Broken Beginnings: A High Heat Small Town Romance Suspense (Citrus Cove Book 1)

BUTTERFLIES FLUTTERED through my stomach as a knock echoed through the house. Honey gave me a knowing look, arching a silver brow.

“Want to answer it?”

No. Yes? I felt like throwing up. “Sure,” I said. “I’ll grab it.”

I was about to see my nephews for the first time in person.

I’m such a bad aunt. Fuck.

“I did talk to Sarah, and she knows you’re seeing them,” Honey said.

I nodded and went to the front door, pasting on a smile as I opened it.

Jake and David were on the other side, both tall for their age and grinning. Behind them was a man I’d only seen in pictures, their dad. Other David was what I’d labeled him in my mind. He had brown hair that was cut short and a menacing glare. Crooked nose, the scent of alcohol wafting off him.

What the fuck? Had he been drinking? I felt a series of red flags go up in my mind but smothered them all so I could greet my nephews.

“Hi,” I said, smiling at the two of them.

“Aunt Haley!” Jake beamed, throwing his arms around me hard enough to knock my breath free.

My heart squeezed a little. “Oh my god, you’re so strong!” I exclaimed. “Honey and I got some pizza, and we’ll watch a movie. Hopefully ones you like. And I may or may not have gotten some ice cream too.”

He grinned, one of his teeth missing, and then slipped past me.

“Hey, David,” I said to my other nephew.

“Davy,” he corrected.

“Davy,” I repeated.

He gave me a wary smile, glancing up at his father. His dad rolled his eyes. “Stupid nickname.”

What the fuck did he just say?

Davy’s expression fell, and he moved past me too.

Which left me standing alone.

“You shouldn’t be here,” David growled.

I raised a brow and glanced behind my shoulder, making sure the kids were out of earshot because What. The. Fuck. I caught a glimpse of them hugging Honey.

“I’m not sure why it matters to you,” I said lightly. Why was he being such an asshole?

Other David continued to glare at me like I was the dirt on the bottom of his ugly boots. “No one wants you here, and you’re just going to be a bad influence on my sons.”

“On my nephews. And you’re the one that was just a complete ass to Davy for no reason.”

“It’s a stupid fucking nickname. He’ll learn that eventually.”

“What is your problem?” I whispered, glaring. “We’ve never even spoken before.”

He snorted, leveling me with a disgusted glare. I took a step forward, shutting the door behind me. I didn’t want the boys to hear me or him.

I may not have been in their lives for the last few years, but I still felt a protective streak a mile wide.

“You smell like alcohol,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Are you under the influence right now?” The idea of him drinking while driving my nephews here was enough to make me want to kick him down the stairs.

“You mind your fucking business,” he snarled, stepping closer to me.

Rage rolled through me, hot and heavy and fierce. I might have been half his size, but I would put him down if I needed to. I’d taken enough lessons with Emma to at least have some basic self defense.

Was this how he was around Sarah? Around the kids? Around Honey?

Was this the marital problem she mentioned?

“I told Sarah that you being back would be a problem. No one wants you here. You abandoned them and ran off to be some worldly whore.”

Worldly whore. I might have laughed had I not seen the hate in his gaze. I ground my teeth together, keeping my shoulders back. He wasn’t the first man to say something like that to me and wouldn’t be the last. And brother-in-law or not, I had no inclination to be nice.

“Are you drunk?” I asked again, keeping my voice low. I didn’t keep the edge of judgment from it. Fuck him if he was.

“Fuck you,” he said, taking a step back. His eyes darkened with hate, and he turned, stumbling down the steps back to his car. A different truck pulled up to the house, but I didn’t take my eyes off him as he shot me the bird, getting in his front seat and cranking the engine. He leaned his head out the window and glanced at the newcomer, scoffing. “Of course that fucker shows up. You should leave before something bad happens.”

He rolled up his window and backed out, peeling down the street and leaving a cloud of black smoke in his wake. A shiver went up my spine, my gut clenching.

“What the fuck was that?”

My heart lurched as I looked over at none other than Cameron. He was crossing the yard, wearing a brooding scowl. He wore a denim shirt that was unbuttoned and a black tee underneath that fit him a little too well.

I eyed him warily. I hated him just a smidge less at the moment, but was going to blame that on timing. “What are you doing here?”

I didn’t have an ounce of rage left in me. I could feel it all draining away, the interaction with David sapping me. I felt a bit of relief that Cameron showed up when he did.

“I’m here to drop off some paperwork for the job,” he explained, coming to the bottom step. The toes of his boots hit the whitewashed wood, his belt buckle gleaming in the warm, peachy glow of the setting sun. He held up a folder with papers inside of it. “I don’t have your number, so I wanted to bring these over. It has what we agreed upon and my contact info. Was he bothering you, Haley? Are you okay?”

My eyes lifted toward the street again. I was unable to shake the feeling that everyone knew what the hell was going on except me. I hardly remembered David from school, but he’d never had the mean streak I’d just caught a glimpse of. Not to mention, I’d never done a damn thing to him. The hate I’d just met made me feel like I was the wicked witch from Baltimore.

“Hey. Haley.”

I looked at Cameron, blinking a couple of times. The last of the sun was turning his dark hair a pretty shade of russet, his well-kept beard a little redder than I realized.

“My nephews are here,” I said suddenly, but I went down the steps to meet him. I stopped on the one right in front of him and still wasn’t as tall as him. But I liked seeing him eye to eye like this.

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Stop that.

“I got that. What did he say to you? I caught the tail end of it. And it didn’t sound like he was saying anything pleasant.” His jaw clenched, his posture still stiff.

“Is that a surprise?”

There was a standoff of information happening. We were silent for one beat, two.

“I don’t have time for this,” I muttered, letting out a frustrated breath. “I need to get back inside and spend time with David—Davy—and Jake. They don’t know me, and I’d like for them to.”

Why in the hell was I telling him that?

Cameron swallowed hard, his expression finally relaxing. He handed me the papers and then shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s not my place to tell you about your family, Hal. There’s a lot that has happened since you’ve been gone.”

Hal. The corner of my mouth lifted. “Starting with you having some sort of reckoning?”

“I had that the moment you left.”

That wasn’t what I thought he’d say. My heart skipped a beat. “Can you please tell me what I’m missing here with them? With Honey and with Sarah? I know I’ve been gone, but…”

It was hard not to think about how close we were still standing. One wrong move, and I could topple onto him. All the tension I’d felt through today was becoming hotter than a live wire.

I couldn’t be with him. Not like that. No matter how much he’d changed or how hot he was.

Cameron was off-limits.

“He’s not allowed at the winery,” Cameron said softly, his voice holding a Southern bite. “In fact, the two of us aren’t supposed to be within ten feet of each other. I was ready to fight the moment I saw his truck in your grandma’s driveway. Normally, Sarah drops them off, and he doesn’t come here.” My heart continued to squeeze, his words worrying me. “Sarah has a lot on her plate. And she’s alone. Colt checks on her, but they aren’t friends like they used to be. A lot has changed. There’s a lot of pain here. And I’m sorry you’ve landed right back in the middle of it. That’s all I can say.”

“That’s quite a bit,” I said, gripping the folder he’d handed me hard enough to almost bend it. A whoop echoed from the house, breaking me out of this moment and bringing me back to the present. “I gotta go, Mr. Harlow.”

His brows drew together. “Please, do not call me that. You make me sound like an old man.”

“I mean, you are older than me. And my boss.”

His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “Older by two years. You call me Mr. Harlow, and I’ll call you Haley Marie.”

I bristled at the use of my middle name. “How on earth do you know my middle name?”

“I’ve heard your grandma use it on you a time or two.” Amusement gleamed in those baby blues.

“Do you talk to her a lot?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I talk to everyone a lot. Perks of living in a small town.”

I snorted. “I can’t tell if I like it or not. It’s not like this in Baltimore.” My stomach twisted as the words came out of my mouth.

It would be hard to get away with murder in Citrus Cove. Everyone saw something in this small town. Always asking about each other. Watching each other out of boredom.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

I exhaled, nodding. “I’m alright.”

“I don’t want to keep you too long, but before you go, I have a question that Colt asked me to ask you, also. But it’s not work related.”

I raised a brow at him.

He shifted uneasily. “There’s a party happening tomorrow night kind of late. It’s just a small get together. Nothing crazy. But you’re more than welcome to come hang out and have a beer and just…get your mind off things. If you’d like.”

My lips pressed into a thin line. A felt a mixture of different things. The first was—a party where Cam was? After all this time? Did I really want to even put myself in that situation? I wasn’t a girl anymore and he seemed to be somewhat not an asshole, but…All of the memories still came rushing up from where I’d left them.

“I don’t know,” I said softly.

“I understand. The offer is there.”

“Where is it at?” I asked. “The barn?”

“Colt’s. He doesn’t live far. I’ll send you his address if I can get your number…”

I stared at him for a moment. We were going to work together, so might as well right? I held out my hand. “Give it here.”

He gave a soft smirk, one that had me narrowing my eyes on him, and handed me his phone. I entered my contact information, sent myself a text, and then handed it back.

“Oh, also–Katie and Anna will be there. You should come. I promise I won’t dump beer on you.”

I snorted and he winced. It wasn’t funny. That night so many years ago impacted me for the longest time, but really it was just the tip of the iceberg. Somehow, I’d turned into a fine adult, but I still felt a flash of anger in thinking about the things he’d said to me. Whether it was making fun of our mother being dead or dad leaving us or just the general struggles of being a fucking outcast, he’d made my life hell.

I didn’t like thinking about the past. It dredged up so many emotions and I’d done just damn fine holding my grudge against this town and Cam.

Why couldn’t he still be the bad guy? That would be so much easier. Instead, he’d turned into someone I almost wanted to know.

It pissed me off.

I was about to say something back to him, but I heard the shuffle of feet.

The front door suddenly opened, and Cam took a step back, his demeanor changing. “Hey, Jake. You’re looking strong, bud.”

“Thanks, Cam! What are you doing here?”

“Oh, just dropping off some papers for your aunt. Boring adult stuff.”

Jake made a face. “Gross. I hate adult stuff.”

“Me too, although this wasn’t too bad,” Cam chuckled. “Gave me an excuse to see you, right?”

Jake grinned. “I guess.” He looked at me. “Haley—Aunt Haley, sorry—Honey wants to know if you’re gonna ever come inside or if you’re livin’ on the porch now.”

I barked out a laugh and turned, tucking the folder under my arm and heading toward the door. “Sorry, Jake, I’m coming in now. I don’t know about tomorrow, but put me down as a maybe. I’ll see you, Cam.”

Calling him Cam suddenly made him feel a lot less like a villain in my mind. I heard his voice behind me, soft and baritone.

“See you, Hal.”