Mr. H.O.A., Carina Taylor [uplifting book club books .txt] 📗

I could think of. I angled Nola to face me and bent down just enough to kiss her square on the lips. It was brief, but she kissed me back without hesitation.

Pulling back, I gently brushed the hair behind her ear. "I’m so sorry, sweetie. I should have realized you’ve been working on getting ready for this party all day. I’ve been so inconsiderate of you."

Nola’s eyes danced with mischief as she did her best to look weary. "I think I’m just so tired."

Ian jumped in. "We’ll man the grill for a while so you two can go visit with everyone."

He winked at me as he took the tongs and hot pads from me. I had a feeling he’d been on the other end of Carol’s obsession before. Tori patted my arm as she walked around me to take Nola's place.

Nola and I didn’t have to be told twice. We practically ran to the other side of the yard. I bent down to whisper in her ear. "I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first before I kissed you. I was running out of ideas on how to change the subject."

"It’s okay, we’re married. Married people kiss. Sometimes. I think. I mean—we don't." She wrung her hands together. "I have to get a drink. I’m dying of thirst." With a laugh, she pulled away and went to get a can of soda from the ice chests.

She was thirsty from the heat. I was thirsty from something else.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Homeowners Association Rule #64:

Lawn crews are only acceptable if they are from the approved HOA list.

"Here." Bane passed me a cup of coffee one early morning. It had been two days since the barbecue. We'd slipped back into being removed roommates who did nice things for each other.

It was stifling. Ignoring the tension between us. Pretending we were fine keeping this distance.

I was not fine. I was on fire. I was about to blow, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Thanks." I sipped the hot, creamy goodness as I pulled the eggs out of the fridge. Bane drank his coffee black, I now knew, and that explained why he was so worried about our living situation. No one can be calm if they drink black coffee.

He walked outside to turn the sprinklers on while I scrambled some eggs. When they were done, I dished them up on two plates, handed one to Bane when he walked in, then headed to the living room to eat on the couch. Bane tossed my book club book to me, then sat down at the bar to eat breakfast.

"Where is the—"

"Next to the fridge!"

Bane stood up and made his way to the fridge, where he grabbed the small salt and pepper shakers.

"Thanks."

I nodded.

The morning continued as it typically did, Bane gathering his things and running out the door while I drank copious amounts of coffee. It was Saturday. Bane had an early morning showing, and I had the day off. Shauna and Rob were taking a family camping trip.

I had big plans with Netflix. Maybe read the romance about a dejected heroine. It would fit my current mood perfectly.

I picked up the book and opened it. The words all ran together as the hero took shape in my mind. He looked remarkably like Bane, only with a cutlass and pirate attire.

The front door creaked open.

"Forget your sunglasses?" I called over my shoulder. "I'll grab them for you."

I grabbed the sunglasses off of the counter and turned around to hand them to Bane.

Except the man standing in the entryway was not my Bane.

Sebastian Mercier stood in the hall.

His broad shoulders, grey hair, and grimly set mouth slacked open when he saw me. His green eyes, the same ones I stared at every morning in the mirror, studied me in surprise.

"Nola," he whispered.

I shakily set the sunglasses back down on the counter. "Dad."

He stepped forward, dropping his briefcase on the ground. The next thing I knew, he enveloped me in a bear hug. There was the familiar scent of aftershave that he hadn't changed in my twenty-four years of life. It was probably the first recognizable smell to me as a child.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he pulled back.

"I...what are you doing here?"

"I noticed a change in my electric bill."

With a sigh, I knew I was going to have to explain everything to him. "That’s it?"

"And I’m here to check on The Market Street Apartment demolition. I heard that the deposits weren’t returned to the tenants. I’m here to find out why. I'd hoped you'd been staying here."

"Wait—you mean you returned them?"

"Yes. The apartment manager was in charge of distributing them. I didn’t want to mail them in case the tenants wouldn’t get them before they moved." Dad rubbed the side of his face. "But after getting your letters, and another persistent man’s emails, I’m thinking there’s something going on. Chippy had told me it was all taken care of and that he returned the money. I assumed the man emailing me was just trying to get some more money out of me."

I tapped my fingers against my leg. He hadn’t kept the deposits. He hadn’t taken people’s money for no reason.

"Bane told me he’d been emailing you when we moved in..." I muttered under my breath.

His eyes narrowed as he interrogated me. "What are you talking about? Who are you talking about?"

Sebastian Mercier, my father, was a loom-er by nature. He loved looming. It was one of his favorite hobbies that he'd perfected over the years. He was getting in some good practice right then as he stared me down.

"Who else is in the house with you?"

"You. No one else is here."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" His voice crept up a level.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous. He's supposed to be my husband."

His forehead turned a bright shade of red, and his green eyes hardened to emeralds. "I haven't seen you in over a year, and the first thing you tell me is that you're married?