Piper Rayne
Jamison
I arrive back at Glacier Point and take the elevator up to my floor, half expecting my stuff to be sitting in the hallway. To be honest, I was surprised it wasn’t already waiting with Mac the bellhop.
But once I turn the corner to my room, I’m faced with something I wasn’t expecting—Kingston leaning against my door with his arms crossed.
“King,” I say with a nod.
He nods in return and waits for me to use my keycard to gain access into my room. “We need to talk.”
Sliding in front of me, he enters my room, looking around as if he expects to find someone here.
He sits in one of the two chairs by the small table next to the window that looks out at Lake Starlight. I sit at the end of the bed.
Kingston’s never been overly protective of his sisters, so I’m surprised he’s the Bailey here. I feared the wrath of Phoenix more than Kingston, but he clearly has a connection with my daughter.
One I’m already jealous of.
“Go ahead and say what you need to.” I untie my shoes and place them under the luggage holder, where my small suitcase holds only a week’s worth of clothes.
“I loved you like my brother and wanted you to be part of this family, but you abandoned her and that puts us on different terms now. Do you have any idea what she’s had to deal with? What it was like for her?”
I run my hand through my hair. “I don’t, no. And I know this is hard to understand right now, but the way I was when Sedona was pregnant… I wasn’t good for either of them.
“It took a long time for me to realize that Sedona leaving me was the best thing that could have happened.”
A hollow laugh escapes him. “Why? Because it got you clean? Still an egotistical asshole, huh?”
I lock my gaze with his. “No. Because I could’ve harmed Palmer.” Her name still doesn’t roll off my tongue like it should.
“You have no idea how bad it was because I know Sedona hid my problem from you guys, but I was fucked up, man. She did what she should have.”
He leans back in his chair. “How did it get so out of control?”
I bury my head in my hands, my toes sinking into the soft carpet that comes with a top-notch resort like Glacier Point.
“I don’t know. I was depressed. After the first injury to my ankle, they said take it easy and I’d be back up and ready in no time. But I probably shouldn’t have played on it that soon.
“I rushed it. Told my coach I was ready when I probably wasn’t, but fuck, playing soccer was my everything.”
“My sister could have been your everything.” He sneers.
I can’t fault him. He’s right. But pathetically, it wasn’t that way. “True, but soccer was my first love.” He opens his mouth, but I put my hand up to stop him.
“I’m just being straight. That was then. It’s been a long road to recovery to get my priorities in order. And they are now.
“Sedona and Palmer are all I want. Sedona isn’t available and I’m not going to fuck up her life any more than I already have, but Palmer is still my daughter.”
“Did Sedona tell you that?” He props his ankle on his knee while a smirk he can’t win the fight against rests on his lips.
“Pretty much. Not to mention she’s pregnant with some other guy’s baby. She told me this morning anything between us is off the table.” My heart still physically hurts when I think that I destroyed my future so thoroughly.
“True.”
I peek up. “Who’s the guy? I mean, do I know him? Is he from high school?”
I shouldn’t ask Kingston, but I’m dying to know. How serious is this? Does the guy have a relationship with Palmer? She’s clearly attached to Kingston. Was the guy at the shower yesterday?
I have so many questions. I respected Sedona when she told me it was none of my business. She owes me nothing and I can’t force myself into her heart no matter how bad it hurts that I lost my chance.
“If Sedona doesn’t want to say, I won’t tell you.” He stands.
I forgot how intimidating the Bailey men are. They all stand over six feet with broad shoulders and scowls that have you second-guessing anything you said and did in the last twenty-four hours.
And that’s on a good day. Kingston’s scowl right now is the worst I’ve seen.
I stand and match his height.
He huffs as though he’s realized I’m no longer just his little sister’s boyfriend. “It goes without saying, you hurt either of them and your ankle will be the last of your worries.”
He doesn’t crack his knuckles, but I feel as if he wants to.
“I just want to get to know my daughter.”
“Speaking of, how do you know how to sign?”
“My uncle was deaf. He died when I was in high school, but…”
He nods. “Good thing for you she got Sedona’s brain. She’s smart as a whip and already ahead of kids her age. Then again, Sedona’s been signing to her since she was an infant.”
I nod, not acknowledging his insult. If Sedona passed her smarts down to Palmer, then I’m a happy father.
I have so many questions I want to ask Kingston about my daughter, but more than that, I want to find out for myself. My entire body itches to spend time with Palmer.
To have her smile at me, or to have me be the one to protect her.
I put out my hand. “Thanks for doing what I should have.”
He stares at my hand and laughs. “Your thanks can be to do right by them.” He stuffs his hands into his pockets and heads to the door.
“Just remember if I have to come find you again, it’ll be to kick your ass.” He opens the door and laughs uncontrollably. “Hey, G’Ma D. Your presence isn’t necessary. I’ve already put the fear of death in him.”
Dori slaps her grandson in the stomach. “Please, you don’t scare a fly.”
“I take offense to that.” Kingston turns, following her with his gaze as she walks past me and occupies the chair he just got up from.
He shakes his head and turns to leave again, but another senior citizen comes in holding a six-pack of cans. She thrusts them into Kingston’s stomach.
“From my grandsons’ brewery,” she says.
Kingston shuffles to grab a hold of them before they fall to the floor. He picks them up and inspects them. “Your grandsons own Truth or Dare Brewery?”
Why does that name sound so familiar?
She nods. “Yep, in Sunrise Bay.”
Bingo. I passed a restaurant with the logo that’s on the beer can.
“How did I not know this, Ethel?” Kingston takes one can, beelines to his grandma, and sets the rest down between them. Then he sits on the bed and cracks it open.
“I have no idea. Maybe because you just recently started hanging around Lake Starlight again?”
Kingston gulps down a sip. “Damn, Ethel, this is awesome.”
“She’s like their pimp. They asked her to share it with people in Lake Starlight to try to increase their business.” Dori eyes me. “Enough of that now. I need to talk to Jamison.”
She exchanges a look with Kingston, and he stands, takes the rest of the beer from the table, and eyes me. “Come on, Ethel, let’s go pimp your grandson to Wyatt. Maybe he’ll put their beer in the restaurant.”
He swings his arm around the old lady who has hair that’s more silver than gray.
They leave, and Dori pats the table. “Come sit, Jamison. We need to have a conversation about how this is gonna go.”
“How what’s gonna go?” I stand and sit across from her.
“You returning to Lake Starlight. Your relationship with Sedona and my great-granddaughter.”
I open my mouth, but she raises her hand. For a moment, I contemplate whether the Bailey men learned their intimidation tactics from Dori.
“I’ll do the talking and you do the listening.”
I nod.
“I’m all for you returning, and I hope you’ve got your life squared away. Unlike others in my family, I’m glad you’re here. Sedona and Palmer need you in their lives.”
I scrunch my eyebrows, not understanding why Sedona would need me. She’s always been pretty independent. But I know better than to interrupt Dori, so I keep quiet.
“Palmer needs a dad. Hell, she’s already tried to call Kingston daddy.”
There’s that sword slicing my heart as if it’s made of paper again.
“Then Griffin earlier today. What is she supposed to think? Maverick has a dad. Easton has a dad. Lance and Brinley have dads. They all have dads and she wants to know where her dad is.” Her voice grows more agitated.
“I—”
“Nope. If you can’t be quiet, how can I assume you’ll listen to my next set of instructions?” She raises one gray eyebrow, and I sink down in my chair.
“Now, you’re her daddy, but Sedona isn’t going to tell her that right away. She’d be a fool to put that much trust in you at this point. Then again, you weaken Sedona. Always have.” She shakes her head.
My shoulders sag. I never want to weaken her. Ever.
“She holds a soft spot for you no matter what. So ears open.”
She waits until I straighten in my seat.
“This is going to take a lot of groveling and time to prove that you’ve changed. I hope you’re ready. I’m on your side in regard to Palmer, but don’t do anything stupid to make me change my mind.
“I’ve talked with Wyatt and Brooklyn and you’re allowed to stay here as long as you’d like. They aren’t going to kick you out.”
“How did you—”
“I know everything that happens in this town. You’ve been away too long if you forgot that.” She taps her temple then stands. “I better go save Ethel before she drinks too much again.”
Straightening her purse on her arm, she stares at me.
“I always liked you, Jamison, until I hated you. I’m trusting you to stand up and do the right thing here. I hope we don’t ever have to have another conversation like this, but that’s solely up to you.”
She walks to the door and I stand.
“Use those dimples and that charm, my boy. Palmer’s easy—she wants you in her life. Sedona will be the real challenge.”
“But I thought Sedona is with someone?” I call right before she opens the door.
She holds steady and doesn’t turn around. “Did she tell you she’s with someone?”
“Not exactly, but I mean, she’s pregnant with someone’s baby.”
Her bluish-gray head nods. “Well, you’ll find out soon enough.”
“What does—”
The door shuts with a click. What the hell is going on?