For Real: The Frost Family, #1

By Darie McCoy

For Driscoll Kelly being a man of action, and few words, has served him well as he worked his way through the ranks of the Secret Service, landing a coveted position on the detail of the First Family.  Making the decision to change his trajectory, he moved to a division chief position in a location right outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  He's settled into his life and his role as a protector.  A visit to his home town of San Diego, California puts him on a path he hadn't considered taking, but once he's on it, he can't turn away.

 

Banker and audit specialist, McKenna Frost has finally reached a time in her life where she's where she wants to be professionally – even if she doesn't have much going on in the way of a love life.  With the support of her loving family and sister circle, she recovered from the disastrous end of a relationship she found was nothing but a house of cards.  Deciding to take a break from the demands of her job, she and her friends plan a week-long get away in sunny San Diego, California.

 

A chance meeting in the airport brings the two together for a short rescue mission that leads to an opportunity.  Will the circumstances that connected them be enough to keep them on a path together?  What happens when the two are faced with obstacles from the past?  Can Driscoll open up enough for McKenna to have a place in his organized life?  Can McKenna get beyond past hurts to allow room for love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darie McCoy
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201258399

Darie McCoy

Darie McCoy is the author of contemporary, interracial and paranormal/shifter romance books.  She’s had a life-long love affair with books and after many years working in STEM, she decided to try her hand a penning some of the stories that have been floating in her head. Since the flood gates are open, new characters are inviting themselves to the party. Darie loves to learn, so when characters show up and send her to the search bar, who knows where the next story will take her.

Book preview

Prologue

Mama! I gotta tee-tee! Mira’s normally sing-song voice was high and shrill with panic as she vied for her mother’s attention. She was dangerously close to having an accident in her special travel outfit. Nervously, she bounced from one foot to the other concentrating and watching her mama wrestle her younger brother onto the changing station attached to the wall.

Mira’s mother, Jillian, had told her they were going to fly on a plane to go see her Grandma Katie in Florida. Mira had never been to Florida before, she was excited about the trip. Just not right now. Right now, she needed her mama to listen to her. Moving on from single foot bouncing to full out hopping, Mira tugged at Jillian’s pant leg.

Mama! I gotta go nooowwww! Mira was desperate.

Jillian finally turned to look down at her while keeping both hands on Caleb wiggling on the changing table. Okay, baby. I hear you.

She can use this stall, a kind voice called out penetrating the frazzled family bubble. Mira and Jillian glanced up to see a woman holding the door of a stall a short distance away from the changing station.

Thank you so much! Jillian said. Turning back to Mira, she asked, Can you go by yourself while I change your brother?

I’m a big girl, Mama! Mira exclaimed, tipping up her little chin and squaring her shoulders with pride. I can do it. She was four years old. She was a big girl. She went to the bathroom by herself all the time at home.

Racing into the stall and closing the door, she heard her mama thanking the nice lady. Mira, focused on her mission, managed to squeak out her own thanks as she pulled at the straps to her backpack setting it aside to make sure she didn’t make a mess.

Finished using the restroom, she tried to remember all of the things her mama said she should do once she was done. Straightening her clothes, she picked up her backpack to exit the stall. The toilet flushed by itself as soon as she stepped away, so she didn’t have to worry about flushing. She was proud she was able to go all by herself and not get anything on her clothes or backpack. Eyeing the changing station, she saw her brother wiggling around trying to avoid getting a new diaper. Caleb didn’t like diapers, or clothes. When their parents weren’t paying attention, he was always trying to take them off. Mira started walking toward her mama, then stopped, remembering she was supposed to wash her hands. So, she turned toward the sinks on the opposite wall. The sinks were crowded, forcing Mira to walk around the corner to find a free one. Spying a sink that was lower than the others she scurried over, pleased with herself for being such a big girl.

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Standing at the low sink, she finished washing her hands—with soap. Always use soap! was what her mama told her all the time, so she was proud she remembered without being told again. Pulling down a paper towel to dry her hands, she gazed around her. In the background she could still hear Caleb babbling and squealing. As she walked over to the trash to throw away her paper towel, she glanced out of the opening to the restroom. Directly across from the restroom was a brightly lit, colorful store. A rack sitting right in front of the store captured her attention. Her face brightened with joy. Unicorns!! They had unicorns and bears and kitties! She loved unicorns, bears and kitties – especially unicorns!

Mama! Can I have a unicorn? Asking earnestly, Mira was rooted in place gazing into the store. Jillian’s voice talking to Caleb floated to her ears from the other side of the room. Stretching her neck, she tried to look around all of the ladies, but she couldn’t see her mama or her brother. Mama. I’m going to go see the unicorns, ok? Calling out to her mother, she dashed toward the store with her curly pigtails flying behind her, and her little backpack bouncing on her back.

Oblivious to the adults swerving and stopping short to avoid running her over, she ran with the confidence of a child who had always been protected and didn’t fear the unknown. Inside the tiny airport tourist shop, Mira plucked a unicorn from the lowest tier of the rack. The unicorn was white with a rainbow-colored horn and mane. It felt so good in her arms, she spent a moment enjoying the feel of the toy. It was so soft and squishy. She hugged it to her little body while her eyes swept the terminal.

Hugging her new toy closely, her eyes drifted to the wall of windows on the other side of the terminal. There were planes out there! With eyes wide with wonder, her little mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ shape as she watched the plane pull into the gate. Until the tail of the plane disappeared from view, she stood mesmerized. Before today, she had only seen planes on TV, but now there was one right outside the window! Thoughts of airplanes, where they were going and how she could see more of them set her little mind ablaze.

Without considering her destination, her little feet began to move. They took her farther down the terminal, her eyes searching the windows for more planes. Clutching her new friend to her chest, she zigzagged down the terminal before wandering between the seats to plant herself in an empty space in front of a large window.

This spot was perfect! She could see planes as they lifted up into the sky. Completely enthralled, Mira had no awareness of the chaos she had left in her wake. She also had no idea of the connections she would help to forge, while she was on her adventure.

Chapter One

McKenna

McKenna Frost gripped the handle of her rolling luggage as she walked briskly through the terminal to her gate. Why she was walking so fast she had no idea, it wasn’t like her flight was leaving any time soon. Her flight was roughly three hours away. The long wait didn’t bother her. Rushing was not her favorite thing, and she thought the extra time spent waiting in the terminal was worth it when compared to sprinting through the airport, making it to the gate a sweaty mess. No thanks.

Arriving at the gate a sweaty mess was not the goal. Rather than put herself in situations that would add stress to what should be an enjoyable experience, she preferred to maintain her calm and preserve her peace. There were already plenty of stress inducing things on her plate with her position working for a large banking conglomerate. Thankfully, she would not have to deal with any overgrown toddlers for the next seven days.

The plan was for her and two of her best friends to meet in San Diego for a much-needed girl’s trip. Hell yeah! A smile spread across McKenna’s face as she thought about her besties. Excitement sizzled through her and she couldn’t wait to let loose with them, exploring the city and pretending to be twenty-somethings again.

The trio had been friends since they were preteens, before the internet even. Now in their mid-thirties, they had managed to stay close despite going to different colleges and landing jobs in different cities. The longevity of their friendship was no small feat, since many friendships died with physical separation. The ‘Blue Crew’ was an unbreakable and unstoppable force. Heaven help anyone who tried to tear them apart.

Slow down McKenna! Admonishing herself internally, she made a conscious effort to slow her steps, noting the gate numbers as she made her way through the terminal. It was crowded, but that was to be expected. It was summer break, so the airport was packed to the gills with families traveling to various destinations.

At least it wasn’t a holiday weekend. The Crew had purposely planned their vacation so they would avoid senior class trips. Wanting options beyond family friendly activities, they chose a destination large enough to have several entertainment options. They were good and grown, and they had every intention of acting like it.

Jaunty calypso music suddenly emanated from McKenna’s tote. Huffing, she began maneuvering to the side while reaching for the phone tucked into her bag. Crinkling her brow, she regretted setting the ringtone for her work cell phone to the upbeat tune. Nothing good ever happened when the tune played, and it was ruining the normally smile-inducing island music for her.

Placing the phone to her ear, McKenna reluctantly answered, Hello, McKenna Frost speaking.

Oh thank God! McKenna, I’m glad I caught you before you left for your trip, Her co-worker, Chandler, said in a rush almost before she finished speaking.

You didn’t catch me Chandler. I’m at the airport. McKenna tried and failed to keep the annoyance from her voice. Something told her this would happen. Especially after the announcement was made in the team meeting on Friday, naming her as the new Internal Audit Department Supervisor.

It’s Sunday. There was absolutely no reason for him to have anything work related to discuss with her today. If he did have something to discuss, he’d had Friday and Saturday to call her. Calling her now was even more proof the right decision had been made regarding their joint future. Chandler wasn’t suited for leadership.

Oh... I was hoping you could go over the Logan City branch audit report for me. There are some findings I wanted to make sure were fair to include. Since you’re the compliance expert, I figured you could verify I was referencing the correct regulations in the report. A hint of condescension with a noticeable sneer was evident in Chandler’s voice as he spoke words crafted to appear as if he respected her knowledge and experience.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Barely concealed loathing over her being a CRCM (Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager) tainted his every interaction with her. The MBA she earned and her experience as a practicing CPA, before joining Fortitude Banking Corp, ate at him. As far as she could tell, he thought her rise through the company was without merit and had to be some form of affirmative action. It was either affirmative action, or she was sleeping with one of the execs.

Neither of those things were true, but it was probably what he told himself to justify the opportunities she received, what he’d told his cronies he should have been given. That was Chandler’s problem. It was his expectation for opportunities to be given to him. McKenna worked her ass off and earned her opportunities.

Pulling the phone away from her ear, McKenna frowned at the screen. Placing it back to her ear, she responded, Chandler, I explained on Friday I would only be available for emergencies during my vacation. A branch audit report isn’t an emergency. I’m positive Marcus can help you with any regulatory questions you may have first thing tomorrow. If I’m not mistaken, your report isn’t due until Wednesday. Reviewing it starting on Monday will give the two of you plenty of time to go over it before it has to be submitted, McKenna’s voice, while professional, was noticeably cool and detached.

Her nickname around the company was ‘Frosty’, most certainly due to her extra cool and calm method of dealing with the ‘Chandlers’ within the company. Silence met her reply. Taking a soothing breath, she tried to infuse a friendlier tone into her voice as she wrapped up the conversation and hung up the phone. The nerve of some people!

Tapping out a quick text message, she started to place the phone back into her tote when it dinged. The number wasn’t one she recognized, but the content of the message had her face wrinkling in irritation. Opening the message, she selected the option to block the number. Not today Satan. Not today. Not ever.

Finally, she placed her phone back into her tote. When she took in the area around her, she realized she had actually stepped to the side at her gate. Good deal. Searching for a place to settle in and wait for her flight to board, her eyes were drawn to a gorgeous man sitting at the end of a row near the windows. Well hello Mr. Sexy!

Look at that! What were the odds he just happened to be in one of three seats next to the coveted power outlets? Bonus! McKenna couldn’t believe her luck, free outlets and man candy. Quickly walking over, she claimed one of the seats before it was snatched up. One trick to surviving a long layover and plane ride was to use outlets whenever they could be found. Save the portable battery banks for the times when outlets weren’t readily available.

As she settled herself into a seat and arranged her bags, McKenna couldn’t help but to sneak glances at the man seated to her right. Eyes gliding over his large, bulky frame, she took in her new seatmate before her gaze settled on his face. Goodness, that’s a fine looking man! Unconsciously, she squeezed her thighs together as she continued to shower him with visual appreciation. Just observing him, made her center clench and butterflies erupt in her stomach.

Close cropped dark brown hair, with slight notes of silvery gray shot through it, complemented his lean face. Lightly tanned skin over layers of muscle, appeared to be the product of someone who spent time outdoors, not a tanning bed. Long thick legs, encased in fitted jeans, were stretched slightly into the aisle between the seats. From the length of his legs, he had to be well over six feet tall.

While they couldn’t be considered large, his lips were full. At that moment, they were drawn in a tight line as though he was mildly displeased with something. Since she hadn’t seen him glance her way, McKenna didn’t think the expression was due to her claiming a seat near him. Following the direction of his stare, she noticed a little girl standing in an open area in front of the window.

Bouncing happily on the balls of her feet, the little girl was chattering excitedly about the planes taking off outside the window. She was adorable. Curly, sandy colored pigtails and light bronze coloring hinted at a bi-racial origin. Clutching a stuffed unicorn in one hand, she used the other to point at the large passenger plane rolling past the window. Peering over her shoulder at Mr. Sexy, she squealed, That’s a really big one! Did you see it?

The frown melted from his face, and Mr. Sexy nodded his head, smiling at her. When she turned back around to continue watching the planes, he trained his eyes on the smartphone in his hand.

Well, he just got sexier, McKenna thought to herself. Active fathers were her catnip. Steeling herself internally, she dished out a mental pep talk about the perils of dating single fathers. While she wasn’t keen on Baby Mama Drama, in the past she hadn’t shied away from a man simply because he had children. The willingness to date single fathers had landed her in trouble before, so she was much more wary now.

However, at her age of thirty-six, most of the men she met had a least one child. Single men, with no children, and no divorces under their belt were as rare as unicorns. Seeing a man actively participate in his child’s life was so sexy to her. Too bad most of the fathers she met were married or old enough to be her father. She was neither side chick, nor sugar baby material, so, married guys and the elderly were not options.

Inspecting his hands, she didn’t see a ring, but a girl can never be too careful. Not all married men wore their rings, as McKenna learned first-hand. The thought of him being one of those guys soured her stomach a bit.

She couldn’t help but to steal another quick glance at him. One thing was for sure, seeing the differences in their complexions, Sexy Daddy was ‘down with the swirl’.

Chuckling internally at her wayward thoughts, she noticed he didn’t stare down at his phone for very long. Dividing his attention between his phone, and sweeping around the terminal, he kept an eye on the little girl at the window. Occasionally, he would frown then relax his brow.

Jillian

Finally! Jillian thought as she secured Caleb into the lightweight stroller they used exclusively for travel. He was on the verge of being too large for it, but Jillian felt it could do the job for this trip. Huffing out a deep breath, she stood and repacked the bag she hauled around, filled with things she needed for the children.

Children. Plural. Where was Mira? Pushing itself to the front of Jillian’s mind, the thought caused her hands to falter and tremble slightly. She should have come out of the stall by now. Unless she was sick. Turning towards the stalls, Jillian called out.

Mira? Jillian turned her head in the direction of the stall and took a small step forward.

Mira, sweetie. Do you need Mama to help you? Jillian called out. There was no response from Mira. The ladies room was crowded, so Jillian grabbed the bag and rolled the stroller closer to the stall Mira had entered just minutes before.

Knocking on the door, she called out again, Mira, are you okay in there sweetie? The answering voice wasn’t Mira.

Ma’am, there is no Mira in this stall. I think you have the wrong one, The unknown woman responded to Jillian’s question.

Jillian’s breath caught, and her heart faltered. Backing away from the door, her eyes thoroughly scanned the area. That couldn’t be right. She was positive she knocked on the correct stall, but she still stooped to view the feet under each stall as she backed away to check the sinks.

As she stood up straight, the thought occurred to her Mira was most likely at the sinks. Her sweet girl must have remembered her constant reminders to wash her hands after using the restroom.

Mira, sweetie. Where are you? I can’t see you. Answer mama, Jillian struggled to remain calm and keep the panic out of her voice.

Craning her neck, she tried to peer around the women crowded at the sink area. There was no need to panic, Mira was just washing her hands. Everything was fine. There was nothing to worry about. Even as she told herself these things, her stomach began to knot with dread.

Walking around the dividing wall to the second row of sinks, her eyes searched frantically for her daughter. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she explored the sink area and still didn’t see Mira. Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! This wasn’t happening. She didn’t lose her baby in the airport!

Did someone take her little girl? All of the awful things that could happen to small children flashed through her mind. This was NOT happening! Reeling, she whipped her head around frantically, struggling to maintain her wits. She pushed herself to think. She couldn’t afford to fall apart.

Forcing herself to take deep calming breaths, she closed her eyes and gripped the handles of the stroller. Caleb babbled happily, completely unaware of his mother’s turmoil. Thank the Lord for small favors. For the moment, Caleb had not picked up on her anxiety.

When Jillian opened her eyes, she scanned the terminal area just outside the door of the restroom. What would catch the eyes of her inquisitive, carefree four-year-old? A tourist shop shone like a beacon directly across from the ladies room.

Spying the large display of stuffed animals situated in the front of the store, Jillian experienced slight relief. The display was exactly the kind of thing Mira would love. Hitching the bag higher on her shoulder, she walked briskly across the terminal to the store.

The store was tiny, so it didn’t take long for her to discover Mira wasn’t there either. Her heart raced, and she could hear it pounding harder in her ears. Heat rushed to her face, and tears welled in her eyes as she admitted to herself she had no idea where her daughter had gone.

Good morning ma’am. Can I help you find anything? The store attendant called out to a frightened Jillian standing at the far corner of the tiny shop, battling to keep herself together. Turning towards the attendant, Jillian lost her battle and tears rolled down her cheeks.

I need help. I can’t find my little girl! Jillian’s voice trembled as the words rushed from her mouth. Without allowing time for the attendant to speak, Jillian’s watery voice continued.

The story came pouring out. She told the attendant about going to the ladies room with her children and Mira going into a stall alone while she changed Caleb. The words tumbled from her lips as she tried to relay every detail, praying internally for the safety of her child.

Springing into action, the attendant grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and began asking Jillian a series of questions. What’s her child’s name? How old is she? How tall was she? How much did she weigh? What was she wearing when Jillian last saw her? What was the exact location of the last place the child was seen?

Picking up the radio from the counter, she made a request for a security officer to the shop. This is Alicia at Friendly Finds in Terminal C, I have a code Adam. Request a security officer for immediate assistance. I repeat I have a code Adam in Terminal C.

Chapter Two

Driscoll

An overhead speaker crackled with airport announcements. Tilting his head, Driscoll Kelly listened to make sure the person speaking wasn’t saying anything which affected him or his flight. The gate across the terminal was delaying their boarding process. That was a little odd, but it happens.

A gate agent walked along a nearby aisle holding a walkie-talkie sputtering with a disembodied voice relaying information he couldn’t quite understand. He took in the terminal as his eyes were drawn back to the little girl avidly watching the planes traversing outside the window. Where were her parents?

When she’d zipped past him and planted herself at the window, he had expected to hear the voice of a mother or father calling out to her. When he didn’t, he began including the little girl in his scan of the terminal. Sometimes, he wished he could turn off the hyper-vigilance ingrained in him due to his Secret Service training. The training was so deep-seated, he couldn’t stop himself from locating exits and cataloging the people around him.

Something wasn’t right with the little girl. It bothered him that he hadn’t seen any adults interacting with her. She couldn’t be alone. Could she? Sweeping the terminal, his eyes drifted past a woman standing near a column, just out of the way of walking traffic through the terminal. The woman was having a conversation on her cellphone.

From the expression on her face, he would hate to be the person on the other end. Since she never raised her voice, nor did she give any other outward indication of being upset, he could only judge by her facial expressions. She was irritated, but remained reserved and controlled. Interesting.

Unable to stop them, his eyes swept back to her as she tapped on the phone’s touchscreen before putting it away. She was beautiful. Glowing sienna skin, with