Chapter 20: Chapter 19

“THAT’S NOT ENTIRELY TRUE. I wanted to see you, as well. Tell us about the bookstore that you opened,” my father said, and I studied him for a long moment.

I’d held onto a memory from when I was young for such a long time. It was my father holding my hand at the Magnolia Falls fair. He’d bought me cotton candy and bent down to give it to me, and he’d laughed when I’d tried to tear a piece off. I wasn’t even certain that it was a real memory after all these years. Maybe I’d dreamt it or made it up in my head after he’d left.

Because the truth was, I didn’t know this man.

And I’d been uncomfortable since I’d walked through the door.

This was not my family.

These were not my people.

But I was here, and I’d make the best of it. At the very least, I could get some answers.

“I opened a bookstore in town just over a week ago. So, it’s still new, but I’m enjoying it.”

“And you didn’t have to go to college to do that?” Phoenix asked.

“I went to college. I just finished my MBA this past year,” I said, noting the way they all looked at one another. “However, it wasn’t a requirement to have a degree to open a bookstore, but I wanted to have an understanding of how to run my own business.”

“I thought you said none of them went to college!” Destiny shouted, and I was about done with her outrageous, high-pitched hissy fits.

I was on edge every time she spoke.

“I said that her mother and her brother didn’t go to college, and I thought Saylor had dropped out, as well,” Constance said, as her icy gaze locked with mine, and she forced a smile.

A growl came from Kingston, as if he’d heard enough, and I leaned forward and looked at him. That’s all I’d ever had to do with him. He understood me without any words being said.

I’ve got this.

“I see. Let me clear things up for you. My mother met my father when they were both in college.” I paused when one of the ladies in uniform cleared my uneaten plate of fish eggs. “My mother got pregnant by my father.” I shot him a look, because the asshole had obviously been telling lies about everyone and everything.

“Correct.” He cleared his throat and asked for a refill of his wine.

“I wasn’t finished,” I said when he started to speak again, and he clamped his mouth closed. “My mother dropped out of college to raise my brother, your son, Hayes.”

“The oldest boy,” Constance said, looking at her two children, and I raised a brow as our eyes locked.

“I am not done speaking, Constance.” I waited for her to look at me. “Yes, my brother is your husband’s oldest child. One of the kids that he abandoned. But I think, in the end, we were actually the lucky ones.” I paused to chuckle, not hiding my anger. “Hayes didn’t go to college because he went to school to be a firefighter so he could provide a home for me. Because he’s a really good man. He didn’t want to leave me in a bad situation with my mother’s second husband, so he sacrificed his own life for mine.”

“He’s the best, and so are you,” Kingston said.

“Thank you. I feel lucky to have a brother who knows what it means to be a man.” I turned to look at my father, and he quickly stared down at his plate. “I hope that’s shame that you’re feeling right now. And I hope you feel it every single day until you take your last breath.”

“Excuse me,” Destiny said, in a normal tone for the first time since we’d arrived. “But this meeting was not about Donald or Constance or you, Saylor. This was about me. So, I’d appreciate if you’d stop with your little trip down memory lane. You seem to be just fine. Today is about me having a sister. Something Donald and Constance promised me.”

I fell forward in laughter. “Are you kidding me right now? You don’t get to decide that you want a sister and then have a tantrum and pull my hair and behave like a ridiculous child. That’s not how this works.”

“Are you going to allow her to speak to me like this?” she yelled again as she looked at her parents, and Constance shoved her chair back.

“You will not speak to my daughter that way.” Constance pointed her finger at me.

“Beef. Fucking. Cake!” Kingston shouted, and everyone turned. “Put your fucking finger down now, and don’t you ever point it in her direction again.”

“Excuse me?” Constance gaped. “How dare you speak to me like that in my own home.”

“Phoenix, I think your mother could use a little hit from that joint, if you know what I mean, buddy. I see why you’re sitting out there, trying to check out before you enter crazy town. What do you say, Dandelion? Time to blow this popsicle stand and go get some chicken fingers and road trip food?”

I chuckled. “Yes. I’ve definitely had enough. Don’t reach out anymore, Dad. I should have stopped trying when you left all those years ago, but I’m finally at peace with it now. Thanks for the closure.”

“Atta girl. Let’s get out of here.” Kingston held his hand out and waited for my fingers to intertwine with his.

“What is happening!” Destiny shrieked, and I stepped forward and placed one finger from my free hand on her lips, and her eyes widened.

“I’ll tell you what’s happening. I’m leaving. If you want a relationship with me, you can reach out on your own. But the way that you have behaved today—you wouldn’t last in my world for two minutes. Call me when you grow up.”

Phoenix moved to his feet, his head falling back in a full fit of laughter. “Fucking balls to the walls. I love it.”

“Phoenix,” Constance hissed.

Phoenix held his hand out and high-fived me and King on our way out of the dining room.

And we waltzed right out the front door, and I made no attempt to hide the smile on my face.

This was what I’d longed for all those years?

To know this man? This family?

Note to self: Be careful what you wish for.

Kingston opened the passenger door, and I slipped inside. He leaned over and buckled my seat belt for me, as if he thought I was too shaken up to do it myself.

I let him because I was still processing the scene I’d just walked out of.

He got into the car just as I caught something out of my peripheral, and my father came jogging toward the car. I put my window down and looked at him.

He reached for my hand. “I’m sorry, Saylor.”

“You should be.” I tugged my hand away and rolled up my window as he stood there watching as we backed out of the driveway.

It didn’t hurt to see him fade into the distance.

It felt like closure.

And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was goodbye.

No more wondering or hoping.

“Are you okay?” Kingston asked, after we pulled out of the development.

“I actually am. Thanks for going with me. I don’t think I’d have believed it myself if there weren’t two of us witnessing that madness with our own eyes.” I shook my head in disbelief. “What even was that?”

“That was—a shit show. I kind of like Phoenix, though.” He chuckled.

“Yeah. He was nice enough. But Destiny? The screaming? What is my father thinking?”

“Honestly. I think your father went for the money, and he totally traded down. They may have a big house, but that place was terrifying,” Kingston said as he pulled down a side street as if he knew where he was going.

I laughed. “Constance had the most frozen face I’ve ever seen, and my father just lets her say whatever the hell she wants. He knew I graduated from college. Not to mention the way they talked about my mother and my brother. That was the final nail in the coffin for me.” I ran my fingers over my necklace.

“Me, too. And Demon Barbie definitely gouged my chest with those freaky claws, not to mention the fact that I’ve got pink fur lodged in my throat.”

I chuckled because it was impossible not to. If I didn’t laugh right now, I’d curl up in a ball and cry. Because the truth was, my father hadn’t wanted to see me today. His spoiled, belligerent, teenage daughter wanted a sister—so he’d called me.

It should hurt, but it didn’t.

It was sort of on par with the man who’d left all those years ago.

I’d finally seen him for who he was.

“I did patch you up after the bee sting, so I’m sure I could do the same for the damage Destiny did,” I said, turning to him as he pulled into a drive-thru.

“All right, Dandelion. I’d love to have you patch me up.” He waggled his brows. “Now, let’s eat some chicken fingers and put the house of horror in our rearview.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said.

We pulled over and ate lunch in the car and then got on the road back to Magnolia Falls.

“You seem like you’re handling things okay, huh?” Kingston asked.

“Why do you think I’m breakable? I know my brother does, too. But just because Hayes and I have different ways of looking at things doesn’t mean I can’t handle disappointment. My father hasn’t seen me in over two decades. Did you really think I had high expectations? I just wanted to meet them. Meet my half-siblings. See if there would be some sort of connection if I saw my father in person after all these years. But how can I be let down when the man has never shown up for me or Hayes?”

“You’re much stronger than people think, Dandelion,” he said, as we closed the distance to Magnolia Falls.

“Hayes still sees me as a kid. And I can’t even fault him, because he’s always had my back. But we look at things very differently. He is very black and white, and I think there is always a little gray area to hope for the best, you know?”

“I get that. How are things going with your mom?”

“She’s come into the bookstore a few times. We’re working on it.” I shrugged, glancing back and taking him in. His baseball cap was still turned backward, and he had just the slightest bit of scruff on his jaw. My eyes zeroed in on his plump lips, and I remembered the way they felt against mine.

He was ridiculously sexy.

I couldn’t get that kiss out of my head.

I’d never ached for a man the way I ached for Kingston Pierce.

“That’s great. I think I understand that gray area, too. It’s okay to hope for good things to come out of tough situations.”

“Yeah? So you’re on my side on this one?” My voice was all tease.

“I’m always on your side, Saylor.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I think losing my parents the way I did and missing out on knowing them was about as bad as it gets. But being raised by amazing grandparents was the bright side of a horrific situation.”

I nodded. He always played it so cool. But I knew that he felt that loss every single day. “Your grandparents really did step up. I just went to see Pearl yesterday. She really is the best.”

“We definitely agree on that.” He winked at me before turning his attention back to the road in front of him.

“Do you think that losing your parents the way you did is the reason that you don’t do relationships?” I asked, because what did I have to lose at this point?

He didn’t respond for several seconds, and I wondered if I’d pushed too far. “I don’t know. I do like to keep things light. According to Ruby, who loves to get inside my head”—he laughed—“learning at a young age how quickly someone can be taken from you could potentially cause someone to be hesitant about going too deep with someone in the future. But I’m in deep with my grandmother and my friends and you.”

“Well, you won’t go too deep with me.” I stared out the window.

“That’s not true, Dandelion. I don’t think I’ve ever gone deeper with another person than I have with you.”

His words hit me hard. I hadn’t expected that.

“I know.” I shrugged as I took in all the wildflowers covering the field in front of me. “But taking things further is something you aren’t willing to do.”

“I’ve already crossed the line so many times with you, I’m not sure where the line is anymore.” He cleared his throat, staring straight ahead. “I understand why Hayes would be angry.”

I rolled my eyes. “And why is that? It shouldn’t be any of his business.”

“You’re wrong about that, Saylor. Half the reason I love him so damn much is because of the way he is with you. You deserve that type of love, and you didn’t get it from your parents. He stepped up. And he knows my track record. He knows that if I ever went there with you and fucked it up, it would be over for me and him. If I hurt you, he couldn’t be in my life.”

“You would never hurt me, King. You’ve always been there for me.”

“Because we haven’t gone there. You deserve someone who loves you and knows how to treat you right. You deserve the prince on the white horse.” He glanced over at me, dark eyes filled with emotion.

He was so damn hard on himself.

“That’s the thing. I’m not looking for a prince on a white horse. I don’t need to be saved or rescued. And to be honest, I just got out of a long relationship, and it wasn’t a great one. Grahame never made me his priority, but at the same time, he was overbearing and possessive. I was always explaining myself, and dealing with his jealousy was exhausting. I’m not looking to get into anything serious. Maybe I just want to have some fun.”

“I do bring the fun,” he said, his voice gruff and sexy.

“You sure do. I’m not looking to jump back into a relationship. I’m young. I’m single. And I like hanging out with you.”

“I like hanging out with you, too,” he said as he pulled down my street.

When he put the car in park in my driveway, I turned to face him. He looked serious now, like he was struggling with something.

“It’s fine, King. I get it. You can’t go there. Thanks for going with me today. If you want to have some phone sex later, give me a call.”

We were both laughing as I reached for the door handle, but his fingers wrapped around my wrist to stop me.

“Maybe I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.”

I raised a brow. “Neither am I. What do you have in mind?”

“The sun’s about to go down. You want to go for a swim in the lake?”

My breath hitched, and I nodded.

The sunset, cool water, and a half-naked Kingston.

Yes, please.