Kilty Pleasure (14 page)

Overall, she managed to pull off summery and somewhat put together. Which meant she looked exactly opposite of the mess she felt like on the inside.

After grabbing her purse and keys, Hailey locked up the house and climbed into her car.

It was time to meet the girls, and her stomach was in knots.

The drive to the island took about a half hour, just enough time to let her nerves double. When she pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant she was almost trembling.

Sure, she’d seen Sarah and had a pretty good conversation, but now it would be Sarah and Kenzie. What if Kenzie was awkward? What if they both decided to scrap the idea of rekindling the friendship?

The thoughts kept coming. What if Sarah meeting her for drinks the other night had just been a ruse? A reason to draw her out so the two of them could lambast—

“Oh my God, you’re being paranoid.” After turning off the engine, Hailey made herself get out of the car and walk to the front door of the restaurant.

Sarah didn’t have a vicious bone in her body. Deep down Hailey realized that, and knew this lunch was exactly what it had been touted as. Still, it was easy to let the fear creep in. The what-ifs.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she glanced over to see Sarah in a corner booth, waving.

Smiling faintly, Hailey made her way over to them. She slid her gaze to Kenzie, curious to see the other woman’s reaction.

The pretty strawberry blonde was sitting quietly, her gaze on Hailey as she arrived at the table.

“Hey, you made it.” Sarah patted the seat next to her in the booth and gestured for her to sit.

“I did. Sorry if I’m late.”

“Right on time, actually.”

Kenzie’s light reply had Hailey’s gaze flitting over toward her again.

Their gazes met, and though there was a bit of discomfort in Kenzie’s eyes, there was no anger. No judgment.

“I’m glad we’re all meeting for lunch today,” Kenzie said. “Thank you for meeting us.”

They were thanking her? Really? It should’ve been the other way around.

“We’re adults.” Sarah shrugged. “There’s no reason we can’t move forward and just let nature take its course.”

“Exactly.” Kenzie folded her hands on the table and leaned forward. “And, right now, the natural course is for me to ask you where the hell you got that skirt? Because it’s pretty fuckin’ cute.”

The three of them laughed and any tension that might have been lingering vanished.

“I got it at the Coupeville Festival a couple years ago.” Hailey referenced the street festival in the small town on the island. “Now, I didn’t even have breakfast, so I’m starving.”

Kenzie grinned. “Me too, in fact I’m totally in to splitting some mozzarella sticks as an appetizer.”

Sarah glanced at her, arching a brow. “I thought you were giving up fried food?”

“Aye, absolutely I am.” Kenzie gave them an impish look as she laughed. “Someday. Today
not
being that day.”

“You’re terrible.” Sarah snorted delicately. “I’m totally in, though.”

“Me too. And I think while we’re at it,” Hailey countered, “maybe we should split an Oreo milkshake?”

“Oh my God, we’re going to walk out of here five pounds heavier each!”

Their laughter and banter came as easily as it had over a decade ago. Which kind of blew Hailey’s mind. It was such a relief she couldn’t bring herself to trust it a hundred percent. She just kept waiting for things to get awkward. For the resentment to return.

“Well, if we’re feeling guilty about the food binge, we could just counter it with some hiking. Or something,” Sarah suggested after they’d placed an appetizer order.

“Ew. Hiking? That’s like bugs, sweating and the sorts.” Kenzie wrinkled her nose and glanced back down at her menu. “Swimming maybe?”

Hailey grimaced and lifted a shoulder in apology. “Damn, I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

The three exchanged knowing glances and then burst into a juvenile fit of giggles.

“So skinny-dipping it is?” Sarah voiced their thoughts aloud.

“And why not?” Kenzie asked. “It wouldn’t be the first time we did it.”

“No, it wouldn’t. Though we should be careful—” Sarah leaned forward, her eyes glittering with mischief, “—or Colin may just arrest us all for indecent exposure.”

“Ew, yuck.” Kenzie wrinkled her nose. “Don’t really need that disturbing visual of my brother busting us all in our birthday suits.”

Hailey could feel her face go hot in an instant, she lifted her menu, hoping to hide it.

Colin had already seen her naked. Done a lot with her naked body, actually, but there were a couple reasons she couldn’t really just announce that. One, she was just getting back on friendly terms with these girls and it just didn’t seem appropriate. And, two—hello!—Colin was Kenzie’s brother.

She could just imagine dropping that announcement.

Oh, too late for me on that one, Kenzie. Your brother nailed me last week.

The waitress came, delivered their appetizer and then took their lunch orders.

Kenzie was the first to grab a stick of fried cheese. “So you’re a nurse now, Hailey?”

“Yes, I’ve been one for the past seven years.”

“She’s amazing.” Sarah reached for a mozzarella stick too. “You heard how she helped keep Emily stable and calm when she fell climbing that cliff the other day.”

“I did, and I’m glad that you were there to help my niece. So where do you work?”

Unable to resist the greasy appetizer any longer, Hailey took a piece. Hopefully her stomach wouldn’t hate her later.

“I work at Skagit Valley Hospital. I’m a float. Which basically means I work wherever they need me.”

“Kudos to you. I couldn’t deal with body fluids and cranky patients.” Sarah gestured with her mozzarella stick. “Which is why I stick to graphic design.”

“And, Kenzie, you work at the pub, right?”

“Aye, but I’m in school as well. I’m currently taking some online courses to finish up a paralegal degree.”

“Nice.” Hailey leaned back, one greasy indulgence more than enough. “Tell me what made you go into that?”

Conversation remained easy and constant the rest of lunch. Two hours passed and soon it was time to head out. The skinny-dipping would have to wait—if they ever got so bold—because Sarah had to get back to work on a project that was overdue.

They paid their bill and made their way outside, the discussion now on the infamous Bid on a Bachelor auction coming up.

Sarah stopped midspeech and stumbled to a halt. “Crap. It’s him.”

“Who?” Kenzie asked.

Both Kenzie and Hailey followed Sarah’s gaze to the truck across the parking lot.

The blood drained from Hailey’s face. She curled her fingers around her keys, subconsciously, ready to use them as a weapon.

Curt again? Had he followed her here?

“Who is that?” Kenzie asked, clearly confused.

“He used to be friends with Ian.”

Hailey swung her shocked gaze to Sarah. Sarah and Ian knew who Curt was? Curt and Ian had even been friends? That couldn’t be true. Could it?

Then she remembered Curt had certainly seemed to know who the McLaughlins were.

Sarah hesitated and then shook her head. “He’s bad news and has made several threats in the past. And he’s obviously here right now watching us. Maybe he was even waiting for us.”

“We should go back inside.” Kenzie caught Sarah’s arm and nodded to Hailey. “We’ll call Ian.”

Hailey’s heart had begun pounding harder while she held Curt’s glittering glare. Finally she turned and followed the other two inside.

Right now she wasn’t sure if he’d come for her or for Sarah. Regardless of the target, Hailey knew Curt’s reason for being the parking lot was intimidation.

And, damn him, it was working all too well.

Chapter Eleven

“That is a sweet ride.” Colin circled the 1963 Corvette Stingray.

Ian glanced up from the car he was busy restoring in the popular auto repair and restoration shop he owned.

“Isn’t it, though? Customer brought it in a couple days ago and I’ve been drooling over it since.”

“I think he should buy one for me,” Emily agreed. She sat on a stool nearby, swinging her legs as she watched her dad.

“Do you now?” Ian stopped what he was doing and gave her a big grin. “But you’ll not be driving for several years yet, ya little lass.”

She nodded and moon-eyed the car. “Five and a half. And I want a sweet ride like this.”

“Sweet ride?” Colin arched a brow. “My, you pick up on what we say quite quickly.”

“’Course I do. Mom says I’m like a sponge.”

Colin smothered a laugh and shook his head. “Ah, well, I knew I should’ve just stuck to walking the beach and not brought you by today.”

“But you love me and that’s why you gave in?”

“Absolutely.”

“You spoil her rotten.” Ian waved a wrench at him. “The whole lot of you.”

“Aye, you’re right.”

A cell phone went off and Ian paused to pull it from the pocket of his coveralls and answer.

Colin kept his attention on his niece, who was quite adept at getting herself into trouble. The change in Ian’s tone, and his promise to be there as soon as possible, had Colin glancing at his brother again.

“Is there a problem?” Colin asked when his brother ended the call.

He shook his head, his gaze on the ground. “Emily, go and sit in my office for a moment, please. I need to talk to your uncle.”

“Ah, really? Why? I wanna stay with you.”

“There’s a chocolate bar in the bottom drawer.”

“See ya.” Emily hopped down and disappeared within seconds.

If Ian had sent his daughter away to talk to him alone, then clearly this conversation was serious.

“What’s happening?”

Ian’s jaw clenched and he shook his head. “I’ve not told you about this because I’m not proud. While I was in prison I met a man who became a close friend. I…helped him out over the years. Buying car parts that may or may not have been stolen.”

“Ah shite, Ian. You didn’t.” The brief stint in prison was water under the bridge, and that didn’t faze Colin. It had been a complete bullshit sentence for nearly beating to death Charles Richland after stopping the man from raping Kenzie.

What surprised him was that Ian had been involved with some shady dealings with a fellow inmate.

“It’s done with now,” Ian continued. “I’ve not worked with him in several months.”

“Christ, it was that recent?”

“Aye. You don’t have to arrest me, do you?”

“No.” Colin glowered at his brother. “This conversation never happened. What’s going on now with Sarah?”

“I think he may be following her and trying to intimidate her to get to me. The girls are at Applebee’s and Curt’s sitting in the parking lot watching them.”

Colin stilled, his breath catching. “What did you say his name was?”

“Curt. Curt MacGregor.”

“Shite.” The icy rage that swept through Colin’s blood was immediate and he dug into his pocket for his keys. “We need to go. Now.”

“Aye, we do. I need to close up my shop first, though. And Emily—”

“Listen. Do what you need to close up your business, and take care of Emily. I’ll head out and deal with this bastard.”

“The fuck you are. This is my prob—”

“This may not be about Sarah.” He didn’t want to have to explain how he knew about Hailey and her ex. The restraining order. There wasn’t time now. “I’ll explain later. But I’ll ask that you trust me to deal with this, Ian. I may have more influence on him anyway, being that I’m law enforcement.”

Ian grunted, seeming reluctant and wary, but finally he nodded. “All right then. Go. You call me the moment you can confirm they’re safe.”

“They’ll be safe.” Colin made the vow as he jogged out of Ian’s shop to his truck.

When he arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later, he scanned the parking lot for any sign of MacGregor. Most of the vehicles were empty, except for one, which held a teenaged girl talking on a phone.

Which meant he’d either left the scene or followed the women inside.

Climbing out of his truck, he made his way toward the front of the restaurant, even as he kept his gaze moving around the premises at all times.

The door opened before he reached it, and the three women filed out.

“Did Ian send you?” Sarah called out, reaching him first.

“I sent myself. What happened to MacGregor?”

“He’s gone.”

Hailey answered this time and he swept his attention to her. Her arms were folded beneath her chest and her gaze was troubled.

Concern swept through him, and he wanted to stride forward and pull her into an embrace—soothe away the fear in her eyes. But he couldn’t. Not only because Sarah and Kenzie were here, but because he sensed Hailey was still angry enough from last night to slug him.