Time After Time

by Melody Foster

  Indeed, Cadence was stunning. Her long blond hair lay against her bare shoulders.

  “So, how was your trip?” Cadence asked Lidia, as she gave Becca an all-knowing look of appreciation.

  “Very good,” Lidia beamed, dumping her oversized Gucci bags to hug Cadence. “In fact, it was actually better than it could have been without Austin.” She turned to face Becca. “Am I right?” she asked her.

  “Absolutely!” Becca quickly agreed.

  Becca was in a hurry. She had a lot of things to get done after her few days of absence. She’d been working hard on keeping Villa’s household in perfect order. She was very meticulous about the way she did things. It was a big deal for her. Her perfectionistic nature helped. Becca loved her job.

  Lidia gave some direction about her luggage to the driver and announced, “We should celebrate tonight.” Cadence give her an innocent smile. Becca knew that her friend wasn’t naïve at all, but played the role.

  “Where is your husband, dear?” Lidia gently nudged Cadence, as she looked.

  “He was supposed to meet you at the airport, Mrs. Blackstone. He got caught up in some work on the island,” Walden explained. Walden should have told Lidia earlier, Becca thought. She prepared herself for the sparks of Lidia’s controlling nature.

  Lidia did not respond to Walden. Instead, she checked her phone for messages.

  “Oh, God! I keep forgetting. My cell does not pick up the signal over here!”

  “That’s what we like about the island. Right Cadence?” Becca could not hide a smile.

  “And we wouldn’t want it any other way,” Cadence confirmed, grinning.

  “That I wouldn’t change, either,” Lidia agreed.

  “So, let’s get started then. You girls dress up and get ready. Tonight everybody is celebrating.”

  ***

  Becca was busy with the staff of the villa, making last arrangements before the dinner.

  When she was on her way back to her suite to get the shower and dressed, she ran into Cadence who was impatiently waiting for Becca to get free of her duties. She surprised Becca, stopping her in the hall behind the corner leading to her quarters.

  “And you call me crazy?” Becca exclaimed.

  “So, how were things with Austin?” Cadence asked without any hesitation, as if she knew that Austin was actually the only thing on Becca’s mind during the last two days.

  “He’s um…coming to visit tonight,” Becca told her friend.

  “Any particular reason?” Cadence asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

  “Just to celebrate your mother-in-law’s lifestyle change. Apparently they got very close in the city. Friends?” Becca shrugged.

  “Um…” Cadence hesitated. “Rom went to meet with Austin this morning after you arrived, on the big island.”

  “Really,” replied Becca. “I did not know.”

  “Obviously, no one was supposed to know. I just overheard the conversation he had with Joe. You know, Joe is specializing in real estate deals, and Rom was financing one of them. They were selling some property on the big Island. And, guess what?! The buyer is Austin Stevens and Co.!” Cadence couldn’t wait any longer to tell her friend the news.

  Becca was more than shocked. She was speechless. After a moment of silence, she exclaimed in disbelief, “How in the hell are they going to manage that?” That what not exactly what she intended to say. “OMG! OMG! OMG!” was the closest she could come to expressing her reaction.

  “I don’t know. After the wedding, they seemed to try harder to work things out.”

  Becca shook her head and asked, “Did you have anything to do with that?”

  “Not that I’ve never tried,” Cadence said, putting on her innocent face again. ”But things got much better, especially after Austin learned that Rom and I are expecting the triplets,” She gave a satisfied smile.

  “I guess Austin dreams about being the Triple-Uncle,” Becca said unconsciously twisting a lock of hair around her finger. What she was really thinking was: I guess I’ll have to reconsider telling him he is going to be a daddy.

  But that thought disappeared as quickly as a rock thrown into the calm water. Just the ripples on the surface of her mind stayed a little longer than she wanted. What Becca wanted stability and roots, something she had convinced herself Austin could never give to her or her child.

  Cadence smiled affectionately, “Come on. It’s not all about me. You know that!”

  Becca could only guess what Austin planned to do on the island—so close to her. Was it going to be something permanent and stable? Was he going to settle down there? Or, was it just a matter of family business changing hands for tax purposes? Whatever it was, the news excited her. The pleasant fact that Roman was involved in Austin’s dealings suggested to her that their relationships were warming up. She wanted the two brothers to be at least as close as she and Cadence were.

  NINETEEN

  Austin was restless until they landed on the big island. He could not keep his eyes off Rebecca during the two-hour flight. He imagined the possible consequences of his acceptance of Lidia’s invitation to dinner.

  Unfortunately, they would have to seem to be just friends in everybody’s eyes. Rebecca made sure he’d promised her just that. She’d explained that she loved her job and did not want to create a conflict of interest.

  It’s the worst motive to keep a secret, Austin thought.

  If Becca were his, she would not need any job at all. He would love to free her from these kinds of worries. She would not need to coordinate family gatherings and vacation events for other people. She could use her big brain for more challenging tasks—like the one he had in mind, but hadn’t discussed with her. The problem was that he still was not sure if Rebecca would be interested in getting involved with his new business idea.

  Austin was seriously considering the purchase of real estate on the big island. Austin was an ambitious man, but that deal on the big island meant something more than pure business to him. He was determined to close it, no matter the price. He was not about to bargain for a better deal. Money was ready to change hands from him to his half-brother. To keep money in the family felt right to him. The relationship with Rom looked more promising than ever.

  In any case, he would like to give it a try and persuade Becca to change her mind about her job and him.

  The idea had come to him while he sailed on his yacht from the wedding. The morning he took off, he was determined to find a way to get closer to Rebecca. Maybe subconsciously, he was also looking for a way to get closer to his half-brother and his new-found family as well.

  It was almost impossible to tell if the decision to buy a piece of land for development on the big island was logical or purely emotional. What he found out later, after running his research and the calculations, helped make up his mind. He preferred to think that this was a well-calculated business decision on his part. He liked to be in control of his emotions, avoiding their influence on his actions…or he thought he did.

  His cell phone rang, and he fumbled for it in his pocket. Glancing at the display, he saw the name, Joe Snowden. As much as Austin disliked the guy he could not lose his temper and let the deal slip through his fingers. “Hey, Joe,” he said. “I’m almost here.”

  “Listen, I can send someone to park your car.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already parked. But thank you anyways. See you in a bit.”

  They were meeting at a prestigious office located in the downtown of the only city on the island. It was not hard to find the building or a parking spot, or the penthouse office for that matter. Austin wasn’t late either. He’d never be late. What did Joe really want? To make sure that he knew who was in charge? Austin was always in control when making important business decisions and he was not about to give that control up to Joe. The final word for this deal was already in Austin’s hands. He was satisfied that he had bought the land outright.

  As soon as Austin entered t
he room, he knew that the deal was already successfully closed and that put him in a good mood. Roman and Joe were waiting him with in anticipation.

  In his early thirties now, Joe Snowden was quite handsome. He was also an impressive jerk, Austin noticed. He could see how easy was it for the women to fall for Joe’s charm. Rumor had it, Joe Snowmen was not only eye candy, but he could sweet-talk anyone to jump into his bed in the blink of his black eyes.

  “It’s a deal. I’m buying it.” Austin said without any prelude. Roman’s eyes met his.

  “Congratulations on your purchase, Austin!” Roman said cheerfully. ”With an additional ferry to the island you can bring a lot more tourism to the resort you’re planning. It’s all in your hands now.”

  “Always a pleasure to keep a property in the family,” Austin nodded slightly in a direction where Rom was sitting.

  “This is a great piece of land. I wish I had some spare cash myself.” Joe stood up from behind his heavy cherry wood desk and approached Austin with a smile to shake hands. It was easy for Austin to deal with him on a strictly business level.

  Austin had closed a lot of deals like this one before. He did not need to bury himself in the details at this stage. His attorney handled the paperwork for his purchase and his agent went through the legal papers with a fine-toothed comb. He always did his homework, working out everything in advance. There should be no surprises. Austin liked to take over businesses with hidden values and turn them around into great successes. What he’d really like to do was to invest in this little island and potentially entrust this project to Rebecca’s expertise and local experience.

  “I notice you’re becoming much friendlier, Austin. I just wanted to talk about this. I’m not trying to persuade you in either direction, so you know…” Rom sounded half-serious and half-joking, acknowledging Austin’s good mood.

  “Maybe I will settle here and we can finally become friends. That was something our father wanted.” Austin intended to kept the small talk alive, but his remark made Roman’s jaw stiffen. They had more unfinished business to discuss. They were both well aware of it. Austin was waiting for Roman’s twenty-first birthday to complete the transfer of his father’s inheritance back to him. His half-brother did not refuse the offer.

  The thought that one could never buy a brother’s love was true. He did not expect to become much close to Roman. But the result might well be favorable to their relationship. He would try anything to move them from their current stalemate. He could understand how Roman could be pretty upset.

  Their father did not ease the tension between his two sons by leaving a substantial chunk of his estate to Austin. If anything, it made the situation more disastrous.

  Joe tried to keep their attention away from the hot subject by going over the details of the transaction and dates of the completion, as they all settled into their chairs. Austin glanced over Joe’s and his dad’s accolades displayed on the walls. Apparently, they were both Harvard alumni. That was not a big surprise. Did Roman go there too? All he knew from Lidia was that his brother had had a very hard time adjusting to college life. Lidia was not that strict about him finishing the school. It was clear to Austin that Joe Snowden had wrapped himself around Roman’s money very tight.

  And now he was putting his dirty hands on Rebecca? he wondered.

  Austin was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard Joe saying: “Maybe Becca and I finally put down some roots here too. She seems not to want to move away from your Villa Grande.”

  Joe mentioned Rebecca as if his relationship with her was a sure thing. It was too casual a comment for just a slip of a tongue. Austin did not like it at all.

  Did Joe realize that Becca and Austin had known each other for years? Did Joe actually think he had a hope of a close relationship with her!

  “What are you talking about, man!” Roman was almost hysterical, laughing at Joe. “She would never give you any chance. With your reputation?”

  “The girl is so damn stubborn. You should tell your mother to push the issue of me as a potential husband a bit harder.”

  “Becca would not listen! She is determined to stay unmarried, as she told us the other day. And why would you want to tie yourself up?”

  “Said WHO?”

  “It’s just not something you are good at. That’s all.”

  “Well, it suits us perfect as it is. Besides, who is the better head for our small stuff to run the villa? The girl has excellent skills.” Roman was so carried away with his own speech that he did not notice that the phone in his jeans pocket was buzzing loudly.

  “Your phone?” Austin asked pointing.

  “Oh! Yeah! My wife,” Roman slipped out to the reception area in search of some privacy.

  Austin stood up and slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks, curling them into tight fists. Then he walked briskly to the bay window overlooking the city. He pretended to be interested in the view of the busy street below. A million thoughts were rushing through his mind. If Joe was trying to piss him off like that, he’d picked the wrong man!

  “I’ll see you tonight at dinner.” Austin said coldly. He could hardly wait to leave.

  Backtracking on his encounters with Rebecca, he grew more wary. Even though she had been with Austin for the past few days in Miami she wanted to keep about their relationship secret. This made him twitch. He did not understand her reasoning. To his logical mind, it was not looking good. Was she intentionally playing him?

  Just last night he had wanted have her openly and without restrains. He wanted the whole world to know that she was his. God! He even wanted her to have his last name. Wistfully, he thought of her marrying him.

  He had nothing to hide from anyone…Except that he had.

  He could not bring himself yet to talk to Becca about his … issues.

  “Forget it! I’ve exposed a lot already as it is,” he scolded the weak part of his brain.

  He did not want to get the expectations up for their relationship, just to see everything tumble later.

  Austin liked to plan ahead. It always paid off to take calculated risks. But he needed to work up some emotional strength to bring his issues to Becca. Would she understand? That something he was not certain about. Hell! He liked to be certain!

  Austin never considered himself a jealous type. But, that man made him uneasy. The memory of the wedding night struck him. Was it possible that Joe used some dirty tricks to get into Becca’s pants? The very thought of Joe being anywhere near Rebecca set his teeth on edge.

  Man. He needed to be closer to her than he was now-especially with that guy lurking around like a snake. He posed as Roman’s friend, but something was fishy about the way he came across this morning. Austin had learned to trust those gut instincts over the course of his life. He did not have any father to rely on with an expert advice, did he?

  ***

  Without waiting for Roman to finish his phone call to say good-bye, Austin hurried out of the office into the humid tropical evening. He had to return to his rental suite to take a cold shower. He planned to catch the late afternoon ferry from one island to another, so he had plenty of time.

  He knew, from Rebecca, about her dream to own a piece of land on the island. He told her about his own plans to invest more into real estate.

  He’d decided that he will take this opportunity. He wanted to see her happy. Maybe even with him.

  Austin had found what looked like a perfect opportunity—provided that he liked the land when he saw it tomorrow. He would buy it. Then he could start to develop some property on it. A resort? Maybe. Rebecca could manage it for him and finally use her education in hospitality properly.

  If he was not going to be able to work out a reasonable relationship with Roman, he might as well offer Becca a better option on the big island.

  He was not sure about the Rebecca and Cadence connection. They seemed to be very close. Austin had not discussed it with Rebecca. All he knew about them was from Lidia. And as hard
as he tried to understand the chemistry among the three women, the subject continued to elude him.

  The dinner awaiting him was supposed to be magnificent.

  By the time he arrived at the villa the parking lot was full of luxurious cars. He guessed they were there because of Lidia’s move to the villa. The purchase of the property was not the only reason he was visiting the island. He could accomplish what he wanted without leaving his office in Miami. But, this was a very good excuse to accept Lidia’s invitation without giving away his real motive. He would not admit even to himself, that all he wanted was to be with Rebecca for as long as she would let him. And right or wrong, he would do everything in his power to get what he wanted.

  TWENTY

  Becca ran a hand through her long loose hair to smooth it. She turned at the sound of the arriving car and walked toward the driveway. Her whole body went weak at Austin’s genuine smile as he greeted her.

  “You look great,” he said, making her blush slightly. “I love it when you put your hair down like that.”

  He does?

  “Thanks. I am glad you made it here. Roman was telling us that you took off earlier than he did. I take it you two met each other in the city today?” Becca was bubbling, her thoughts incoherent, her body hot and needy. She wished he would kiss her instead of having this polite talk.

  She was wrong. She could not let herself be attracted to the man who was going to be gone again tomorrow. She needed stability he could not possibly give. But she craved love. Nobody in the world could give it to her except this man. Against her better judgment, Becca was surely falling in love with him.

  Again.

  Austin was winning over not only her, but also his half-brother. Roman seemed reluctantly but steadily accepting him too. After the harsh treatment Austin had received at Roman’s wedding, he wasn’t bitter or spiteful. On the contrary, Austin had helped with Lidia’s move. He was willing to come forward first, time after time. This should’ve been working. In her heart, Rebecca knew the feeling of longing for the family. In this way she and Austin were alike.