Road to Peace Read online

  “We’ll see.” She smirked. “Call him back.”

  “No.”

  “Niall has been dead for almost ten years, Maisie. Ten. That’s a long time. If you want to move on, it’s okay.”

  I blinked back tears. “I don’t want to move on.”

  “Well, you should.” She rose to her feet and walked to my side of the desk where she sat on the edge facing me. “I have never seen you this affected by a man. And not to diminish the memory of Niall, but let’s be honest, you didn’t even react to him like this.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Honey, it is true. You loved him fiercely, I’m not saying you didn’t, but he didn’t make you nervous and fluttery like this Hatch person is.”

  “You just didn’t see us at the beginning.” Although, admittedly, I’d never been fluttery to this degree with Niall.

  “You’re right. I didn’t.” She smiled gently. “But men have been falling at your feet forever, Maisie. Long before Niall passed away, honey, and even as recently as last week—”

  “What? Who?”

  “Jeremy.”

  “Marville?” I squeaked.

  “Yes.”

  I let out a rather inelegant snort. “He’s a client, Alison. He is not interested in me.”

  “He’s totally gagging for you.”

  I blushed again. Alison loved to make me squirm. “Ali,” I rasped.

  “Sorry. Sometimes it’s just too easy.” She giggled. “Anyway. Jeremy sends flowers, he’s asked you out several times, but this Hatch guy is the first one you’ve showed any interest in. Have a little fun.”

  “Ali, I have a daughter to think about. I can’t just ‘have a little fun.’” I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m going to decline.”

  She frowned and snatched my phone off the desk, jumping away from me before I could grab her.

  “What are you doing?” I snapped.

  “I just accepted his invitation.” She handed the phone back to me. “You’re welcome.”

  I saw she’d texted him and I scowled. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because you need this. I’ll take care of Poppy and you can pick her up from my place later.”

  “He’s probably a serial killer.”

  “Well, then stay to public areas and you’ll be good.”

  “Why are you not concerned I might be super murdered by a serial killer?” I challenged.

  She shrugged. “Because you need some kind of adventure in your life.”

  My phone buzzed in my hand, startling me again. It was a text from Hatch and I bit my lip, my heart racing as I read it.

  Serratto? How does an hour sound?

  “He wants to meet me at Serratto.”

  “Hmm, your favorite. Definitely a serial killer,” Ali retorted.

  “You suck.”

  She pointed to my phone. “Tell him yes.”

  “God,” I whispered.

  “God’s not going to text him, Maisie. So, you do it, or I will.”

  She started toward me and I stepped behind my desk again.

  “Don’t you dare. I’ll do it myself.” I fired off my acceptance and then lowered myself into my chair, dropping my forehead to my desk. “What did I just do?”

  “You just opened the pages of a new chapter, honey. I’m proud of you.”

  I wasn’t so sure this was true, but I sent my assistant home early and texted Poppy to let her know she’d be hanging out with Grace for a few hours.

  After taking several cleansing breaths (which didn’t really help), I refreshed my makeup and brushed my teeth, then ran a comb through my hair and headed down to my car. Our offices weren’t far from Serratto, and even closer to my condo, which was beckoning me. I could just blow this guy off and go home. Have some me time, take a bath, drink a bottle of wine.

  I groaned aloud and continued toward the restaurant. My word was my bond and I rarely lied unless it was to spare someone’s feelings, so my fate was sealed… at least for the moment.

  Maisie

  HEADING AROUND THE corner from Serratto, I parked with the valet, my legs a little shaky as I climbed out of my car and handed him my key.

  What the bloody hell am I doing?

  I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath, forcing my feet forward as I headed down the street and around the corner. Before I reached the door to the restaurant, I heard, “Hey, Sunshine.”

  I turned to see Hatch walking toward me and my breath hitched. It was warm, but he still had a leather jacket on over a tight black T-shirt, dark jeans and boots. God, he was gorgeous. And what the hell was up with all this “Sunshine” business? I willed my undies to stay exactly where they were, because if he kept saying things like that to me, I was done for.

  I slid my sunglasses onto the top of my head and smiled. “Hi.”

  After closing the distance between us, he wrapped an arm around my waist, and kissed my cheek. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” I closed my eyes for second, relishing his touch. He also smelled delicious. Holy crap, I was in trouble.

  His gaze scanned my body. “You wear this to work?”

  “Yes.”

  He let out a quiet grunt.

  “Is that weird?” I wore a sleeveless, pencil sheath dress. The top was a herringbone pattern, while the skirt was black and it was finished off with a thin silver belt. I had on a pair of black Louboutin slingbacks and the outfit was all me as far as style went.

  “No, babe, it’s sexy.”

  I sighed. Well, that certainly wasn’t helping the undies stay put.

  We headed inside and, although he let me precede him, his hand stayed put on my lower back as he spoke with the hostess and she showed us to our table. I felt a little bereft when he had to remove his touch in order for me to take my seat.

  He shrugged off his jacket and settled it over his chair, revealing his muscular arms bulging out of his tight, black T-shirt.

  “I’m surprised you could make it,” he said.

  “Me too,” I admitted, setting my menu down so I could look at him. “My friend is taking care of Poppy for the evening.”

  “She could have come.”

  “My friend?” I joked.

  Hatch chuckled. “Sure. More the merrier.”

  “I’m not ready for Poppy to be privy to me potentially dating again,” I admitted. “Regardless if this is considered a date or not, it’s just… well... ”

  “I get it.” He focused back on his menu. “And this is just two people in the same place gettin’ a bite to eat. Not a date.”

  I felt deflated in a weird way. It was painfully evident to me that I wasn’t hip to all the nuances of the dating world, and I probably didn’t want to be. I’d always believed when a man invited you to dinner alone, it was considered a date… but what did I know? Maybe now, everything was casual and a date was something olde tyme people did when they got bored pushing the hoop with a stick down the dirt street. The server arrived and we gave him our drink and dinner orders and then we were left blissfully alone again.

  “I met Kim at the park the other day,” I began, trying to break the awkward silence.

  “Yeah, she told me.”

  Interesting. They’d talked about me. I liked that. I actually liked that a lot. Maybe this wasn’t so bad.

  “How do you two know each other?” I asked.

  “Her old man and I are in the same club.”

  “What kind of a club?” I asked, and took a sip of water.

  “Motorcycle club.”

  “Oh, so you show off your motorcycles and ride them together?” I’d seen clusters of motorcycles on the freeway during the summers sometimes and everyone always looked like they were having a blast.

  He smirked. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”

  I smiled. “That sounds fun… if not a bit dangerous.”

  Our server returned with our drinks, so I never really got clarification on the dangerous part. But regardless
, motorcycles scared me. Especially the thought of folks riding them in such a rainy climate.

  “What’s the name of your club?” I asked.

  “Dogs of Fire.”

  “Oh, interesting.” I didn’t really know what to say. The name was a little silly in my opinion, but I doubted Hatch had much to do with it. I heard his low chuckle and heat crept into my cheeks. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Sunshine.” He smiled. “I like it.”

  “My inability to hide my thoughts?”

  Hatch nodded. “Nice change.”

  “People hide things from you often?”

  “They try.”

  “Oh.” I bit my lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “How was work?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “Good.” I smiled. “Uneventful.”

  “What bucks do you stop?”

  I pressed my lips into a thin line.

  “Too personal?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I’m just never sure what people will think when they find out.”

  He raised an eyebrow, sitting back slightly. “Oh, yeah?”

  I didn’t tell people what I did. My company had a boring and vague name, Mann Industries, and until I really got to know someone, they just thought we did imports and exports. Which we did… our imports and exports just happened to be of a sexual nature. For whatever reason, I felt comfortable with Hatch and I figured if he was going to run, it would be now and it would be good to get it over with. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward and whispered, “I run a sex toy business.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” he said.

  I sat back and nodded, my face on fire.

  He grinned. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

  I laid my palms against my cheeks, trying to cool them. Now I felt weird… well, weirder than I had previously. I shouldn’t have told him. He was probably just another pervert who would assume I was a slut because of the business I was in. God, I needed to get out of there.

  “Don’t, Sunshine,” he said, his hand snaking out to pull mine from my face. “You’re okay. This isn’t gonna get creepy.”

  I gasped. “How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”

  “As a beautiful woman in a position of power, you probably attract some assholes, but in the business you’re in, those assholes probably have some proclivities that make it difficult for you to trust them. I get it.”

  God, he did get it. “Proclivities is the exact right word,” I confirmed.

  “Word a’ the day calendar,” he retorted, and released my hand. “I’m lookin’ forward to hearin’ more about your company, but let’s shelve it for tonight, yeah?”

  I nodded; glad to be off the hook. “Thank you.”

  Our food arrived and I had a few minutes to gather myself.

  “What about you? Do you like being a mechanic?”

  He shrugged. “Sure. We moved up here from San Diego and I worked a few of the shops the Dogs own until about a year ago. I bought a place of my own and my brothers work it with me when they’re not workin’ construction. I also help out with deliveries. It was a good way to get to know the area. Now I just like gettin’ out of the shop.”

  “How many brothers do you have?”

  “Three. And a sister. My nephew’s currently livin’ with me too.”

  “Wow, that’s a big family,” I said. “How often do you work together?”

  “Cullen and Cameron usually work Cade’s construction company unless the weather’s bad,” he said. “But, my baby sister works for just me typically… when she’s not drivin’ me nuts.”

  “So, you only let her work for you depending on the level of nut driving?” I gasped as soon as the words were out of my mouth. “Sorry, that just sounded very, very wrong.”

  “I love it.” Hatch laughed. “Fuck, you’re refreshing.”

  I took a large sip of wine.

  “Cricket’s always been a bit of a wild card,” he said, giving me time to compose myself. “She’s goin’ to school and payin’ her own way. She’s been workin’ for a club downtown, but it’s not the safest gig, and she’s got issues with an ex stalkin’ her, so I needed to shut that down for a bit. Keep an eye out.”

  “It’s good she has you.”

  “I’d love it if you’d tell her that. Right now she hates me.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Twenty-four.”

  “So, old enough to be an adult, but still young enough to get into trouble.”

  He nodded.

  I smiled gently. I remember feeling like her. “Are you close to your parents?”

  “Story for another day,” he said.

  “Oh,” I whispered. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’ll tell you about it one day,” he promised. “Just havin’ a good time and don’t want to ruin it.”

  That didn’t really make me feel any less like a heel, but I let it go.

  “Shit,” he hissed and fished his phone out of his pocket, scowling at the screen. “Sorry. Somethin’s up. I’ll be right back.”

  I nodded and he stepped outside. I watched out the window as he paced, his phone to his ear. When he pinched the bridge of his nose, I could tell something was definitely up and our night was probably coming to an end. I waved the server over and asked for the check.

  We’d both finished our meals so there was nothing to box up, which helped. I took a final sip of my wine just as Hatch walked back to the table. “Gotta head out. Emergency with my sister.” He pulled out his wallet and slid a hundred and twenty into the leather folder.

  “Oh, okay.” I rose to my feet and grabbed my purse. “I just need to hit the ladies’ room, so I’ll say goodbye here.”

  He shook his head. “Got time to walk you to your car, Sunshine. I’ll wait.”

  My mind whirled as I rushed to the loo and met him back at the side door of the restaurant.

  “You valet?” he asked.

  I nodded, rubbing my arms as we walked outside, the early evening suddenly chilly. Without saying anything, Hatch shrugged off his leather jacket and slid it over my shoulders. I pulled it tighter around me. “Thank you.”

  His hand found its way to my back and I wrestled with the feeling of uncertainty and comfort at the same time. In that moment, I realized this man would be a danger to my heart and I needed to shut him down.

  I handed the valet my validated ticket and he jogged off to get my car. When he returned, Hatch handed him a folded bill and held the door for me.

  “Thanks for a lovely dinner,” I said, my heart breaking a little as I knew this would be the last time I saw him. I slid off his jacket and handed it to him.

  “We’ll do it again.”

  “Hmm-mm,” I murmured, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying too much.

  He drew his eyebrows together, but his phone rang and I could tell he wasn’t happy to be interrupted. He kissed my cheek and waited for me to slide into my car. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could; obeying the speed laws (sort of), and headed straight to Ali.

  I pushed open the front door and Ali met in the foyer, opening her arms and pulling me in for a motherly hug. I fell against her, keeping my tears at bay, but feeling pretty pathetic all the same.

  “That bad, huh?” she asked, rubbing my back.

  “I’m just glad it’s over and I never have to see him again,” I admitted.

  “Come inside. You look like you could use a drink. Want a Screwdriver?”

  I gasped, my heart racing. “Ali, you’re not supposed to be mixing alcohol with your meds. I thought you promised Ryan you’d get rid of everything.”

  Alison and alcohol never mixed, but Alison and alcohol and meds were a lethal combination. She’d had a couple of scary incidents in the last fifteen years. So much so that Ryan carried sedatives with him in case he had to control her. She’d been stable for five years, but her offering me Vodka and orange juice was not a good sign. Maybe her new meds weren’
t working.

  She gave me her million-watt smile and pulled out a flat-head screwdriver. “Totally just messin’ with ya, honey. I don’t have alcohol in the house. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

  “Oh, yes, please.” I relaxed. The last time I’d been in London, six years ago, actually, I’d loaded each of our homes with enough “proper” tea to last a while. “I’ll just say hi to Poppy, then I’ll fill you in.”

  After getting a half-hearted hug from my daughter who was clearly miffed I’d interrupted her and Grace, but loved me enough to fake affection for a second, I headed back out to the kitchen where I sat on a stool at the island and dropped my head to the granite.

  “It can’t be that bad,” Ali said, pouring water into a teacup.

  “It’s worse.” I sat up and filled her in on the evening, her sarcastic smile making me realize she probably wasn’t going to be on my side. “What?” I demanded.

  She chuckled. “It sounds like he’s protective. Something happened with his sister and he didn’t really want to cut the night short, but he did it because he loves his sister.”

  “No, that’s not at all what it was!”

  “Oh? Well, enlighten me, then.”

  “I just did,” I ground out. “When I asked about his parents he shut down and gave me vague answers.”

  “What if it’s bad, Maisie?” Ali leaned across the island. “What if he really likes you and wants to ease into stories about the tragedy of his childhood, or whatever? What if his parents were criminals or something and he doesn’t want to scare you off?”

  I frowned. “Even if his parents were, it doesn’t mean he is.”

  “I know that, you know that, but people judge.” She smiled gently. “The motorcycle club concerns me a bit, but otherwise, he sounds like a decent guy.”

  “Why does the motorcycle club concern you?”

  “Because most of them are outlaw clubs. Like mafia or glorified gangs.” She slapped her hands on the island. “I’m gonna have Ryan do a background check on him.”

  “No you are not.” I grabbed her hands. “I’m not going to see him again, so it’s a moot point.”

  “Maisie,” she admonished. “Don’t jump to conclusions, honey. I get that you’re feeling jittery and uncertain, but please recognize this as normal and relax. Don’t stop seeing him because he makes you feel too much. Try to enjoy it.”