Clear Skies Ahead, Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Long Lost Love
Maple Holland

———

Skylar didn't waste time in getting out of the limo at this stop. This was going to be a rough one, but she just wanted to pull the band-aid off. Her purpose here at this quaint suburban home was two-fold, she thought to herself as she walked up the driveway, passing a pair of cars that looked... respectable. Skylar wrinkled her nose, breezing past them and going up to the front porch. She glanced at the rocking chair on the porch and fought the urge to groan.

Had everyone she'd known in high school turned boring? Isabelle spent her days at home watching two kids, and now this for Jace? He'd been so much fun five years ago, but now he was... boring. He'd gotten rid of his beaten up old car, replaced it with some basic sedan. She'd liked his old car, she thought glumly. And only half because she'd gotten her brains fucked out in the backseat several times. Several times. The car had had character, it had screamed Jace to her, and now his new car just looking basic.

With an exhale of breath, Skylar lifted her hand and rapped firmly on the door. She tapped her foot impatiently as she heard a flurry of noise behind the door. She wondered suddenly who would answer the door, if it'd be Jace or if it'd be-

"Skylar?" asked the surprised woman who opened the door.

"Maple." Skylar said with an expression meant to be a smile, though it felt slightly more like a grimace.

Six years ago, this woman had been Skylar's cheer captain. And now she was married to her ex-boyfriend. Fucking small towns. Everyone was connected to everyone, and Skylar had a problem with that sometimes. A big problem.

One of her biggest problems was how absolutely fucking immaculate Maple Holland was looking today. She wore a cheerful white sundress, the fabric decorated with patterns of vines and berries. The 24 year old still looked tight and toned, and her light brown hair was pulled up into a stylish half-up bun. Her tits looked incredible in that sundress as well, Skylar hated to admit, they looked like they'd gotten even bigger than when Skylar had last seen her.

"What are you doing here?" Maple asked, her gray eyes curious. Maple was stunningly gorgeous, and damn it, Skylar could not blame Jace for locking this gorgeous woman down. She just wished Jace would have settled down with someone who Skylar could lord something over. Maple was too damn perfect.

"Well, I'm in town for a week, and I've been saying hello to some old friends." Skylar shrugged.

"Right." Maple nodded slowly. "And Jace is on that list, I'm guessing?"

"Maybe I'm here to see you." Skylar frowned.

Maple cracked a smile at that. "Yeah, I don't think that's too likely. You haven't liked me since I picked Anastasia as cheer captain instead of you."

"I didn't dislike you." Skylar argued. "I was just annoyed. Sure her ass is big, but you really think she was a better choice than me?"

"Skylar, that happened six years ago." Maple frowned. "Are we really going to do this?"

Skylar felt like a chastised little kid, and she had to **** her cheeks not to flush by sheer willpower. "No, no. We're not. I just need to talk to Jace about something."

"So this isn't just a reunion." Maple surmised.

"Maybe not." Skylar grumbled, looking away from Maple's searching gray gaze.

"Well, come on in, then." Maple said finally, stepping aside so Skylar could enter the house. Skylar did so, looking around idly at the life that Jace had created for himself. Maple led the way with her tall, statuesque body, only a little shorter than Skylar's own. Jace clearly liked a leggy girl. Maple was sure showing off hers, that sundress cut off just above mid-thigh. From behind, Skylar could see that Maple's perky, full ass had not lost any wow factor since when Skylar had last seen her, five years ago when Maple was 19. Damn this perfect woman.

Maple led Skylar past the simple wooden steps into a... cozy kitchen. Skylar knew, of course, that her view on living situations was a bit warped by her family's immense wealth. She wasn't dismissing Jace's house, it was just a little smaller than an average suburban home, but it felt cramped and restraining to Skylar. The kitchen and living room were separated only by a counter, and they walked through the walkway beside that counter into the living room, which was one couch, one armchair, a coffee table, and a modestly sized television. Skylar, not for the first time, thanked her lucky stars she was rich. She couldn't imagine living in a cramped little cookie cutter house like this one. Jace's parents' house was a decent size, and it had that huge backyard with the big pool and the hot tub, that was the kind of suburban living Skylar might be able to tolerate. This house, however, was not.

"Skylar?" a shocked Jace gaped, and Skylar tore her eyes off the subpar decorations and met Jace's familiar teal gaze. She felt a small shiver go down her spine, and she mentally cursed at herself. She was realizing very rapidly that she was much less over Jace than she had thought she was. He'd gotten handsome in their five years apart, and even had a dark gold beard on his face now. His blonde hair was longer and combed, making him look less roguishly handsome and more... put together kind of handsome.

He had two kids sitting with him, a pair of children who looked slightly older than Rosalie. Unsurprising that Jace hadn't waited to knock up Maple, Skylar thought wryly. One was a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes, the other a brown-haired boy with teal eyes. A girl maybe two years younger with blonde hair and teal eyes was pestering the brown-haired boy, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt impatiently, while he steadily ignored her.

"Dove, stop pulling on your brother's shirt." Maple chided.

The younger girl, Dove, looked bashfully towards her mother and sat back.

"What are you doing here?" Jace asked, getting up from playing with his kids. The boy had a pterodactyl in his hands, and the older girl, the gray-eyed one, had a T-Rex.

"Can't I stop by and say hello?" Skylar asked, raising her hands innocently.

"Of course... but it's surprising it took five years." Jace said as he reached Skylar and Maple.

"You two talk." Maple said, stepping forward to kiss Jace's cheek. "I'll watch the kids."

"Thanks." Jace said to Maple with a fondness that made Skylar's chest hurt. Damn it.

The buxom brunette went to sit with her three children, and Jace led Skylar into the kitchen. Skylar leaned back against the counter, looking everywhere but Jace. There were crudely drawn scribbles hung in places of honor on the fridge, something that was so ridiculously wholesome it made Skylar want to scowl. She resisted the urge, but ugh. This lifestyle could never be her.

"So what brings you by?" Jace asked as he settled back against the counter opposite the one she leaned back against.

"Well, I did want to stop by to say hello." Skylar mumbled. "But I'm really here to find some models for my new Clear Skies summer line."

"Tempting offer, but I don't think I'd look too good in lingerie." Jace arched an eyebrow.

"Not you, idiot." Skylar said, letting too much fondness bleed into her tone. She **** herself to tone it down. Something about him had always drawn her in, and five years apart had done little to dull that urge.

"I was hoping you could reach out to some of your hot family members, or Amy. I need some women who are willing to model lingerie and/or bikinis." Skylar explained.

"You know, Skylar, I don't know if I'm really in a helpful mood." Jace folded his arms. Skylar. There was a time when he'd called her almost exclusively Sky. She liked hearing it come from his lips, and she hated hearing her full name come from him.

"I can't blame you." Skylar admitted. "I know what it looks like, five years away before coming back and just asking for help straightaway. It's not how I'd like to do it either, but Jace, I have one week to get together enough material for this summer line or it's going to be terrible for my company."

"You never were good with deadlines." Jace said simply, and his words cut her deeper than any knife might have.

"I know. I had this thing with Grayson Global lined up, but I fucked that up, and I just really need your help." Skylar exhaled. She felt tired, she felt weak, and she felt pretty damn pathetic. Izzy had been friendly, but she'd told Skylar a firm no, and now Jace was doing the same thing. The two of them had been the people in this town she was closest with, and now one had married her brother and the other had moved on with a ridiculously sexy cheer captain. Skylar had never made it to captain, and it stung just a little bit extra knowing Jace had upgraded. Not like it was his fault though, Skylar had all but up and left.

"Look, I'll text Dana and Daisy, but we're not doing this again, Skylar. I'm not going to drop everything to come help you whenever you call anymore. I did that for too long just to be left behind. You wanted to have a fun time in college instead of having a boyfriend, I get it. I'm not angry anymore, but I'm not going to be your servant anymore." Jace shrugged.

"You were never my servant-" Skylar replied, eyes stinging, but Jace shook his head.

"I don't know how you saw it, but that's how it was sometimes. I'd get a call saying to drop everything because you had something ridiculous that absolutely needed doing." Jace told her firmly. "I didn't mind all that much, I liked you. Hell, I loved you. But then you decided you needed something more. And it turns out, so did I."

Jace looked over towards Maple with so much love in those teal eyes of his that it made Skylar feel like she was drowning. In guilt, in jealousy, in sorrow, she didn't know. She just knew that this house felt even more cramped than before. She'd judged it so harshly coming in, but it was very apparent that Jace and Maple both loved it here. She was the one in the wrong, like she'd been so many times before.

"Right." Skylar said in a quavering voice. "You, uh... thanks. For texting your sisters. And Amy, too?"

"No, not Ames." Jace said, protectiveness filling his voice. "She doesn't need that right now."

"What's happening with Amy?" Skylar asked, furrowing her brow.

"Just not Amy, alright, Skylar?" Jace asked, and Skylar nodded slowly.

"Sure." Skylar said uncertainly. She mentally moved Amy even higher up her priority list. Skylar needed to figure out what was going on there. She was too nosy for her own good sometimes.

"Anything else?" Jace asked.

"Daddy?" a voice piped up from Skylar's side, and she glanced down to see the elder of Jace's two daughters had come over, clutching her T-Rex.

"What is it, Mila?" Jace smiled.

"Mommy wants to know if you're making dinner tonight." the girl, Mila, stage whispered.

"I told you don't say that!" Maple called from the living room exasperatedly, making Mila giggle.

"Yes, I'm making dinner." Jace grinned at his daughter. "Macaroni and cheese."

"Woohoo!" shouted Jace's son from the living room.

"You always make Max's favorite foods." Mila grumbled.

"No, Max just loves every kind of food." Jace shook his head with a laugh. "Easy mistake to make."

"Tomorrow can you make cookies for dinner?" Mila asked hopefully.

"Mommy's making dinner tomorrow night, but maybe I'll sneak you come cookies afterwards." Jace whispered, making Mila grin a grin almost identical to Jace's.

"I'll see myself out." Skylar spoke up suddenly, feeling distinctly like an intruder in the Holland family bliss happening here. Izzy had welcomed her in, introduced her to Rosalie, treated her like, well, like family. Here though, Skylar was just the weird ex-girlfriend who butted in to ask for a favor.

"Who are you?" Mila asked, cocking her head at Skylar.

"This is Uncle Sam's sister." Jace explained.

"Oh." Mila said, her expression brightening. "Is Uncle Sam and Aunt Izzy here?"

"Uh, no. They're not." Skylar said, almost apologetically.

Rapid footsteps announced Max's presence as the teal-eyed boy came charging in, pterodactyl having been left behind, it seemed.

"Mac and cheese?" he asked hopefully.

"Dude, it is not dinner time yet." Jace shook his head. "Do you see me cooking anything?"

"No." Max sighed sadly.

Jace shook his head, leaning down to scoop up his twins. Unlike him and Dana, they looked nothing alike, but somehow they seemed to act alike. Skylar could see a lot of Jace in both of them. She glanced over at where Maple was smiling down at Dove, who seemed to have been given the pterodactyl.

"It was nice seeing you, Skylar." Jace told her. "If you do want to do something while you're here this week, let us know."

"We'll see what my schedule looks like." Skylar refused to commit. "Hey, Maple, you feel like modeling sometime this week?"

"What?" Maple asked, looking up in confusion from playing with Dove.

"She's doing a summer line." Jace explained. "Looking for lingerie or bikini models."

"Oh." Maple said with a thoughtful frown. "I've never modeled before, is that OK?"

"Definitely." Skylar assured her. "It's just a photoshoot or two and then we'd be done. You can keep anything you wear in the photoshoot, too."

"Well... I don't think it'd be terrible." Maple said, looking to Jace, who just shrugged, still holding a wriggling Max and Mila in his arms.

"You don't have to decide now, I'll be here all week setting up photoshoots." Skylar offered.

"I'll think about it." Maple nodded.

"Thanks." Skylar smiled. "You guys enjoy your macaroni and cheese."

"I will." Max said seriously, while Mila just sighed dramatically. Skylar turned away from this happy family, and walked back out towards the front door. She opened it and made it out onto the front porch, before she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see little Mila standing there.

"I forgot! Tell Aunt Izzy I said hi!" Mila demanded.

"Sam too?"

She thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, Uncle Sam too."

"I'll tell them." Skylar promised.

"Oh, and Rosie!" Mila exclaimed.

"OK, OK." Skylar laughed. "I'll make sure I tell all of them."

"Good." Mila said in satisfaction, and she ran back into the kitchen.

Skylar closed the front door, feeling glum as she walked back to the limo. She climbed in the back and let out a heavy sigh, leaning her head back.

"Any success?" asked the driver.

"Just take me home." Skylar scowled. The driver nodded, and pulled away from Jace's house.

———

As soon as the limo stopped, Skylar was headed up to the guest room she'd ordered Isla placed in. There were a couple more people who she needed to speak to about the summer photoshoots, but she thought she'd had all the reunions she could today. Especially with Sam coming over for dinner in a little while. That would be an... interesting reunion, Skylar thought grimly.

Skylar was thoroughly unsurprised walking in to see Isla sprawled out on the armchair watching some trashy reality TV something or other.

"Seriously?" Skylar groaned. "We have a pool, we have horse stables, we have a pond, we have ATVs, and I find you here watching the same bullshit you watch back home?"

"You know I can't wait to watch new episodes or I'll get spoiled on social media." Isla scowled. "People have no respect for spoiler warnings these days."

Isla patted the arm of the armchair though, and Skylar sat down on it, leaning into Isla's side like they'd done many times before.

"How was it?" Isla wondered.

"One no, one maybe, two girls who are going to be asked about it." Skylar said glumly.

"No, I meant how was seeing your old friends? And your brother?" Isla asked.

"Well, I didn't see Sam." Skylar admitted. "He's coming for dinner tonight though, so that should be interesting. Wouldn't blame you if you sat up here for that."

"No offense, Ms. Wayne, but there's no way I'm missing real life reality TV. The rich heiress back in town after five years, when she clearly left in some kind of dramatic way?" Isla gushed. "Oh, no, I'm not missing that."

"You used to be such a sweet assistant, Isla, when did you get so sassy?" Skylar complained.

Isla laughed, bumping Skylar's shoulder with her head. "We're friends now, I'm not just your employee."

"Mmm. True enough." Skylar mumbled.

"So, you've got a plan for these photoshoots?" Isla wondered after a moment of watching that garbage on the TV.

"Well, I'm hoping tomorrow and the day after, I can secure some models. Then the rest of the week will be spent shooting, hopefully." Skylar shrugged.

"And you have a photographer lined up? The plan was to use Grayson Global's, if I recall, but that obviously isn't happening now." Isla mentioned.

"Ugh. Ok, I'll find a photographer, too." Skylar said, adding it to her mental task list. It was getting awfully long, wasn't it?

"And am I supposed to just sit here and watch reality TV while you do everything?" Isla asked hopefully.

"Definitely not." Skylar grinned. "My job is the people, your job is everything else. If you could find us some great photoshoot locations, that would be swell. I'm thinking we can use some guest bedrooms here for the intimate lingerie shoots, but we need some great beach vistas for the bikini shoots."

"You can count on me." Isla said firmly. "Walking around the beach in a bikini and looking specifically for the best views sounds like real hardship, but Isla Killian always gets the job done."

"Maybe we should switch jobs." Skylar mused.

"Can't, sorry. My job is too tough for a spoiled rich girl." Isla maintained, making Skylar laugh.

"Keep an eye out for any prospective models while you're toiling away on the beach." Skylar shook her head wryly. "I don't know if this is going to be as easy as I had first thought."

"Rough reunions?" Isla asked, and Skylar made a noise of agreement.

"Hang in there, Sky. I'm sure they'll forgive you eventually. My mom and I fight like cats and dogs whenever I visit, but after a few days, things settle down. Mostly. Sometimes."

"I've never met Mrs. Killian, but she seems terrifying." Skylar noted.

"Oh, she's horrible." Isla agreed fondly. "Absolutely terrorized me all through college about my grades."

"I remember you being quite the nerd when we met at Rho Gamma." Skylar recalled.

"I'm not a nerd." Isla huffed. "I just had periods of time at college where I was basically shackled to my textbooks."

"Mommy Dearest said so, huh?" Skylar guessed.

"Yup. If not, my tuition money was going to go poof." Isla nodded. "Shame we didn't talk much before I left HSU. We could have had lots of fun as two sexy college girls."

"Definitely." Skylar agreed with a smile. "The High Spires boys wouldn't have known what hit them."

"You know, I'm sure we'd be let onto some of the campus bars if we tried." Isla grinned. "We're both sexy sorority alumni, who'd turn us down?"

"That is an excellent point." Skylar smirked. "Something to remember for when we get home."

"Speaking of bars, any fun nightlife here?" Isla wondered.

"Not really. There's like two bars and one pretty shitty nightclub. Oh, and the strip club, of course." Skylar said, counting on her fingers.

"Huh, strip club? You think we could get good models there?" Isla suggested.

"Hmm. Not a bad idea, Ms. Killian." Skylar nodded, adding it onto her list of prospective model opportunities.

"Why thank you, Ms. Wayne." Isla smiled. "Now hush, things are getting good on the boat."

"Are they?" Skylar squinted.

"One bad word about my shows and I'm tossing you out." Isla promised, making Skylar scoff. She quieted down, though.

Things had certainly changed since the time Skylar had lived in Amethyst Shore, but she still was optimistic about her chances of getting this summer line done. A lot was hinging on this, and Skylar really needed to ensure it happened. Worst case scenario... Skylar knew a few sexy girls from other towns who might be willing to make the trip if Skylar was in **** need.