by Jenna Brandt
“Only if I could look at the stars,” he admitted.
“That’s the second time you mentioned the stars,” Peyton noted. “Why are they so important to you?”
“My mom used to take me out to look at the stars at night. It’s one of my only memories of her before she passed away.”
“I read that she passed away from cancer,” Peyton said, her heart hurting for his loss. “I understand what it’s like to lose a parent, but I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been at such a young age.”
“I didn’t even understand what was going on. One day, my mom was perfectly fine, and the next she was in the hospital with a bunch of tubes all over her. I thought the stars could fix everything, so I begged my older brother to help me bring the stars to her. We spent all night cutting out paper stars and then while she was napping, we hung them in her room. When she woke up, she started crying. I think she knew she would never see the real stars again. She held me in her hospital bed, under those paper stars all night long. The next day, she passed away.”
Peyton turned on her side to face Blake, gesturing to the masseuses to leave. “Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry. No wonder the stars are so important to you.”
“It’s why I studied astronomy in college,” he admitted, turning over to face her. “I wanted to be an astronomer, but when I qualified for the first Olympics, it took over everything. My dad pushed me to focus on that, and after a while, college wasn’t a priority anymore.”
“Have you ever thought about going back to college?”
“My dad would ask me what’s the point. I already have a great career as an athlete, and now with him expecting me to run my section of the resort, I don’t have time for anything else.”
“Well, this just confirms that we need to make the stars a big part of your section of the island. We definitely need to have star-gazing tour as part of the wellness packages, and I just had another great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to add glass ceilings to the spa. That way, we are bringing the stars to the guests. We can have electric shades for the daytime, but at night, couples can book special spa packages to happen under the stars.”
“I love it,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “And I think my mom would have to.”
Peyton squeezed his hand in return. “Good. We can also put up a plaque to dedicate this place to her. Thank you for sharing all of this with me.”
“Thank you for caring enough to listen,” Blake said. “I don’t often talk about my mom, but I feel safe with you.”
The heartfelt confession made Peyton’s own heart swell with warmth. Never would she have thought taking the job offered by Gordon Witlock would result in her falling for his son, but that was exactly what was happening. She was starting to fall for Blake Witlock.
Chapter 5
Blake’s phone rang, causing him to roll over and pick it up from his nightstand. Who in their right mind was calling him at 7:30 in the morning? He saw his father’s name flash across the screen and he groaned. Of course, Dad. He was an early bird catches the worm type of person—the exact opposite of Blake who was a natural night owl.
He hit the button to accept the call, knowing his father would just keep calling back until Blake did. “What’s up, Dad?”
“I was calling to check in on you, to see how everything is going with your renovations.”
“It’s going fine, Dad, but I’m sure your little spies and cameras all over the island have already told you that,” Blake said, knowing his father didn’t take chances and most definitely had the island under surveillance.
“Now, why would you go and say that. It’s your part of the island, Blakey, and you can see to the managing of it however you see fit.”
“Really? So, if I told you I was going to add a star-gazing tour to the wellness packages as well as install glass ceilings in the spa for star-gazing at night, you wouldn’t have a problem with any of that?”
“Does Miss Belmont approve?”
That wasn’t a question Blake was expecting. “Yes, she does. Not all of Peyton’s ideas are as crazy as I first thought. Why does that matter if she approves though?”
“Because I hired her to rebrand your section of the island and to make it the best fitness destination in the world, Blakey, that’s why. If she says it’s a good idea, then I’m sure it is.”
And there it was. His father didn’t think it was a good idea if it was just his alone. It had to be approved by someone who had better knowledge of the industry. It didn’t matter how many medals he won, or how many records he broke, his dad was never going to put stock in Blake. “Whatever you say, Dad. Look I need to be going. I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Wait, Blakey, we’re not done. I need to tell you a couple more things.”
“What now, Dad?” he said with a heavy sigh.
“I wanted to warn you. Mara’s been making surprise visits to your brothers. Has she come by your section?”
“No, but I don’t think she would. We didn’t part on the best of terms last time she stopped by in Madrid. She begged me to write her another check. When I found out it was just for another round of liposuction, I was furious and told her she needed to get a job or find a new family to bilk for money. As far as I was concerned, I was done.”
“You know how many times we’ve all said that to her? She probably thinks you’re over it by now. She’ll be back bothering you in no time—mark my words.”
Blake didn’t want to believe his father, but the o’ man was often right more times than not. “Okay, Dad, I’ll keep an eye out for her. Anything else?”
“Yes, the family is getting together for Thanksgiving at my place. I expect you to be there, and you should bring along Miss Belmont, since she doesn’t have any family nearby.”
Blake could point out that they could fly Peyton back to Washington to be with her mother for the holiday, but what he found odd was that he didn’t want to suggest it. He hated the idea of Peyton going anywhere.
“Sure thing, Dad. We’ll both be there.”
As he hung up the phone, Blake realized he was starting to have romantic feelings for Peyton. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he was falling for the beautiful wellness coach.
Peyton couldn’t wait to show Blake her final surprise. Of everything she planned, this was what was going to set them apart from other wellness destinations. A small yelp from the crate she carried in her hands made it clear their newest employee wanted out.
She knocked on Blake’s penthouse suite door. He opened it, revealing a giant grin on his face. “Come on in.” Another yelp drew his eyes down to the crate. “What on earth is that?”
“You’ll see in just a second,” she said, floating in past him. She placed the crate on the table and opened the screen door. Immediately, the cutest golden Yorkshire Terrier flounced out of it. The small animal took a look around, then proceeded to jump from the table and sniff every nook and cranny of the place.
“Why is there a dog running around my suite?” Blake accused with disbelief. “What possible reason could you have for bringing one here?”
“This is my final surprise for the guests,” Peyton explained. “Comet is a therapy dog. I had him shipped in from Nebraska.”
The dog barked, recognizing his name.
“You named it already?”
“Of course not, he already had one, which is why I thought it was a sign he was the right dog for the island. I mean, what are the odds that when I started looking for an emotional support dog, I would find one with the name Comet.”
“I still don’t get how this is going to work,” he said, gesturing towards the dog that was now sitting at his feet wagging its tail and barking at him. “What’s the purpose of having it here?”
“Well, he’s just the first one. I want to have a team of dogs for guests to help them let go of anxiety and stress while on the island. It’s proven to be a very effective means of relaxation. Guests are goin
g to love him,” Peyton promised.
Comet continued to bark, over and over, and Peyton could tell it was annoying Blake. He pressed his lips together, clenching his fists at his side. “Can you get it to stop doing that,” he snapped out.
“He, not it. Comet is a he,” Peyton corrected for the third time, leaning down to pick up the Yorkie, who immediately stopped barking, but instead begin to lick Peyton’s face. She tried to pull back, but Comet just followed her face with his tongue. She was going to have to break him of that habit. She wondered why the trainer hadn’t done that. Though she didn’t mind it, most guests wouldn’t want to be licked in the face by one of the island dogs.
“Well, he needs to go back in his crate and be shipped back to wherever he came from. We don’t need a dog running around the resort.”
“I was assured he’s extremely well trained. He doesn’t even need a leash,” Peyton assured Blake. “Watch.” She set Comet down on the ground. “Stay,” she commanded.
Without warning, Comet took off running and disappeared towards the living room.
“He wasn’t supposed to do that,” Peyton said, feeling her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
“You think?” Blake mocked sarcastically. “Now, where did he go?”
“I think he went under the couch,” Peyton said, moving over to look under it. She climbed down on her knees and started to move along the edge. She couldn’t find Comet anywhere. “I guess I was wrong. I don’t see him under here.”
“Great, so I have a dog lost in my suite. What if he pees on something?”
“He won’t do that—like I told you, he’s trained.”
“So trained, he ran off first chance he got?” Blake countered. “I don’t have time for this. We’re supposed to be over at my dad’s place for Thanksgiving today.”
“Oh, that’s right. I nearly forgot with Comet showing up last night. I thought he wasn’t arriving until Monday.”
“The trainer probably couldn’t wait to get rid of him,” Blake mumbled under his breath. “An emotional support dog, and a defective one at that—I never would have thought one would end up on the island.”
“It will be fine. He’s probably just scared because he’s in a new place. Once we find him, he’ll calm down and get used to being here.”
“That’s just it, I don’t want him to get used to being here,” Blake challenged. “I want him off the island this instant.”
“Well, that can’t happen today. It’s a holiday. He barely got here to begin with because I shipped him priority.”
“You shipped a dog here priority?” Blake asked in shock. “Why?”
“Because Comet needs to get used to the place before we unveil the rebrand in the New Year. He’s going to be our star emotional support dog, after all.”
Blake shook his head in frustration. “We need to be going. I’ll just have James track him down while we’re gone.”
“Are you sure your valet is going to want to do that?”
“He doesn’t have a choice. I don’t have time, and I can’t very well have a loose dog in my suite. James,” Blake called out.
From the other part of the suite, a tall gray-haired man appeared in a suit. “Yes, Mr. Witlock, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to track down the dog Miss Belmont brought in here.”
“A dog?” James asked with incredulousness.
“Yes, I know, it sounds preposterous, and I never thought I would be saying this, but you need to find the dog that’s hiding somewhere in my suite.”
“His name is Comet. He’s supposed to respond to his name,” Peyton added. “Thank you, James.”
The valet did not look happy about his assignment, but he didn’t voice his displeasure as they exited the suite.
Peyton and Blake headed out of the hotel and made their way to a private dock where a sea plane was waiting to take them to his dad’s private island next to the resort.
“Where’s the pilot?” Peyton inquired, looking around.
“There isn’t one. I’ll be flying us. I got my pilot’s license a few years back, then bought this for my island,” he explained, gesturing to the gleaming silver plane that sat on the water.
“Really? How cool is that,” Peyton said with a smile. “I can’t wait.”
They climbed into the plane, buckled up, and Blake handed her a headset. “Slip that on.”
She did as he suggested, then braced herself for the take-off. Within a few minutes, they were high in the sky and on their way to the other island.
“Wow, the Sound looks amazing from up here,” Peyton said through her mike.
“I know, it never gets old. I forget sometimes how beautiful it is here while I’m away, but when I come home, I remember why I didn’t want to leave for college all those years back.”
“I could see why,” she marveled. “I could get used to living here, too.”
A few minutes later, he landed the plane on the sea and docked at the marina. They climbed out where a Land Rover waited for them. The driver must have already knew where they were going because Blake didn’t have to tell him. It was a short drive and before she knew it, there will pulling up in front of a giant mansion. Blake got out of the vehicle and came around to Peyton’s side, opening it up and helping her out.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said with a smile.
“I wanted to. Besides, my dad would kill me if I didn’t behave like a gentleman when a lady’s present.”
They climbed the steps that led to the gleaming white building. Blake didn’t knock, but instead walked right inside. Just as she would expect from a Witlock home, everything was pristine inside, from the crystal chandeliers in the entry, to the marble floors and pillars.
“You grew up here?” Peyton whispered, questioning in awe.
He nodded. “Don’t be fooled. It wasn’t as great as you might think.”
“There you are,” the familiar booming voice of Gordon Witlock said as a dark-haired man with a hint of frost at his temples came into view from behind the staircase. “I thought I heard voices.”
Gordon came up and patted Blake on the back. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I said I would.”
“Yes, you did.” Then glancing over at Peyton, he stuck out his hand to her. “You must be Peyton Belmont.”
“I am,” she said, taking his hand in hers and shaking it. “Please to meet you, sir.”
“Please, call me Gordon. Sir makes me sound old.”
“I hate to break it to you, Dad, but you are old.”
“See what I get with nine boys? Nothing but constant shade being thrown my way.”
“Where you watching MTV again, Dad? I told you to stop doing that,” Blake razed.
“Boys, that’s enough of that,” a pretty blonde woman, who looked to be in her mid-forties, came into view. “It’s Thanksgiving, which means we should be on our best behavior.”
The regal woman came forward, a warm smile on her face. “You must be Peyton Belmont. I’m Evelyn Reese,” she said, reaching out. “I’m an investor in the resort, so Mr. Witlock offered for me to spend Thanksgiving with the family.”
“How nice of him,” Peyton said, returning the smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she returned, “the meal is still being prepared, but we can visit in the formal living room while we wait.”
“Plenty of drinks, too. What are you having, Miss Belmont?” Gordon asked.
“Oh, no, if I’m calling you Gordon, you have to call me Peyton,” she corrected.
“Alright, what are you having, Peyton?”
They entered the room and sat down on the white, leather sofa and chairs. “I’ll have a Malibu and Coke.” It was the only drink she could think of, from her college days, as she didn’t drink often anymore. Everyone gave her a funny look, and she quickly realized that she must have ordered something cheap. Well, the damage was done and she couldn’t take it back. Besides, she liked th
e way the sweet drink tasted, probably more than whatever posh bottle of booze they had behind the bar.
“We don’t have Malibu here,” the bartender said, not in a condescending way, but as if he was trying to think of what to do.
“Just substitute the Malibu for the El Dorado Grand Special Reserve,” Blake suggested. He leaned over and whispered in Peyton’s ear, “It’s a fancy rum. My dad doesn’t keep anything in the house that’s less than $1000 a bottle, which is ironic because he’s never here. He stays on his yacht most of the time to avoid Step-Monster.”
Peyton had to squeeze her lips tightly shut to not laugh at what Blake just revealed. What kind of life, to hide out from an ex on a yacht, while keeping an unused mansion on a private island stocked with outrageously expensive supplies?
“I’ll have another pomegranate mimosa,” Evelyn said, loud enough for the bartender to hear.
“Me and my boy will both have a Macallan, neat,” Gordon ordered.
The bartender set about his job, making the drinks. Everyone talked about the resort renovations and how they were coming along.
“So, when is everyone else getting here?” Blake asked, glancing around. “I would have thought they would already be here.”
“David will be here later, but for now I want to talk about your plans to stay on the island,” Gordon explained. “It’s why I asked you here early.”
“You ambushed me?” Blake accused in anger. “I’m the only one here?”
“I just want to make sure that after the reveal of the new rebrand of your section of the island, you aren’t planning to run back to Madrid.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed into angry slits as he leaned forward. “Do I have a choice?”
“Not if you want to keep your trust fund,” Gordon threatened.
“You know I don’t care about that. I have plenty of my own money,” Blake countered.
“I do, but I was hoping you would want to stay because you care about your portion of the island. You’ve done so much good for it since you’ve been back.”
Blake seemed to relax a bit. His eyes softened as he leaned back into the sofa. “You mean that?”