Hold Me

Destiny held in a chuckle. Yup, Grandma Nell had always had a practical streak in her. She would take one look at Kipling, push Destiny aside and ask for a little privacy. Then she would have her way with him and toss him aside. Because the relationship drama she’d grown up with hadn’t started with her parents, although they’d been the worst offenders. No, bad marriages and broken hearts went back generations on both sides.

Kipling hugged the mayor, then kissed her cheek before nodding at Destiny.

“Good to see you again,” he said.

“You, too.”

Mayor Marsha led them to a seating area in the corner of her office. Once they’d claimed their places, she began the meeting.

“Destiny, the town is thrilled to have you here, helping us launch our HERO program.”

Destiny nodded even as she glanced at Kipling. She saw him wince, and couldn’t resist pretending she didn’t know what the mayor was talking about.

“HERO program?”

“Help Emergency Rescue Operations,” Mayor Marsha told her. “What we’re calling Fool’s Gold’s search and rescue organization. We held a contest, people submitted names. The city council narrowed it down to ten, and then we voted. HERO won.”

“It’s still a stupid name,” Kipling grumbled.

Destiny held in a grin. “You don’t like being a hero?”

“Let’s just say I take a lot of crap about the name.”

“Challenges build character,” she murmured, thinking he’d probably liked G-Force a whole lot better.

“Yet another place I’m not lacking.”

He winked as he spoke, which made her want to laugh. But this was supposed to be a professional setting, so instead she turned her attention back to Mayor Marsha.

“STORMS will work well for what you have in mind.”

“I’m counting on it,” the mayor told her. “We were very lucky to get the money we needed. Between our federal and state grants and a very sizable anonymous local donation, we’re fully funded for the next five years. Including your part in this.”

Impressive, Destiny thought. STORMS didn’t come cheap. With the software itself, the equipment required, the expense of mapping and training a team, the price was over a million dollars. And that didn’t include the cost of running a search and rescue operation.

“We’ve had excellent success with our software,” she said. “Your terrain is perfectly suited for what we do best.”

“Excellent. You and Kipling have a plan?”

Kipling sat as relaxed as he had before. “We’re getting one together. Destiny has to map the area and feed the information into her software. Then we’ll do some beta testing on the program. We’ll make the August first deadline.”

“Good.” Mayor Marsha nodded at Kipling, then turned back to Destiny. “Do you agree that we’ll meet our deadline?”

“We’re on schedule to have the program up and running by mid-July. The extra two weeks are a buffer I’m hoping we don’t need.”

Destiny didn’t like unexpected problems. Part of her job was anticipating issues before they happened. She prided herself on a smooth rollout.

“And how is Starr settling in to life in Fool’s Gold?”

The mayor’s shift in topic caught Destiny by surprise. Worse, it took her a second to remember who Starr was and why, for the first time in over a decade, she suddenly had someone other than herself to worry about.

“She’s, ah, doing okay. I guess. We just got into town yesterday.”

The mayor nodded knowingly. “Yes, it must be difficult for both of you. She’s your half sister, isn’t she? You have the same father but different mothers?”

Destiny felt her mouth start to drop open. She consciously kept her lips together as she nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” she said cautiously, not comfortable discussing her family. Because it was so much better when people didn’t know.

She glanced at Kipling, who looked only mildly interested in their conversation. Did he know who she was? He hadn’t hinted that he did.

“Fifteen is a difficult age.” Mayor Marsha shook her head. “That’s about when the trouble started with my own daughter. She was a headstrong girl. And that was a very long time ago. As for you and Starr, I hope you’ll consider Fool’s Gold your home as long as you’re here. If you need anything, just let me know. Oh, I have something for you.”

She walked back to her desk where she picked up a folder. She returned to the sofa and handed it to Destiny.

“We have a summer camp here. End Zone for Kids. It’s up in the mountains. There are a lot of interesting programs for young people. I think Starr would enjoy the drama classes, along with music, of course. You’re going to be busy, and a fifteen-year-old shouldn’t be left home alone all day.”

“I, ah, thank you.”

Destiny didn’t know what else to say. How had the mayor known Starr’s age? Or that she was home alone? Although maybe the latter wasn’t hard to figure out. After all, Destiny wasn’t home with her, and they’d been in town less than two days.

Guilt followed that realization. Because Starr was by herself. At fifteen she should be fine, but that wasn’t the point.

“There are charming festivals all summer,” the mayor continued. “I hope you’ll take advantage of them while you’re here. Fool’s Gold is a wonderful place to live.”

Somehow Destiny found herself outside the office. She didn’t remember walking there or saying goodbye. It was the strangest sensation.

Kipling stood next to her. He flashed her a grin. “Kind of wondering what just happened?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll get used to it. Nice idea about the camp for your sister.”

Destiny nodded. There was no way she was going to explain that until ten days ago, she’d never even met Starr. That between them, her parents had been married twelve or fourteen times, and there were dozens of step-whatevers and a few half siblings floating around the country. No one could keep up with it all, and Destiny had stopped trying years ago.

She held the folder tightly. “Speaking of my sister, I should probably get home and check on her.”

“Sure. I’ll catch you later.”

Right. Work. She forced herself to focus. “We need to talk about the training schedule.”

“Give me your phone.”

She handed over her cell. He punched in some numbers, then handed it back to her.

“Now you can get in touch with me anytime you want.”

He waved and headed for the stairs. For a second Destiny stared after him. Kipling was a good distraction. But when he disappeared from view, she was left with the reality of a new job, a new town and a sister she barely knew.

One problem at a time, she told herself firmly. And right now that meant dealing with her family.

CHAPTER TWO

DESTINY TRAVELED CONSTANTLY for work. While on assignment, she worked 24/7 until the job was done then had a few weeks off until she had to report to the next location. Except for a beautiful summer in northern Canada, she’d only been sent to clients in the US.

She was used to not knowing the best places to eat or where to find a good doctor if she needed one. She’d learned to ask questions and shop local. She preferred corporate housing to hotels.

On her time off, she retreated to her condo in Austin, where she caught up on whatever she’d missed while she’d been gone. Being alone was a natural state for her. One she liked. Sure, her mother visited every three or four months, and there were phone calls from friends or the few of her siblings she’d grown up with, but for the most part, Destiny took care of herself. She didn’t have to worry about someone else’s preferences.

When people asked if she was ever lonely, she only smiled and shook her head. Grandma Nell had taught her the pleasure of solitude. How with a good book or a guitar, she was never truly by herself. Books and music were constant companions. Better than people, they never argued or demanded. And they were always familiar. Unlike the fifteen-year-old waiting at home.

Destiny stood in front of the small house she’d rented for the summer. It was older in a charming, lived-in kind of way, with two bedrooms and baths. There was an attached garage and a fenced backyard. The house was comfortable. Huge by her normal corporate housing standards. She would never have rented it for herself, she thought as she walked up the front steps. But this summer was different. This summer she had her half sister with her.

She opened the front door and walked inside. Starr sat curled up in a corner of the sofa, reading on her tablet. She looked up at Destiny, her green eyes similar to the ones Destiny saw in the mirror every morning, although the wariness was unfamiliar. They’d inherited their eyes and their red hair from their father. But everything else was different.

Destiny was tall. She’d always felt she was all arms and legs. Starr was shorter and more delicate. Destiny was right-handed, Starr left. Destiny was an early riser, and Starr seemed to be a night owl. But they were sisters, and Destiny knew that trumped any differences.

Two weeks ago, Destiny had been getting ready for her trip to Fool’s Gold when she’d received a call from her father’s lawyer. The man had been on retainer for as long as Destiny could remember and was responsible for picking up the pieces after each of Jimmy Don’s mishaps. Her father was a legend, and cleaning up after him was a full-time job.

He’d told Destiny that one of Jimmy Don’s daughters was coming home from boarding school and had nowhere to go. Jimmy Don was out of the country, and the girl’s mother had overdosed the year before. There was no one to take Starr Mills for the summer.

While keeping up with her father’s women took more time than she had to spare, Destiny remembered the torrid affair and the illegitimate child that resulted. From all she’d heard, Starr was truly alone in the world. Saying no to the implied request hadn’t been an option.

But although she and Starr were biologically half siblings, in truth they’d never met until ten days ago when Destiny had picked up the teen at the Austin airport. So far all their conversations had been of the superficial “Hi, how are you” variety. Starr was quieter than Destiny had expected. There weren’t a lot of cell calls to friends or frantic texting sessions.

“Hi,” she said as she closed the front door behind her. “How’s it going?”

“Fine.” Starr put down her iPad. “I was reading.”

“Have you been out today?”

Starr shook her head.

Destiny might not have a family yet, but she knew that a fifteen-year-old cooped up in a strange house for days at a time wasn’t good. It wouldn’t be good even if the house wasn’t strange. Kids needed to be going and doing. Making friends.

Destiny let her small backpack fall to the floor, then sat on the chair kitty-corner to the sofa and held out the material Mayor Marsha had given her.

“I had an interesting meeting this afternoon,” she said, determined not to mention the fact that the mayor had known way more than she should about Destiny’s personal life and her nonexistent relationship with her half sister.

“It turns out there’s a summer camp in town. Or maybe up in the mountains. I haven’t read all the information yet. But it’s close, and I thought it might be fun for you.”

The wariness never left Starr’s eyes. “Why?”

“There are kids your age there. And different classes. Drama, singing, music. You’d be outdoors. That’s better than being stuck in here.”

Given the choice, Destiny always preferred to be outside. She wasn’t sure if she’d been that way before she’d gone to live with Grandma Nell, but she certainly was after. The sky seemed to beckon her. Trees were tall friends who provided protection and shade on a hot, sunny day. There were a thousand discoveries to be made and the magic of the music Mother Nature created with rustling leaves or the call of birds.

Starr took the offered brochure and opened it. “I’d like to study drama,” she admitted. “And music.” She looked up. “Get better on the guitar.”

There was no accusation in the statement. Just fact. Which didn’t prevent Destiny from squirming. The day she’d picked her half sister up at the airport, Starr had asked if Destiny could help her learn to play her guitar better. She’d admitted to being self-taught and frustrated by a lack of instruction. Destiny had lied and said that she didn’t play much and couldn’t help.

Two weeks later, the lie still sat heavy on her shoulders. Music had been as much a part of her upbringing as breathing. Given who her parents were, it was inevitable, she supposed. She’d been playing a child-size guitar before she could read, and by the time she was six, she’d added piano to her skill set.

Nearly twelve years ago she’d made the decision to put that part of her life behind her. To focus on what she saw as the normal world. She rarely played anymore and did her best to ignore the lyrics that bubbled up inside her head. Sometimes she gave in and spent a long afternoon playing and writing. Usually, that was enough to get it out of her system until the next time the feeling overwhelmed her.

She told herself that she had the right to make that decision. That she didn’t owe Starr that piece of herself. And while that might be technically true, she knew she shouldn’t have lied about it.

“I looked,” Destiny said with a smile. “There are guitar classes. Piano, too, if you’re interested.”

“Do you play piano?”

“I used to.”

“You don’t have one in the house.”

No, she had a portable keyboard with a great set of headphones instead. It was tucked under her bed.

“I move around too much to have a piano,” she said with a shrug. “It would be tough to bring a piano on a plane as my carry-on.”

Starr’s full mouth pulled up slightly. Not a complete smile, but closer than she’d gotten before, Destiny thought.

“I think the camp would be fun for you. I know it’s tough being away from your school friends. There have to be a couple of cool kids in town, right?”

“I don’t hang out with the cool kids,” Starr told her. “But I’d like to make some friends.”

“Great. Then look that over and tell me what you think.”

Starr nodded. She didn’t ask about the cost. Jimmy Don’s lawyer had explained there’d been a life insurance policy on Starr’s mother, and the money from that had been put into a trust. Their dad had kicked in some, as well. No doubt the teen assumed her expenses would be paid from that.

While Destiny knew that legally she could take money from the trust, she didn’t want to. She would cover the cost of the camp herself, just like she planned to pay for Starr’s living expenses. They were family. Sort of. At the very least, they were related, and that counted.

“Come on,” she said as she stood. “You can read about the camp while I start dinner.”

They went into the kitchen. Starr settled at the small kitchen table while Destiny pulled out the ingredients for fried chicken. As she opened the refrigerator, she saw a few unfamiliar casserole dishes.

“Did you cook?” she asked.

“No. A couple of ladies came by with them. There’s instructions on heating them. They both look good.”

Destiny glanced at the labels. One simply said lasagna, with suggestions on warming in both the oven and the microwave. The other label said it was Denise’s Many Layered Tamale Pie. Destiny was pretty sure she hadn’t met anyone named Denise, but that didn’t matter. Small-town folks took care of each other. Anything noteworthy brought out the casserole brigade.

“We can have these for lunch,” she said. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Sure.”

She dumped flour, salt, pepper and paprika into a large plastic bag. After washing off the chicken, she patted it dry and then soaked it in buttermilk for a few seconds before putting the pieces in with the flour. A couple of shakes later, the chicken was coated. She set the pieces on a plate. The trick to really good fried chicken was hot oil and letting the flour mixture get a little gooey.

As she waited, she glanced at Starr. The teen read the camp information intently.

There was a stillness about her. Or maybe it was just sadness. Starr’s young life hadn’t been easy. She rarely saw her father; her mother had been in and out of rehab and had eventually died of an overdose. Now Starr lived at a boarding school. She had no grandparents, and all her siblings were either half or step and total strangers.

Destiny’s guilt returned, but this time for a different reason. She needed to make time for Starr, she thought. They had this summer together. They could get to know each other.

She supposed that in a lot of families, half sisters would already be friends. But not in hers, and that was because her father couldn’t resist a beautiful woman, Destiny thought grimly. Jimmy Don loved the ladies, and they loved him back. Over and over. He’d married young and often, divorcing and remarrying again and again. Not that her mother was any different. Lacey Mills was on her seventh husband. Or maybe her eighth. It was difficult to keep track.

Destiny was Jimmy Don and Lacey’s firstborn. She’d been witness to the early years of their relationship. She’d grown up with the screaming, the plate throwing, the drama. She’d learned early to get out of the way when tempers flared and that the good times were always temporary. She’d vowed to be different. She wanted a calm, quiet, practical marriage. No great highs or lows for her. She was looking for a man she could respect and have children with. Not one that got her heart beating faster.

Her determination was the reason she avoided the Kipling Gilmores of the world. Sure, he was a handsome devil with an easy smile and a charming way about him. She was sure that he knew things that could make her beg. But she didn’t want to beg. She didn’t want to yearn, lust, dream or even long. She wanted certainty. A solid, dependable, comfortable kind of love.

Sex was the root of all evil. She’d learned that early, too. She’d never let herself be swept away, which was a point of pride for her. No hormone was more powerful than her determination, and nothing about that was ever going to change.

* * *

THE MAN CAVE had been an old hardware store, back in the day. When Kipling had first gotten the idea of opening a bar where guys could be comfortable, he’d immediately thought of the store for sale on Katie Lane. As the seller also happened to be one of his business partners in the bar, he’d gotten a good deal on the place.

Renovations had gone quickly. It helped that several of his new business partners knew the local trades, and things got done. Now they were only a few weeks from opening.

Kipling stood by the double front doors and glanced around. There was a long bar along the east wall that housed a self-serve beer fridge. Tables filled the front area. There were pool tables and dartboards, a poker room in back and plenty of TVs, including a couple in the bathrooms so no one had to miss a play.

The second floor overlooked the main bar and had plenty of seating. Sports memorabilia covered the walls. Not just the usual Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers, but actual trophies and other items. Josh Golden, a partner and the guy who had owned the building, had brought in one of his yellow jerseys from the Tour de France. There were footballs and helmets donated by the former pro players at Score, a local PR firm, and dozens of trophies from them and former quarterback Raoul Moreno. Kipling’s contribution was one of his gold medals from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

But what he liked the best was the big stage and state-of-the-art karaoke machine he’d ordered. Sure they could have bands come in and perform, but for him karaoke was the real draw.

Back when he’d been competing and traveling year round, karaoke was what had always pulled the teams together. No matter where they were in the world, they found a place with a machine and spent many a night making fools of themselves. Kipling could carry a tune. Barely. But singing well wasn’t the point. It was about having fun.

The idea for the bar had been with him for a while. When he’d come to Fool’s Gold, he’d realized this was where he could make it happen. Jo’s Bar in town did a good business, but catered mostly to women. The pastel color scheme and TV stations tuned to fashion and shopping kind of freaked him out. Where did guys go to just hang? A few conversations later, he had partners and a long-term lease from Josh.

He flipped on lights and surveyed the room. They were still waiting on some tables and chairs. The liquor license had been approved the previous week. Now they were getting suppliers lined up.

The front door opened, and Nick and Aidan Mitchell walked inside.

The two men were locals, born and raised in Fool’s Gold. From what Kipling had heard, there were five Mitchell brothers. The youngest two were twins. The twins and the oldest brother, Del, had moved away.

At his partners’ suggestion, Kipling had hired Nick to manage the bar. Aidan, a year or two older, ran the family business—Mitchell Adventure Tours. The company catered to tourists and offered everything from easy day hikes to white-water rafting.

“Looking good,” Aidan said as they approached. “You’re going to be opening soon.”

“Three weeks max,” Nick said easily. “I’m already hiring servers.”

Both men were tall, with dark hair and eyes. Aidan glared at his brother. “Seriously? Hiring servers.”

Nick’s relaxed expression tightened. “Don’t start on me.”

“You’re not worth the trouble.”

There was both frustration and affection in Aidan’s tone. From what Kipling had been able to piece together, the family was close, but not without its troubles. The father was Ceallach Mitchell, the famous glass artist. He was known both for his brilliance and his temper. Nick had apparently inherited his ability but not his interest. From what Kipling could tell, Nick had been tending bar for years, rather than working with glass.

Aidan was on his brother a lot—complaining that the younger Mitchell could do so much more than simply run a bar. As Kipling had a complicated relationship with his own sister, he did his best to stay out of these family dynamics.

“You given any thought to what we talked about?” Kipling asked Aidan.

The older brother raised one shoulder. “You know I don’t have time.”

Kipling knew when to keep quiet. It was a trick he’d learned from his coach. Let ’em talk it out, and they’ll almost always come round to your way of thinking.

“Yeah,” Aidan continued. “I know it’s a volunteer assignment, but we get busy in the summer.”

“You’re busy all year round,” Nick said cheerfully. “What if it’s one of your customers who’s lost?”

Aidan swore at his brother. “No one asked you.”

“I’m a giver. I don’t need to be asked.”

Kipling held in a chuckle.

Aidan glared. “Don’t pressure me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kipling told him. “Did I mention it was Mayor Marsha who suggested I ask you?”

Aidan swore again. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll be one of your damned volunteers.”

“Good to know. I’ll get you the paperwork within a day.”

“There’s paperwork?” Aidan shook his head. “No good deed.”

Nick slapped him on the back. “You know it.”

“Don’t think you won’t be right there beside me,” Aidan told him.

“Never planned for it to be otherwise.”

Two for the price of one, Kipling thought with satisfaction. The search and rescue team, which he refused to think of as HERO, would be staffed mostly by volunteers. He would be in charge, and he was hiring a second-in-command, not to mention a couple of support staff. But everyone else would work on a volunteer basis. It was the easiest way to keep costs down.

Given the willingness of the community to get involved, Kipling didn’t think he would have a problem getting everyone trained. He’d already spoken to both the police and fire chiefs, and they’d assured him he would have plenty of their folks showing up.