Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Saturday morning, Hunter knocked on Josie’s door around nine. If Bree couldn't live at Ocean Shores, he would need to help her find something else, because they couldn’t go on sharing his small apartment indefinitely.
Josie answered the door, wearing a colorful kimono robe, and holding a mug of something that smelled like coffee and whiskey, although it seemed a little early to be drinking. But he wouldn't be surprised if Josie mixed alcohol into her morning coffee, as she always seemed to be exceptionally happy.
"Well, well, Hunter Kane," she said, her brow arched in surprise. "You're the last person I expected to see. You've been my lowest maintenance tenant since you moved in. Until recently, I sometimes forgot you were even here. What can I do for you?"
"I heard there might be a unit available to rent."
She nodded. "There is. It's a two-bedroom. Are you looking to move into something bigger? Because I heard you might be leaving us altogether."
"This is for a friend of mine. You were at the pool last night when Olivia's mom, Bree, showed up. They need a place to stay, and I think Ocean Shores is where they belong."
"Well, Olivia is a sweet little girl, and she's gotten to be good friends with Henry, but didn't her mother drop her off with you without much warning? That doesn't sound like a very responsible person."
He realized that the Ocean Shores grapevine had probably been gossiping about Olivia since she'd arrived. "Bree has had a rough year. She lost her husband, Gary, my best friend and copilot, seven months ago in the same crash in which I was injured."
"I'm sorry about that," Josie said, her smile dimming as she gave him a kind look. "Why don't you come inside, and we'll talk? Would you like some coffee?"
"No, I'm fine," he said as he stepped into her home. He was momentarily distracted by the insane amount of color everywhere, and the smell of oranges and cinnamon, or maybe it was incense. Whatever it was, it was intense. The décor was bohemian and artsy, which fit her personality, but it was also even more extreme than he would have guessed.
As his gaze swept the room, a wall of photos caught his eye—film stills, magazine clippings, and a framed image of a younger Josie, radiant in a red gown, holding an Oscar. A brass nameplate at the bottom read: Josie Bell, Best Supporting Actress—Heart of the Wolf.
He blinked. "Wait. Heart of the Wolf ? I know that movie. That was you ?"
She gave him a half smile. "Yes. I played a single mom whose kid adopts a wolf. Hollywood loved it. Got me a little gold man and a messy divorce at the same time."
"I had no idea."
"My past has never been a secret."
"The Oscar and your divorce were tied together?"
"Sadly, they were. But I left LA and came here, and life eventually got good again. Now, tell me more about Bree. Does she have a job?"
"She's looking for one, but I'll cosign on the apartment. I'll give you however many months you want up front. I need them to be safe and secure in their housing for at least the next year. Olivia just started first grade at Ravenswood, and she's doing well. I don't want to mess that up."
"You're really looking out for them, aren't you?"
"Yes. Because that's what my friend would have expected from me, and what I expect from myself."
"That's very generous. Has Bree done any work in the past, or has she been a stay-at-home mom?"
"She was a stay-at-home mom for the past several years. With Gary gone a lot, it was better for Olivia if Bree was there to take care of her. But before that, Bree worked as an admin, and I think she also has retail experience. Hopefully, she'll be able to find a job around here soon."
"Maybe one of the tenants will know of something. You should ask around."
"That's a good idea."
"All right. Why don't I show you the unit, and then you can make a decision? Do Bree and Olivia want to come along?"
"They actually went down to the beach park this morning. I wanted to check things out before I got their hopes up. Olivia loves it here. I know she'll want to stay, but I wasn't sure if it was possible."
"It's definitely possible. Let me just change, and I'll be right with you."
As Josie disappeared into her bedroom, he looked back at the wall, reading some of her clippings. Josie might have only won a single Oscar, but she had been in several other blockbusters with well-known movie stars of her generation. He wondered how she'd gone from celebrity stardom to running an apartment building at the beach. That was probably a well-known story, but he had never asked about Josie or about anyone else, really. He'd just started getting to know them. And this wall of history made it clear that he probably didn't know nearly as much about anybody as he thought he did.
Everyone was more than they appeared to be at first glance. Emmalyn was a prime example of that. She was friends with everyone in the building, but the only one who knew about her past was him. Maybe Ben knew something now, and maybe Em would continue to open up. He thought that would be a good thing, because she really shouldn't be embarrassed about her past. She'd made a life for herself after everything she'd been through, which was incredibly impressive.
"I'm ready," Josie said as she reentered the room, wearing white linen pants and a short-sleeved floral shirt, her dark-red hair brushed and pulled back with a clasp. She grabbed a key ring off a hook by the kitchen wall and led him out the door.
The apartment was on the second floor, just above the laundry room and across the courtyard from Emmalyn's unit. The two bedrooms were rather small, but Bree and Olivia could each have their own space, and their bedroom windows looked out to the beach, which was a definite plus. The one bathroom was accessible from the hallway and should work for the two of them. There was a gray couch sitting in the living room, but otherwise, the apartment was empty.
"What do you think?" Josie asked.
"It's great," he said. "I'm surprised it's been empty for a while."
"Some people who want two bedrooms also want two bathrooms. This unit unfortunately only has one."
"It will work for them. Bree and Olivia will be back in about an hour. Would it be okay if I bring them here to take a look?"
"Of course. I'll leave you the key," she said as she took it off the key ring. "Just get it back to me this afternoon, and I hope Bree will take it."
"She will."
"You better check with her before you make any commitments. I know you want to help her fix what's wrong, but she may want or need to do that herself."
"Her options are limited, but I see your point," he said, knowing that what Josie was really telling him was to include Bree in on the decision so she would feel invested. "What about the couch? Will it be staying?"
"I can have someone pick it up, unless you think Bree might want it?"
"I think she might."
"You can let me know when you bring the key back."
As Josie left, he walked around the unit one more time, becoming even more convinced this was the right spot for Bree and Olivia to start over. Maybe he wouldn't be here more than a few more weeks, but the others would be. Olivia would still have Henry, Paige, and Emmalyn as well as all the others. Not that Bree knew any of those people, but he thought he could get Olivia to convince her if she had any doubts. Not that he should be using a six-year-old to forward his agenda, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And he wanted to get them set up before he had to leave.
The thought of leaving didn't give him as much excitement as it used to. But he'd get that back once he knew for certain the future he'd been working toward was actually going to happen.
He walked out of the apartment and locked the door. Then he decided to circle the building and stop in at Emmalyn's to say hello. As he walked down the corridor and around the corner, he heard a man's voice. Sharp. Demanding. Threatening.
Then Emmalyn yelled, "Get out."
What the hell?
He turned the next corner and ran toward her apartment.
"I said get out," Emmalyn cried again.
A terrible crash lit up the air. Ben came out of the apartment a few doors down.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I don't know."
As they reached the door, he heard a man say, "You bitch!"
The door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open, shocked to see Jeremy standing across from Emmalyn, blood dripping down his face, the same blood that was on a large ceramic apple-shaped vase in Em's hand.
Emmalyn was breathing heavily, but there was a determined glint in her eyes, and she was clearly positioned to attack again.
"Get away from her," he told Jeremy as he moved to Emmalyn's side.
Ben blocked Jeremy as he tried to leave. "Not so fast," Ben said.
"Get out of my way," Jeremy snapped as he suddenly reached around his back and under his shirt.
"Gun," Hunter said quickly, jumping in front of Emmalyn as Ben grabbed Jeremy, shoving him face up against the wall and removing the gun from his waistband. "I'm a police officer," Ben told him. "And you're under arrest."
Jeremy froze at Ben's words.
Ben looked back at Emmalyn. "I assume this is Jeremy Warren?"
"Yes," she said.
"I ran a check on you, Mr. Warren, or should I say Daniels? It doesn't matter. You have outstanding warrants in both names."
"Does that mean you can take him to jail?" Emmalyn asked.
"I can, and I will," Ben replied.
"I didn't touch her. She hit me. I'm going to sue your ass," Jeremy said.
"I'm sure you'll try," Ben said in a cool voice. "Hunter, there are zip ties in my kitchen, first drawer under the microwave. Door is open."
He nodded and quickly left the apartment to get the ties. When he returned, he handed him the ties and watched as Ben fastened Jeremy's hands behind his back. Then Ben read him his rights and marched him out of the apartment.
When they'd left, he turned to Emmalyn, who was still clutching the apple vase. "I don't think you need that anymore," he said gently, taking it out of her hands.
"It was the closest thing to me," she said.
"What exactly happened?"
"Jeremy was waiting for me when I got home from the market. I was fumbling for my key, and I didn't see him. He came out of nowhere. I opened my door and stepped inside, and he was right behind me. I didn't have time to yell or call anyone."
He felt a wave of rage and guilt, seeing the fear in her eyes and realizing how badly she could have been hurt. He should have checked on her earlier. He should have made sure she wasn't alone. "I'm sorry you had to deal with this on your own."
"I let down my guard for a minute. I was stupid."
"No. You were brave."
"I couldn't tell him where my mother was. And I wasn't going with him. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen here." She paused to take a breath, then blew it out. "I think he was surprised I didn't cower in front of him. That's what he's used to. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in my face. He's a bully, and I needed to stand up to him."
He was more than a little impressed by her courage and her willingness to act. She hadn’t panicked when Jeremy had pushed his way into her apartment. She'd stood up for herself. And for her mother.
The first time he'd seen her, he'd thought she was a sweet, soft, innocent person who probably hadn't had to endure one cloudy day in her life. He had been very wrong about that. He had also underestimated how strong and fiery she could be. And he had to admit that this side of her made him like her even more.
"You did good, Em."
"Thanks for coming to my rescue."
"I heard you yell."
"I'm surprised you heard me downstairs. I didn't think I was that loud."
"I was on the second floor, checking out the empty unit for Bree and Olivia."
"Oh. Is that going to work out?"
"If Bree likes it, yes. She's at the park with Olivia. I need to get her approval, but I can't see a reason why she'd say no."
"Olivia would love to stay here, and it would be good for her to be close to you."
"And to you," he said, gazing into her eyes. "She likes you a lot, Em." He paused. "And she's not the only one. When I think about what could have happened here…"
"I'm okay, Hunter. And if I wasn't, it wouldn't be on you. You're not responsible for me. I've been taking care of myself for a long time."
"I know. And clearly, you're very capable of doing that. But I still hate to think of you being hurt." He stepped forward, framing her face with his hands as he stared into her eyes. "I just want you to be safe and happy."
She gave him a soft smile. "I'm both of those things."
He smiled back at her. "Good."
"Although, I could be a little happier," she murmured, her gaze moving to his lips, then back up to his eyes. "I know I said I didn't want to start anything…"
"Em, we've already started," he said as she wrapped her arms around his body, and he pressed his mouth against hers.
Kissing her was exactly what he needed and what she seemed to need, too, as they lost themselves in each other.
And then there were voices outside and pounding on the door. They broke apart as he heard Kaia say, "Em, are you there? What's going on?"
"I better open the door," she said.
He gave her a nod, his mouth still tingling as she let Kaia and Lexie in.
"Ben said someone tried to attack you," Kaia said, her gaze sweeping Emmalyn's face. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"It's a long story," Emmalyn replied. "But I'm fine. Everything is good."
"Was it someone you knew? Did he follow you home?" Lexie asked, worry in her gaze.
"It was someone I knew. He wasn't after me. He wanted to use me to find my mother."
Hunter suddenly realized that Emmalyn's carefully constructed life was about to unravel. "Maybe you should take a break," he interrupted. "Catch your breath."
She gave him a smile of gratitude. "It's okay. I want to tell them. They're my friends. You should probably go find Bree and Olivia."
"All right," he said, seeing the certainty in her eyes. "I'll check in with you later."
He left her apartment, knowing she wanted and needed to tell her friends what was happening, and he thought it was good she was finally ready to share her past.
He just wished the timing had been better.
Or maybe the timing had been exactly right, because they were careening down a road neither of them was sure they should travel.
It was easier than Emmalyn had expected to tell her story to Kaia and Lexie, who quietly listened without commenting.
"I'm so sorry," Lexie said when she'd finished. "I had no idea you had such a hard childhood."
"I didn't, either," Kaia put in. "I can understand why you didn’t want to talk about it. I have to say, I always thought there was something a little off about your past. You made random comments about not listening to music or watching TV or learning how to swim. But you never seemed interested in confiding in us, so I didn't want to ask."
"It was hard not to tell you. I just didn't want anyone to judge me by my past. I've been ashamed of my mother and the way we lived for a long time. It became a habit to lie about her, one I couldn't break. But everything came to a head this past week."
"We all have things in our past we don't want to talk about," Lexie said. "But for the record, you turned out really well considering what you went through."
"Thanks."
"So what's going to happen to the man who came here today?" Kaia asked.
"Ben said he had an outstanding warrant. I don't know what that's about, but hopefully, Ben can hold him for a while. Maybe I can also get a restraining order or something."
"Ben will help you figure out what to do," Kaia said confidently. "It's good he was here."
"And Hunter, too," Lexie said. "How did that happen?"
"He was looking at the empty apartment. I guess Bree, Olivia's mom, might want to rent it so that they can stay here."
"Oh, that would be great," Lexie said with an excited gleam in her eyes. "I'll follow up with him on that. But didn't you say that Hunter was probably going to leave? Will they want to stay here if he's gone?"
"I hope so. Olivia has made friends with Henry, and I'm close to her, too. I know Olivia's mother, Bree, has been going through a hard time since her husband died. I want to support both of them. I think we should do everything we can to make Bree feel welcome."
"As we always do," Lexie said.
"It sounded like Hunter already knew your story," Kaia interjected, a curious gleam in her eyes.
"He did. He was with me when my aunt rescued my mother. I guess I left that part out."
"How was he with you?" Kaia asked.
"I told him what was going on and he offered to go with me to the market."
"The farmers' market," Lexie echoed. "Where you didn't buy anything. Wow, I had no idea you had just been through something so intense. I thought you were just sneaking around with Hunter."
She smiled. "It was more than that." She sighed as Kaia and Lexie exchanged a pointed look. "I know you both think there's something going on?—"
"Because there's something going on," Kaia interrupted.
"Maybe there is," she admitted. "But I'm pretty sure it's just going to be a short-term thing, so no one needs to get excited about it."
"Are you trying to convince us or yourself?" Lexie asked.
"Maybe all of us. I wish things were different, but timing is everything, and it's not working in my favor."
"Does he have to leave? Couldn't he be stationed at Camp Pendleton?" Kaia asked.
"I don't know. He seems to think he will be assigned elsewhere, but he's not even sure if he's going to get cleared for duty, so there's a lot up in the air."
"Then just let things be whatever they are meant to be," Lexie suggested. "Until you know what's going on, you just have to live your life."
"But living my life in the short term could hurt in the long term. I like him…a lot."
"It sounds like you've already gotten to a place where the hurt is going to be there regardless," Lexie said quietly.
"But if I stay away from him, I'll start to care less, won't I?"
Kaia gave her a sympathetic smile. "I don't think that's how it works, Emmalyn. My advice—you're already involved, so I'd just double down and try to enjoy the hell out of things until they end and hope maybe they won't." She paused. "Are you and Hunter coming to Maverick's tonight for Liam's birthday?"
"I'm coming. I don't know about Hunter."
"Well, now that Olivia's mother is back, maybe he's free, too," Lexie said. "I'll make sure he knows about it when I talk to him about the apartment."
"You two do not need to try to get me and Hunter together," she said. "Like I said before, I don't even know what I want."
"Well, maybe you need to find out," Kaia said.