by A. P. Jensen
“You started all this,” Brent snapped.
“I didn’t start anything! He did.”
“I’m not trying to start a fight, damn it. I’m trying to say he’s gonna be gunning for you too so you need to be careful.”
Her brows rose. After threatening her the other night, now he was concerned for her welfare? Dominick had done what no one else had. He comforted her, fed her and offered a safe place to sleep. “I can take care of myself, Brent. I have for a long time.”
With that, she hung up and walked over to the wall of glass. The incident with Brent threatening her at Maile’s house and then finding Callie broken and bruised seemed very distant in Dominick’s tranquil and beautiful home. She looked over Waimea as she ate. It was so beautiful it made her want to weep. She had been extremely fortunate to grow up in this small town. Waimea was a unique mix of cultures that had a tight knit community at its core. This was God’s country and people paid dearly to live here. It was a blend of upper- and working-class citizens. Due to its country setting and limited resources, the wealthy went to the grocery stores and stood in line with farmers, construction workers and teachers. Did she want to stay here? It had never been an option and now… Now, she had three clients hiring her to do bookkeeping. What had Dominick told her yesterday? To recognize the signs? Juliet shook herself and called Maile who answered halfway through the first ring.
“Juliet Grant, you have a lot of explaining to do!” Maile shrieked.
“I do?”
“You send me a text saying that you’re going to Dominick’s house and that if Freddy shows, to call the cops.”
“Yeah. So?”
“And you don’t call your bestie to tell her that you fucking kicked Freddy’s ass? I heard you nailed him. Oh my God, you have to tell me everything. Are you still at Dominick’s house? No, wait. Tell me everything about him first. I’ve been having fantasies forever!”
“Where are you?”
“At work, of course. Oh, by the way, I have your laptop.”
“Do you have customers in the store?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“We aren’t going to talk about this now. Dominick asked me to look at something. Let me do that and then I’ll come by the store and bring you lunch or something.”
“Dominick wants you to take a look at something?” Maile echoed. “Is that code for fucking him?”
“No, it’s code for, ‘Dominick wants me to look at something.’”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Good. Now you know how I feel.”
“Jesus, aren’t you cranky? Doesn’t sound like you screwed his brains out. You’d be in a better mood otherwise. Fine. That means that Freddy is more interesting. Did something happen with Callie? Is that why everyone was at my house? Actually, are you okay?”
“I’m feeling better,” Juliet said as she made her way back to Dominick’s office and looked out at the pasture bathed in sunlight. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. “Let me take a look at his stuff and I’ll swing by.”
“Ooh, his stuff. Is that code for—”
Juliet hung up on her and sat in Dominick’s massive chair. Whoever his previous bookkeeper was, she was organized and efficient. The programs he used were sophisticated and top of the line. Within an hour, Juliet discovered that Dominick was doing better than she could have imagined. No wonder Brent didn’t want her around him. Dominick imported his materials from the mainland and used Grant Shipping exclusively. Dominick had projects all over the island, but most were on the Kohala Coast. Luxury homes seemed to be his specialty and he was in high demand. Juliet sifted through the paperwork and found that Dominick was very up to date. Juliet felt better, being able to do something for him, even though it was so minor. Juliet noticed scribbled notes of things to order, a list of people to call and several invoices that needed to be sent out. Juliet called his cell. He answered on the second ring.
“Bryson,” he said.
“It’s Juliet.”
“You look at the books?”
“They’re up to date. Your bookkeeper is awesome.”
“That was fast.”
“Like I said, she did a really good job. Anyway, I noticed this list of things you need to order and the website. You want me to do that for you?”
“You don’t mind?”
“Will this help you out?”
“Yeah. I haven’t had the time to—”
“Yes, I can do it.” She wanted to do something to repay him for his generosity and trust.
“There’s a credit card in my desk, ending in 7565. You see it?”
Juliet opened a drawer and found the card. “Yes.”
“You can use that.”
“Thanks. What about this list of people to call?”
“They just want to confirm that everything is on schedule for their individual projects.”
“Is everything on schedule?”
“Yes.”
“So, I can call them.”
He hesitated. “If you want to.”
“That’s one less thing for you to do, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll do it. Give me the rundown on the Landon project.” She made notes on the progress for each project and deadline. Dominick asked her to confirm something on a massive calendar on the wall before she made more notes. “Okay. Got it. And I can fax these invoices.”
“Thanks, baby.”
Juliet blinked at the careless endearment. “No problem.”
“Okay. I gotta go. Let me know if you run into a snag.”
They hung up and she saved his number in her phone with a frown. She’d never met a man like him. He trusted her. Why? All the evidence must point south. He must know about her reputation, which she confirmed by stripping off her dress when she was drunk and then making out with him in front of Hunter’s Bar. Despite that, he saw something in her that no one else did, not even her family. After all he’d done for her, this was the least she could do. Juliet made the calls, faxed the invoices and ordered the things he needed after she asked Dominick for his email address through text. He responded with a ‘thank you’ when he got the email confirmation. Juliet was in her element and it felt good to feel useful and pay him back a little.
Juliet dressed and realized she would have to wash his shirt again before giving it back. She needed more clothes. She made the bed and made sure not to leave anything behind. Whatever happened next, she would handle without Dominick’s help. He had proven ten times over that he deserved the best. That wasn’t her. She was a mess living out of a paper bag. Brent had been right to warn her away from him. She had nothing to offer a man like him but drama.
Maile texted her that she wanted to meet at Hunter’s Bar. Juliet didn’t want to go there, but Maile was insistent. Hell. Well, she had to apologize and thank Hunter anyway. It wasn’t until she closed the front door behind her that she realized that she couldn’t lock it. She called Dominick.
“Hey, I’m sorry. How do I lock your house?” she asked.
“There’s a spare key in a water pot around the back of the house. Why are you leaving?”
“I’m going to meet Maile for lunch.”
“Where?”
“Hunter’s Bar.” She found the watering pot and the key imprinted with the American flag. “Got it.”
There was a lot of noise on the other end.
“Okay, I’m locking up. I won’t bother you again.”
“I gotta go,” he said abruptly and hung up.
Juliet shook her head as she replaced the spare key in its hiding place. Seriously, did the man have no self-preservation? He must know she was fucking looney. Maybe she really was in the friend zone or maybe he was overcompensating because of Freddy.
Juliet felt jumpy and nervous as she drove through town. She half expected to see Freddy’s Mercedes in front of the bar and was relieved that it wasn’t. Hunter definitely wasn’t going to be happy to see her. She sighed. That was pretty comm
on on the island. She was a plague that spread joy wherever she went.
This time, she didn’t enter the bar on a mission. She stepped in slowly, cautiously, and saw that the bar was indeed busy. The moment she entered, people turned and the noise level went up. Juliet ignored everyone and made a beeline to a high table that Maile occupied.
“Gosh, I’ve been waiting forever!” Maile exclaimed and shoved a glass of wine at her. “Is it true? Freddy beat Callie?”
Juliet froze with the glass an inch from her lips. “Who said that?”
“Two ladies that came into the store and those guys,” Callie jerked her thumb at some cowboys playing pool.
Juliet’s temper flared, but what did she expect? It was a small town and she hadn’t been quiet or restrained yesterday. Shit. Callie would be mortified and Brent would be pissed. “It’s true.”
Hunter appeared. He didn’t give her a glance as he slapped two plates of burgers and fries on their table and stalked away. Juliet watched him go with a frown.
“Does he cook and bartend himself?” Juliet asked.
“Yeah. He can’t work with anyone.” Maile flapped her hand. “Okay, tell me everything.”
Between bites of her burger, Juliet did so in a low voice. Maile gaped. Juliet watched Hunter bus tables, deliver lunches and refill beers. He snapped at his customers and had a scowl on his face the whole time. What the hell?
“Whoa,” Maile said, getting her attention. “I wish I could’ve seen you kick his ass.”
“I wore your cowboy boots.”
“Wicked.”
“Here, let me take our plates in the back to help Hunter out.”
“He won’t like that,” Maile said.
“I don’t care.”
Juliet gathered up their plates and several empty beer bottles from the other tables. People looked at her funny, but she ignored them. She went through the swinging doors and saw Hunter at the stove. He turned, eyes blazing.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Juliet ignored him, grabbed a tray and went back into the bar. She grabbed plates and empty glasses and did two more trips. Hunter glowered at her as he delivered food and refilled drinks. Juliet loaded up the plates and glasses in the dishwasher before he came back in.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled.
Juliet put her hands on hips. “Helping.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Too bad. You helped me yesterday so I’m helping you.”
“I didn’t do anything for you.”
“You stopped me from committing murder and didn’t call the cops for starting a disturbance in your bar. So, thank you.” Juliet started the washer and walked out of the kitchen before he could Hulk out.
Maile hopped off the stool when she approached and they walked outside.
“I think you should take it easy today,” Maile said.
“Actually, I want to go back to the store with you.”
“Are you sure? Your hand—”
“I’m fine.” She had to figure out what to do with herself and sleeping the day away wouldn’t get her anywhere. She didn’t want to impose on Maile or Dominick. Time to put her business cap on and make money.
Four hours later, Juliet was grimly triumphant. She asked Maile to purchase a program that would make everything easier on both of them and transferred everything to her new laptop, which was top of the line. Juliet sifted through Maile’s massive system and worked in a closet sized back room. She tried to block out the nonstop chatter from Maile and her customers, which was difficult when the topics of conversation included questions about Callie, her, Dominick and everything else under the sun. Maile confirmed that Callie was now at Brent’s house, but didn’t go into detail about why she was there. Maile allowed the nosy customers to draw their own conclusions. When Juliet overheard Maile confirm that she was dating Dominick, Juliet stuck her head out of the closet/office and drew a line across her throat. Maile ignored her, much to her chagrin. The amount of information that passed through the shop was amazing. It was a hub of gossip, a watering hole that people (mostly women) popped into weekly to see if there was anything new in stock. Maile knew most customers by name. Yes, Brent would have his hands full if he went to war with Maile. It seemed she was on a first name basis with more than half the women on the island.
Juliet blocked out everything and focused on the work. It didn’t take her long to realize that Maile’s figures were even better this year than they had been last year. Juliet felt a flash of excitement as she came up with an average profit margin. Maile was doing really well. Who knew there was money in consignment stores? There was no risk on Maile’s part since the consignor wasn’t paid unless their items sold. If it didn’t sell within three months it was discounted and eventually donated. The back room bulged with items to be put out but the store was filled to capacity. Juliet still had a ways to go to put Maile’s finances in order, but when the last customer left and Maile locked the door, she came out of the closet with her laptop.
“So, what’s the verdict?” Maile asked.
“You definitely have the money to pay the rent for another shop, but—”
“Excellent. I’ll call Pauline.”
“Wait. What?”
“Pauline is a jewelry designer. She says she’ll go in with me.”
“Go in on what?” Juliet asked.
“The rent. We were thinking of doing a joint business, you know? A Pier 1 vibe with jewelry.”
“That’s… interesting.”
“You want to see the space? It’s right on the highway, a good place. It used to be an art gallery.”
“You want to go right now?”
“Nah. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Having a partner was a good and bad thing. The rent wouldn’t be as high, but there was also the possibility that the other partner would back out. “Who is Pauline?”
“Don’t you remember her? She dated Sebastien Fox in third grade.”
Juliet blinked. “Third grade? Really?”
“She’s a couple years younger than us so that’s the only time we crossed paths. Anyway, she makes her own kick ass jewelry. I can’t wait to tell her it’s a go. She has this tiny space that’s not in a good location.”
“I think you should make sure everything’s in order before you say yes,” Juliet said as she went around the shop, straightening clothes and picking up odds and ends tags and gum wrappers.
“So, what was the stuff Dominick wanted you to do?” Maile asked absently as she counted out cash on the counter.
“His bookkeeper just had her fourth child.”
“Yeah, Charity. She had a boy this time. Finally.”
“Yeah, well, she hasn’t been able to come by since she had the baby. Dominick asked me to look at his computer to make sure things were in order.”
Maile stopped and raised her head. “He what?”
“He wanted me to make sure everything was in order.”
“So, you looked into his finances?”
“Well… yeah.”
Maile leaned forward. “How rich is he?”
“Very.”
Maile waggled her brows. “I love it when hot guys are rich. It’s the best.”
Juliet walked over and examined some rings near the register. “Why do you keep telling people we’re dating? We aren’t.”
“You aren’t?”
“No. We’re… friends.”
“Uh huh,” Maile said and cocked her hip. “Where did you sleep last night?”
“At his house but—”
“In his bed?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t know if the other beds are made.”
“And where did he sleep?”
“I have no idea.”
Maile pursed her lips. “I know Dominick Bryson. He’s a great guy, but I haven’t seen him act like this with anyone.”
“I think he has a hero complex,” Juliet said and tried on a gaudy Kate Spade
ring. “Also, Lee asked him to watch me so…”
“Did you cry last night?”
Juliet scowled. “I was upset!”
“And what did he do?”
He listened, fed and held her. Even while cautious hope stole through her, she waved it away. “He’s a nice guy.”
“Juliet, nice guys pull out a chair for you. They don’t offer to take on Brent, give you access to their company and comfort you when you’re having drama. That’s beyond, don’t you think?”
“Dominick is… I don’t know what he is, but we’re not dating. I’m not the dating type.”
“What are you then? You’re definitely not the marrying type.”
Juliet pointed at her. “Exactly! That’s why we’re not dating! He’s normal and good and I’m…”
“Juliet Grant, don’t piss me off,” Maile warned as she began to count cash as quickly as a Las Vegas blackjack dealer.
“We’re not dating,” Juliet said as she replaced the ring and tried another. “Plus, I don’t even know if I’m staying and my life is in chaos.”
“Of course you’re staying,” Maile said as she filled out a deposit slip and put the cash in an envelope. She tossed a stack of money in front of Juliet. “Here.”
“What is this for?” Juliet demanded.
“You work for me, don’t you?”
“I’m not paying rent and I’m borrowing your car.”
“Juliet, shut up,” Maile said crisply.
“But—”
“Didn’t you spend five hours working today and four the other day on those documents I gave you?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“You need money for condoms,” Maile said with a wink.
“Jesus, I can buy my own condoms, thank you. And I’m not sleeping with him!”
“God, Dominick moves fast,” Maile said admiringly. “I’ve never seen you like this over a guy.”
She had never been this way about a guy. Men came easy to her. She had never been with one this perceptive, intelligent and mature. It scared the hell out of her because she had a sneaking suspicion that Dominick Bryson could get to the heart of her, a place that was dark and murky. Only Kai, Callie and Maile knew the whole truth about what happened the night Annie committed suicide. She had never been able to tell the story to anyone else and that was the way it was going to stay. Dominick didn’t need her baggage. He needed someone sweet, untouched and gentle.