Chapter 28
W as it possible to float through a day? If so, that’s what McKenzie did after the lovely wakeup at Duke’s house. Once again, he’d insisted she use his truck while he took the bike to work. If her bookkeeping business continued to grow like it had this week, she’d be able to afford a car of her own in no time.
After Eric had walked away from her and the baby she was expecting, she’d sold her car to cover a few additional months of rent when she wasn’t able to work as much due to relentless morning sickness. By the time that unpleasant phase had passed, she was already low on money and had made the painful decision to move back to her mother’s house temporarily.
Talk about a worst-case scenario: abandoned by the man who made her pregnant and forced to live with the mother who drove her crazy.
But she’d done what she had to for Jax.
He was buckled into his car seat in the passenger seat of the truck as she drove toward her first stop of the day at Sierra’s massage studio to drop off the banana bread she’d made for her. She also wanted to get a sense of whether Sierra was going to be a problem for her with Duke.
She found Sierra at the reception desk when she entered the studio, carrying Jax. “Morning.”
“Hey, what’s up?” Sierra asked with a guarded expression.
She placed the plastic bag with the banana bread on the counter. “As promised.”
“Oh damn. Thank you. I’m so excited. I’ve missed Rosemary’s.”
“Duke says it’s just as good as hers.”
“Well, that’s a heck of an endorsement.”
“Is everything okay?” McKenzie asked.
“Of course.”
“Call me crazy, but I’m picking up a vibe, especially after last night.”
Sierra took a deep breath and released it before she glanced up at her. “I’m sorry about showing up unannounced. It’s just that… He means a lot to me.”
“I know.”
“It would hurt me to see him hurt—again.”
“The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt him. He’s the best thing to happen to me in… well… ever.”
Sierra nodded. “That’s who he is. When he cares, he cares with his whole heart.”
“We’re both lucky to be cared for by him, right?”
“Right.”
“I hope we can be friends, Sierra. It would mean a lot to him.”
“I hope so, too. Thanks for the banana bread.”
“Any time. Have a great day.”
She turned to leave.
“McKenzie?”
She turned back toward Sierra.
“Thanks for coming by. I’m glad we got the chance to talk.”
“Me, too.”
McKenzie was relieved to have cleared the air with Sierra as she drove to Martinez Lawn & Garden on a gorgeous fall morning. The cloudless sky was a vivid cornflower blue, the air cool and crisp, and the first hints of foliage were beginning to appear in the trees.
McKenzie loved autumn and all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice, so when she spotted the sign for Martinez Lawn & Garden and pulled in, she was thrilled to see pumpkin patches on either side of the long driveway that led to the retail store Jenny had told her to look for. She was still getting used to parking Duke’s huge truck. This time, she succeeded on the second attempt, which was an improvement from the day before.
She retrieved Jax from his seat and put him into the stroller, which she was relieved to have again with him getting too heavy to haul around in the seat.
The retail store was made of a light-colored wood with dark green shutters and window boxes decked out with colorful chrysanthemums mixed with purple and green cabbage. She stepped into a shop full of brightly painted pots, gardening tools, wind chimes and other fun things.
Jenny came out to meet her carrying George.
“Hi there, welcome! Come on back to the office.”
She followed Jenny. “The shop is so pretty.”
“That’s been my personal passion project. Took some doing to convince the guys that it could be profitable, and now they’re eating all kinds of crow, which I enjoy.”
McKenzie laughed.
“That’s what happens when you work with your husband and brother-in-law. There’s often bickering involved.” She gestured for McKenzie to take a seat.
She released Jax from the stroller and gathered him into her arms.
“If he wants to play with George, he’s welcome to join him on the mat.” Half the office was devoted to George and his toys.
“He’d love to.” McKenzie settled Jax on the mat, close enough to George that they could see each other, but not so close that they could pull hair or pinch each other.
“George loves other kids, but he hasn’t quite worked out how to play with them yet. His older cousin, Ethan, has been great with him, but he’s a work in progress.”
“I read about a thing called parallel play, where they like to know another child is there, but they don’t want to play with them. They want to play near them.”
“Yes, we’re in that stage now.”
“Jax is about sitting up and throwing things.”
“Ah, yes, I remember that. While they’re calm, let me show you what I’ve done in QuickBooks, and you can tell me everything I’ve done wrong.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“I’m sure it’s worse than you think.”
Over the next hour, McKenzie reviewed the balance sheet and income statement, the credit card statements for the last six months and took a look at the payroll account.
“How bad is it?” Jenny asked when she returned from waiting on a customer.
“You’ve made a great start. Way better than most.”
“May I quote you on that when I brag to Alex about how smart I am?”
“Absolutely.”
“Here comes one of them now. You can tell by the clomp of boots on the concrete floor.”
“Good to know what the bosses sound like.”
“Don’t let on to them, but I’m the real boss around here.”
McKenzie was still laughing when Alex came into the office, his entire countenance softening at the sight of Jenny and George.
“Hi, family.”
“Hi, Daddy.”
George let out a happy cry at the sight of his dad. “Da!”
Alex leaned down to pick up George from the floor and swung him over his head, to the delight of his son. “What goes on around here?”
“You remember McKenzie Martin and her son, Jax, from the marina the other night. She just said that I’m way better at bookkeeping than most people are.”
“How much did she pay you to say that?” Alex asked. “Oh, and it’s nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you, too, and I told her that for free because it’s true.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t need you,” Jenny said. “I’d like very much to turn the bookkeeping over to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
“Bookkeeping makes my beloved grumpy,” Alex added, “so I’m all for getting some help.”
“I can’t even deny the grumpiness,” Jenny said with a sheepish grin.
McKenzie’s phone rang with a number she didn’t recognize. In case it was another potential client, she excused herself to take the call.
Jenny gestured for her to go into the store and pointed to Jax to tell McKenzie she’d watch him.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
At first, McKenzie didn’t realize who she was talking to.
“ Sending me a letter at work, threatening to tell my wife about us? ”
Eric.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“Not at all. I’m finally in my right mind about you getting me pregnant and then walking away from your obligations.”
“I have no obligations to you!”
“No, but you have them to your son. He deserves to have everything your other kids have.”
“That’s not going to happen. There’s no way I can pay child support without people finding out about him.”
“That’s your problem, not mine. He’s your son. You know that as well as I do, and I’m prepared to take you to court to get what’s coming to him.”
“This is about revenge, right? I left you, so you’re going to ruin my life.”
“Don’t give yourself too much credit. I’ve barely given you a thought. This is about our son and doing what’s right for him.”
“I told you I can’t have any more kids.”
“Tell it to the court. My attorney says the next step will be a paternity test that’ll prove that in addition to your other charming qualities, you’re also a liar. Oh wait, we knew that already.”
“McKenzie, please… Don’t do this to me. You don’t understand what’s at stake.”
She released a harsh laugh. “That’s rich coming from you. Guess what? I don’t care what’s at stake for you. All I care about is doing right by my son. We created him together, and we’ll both pay for his upbringing. If you want to avoid a protracted public battle over this, make a settlement offer through my attorney.”
“I don’t have the money.”
“Then I guess I’ll see you in court.”
When she went to end the call, she realized her hands were trembling—not with fear but with adrenaline. Damn, that had felt good. It also felt good to realize she had not a single feeling left for the man she’d once thought was her forever love.
Jenny poked her head into the store. “Everything okay?”
McKenzie nodded. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. You want to talk about it?”
Was it professional to share her personal drama with a new client? Probably not, but Jenny had felt like a new friend from the get-go. “That was Jax’s dad, who just received the letter my new attorney sent him, letting him know we’re suing for child support.”
“Ah. I take it he wasn’t pleased with this news?”
“Not at all. He’s concerned about his wife and kids, the wife and kids I had no idea he had, finding out he’s got another kid out there, and apparently, he doesn’t have the money to support him.”
“Well, that sucks for him, right?”
McKenzie smiled. “Sure does. I want you to know I’m not a drama girl. I’m so sorry to bring that into your workplace…”
“Don’t sweat it. I just want to hear that you put the fear of God into him.”
“I sure did.”
“Good. I hope he’s crapping his pants worrying about your next move.”
Laughing, McKenzie said, “I think we’re going to be very good friends.”
“I’d love that.”
Sitting at her brother’s kitchen table, with a mug of coffee and the company of her sister-in-law and baby niece, Kendall exhaled a breath she’d been holding so long, it felt like she’d forgotten how to breathe normally.
The last few years had been a total nightmare as she’d lost her once-loving and devoted husband to pain medication addiction and alcoholism that he’d refused to deal with long enough that their marriage had been unsalvageable. Their divorce was now final. Their home had been sold, their possessions put into storage, and a whole new chapter had begun for her and her boys.
“Can I get you anything?” Lizzie asked as she fed Violet applesauce that the baby lapped up with enthusiasm.
“No, thank you. It’s so nice to be here, away from everything.”
“We’re thrilled to have you and the boys.”
“Said no new mom ever about having three unexpected houseguests.”
“You’re family, Kendall, and we are thrilled to have you here. Jared has been so worried about you guys. He slept much better last night knowing you were here. In fact, he hasn’t slept this late in months.”
“It’s still early.”
“He’s usually been up for an hour by now.”
“I’ll figure out something for me and the boys and get out of your hair.”
The boys had wanted to be near their beloved uncle and baby Violet, so the three of them had stayed at their house rather than in the garage apartment.
Lizzie reached over to put her hand on Kendall’s. “Please don’t worry about that or figuring out anything. Just relax and take a breath.”
“I’m not sure I remember how to relax or breathe.”
“Gansett is a great place to relearn an old habit.”
“That’s what my brothers tell me. All three of them are gone over the place.”
“It’s been good for each of them in its own way.” Lizzie wiped Violet’s face and put some dry cereal on her tray to entertain her. “I know we haven’t gotten to spend a ton of time together since I married Jared, but I hope you know you’ve got a friend in me. If you want to talk or vent or rant or just sit and be silent together, I’m your girl.”
“That’s very sweet of you to say.”
“I mean it. I can’t possibly know what you and your kids have been through, but I’m here if you want to talk or if I can do anything at all for any of you.”
“My brother is a lucky man.”
“We’re both lucky, and we know it.”
“Thanks to him, I don’t have to worry about the usual things that a newly single mother has to think about.”
Years earlier, Jared had shared his fortune with his parents and each of his four siblings.
“I’m sure that’s only one piece of a very complicated puzzle.”
Kendall nodded. “I’m worried about the boys.”
“You’d know much better than me, of course, but they seem to be happy, well-adjusted kids. Jared is crazy about them.”
Kendall smiled. “And vice versa. He’s always been great with them, giving them his full attention any time he’s with them, no matter what else he had going on.”
“That sounds like him. He’s smitten with our Violet. I swear he’s barely thought about work since she arrived.”
“He worked enough in his past life to take it a little easier now.”
“That’s what he says, too.”
Kendall’s phone buzzed with a text from McKenzie, who reported that Eric had received the letter and was none too pleased about it.
Let’s talk this afternoon about what he had to say and our next steps. Text me when you’re free to talk.
Sounds good.
“Everything okay?” Lizzie asked.
“That’s my first island client updating me. I’m helping her with a situation involving her ex. He’s a real piece of work.”
“I’m glad she’s got you to help her.”
“She’s given me something to think about besides my own problems.”
“Our resident lawyer, Dan Torrington, will be in Maine for a while with his wife’s family. I bet he’d appreciate you filling in for him when he’s gone, if you’re up for that.”
“There’re no other lawyers here?”
“One of the two men who was killed in the storm was an attorney, but his career was kind of over around here due to some poor decisions.”
“That sounds like a story.”
“And a half. He was awful to his ex-wife, who’s very well loved, and blamed Dan for ruining his practice, which he did all on his own. He showed up drunk at Dan and Kara’s engagement party and ended up stabbing Dan.”
“Jeez… And here I thought this was a sleepy little place where nothing ever happened.”
Lizzie’s bark of laughter startled her daughter. “There’s never a dull moment around here. Look at how we came to have our sweet Violet.”
Lizzie had come to the aid of a single mom who’d later left the baby with her and Jared.
“I could tell you stories about what goes on here for days and days.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing all the gossip.”
“Can I ask you…”
“Anything, Lizzie. I’m an open book.”
“How’s Phil?”
Kendall’s deep sigh said it all. “He’s in rehab—for the fourth time. He swears this’ll be the time it takes. I hope for his sake—and the boys’—that’s true, but I’ve learned not to get my hopes up.”
“I have a friend from the city who’s been through a similar ordeal with her brother. Their family has done everything they could think of and then some.”
“None of it will matter until he makes the decision to help himself.”
“Yes, for sure.” She used a wet paper towel to wipe Violet’s tray. “Do you want me to ask Dan about whether he has some work you could help with?”
“Sure, that’d be good. I’ve found it helps to stay busy and engaged in other people’s problems. I turned over my New Jersey clients to my partners when things got crazy with Phil, so I’m ready to get back to feeling productive.”
“I’ll text Dan today. He’s been great helping us with Violet’s adoption.”
“Where does that stand?”
“It’ll be final in a couple of months.”
“Are you anxious about it?”
“Not really. She wasn’t planned, and Jessie was in no position to take care of her. We’ve barely heard from her since she agreed to the adoption.”
“What’s the story with the father?”
“From what I was able to piece together, it was a short-term thing before they went their separate ways.”
“So he doesn’t know about her?”
“I don’t think she knows where he is.”
“I see.” That detail made Kendall nervous, but she’d never say so to Lizzie.
When Jared came into the kitchen, hair standing on end and his face flushed from sleep, Kendall was reminded of being home from college while he was in high school and laughing at his morning hair.
“What?” he asked when he saw her trying not to laugh at him.
“Some things never change.”
“What does that mean?”
“You look exactly the same as you did first thing in the morning when you were fifteen.”
“Thank you. I think?”
“Jared’s morning hair is a thing of beauty,” Lizzie said, smiling at her husband as he leaned in to kiss her and Violet.
“That’s one word for it,” Kendall said. “Good thing the editors of Finance magazine can’t see their favorite whiz kid first thing in the morning, huh?”
Lizzie laughed at the face Jared made at his sister.
“And to think I woke up feeling glad you were here. That didn’t last long.”
“Haha.” Kendall was delighted to be sparring once again with her little brother rather than fighting with her ex-husband. “All kidding aside, thanks again for having us. I slept better than I have in a long time.”
Jared poured himself a cup of coffee and then topped off Kendall’s and Lizzie’s. “I’m glad to hear that, and all kidding aside, I hope you’ll stay for as long as you want.”
“Even if I make fun of your morning hair?”
He smiled warmly at his sister. “Even if.”