River on Fire (River's End #5) Read online

“You’re not twice my age.”

  “My daughter isn’t half yours either, but she could still land you in jail.”

  “Touché,” he said with a smirk. Then he straightened up and his face became all serious and mild as he said, “Good afternoon, I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

  “I intend to,” Hailey said just as formally with a smirk to match his before she went out the door. It bothered her when she felt his gaze following her ass. She held her shoulders back and ignored the urge to cover her rear or turn sideways and actually sidestep out of there. He did it, no doubt, just to annoy her. As if that beefy compilation of male youth and beauty would seriously ogle her.

  She sighed. Being short, and average-figured, her hips were too wide, which was only exacerbated by motherhood. Her stomach was not flat and her butt bubbled out, making the tops of her thighs appear too thick. Cellulite had become a constant companion over the course of the last decade. Lucky her. She still had nice, thick, shoulder-length blond hair, enhanced by honey-colored highlights and green eyes. Almost forty now, she didn’t possess the kind of looks that made people gaze at her with shock once her age was revealed. Ha. As if. Nope, she was lucky if she got a head tilt or a mumbled, “You look nice for your age.”

  Hailey shook it off. So what? She was long past the days of flirting with a guy her daughter tried to entice by offering him a glimpse down her top. Sliding into the car, she found Brianna glaring out the window of the passenger seat. Jacob sat in the back, his face bright and eager. “Bri says there’s river rafting. Can we go?”

  Hailey held in her sigh. Of course, Brianna said that. “I’m sure we can at some point. But can’t we unpack first?”

  Jacob was raring to do it all. He leaned his head out the window and stared at the horses. He was so excited, he couldn’t wait to ride them. He’d only ever done it twice before and loved it. Hailey pulled up and stopped before cabin number fifteen. They were all built like miniatures of the log house and so adorable and sweet, they could have made your teeth ache. Not for Brianna. Her bare feet were resting on the dashboard, and the mirrored sunglasses she wore hid her eyes.

  Hailey glanced at her impudent daughter. “You can’t flirt with guys that are so much older than you, Brianna. It’s wrong. You’re only fifteen. You’d only get a decent guy in trouble or get yourself hurt by encouraging a perverted one.”

  Brianna kept her gaze fastened outside the passenger window. “You’re so full of shit.”

  “Brianna!” Hailey fisted her hands over the steering wheel in frustration. When? When did that happen? How did her sweet, polite daughter who once hung out with her because she wanted to become this rude, awful, disdainful girl who said such horrible things to her mother? And what exactly did Hailey ever do to deserve it? She was not an unfit parent. She was never unreasonable or an embarrassment to either of her kids. But ever since the divorce, her elder daughter had grown increasingly hostile. Apparently, she blamed Hailey instead of realizing she was only half responsible. To Brianna, her father still walked on water, even though he was now living with his twenty-five-year-old physical trainer. Naturally, Brianna couldn’t seem to see the correlation between the physical trainer and her parents’ subsequent divorce. Despite how much Hailey might have liked to properly inform her, she would never have tried to upset her own daughter.

  No, she was fully willing to let her daughter abuse her, rather than cause her daughter any more pain. Hailey understood her pain and anger and rebellion. But that didn’t make it any less exhausting to get up and have to face each and every day. At first, Brianna was quiet and withdrawn about the gradually brewing destruction of her family; but once it became official, Brianna only got worse. And flirting with the twenty-something hottie that worked at the resort? Not cool. Even though her daughter was actually only fifteen, she could easily pass for far older. With big boobs, a small, tight body that only emphasized them, long, blond hair, and her short-shorts, she was adorable. Yes, she couldn’t really get too annoyed at the guy, Joey, for flirting and responding to her daughter. Never mind that it literally made Hailey cringe and shake in disgust. It was so wrong to picture her daughter and sex.

  She truly believed her daughter had not partaken in such things yet. She had to believe it for her own peace of mind, but there was no guarantee. Especially with the lack of communication between Brianna and her over the last few months. She also caught Bri sneaking out, and going places she wasn’t allowed. It was becoming a kind of endless parade of antics.

  Brianna swung her legs down, leaning over to grab the thick straps of her bag. She hurled her car door open and stepped out, tugging the bag higher on her shoulder and not even glancing at her mom with the slightest regret. Hailey swore under breath as she followed her children. Jacob rapidly traversed the steps and jumped from foot to foot, anxiously waiting for Hailey to come up with the key. Brianna merely turned her body away and stared out towards the distant brown mountains. With a huge sigh, Hailey thought, So far, this isn’t a good idea.

  Hailey hoped a few weeks together this summer might let her rebuild what she lost with her daughter… and maybe enhance what her son felt towards her. He was wary, confused, and very unsure about her and his father. The uncertainty she witnessed cut deeply into Hailey’s heart. She knew she caused that. But her son, Jacob, didn’t lash out at her. He just became quiet. Sometimes, his silence made Hailey feel guiltier than all of Brianna’s most vicious tongue lashings.

  Hailey ground her teeth and left her daughter moping on the stoop as she entered the cabin. It was a three-bedroom cabin, and she spent a hefty chunk of her savings to book it for the entire month of July. And now, here they were. All staying together. The vacation coincided with her ex-husband’s trip to Palm Springs with his girlfriend. He planned to get married and honeymoon for the entire month of July too. The kids weren’t invited. It was just the two of them. A rash union, yes, but at least he had the decency to warn Hailey about it so she could start early on the damage control. Judging by her daughter’s rigid back and the way she stomped through the living room before slamming the door to a bedroom, however, seemed she wasn’t doing too well.

  Hailey glared at the closed door. Swallowing her sigh, she realized there was little doubt that her ex-husband’s hasty actions would be blamed on her. The month of July loomed long and dark before her despite the bright sunlight that shone through the windows, highlighting the roughhewn wooden floors, leather furniture, river-rock fireplace and rustic décor.

  Her son was running happily through the entire cabin, yelling down from the second story that overlooked the living room-kitchen-dining room. At least she made one person happy. Hailey couldn’t remember the last time she made anyone else, including herself, happy. It was much too long to even bother about.

  ****

  Joey grinned at the new family who slipped into a comfortable sedan. The daughter was too well-endowed and hot for her own good. She came in there to browse, but her gaze immediately landed on him, like a hungry leopard on an antelope. He managed to distract her with the river rafting brochure, only to get blind-sided by her mom. It was hard to restrain his laughter when he saw how pissed the woman was. She was ready to call the police and have him arrested. He almost held up his hands in surrender. He’d have overlooked the mom at first. Sure, the daughter was some serious eye-candy, and maybe worth the risk of getting arrested. But her mom was funny as hell. Hailey Starr read the computer when he checked the most recent registrations. The entire system was connected. They’d come a long way at the resort since the days of Jocelyn having to sign in all the people in her cursive handwriting on the ledger.

  Hailey had attitude and nothing about him impressed her. That wasn’t the case usually. Joey had one of those likable faces and he had taken advantage of it for most of his life. He used his striking good looks for years and got all the girls he ever wanted. Especially when he was in the Army. But now he wasn’t trying to date anymore girls. Besides, his big brother, Jack,
would have fired his ass if he tried to flirt with any of the resort guests, let alone, one of their freaking teenage daughters. And Jack had the final say around there. Technically, however, he, Shane, Jack and Ian all had equal shares in the place, but they understood one thing—Jack was the figurehead.

  Joey had been living at home now for over two years. He swiftly assumed the management of the resort, and later added miscellaneous attractions like river rafting. Meanwhile, Jack oversaw the working horse ranch and Shane, his next oldest brother, handled any tasks the others asked him to do. Marcy was married to Ben, Joey’s nephew, and both were only five years younger than Joey, who was twenty-six. Ben primarily worked with his father and Jocelyn, who was once solely in charge of guest check-ins, but now served primarily in the café. She did everything, from hostessing to waitressing to filling takeout orders and keeping the pantry and the supply cabinet well-stocked.

  It was an elaborate set-up that had only been recently enhanced over the last two years. Jack’s long lost sister appeared at that time. She ran a consulting company that specialized in streamlining procedures and maximizing profits for companies. After an elaborate analysis of their enterprise, she examined both the Rydell River Ranch and the Rydell River Resort. Her recommendations included a risky expansion that included turning the house that used to be their family home into a gift shop and hotel reception along with a café. The upper floor was converted into four guest rooms with their own private baths, and people loved to stay there. Now, however, no Rydells lived there. Nowadays, Joey only worked in the home he was raised in. It seemed odd at first and made him resentful, despite his vote for the changes. His three older brothers concurred. But it was still a bitter pill for him to see his beautiful family home being featured on the front page of the brochures that now advertised the Rydell River Resort. There were ten small cabins on the north end of their thousand acres, and a newer tract of five larger, multi-room cabins designed for bigger families and larger groups. The amenities were also upgraded and now included a pool that was central to all of the lodgings, surrounded by a pristine lawn and a garden full of potted flowers and comfortable patio furniture.

  Yes, the Rydells had risen pretty high in the world. Their ranch had become a very popular, sought-after destination spot. They also created a wealth of opportunities that included a large variety of jobs for both themselves and the town’s people. It was a lucrative source of income and everyone wanted to keep the ranch alive and well. They could finally start expanding it in ways that Jack had only dreamed of. Joey had no idea that Jack even dreamed, but his staunch, strict brother really did, as it turned out. Jack’s wish was to turn part of their land into a rehab facility for horses. Jack loved horses. He breathed and lived for horses. Joey? Not so much. He liked the horses and enjoyed riding, and the barns weren’t so bad to muck, but he had no desire to spend all day with the noble creatures. He preferred being around people and the resort brought in all kinds of people.

  None of his older brothers were as good with people as Joey was. He liked all the work involved in management, which included anything from overseeing minor repairs and answering complaints, to dealing with miscellaneous problems of the guests or staff, to ordering inventory, running the raft trips, and cleaning the pool. He managed it all and picked up the slack whenever necessary. The ceaseless variety of tasks suited Joey to a tee, and he was profoundly glad the family voted to expand their small legacy far beyond the original horse ranch. He wasn’t sure he would have stayed if that had been his life’s work all along. But after serving in the Army, Joey was more than certain the ranch was where he wanted to be. He was glad he joined the armed forces, too; he needed that experience. It made him grow up, and quickly. He’d been spoiled and his life seemed almost too easy until he enlisted. Instantly, the security he counted on for his entire life was ripped away from him.

  The Army turned Joey into a man and when he eventually decided to come home, he was good and ready. For many reasons, Joey believed all twenty-year-old men should enlist. It made him figure out that life wasn’t easy and drifting around wasn’t cool. Real life is about acting responsibly when necessary and getting shit done, even if you don’t feel like it or want to.

  Marcy walked in, trailing her hand over the glass counter. “What was that all about?”

  Joey grinned. “The mom thought I was flirting with that little jailbait.”

  “Were you?” Her raised eyebrows told him she thought that was exactly what he’d been doing.

  “I wasn’t. Come on, Marcy, she’s fifteen.”

  Marcy shrugged. “I’ve seen you with teenagers before.”

  “You have not seen me with fifteen-year-olds,” he snapped sharply before grinding his teeth. He was more than tired of all the playboy innuendoes and snarky remarks about his previous behavior and somewhat sordid past.

  She shrugged. “Mind if I hit it early? I wanna start dinner before Ben gets home.”

  Joey sighed. Marcy was always bugging out early with the usual excuse of doing so and so for Ben. Ben was his best friend and Joey knew that Marcy didn’t actually do very much for Ben. Not that Ben told him, but he had concluded it after several revealing conversations. Now, however, he didn’t feel like arguing with her. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Yup.” She wasn’t even listening as she swiftly ducked out and almost raced through the door. He entered the foyer, staring after her.

  “You shouldn’t let her get away with that shit.”

  Joey sighed as he turned towards Jocelyn, who was tucked back into a nook that led to the reception cage. She was busily scrawling her loopy handwriting on the blackboard. “How do I stop her?”

  “You’re the fucking, boss, Joe, act like it.”

  He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. Jocelyn’s looming height irked him. He always had to look up to her. She had a good two inches on him. “What have I told you about that mouth of yours? Guests are strolling all about here. You can’t talk that way.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Well, we just established you aren’t going to stop me. Besides a few dirty words won’t keep me from doing my job. I always do it. She never does.” The sneer was not unnoticed by Joey as Jocelyn glared at the fast retreating figure of Mrs. Marcy Rydell.

  “She’s Ben’s wife,” Joey said finally. Jocelyn’s entire body straightened with rigid disdain. “I can’t fire her. You know that. We already talked about this.” Much too often, but Joey didn’t add that. The problem with employing childhood friends, relatives, and girlfriends means you’re stuck with them. Even if they sucked. Jocelyn was smack dab in the middle of Joey and Ben age-wise. She had been working there in some capacity or another since she was fifteen, when she first started riding horses for Jack. She also hung out with all of them often enough to be considered one of the dudes—almost. “I just tolerate her and try to minimize her damage. Usually, she’s fine with guests if they just talk to her for a few minutes. Then they think she’s nice enough. You know how we value you, but you also know that Ben is married to Marcy.”

  Jocelyn tossed the chalk in her hand and it pinged against the little blackboard. “He’s a fucking idiot too. Who gets married at age nineteen?”

  “Ben and Jack Rydell. That’s who.”

  “To her? How can he not see it?”

  Joey shrugged. “She’s not that bad.”

  “She is. She is that bad. You’re an imbecile too for not seeing it.” Jocelyn spun on her heel and stomped through the empty café before slamming the door that swung into the kitchen.

  Joey rubbed his head. What was her problem? And why was he allowing his employees to leave early, without finishing their work, and screwing up his schedule while others were calling him names? At least, he knew he could count on Jocelyn to finish up to perfection. She was solid as the rock cliffs above the ranch when it came to her work ethic.

  Joey started to head into his office. It occupied what was once the family living room. Suddenly, he ran head
long into a body with big, soft boobs. He jumped back in shock, having no idea anyone else had come in. Then he sighed, dropping his head down, as her white teeth shone from her red, slick lips… Brianna Starr. She happily greeted him.

  Women… Girls… God, it used to be only men around here back in the day. He wished desperately right then for simpler times when they merely had to punch each other to get their points across.

  “What can I do for you, Brianna?”

  She wasn’t quite as small as her mother and wearing thick wedges on her feet to enhance her height. Her shorts were turned upwards, and her thighs cascaded forever, showing smooth, tanned skin. He swallowed, careful to keep his gaze focused directly over her head. Her little top and bra kept bouncing up and down.

  She licked her lips. He could see it from the corners of his eyes before he laser-focused them in on the door. When fingernails scraped over his bare arm from the outside of his elbow towards his wrist, he jumped back and she grabbed his hand. “Lots. I have lots of things I was hoping you could do for me… Joey.”

  No! What was it about adolescent girls and him? He unceremoniously shoved her away, shaking his head and preparing to admonish her when a voice rang out.

  “Get your hands off her.”

  Her mother, of course. Joey tilted his head and gave up in total defeat. They won. The women freaking won. Sighing, he turned towards the next one who would probably call him names, and if he were lucky, that would be the least of it.

  Chapter Two

  JOEY CLOSED HIS EYES and counted to five before turning his full attention towards Hailey Starr, the mother hen who, somehow, kept losing control over her not-so-innocent little chick. He quickly jerked both of his hands away and crossed them over his chest, pushing them deeply into his armpits, preventing anyone from having access to them, lest he be accused of groping a child.

  Hailey stood with her hands resting on the indentation at her waist and her elbows poking out. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and her mouth was set in the straight line of a scowl. But to his surprise, all that total mom-scorn wasn’t directed at him, but rightfully so, at her little sex-pot daughter who now towered over her.