Heartbreaker (Havenbrook #3)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HUDSON

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Lilah asked from her perch on a ladder.

Caleb snorted from where he squatted on the floor, holding the other end of the blue tape we were placing diagonally along the back wall of The Sweet Spot.

Christ, I should’ve stayed home instead of coming by to help Lilah paint before the new hardwood floors were laid later in the week. Cleaning out gutters would’ve been better than this.

“Bite me.” Okay, so it wasn’t my most mature response, but my little sister always managed to bring out the asshole teenager in me.

But I could admit—at least to myself—that she wasn’t far off. I’d been stomping around the bakery all morning as we’d worked on the diamond design Lilah was obsessed with for the walls, my mind constantly replaying the interaction with Kenna the other day.

The days were slipping away from me, the time I had to spend with her vanishing before my eyes, and I felt like I was grasping at air.

While she hadn’t flat out ignored me, it seemed a hell of a lot like she’d been avoiding me. Ever since our encounter in the woods. And if I had to bet on it, I’d say it had nothing to do with our hot and heavy tree trunk activities and everything to do with the call I’d gotten after. I’d watched the life drain from her eyes the moment I’d told her who’d called and had kicked myself every second since.

Why the hell had I told her? Better yet, why the hell had I taken the call in the first place? I was on leave, which meant I didn’t need to answer to my commanding officer—the call could’ve easily been returned later that day when I was by myself. But habit had me answering without a second thought, and look where that got me.

“Your attitude have anything to do with the situation with the Havens?” Lilah asked.

I snapped my head in her direction, my brow furrowed. “What situation?”

She glanced back at me over her shoulder, arms stretched to reach the top corner of the wall. “You know, the whole thing with Mac’s daddy.”

“Obviously, I don’t, or I wouldn’t be askin’ about it,” I said, unable to keep the frustration from seeping into my tone.

“See?” she said, pointing a finger at me. “Panties in a damn twist.”

“And here I always thought it’d be nice to have a sibling,” Caleb said.

I closed my eyes, prayed for patience, and blew out a long breath. “What situation, Lilah?”

She gripped the sides of the ladder as she climbed down, then scooted it a few inches to the left. “You know, all the medical stuff. You seriously haven’t heard about it? It’s been the talk of the town.”

Considering I’d spent most of my time this week at the cabin, trying to get that in shape before I left, I wasn’t exactly pining for gossip. I gave a sharp shake of my head.

“Well, I guess Richard had a heart scare or something,” she said, her voice soft.

“He what? When?”

“Last weekend.”

Before my trip into the woods with Kenna. Had that been her shitshow of a day she’d mentioned? But why hadn’t she told me? She and her dad had never been close, but this still had to have hit her hard, especially considering that was how her grandpa had passed away. Had she been hurting and scared that day, and I’d rutted into her like a fucking animal?

“What happened?” I managed to ask through my tight throat.

“Dunno the specifics, but that’s why Mac’s been runnin’ around town like a chicken with her head cut off. Tryin’ to keep up with everything her daddy had goin’, while also tryin’ to keep him from doin’ everything he’s not supposed to.” She rolled her eyes, then gestured between me and Caleb. “In case either of y’all are helpin’ in here while you’re home, he’s not allowed anything . At least not yet. I’m workin’ on a new gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free recipe.”

“Taste-free, too?”

“Shut up, ass.” Lilah climbed back up on the ladder, shooting me a glare over her shoulder. “Caleb likes ’em just fine.”

I narrowed my eyes, dividing a look between my best friend and my sister. “Why the hell has Caleb tried them and not me?”

Caleb heaved a sigh as he pulled a strip of blue tape off the roll and handed one end to Lilah before squatting again with the other end. “Not sure how I got dragged into this. I just eat what people give me.”

“Even if what they give you tastes like dirt?” I asked.

“Screw you, Hudson Miller.” Lilah faced me from five feet in the air, hands braced on her hips, her anger enough to keep her steady as a rock on that ladder. “If you’re gonna be an ass, you can get out. Caleb can help me all I need.”

Shoulders slumping, I closed my eyes and blew out a breath, scrubbing a hand over my face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you. I’m just…”

She sighed, no doubt exasperated by my asshole ways. “Love-sick over Mac.”

“Something like that,” I muttered, though I knew it wasn’t only that.

Urgency bubbled under my skin, demanding I move. Go, do, act. Something . Before my time ran out and I had to leave Havenbrook all over again.

“I thought I’d have more time with her,” I finally said. “To see…” I trailed off, not wanting to voice the hope I’d had but hadn’t even admitted to myself.

To see if she’d say yes this time. If she’d be with me, even if I didn’t—couldn’t—call Havenbrook home.

“Well, with everything that’s goin’ on, you’re never gonna get time with her while you’re hangin’ around here,” Lilah said. “Mac’s spread way too thin to even be thinkin’ about you. With everything she has to do to keep her daddy in line, she’s gotta be exhausted. I’m sure you can guess just how easy Richard is makin’ it on her.” Lilah rolled her eyes before turning back to the wall to smooth the tape down the diagonal line, following the path of the laser level.

Lilah was no stranger to the Haven household, same as me. She’d graduated with Kenna’s younger sister, Natalie. And though they hadn’t been the best of friends, they’d hung out their fair share of times—that tended to happen when one’s entire class consisted of a whopping seventy-five people, give or take a few. Which meant Lilah knew exactly what Kenna was dealing with—an overbearing, condescending, irrational, spoiled man-child.

“He needs a keeper,” I said, frustrated that it was Kenna who’d somehow been volunteered for it but knowing she’d never decline. She was too kind. Too generous. Too giving.

“Ohh! You know what you should do?” Lilah asked, her eyes lit up. “You need to take her somewhere the real world can’t encroach. Maybe sneak off campin’ like y’all used to do?”

That actually wasn’t a bad idea. When we’d been teenagers, we’d done our fair share of camping out in the woods surrounding the Havens’ property. But that wouldn’t suffice for this trip—not if the goal was to get her away from her family so she could breathe a little.

“Maybe,” I murmured, trying to figure out the details in my mind. A lot of the bulk work at the bakery had already been done, and we’d moved on to the finishing work. It’d been a small remodel, all things considered. Mostly cosmetic—just enough change to make the space feel more like Lilah’s since she was edging to take over more of the duties.

And the work needing to be done at the cabin… Hell, it had been going along fine for ten years while I’d been gone. What was another couple days?

Now the only thing I had to worry about was how I’d convince Kenna. It’d take a hell of a lot to get her to skip out on her duties. And though I hoped the only reason she’d pulled away this week had been because of her overworked status, I couldn’t help but worry it had something to do with the call I’d received.

And the reminder that I wasn’t there to stay.