King (Maine Silver Foxes #1)

Chapter 16

M ia

Mia grabbed the two cases of beer while Sammy got the cake. Judging from the number of vehicles parked in the driveway and on the shoulder of the road, quite a few people had shown up for the cookout. Bruce and Birdie’s house was a quaint one-story Cape Cod style structure with an attached two-story garage painted blue and white, with lots of lush landscaping and a path of stones leading around the house toward the back.

“Looks like half the town is here,” Sammy joked as they followed the path.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Mia was right behind Sammy as they headed in the direction of where the tables had been set up.

There were a lot of people there, and Mia’s gaze scanned the yard for familiar faces. Someone had set up a volleyball net, and she recognized several of the players, shooting them a big smile when they recognized her and waved. A dozen or so people were in the lake, while others mulled about in small clusters. Children of all ages were everywhere.

Several tables were loaded with food and drinks. Two grills were smoking, and several large coolers were on the ground beneath the tables. There was a smaller table between the two long cafeteria-style tables that was loaded with condiments, plastic silverware, and paper products. Mia and Sammy set their items down.

“Hey, beautiful.”

They both turned away from the table at the sound of Ben’s voice. Amusement spread across Mia’s face from how quickly he’d spotted them in the crowd. He must have been waiting and watching for Sammy to show up. His wife beater and swim trunks revealed that he had a lean body that probably got a little help from working out.

“Hi handsome,” Sammy responded with a smile from ear to ear and a sparkling twinkle in her eyes. Her gaze dropped down his body. “Have you already been swimming?”

Ben shook his head. “Been waiting for you.” He turned his attention to Mia. “Just a heads up, King is here.”

With a small smile, Mia glanced at Sammy, realizing that she must have told Ben about the fallout she and King had had. She couldn’t fault her cousin for telling Ben. They were in a relationship now, and Mia remembered what that was like when you were with someone.

“Thanks for the warning.” Her laughter was forced. She’d wanted him to be here, right? So she could tell him she was sorry for the way she’d acted the last time they were together.

Ben took Sammy by the hand. “I set up a blanket over by the gazebo,” he told Mia. She followed his gaze in the direction he was looking, spying a bright red blanket on the lawn. “We can eat lunch there.”

“Can we go swimming first?” Sammy asked eagerly, her gaze moving past them toward the water. “I’m not really hungry right now.”

“Anything you want, honey.”

Mia was amused over the fact that they were already so comfortable with each other, as if they’d been together for a long time. She sensed they were going to make it for the long haul. As they rushed off, she let her gaze scan over the crowd in a slower sweep than the first time, almost eager to find King.

Until she found him.

He wasn’t alone. He was sitting on a blanket with a beautiful young woman and a baby. Mia instinctively knew that they were his daughter and grandbaby. But Sheila was also with them, and it looked to Mia like they were a happy little family. Her heart hurt at the scene, and while she reminded herself that she and King had only shared a one-night stand and were nothing to each other, it didn’t lessen the pain.

Seeing them together also reinforced Sheila’s proclamation that she and King were getting back together.

Sheila suddenly glanced up and noticed Mia standing there. Her face twisted into an unattractive scowl, her eyes narrowing. When she got to her feet and began making her way towards her, Mia thought it would be a good idea to make her escape, but turned and feigned interest in the food on the table instead. She wasn’t about to show the other woman her weakness for King.

“Told you,” Sheila snarked once she was next to Mia. Mia reached for an olive and popped it in her mouth. “Stay away from King. He had his fun with you, and he’s done.” Her tone dripped with venom.

It still stunned Mia that Sheila was willing to accept King’s indiscretions. What woman did that? A desperate one, in Mia’s mind. Still, she couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her. It occurred to her that Sheila was insecure and doing her utmost to chase her away. She made eye contact with the other woman. “Do you warn off all the women King’s been with?”

An angry flush spread across Sheila’s face. “Only the bitches who keep coming around and think they have a chance with him.”

Mia didn’t bother pointing out that she hadn’t come there for King. She took offense to being called a bitch when Sheila was the one acting all bitchy. Deciding to take the high road though, she tamped down the anger threatening to take hold and took a calming breath. “I got the message, Sheila.”

She managed to keep eye contact with the glare being directed her way before Sheila spun around and took off. Mia’s gaze followed her as she headed back to King, who was in conversation with his daughter. As if she knew she was being watched, Sheila pretended to stumble, and the next thing Mia saw was her falling. She ended up sprawled on top of King and forced him backwards.

Sheila laughed loudly as she wiggled on top of King. Her hands were all over him as she tried to untangle herself from him. At first King’s arms were outstretched on the ground, his expression one of mild irritation, before he grasped Sheila by the arms and set her off him. Mia was sure Sheila had planned the whole thing for her benefit.

Her mouth turned down. Maybe she wouldn’t apologize to him after all. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. It didn’t surprise Mia to see King there with his daughter and grandbaby. She expected they would do a lot together as family. But seeing him and Sheila together was too hard. She was so conflicted!

She felt like she should probably just leave. Sammy could catch a ride home with Ben. But then King’s gaze landed on her, and Mia straightened with the thought of bolting. He jumped to his feet like a twenty-year-old, fought off the hand Sheila raised to try and stop him, and headed Mia’s way. Mia wasn’t aware of anything after that except the determined look in King’s eyes and the hard set of his jaw. It caused her heart to jump erratically. He reached her so fast that she barely had time to take in his muscular physique in the t-shirt and workout shorts he was wearing.

“I want to talk to you.”

The anger in his tone fueled Mia’s anger because what did he have to be angry about? She swallowed hard. “Here’s not a good place.” She couldn’t pull her eyes from the fury in his, and she was all too aware of the people around them.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as he reminded her, “It wasn’t a good place at my worksite the other day, either.”

Mia winced at the bitterness of his tone but held her ground. “I’m not going to do this with you here—” She felt panic begin to set in. Causing a scene was the last thing she wanted, and she sensed that Sheila was in the background watching them. “Your family is here, and Sheila...”

King frowned and swung his head to look at where Sheila was sitting with their daughter. Against her better judgement, Mia looked too, and she’d been right. Sheila was watching them with a pinched face and a warning in her eyes. Mia was thankful that King’s daughter was busy changing her baby.

There was suspicion in King’s gaze when it came back to Mia. “Did she say something to you again?” he growled, not giving Mia a chance to respond. “Never mind. Sheila has nothing to do with you and me. She’s not my family. I know she planted some shit in your head, but—"

Mia tried to pull away from the tight hold he had on her wrist without being obvious about it. “Look, we had sex.” Amazing sex , she thought to herself. King’s nostrils flared, reminding Mia how he’d looked when he came inside her. She tried to will the image away but everything about King was too overpowering and affected her whether she wanted it to or not.

“No big deal. If you’re a player, I get it. I misunderstood our situation.” Mia could tell that calling King a player had pissed him off.

“I am not a fucking player, Mia. There isn’t a woman in this town that got to me as fast as you did, and that includes my ex.”

Her eyes rounded with disbelief. She wanted to believe him, but she was afraid of being hurt more. How could he say that about Sheila when he’d been married to the woman for twenty years? Sheila’s words had been toxic and had caused so much doubt and confusion that Mia felt sick inside. But her instincts were telling her the woman was insecure and desperate to get King back, and that she would say and do anything to accomplish that.

She knew better than to give a scorned woman that much power over her, but her confidence had taken a hard hit when she’d discovered Jerry’s infidelity. She knew she owed it to King to hear him out, because there were two sides to every story.

A low, animalistic growl erupted from King that revealed the extent of his frustration. The next thing Mia knew, he was dragging her toward the path that led to the front of the house and on to his truck, which was parked further down the road beneath a huge oak tree. He opened the door and pushed her inside before hopping in behind her and slamming the door shut. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Mia and placed her onto his lap.

She finally found her voice, “What—”

“You’re going to listen to me, you stubborn woman. You’ve got me so mad that I don’t know what I’m saying. We have something special, and yes, it happened too damned fast, but when I see something I want, I don’t waste any time. And I wanted you. I want you. I don’t fool around, and I don’t play games. In time you’ll know me and trust me, but until then you’ll just have to believe what I tell you.” His anger started to subside as he softly tucked some of Mia’s hair behind her ear.

“What happened to you, baby? What’s made you so quick to believe a rejected woman over what we have?”