Barefoot Bay: Forever Yours (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Jennifer Perkins

  Chapter Two

  “No. No, no, no, no, no. We never planned a strategy last night.” Kinsley poured two medium coffees, added cream and sugar and then stood in line at the Shell Gas Station & Super Mini Mart Convenience Store. Otherwise known on the island as the Super Min. “You skipped out right before we got something to eat last night. You can’t do this to me.”

  “Sorry,” Megan shrugged. “I told you I needed to pack and review my paperwork before I leave today. Brad needs me.”

  “But I need you,” pleaded Kinsley. “Can’t he just find another accountant?”

  Megan looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “CPA in training. And I’m the only one he trusts, you know that. Besides, I’ve been through his books and, as long as he hasn’t withheld anything from me, I don’t think I’ll have too much difficulty in the audit.”

  Kinsley, having waved off Megan’s attempt to pay for their coffee, counted out the change and handed a cup to Megan. “But I’m going to have difficulty explaining myself to Crystal and Todd.”

  “Well, I never told you to make up a boyfriend.”

  Kinsley felt her face redden when she saw the older woman behind the counter chuckle. She half smiled and turned her attention back to Megan. “That was subtle. Do you really need to tell everyone about my pretend boyfriend?”

  “Just avoid Crystal and Todd the rest of the week. That shouldn’t be too hard,” Megan explained. “Unfortunately, I’m still a year away from completing my CPA apprenticeship before I can take on my own clients at the firm, so I really need to be there. It’s a critical part of my training to show my boss I can handle a surprise audit.”

  “How could you not know about this ahead of time?” Kinsley asked.

  “The client kept it from the firm. He wanted to handle this himself, but at the last minute he realized he couldn’t. Look, Kinsley. Since I don’t expect any surprises and to make you feel better, I’m not checking out of Casa Blanca. So, I’m hoping to salvage what’s left of my vacation and should be back within a day or two.”

  Kinsley tried giving Megan her sad, lost forever face. Alas, Megan must have been immune to that look because she shrugged again and took a sip of coffee.

  Wait! Was that a smirk?

  “I have to go. I just got a notification on my phone that there was a fender-bender on the causeway. So, if I don’t leave now, the traffic will back up and I’ll never get out of here.” Megan glanced at the time and put her cell away. She gave Kinsley a hug and then headed for the door. “And don’t make up any more new boyfriends before I get back.”

  It was supposed to be a warm morning with plenty of sunshine, but without Megan, Kinsley decided her day could become very turbulent. She drank her coffee and looked out the window of the Super Min, its air conditioning allowing a small reprieve from the rising humidity outside. The gas station was a hub of activity as various cars came and went and a few patrons made their way inside the Super Min for their small purchases. The area was bustling even without the snowbirds.

  Across the street from the Super Min sat the Fourway Motel, bordered by bottle palm trees intermixed with several flame thrower palms. Reminded of her conversation from last night, she winced and wondered again why Todd and Crystal roomed there instead of Casa Blanca. Although not nearly as luxurious, it was still quaint, with its ornate lanterns hanging in front of what looked like intricately carved doors, consistent with the Moroccan-style construction on Mimosa Key. Kinsley wondered if she should head over to the Fourway and retract her lie.

  Nope, not a chance.

  A red Dodge Challenger pulled up in front of the store and the driver slid out. He ran his hands through his dark chestnut wavy hair and pulled off his sunglasses. He placed his glasses in the V of his blue short-sleeved polo shirt and sauntered inside the store. Kinsley recognized him from the cluster of muscle she’d seen on the beach the previous day. She absentmindedly licked her lips and watched him disappear toward the back freezers.

  “Here you go.” Kinsley jumped when a hand reached around her waist and placed a small plastic container on the windowsill in front of her. “These are bound to put a smile on your face, and I hope I didn’t startle you.” It was the heavy-set woman with short silvery hair who’d heard her conversation with Megan earlier.

  “You didn’t, really. My mind drifted,” Kinsley responded.

  “Boyfriend problems?” The woman was obviously referring to Kinsley’s earlier conversation with Megan that she’d overheard. “You know, someone as young and pretty as you shouldn’t need to make up a boyfriend. When I was your age, I never had to go chasing after a boy. You ever want to talk about it, come on in and ask for me, Patience Vail. My friends call me Patti. My sister, Charity, and I own this place. It can get pretty busy, but I’ll always find time to help someone with their problems.”

  “Well, I don’t exactly have boyfriend problems. I’m staying at the Morning Glory villa on vacation and my ex-fiancé and his new wife just happen to be here at the same time. Well, not at the villa, but they’re here on the island.”

  “I can see how that would make for an awkward vacation,” Patti told her. “Ex-fiancé you said? How old are you? Aren’t you kind of young to get married?”

  “I’m twenty-six,” Kinsley’s voice reflected her annoyance at the questions. “And when Todd and I met, it was true love, I thought. Well, I mean, it was supposed to be forever.”

  “Twenty-six is still young. You have your whole life ahead of you,” Patti said. “You don’t want to settle down too early in life.”

  Kinsley gave the woman a smile and then pointed to the cup, intent on changing the subject. “Those smell wonderful. What are they?”

  The dark-haired guy from the beach placed a container of mango sorbet on the counter. “You actually found someone who doesn’t know about the famous Super Min Boiled Peanuts, Patti? I’m surprised.” He pulled out his wallet to pay for his purchase before he addressed Kinsley. “That cup contains gold. Those are the best boiled peanuts this side of the Gulf. They’re a recent addition to the store and you won’t find any better than those.”

  “Really? I guess I’ll have to check for myself then.” Kinsley popped open a shell and placed a peanut in her mouth. “Wow. These are wonderful. I’ve never had them before.”

  He walked over to the window sill and pointed to her cup. “Mind if I have one?”

  “No. Go, go ahead.” Being next to the sexy stranger she’d seen at the beach yesterday, she felt her face warm. There was something about him that made her feel like she wanted to get to know him better. She felt like a schoolgirl with a high school crush and suddenly lost the ability to make a coherent conversation. “I’ve never had anything like these.”

  He took a boiled peanut out of her cup, opened the shell and slid the peanut into his mouth and smiled. His forest-green eyes sparkled and his dimple deepened. The guy moved closer to Kinsley and she caught a hint of his cologne. His voice was deep and his breath hot against her cheek. “Then you’ve never had heaven melt in your mouth. What’s your name?”

  “K—Kinsley. Kinsley Stone.”

  “Kinsley Stone. Nice.” He winked, backed away, and grabbed his bag from the counter before he walked out to his car.

  “How…” Kinsley’s voice caught in her throat. She pushed her hand through her hair and placed her hands on her cheeks. They were warm, and her heart raced. Was she blushing? She pointed to the container, not sure if she’d be able to speak. The thought of the guy, so close, so— She shook her head and straightened her back. Kinsley fanned herself with her hand. “How much for the boiled peanuts?”

  “That little cup?” Patti laughed. “That one’s on the house, hon. You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve got a thing for Logan.”

  “Me?” Kinsley held up a hand. “You mean that guy who was just here? Nope. Not me. Definitely not. No. I’m done with men for a while. A long while I think.”

  “Is that so?” Patti’s smile sa
id she didn’t quite believe Kinsley. “Take time for yourself, I always say. Besides, Logan Sweet’s off limits.”

  “Why? Is he married? He looks too young to settle down and I didn’t notice a ring on his finger.” Kinsley finished her coffee and threw the cup into the trash. Several shoppers came inside for purchases. She glanced outside and saw Logan’s car in line for gas and her heart raced again.

  “No. He just turned twenty-nine and has never been married. Heck he doesn’t even have a girlfriend right now, although you’re probably his type. But he made a promise to his folks that puts him off limits. He—hold on. Guys, you knocked those bags off the shelf.” Patti turned and hurried after two young boys racing through the store barely avoiding the customers in line. “Stop running! Be careful or someone’s going to get hurt. Where are your parents?”

  While Patti dealt with the two young boys, Kinsley strolled outside. She wondered what kind of promise Logan had made and decided she’d come back and ask when the store wasn’t as busy. She slowly walked to her car and stood and stared at Logan. She reflected how her body had tingled when he came close to her. Why had she reacted that way? After all, besides being over men, she had her pretend boyfriend to fall back on.

  She hadn’t realized how long she’d stood there until a car horn sounded behind Logan’s vehicle and brought her back to attention. Having been lost in her thoughts, she suddenly caught Logan staring and realized he had finished getting gas. How long had he been gawking? How long had she? Kinsley wasn’t sure how to react at having been caught ogling, so she gave him a quick little wave and hurried to her car. Once inside, she clipped her seatbelt and looked at her face in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks were flushed. Was she blushing again?

  Damn.

  * * *

  Logan couldn’t understand why Kinsley had looked at him like she did, especially when they didn’t know each other. He hadn’t experienced any other women looking at him that way. She had first stared when he came into the store and now when he gassed up his car. He remembered seeing her on the beach yesterday with her girlfriend and thought Kinsley was one of the most attractive woman he’d seen in a long time. But he’d sworn off women and he wasn’t about to start a new relationship. He made that commitment to his parents and didn’t dare break it.

  Logan had overheard Kinsley talking about her boyfriend problems with Patti and wondered if she thought he could somehow help. Was is it possible he’d given Kinsley mixed signals when he leaned close to her in the store to give her a compliment? His playfulness had caused trouble for him in the past, something he’d rather forget.

  His cell vibrated at the same time the person in the car behind him in the gas line blared his horn. Logan checked the text message and got back in his car. He had glanced over at Kinsley before he drove off when she had given him a little wave.

  What was that about?

  Chapter Three

  Kinsley sat in her car with her phone to her ear and placed her head on the steering wheel. “Am I that much of a loser? I can’t believe how I embarrass myself when you’re not here.”

  “Okay, breathe. Just breathe. Now tell me why, when I just got here, that I can’t even go into the audit because I’m listening to you almost have a breakdown over the phone?” Megan asked. “I mean, I’m lucky I didn’t get a ticket. I think I broke every speed record to get here on time.”

  “It’s Logan.”

  “You know, you really need to give me a little more to go on. Tell you what, I’ll give you a call tonight after the audit, and after you’ve gotten your story together, and—” Megan stopped when Kinsley sighed into the phone. “Fine. Person, place, or thing?” she asked.

  “Person. Logan Sweet. He’s got to be the most gorgeous guy in Mimosa Key,” Kinsley sighed. She remembered how he made her feel when he reached over for a boiled peanut. How his body made her shiver inside when his breath was warm against her cheek. The way his forest-green eyes seemed to penetrate her soul. The way his sultry, deep chestnut brown hair—

  “Kinsley! Are you still there? Is this a real person we’re talking about?”

  “Yes. Sorry. Of course he’s real and he’s sexy, too.” Kinsley let out a breath. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have called. Maybe I’m still hung up on Todd. I don’t know. I told you I needed you.”

  “Maybe you need chocolate,” added Megan. “That’s my unofficial cure for broken hearts. Listen, I don’t know if I believe this guy is real or if you’re making him up. I’m going with made up because, well, Logan Sweet? Honey, what parent would really give a guy that name?”

  “Why not?” Kinsley asked. “I like his name. It’s just…sweet.”

  “Yeah. Exactly. Well, at least Sweet sounds better than Hutzler. Anyway, I really need to get into the audit before I lose my job. I’m counting on this going well, so I’ll probably see you tomorrow evening.”

  They said their good-byes and Kinsley put her phone away and her head back on the steering wheel. Logan was real, and her head spun thinking about him. Maybe Megan was right, maybe all she needed was chocolate. Maybe she needed to stop falling head over heels with any adorable man that came along. Maybe— Kinsley snapped up to attention when someone rapped on her window. “What!?” She got out of her car and slammed her door shut when she realized who it was. “What the hell?”

  “Hey, Kinsley, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Todd said. He combed over his caramel-colored brown hair with his fingers when it tossed with the wind. “I looked out the window from our room across the street and thought I saw your car. Are you okay?”

  “Me? Yeah. Definitely. Yep,” Kinsley raised an eyebrow and wondered why Todd would be so concerned. “Of course. I’m definitely okay. I, uh, was just on the phone with Megan.”

  “She isn’t here?” Todd looked around the parking lot as though he assumed Megan would be riding in the same vehicle with Kinsley.

  “Nope. She had an emergency audit to attend.” Kinsley answered. Although this constituted an emergency in her mind. Being here with Todd, who was without Crystal, seemed strange to her and she couldn’t pinpoint why. Where was Crystal anyway? “I guess that’s the exciting life of a CPA.”

  “Sure sounds it,” Todd chuckled. “I bet she’ll even have her own firm in the not too distant future. Crystal’s out shopping for who only knows what, and I was about to head over to some place called the SOB? Want to join me? The woman running the motel told me SOB stands for South of the Border. It’s a small Mexican restaurant where the locals hang out.”

  “I know South of the Border. I’ve been coming here for years, remember?”

  “Yeah, right. I guess I forgot,” Todd shrugged. “So, what do you say?”

  “That’s not such a good idea.” Kinsley kicked at a small stone by her foot. She knew if the circumstances were different, she wouldn’t hesitate to join him as a friend. “Wouldn’t you rather wait for Crystal to get back?”

  “If you could tell me when that will be. We’re having issues already.” Todd sounded sad. He nudged Kinsley when she wasn’t sure how to answer. “Come on. I could really use a buddy right now. I mean, I really need someone to talk with and well, I didn’t know where to turn. I really don’t know anyone else here. I’ll pay for lunch.”

  Todd did his own impromptu Mexican hat dance and Kinsley grinned. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen such a sad dance before.”

  “Hey!” He feigned a hurt look.

  “I suppose I can spare a little time,” Kinsley shrugged. She didn’t have anything else planned and no one else to hang out with because Megan was at her audit. If Todd needed a friend at this time, she could be the bigger person just to see what he had to say. And she could demand some answers as to what happened to their relationship. “Hop in. We’ll take my car.”

  “Great. I programmed directions into my GPS.” He held up his phone and slid into the passenger side.

  “The GPS if fine, but I know where it is.” Kinsley put on her sunglasses and let the voi
ce from the GPS fill in the gap for conversation as she weaved her way past the main intersection. The roads weren’t congested this time of day and driving along the coastal roadway was pleasant, given that the snowbirds had left for cooler parts of the country.

  Palm trees swayed with the summer breeze, whitecaps formed on the ocean top, and brown pelicans dove into the water to snag a herring feast. She loved coming to the island over the years and described it to friends as an island of contrasts, an island filled with old Florida Mediterranean architecture peppered with new modern-style homes toward the southern perimeter.

  A compilation of old and new, change was inevitable. She’d heard all new construction was usually fought tooth and nail if the design seemed too modern for the residents who grew up calling Mimosa Key their tropical paradise.

  “Your destination is five hundred feet on the left,” the GPS stated. Todd powered off his phone and Kinsley drove beyond the cluster of small businesses and pulled into a parking spot. They both got out of the car and walked to the area, under limestone arches and into a brick-paved courtyard, which connected the series of small buildings.

  “I’ve rarely visited this part of the island because the resort has everything I’ve ever needed, but I can tell this area was recently renovated.”

  “There’s a lot here.” Todd said.

  “Of course there is. This area’s growing and a lot of new stores have moved to the island. It’s pretty.”

  “Do you think they moved the location of SOB? The woman at the motel didn’t mention anything about it moving.” Todd looked at the various businesses. “But I don’t see it.”

  “Why would she mention the exact spot it was located? Besides, it’s right there.” Kinsley pointed to a business off by itself at the other end of the courtyard. Several small, circular, mosaic tables with thatch umbrellas for shade and inviting wrought-iron chairs skirted the doorway where patrons entered and exited. She watched Todd head off toward SOB and she again questioned why she’d come. She caught up with him at the door. What exactly was he up to? “They didn’t move it, but it looks like they expanded, taking over the store next to it.”