Page 6 of True Honey (The Hornets Nest #4)

SHORE

“ H e prefers Auggie,” she said a moment later. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun with small strands of hair that were being shoved around in the breeze. I thought the day drinking had made her seem prettier than she was, but I was wrong. She was even prettier sober.

Focus.

She had said, her son.

When Arlo had vetoed the backlog of dates, it hadn’t really left much room for candidates.

It didn’t take long for me to come up with the idea that maybe I shouldn’t be focusing so much on the seriousness of the relationship but more the show.

The board wanted a happy family, which I couldn’t give them before Grandpa died. But I could make them think I had one.

If I could trick not only the board but my Grandpa and Mother into believing that I had a fiancé or a wife, maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to get the papers signed. It felt wrong, lying to them. It made my skin itchy at the thought of them finding out and everything blowing up in my face.

It was quickly eclipsed by the thought of my father getting his hands on Harbor, the foundations, the university scholarship funds, the teams…

I had to do everything I could to keep that out of his slimy, rotten hands.

So I decided that striking a deal with a woman would be easier than marrying one.

Easier said than done when most of the women in Harbor either hated my playboy guts or screamed gold digger .

Mom would see right through a woman like that.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that fresh meat had strolled into town at the perfect opportunity.

However, I hadn’t considered the idea that the perfect candidate might have her own responsibilities.

I stuffed down the apprehension and decided that it might still work.

If Drew was in the position I thought she was in, I might be able to strike a deal with her.

It was just about whether or not she would be brave enough to take it.

I would need to start slow, ease her into it.

I didn’t want to lie to her, or trick her…

that wasn’t my intention. We were desperate on different ends of the spectrum.

Her hands still shook, and her face showed just how fast her brain was sprinting through every worst-case scenario.

“Was he the kid in the car the other day?” I asked, not knowing how far I was going to get before she shut down the conversation completely.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, her eyes drifting down to her hand. I felt bad that she had gotten hurt. I had quickly played off what she said, but the idea that someone had assaulted her in Hilly's bothered me more than it should for a woman I didn’t know.

“Where is he now?” I asked and looked at the empty car with a twinge of worry.

“Inside, Kayla set him up with a table and food… she’s just been so nice to us and I screwed that up tonight…” she was spiraling.

“Apartment hunting can be tiring,” I said. “Stay away from the east side of Harbor, over the tracks.” It came out of my mouth before I could even think about the fact that the east side was probably the only area she could afford. It’s where Arlo grew up and he didn’t turn out too bad…

“I’ve been looking during the day while he’s at school but haven’t really had much luck yet.

” She explained. She looked around the parking lot, tilting her head up to the stars, exposing her neck and closing her eyes for a moment.

Her chest was still heaving but her face gave no hints of her discomfort or anxiety. She was a professional at hiding it.

“You’ll find something,” I offered but she huffed.

“Not without a job,” she said nervously, brushing her hand over her head.

Her eyes suddenly grew wet with worry and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I royally screwed that up tonight. I broke a bunch of glasses, and spilled drinks on not only you but a room full of people.” She covered her mouth with her hand as she spiraled further into her panic. “I’m homeless and jobless… ”

“There are plenty of places around Harbor who are hiring,” I said to her, begging her brain to slow down before she lost herself completely.

“People weren’t exactly welcoming. I got called a tourist about a hundred times.

It was hard enough getting a job here.” She looked at me and the moon reflected back at me in her tear filled gaze.

“And now, I’m crying in front of a total stranger,” she groaned and slapped her hands to her face, hissing when she remembered the cut.

“Hey, careful.” I grabbed the wrist of her hurt hand and held it away from her face.

“Harbor can be a little rough about outsiders, so they’re probably just giving you a hard time.

” I dropped her hand and turned back to the first aid kit.

“But luckily you spilled a drink on the one guy in Harbor who likes the trouble that new people bring.”

“Is that so?” I could see the worry starting to fade from her face and the tension in her shoulders began to relax the more I talked.

I had always chased the high of helping people, I liked the way it made me feel to be useful to someone.

I enjoyed the rush of putting a smile on someone's face or knowing that I helped.

I had an idea, a gentle way to push her. Maybe it would give me a little time to get to know her.

“I’m going to offer you something, Drew, and before you say no you have to take my card and this with you.” I shook the first aid kit in the air.

“But I can say no?” She asked.

“Sure if you want to be responsible for breaking my heart,” I said to her and instantly regretted the cheesy line. She tilted her head and her brows knitted together in suspicion. That would work on a lot of girls, but Drew wasn’t a girl… she was a woman backed into a corner with limited options.

She reached for the med kit with a pensive look on her face but I held it away from her grasp. I almost laughed at the angry, motherly glare that appeared when I pulled it out of her reach.

“What’s your offer?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Let me extend proper Harbor hospitality,” I said to her and the suspicious look on her face made me chuckle. “I have a space you can rent,” I said.

“A space?” She sounded confused.

“Yeah that sounds bad. It’s not a space…It’s a three bedroom apartment but it comes with a roommate.” I said. I was just trying to keep my tone flat so I didn’t scare her away.

“A roommate?” Her confusion melted into anxiety.

“He’s a nice guy, really busy he’s barely around, so you won’t even notice he’s here,” I said, listing off traits that I hoped would settle her frayed nerves. “He’s good with kids, always keeps the fridge stocked…”

“You’re the roommate?” She narrowed her eyes on me. Caught.

“Does that sway your decision or should I keep listing my charming qualities?” I said. “Oddly enough I have a list prepared for situations just like this.” I joked and I watched her lip twitch upward briefly.

“You’re inviting us to live with you?” She asked, making me sound like a lunatic. Or a murderer…maybe both? Fuck . I was screwing this up. There was no way she was going to go for it.

“Rent,” I corrected her. “You have to pay rent, which means you have to find a new job if Kayla fires you,” I said trying to make it sound like I wasn’t just doing her a really creepy favor.

“And if I can’t find a job?” She countered and then went quiet. I could tell she was coming up with reasons to refuse but it wasn’t going to be easy to convince her that I really was just trying to be nice.

“You will.” An explosion of cheers and chaos came from inside, I pointed to the door, “you should get back inside, I don’t need an answer tonight. Take this,” I said, holding out the first aid kit and my business card. “The offer doesn’t expire.”

She looked down at the card, slow to reach for it, but she took it. I shoved my hands in my pockets and stepped back from her. She stayed quiet, chewing on the inside of her lip nervously as she thought about it. “Why would you do that?” She asked after a moment.

“If I can help, I want to. It’s kind of what I do,” I said to her. I watched her process my words, a subtle shudder passing through her. She slipped the card into the mesh pocket on the back of the first aid kit and excused herself back inside.

When the door slammed closed, I turned on my heel to find Arlo leaning against the brick wall five feet away. I could see the smug look on his face as I approached him, even in the shadowed light of the parking lot it was telling of the lecture to come.

“Why do I always find you wandering around the pound with money burning holes in your pocket?” He questioned.

“She just needed help,” I responded calmly.

“We don’t need any more strays,” Arlo warned.

“Rich, coming from Harbor’s own crazy cat lady,” I muttered, leaning back against the wall beside him. “She cut her hand, I was being a doctor,” I told him after a moment.

“And offering her a place to live?” He questioned, of course he had heard that. “Listen I know you’re desperate to keep the company out of Charles’s hands but Si…”

“Yeah I know.” I waved him off, “just trust me?”

A low grumble formed at the base of his throat but he nodded his head in agreement before he disappeared around the corner and back into the bar. The stupid look on his face was burned into my thoughts and for a split second I questioned all my decisions.