Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

Bailey’s eyes widened in surprise as Vaughn inwardly groaned.

“I don’t know about keeping him on his toes but I certainly try to deflate his ego when I can.” She smiled.

Bailey Hartwell had the most stunning smile of any woman he’d ever met. It was full and glamorous and completely spellbinding.

Vaughn felt a spike of envy toward his dad and shook his head in disbelief.

William laughed. “Glad to hear it. I saw your inn when I took a walk on the boards early this morning. It’s beautiful.”

One tiny compliment and Bailey blossomed, preening under the praise. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked between father and son. “If you two didn’t look so damn alike I would question the relation.”

While his dad laughed, Vaughn squirmed, fighting the urge to respond in turn. He had to remember she was going through something traumatic and he had to be extra careful of her feelings.

Bailey seemed surprised by his lack of response. “Are you on your best behavior in front of your father or is something else going on?”

“Excuse me?” He feigned polite ignorance.

Her features tightened, her pretty lips pressing into thin, hard lines. When she did that it made him want to kiss them to soft and full again. He jerked his gaze from her mouth only to meet his father’s stare. A stare that was bright with curiosity and speculation.

“Someone told you, didn’t they? About my breakup with Tom. Was it Cooper? Well, he probably realized that it would be all over town by the end of the night anyway. So yes. I broke up with Tom because I found him in nothing but dirty socks, rutting with a twenty-three-year-old.”

And that was just like Bailey to ignore social decorum and put the upsetting business of her breakup, and the circumstances of it, out there. Vaughn’s dad was hiding a smile, apparently amused by her candidness.

Vaughn cleared his throat, not knowing whether to laugh, strangle her, or pull her into his arms. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Bailey raised an eyebrow as if to indicate, Yeah, right.

“Breakups are difficult,” his dad said. “I’m sorry to hear you’re going through that, Miss Hartwell.”

Like most women who met William Tremaine, Bailey melted under the blast of his warm charisma. “Thank you. And please call me Bailey.”

“Then call me Liam,” he returned.

Kill me now, Vaughn thought. As much as he didn’t want any kind of congenial relationship with Bailey he had to admit it stung more than a little that upon meeting him she took an instant dislike to him, but upon meeting his father she treated him with the same friendly warmth she did everyone else.

“Liam it is then.”

“I hope you’re doing okay,” his dad continued.

Since Vaughn wanted to know the answer to that he didn’t interrupt and demand two coffees to go from Emery like he probably should have.

“I am, thank you.” She slumped against the counter. The seriousness of the new subject seemed to drain her. “The change is hard. We were together ten years. But . . . we weren’t right for one another.” She gave his dad a sad smile that Vaughn felt deep in his chest. “It’s kind of a relief actually.”

Not for the first time Vaughn marveled at Bailey’s ability to wear her emotions on her sleeve for all to see. He admired and feared it.

He was also amazed by how calm she was about her breakup with Tom. There was no way she could really be that calm. Perhaps she was in denial. The hysterics would come later.

He winced thinking of what he’d gone through with Camille.

“It’s still fresh. That relief will change to loss,” he found himself saying. “You need to give yourself time to process it.”

“Sure thing, Tremaine.” She cheekily saluted him. “Of course you know how I’m feeling better than I do. You always know better than I do, right?”

His father stared at him in amusement.

He ignored them both. “Two grande cappuccinos to go, please, Emery.”

Bailey sighed. “You’re playing nice today, Tremaine. It’s unsettling me.”