Karma (18 page)

And where had his caring been earlier?

He glanced down, obviously embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have taken my feelings for your brother out on you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. It’s not like you didn’t know the situation before you sweet-talked your way into my bed.”

“Ouch.”

“What can I say? The truth hurts.” She let out a sigh, the exhaustion of the last couple of days catching up with her and she leaned against the wall for support.

She still hadn’t processed the fact that she’d destroyed the center of town, crushed her beloved car, and nearly killed herself in the process.

The whole morning seemed surreal and made no sense.

“Can you just go?” she didn’t care if she had to beg. Her defenses were too low to deal with Dare now.

“Do you promise you’re okay?” He reached out to touch her cheek, then obviously thought better and dropped his hand.

She dug her nails into her palms, torn between disappointment and satisfaction that she’d gotten what she wanted. He was keeping his distance. And it hurt more than this morning’s argument had. At least then she’d had her own anger to bolster her emotions.

Now she was drained. “I’m fine.”

He inclined his head. “I’ll make sure Mason makes your car a priority.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“Take it easy for the rest of the day, okay?” he asked, his gruff voice winding its way through her veins.

She managed a nod.

He started for the door and she walked him out, locking up behind him. Only when she was alone did her legs begin to shake again, and she headed for her family room couch where she curled into a ball and let the trembling take over.

An hour later, Liza’s earlier shock had begun to wear off. Knowing she had things to do, she pulled herself together. First she checked in at the office with a quick explanation of what had happened. Then she called the company her firm was dealing with in Mystic to explain her absence and reschedule the meeting. Then she turned to focusing on the accident. She reported the accident to her insurance agent, who assured her the costs of a rental car were fully covered.

She was deep in thought when her doorbell rang. Liza glanced up, surprised by yet another visitor, this one in the middle of the day.

She walked to the door and discovered Kelly Barron on the other side. “Hi,” Liza said as she opened the door to let the other woman inside.

“Hi yourself.” Kelly looked Liza over thoroughly from her now bare feet up and over her wrinkled suit. “Well, you look like you made it through unscathed. The center of town doesn’t look nearly as good.”

Liza winced at the reminder. “I’m fine. Just really embarrassed.”

“By an accident? Don’t be silly. I’m just glad you’re okay. Your brakes failed? That’s so scary.”

“Tell me about it.” She shivered involuntarily. “I’d ask what you’re doing here, but I have a hunch Dare sent you?” Liza flexed and unflexed her fingers, waiting for an answer.

“Well, I’d have come anyway as soon as I heard what happened, but yes, Dare called.”

Liza shook her head. “Don’t you need to be at work?” she asked, knowing the other woman was a paralegal.

“It’ll wait. Today’s a light day, so no worries about me. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Dare mentioned you might need a ride to a car rental place…or to the police station to sign your statement.” With a light laugh, Kelly shrugged. “Sorry, but those Barron brothers like to take control.”

And it didn’t seem like it bothered her all that much.

“I realize that.” And though Liza should be angry, she was strangely touched as well. “I just don’t get it,” she added softly.

“Get what?” Kelly asked.

Liza sighed. “Come on into the kitchen,” she said, figuring they could sit down for this conversation. “Soda? Water? Iced tea?”

“Whatever you’re having.” Kelly settled into the kitchen chair Dare had been in just this morning.

After handing them each a can of diet soda, Liza joined her at the table. “Remember,
you
asked,” she warned Dare’s sister-in-law before she dove into any conversation. If she dove in. Liza wasn’t used to sharing.

“And I’m listening.” Kelly, wearing denim shorts and a cropped T-shirt, crossed one long leg over the other one.

Again, Liza reacted against type and decided to confide in her. She didn’t understand it. She was usually so self-contained, but there was something about the fact that these strangers kept showing kindness that got to her. Liza genuinely liked Kelly and Faith. More than that, she was embarrassed to admit she was starving for the friendship they seemed to willingly offer.

Liza only hoped that friendship wasn’t contingent on her relationship with their brother-in-law because that seemed dead in the water. “Dare and I…” She trailed off, not knowing how to explain.

Kelly waited patiently, not pushing her to divulge more than or before she was ready.

“It’s just that we have more things that divide us than we have in common.”

Kelly popped the top of her cola can and pulled a long sip. “So? Nash and I didn’t have an easy go of it either. But it was worth the hassle, even when things got really bad. And believe me they did. And that good relationship you see between the brothers now?” Kelly shook her head. “It wasn’t always that way.”

Liza should have been surprised at the other woman’s candor, but everything about her seemed so warm and open, she’d almost expected it. “Dare mentioned something about their difficult road.”

Kelly nodded. “Ethan got his shit together first. Pardon my French,” she said, laughing. “And he came home to make amends. He and Dare warmed up to each other next. But Nash? He came to the party kicking and screaming. In fact, he actually decked Ethan.”

Liza blinked, startled by that revelation.

“Yep. It took Nash a long time to forgive his older brother. And Dare? We all thought Dare was the most easygoing of the brothers, but it turns out he had secrets nobody knew.” Kelly eyed Liza over the rim of the soda can.

What kinds of secrets, Liza wondered, but knew she wouldn’t ask any more than Kelly would tell. Whatever secrets Dare kept hidden, Liza would learn or not from Dare himself.

When Kelly continued to stare, Liza grew uncomfortable. “What?”

Kelly shrugged. “It’s just that Dare projects this easy persona, but underneath? He’s been hurt and abandoned and it’s hard for him to trust. Like all the brothers, really. But he’s hidden it the deepest.”

This revelation, though not specific, came as more of a surprise. Liza had assumed his harsh words about her behavior with her brother came from his being a cop with a judgmental personality. But from what Kelly was telling her, Dare wasn’t as judgmental as he was scared of trusting.

Just like she was. Which made them quite a pair, really.

Could he have been looking for an excuse to push her away this morning? Was the tattoo and then Brian’s arrival an easy way for him to not deal with his feelings? Or was she reading more into Kelly’s simple words because Liza was falling for the man and wanted an excuse to let him back in?

She groaned out loud.

“Are you okay?” Kelly asked.

Liza nodded. “Yeah.” Just more confused than she’d been before and even more wary, if such a thing were possible.

“Do you want to go into town and take care of your errands?” Kelly offered, letting her off the hook and ending personal conversation—at least for now.

These Barron women were as pushy as the men. And Liza liked them just as much as she liked one Barron brother in particular.

Dare promised himself he’d give Liza space. She was clearly angry and he understood her reasons. He’d been an ass. And the scary thing was he couldn’t say he wouldn’t do it again. Brian McKnight flipped every known switch he had inside him and some he didn’t know he’d had. The rest of the morning dragged on, and when Nash called to see if he wanted to grab a late lunch at the Family Restaurant, Dare was only too happy for the break.

He pulled up to the family-owned restaurant on the edge of town. The place had been around longer than most in Serendipity, and that was saying something, but each generation had kept the place up and added modern touches.

Dare walked inside and waved to Macy Donovan, the daytime hostess, and found Nash already waiting in a booth in the back.

“What’s up, big brother?” Dare asked.

Nash raised an eyebrow. “You’re asking me that? I heard you had some excitement this morning.”

“You can’t go a couple of hours without talking to your wife?” Dare asked, hoping to deflect the subject.

Nash treated him to a smirk. “You’re one to talk considering you practically moved into Liza’s over the weekend. How’s that going for you, by the way?”

Before Nash could answer, Gina, their waitress, strode over. Middle-aged, happily married, and with a heart of gold, the woman knew every customer by name and order. “The usual, boys?” she asked them.

“Thanks, Gina.”

Dare nodded, his stomach rumbling. “Tell Tony I’m starving and to add extra fries.”

The redhead grinned. “Will do. Be back in a few minutes with your drinks.” She walked off, pausing at other tables to check in before disappearing in the back.

“So?” Nash asked.

“How the hell could I fall for the one woman in this town whose baggage is tied up with mine?” Dare asked, giving in and talking to his sibling.

He and Nash had always been close, even when circumstances dictated they shouldn’t be. Even when Nash found out why Dare hadn’t gone to live with the Rossmans, thereby allowing the brothers to be split up, he’d eventually come around. Because from the beginning, they were a team.

Nash burst out laughing. “I’m the one who married our half sister’s sister. And you’re asking me about shared baggage?”

Dare shook his head and laughed. “I guess you’ve got a point. Which means you’d know the answer?”

With a groan, Nash leaned back in his seat, his arm across the back of the booth. “The hell if I know. You learn to accept what you can’t change, I guess. If it’s not just sex, if she means enough to you…time will tell.”

“Who the hell knows if I’ve got time. I manage to piss her off as much as I…Never mind,” he said with a shake of his head.

He’d been about to say turn her on, but thought better of it and shook his head. Was it just sex with Liza?

“Hey, the wives are having a meeting at Ethan’s pool on Saturday to talk about the fund-raiser,” Nash said, preventing Dare from answering his own silent question. “Want to join your brothers while we hang out and ogle them in their bikinis?”

Fund-raiser business, which Dare took to mean would include Liza. In a bikini. He broke into a sweat. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

Nash grinned. “I thought so.”

Dare’s cell phone rang and a glance told him it was Sam. “What’s up?” he asked, answering on the second ring.

“Someone cut the brake line on Liza’s car. She didn’t lose control by accident,” Sam said.

Gina chose that moment to show up with their meals. “I’m sorry, but I’ll take mine to go,” he said to the waitress. “I’ll be right there,” he told Sam.

“Meet me at Mason’s.”

Dare shut his phone. “Sorry.”

Nash waved him away, unconcerned as he dug into his food.

By the time Dare arrived at Mason’s, Liza was already there with Sam. She’d changed out of her business suit and now wore a pair of frayed cut-off shorts, a tank top and flip-flops on her feet. She looked sexy as ever, but there was a fragility to her that Dare had never noticed before he’d slept with her.

Gotten close to her.

Come to understand how many different things in her life pulled at her. How many people in her life let her down. And now he’d become one more person who’d done the same.

Dare curled his fingers into tight fists, fighting the urge to walk over and pull her into his arms. He was the last person she wanted right now. He also held back in deference to Sam, who was the cop in charge of the case.

So while Sam spoke to the mechanic and caught Liza up on the situation, Dare hovered nearby, listening.

“What do you mean I had a leak in my brake line? The car was just serviced last week,” Liza said to Sam.

Sam glanced at her. “I’ll need the name of the place that handled it.”

“A BMW service center in Manhattan. I was visiting friends and dropped the car off, since I knew I wouldn’t need it in the city.” She gave Sam the name and address before turning back to Mason.

“The line was cut,” the mechanic explained.

“What kind of cut? Slice? Pinprick?” Sam asked.

Mason rubbed his grease-stained hands on his working coveralls. “Small nick. The fluid leaked out over time, so you wouldn’t have noticed it right away.”

“I haven’t moved the car in a few days,” she said. “Not until this morning.”

Mason nodded, his long dark hair falling over his forehead. “There’s probably a puddle in the driveway where your car was parked then.”

Sam made a note, probably to check the driveway, something Dare hadn’t thought to do.

“Could I have driven over something that cut the line?” Liza asked.

“No ma’am. This was deliberate.”

Liza stiffened. “Wait. You’re saying someone cut a hole in my brake line on purpose?”

“Looks that way.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, a protective gesture Dare recognized as Liza’s means of retreat and defense.

He itched to walk up behind her and pull her into his arms, offer comfort, and promise her he’d make sure no one ever hurt her again. He refrained because his gut told him she needed to handle this on her own. Like she dealt with everything else in her life, Dare thought, disgusted beyond belief with her family but most of all with himself.

He’d already decided to give her the illusion of control for now. There was no way she was alone in this and she’d understand that shortly.

Which meant that this thing between them was more than just sex. For him, anyway. He’d sensed the possibility from the beginning. He’d even warned her he wasn’t the type to get involved and walk away. But now Dare knew he’d also been warning himself. Because there was no way he could walk away. The pull he felt toward her was too strong.