Burned Deep (Burned 1)

My dad gave me the full-on parental disapproval now. “I don’t like where this is headed, Ari.”

“Dad, you had a good time today. You enjoyed his company. Ethan’s, too. Dane respects your talent and your opinion; that has nothing to do with me. He likely would have sought you out about his courses whether we’d met or not. You’re a resident expert in Sedona. And for the record, we sort of got to know each other before he even learned I’d applied at 10,000 Lux and way before he offered me the job.”

Okay, TMI?

My dad grunted despondently. “I don’t want to know about this, do I?”

“Don’t get so worked up. I have conflicting feelings. And he’s perfectly aware of my … issues.”

My father settled back in his seat and pondered this for a while. We were nearly to the turnoff to Sedona when he said, “It always has bothered me that you don’t date.”

That almost broke my heart. “Dad.”

“I know it’s because of your mother and me. Your grandparents. All the screaming. I never wanted you to witness any of it, Ari.”

I’d suffered a peculiar side effect to all the volatile arguments. To this day I couldn’t be in the same room with people screaming at each other or around sharp disagreements. Even on TV, when voices escalated I changed the channel.

Having been my own shrink for my instabilities, I’d realized that surrounding myself with gushing brides and grooms, vibrant flowers, gorgeous decorations, new beginnings, and all that had been the perfect escape. Nothing dark and haunting about weddings.

Which made it incredibly disconcerting to be hooked on a dark, foreboding man.

Didn’t that go against every conviction I had?

My silence prompted my dad to ask, “Something wrong over there?”

“Just concentrating on driving,” I said.

A much safer topic than Dane.

Though I had another shocker waiting for me right around the corner …

chapter 11

Sunday morning at the driving range was followed by brunch at the golf club. My dad did that fatherly speculative-gazing thing from time to time but didn’t bring up what he suspected might or might not be going on between me and Dane.

Relieved to have endured a few hours unscathed, I returned to my townhome to shower and change into jeans. I texted Grace to ask whether or not she was working. Since she was, I told her I’d stop in at the bar later in the evening.

In the meantime, I had résumés to look at for the staff I needed to hire. While in the midst of that, there was a knock on my door.

I didn’t get many vistors, so I made a very quick guess as to who it might be—and leapt up from the kitchen table, rushing to the small foyer.

Yanking open the door, I said, “I thought you were at the Four Sea—”

My mouth snapped shut.

On the other side of the threshold stood Kathryn DeMille. My mother. As though I’d summoned her evil presence just by thinking of her yesterday. Though she’d been texting me of late, so maybe this face-off was destined to be. I hadn’t texted her back, after all.

“Darling,” she said as she swept into the entryway, all but brushing me aside with the witchy wave of her manicured and bejeweled hand. “You’ve had me worried sick.”

“Oh?” I found that very hard to believe.

“Well, I haven’t heard from you in so long, darling,” she said in her cultured tone that, at the moment, held the hint of a pout. “I was just so certain something horrible had happened to you that I had to drive all the way up here to see for myself that you’re still alive.”

My gaze narrowed. “How’d you find me? You’ve never been to my house before.” Which left me with a sinking feeling in my gut. This would not be a pleasant visit.

“I had your address from the last birthday card you sent, along with the Dillard’s gift certificate. I still have it in my wallet if you’d like to use it.”

“I bought that for you, Mother.” I resisted the urge to grind my teeth. “Something wrong with Dillard’s?”