Three Ways to Wicked (22 page)

Okay,
that
would be infinitely more awkward and citation worthy. In comparison, this was going to be a damn piece of cake.

Hopefully.

She climbed from her car and shut the door with her hip before making her way into the store. While the chimes rang overhead, she lingered in the entrance, a sigh of happiness floating free. She breathed in the beloved eau de new book toilette perfuming the air.
This is what Shangri-La smells like.

“Kay! I’m so glad you popped in.” Reese abandoned her station at the register and rushed to give Kayla a hug.

As always, she felt like a munchkin next to Reese’s statuesque five-ten willowy frame. “You’re not busy, are you?”

“No, it’s been super quiet all day. I could use the company.”

“Great. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.”

Reese re-anchored the hair clip keeping her wild mess of white-blonde curls tamed in a semblance of submission atop her head. “Did my brother do something boneheaded? I can smack some sense into him if you need me to.”

“No, he’s been nothing but wonderful.”

“Ty did something boneheaded then. Sense is pretty much a lost cause there, but I’ll still smack him for ya.”

She joined in Reese’s grin. “Sorry to deprive you that joy, but I was actually hoping to discuss the possibility of scheduling a book signing with you.”

“Sure. Who’s the author?”

“Well, me.”

Reese blinked before offering a blinding smile. “No way. Why the heck didn’t you mention that while we were at the Rusty Anchor?”

“It’s kind of a long, complicated story. And before you get too excited, I should warn you that I’m not a huge name. I doubt I’ll bring you in a large attendance for the signing.”

“Are you kidding? The local authors always attract a lot of interest.” Gesturing with her hand, Reese led the way to a small office located in the rear corner of the store. “I can either order your books, or if you prefer bringing in your own stock, we can do that too.” She clicked a few buttons on her laptop and chewed her bottom lip. “Hm, you’re not coming up in my database.”

“That’s because I don’t write under my real name. Look under Ella Kay.”

Reese’s head whipped up, and her eyes widened. “You are freakin’ shitting me.
You’re
Ella Kay.”

“Erm, yes.”

“
I doubt I’ll bring you in a large attendance for the signing,
” Reese mimicked before shaking her head. “Do you have any idea how impossible it is for me to keep your books on the shelves? My customers gobble them up and then offer me their first born in hopes of getting advance copies of the next in your series.”

“Wow, I had no idea. Both Bailey and Gibb mentioned that you carry my books, but they didn’t say much beyond that.”

A comically outraged expression slipped in place on Reese’s face. “My brother knew you were Ella Kay? Forget the smacking, I’m taking a two-by-four to his thick skull.”

Thank God Kayla didn’t blow the lid on Ty knowing too. No telling what blunt object Reese would choose to clobber him with.

They spent the next fifteen minutes going over the preliminary details of the signing. At Reese’s suggestion, they settled on late October, when Kayla wouldn’t be bogged down in edits with her current book.

“Plus the weather won’t be so horrendously hot that it’s keeping people parked in front of their fans instead of in here,” Reese pointed out sagely.

As they’d been doing constantly for the last week, Kayla’s thoughts veered toward Bailey. For all she knew, the book signing would be around the same time as the wedding. Of course, she probably didn’t have to worry about juggling this and any maid-of-honor duties. Most likely she’d lost that title.

A weight of bricks sitting on her sternum, she lifted from her seat in front of Reese’s desk. “Well, I should let you get back to work.”

They walked together to the entrance. Before Kayla could duck out the door, Reese stopped her with a gentle hand. “Gibb told me that you and Bailey still aren’t talking. Don’t let stubborn pride get in the way of twenty-plus years of friendship.”

Kay swallowed down her lump of anguish. “I’m not the one who walked away from us.”

Reese sighed. “I’m in no way defending her actions, but you know how much Bailey balks at the tiniest change in her disgustingly ordered life. Your relationship with my brother and Ty—not to mention
their
involvement with each
other
—has got to be flipping Bailey’s world on its axis. Sooner or later, things will settle back in place for her. For you both.”

More than anything, she wanted to believe that Reese was right, but the phantom sting of Bailey’s words remained.

Kayla had to accept the facts. She might never get her best friend back. A hollow ache in her tummy, she hugged Reese goodbye and returned to the humid confines of her car. The best way to kick her dismalness to the curb was to celebrate the good news of her upcoming book signing—and she knew precisely the two men she most wanted to share it with. Deciding to sweeten the festivities with a round of treats from Scoops ice cream shop, she backed out of her spot and nosed the Camry in the direction of Main Street.

Compared to the madness of Venetian Week, traffic was almost nonexistent through town. She scored a prime parking spot right in front of Scoops. Killing the engine, she dropped her keys into her purse and made her way toward the entrance of the ice cream parlor, stopping to hold the door for two teenaged girls giggling as they hurried to consume their rapidly melting cones. Melancholy pinching her heart, Kayla sent the girls a wistful smile. The scene was a carbon copy of thousands she’d shared with Bailey throughout the years.

Almost every wonderful memory in her mental scrapbook included her best friend. The very real possibility that there’d be no future ones of them to add to the collection twisted the knife in Kayla’s chest. Blinking back tears, she stepped inside the air-conditioned building. Her skin immediately responded to the brisk change in temperature by breaking out in goose bumps. Chafing her arms, she shuffled in the direction of the counter—only to drag to a jarring stop the second she spotted the elegantly dressed, rail-thin woman inspecting a calorie-laden ice cream cake nestled in one of Scoops signature pink boxes.

“I specifically requested white roses, Cynthia. The blue looks cheap.” Her sigh bordering on suffering, Belinda English glanced at her watch. “I guess I don’t have any choice other than to accept it as is, but please relay my dissatisfaction to your employer. This is twice now my order has been incorrect. I’ll take my business elsewhere if it happens again.”

The girl behind the counter nervously taped up the dessert box. “Yes, Mrs. English. I’m so sorry for the mistake.”

Accepting the apology with a regal nod, Belinda snatched her cake and pivoted.

Kayla broke from her frozen state as she and her mom locked stares. An awkward silence descended, made all the more noticeable by the pronounced whirring of the overhead ceiling fan. A sharp sting near her elbow alerted Kayla to the realization that she was digging her nails into her arm. Expelling a slow breath, she forced herself to relax and even managed to offer her mom a cool greeting. “Hello, Belinda.”

Disapproval furrowed her mom’s brow. “Kayla, I’ve asked you time after time to please not address me that way.”

“Oh, would you prefer Mrs. English instead?” Holy crap. Where was this feistiness coming from? More than a little stunned, Kayla tamped down a grin.

Belinda appeared less than amused. “You know that isn’t what I was referring to. I’m your
mother
. You’ll speak to me as such.”

“Funny, I didn’t think we were speaking at all.”

Belinda shot a discreet look over her shoulder. She had no reason to worry about their dirty laundry being aired. Cynthia had ducked into the back room the moment a quick getaway presented itself. Returning her displeasure to Kayla, Belinda sniffed peevishly. “You know the reason for that, Kayla. And now I hear ugly rumors involving you, that Bishop boy
and
some other man.”

“He has a name, Mother. It’s Gibb.”

Apparently Belinda being addressed properly this time around didn’t entirely make up for her daughter’s scandalous behavior. Gripping the edge of the counter as if she was seconds away from fainting, Belinda gaped at Kayla. “I didn’t raise you to behave in this manner. It’s shameful.”

“I know you think so. And I’m sorry it hurts you. But this is
my
life to live, Mother. Accept it or don’t.” A twinge of familiar anxiety crept into place, and she struggled to shove it aside. “While we’re getting everything out into the open, you should know that I’ve decided to drop the pen name.”

The outrage Belinda displayed before was nothing compared to the numb-faced shock currently holding her hostage. “W-what?”

“I’m going to start writing under my real name.”

Anger compressed Belinda’s lips into a thin line. A sudden waft of air and trickle of street noise announced that a customer had entered the store, but Belinda’s focus remained pinned to Kayla. “You would taint your father’s legacy with your disgusting smut? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

The condemnation was nothing new, but for once it didn’t cut Kayla to the bone. She opened her mouth to say as much to her mom, only to be outshouted by a sudden blast of fury behind her.

“What the hell is
wrong
with you, you old biddy? Jeez Louise, get that stick out of your ass already.”

Jolting, Kayla whipped her gaze toward the entrance. Her scowl locked on Belinda, Bailey stepped forward, her petite frame bristling with a hefty dose of pit-bull-about-to-charge menace.

Unperturbed by the incredulous stares glued to her, Bailey pointed an accusing finger at Belinda. “You have no place to judge what Kay writes.”

“
No place
? I’m her mother.”

“Then start acting like it, and support her for once.” Bailey’s expression grew infinitely more ornery. “Unless you’re hoping to push her away for good so you can have absolutely no one in your life.”

Kayla winced. “Bail, that’s a bit harsh.”

“Maybe, but it’s true.” Bailey stacked her arms over her chest and tossed Belinda a challenging glare. “You lost your husband. Do you really want to lose your daughter too?”

Kayla was on the verge of demanding Bailey to cool it when she noticed the unmistakable hint of fear shimmering in her mom’s eyes. The unexpected sight stalled Kayla short. Was her mom worried Bailey’s premonition might come true? It didn’t seem possible. Particularly since Belinda had all but disowned Kayla these last six months.

Avoiding Kayla’s gaze, Belinda glanced at her expensive Cartier watch again. She crossed to the front door, but hesitated at the threshold. “To answer your question, no, I don’t want to lose my daughter.” The vulnerable wobble in her voice softening the starch in her tone, Belinda strode from the store.

“That woman is a real piece of work,” Bailey muttered.

Kayla watched her mom settle into the driver’s seat of a steel-blue BMW. Unlike Bailey, she wasn’t angry at her mom’s response. If anything, she was shocked as hell over it. Yeah, what just went down didn’t exactly qualify as a reconciliation, but as far as her and Belinda’s shaky relationship went, it came pretty damn close to one. But even if she and her mom never moved beyond their current tensions, Kayla still felt a million times better—and stronger—for standing up for herself.

Bemusement making her brain sluggish, she gazed at Bailey. “You’re the last person I would have anticipated rushing to my rescue.”

Bailey wrinkled her nose. “It’s in my job description. You know that.”

“Not lately.”

Guilt painting her features, Bailey scuffed her heel on the tiled floor. “Come on, I’ll make it up to you by buying you a scoop.”

Like there was any chance Kayla was passing that up. Not if it meant the possibility of mending fences with Bailey. Gibb and Ty would understand the importance of that, though Ty would probably grumble over being deprived ice cream. Of course, she could rectify that by presenting herself as a human sundae later tonight. That problem solved, she joined Bailey at the counter just as Cynthia returned to the register.

Bailey ordered her standard double scoop mint chocolate and Kayla her pineapple coconut. Once they’d collected their frozen treats, Bailey led the way to one of the bistro tables.

A silence fell over them. Just as the tension ratcheted past Kayla’s breaking point, Bailey dug her spoon into her dish and left it there while she lifted teary eyes to Kayla. “I’ve missed you.”

“Oh God, me too.”

They both jumped up from their seats and tackled each other with a hug, all the while sobbing in full-on ugly-cry mode. Choking on tears, they clung to each other, words pouring from their mouths simultaneously. Once it became clear that communicating would go infinitely smoother with only one of them speaking, Kayla waved her hand. “You go first.”

“I’m sorry.” Bailey’s tear-logged eyes leaked over. “I was such a bitch to you. And Ty. And even Gibb. You probably hate me now.”

Kayla squeezed Bailey tight. “It’s impossible for me to hate you. But you did hurt me.”

“I know. And I’m sorry for that too.” Bailey scrubbed furiously at her wet cheeks. “I can be an idiot at times. It’s a miracle you’ve stayed my friend all these years.”