Heart Breaking Desire: Bay Shore, #3

By Susan V. Vaughn

Kaylee Rybak's life is a nightmare. Her mother's addiction to drugs is spiraling out of control. And for months she has had a recurring dream that just might be a prediction of her mother's death. She is determined to use her psychic ability to prevent this tragedy. But when a man from her past comes back to town, she loses herself in the passion between them. Now her family's future is on the line—and so is her heart.

 

Tony Reynolds has been in love with his best friend's little sister for sixteen long years. But the moment he got up enough nerve to tell her, an unexpected family tragedy forced his life in another direction. Now, after three long years of separation, Tony is back in Bay Shore to take over his old mentor's mechanic shop, and to secure Kaylee's heart. But will she accept his love when he finally puts it all on the line?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
• Release date: Dec 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781953335173

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Tony Reynolds watched the sign to Bay Shore grow larger, as his mother drove their moving van down a long road with a cornfield on one side and Lake Huron on the other. Welcome it said in big, black letters. In the background was a striking scene of several sailboats floating peacefully on top of Lake Huron, as if to say, come sail away with us. You’ll love it here. This place is perfect.

He wasn’t so sure. Between the cornfields and the blue water that never seemed to end, he had the strangest urge to grab the wheel out of his mother’s hand and turn the moving truck around. Head back to Ohio where his friends were, his baseball team, his school. His dad...

Too bad turning around was not up to him. He was thirteen, and choices like this were out of his control. And now that his parents’ divorce was final, he really didn’t have a say. His father got the house, and his mother got him. That was it. That was what he was told after the divorce by his mother. There was no sit-down conversation with both of his parents. No comforting pat on the back, because neither of his parents were affectionate. And they couldn’t stand to be in the same room long enough to have that conversation anyway.

So when his mother picked him up from school one day, and said the divorce papers were all signed, and it was just she and Tony from now on, he didn’t feel much. He sort of expected it. But then she said they were moving because she had gotten a new job, a nursing job in Michigan. Not just Michigan, but the ‘thumb’ of Michigan, where nobody lived. He felt all sorts of things then, the foremost being dread. He was going to have to start a new school, make new friends, and adjust to life without his father, all in the middle of nowhere.

If he wasn’t thirteen, he would have cried, and thrown an epic fit. But because he was thirteen, practically a man, Tony sucked it up and followed his mother’s orders.

I’m going to drop you off at our rental, and then I have to go into work real quick, still dark because it was only five in the morning! Whatever idiot decided to call him this early was about to get chewed out. Among many things, he was not a morning person.

Another loud ring had him searching blindly on the bedside table, until he felt something cold, hard, and plastic. Bingo. He put the phone to his ear. Hello?

Hello, son, a deep, familiar voice rumbled back cheerfully. Tony tightened his grip on the phone, wondering if he was still dreaming. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in years, but a voice he would never forget, because Charlie Rybak had changed his life.

Charlie?

It’s me, Charlie confirmed, with a deep chuckle. How are you, boy? It’s been a long time.

Only like three years, but who’s counting?

That it has. He smiled thinking about Charlie, the white-haired Bay Shore mechanic who took him under his wing as a boy, and helped him grow into a man. I’m not doing too bad, and yourself?

All right, just getting old. My fifth grandson was born yesterday.

Wow. Time sure did fly. When Tony left Bay Shore, Charlie only had one grandchild. Eileen must be thrilled.

You know my wife: She loves kids. After a brief hesitation, Charlie added, I do too actually.

Duh. He smiled, remembering how many times Charlie patiently broke down the finer points of car mechanics to a teenage boy hanging around his shop with a million questions. Or how many times Charlie would let his nephews—Drew and Isaac—and Tony hide out in his shop, when one of their many pranks at school got botched.

So how’s the shop going? he asked, to distract from a headful of memories that were making his chest hurt.

Business is good, Charlie said. Especially from my own family.

The Rybaks are still keeping you busy, huh? He thought about the large clan of nine Rybak brothers, all of whom got married, and had children of their own. Mostly boy children. The town of Bay Shore was basically populated by the Rybaks. But the youngest brother, Jimmy, had the family Tony grew up with. His sons Drew and Isaac were like brothers to him. His wife, Lucy, a second mother. And his daughter, Kay...Well, she had stolen his heart long ago, and that was that. He didn’t like thinking about Kay for too long. It made his chest burn,

Well, we do make up most of the town, Charlie said, as if reading his mind. How are things going down there in Florida? Are you still working on those big rigs?

Still working my ass off. And that was an understatement. As the only certified diesel mechanic on staff, he worked nonstop, traveling up to Georgia and back at least twice a month, fixing big rigs. He was always on call. Which suited him fine. He had no life, besides work. And time away from work was spent thinking about Kay. Missing the people he left behind in Bay Shore. I just bought my mom a condo down here actually.

Wow that’s impressive, son. I know your mother has suffered from arthritis for years. The warm weather must be doing her some good.

It is. Which was why he moved his mother down to Florida a year after he took this high-paying diesel mechanic job. Initially it was to save money for his own future, but then his mother’s arthritis in her hands got so bad, she was forced to retire early. He figured the least he could do was buy her a place to live, somewhere she could heal. After all, his mother was the one who raised him, the one who clothed and fed him after his parents split up. His father never contacted them again after they left Ohio, and since his mother never remarried, it was up to Tony to take care of her now.

Are you living by her? Charlie asked.

He let out a breath, wishing he didn’t have to admit aloud how pathetic his life had become. Actually I’m staying in her spare bedroom. I travel too much to bother getting my own place.

Too bad your travels never take you back here, because we haven’t seen you in Bay Shore since... Charlie’s voice trailed away, making Tony’s heart ache inside his chest. He knew the last time he saw Charlie, and all the Rybaks, and it wasn’t under good circumstances.

Since Jimmy’s funeral, he finished for Charlie. Instantly an image of Kay came to his mind. Her black dress, long raven hair twisted into a bun, blue eyes filled with tears. Her father was dead, and she needed someone to protect her. But he hadn’t earned that role yet.

Right before Jimmy’s fatal car crash, he had planned to confess his feelings to Kay. He had loved her from afar for years, trying everything he could to deny it, because they had grown up together, and he felt like Kay only saw him as a brother. But then he was offered this high paying mechanic job down South, and he realized it was time to grow up and stop fooling around. It was time to tell Kay how he felt, and show her with this job how serious he was about their future.

Then Jimmy died, and his plan changed completely. There would be no confession of love. There would be no begging Kay to move down to Florida with him and start a future. She had to stay behind and heal. He had to go forward, and become the man she deserved, a man who could support and protect her in every way. And then his mother’s arthritis kicked in, and she needed him. Now all his savings were gone, and with them, the dream of becoming the man in Kay’s life.

That’s right, Jimmy’s funeral, Charlie said quietly, his voice thick, revealing his tears. Apparently Tony wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten over Jimmy’s death. And speaking of people who loved Jimmy...

How is everyone? he asked.

Charlie let out a loud sigh. Terrible.

What do you mean terrible? He tightened his grip on the phone, instant guilt swimming in his stomach. Why the hell did he stay away so long? He should have checked up on Kay, made sure she was okay.

Lucy’s on drugs, Charlie said, as if Tony should already know this. But why would he know this? He hadn’t talked to Drew or Isaac since their father’s funeral. Sure, they had both called over the years, but he had been busy. His job was no joke. He worked long hours, traveled often, and when he got home, all he did was sleep. And then his mother needed him.

All excuses! Tony clenched his jaw, feeling like the biggest ass on Earth, because he was a crappy friend, and an even crappier person. Now Lucy was on drugs? The woman who practically raised him? Who fed him every night as a kid when his mother worked the late shift. Who went to all of his games, and helped him with his homework. The strongest woman he had ever known. How was it possible?

What do you mean, Lucy’s on drugs?

She couldn’t handle Jimmy’s death, Charlie said, and then paused for a long time, as if getting himself together. Tony wasn’t the only one who loved Lucy. She was the heart of the Rybak clan. So full of life, so passionate, always making everyone laugh. Lucy on drugs? Impossible! Haven’t you kept in touch with Isaac and Drew?

He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Like I said, I’ve been traveling a lot.

Well you should be traveling back here, because we miss you.

I miss you guys, too. More than you will ever know. He had been working his ass off for three years to provide his mother with a home to retire in. But not a day went by that he didn’t think about Kay, or Bay Shore.

That’s good to hear, son, because I’ve got something to ask you, Charlie said, sounding excited.

What’s that?

I want you to come back to Bay Shore, and take over my shop.

What? Charlie owned the only mechanic shop in Bay Shore. It was where Tony first fell in love with his trade, and where he worked for several years after earning that trade. It was home.

Eileen has been on me for years to retire, and I figure it’s time to give in. I’m getting old. The shop’s all paid off. I just need someone to run it.

Why me?

Who else is there? My daughters aren’t interested, neither are my son-in-laws. After a minute, Charlie added softly, You were the only son I really had, anyway.

His chest burned, and his eyes burned too. His own father never wanted him, but Charlie did. He still does. It meant everything. Charlie, I’m touched—

Don’t be touched, he grumbled, in his no-nonsense tone, the one that he used often to harden up the new mechanics in his shop. Tough love was always Charlie’s style. Just promise you’ll think about it, okay?

I will, he said, because he couldn’t refuse Charlie, not ever. How long can I think about it?

As long as it takes for you to say yes, Charlie barked, and then the phone clicked, alerting him to the end of the conversation. It was just like his old mentor to leave the conversation on his own terms, in such a way that Tony could not say no. When Charlie wanted something, he didn’t take no for an answer.

But he had to say no, right?

He sat up in bed, crushing the cell phone in his hand. The thought of moving back to Bay Shore, seeing Kay again, was more than tempting. He missed the entire Rybak clan. He missed fishing off Lake Huron. He missed hunting, and all the wildlife. Florida was great, but Michigan was his home. He liked the peace in Bay Shore, the tight-knit community. And he needed to see Kay, the woman he lost his heart to so many years ago.

How could he go home now? He had done nothing for the last three years but buy his mother a home. He didn’t have anything in his savings. He couldn’t buy Kay a ring, a home, or give her a future, and it had been three years. Kay would have likely found someone else by now. She was a gorgeous woman, and she had no reason to wait for him. He never declared his feelings to her. He treated her like a sister, had even brought other women around her in the past. But that was when he was trying to get over his feelings for Kay, as if that were possible.

His cellphone rang again, vibrating in his fist. He put it to his ear instantly, wondering what Charlie had forgotten to say. Hadn’t he given Tony enough to think about? Hello?

Hello, Tony. Lucy Rybak’s smoky voice vibrated his ear, and almost made him drop the phone.

Lucy?

Are you ready to come home?

Home? It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about, and then it hit him. She was referring to his phone call with Charlie just now, because among so many things, Lucy was a psychic. She just knew things about people that she shouldn’t be able to know, a gift she had given her daughter as well. It was a gift he didn’t doubt, because she had read him many times over the years, usually to make him laugh. How are you this morning, Tony? Not good, he would say. I know, losing your favorite baseball hat was bad. But don’t worry, it’s on Ann Street, where it fell when you were riding your bike.

Did Charlie call you yet? she asked, using that gift yet again. But this time it didn’t make him laugh; it made his stomach twist in knots. Why was she asking him about this? If Lucy could see that conversation, then she could see why he couldn’t accept Charlie’s invitation to go home.

Yes.

Didn’t you say yes? she demanded, and then began coughing hard. It was then that Tony realized Lucy’s voice sounded strained, old. He remembered what Charlie said about the drugs. But that couldn’t be true.

I said I would think about it.

What’s there to think about? She coughed again, and then took a deep breath, as if inhaling a cigarette. Smoking? Lucy Rybak? The woman who spent hours in the garden, just because she loved being in the fresh air?

Well my mother—

You already bought Carol a home, she snapped, reading him again. Your mother will be fine now.

He swallowed hard, not knowing how to respond. She was right. He bought his mother a condo, and she was doing fine, living her retired life in bliss. She didn’t need him around. Despite raising him, they were never close. Not like that, where she would die without his constant companionship. He spent most of his childhood at the Rybaks’ dinner table, bonding with them while his mother worked. Now he worked, and his mother hung out with her friends, bonding with them.

It’s time to come home, son, Lucy said, interrupting his thoughts, making his heart ache.

I can’t just come back to Bay Shore.

Why not?

Because I didn’t make anything of myself, and Kay probably moved on anyways.

I have a life here, he lied, not knowing what else to say. He had done nothing for the last three years straight but work and think about Kay.

You have no life, she said with confidence. Because you left my daughter in Bay Shore.

He fought the urge to scream. Of course Lucy knew that too. She knew everything about him. Not that his crush on Kay was some sort of secret. Everyone in Bay Shore knew, just not Kay.

I left to make something of myself. But I’ve taken too long. Kay has probably found someone by now.

Don’t be a fool, she said, and then began coughing uncontrollably. The fit became louder, unbearable. Frightening. He’d never heard Lucy cough once in her life. Now it sounded as if she smoked a pack a day. Lucy. What’s going on with you? Charlie sai—

Just come home, she interrupted. Kay needs you. Then the phone clicked, and Lucy was gone.

Kay needs me? He dropped the phone on the bed, stomach twisting in knots. He left Bay Shore to become the man she deserved, and then life got in the way. Three years had passed, and a lot had changed. Possibly Kay had found someone else. But if she needed him, he would be there. Simple as that. Even if she was off the market. Even if he’d made nothing of himself yet.

Lucy knew Kay was his weakness. She had played her cards right this morning, and because of it, he was going back home.

He picked up his phone, and dialed Charlie’s number.

Chapter 1

Okay, now try the chocolate chip.

Kaylee Rybak looked up at her brother Isaac’s fiancée, Louise. Her dark blonde hair was tied back to reveal her striking green eyes. There was a large tray of cookies in her hands.

Do we have to? Ann—her other brother Drew’s girlfriend—eyeballed that tray of cookies wearily. The greenish appearance on her normally rosy complexion told her all she needed to know. Ann was not about to shove another cookie down her throat, which meant it was up to Kay to take one for the team, as usual.

Yes, you have to, Louise said, a threatening smile on her lips.

Well, okay. Kay reached out and grabbed onto a chocolate chip cookie. Not just a normal chocolate chip cookie, but the kind of cookie that looked