Sisters in Bloom (Love in Bloom: Snow Sisters #2), Contemporary Romance (21 page)

Kaylie put the mascara brush down and leaned on the sink. “Shut up!”

Danica smiled, shrugged.

Kaylie squealed so loudly that Chaz came running into the room. Kaylie wrapped her arms around Danica. “We’re gonna be neighbors!” she squealed.

“Great! Who?” Chaz asked, taking in his dancing wife and soon-to-be sister-in-law.

Danica pulled herself from Kaylie’s grasp. “Us. Blake put in an offer on the house down the road.”

“Fantastic!” Chaz hugged Danica. “Congratulations.”

“Listen, you guys, if it’s too close, or suffocates you, just tell me before he settles, please. I can take it.”

“Nonsense. It’s gonna be great,” Chaz assured her.

“So great!” Kaylie confirmed.

Chaz excused himself so that he could get ready for the evening, and Kaylie finished putting on her makeup, already making plans for future barbeques and movie nights.

“I’m not really a movie night girl, Kay.”

“I know, but you will be when our little one is born. You’ll want to see her.” Kaylie grabbed Danica’s hand and led her to the nursery.

“You have such a knack for color. It looks amazing.” Danica touched the soft stuffed bear in the corner of the crib.

“We’re rich,” Kaylie blurted out.

“Rich, like blessed?”

“Rich, Danica,” she whispered. Then she grabbed Danica’s arm and dragged her to the corner of the room. “Rich, as in more money than we could ever spend.”

“What do you mean?”

“Chaz has a trust fund. He doesn’t use it, but it’s there.”

“Kaylie, that’s wonderful, right?” Danica eyes bounced across Kaylie’s eyes. “Wait. You’re not smiling. What’s wrong?”

“We’re not going to use it. Ever. We’re going to live like we do now. Chaz makes plenty of money, and so do I, when I’m singing. He’s sensitive about having money, so don’t tell anyone.”

Danica nodded. “Oh.” Her jaw dropped as understanding shone in her eyes. “Kaylie, can you do that? You like to shop, and eat out, and...Oh, God, this is big, Kaylie. Can you do this?”

“Not only can I totally do this, but I will do this. I really don’t care about money, and I’m just going to go on like I never knew it existed. I mean, I do like to shop and to go to nice restaurants, but we always had enough for that. I didn’t miss it before. Why should it matter now? It’s not like I’ll change my behavior because of it.” Kaylie paused.

Danica watched her intently. “Kaylie, money does weird things to people.”

“That’s what he said.” Kaylie sighed. “I realized today that I don’t care if he has money or not.”

Danica took her by the shoulders. “Look at me, Kaylie, and tell me honestly what you are thinking.”

Kaylie looked into her sister’s eyes, and she felt as if she were on the edge of a precipice: twentysomething Kaylie on one side, grown-up Kaylie on the other. If she failed, she’d fall into an abyss of a lonely, meaningless life. “I’m thinking that I love him and that I hate snobby kids, and that I might need some reminding at times, when I long for something expensive. But overall, I’m thinking that I’m so thankful I didn’t lose Chaz when I walked out, and no amount of money in the world could take his place.”

Danica continued staring.

“Danica, I mean it.”

She nodded. “I actually think you do.”

Chaz popped his head in and Danica jumped away from Kaylie. “Did you tell her yet?” Chaz asked.

“No, what?” Kaylie muttered.

“Tell? No, we were talking—”

He looked from Kaylie to Danica, then back again. Chaz stepped into the room and crossed his arms as Kaylie dropped her eyes and Danica followed suit.

“Yes, we’re rich. Incredibly, insanely rich.”

The girls laughed.

“Sorry, she did tell me,” Danica admitted.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted support.” Kaylie bit her lower lip.

Chaz came to her side and put his arm around her shoulder. “Danica, she is going to need your support. I think Kaylie has every intention to ignore the money, but money has a way of sending out a scent that’s hard to ignore. There’ll be times when she needs you.”

Danica shook her head. “You must really love her.”

Chaz nodded, kissed the top of Kaylie’s head.

“Why did you even tell her?”

“I didn’t want to start our life together with a lie.”

Kaylie watched Danica bring her hands together underneath her chin, and she knew that if Danica had ever doubted Chaz, he’d just won her over.

Colorful lights glistened along the trees and the ridges and rafters of the barn, giving the evening a magical feel. Two adult volunteers worked the parking area and kept the kids from running past the ropes and into the back of the barn, where the refreshments were. Blake greeted the guests at the front of the barn, where a big banner hung from the high doorframe; “No Limitz” was written in funky letters, matching the center’s logo.

Danica stood beside Sally, listening to Kaylie sing about a man who saved her from herself. She sang with such passion that, combined with the introspective and emotional words, it brought tears to Danica’s eyes. Kaylie looked at Chaz as she hit the high notes and scanned the audience, pointing to different teen boys, as if every word was meant specifically for them, when her voice turned raspy in all the right places.

“She’s incredible,” Sally said, her shoulders moving in beat to the music.

“I know, right? It’s easy to forget how talented she is, with all the drama that seems to follow her around.” Pride filled Danica’s heart.

“Your sister has some lungs on her,” Gage said from behind them.

“Yeah, she does,” Danica said, then made up an excuse and left the two of them alone. She headed outside, where Nancy and Trisha were talking beside the refreshment table. She spotted Michelle standing beside Chase, each with a cup of punch; beside them were two groups of teenagers, each moving to the music, drinking punch, and laughing.

Danica went to the refreshment table and picked up a cookie. “How’s it going?” she asked Michelle’s mom, Nancy, and Trisha.

“Great. The kids are having a ball. That group of kids there must be the cool kids, because everyone seems to flock around them.” Trisha wore white capris, a yellow tank top, and a set of matching flip-flops with big fabric flowers above the toes. On anyone else, they might have looked over-the-top, but the way Trisha carried her small frame, with her head held high and a ready smile on her lips, they looked smart.

Danica watched the kids and then turned back to Trisha. “I’m sorry if I seemed rude this morning.”

Trisha swatted the air. “Don’t be silly. I’m Dave’s other woman, so to speak. I get it.” She laughed a pleasant, sweet laugh.

Danica understood why Sally was comfortable with her. She wasn’t threatening or intimidating in the least. She was quite pleasant. “Nancy, I’m so glad you came out to help. You look great.”

“Thanks, I’m almost one year sober.” Nancy crossed her fingers and held them up beside her smile.

“That’s great news, and Michelle seems so happy. How’s Nola? She couldn’t come?” Danica would have to visit Michelle’s grandmother sometime soon. She’d been so good to Michelle while her mother was in rehab.

“Nola’s doing great. She wanted to be here, but it’s her bridge night, and after Michelle and I moved back in together, I think she realized how much time she’d been missing out on with her own friends. I’ll tell her you said hello.”

Danica thought of her mother, who had texted her to say that she wasn’t feeling very well, and she was sorry that she would miss the event. It made Danica happy to know her mother was creating a fulfilling life. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Danica watched Brad walk over to Michelle and talk with her. Rusty couldn’t hide his dislike of the situation. He was practically breathing down the guy’s neck. Chase, on the other hand, was happily drinking his punch and listening to the music while they talked.

Once she realized that everyone was taken care of, Danica went to find Blake. She couldn’t help but feel good about how things were going. Everyone was smiling and having fun. She gave Kaylie a thumbs-up as she passed the makeshift stage. Kaylie was already on another song, something having to do with naughty and nice. Danica hoped none of the parents would complain about the lyrics. Could she be held responsible for inappropriate music? Another thing to put on her to-do list. 

Blake leaned against the front wall of the barn, his long legs crossed at the ankle. Danica felt her breath hitch.
Damn, how long will his looks do this to me?
Her eyes dragged slowly from his dark, sensuous eyes, which were scanning the parking lot, unaware of her presence, to his slim waist and her favorite pair of Levi’s—the dark ones that were tight in all the right places. He wore a pair of black boots, which only heightened his sexiness.

“Are you going to just drink me in, or are you going to come over here and actually talk to me?”

Jesus. He saw me? How the hell?
Flustered, Danica shook off her embarrassment. She sidled up to him and whispered, “I was afraid you might elbow me again if I came too close.”

In the next breath, his arms were around her waist and he was backing her up against the barn. “I’ll elbow you, all right,” he teased, lowering his lips to hers.

Danica scanned the entranceway. She realized they were tucked into a dark area and closed her eyes. Her limbs relaxed as they kissed the noise of the party away. When Blake pulled back, she felt like a teenager, kissed for the first time. Her mind was useless, a foggy mess of hormones and lust.

“Wanna sneak out into the woods?” Blake asked.

“Yes,” she said, and then quickly added, “No.”

The din of the party grew louder. Blake leaned down to kiss her again, and a shout pulled Danica from his arms.

“What the hell was that?” She and Blake ran into the barn. The crowd converged just beyond the back doors.

Gage’s voice boomed above the music. “That’s enough!”

The music came to an abrupt stop as Danica sped by, tearing past the open doors and through the crowd of murmuring kids and wide-eyed parents. In the center of the crowd, Brad lay on the ground with a bloody nose. Gage stood behind Rusty, his arms wrapped around Rusty’s forearms, trapping him. Michelle reached for Rusty and he turned away. His chest rose and fell with each angry breath.

“What’s going on?” Danica demanded. She fell to her knees beside Brad and asked him if he was okay.

He nodded silently, and Danica turned on Rusty. “What happened here?”

No one answered.

“Someone’s gonna tell me what went on here,” she said angrily. What a nightmare. Her first event and there was a fight? She felt hot, angry tears burn the corners of her eyes and the harsh stares of the crowd around her.

Sally’s nervous, embarrassed voice broke through the silence. “Rusty!” She said to Gage, “I’ll take him home.” Then she turned her mortified face to Danica. “I’m so sorry.” She lifted her eyes to the rest of the crowd. “I’m so sorry.” She took Rusty by the arm. He shrugged her off and stalked off toward the parking lot. 

Gage helped Brad up, as he watched Sally and Rusty climb into their car. “Should I go with her? He seemed really angry.”

Danica tried to think. What would Sally want? She had no idea how close she and Gage had become, or if Sally would be too embarrassed to even talk to him. She erred on the side of caution. “I think you’d better stick around. She’ll call if she needs us.”

“Okay, everyone, it’s just a little tiff, that’s all,” Blake said to the crowd. “You know how kids are.” He tried to lighten the mood, but parents were already guiding their kids toward the doors. He caught Chaz’s attention and asked Kaylie to play if she was up to it.

Kaylie sang a slow tune laced with emotion. Two adults stopped by the exit and turned to watch her. Even the teenagers who had been huddled together were drawn closer by the husky voice that filled the barn. She sang of the weather, it seemed, something about hot and cold; then the band broke into an upbeat tune and Kaylie sang about dancing in the rain and riding on a train. Smiles came over the adults’ faces. Kids began to dance to the beat of the music, and more guests filtered back into the barn from the parking lot. Danica let out a sigh of relief as she and Brad walked down the property.

“I’m really sorry, Danica. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” Brad’s hands were shaking.

“I didn’t see what happened. Why did he hit you? Did you provoke him?” She watched Brad’s eyes for a hint of untruth. She had no idea what to expect. Rusty could be a bit of a hothead. She knew that from what Sally had said about how Rusty acted right after Dave had died, but she thought he’d moved past that.

She looked back at the barn and saw Michelle watching them. Chase and Trisha were off to the side, talking head-to-head. Danica assumed Trisha was also trying to figure out what had transpired.

Brad wiped the remaining blood from his nose. “I don’t know. I was talking to Michelle and some other kids, and then someone said something, and the next thing I knew, I was being punched.”

“Who said what?”

He shrugged. “I really have no idea.”

“Brad, were you hitting on Michelle? I know she’s really cute and really nice, but I think she’s seeing Chase.”

“Chase?" He looked back up at the barn.

“I don’t really know. This is all kind of hearsay.”

“Whatever. Look, I don’t know what set him off, and I’m really sorry. All I did was ask Michelle if she was going to join the ski club this year. I told her it would be cool if we could ski down Little Hellion. My friends have done it and—”

Shit
. “Brad, Rusty’s father died there last year.”

“Shit. Sorry,” he said, then ran his hand through his hair. “I had no idea.”

“He probably thought you were taking a cheap shot at him or something. I don’t know.” Danica was glad she hadn’t told Gage to go with Sally. God only knew what she’d be dealing with tonight. “Listen, Little Hellion is named that for a reason. Please be careful. I’m not sure it’s really safe for kids.” She saw the creasing of his brow, and she knew she was overstepping her bounds. His parents could deal with the ski slope. She’d warned him, and he was a smart kid. Hopefully he’d think twice about going up there. Right now Danica had to deal with the issue at hand. She took another good, long look at Brad. He wasn’t bruised or limping, which was a relief. “Are you hurt at all?”

“No.”

“Okay, then you go ahead back and have fun. I’m really sorry this happened. I’ll call your parents and let them know.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“Yes, I do.” Her first parental confrontation.
This should be fun
.

He headed back toward the barn. Danica watched Michelle come to his side and sling her arm around his shoulder. Chase wasn’t far behind. She headed back toward the barn to talk with Trisha and Gage.

“How’s the damage control going?” she asked them.

“Chase said Brad said something about Little Hellion and Rusty went off. Poor kid. He’s carrying around his father’s death like something he has to protect.” Trisha’s tone was fraught with empathy.

“Sally will take care of him.”

“Tell me what I can do. We have to make some phone calls to the county. They’ll hear about this, and it could have an impact on future events. I mean, I know you own the center, and the county generally keeps its nose out of these kinds of events, but if anyone complains, they might inquire.” Gage’s eyes were serious, dark. “Danica, I dealt with the county at my last job. It’s better to be ahead of the game.”

“I know. I’ll call the director first thing tomorrow. I have his cell number. I want to talk to Sally and to Brad’s parents first.” She went looking for Blake, relieved to see him standing beside Chaz near the stage. Sentinels guarding Kaylie. She tucked her arm into Blake’s as Kaylie switched to an unmistakable love song, looking right into Chaz’s eyes with more love than even Danica imagined she was capable of showing.
Good girl, Kaylie
. “She’s beautiful,” she said to Chaz.

“She sure is. I’m a lucky guy for more reasons than I can count.” Chaz never took his eyes off Kaylie.

Danica pulled Blake into the center of the barn, rested her head on his chest, and swayed to the music.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’ll have shit to deal with tomorrow, but for now, I’m doing just fine.”