A Wrench in the Works Read online

  Chloe’s smile tightened. “Seriously? Nice?”

  The last thing I’d wanted to do was diss Chloe’s boss, but Chloe obviously knew me too well. “I guess she was a little full of herself.”

  “That’s more like it.” She gave Robbie an absent scratch. “Don’t get me wrong, Bree can be nice when she wants to be. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very often.”

  My gaze narrowed. Okay, I might not see my sister often, but I could still read her expressions and emotions fairly easily. “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing really.” Chloe shrugged and reached for her wineglass. “Except that right before I left the studio this morning, she fired me.”

  Chapter Two

  “What?” I jumped to my feet and waved my arms in the air like a ranting monkey. “What do you mean, she fired you?”

  Chloe was uncharacteristically calm. It was spooky. My sister was not known for her Zen-like personality.

  “Just what I said.”

  I, on the other hand, was going nutso on her behalf. “How dare she fire you! You’re the star of the show!”

  “Yeah, I know.” Her expression darkened. “And so does she.”

  “Are you all right?”

  The mask fell back into place as she composed herself. “Of course.”

  “Why aren’t you furious? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” I slapped both fists on my hips and stared at her. “So what’re you going to do about it? But wait, this doesn’t make sense. You’re here. You’re starting to film tomorrow.” I stared at her, shaking my head. “What’s going on?”

  Chloe stood and grabbed my arms. “It’s okay, Shannon. Don’t flip out. She fires me every other week. She fires people all the time. She’s even fired Blake, and he’s her husband.”

  Well, this explained why Chloe wasn’t half-crazed and it helped throw cold water on the flames lighting me up. “She fires her own husband? All the time? But you and he are the stars of the show. I don’t get it. Is she insane?”

  My sister shrugged. “A little. In the last two years the show has become ultrapopular. The network loves it and has put a lot of extra money into it. I think all that power has gone to her head. She likes to have things her way and if you don’t comply, she will punish you. We call her the dominatrix now.”

  It made me grateful that I ran my own business and didn’t have to take orders from anyone else. It also made me wonder how Chloe was keeping so calm.

  “So let me get this straight. You still have your job, right?”

  “Yes, because I just ignore her when she does stuff like this.” Chloe sighed again. “But honestly, I’m getting so tired of her shenanigans.”

  “Shenanigans? Don’t you think that’s a little mild? She sounds like a whacked-out bully.”

  She beamed at me. “I like that description better.”

  “You should because it’s true. What’s confusing is why you’re not thinking of her like that. Come on, Chloe. This is beyond weird.”

  She pushed a strand of hair back from her face on another sigh. “Yeah, I know, but it’s not like she’s deranged. She’s just . . . weird.”

  “You’re making light of it, but I’m worried about you. I hate her for threatening you. It’s got to be really stressful. And it’s not fair. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are and you deserve to be happy.”

  “I am happy. Really. Well, most of the time.” She sat down, grabbed her wineglass, and took a healthy sip. “Look, to be honest, I don’t have a lot of interaction with Bree. Mostly she deals with Blake, who absolutely loves her.”

  Was love really that blind? “Why? She sounds awful.”

  She shrugged. “The two of them seem to click together. And let’s not forget that she’s very beautiful, so he’s willing to put up with a lot.”

  I sat back down. “Seriously? You’re so much prettier than she is.”

  “You’re my sister,” she said with a wry smile. “Your opinion doesn’t count. But I love you for saying so.”

  “Well, if you want an objective opinion, you can ask Mac. He saw Bree while she was here.”

  “Mac saw her? That’s interesting.”

  “The whole town saw her. As you must know, she is no shrinking violet.”

  “Hardly.” Chloe snorted and sipped her wine.

  “She made sure that everyone knew she was a big-time Hollywood producer.” I took a drink of mine, too. “She threw her weight around wherever she went.”

  Chloe raised one eyebrow. “I wish I were shocked. She’s a real piece of work.”

  “It was a bizarre day for me.” I took another sip of wine as I reflected on Bree’s visit last month. “I spent the whole morning with her, showed her four houses I thought would be good for the makeovers. Fabulous homes, really, but in disrepair, obviously. She was kind of dismissive, but since she’s your boss, I decided I would be nice to her, no matter what.

  “And it wasn’t easy. I even offered to take her to dinner that night, but she told me she needed to spread the joy, as she put it. Told me she was meeting with several real estate agents who also had houses in mind for the show.”

  “Spread the joy,” Chloe muttered. “That’s so Bree.” She stretched her legs out and rested her feet on the coffee table. “Sorry she was dismissive with you.”

  “I wouldn’t care, except that I did notice her behaving differently around the men she met.”

  “Yeah, she cranks up the charm around the guys. So how did Mac meet her?”

  “I took her out to the lighthouse mansion to show her where I want to build the deck. She loved the location right on the beach and agreed that it would be a good segment to use online.”

  “I’m glad. So was she civil to Mac?”

  “Civil? Hmm.”

  Chloe sighed and shook her head. “She flirted mercilessly, right?”

  I gritted my teeth. “With all the subtlety of a jackhammer. She’s formidable, I’ll give her that. Mac handled it fine, but I caught him making faces behind her back.”

  “Good for him.” Chloe laughed. “I’ve done it myself and hey, it’s better than shoving her off a cliff.”

  I laughed, too. “I guess so. If you want honesty, I’ll tell you that the time I spent with her was the longest few hours of my life. I don’t know how you deal with her every day.”

  “I love my job, Shan,” she said. “And she doesn’t actually spend that much time on the set with us, so it’s usually easygoing and fun. But speaking of Mac, when do I get to meet your famous mystery man?”

  “How about tonight?” I really wanted my sister and Mac to meet and become friends. “I’d like to invite him to dinner if it’s okay with you.”

  “I would love that.” She grabbed her phone to check the time. “It’s almost six now. What time do you want to eat?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were up for socializing before I made any plans. We can eat anytime you’re ready. I thought we’d walk to Bella Rossa. I made a reservation for seven o’clock, just in case. I’ll call Mac and see if he can meet us there.”

  “Can you believe I’ve never been to Bella Rossa?” she said. “I can’t wait.”

  “You’ll love it. It’s got Uncle Pete’s vibe all over it.”

  She smiled. Our uncle Pete owned the popular Italian restaurant and wine bar on the town square and he was often there to greet customers. The place was an offshoot of Pete’s winery and vineyard east of town. It was a shock to realize Chloe had never been there.

  “I can’t wait to see Uncle Pete,” she said.

  I frowned. “You know he’s out of town fishing with Dad, right?”

  “Yeah. Dad texted me earlier to say they’re halfway through Oregon and should be back by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Good. We’ll have them over for dinner.”

  “Wo
nderful.”

  “You’ll probably see a bunch of familiar faces tonight. It’s a happening spot. Well, as happening as we get around here.”

  “Then that’s where we need to be.”

  “I know, right? Okay. I need a minute to dry my hair and change clothes.”

  “I’ll need more than a minute.”

  “Yeah, I might need two minutes. But first let’s go check out your room.”

  “Good idea.”

  I followed Chloe upstairs and down the hall. When she got to the door of her room, she stopped. “Oh. It’s all so . . . different.”

  “Just some paint and new drapes,” I said self-consciously, having no idea if she would hate me for updating everything.

  “You’ve really changed things.” Her voice was wistful, but I couldn’t tell if she was pleased or disappointed.

  I spoke up, to fill the silence that stretched out as Chloe looked around the room where she’d grown up. “I added a few doodads here and there. I hope you don’t mind. I took down your NSYNC posters, but I didn’t throw them away. They’re still in the closet.”

  She nodded absently as she strolled around the room picking up or tweaking every little tchotchke and doohickey I’d placed here and there in my attempt at décor. I had replaced her rickety old bookshelf with floating blond wood shelves, but I’d kept all of her favorite childhood books and added some fun romances as well as my favorite mysteries and thrillers. A modern blond wood desk and comfy chair were placed under the shelves and another wall held a flat-screen television. The brightly colored handmade quilt covering the queen-sized bed was from my friend Marigold’s Crafts and Quilts shop.

  “Well?” I said, a little nervous that she hadn’t commented. Especially since she was now considered the queen of design with her new book on the market. Not that I was intimidated or anything. “You’re making me really tense here, Chloe . . .”

  She turned and I could see that her eyes were a little watery, but she was smiling. “You did a great job. It’s so pretty. Really cheerful.”

  I let go of the breath I’d been holding. “I’m so glad you like it.”

  “I love it.”

  Wow. Funny how nervous I’d been and what a relief it was to know that my sister approved of what I’d done. Chloe was amazing at what she did. And yes, in my own defense, I was darn good at my job, too. But she was the designer. I’m the builder. “Good. That’s good. So, do you need some help unpacking?”

  “Let’s do that later. I’m starving.”

  “Okay, I’ll just go fix my hair and we can meet downstairs in ten minutes. Okay?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  I dashed down the hall to my bathroom, where I dried my hair into a semblance of a style. Then I reached for my phone and called Mac.

  “Hey, Irish,” he said warmly. “I was hoping you’d call. Did your sister arrive?”

  “Yes, she’s here and she would love to meet you if you’re up for dinner.” I gave him the details and we agreed to meet at the restaurant as soon as he could get there.

  After I hung up, I applied moisturizer and dabbed on some lip gloss, then changed out of my T-shirt and sweatpants and into a slightly more tasteful outfit of black skinny jeans, soft cashmere sweater, and short black boots.

  “That will have to do on short notice.” I checked myself out in the mirror and began to think about introducing Chloe to Mac. Would they like each other? Would he like her more than me?

  “Oh my God, shut up,” I said to my reflection. Why was I suddenly feeling so insecure?

  “Because you’re a knucklehead,” I muttered in response. Grabbing my leather jacket, I jogged downstairs and was surprised to see Chloe waiting by the front door.

  “You were fast,” she said.

  I smiled. “You were faster.”

  “I was already dressed so I just brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and here I am.” She slid her phone into her pocket. “I just texted Dad to let him know about dinner tomorrow night.”

  “Good. I’m sorry he wasn’t here to greet you today.”

  “No worries,” she said, waving off my concern. “I know he had this fishing trip planned for over a year.”

  “It’s their annual trip to Pemberton. They’ve gone up there for the past six or seven years.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard all about it,” she said with a smile. “And I’ve been to that area. Some friends and I went skiing in Whistler a few years ago. It’s beautiful up there.”

  Dad and Uncle Pete and two of their buddies drove Dad’s RV up to British Columbia every year to go fly fishing on the Birkenhead River when the salmon were running.

  I grinned. “I’m sure he’ll have a thousand pictures to show us. Along with plenty of salmon to cook.” I pulled my house keys from my purse and opened the door. “Okay if we walk?”

  “Sure. It’ll give me a chance to check out the old neighborhood.”

  “It hasn’t changed too much.” I locked the door and we chatted as we walked north toward the town square.

  She looked back over her shoulder at our family home. “You’ve really done a lot of work on the house.”

  “I like to stay busy.”

  She chuckled. “I remember.”

  I groaned. “That’s right. You were still here when I went through that mess with Tommy. I was afraid I would drive my car off the pier if I didn’t keep busy, so I revived the vegetable garden and started working on the house.”

  “Tommy was such a jerk.”

  “Yes, he was,” I admitted. “But I don’t really blame him. It was mostly Whitney’s fault. She was determined to prove that she could steal him away from me . . . and hey, she did it.”

  “What a great basis for a marriage,” Chloe said, scowling. “Just to prove she could get him to sleep with her before you.”

  I shrugged. “It worked for her.”

  “She got pregnant and set Tommy up just to hurt you.” Chloe threw one arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick hug in solidarity. “She was a horrible person.”

  “She still is,” I said lightly. “But look, these days Tommy and I are good friends again and it drives Whitney crazy.”

  Chloe laughed. “The best revenge.”

  “Yup.”

  “Something tells me you made out better than she did.”

  I liked to think so. “Well, she’s got three cute kids and a darling husband. But then, her father recently lost all his money so she’s probably suffering in her own special way.”

  “I hope so.” She scowled. “I’m sorry to be so cold about it, but that’s what happens when all you care about is money and status. It was that way with all those girls in the Mean Girls clique.”

  “They were pretty awful.”

  “I hated them so much.”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist. “I know.”

  Back in school, we both hated the “townies versus rich kids” attitude. Many of those rich kids had moved to town because their parents loved the lifestyle the town afforded them. After all, we had the beach, the marina, the rolling hills, the beautiful homes, and the nearby wine country. But some of the kids were unhappy with the move and took it out on those of us who were born and raised here.

  Chloe had truly loathed the class structure that the wealthier kids tried to impose on us. The townies. Her anger blossomed and grew until things got ugly. During her freshman year in high school, Chloe’s best friend, Madison, died of cancer. Chloe was bereft and some of the newer kids in her class mocked her for taking it so hard. There were fights. Chloe kicked the crap out of two of the girls and even one boy. After she was threatened with expulsion, Chloe resisted making new friends and even cut off some of her oldest friends when she saw them hanging out with any of the new kids.

  And then an expensive plaque disappeared from the school trophy case. O
ne of the mean girls falsely accused Chloe and she was actually arrested by the old police chief—until the real culprit was discovered.

  Chloe figured that this was the way things were going to be for as long as she remained in Lighthouse Cove. No wonder she felt as if she had to leave.

  Once she got to Hollywood, she realized that everyone she met was from somewhere else, which meant that they were all starting out on an even playing field. Chloe found it easier to make friends there and be happy again. Dad and I missed her, but we both knew she was better off where she was. As long as she was happy, that was all I cared about.

  “Honestly, Shannon,” Chloe said as we turned on Main Street. “I don’t know how you survived high school, with all that nonstop drama. And then you actually stayed here. I couldn’t wait to get out.”

  “I know and I understand. But I’ve always loved it here.” I looked around my neighborhood and liked knowing everyone who lived in those tidy homes. I’d worked on many of them and being an important part of our town meant a lot to me. “I never wanted to move away. Of course, after Tommy, I was pretty miserable, but that had nothing to do with where I lived—although it wasn’t easy having Whitney in my face every day at school. But I still had Dad and you and Uncle Pete and all my friends. And I had my job, which I loved. So I stayed. And I’m glad I did. I’m happy here.”

  Chloe gave me a long look, then smiled. “I’m so glad to hear it.”

  “I want you to be happy, too, kiddo. Don’t get me wrong, I know you’re a superstar so I can’t feel too sorry for you.”

  She laughed and swatted my arm. “Very funny.”

  “I’d like you to come home more often . . .”

  “I always mean to, Shan,” she said. “But then I get busy—not really an excuse, though, is it?”

  “No, but that’s okay. I really do hope Bree backs off and leaves you alone.”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. “You and me both, sis.”

  We were a few doors down from the restaurant when I saw a tall man standing in the shadows. “There’s Mac.”