Freed Read online

  “I can’t – won’t – ask you to do that. Come on. Let’s go back to your place so I can get my car.”

  She frowned but followed him to her vehicle, wishing he’d let her help him with his family in the same way he’d aided her with her own.

  * * *

  Braden wished he’d gone to the beach with Juliette and not just because he’d wanted to spend more time with her, see her in a tiny bathing suit, and watch her dip her toes in the water. But because, as the afternoon went on, his father began sundowning, the doctor’s term for the increased agitation his dad experienced as the sun went down and the day ended. Sunday had been a particularly bad day for him, and his pacing and agitation were high, and he was disoriented, thinking he was in his parents’ house and not understanding why they weren’t at home with him. Braden had put on calming music and joined him to work on the puzzle they kept on the living room table, which seemed to relax him after a while.

  By the time Monday rolled around, to say that going to work was a relief was an understatement.

  He walked into the office to find Mike already at his desk.

  “Good morning, partner,” Mike said, greeting him with a grin.

  “Yes, it is.” Braden was determined to start fresh with a decent attitude. It was the best he could do these days, not linger on a bad night before. “What’s on your agenda today?” he asked Mike, who had his feet up on his desk.

  “A potential cheating spouse and some insurance fraud. You? Keeping an eye on your girl?” A knowing grin edged the corners of his mouth.

  Braden frowned at his partner’s phrasing, mostly because he wished he could think of Juliette as his. Instead of having the woman he desired in his bed, he was making do with his hand, which was a damn poor substitute for Juliette herself.

  But not pursuing her had been his choice. One he’d made with her well-being in mind.

  He glanced at Mike. “She’s not up to anything that necessitates me watching her twenty-four seven. I can help you out with some of our other cases and keep an occasional eye on Juliette at the same time.” Braden figured she couldn’t get into trouble at the coffee shop or visiting with her sisters. He’d worry about the beach on the weekends when she wasn’t working and more likely to head to the water.

  “If you say so,” Mike said. “Want to take the insurance case and I’ll take the cheating dickhead?”

  When Braden nodded, Mike passed him a folder with the case information.

  The phone on his desk rang and he answered on the first ring. “Clark and Graham Investigations.”

  “This is Andrew Collins. I’d like an update on my daughter,” the voice on the other end said, making it sound more like an authoritative demand.

  Braden leaned back in his chair and groaned. “She’s fine. Adjusting to life here.” He hated the notion that he was spying on her and reporting back to her father when Braden knew she was in search of her independence above all other things. But he’d been hired before he knew her, and he was committed to informing her father of the information he was paying for.

  “She has an apartment in a safe area, a job at Grace’s Coffee Shop, and…” Braden hesitated, then decided on the truth. “She met her sisters.”

  “Just great,” the man muttered. “She’d be better off at home in New York, where I could keep an eye on her myself.”

  She’s twenty-six years old and more than capable of living her own life, Braden wanted to tell the man. Instead he said, “She’s healthy and happy, Mr. Andrews. That’s what you’re paying me to make certain of.

  “Keep doing your job. Keep an eye on her. She’s naïve.”

  Before Braden could respond, Andrew Collins disconnected the call. Frowning, Braden glanced at the receiver before hanging up the phone.

  “Daddy’s checking on his princess?” Mike asked.

  “Yep. He doesn’t like that she’s out on her own.” Braden shook his head, not understanding the man wanting to stifle his adult daughter.

  “You sure you don’t want to go keep an eye on her today? I can do double duty on both cases,” Mike offered.

  “No.” Braden couldn’t give her much, but the least he could do was give her freedom. Even if she didn’t know it, going to her on the heels of being instructed to watch over her by her father felt all kinds of wrong.

  He’d touch base later in the week, when he wasn’t feeling so damned guilt ridden at the thought of all but spying on her and reporting back to her father.

  * * *

  A week had passed since Juliette showed up on Phoebe’s doorstep, and in that time, her life in Rosewood Bay had changed drastically. She spoke to Phoebe and Halley almost daily, had had dinner with each of them alone so they could catch up and get to know each other as individuals, and she’d been introduced to Aunt Joy, their mother’s sister, who had taken Phoebe and Halley out of foster care and into her home.

  She learned Phoebe was a mother to a twelve-year-old boy, Jamie, whom she’d had when she was just sixteen and that she had reunited with Jake, Jamie’s father, just last year. Juliette had met her nephew and liked him a great deal. She discovered Phoebe’s time in foster care had been decent for the most part, Halley’s not so much. Her middle sister didn’t want to discuss specifics, which Juliette respected, but she knew Halley hadn’t had a good childhood, and it broke Juliette’s heart. It made her resent her own parent for the choices he’d made, because in her heart she believed he could have tried to take her sisters, too. Or at least looked out for them.

  All the while, she wondered why she hadn’t heard from Braden. Once again he was keeping his distance. She understood he had to take care of an ailing parent. After all, she’d been in his shoes and she comprehended his priorities.

  But a week had passed and she wasn’t happy with his mixed signals that occurred when they were together… and when they weren’t. And she might not have much experience dealing with the opposite sex, but she had enough self-respect not to contact or chase after him. Even if he’d just wanted to be friends, he could keep in touch with her and he chose not to.

  She knew how to take a hint, even if it hurt her feelings. She was growing her life here in town, loving getting to know her siblings, and enjoying her new existence. She didn’t need Braden to make her feel complete. But she missed him anyway.

  Chapter Five

  Juliette had been invited to Halley’s house on the beach for an informal welcome-to-the-family party. A warm feeling enveloped her because her new family had embraced her, no questions asked. She was getting to know the women well in a short time and enjoying everything about them.

  The morning of the party, she headed to the floral shop in town to pick up a gift for Halley and her husband, to thank them for their generosity. Inside was a small, pretty shop with a variety of plants surrounding her along with the fragrant smell of flowers permeating her nose.

  The woman behind the counter looked to be around her age, with wavy brown hair, chestnut highlights, and pretty brown eyes. “Welcome,” she said. “How can I help you?”

  “I’d like to buy a gift for my… sister,” she said, still getting used to the word and the fact that she had two siblings.

  “I’m going to a party this afternoon at her house and I want to say thank you. I’m just not sure what to bring. She lives on the beach, if that helps.”

  The woman smiled. “I’m going to a party on the beach later today, too,” she said conversationally. “You said it’s at your sister’s? The party I’m attending is for a new family member. My sister-in-law, Halley, just met up with her long-lost sister. Might you be her?”

  Small-town life, Juliette mused. “Yes. I’m Juliette Collins. And you are?”

  “Andrea Harmon, Kane’s – Halley’s husband’s—sister, but you can call me Andi. And it’s a pleasure to meet you. I can’t tell you how excited Halley is. I haven’t seen her like this since I met her. From what I understand, they thought they’d never find you.”

  Juliette nodd
ed, buoyed by the thought that Halley was as excited by their new relationship as Juliette herself was.

  “I found them,” she explained. And she couldn’t deny it was a blessing even if it had badly hurt her relationship with the parent who’d raised her and had tried to make her believe he was the only family she had.

  Andi leaned forward on the counter. “Well, however it happened, I’m glad things worked out. I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Now, for your gift, what about an orchid?” She gestured to the tall, long-stemmed flowers inside the refrigerated case. “Yellow ones symbolize friendship and new beginnings and that’s what you’re doing with Halley.”

  Juliette smiled. “Sounds perfect. Thank you.”

  While Andi prepared her order, they talked about Rosewood Bay and the things to do there during the summer.

  “There’s an upcoming annual festival,” Andi said. “It’s fun. All the local vendors open booths outside on the main street, which is right in front of our shop, and there are cool food booths with delicious treats like fried dough and cotton candy. You should go.”

  Juliette nodded. “Considering I live above the stores there, it’ll be easy to stop by.”

  Andi smiled. “Good. I’ll look for you. And I’ll see you this afternoon,” she said with a smile.

  After Andi wrapped the bottom of the flower with matching cellophane and rang up the sale, Juliette left with the gift in hand.

  A few hours later, she approached Halley’s house, walking up the front walk. The door was partially open and Juliette stepped into her sister’s gorgeous beachfront home.

  She’d been told the house was a gift from her aunt during a rough time in Halley’s life. Her sister had been more of a loner before she met her husband, a result of childhood trauma and pain. The house had been a place she could get lost in her painting. Their aunt was a generous woman, having let Phoebe stay in the guesthouse on the property with her son for years before she reconnected with Jake, married, and moved in with him. Phoebe paid a portion toward rent but only because her pride had demanded it. Aunt Joy had saved both women and even Juliette was grateful to her for all she’d done for her siblings.

  “Juliette!” Halley met her in the entryway, giving her a big hug, a small, furry black dog following at her ankles.

  Juliette bent down to give Monty, as she knew his name was, a head scratch before standing again.

  “I was just going to get appetizers from the oven. Everyone is outside.” Halley gestured through an open-concept living room area.

  Full windows were on the far wall, providing an incredible view of the water beyond. An easel and paint sat in the corner of the room, obviously her sister’s work area. And pieces of her art adorned the walls, bright-colored abstracts that took Juliette’s breath away. She knew Halley sold paintings through a gallery in Manhattan now, with some of her pieces being at Glaziers Gallery in downtown Rosewood, as well.

  “Here.” Juliette handed Halley the flower. “Thanks for having me today. And for throwing the party in my honor. I’m just so glad to be here.”

  Halley accepted the orchid. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured. “You didn’t have to get me anything but thank you. I’ll put it on the table in the living room, where everyone can see it,” she said, kissing Juliette on the cheek. “Now go join them. It’s not a party without the guest of honor.”

  Juliette walked through the house to the sliding glass doors and stepped outside, the scent of the ocean hitting her first, followed by the rhythmic sound of the waves rolling against the shore. She glanced around, seeing faces she recognized.

  Phoebe was with her aunt and Andi, who Juliette had met earlier today. Jake and his son, Jamie, were talking to Kane and another young boy she didn’t know. And to her surprise, Braden was standing with the men, talking to them as if he’d known them forever.

  At the sight of him, her breath caught in her chest. He wore a pair of khaki cargo shorts and sneakers, a white tee shirt that revealed more muscles than it hid, along with the aviators on his eyes. The man was sex on a stick to her. She looked at him and she wanted him, her entire body reacting, waves of desire lapping at her despite the deck full of people.

  As if sensing her, he looked over and met her gaze. She knew, despite the sunglasses, his eyes were locked on hers, causing a more immediate reaction. Her nipples tightened under his prolonged stare, and her sex gave a small pulse of need. But at the same time, hurt and anger at being ignored welled up in her throat, and she turned away, heading for the women, ignoring him as best she could.

  She joined the group just as Halley returned, placing a tray of appetizers on a table beneath an outdoor umbrella. Juliette said her hellos to everyone, and when she had the chance, she pulled Halley aside.

  “Is everything okay?” her sister asked, obviously concerned.

  “What’s Braden doing here?” She didn’t mean to sound as if she had a right to dictate who Halley had invited to her party, but she’d been taken off guard because she knew he hadn’t known anyone here until he’d met them for the first time with Juliette.

  Halley blinked, surprise at the question etching her features. “I invited him so you’d have a friend here. Because you brought him with you to meet us for the first time and I thought maybe there was something more between you guys. Was I wrong? I’m sorry I just assumed without asking you.”

  Blowing out a long breath, Juliette shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s fine. It’s just that things between Braden and me are… complicated.” She didn’t know how else to explain it.

  Halley gnawed on her bottom lip before saying, “I know about complicated, believe me. Just ask Kane what I put him through before finally getting my head on straight. Is that what’s wrong? You’re confused about him or any relationship you might have?” she asked, like an older sister would.

  Like a sibling who’d known her sister her entire life and had no problem poking into her personal relationships. And Juliette loved that Halley felt comfortable enough to do so already. She didn’t find it easy to talk about herself or Braden. It wasn’t like she’d had close girlfriends or anyone to really confide in for the better part of her life.

  But, she told herself, she had Halley and Phoebe now. She might as well get used to it. “It’s not me who’s confused,” she said. “Unless you count me being at a loss as to why he blows hot and cold with me. One minute he’s with me and interested in me and my life, and then he’s pulling away and I don’t hear from him for a week or more. It’s… disconcerting. I don’t like the whiplash,” she muttered.

  Halley placed a comforting hand on her arm. “If I can give you any advice, it’s this. Talk. Be open and honest with him. The worst thing you can do is hold things back. I did that with Kane because I was scared to let anyone get close to me. Maybe Braden has his reasons and you deserve to know what they are. But he wouldn’t be here for you today if he didn’t want to be. Nobody twisted his arm to come.”

  Juliette nodded at her sister’s sage advice. “I’ll let him know how I feel, all right.” She wasn’t about to allow him to play with her feelings. Because even if that wasn’t his intent, it was the end result.

  “Juliette!” Phoebe walked over and Juliette was glad the conversation about Braden was over. She didn’t care to repeat her issues though she was sure Halley would fill her other sister in later, and that was okay with Juliette.

  “Hi. What’s up?” she asked.

  “I have been stalking you online,” Phoebe said proudly.

  “What?” Juliette wrinkled her nose in confusion. “I don’t have any real internet presence.”

  “Instagram,” Phoebe said. “All the rooms you decorated. I was looking through them.”

  “Oh!” Juliette hadn’t thought about using the site since she’d come to Rosewood Bay. Back home, she liked it as a place to document her little hobby, as she thought of it. She was surprised her sister was mentioning it.

  “Well, you have incredible taste. The color sch
emes were beautiful and I loved how you accessorized.” Phoebe grew animated as she spoke, waving her hands as she described what she’d seen online.

  Juliette blinked in pleased shock. “Thank you. It’s just a hobby I used to do for my father’s friends. It kept me busy when I wasn’t doing admin work for him,” she explained.

  “Well, I have a proposition for you.” Her sister stepped closer, nudging her with her arm.

  “I’m listening.” Though she couldn’t imagine what Phoebe had in mind.

  “I opened my own real estate business last year.”

  “She did,” Jake said, joining them and wrapping an arm around his wife. “And she’s already a success, taking clients from her previous sleazeball boss. Word got around and people recommend Phoebe and not her old firm,” he said, clearly proud of her.

  At the praise, Phoebe blushed a serious shade of red given her pale coloring. “Anyway, I could use a stager. Someone who comes in and helps people clean up, organize, and stage their home in a way that maximizes the possibility of selling the house. In a crowded market, we need any edge we can get. And I think, given your background and ability, at least from the pictures, you’d be great at it.”

  Juliette paused in shock. “Wow. I’m just… floored.”

  Phoebe grinned. “Well, did you like decorating?”

  Juliette bobbed her head. “I loved it.”

  “Are you organized by nature? Can you walk into a room and envision it uncluttered and know what needs to be done to make it look great?”

  Juliette rolled her shoulders, unsure. “I think so?”

  “Well, you don’t need a professional license, so I say it beats pouring coffee for a living. If you like it and it works out, I have contacts and a network all over the state. This could be a very solid career for you – if you’re interested, that is. Think about it and get back to me,” Phoebe said. “The job isn’t going anywhere. I don’t have anyone else in mind yet, so let me know.”

  “I will.” Juliette felt dazed by Phoebe’s certainty that she’d be a natural at a job she’d never given any thought.