The Summer of Us (Mission Cove 1)

I cleared my throat. “Gentlemen, as much as I appreciate that you all have an opinion on this matter, the bottom line is, it is my decision. I thank you for your input, and I’ll send my determinations to you soon.” I glanced at my watch. “I have another meeting to attend, so excuse me. My assistant is off today, so you can show yourself out.”

I strode from the boardroom straight into my office, shutting the door. At my desk, I watched as they filed from the office, all muttering and angry. I didn’t care. They wanted my financial backing; they could play by my rules.

I picked up the phone and called Milo. He had sent a couple of messages while I was in the meeting, and unlike the men I dismissed, I was eager to hear what he had to say. He wasn’t the same sort of lawyer as Ned. He leaned more toward the darker side of the law and had a lot of contacts that came in handy on the rare occasion such as this. We had met at Toblacove and had stayed in touch once we both got out.

“Linc,” he drawled by way of greeting me.

“Milo. Tell me you have good news.”

He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “It worked. I had him tailed to a bar, so he was already breaking parole. He was all over a young-looking girl in about five seconds. How the police got tipped to him violating his parole restrictions, I have no idea. Add in the drugs in his pocket? He’s back in jail, and he ain’t getting out for a long time.”

“How did you get an underage girl into a bar?”

“I never said she was underage. I said she was young-looking—the way he likes. She was twenty-one. And one hell of an actress. Everyone in the bar heard her telling him off and knew he was getting handsy without permission. She almost screamed the place down.”

“So they have enough to hold him?”

“His parole restrictions were no bars, no alcohol or drugs, and he was to keep a fifty-foot radius from women under the age of twenty-five. He broke all the rules in one fell swoop.”

I tried not to laugh and failed. A gift of a bottle of rye delivered to Carl in the afternoon had ensured his bad decision-making. He liked the hard stuff, and being in jail would have made him thirsty for the taste. I had hoped it would set him back on the path to destruction, and I was pleased it had happened so quickly.

“Her mother?”

“I can’t locate her. I think she heard about Carl and went back into hiding. Hopefully, she left town, but I’ll keep checking. If she has nothing to hold over Abby, she knows there’s no point in bothering her. Keep Abby in Mission Cove for a while. I have someone watching her building in case her mother shows up.”

“Good job. Pay everyone involved and send me the bill.”

“Already done.”

I hung up and rubbed my eyes. Abby was safe again. I wasn’t sure about her mother, but I knew Milo would keep a careful watch. She was easier to deal with than Carl. He was a nasty piece of work, and I didn’t want to chance him going after Abby. He shouldn’t have gotten parole, and while there was no doubt in my mind he would wind up back in prison sooner rather than later, I’d decided to help him along. I wasn’t sure how Abby would feel about my actions, or Sunny. I wondered about not telling them, simply informing Abby that I found out Carl was back in jail. I had a feeling, however, she wouldn’t buy it.

I sat lost in my thoughts for a moment, then shook my head. I had better things to do right now than weighing the pros and cons of my actions.

Abby was safe again, and to me, the ends justified the means.

And besides, Sunny was waiting.I pulled into the garage, wondering if Sunny was still asleep in my bed. Part of me hoped she was. She worked too hard, and I wanted to spoil her today.

But entering the house, I had my answer. All I could smell was biscuits. I found Sunny, not in my bed, but in the kitchen, wearing one of my dress shirts, the tails hanging down to her knees, and a pair of my heavy socks. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, her face free from makeup, and she looked adorable.

She looked up as I came around the corner, her welcoming smile bright. I headed straight for her, catching her in my arms and lifting her off the ground. I crashed my mouth to hers and kissed her long, hard, and passionately. She plunged her hand into the hair at the nape of my neck, kissing me back with equal fervor. I eased back, dropping my face to her neck with a groan.