Page 1 of Pieces into Place (Moonflower Cove Romance #16)

Isla

T he gray November day matched Isla Mackenzie’s mood perfectly.

Although she tried to push past it, she’d been in a grumpy mood since she’d woken up.

She had even skipped going to breakfast with her wife Vera and their youngest Everleigh, which was something Isla normally never would have done.

But she knew her mood wasn’t one she wanted to burden Vera and Everleigh with.

Not when they already took the brunt of her bad days recently as the only two living at the farmhouse.

Well, and their middle child, Ellie, who lived in the garage apartment. But Ellie was in college and often gone more than she was home. Vera and Everleigh were around Isla all the time.

Isla had noticed the sideways glances they exchanged whenever she was in a mood.

Vera would raise an eyebrow to which Everleigh would roll her eyes, or vice versa.

And unfortunately, their secret communication had been used more often recently as Isla continued to struggle through her relationship with their oldest daughter, Blake.

Thirty-six years ago when Isla had Blake, she never once pictured a moment in her life when the two wouldn’t be inseparable.

Isla had only been nineteen when she had Blake, which was crazy to think about, considering Ellie was currently the same age.

She couldn’t imagine Ellie having a baby, and yet Isla had birthed Blake and instantly fell in love with her.

Blake was her first baby; the one that made her a mommy.

When she lifted Blake onto her chest, everything in Isla’s life changed for the better.

Dreams she never knew she had formed and a love she didn’t know she was capable of experiencing slept in her arms.

Back then, Isla never thought how dramatically their lives would change in only five years.

Isla’s heart ached as she thought back to those years with Blake.

The two had been inseparable from the moment Blake was born.

She was a mommy’s girl, and Isla loved it.

Thankfully, Isla’s ex-husband, Ben Calloway, had a well-paying job that allowed Isla to stay at home with Blake.

And three years later, to stay home with her second daughter, Mason.

She had been right by Isla’s side as she had Mason.

She looked more concerned than Isla had expected, which pulled Isla’s attention away from her own pain.

When Mason was finally born, Blake looked at her quizzically before asking Isla if she was an alien.

Since Ben spent more time at work than at home, Isla had basically been a single mother to her girls.

They went to the park, played board games, and acted out plays in the living room.

Blake and Mason were the lights of her world, and Isla hoped they would never dim.

Blake was always the center of attention and loved music and acting, just like Isla did.

Isla fostered that love by taking her to a local community theater that focused on kids’ plays and Blake thrived.

Even at four, it was clear she was meant for the spotlight.

Each time Isla watched Blake on stage, she felt her heart soar with happiness at watching her daughter find her passions.

That passion was quickly noticed by Ben. He had a friend in the film business who wanted to cast Blake in a commercial. Isla had reluctantly agreed, not loving the idea of her four-year-old being on TV. But Ben insisted it would be fine and Blake seemed to love it, so Isla gave in .

If there was ever a decision in her life she wanted to change, it was that one.

Because once Ben got the first royalty check from that commercial, he became solely focused on getting Blake in more commercials and shows.

Without Isla’s knowledge, Ben took Blake to an audition for a TV show.

The directors loved her and offered Ben a decent salary for her.

But Isla had put her foot down and said no.

Blake was too young to be working full-time.

And the job would require them to move to Los Angeles, which Isla definitely didn’t want to do.

Ben didn’t care about any of that, though. Once he realized how much money would be involved, that was all that mattered. He filed for divorce then for custody of Blake and, thanks to a friend of his who was also a judge, he was granted sole custody of Blake.

Isla squeezed her eyes shut, not letting her brain remember the parts that came next. It was the darkest time in her life, and she wasn’t in the headspace to relive it. Again.

Taking another Diet Coke out of the refrigerator, Isla sat at the kitchen table and sighed.

Isla had already had one with her breakfast, washing the chocolate chip Pop-Tart down with it.

Vera would undoubtedly fuss at her for drinking two sodas before noon, but Isla didn’t care.

She needed something to get her mind off the pain in her heart.

Even though she and Blake were reunited five years ago, Isla still felt the wall Blake had built up around herself.

She understood it; Isla herself had put up walls to keep her heart safe after Ben took Blake to California.

But Vera helped Isla deconstruct her walls as they spent over twenty years waiting for Blake to come back into their lives.

And even though Blake was back in their lives now, Isla still felt as if she was still waiting for her to come back.

When Blake walked into Straight to Ale five years ago, Isla had dreams of finally having her family all together under one roof.

She hoped to rebuild the broken bridges between her and Blake while introducing Blake to Vera, watching her reconnect with Mason, and meeting her three younger siblings.

But Blake had seemingly only been interested in falling in love with Alexis Holland.

Not that Isla could blame her. She knew how hard and fast a Mackenzie new to town could fall for someone in the Cove.

That did little to dull the ache in Isla’s heart for a relationship with Blake.

Sure, they talked regularly, and Blake was always at family events.

But Blake also brought along the walls that she’d erected years ago that seemed to do nothing but keep everyone but Alexis out.

Isla had hoped that after Alexis gave birth to their twins two years ago that things might change, but she’d been wrong.

If anything, the babies pulled Blake’s attention even farther from rectifying things with Isla.

Which was something that Isla had to make peace with almost daily to avoid her frustrations bubbling over onto her grandkids, who didn’t deserve that.

The back door opened as Everleigh and her service dog, Willow, came inside with Vera behind them.

Isla put her thoughts back into the little box she kept them in her brain as she smiled at her baby girl.

Everleigh was thirteen now. How that had happened, Isla did not know.

She hugged her daughter close, savoring her last baby still wanting to hug her at thirteen.

“You’re squeezing me,” Everleigh giggled as Isla kissed her cheek repeatedly.

“I’m your mommy. I’m allowed to do that.”

“Are you also allowed to take me to the movies tonight?”

“Mama and I have already bought the tickets.”

“Yes!” Everleigh pumped her fist in the air.

“Evie, why don’t you go give Willow a bath?” Vera had a slightly stern tone in her voice, which caused Isla to arch her eyebrow at her. “It’s Sunday.”

“I know. ”

“That’s Willow bath day,” Vera stated flatly, as if every Sunday in the Mackenzie house for the last thirteen years didn’t include dog washing.

As Everleigh and Willow headed up the stairs, Isla watched as Vera took a bottle of water out of the fridge before joining her at the table.

Her dark blonde hair had gotten even darker over the years, looking almost completely brown now.

She had it cut to just above her shoulders, which had been a favorite style for her recently.

Isla loved it as well. What she didn’t love was being able to read Vera so damn well she knew a lecture was forthcoming.

That was confirmed when Vera inhaled sharply before slowly letting it out.

“Isla.”

“Vera,” she laughed to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.

“Honey,” Vera sighed as she reached out, putting her hand on Isla’s arm, “I know the whole Blake thing has been eating you alive recently.”

Isla laughed bitterly. “Recently? Try thirty-one years .”

“I know, babe. I’m not trying to discredit anything we have gone through. Everything you ,” Vera squeezed Isla’s arm, “have gone through. But, honey, I know that you harboring all that anger toward Blake isn’t healthy for you and it’s not helping her want to get closer to you. And it’s not…”

Vera’s voice faded off as she covered her mouth with her hand. Isla felt her heart rate quicken as Vera’s face softened and tears welled in her eyes. Scooting her chair closer to Vera’s, Isla took hold of her hands as she looked into her wife’s eyes.

“And it’s not… what, honey?” Gone was Isla’s anger she’d been reveling in all morning and in its place was a fierce concern for whatever had Vera so upset. Vera squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a moment before slowly looking at Isla again .

“It’s not doing any good for our kids that desperately want their mommy back.”

One by one, Vera’s words hit her heart as Isla felt hot tears pool in her eyes.

“Evie asked me four times this morning if you were mad at her.”

“Why—why would she think I was mad at her?”

“Because she asked you to go to breakfast with us and you said no.”

A pang of guilt stabbed Isla’s stomach. “I… I wasn’t in a good headspace to go.”

“I know that, honey, but that’s been happening a lot lately. I’m really worried about you.”