Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LYLA
I finish putting away what little clothes I have and stick the few framed photos of my parents and me around the apartment. When I left, I took only what I could carry. I have a few reminders of my happier days with my parents before my dad died, and just the basic clothes I could grab.
I'm sure all the lavish clothes he bought me have been donated by now. I wasn’t about to wear anything that he gifted me. I managed to pawn all my, I’m sorry , jewelry, and it was enough to get my mom moved to a different facility and set up for a couple of months while I got settled here with a job.
Before I escaped, it took me a year of careful planning and tucking away what little money I could sneak without being noticed. As soon as I moved my mom, I made sure to remove his name from the visitor list and be contacted immediately if he made any moves to see her. So far, I haven’t heard from him, so I’m hoping he’s moved on.
I make sure to lock up before walking outside. I can’t help myself as I make my way across the deck, bypassing the pool to admire the view once more.
Grasping the railing, I take in the ocean before me. It’s warm today like any other day, but the breeze coming off the water makes the heat more bearable.
I’ve loved the ocean for as long as I can remember. We used to take vacations every summer, and my parents would have to bribe me to leave the beach for the day.
My hair blows gently, and I take a deep inhale of the salty air, feeling calmer in this moment than I have in a long time. I know I still have a lot of things to deal with, but for the first time, I see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel I’ve been walking through most of my life.
A six-foot-three, dark-haired man with grey eyes is at the center of it all. He’s come in out of nowhere and has completely shaken my life upside down in such a short amount of time. He’s stubborn and overly protective and always gets his way, but none of it scares me like it should.
Under all that is a guy who loves hard for the ones he cares about. I watched how he was with his family at the wedding. He would do anything for them, and somehow, I got in his line of sight. He’s determined to insert himself into my life and make it all better.
My biggest question is… would he still feel that way if he knew the whole story?
I can’t change my past…it’s part of who I am today, and there are unresolved matters that I will eventually have to deal with if I’m ever to be truly free.
I already know I’m in too deep with how I feel. Instead of dipping a toe in, I dove straight into the deep end without a life jacket and no way of knowing at the end of this if I’ll survive.
After all that I have gone through, all the pain that was emotionally and physically inflicted on me, I know without a doubt that the deeper he weaves his way into my heart, he has the ability to hurt me far worse than words or physical touch ever did just by walking away from me .
I take another deep breath and try to push the fear aside. For once, I’m in a place that is lighter, and I have days ahead to look forward to. I don’t want to cloud it with the what-ifs . I turn and walk back to the house to get ready for my busy afternoon.
Jake went to work and won’t be back until later this evening. I need to stop by Clara’s and see if I can borrow some of her old muffin tins. I have my first delivery tomorrow at Blue Haven Cafe, so I need to start making them this afternoon.
I take the van keys and head to the garage. I grin when I see the black van with their band logo printed on the side. I’ll have to look up some of their music later to learn more about Miles.
I laugh when I get in and see the inside. It’s a typical band van. The back has been transformed into a hangout area that could be used for sleeping. Wood flooring was installed, and two sofas line each side, facing each other. There is a small area for heating up food and a mini fridge. I notice fold-out beds above the couches for the long nights on the road.
It’s perfect, I grin. It will be a lot of fun cruising around with it. For now, all I need are some bins to keep the food secure while traveling.
I enter the quaint downtown area a short time later and roll down the window, wanting to take it all in. As I pass by, I take note of the Blue Haven Grocery Store, wanting to stop on my way home to make a nice dinner for Jake on my first day of work.
Slowing down, I see Inked and Jake’s truck parked on the side of the building. I notice an ice cream shop and a florist next to Blue Haven Cafe. A few other restaurants line the streets, along with some boutiques and a coffee shop. It’s the perfect coastal town and immediately draws you into the small-town living.
A marina on the left docks several boats and gas pumps on the water. Directly across from it, I see Jake’s brother's business, Ryder’s Restores . It’s a beautiful building painted black with metal accents. Glass windows line the front, allowing people to peek inside when they walk by.
I see several exotic cars in the parking lot, and a group of people are standing and talking around them. I get a flash of auburn hair and wonder if it’s Eve.
I’m curious if Jake has said anything to his family about hiring me and letting me move in. They seem like the type that would immediately welcome me in. Just the little time I spent with them at the wedding and then meeting his mom, you can feel their love for one another. It’s the way all families should be.
I follow the road out of town and pull into Clara’s catering business thirty minutes later. Our next event isn’t for a couple of days, so most of the staff will be gone, but Clara is a workhorse and will undoubtedly be in the back working on something.
Using my key, I walk into the vast kitchen. Gleaming appliances line the walls with plenty of ovens and countertop space for the larger events that come through. The room in the back has a huge built-in cooler and racks for cooling and packaging food. Just seeing all the cookware and her spotless kitchen makes my hands restless to create something.
“Lyla! What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here in the middle of the day? I’m surprised Al let you out of his sight long enough to let you come visit me,” she laughs, coming out from her office.
“I actually quit yesterday and started a new job today.”
“It’s about time! I don’t know how you stayed with that creepy ass for as long as you did. So where are you working now?” She sits down on one of the stools by the counter, and I do the same.
“Someone needed a private chef and some light housekeeping done. I’m not charging him for work, but the job comes with a beautiful place to live, transportation, and all my meals. It will allow me to work on my business. I also got the account with Blue Haven Cafe. I plan to walk around to more local businesses tomorrow to see if they might be interested.”
“Oh, I’m so proud of you, Lyla! You are on your way. I can feel it. Before you know it, you’ll have your own bakery just like you always dreamed of,” she beams like a proud parent.
“It’s a step in the right direction. It finally feels like it might be within reach. If I can get a few more accounts, I’ll be able to start saving for a space to rent.”
“It’s going to happen. I’m sure of it. So, how in the world did you land the private chef job? Who are you working for?”
“I uh,” I place my hair behind my ear as my face starts to feel warm. “It’s just someone I met at the wedding we just catered,” trying to sound nonchalant.
“Oh no, you don’t. There’s a story to tell. You are blushing like a schoolgirl who just got asked to prom,” she laughs.
I sigh, knowing I’ve never been able to hide my feelings from her. “His name is Jake Montgomery. It’s just him and his brother sharing a house, and he’s been looking for someone to prepare meals for him since he works odd hours. It’s no big deal.”
“ The Jake Montgomery, as in the tattoo artist Jake Montgomery?” Her eyes are wide behind her dark glasses.
“Yes,” I say confused. “Do you know him?”
“Not personally, but everyone knows of the Montgomery brothers. They are a very hot commodity around here. Ryder is in every car magazine nationwide, and Jake and Travis have people fly in from all over the world to get tattooed by them. Travis also specializes in portrait art and is in several galleries now. Miles is a drummer in a band, and since they started touring, their shows sell out in minutes. Don’t get me started on the ladies. Two are married now and off the market, but girls line up in droves. No one has been able to catch Jake or Miles…until now,” she grins.
“I haven’t caught Jake. He’s my boss, and I’m his employee. End of story.” I lie through my teeth, hoping she will believe me. I don’t want word getting out about us…not that there is an us.
Small towns talk, and if he’s as well known as she says, I don’t want my name and whereabouts getting out to the public. I need to put things in motion first before I even think of contacting Tim to put our past behind us. Even then, I don’t want him to know where I live.
“You are so lying,” she laughs, “but don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.”
“Promise me one thing, though.”
What is it with people and their promises? I try not to roll my eyes when she raises her eyebrow at me.
“What’s the promise?” I sigh.
“Don’t let your past dictate your future. From what I’ve heard about Jake, he has a good heart and comes from an amazing family. Don’t punish him for something that happened in your past relationship. Be open to love, dear. If anyone deserves their happy ever after, it’s you.” She pats my arm, and I blink the tears that threaten to spill.
I nod my head, unable to speak through the lump in my throat. If only it were that easy.
“So, did you come all this way just to tell me this wonderful news, or did you come by for another reason?”
“I wanted to see if it would be okay if I could borrow some of your old muffin tins. I have an order due tomorrow, and the two pans at Jake’s house are not going to cut it,” I say with a small laugh. “I promise to bring them back when I’m done.”
“Of course,” she waves toward the back room. “I was going to donate those old tins anyway, so take whatever you need from the back. I have extra boxes back there, too, if you need something to package them in.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” I say, getting up and hugging her tightly.
“You are more than welcome, dear. You can thank me by giving Jake a big hug and telling me what it feels like to have his gorgeous body wrapped around you. He is one fine man.”
“Clara!” I laugh. “I knew you were a force to be reckoned with in the catering industry, but I had no idea a cougar was lying in the mist, ready to pounce.”
“I may be old, honey, but I’m not blind,” she laughs.
“I will tell you since you already promised to keep it a secret…it feels damn good in his arms.”
“I knew it!” She exclaims. “You’ve got a light in your eyes that I’ve never seen before. I knew there was a good reason for it.”
“You have no idea,” I grin.
“Quit teasing this old woman,” she laughs. “If you find out he has an older uncle, you better put in a good word for me.”
“I will. I promise,” I laugh over my shoulder as I walk to the back room. I find the muffin tins and get anything else I can use since she’s donating it anyway. I can store it at my place until I can afford to rent a space.
On the way home, I stop at the grocery store. When I get back to Jake’s house an hour later, I unload everything before getting started on the muffins. I’m putting the last in a box when I hear the front door open. I glance at the clock, seeing he’s a half hour earlier than what his last text message said he would be.
“Have I died and gone to heaven?” I whip around to the sound of a male’s voice. “There’s a beautiful girl in my kitchen, and she’s cooking something that smells amazing.” He studies me, and a big smile breaks out on his face. “Wait. I know you. You’re Lyla from the wedding, right?”
“I am,” I smile when I recognize Jake’s brother from the wedding. “It’s good to see you again, Miles.”
“And it’s very good to see you again,” he grins. “So either Jake let you in, or you break into people’s houses and cook for them. I’m good either way,” he says, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his broad chest.
Like his brothers, he has dark hair and the staple grey eyes that seem to run through the brothers. His arms are covered in tattoos, but his extend a bit further up the side of his neck, and he has a couple on his hands. He’s the only one of the brothers to have piercing, but the eyebrow and lip piercing suit him. His hair is longer than Jake's, and he has that tousled bedhead look that probably drives the girls crazy.
“Jake didn’t tell you?” I ask, surprised.
“Nope. He’s kept you all to himself. Although I can’t blame him. I would keep you from me, too,” he laughs.
I can’t help but laugh with him. Usually, it bothers me when guys flirt with me, but for some reason, with him, it comes off as playful rather than a creepy way.
“Jake hired me to prepare meals and do some cleaning around here for you and him. He told me you guys have talked about it, but I’m guessing I was right in thinking he made up this job position.”
“He hired you? Interesting…” He rolls his bottom lip between his teeth, playing with his small ring. “Jake doesn’t usually keep the girls around that he sleeps with, let alone hire them.”
“What…I…we…,” I say, suddenly getting flustered. He gives me an amused look while I struggle with my words. “We haven’t slept together,” I finally manage to get out.
“Well, that’s even more interesting. He’s taking his time with you,” he scratches his chin, deep in thought. “That’s got to mean something,” he says before breaking out into a grin. “This is going to be so much fun when he gets home.”
“What’s going to be so much fun?” I ask, completely confused.
“Why making Jake jealous, of course,” he laughs.