confused.”
The man nodded. “I love dogs. This is what I do for a living. I walk them during the week and then pet-sit on the weekends and during the week. Forest is being well cared for. I promise you.”
Well, at least Carlyle had done something right.
Her bottom lip jiggled, and she turned away as the young man led a protesting Forest back down the beach.
“Tessa crying, Daddy,” Aria said, sliding her smooth, cool fingers into Tessa’s hand. “It’s okay, Tessa. Don’t cry.”
Well, that just made her cry even more.
“Why can’t she bring her dog, Daddy?” Aria asked as she took her father’s hand again and they began heading back up the beach toward the parking lot.
“It’s a bit complicated, sweetie,” he said softly.
“What does comp-i-cate-ed mean?” Aria asked.
“It means a grown-up problem,” he replied. “But Daddy and Uncle Liam are working very hard to get Tessa her doggy back. Don’t you worry.”
They reached the parking lot, and he somehow managed to hit the fob to unlock his Land Cruiser, all without letting go of the beach stuff or Aria’s hand.
“Tessa, when you get your dog back, can you bring him over to play in our backyard?” Aria asked, when Atlas stood her up in the hatch and attempted to rid her of more sand.
Tessa was barely able to stay standing, but she held on to the side of the vehicle and swallowed hard. “I’d love that, Aria.”
Aria bopped a warbling Cecily on the nose, making the baby giggle and smile. “We hope you get him back soon. It’d be nice to add a dog to the family, too.”
17
Atlas felt helpless. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do on that beach to help Tessa, and they both knew it. If they’d tried to take the dog away from the pet-sitter, it would undoubtably seal Tessa’s fate of never getting her dog back. Especially since Carlyle had gone and lied through his fucking teeth about Tessa abusing and mistreating the dog. Who’s to say he wasn’t going to continue to lie? They had to go into their meeting prepared with an arsenal of leverage, otherwise, he was going to be even more underhanded and dirty than he already was and take Tessa’s dog away from her for good.
If he ever got his hands on that motherfucker …
She quietly wept on the drive to his house, and although she was helpful unloading all the beach gear and getting the girls ready, she seemed a million miles away as she did it all.
At least he was seeing Liam tonight, and Liam and Tessa could meet face-to-face. They could talk the whole situation over with his friend and come up with a game plan or, at the very least, reassure Tessa that they were doing everything in their power to get her Forest back.
“See how pretty I am in my dress,” Aria said, bouncing out of her bedroom wearing a big, poufy party dress with that netting shit underneath and a ribbon or something around the waist. It was overkill for the party they were headed to, but kids could get away with that kind of thing. Hell, if she wanted to dress up as Cinderella or Dracula, she could, and nobody would bat an eye.
“Very pretty,” Tessa said, sipping water from a glass and bouncing an equally gussied-up Cecily on her lap. Aria had insisted that Cecily wear one of her old dresses from when she was a baby. Both girls looked ready for a wedding or christening or something, but who the fuck cared?
Aria beamed at Tessa and took Cecily’s hand. “We’re so pretty, baby. You’re a pretty baby.” Cecily kicked and jiggled her chubby body, smiling at all the attention she was getting.
Atlas was just finishing putting all the dishes from the beach picnic in the dishwasher and smiled at the total one-eighty Aria had done with Cecily. She was treating her kindly. She was treating her like family.
“Maybe you should just drop me off at home,” Tessa said, her tone so far away and forlorn, at first, he didn’t even recognize her voice. “I’m going to be a terrible party guest.”
“You have to come,” Aria insisted, taking Tessa’s hand and then jumping up and down. “You get to meet all my friends. I will tell you who they all are.” She began to list them on her fingers. “Gabe and Mira and Jayda and Tia and Aiden and Nolan and Josie and Kellen and Lucas and Freddie and Jordie and … ” Her brows scrunched in thought. “Oh, and the babies: Willow, Brielle and Sophie. I mean they’re babies so they don’t do much. But they’re still my friends.” She shrugged. “You have to come so you can meet them.”
“She’s right,” Atlas said, drying his hand on a dish towel and approaching them at the table. “You have to come. It’ll take your mind off everything. It will be good to be around other kind people. You need more than just work and serial killer documentaries in your life. Plus, Liam will be the
re, and we can talk about your case if you want to.”
Her eyes lit up a bit, but that smile that had blinded him on the first day they met remained hidden. Aria still seemed oblivious to anything more than a friendship between him and Tessa, so relying on her ignorance, he crouched down in front of Tessa and took one of her hands.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his. Sadness swirled in the intense blue, and at that moment, all he wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms and take away the pain by any means necessary. He squeezed her fingers, and thankfully, she squeezed his back. “Please come. It would mean a lot to all of us.”
A stuttering breath fled from trembling lips, but she nodded. “Okay, I’ll come.”
“Yay!” Aria cheered, still holding on to Tessa’s other hand and swinging it wildly as she jumped up and down.
Cecily reached out and shoved her finger up Atlas’s nose, which, as annoying and uncomfortable as it was, seemed to be exactly what they all needed, as it caused everyone including Tessa to laugh—finally that smile broke free.
Something similar to a sticky wad of peanut butter hung at the back of Tessa’s throat while nerves as unmanageable as a bag of cats made her belly turn to the point of nausea. Why on earth had she agreed to go to this party? She didn’t know anybody. She was sad, and as much as she loved seeing Forest, it nearly killed her (for the second time in a week) to see him and then let him go. The universe was a cruel bitch to be putting her through this. Made her wonder what kind of karmic malevolence she’d done in a past life to deserve losing her father, having a mother who was but a shell of who she once was, all things Carlyle, Forest stolen from her, and of course, she couldn’t forget that big A eating away at her brain. Who had she wronged?
“I want a churro and one of Aunt Lowenna’s chocolates,” Aria said, allowing Tessa to help her out of her car seat. “You should have one of Aunt Paige’s churros. They are so yummy in my tummy. They can be yummy in your tummy too.” She reached for Tessa’s hand and met Atlas and Cecily on the sidewalk of the strip mall in front of all the businesses. The Lilac and Lavender Bistro was situated next to a photography studio, which was a few doors down from a dance studio. According to Atlas, all three businesses were owned by his friends. The parking lot was quite full, despite most of the businesses being closed on Sunday, and through the window into the bistro she could see several bodies moving around. The door was open too, letting Top 40 hits at a respectable decibel flow out. Kids laughing and adults chatting didn’t have to compete with the music.
Atlas grinned at her and propped Cecily up on his hip before he reached for Aria’s other hand. “Shall we go in?”
Aria nodded, the tiara that she’d chosen to wear last minute glittering in the late afternoon sun.
Tessa took a deep, fortifying breath, nodded and allowed them to lead her inside.
The bistro smelled amazing. Like fresh pastries and bread with that delicious hint of vanilla and chocolate swirling up to the rafters. Although still nauseous, her belly betrayed her and grumbled at the delicious smells bombarding her senses. The moment they walked in, the entire place went dead quiet.
They all stood inside just beyond the door, stock-still, as dozens of sets of eyes took them all in.
Oblivious to everything going on around her, Aria released both their hands and took off toward the children in the back corner, who were all playing happily or drawing at one of the tables.
Atlas cleared his throat, shaking everyone from their collective trance. Murmurs and conversations slowly filled the space again, but it seemed that everyone was still keeping one eye on Atlas and Tessa. Was it her they were all looking at, or was it Atlas? She couldn’t tell.
“Hello!” A gorgeous brunette with big blue eyes and a stunning smile bounced up to Tessa, her ponytail swinging behind her. “I’m Tori. You must be Tessa.”
“I am. It’s nice to meet you.”
A woman who could have nearly been Tori’s twin came up behind her. “I’m Isobel, Tori’s sister. We’re all really happy you could make it.”
Atlas made a noise in his throat beside her.
“Yeah, we’re glad you could come too, Atlas,” Isobel said with an eye roll. She reached for Tessa’s hand. “Come on, we want you to meet the rest of us.”
She didn’t have a choice but to go with them, as each woman took a hand and led her through the crowd and back into the enormous commercial kitchen, where platters of food sat on the center stainless steel table. Tessa’s mouth watered at the sight of it all.
Tori and Isobel released her hands, and before she could even blink, a flute of champagne was pushed into her hand by another gorgeous woman with gentle brown eyes and dark blonde hair. “Can’t meet a bunch of new people without liquid courage. I’m Aurora, Zak’s girlfriend.” She rested her hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “So nice to finally meet you. Aiden and Zak have nothing but wonderful things to say about you. Zak says you’re a miracle worker.”
Tessa laughed awkwardly. “I don’t know if miracle worker is the right word, but I enjoy what I do, and I think—I hope—that comes through in my work.”
“That’s exactly how I feel,” Tori said. “I’m getting my behavioral consultant certification. I work with children on the Autism Spectrum. That’s how I met Gabe and Mark.”
Oh, thank goodness, a kindred spirit. Someone who understood what she did and why she went into the field she did.
“And Gabe is … ” She was having a hard time remembering everyone’s names.
Tori grinned. “Gabe is Mark’s son, and he’s on the spectrum. I’m dating Mark.”
“And I’m with Aaron,” Isobel chimed in, “who is holding baby Sophie out there. You see the big hunky redhead who looks like he could break your neck with just a look?”
Tessa poked her head around the corner to peer back into the restaurant portion, where lo and behold there was a big, redheaded man with tattooed arms holding a baby. He had no smile, and his blue eyes were fierce. He really did look like he could snap your neck with just a look.
A woman wearing a baby in one of those stretchy wrap things blocked her view of the intimidating Aaron. “Who you gawking at?” Her green eyes held humor, and her hand a flute of champagne. “Is this where the women are congregating while we wait for Emmett and Zara to arrive?”
“We are,” another woman, this one a beautiful brunette with gray eyes, said. She slid a box of what looked to be chocolates across the table, and the woman with the baby beelined it straight for them.
“I’m Violet, and I’m nursing and I’m starving,” the woman with the baby said, cramming a decadent-looking pink bonbon into her mouth. “And this chocolate goddess is Lowenna.” She wrapped an arm around Lowenna and planted a kiss to her temple. “God, you’re wonderful, and these chocolates … What is this flavor?” She rolled her eyes back and made a blissful face.
“Raspberry mascarpone with white chocolate and vanilla bean,” Lowenna said with a triumphant smile. “We’ve started making our own vanilla in the chocolate shop, and I really think it makes all the difference to scrape the beans fresh into the filling.”
Hands shot out, and soon the box was empty except for one. Lowenna pushed the box toward Tessa. “You’re one of us now. Grab yours.”
“But the birthday girl,” Tessa said softly, overwhelmed by all the people but also the openness from these women.
“I brought her an entire box of her own, don’t worry,” Lowenna said. “This one is yours.” She nudged the box closer.
Tessa reached forward and took the shiny little morsel, popping it into her mouth. Her reaction was similar to that of Violet’s. Her eyes rolled back before closing completely, and a moan of delight bubbled up from the depths of her chest.
“Now she’s really one of us,” another woman said. She was wearing an apron and had dark curly hair in a ponytail behind her. “I’m Paige, by the way. This is my restaurant.”
“Thank you so much for having me … for having us,” Tessa sai
d, reluctantly swallowing down the remainder of the chocolate.
Paige smiled. “My pleasure. Now, eat up. I didn’t make this food for it to all go to waste. Emmett just texted me to say that they are five minutes out.”
“So you met Atlas through his daughter’s art therapy?” a redheaded woman asked, sidling up next to Tessa and picking up a giant prawn off a platter and popping it into her mouth. “I’m Eva, newest member of the Bitchin’ Chicks in Business sisterhood.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Aurora asked.
“I think so,” Lowenna said. “Aren’t most of us entrepreneurs?”
“I’m not,” Aurora said. “But I am in the business of the law. I like the name. Let’s keep it.”
All the women nodded.
Tori lifted her champagne flute. “The Bitchin’ Chicks in Business.”
They all clinked glasses—Tessa included. “The Bitchin’ Chicks in Business,” they all echoed.
“So tell us how you and Atlas got together. Was it love at first sight?” Aurora asked. “Because I’d been in love with Zak for six months before he even noticed me. I kind of maybe stalked him just a little bit. But not in a ‘collect his hair and make a doll out of it’ kind of way.”
Tessa nodded. “We did meet through Aria coming to see me. But we didn’t get along at first. I thought he was a grumpy ass.”
Isobel snorted. “Because he can be.”
Tessa fluttered her lashes and smiled more to herself than anyone else. He wasn’t so bad. She did wonder how many people he allowed to see his softer side though. “Though”—she twisted her mouth—“we kind of met before that, in a rather unorthodox way.”
Eyes lifted and pinned on her.
“Oh do tell,” Eva said, popping a canape into her mouth. “I’m sure it’s better than Scott’s and my one-night stand, where we met at a bar and I invited him up to my hotel room, only to find out weeks later that I was his new neighbor.”
Tessa’s eyes widened. “That is pretty interesting, but no. Not quite like that.”