When Jo had left, Taryn rested her elbows on the table and smiled at Destiny.
“We haven’t had a chance to get to know each other very well yet. Where are you from, and how did you end up here?”
Everyone at the table froze. Destiny told herself to remain calm. That Taryn meant the question in a general way. She wasn’t fishing for information on the Mills family. But in the second before she could summon an answer, she had to admit she felt more than a little trapped.
Taryn straightened. “What?” she demanded. “What did I say? I didn’t ask anything outrageous.” She slapped her hand on the table. “Something happened last night, didn’t it? I knew it! I told Angel we had to go to the opening, but he wanted to stay home because I was tired. Being pregnant means I miss all the fun.”
Bailey put her arm around Taryn. “I didn’t go, either,” she told her friend. “Nothing happened.”
“Something did,” Taryn insisted. “Tell me.”
“I sang,” Destiny said quietly.
Taryn frowned. “That’s it? You sang? Okay, I don’t get it. Either you’re really, really good, or really, really bad.”
“She’s good,” Madeline murmured.
Destiny knew there was no point in avoiding the topic. Nearly everyone knew, and maybe if she talked about it, they could move on to something more interesting.
“My parents are country singers,” she told Taryn. “Lacey and Jimmy Don Mills.”
Taryn brightened. “I’ve heard of them. You’re their daughter?”
“They married when they were eighteen and nineteen, and I came along nine months later.”
“But you work with that computer tracking program.”
“STORMS,” Destiny offered.
“Right. For the search and rescue guys. So why do that if you can sing?”
“I don’t like the business. I don’t want to be touring and living out my life in public.” Destiny did her best not to sound defensive.
“I get that,” Shelby said with a sympathetic smile. “It can’t be easy.”
“Not if it’s anything like what I’ve seen with my business partners.” Taryn nodded as she spoke. “I know what they went through. Interesting. Well, I’m sorry I missed your karaoke performance.”
“Me, too,” Jo said, appearing with their drinks. “I heard it was crazy busy over at The Man Cave. Good thing I closed for the night, or I would have spent the whole time being lonely.”
“You could have called me,” Taryn said. “I missed the fun, too.”
“Fun, huh?” Jo said. “Lunch will be along in a bit.”
She left. Destiny hoped there would be an organic change of topic, but Taryn turned back to her.
“Tell me next time you’re singing. I want to be there.”
“I doubt it will happen again.”
“But you have an amazing voice,” Madeline said, then slapped her hand across her mouth. “Sorry. It’s your decision. I’m not pushing.”
Destiny grinned. “Thanks.”
“What about Starr?” Shelby asked. “Does she want to be part of the business?”
“More than I’d like.” Destiny sipped her iced tea. “She didn’t grow up seeing the hard work and long days on the road. She thinks it’s glamorous.”
“She’s a lot younger than you, isn’t she?” Bailey asked.
“Fourteen years. She and I have different mothers.”
Shelby smiled. “Kipling and I are the same. We have different mothers, too.”
Destiny didn’t think she’d known that. She would never guess they were only half brother and sister. Although she supposed that was simply the biology of their relationships. In their hearts, they were family. Something she and Starr needed to work on.
“So where is Starr’s mother?” Taryn asked.
“She died about a year ago. Starr’s been in boarding school. When summer break came around, there wasn’t anyone to take her. Jimmy Don is touring in Europe, and Starr doesn’t have any other family on her mother’s side. None of her other half siblings are old enough to take her, so I said she could come stay with me.”
Madeline’s eyes widened. “That is the saddest thing. Not you taking her in, of course. That’s great. But the other part. I come from a small family, but I always knew my parents adored me. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be her age and have nowhere to call home. I’m so glad she’s with you now.”
Kind words that made Destiny feel guilty. Because she hadn’t exactly been excited to have Starr show up in her life.
She waited for someone to trash her dad. God knew the man deserved the censure, but it would leave her in the uncomfortable position of having to defend him. Surprisingly, no one said anything, and conversation shifted to the upcoming X-treme waterski festival.
Destiny let all the words wash over her. She felt as if she’d run miles. But the exhaustion was more emotional than physical. Belonging was hard. Staying on the outside, never getting involved was so much easier. Yet she didn’t regret making friends. The connections, however brief, felt good. Real. Or maybe, more important, normal.
* * *
KIPLING HAD BEEN looking forward to his meeting with Destiny. He hadn’t seen her since The Man Cave opening a couple of days before. And while he’d thought about seeking her out, his gut told him she needed some time.
“We haven’t had a chance to get to know each other very well yet. Where are you from, and how did you end up here?”
Everyone at the table froze. Destiny told herself to remain calm. That Taryn meant the question in a general way. She wasn’t fishing for information on the Mills family. But in the second before she could summon an answer, she had to admit she felt more than a little trapped.
Taryn straightened. “What?” she demanded. “What did I say? I didn’t ask anything outrageous.” She slapped her hand on the table. “Something happened last night, didn’t it? I knew it! I told Angel we had to go to the opening, but he wanted to stay home because I was tired. Being pregnant means I miss all the fun.”
Bailey put her arm around Taryn. “I didn’t go, either,” she told her friend. “Nothing happened.”
“Something did,” Taryn insisted. “Tell me.”
“I sang,” Destiny said quietly.
Taryn frowned. “That’s it? You sang? Okay, I don’t get it. Either you’re really, really good, or really, really bad.”
“She’s good,” Madeline murmured.
Destiny knew there was no point in avoiding the topic. Nearly everyone knew, and maybe if she talked about it, they could move on to something more interesting.
“My parents are country singers,” she told Taryn. “Lacey and Jimmy Don Mills.”
Taryn brightened. “I’ve heard of them. You’re their daughter?”
“They married when they were eighteen and nineteen, and I came along nine months later.”
“But you work with that computer tracking program.”
“STORMS,” Destiny offered.
“Right. For the search and rescue guys. So why do that if you can sing?”
“I don’t like the business. I don’t want to be touring and living out my life in public.” Destiny did her best not to sound defensive.
“I get that,” Shelby said with a sympathetic smile. “It can’t be easy.”
“Not if it’s anything like what I’ve seen with my business partners.” Taryn nodded as she spoke. “I know what they went through. Interesting. Well, I’m sorry I missed your karaoke performance.”
“Me, too,” Jo said, appearing with their drinks. “I heard it was crazy busy over at The Man Cave. Good thing I closed for the night, or I would have spent the whole time being lonely.”
“You could have called me,” Taryn said. “I missed the fun, too.”
“Fun, huh?” Jo said. “Lunch will be along in a bit.”
She left. Destiny hoped there would be an organic change of topic, but Taryn turned back to her.
“Tell me next time you’re singing. I want to be there.”
“I doubt it will happen again.”
“But you have an amazing voice,” Madeline said, then slapped her hand across her mouth. “Sorry. It’s your decision. I’m not pushing.”
Destiny grinned. “Thanks.”
“What about Starr?” Shelby asked. “Does she want to be part of the business?”
“More than I’d like.” Destiny sipped her iced tea. “She didn’t grow up seeing the hard work and long days on the road. She thinks it’s glamorous.”
“She’s a lot younger than you, isn’t she?” Bailey asked.
“Fourteen years. She and I have different mothers.”
Shelby smiled. “Kipling and I are the same. We have different mothers, too.”
Destiny didn’t think she’d known that. She would never guess they were only half brother and sister. Although she supposed that was simply the biology of their relationships. In their hearts, they were family. Something she and Starr needed to work on.
“So where is Starr’s mother?” Taryn asked.
“She died about a year ago. Starr’s been in boarding school. When summer break came around, there wasn’t anyone to take her. Jimmy Don is touring in Europe, and Starr doesn’t have any other family on her mother’s side. None of her other half siblings are old enough to take her, so I said she could come stay with me.”
Madeline’s eyes widened. “That is the saddest thing. Not you taking her in, of course. That’s great. But the other part. I come from a small family, but I always knew my parents adored me. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be her age and have nowhere to call home. I’m so glad she’s with you now.”
Kind words that made Destiny feel guilty. Because she hadn’t exactly been excited to have Starr show up in her life.
She waited for someone to trash her dad. God knew the man deserved the censure, but it would leave her in the uncomfortable position of having to defend him. Surprisingly, no one said anything, and conversation shifted to the upcoming X-treme waterski festival.
Destiny let all the words wash over her. She felt as if she’d run miles. But the exhaustion was more emotional than physical. Belonging was hard. Staying on the outside, never getting involved was so much easier. Yet she didn’t regret making friends. The connections, however brief, felt good. Real. Or maybe, more important, normal.
* * *
KIPLING HAD BEEN looking forward to his meeting with Destiny. He hadn’t seen her since The Man Cave opening a couple of days before. And while he’d thought about seeking her out, his gut told him she needed some time.
