“Don’t get me going on the house,” Kayla murmured. “It’s a disaster.” She smiled. “But it will be very beautiful. Eventually. We had the kitchen torn out and a wall removed to create a great room, instead of the smaller family room that had been there before. We have a huge deck out back now, and well, one thing leads to another.”
“I know it’s a lot of work. I’m surprised you’re here as much as you are.” Taylor was happy that Kayla had the house as a distraction after losing her baby. It had all but broken her heart.
“Yes, I love the cottages as much as you all do.” She sighed and pushed her hair off her shoulders. “After the wedding, hopefully our home will be ready for us to show it off.”
She bent to kiss Taylor’s and Juanita’s cheeks, and pat Colt on the shoulder. “Enough about me and my problems. How’s it going? Where’s Jamie?” she asked Colt.
“Baseball camp with Raul. Just until noon. Then maybe I’ll take the boys fishing.”
“Sounds like the perfect summer plan. When does school start?”
“Few more weeks. He’s excited about it, but learning comes easy for him.” Colt gave Kayla a self-deprecating grin and swallowed some coffee. “Smart like his mom.”
“And he gets his good looks from you,” Kayla answered back. “Jamie’s a lucky kid.” She was the oldest of the three girls, thirty-two, and tall like they all were, with the same olive skin, dark hair and hazel eyes. “What are you guys eating? Sure looks good.”
Juanita stood up. “I’ll get you a plate. There’s plenty more warming in the oven.”
“Sit and finish. I can help myself.” Kayla headed toward the kitchen and returned a minute later, digging eagerly into the French toast.
Suddenly Taylor’s disappointing morning didn’t seem so bad. She had her family and friends and what could possibly be better than that?
She felt Colt’s eyes on her, and met his steady gaze. She smiled and his dimples flashed. A warm flush spread from the tips of her toes to the roots of her dark hair, and she wondered if he affected every female this way. Considering how many girls had come and gone in the past six months? Probably. Definitely.
Taylor congratulated herself on giving Colt a pass. Lusting after a guy like him would not only be a waste of good time, it would never be enough. Not for her. When—and if—she was ready for a relationship, she’d not only want to be special, but she’d be looking for someone with the same hopes and dreams. Money didn’t drive her, but being successful did. She wanted the resort and her cafe to do well enough to support them all. Colt was sweet, but he was the most laid-back man she knew. Fishing and his son were all he cared about. And a cute gal in his bed.
Kayla kept up a lively conversation with Colt and Juanita, and Taylor sat back to enjoy the moment and drink it all in. It had only been six months ago that Kayla had to face the disappointment of a miscarriage and cancel her wedding plans. Now she was optimistic that she might be pregnant once again. Although it was too soon to tell everyone the good news, her sisters and her mother were in on the secret.
Colt pushed his empty plate away and wiped some of the whipped cream from his upper lip. His sky-blue eyes looked directly into hers. “You outdid yourself.”
She looked at his mouth and had a ridiculous urge to lick away the whipped cream. Would he taste sweet, soft, or hot and sexy? Did his kiss drive all the young women wild? Her ex-boyfriends’ kisses had been nice, but hadn’t set off any explosions. She could barely remember them.
“Taylor?” Colt tapped the table between them with his tanned forefinger.
“Hmm?” She blinked and looked away. What had made her mind go there? With Colt? He was a buddy. She liked him. He liked her. They were not into each other. He gave her fresh fish if he had extra from a charter. She gave him free food during Paradise Cove’s happy hour. Not exactly a recipe for romance.
“You were looking at me strange.” He tilted his head.
“No, I wasn’t.” No way. Not her. Of course her gaze dropped to his mouth.
“You have whipped cream on your lip,” Kayla told him, glancing at Taylor’s flushed cheeks. “That probably distracted Taylor.” She gave her a sly wink.
“Why should it?” she answered hotly.
“Ask yourself,” Kayla said. “How should I know why you’re staring at Colt’s mouth?”
Taylor shrugged and scooted back in her chair. “This is ridiculous. Where is everybody? Why won’t they come in? I made some super breakfast selections and the only one enjoying it is us. Pathetic.”
Juanita got up to remove the plates, and Kayla followed. “Why don’t you two go outside and round up some more people?” Her lilting voice matched the teasing light in her eye.
Colt stood and offered his hand. “Come on, Tay. Let’s do it. One look at you and the cars will come to a sliding stop.”
She laughed, looking down at her sleeveless coral blouse and floral print skirt. Wash and wear, with a slight nod to fashion. “You are such an idiot.”
“And you should take a good look at yourself once in awhile.” He nodded at her matching Sketchers. “Some guy’s going to be a lucky man.”
Her heart pounded at his intense perusal but she stayed with the jokes. “He better not show up today. I’m too busy!”
The two-lane highway had a steady stream of traffic, and she held her breath as Colt valiantly jumped onto the road. He put one hand out to stop traffic, and with his other arm outstretched he pointed at her standing next to the sign that read Taylor’s Cafe.
She lifted her hand and waved at people who honked their horns and then carefully made their way around the mad man standing in the middle of the road—to continue toward their destination.
After a few minutes, he loped back to her with a silly grin. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t try.”
“You are something else. I’ll give you that.” Sweet, gorgeous and so not for her. She put a hand on her hip. “Why don’t you bring Jamie around for happy hour? I’ll make him his favorite personal pepperoni pizza.”
“He’ll love it and so will I. Later, babe.” He went around the café to the back area that connected to Paradise Cove.
She watched him go and gritted her teeth, hating when he called her that. Taylor could guarantee that she’d never be one of his “babes”.
CHAPTER TWO
Colt walked through the Paradise Cove cottages on his way to the marina. He could have gone around on the main road, but he liked to say hello to Anna and knew she’d have the chubby-faced Merica with her. The baby was in love with him, and he had a soft spot for her as well. He’d put a few fresh strawberries from the breakfast plates into a napkin, knowing she couldn’t resist the sweet treat.
The office was set well back from the highway, down a dusty dirt road overgrown with bushes and shrubs, and straggly pines. The twelve guest cottages—all freshly painted—were built around the pool area and nearer the beach, but separated by environmentally protected mangroves. Unfortunately the mangroves were directly blocking the beach and so judicious trimming was a necessary evil.
“Good morning, Anna!” He called, poking his head into the open office door. “You got any company?”
A tiny hand gripped his knee. He glanced down at the wobbling one-year-old, dressed in denim rompers. “Me!” She pulled at the hem of his shorts.
Merica Hernandez had dark curly hair, sparkling eyes, and a pink binkie in her rosy mouth. He reached down and swept her up into his arms, giving her plump cheeks a big smack. “Hey, Meri. How’s my baby this morning? I brought you some strawberries.”
She pulled the binkie out of her mouth and smiled. “Sawberry.” She reached for his hand. He opened the napkin and she popped one in her mouth. Making a grab for the others, two fell to the floor. She let out a cry, flailing madly in his arms.
Anna gave him a bright smile as she came around the front desk and scooped up the strawberries. “Morning, Colt. I’ll just give these a quick rinse.” She cleaned the fresh berries
in the small bathroom adjoining the office and then returned to hand feed Merica’s eager mouth. “She’s been watching the door, waiting for you. Were you at the cafe?”
Anna was a petite version of her daughters. Not more than five feet two or three, but full of vitality and verve. A good-looking woman with personality and a big heart. He wished his own mother was like that, but she and his sister, Chrissy, were two peas in a pod. Both of them driven by money instead of love. They owned a real estate office in Miami and lived in a penthouse apartment overlooking Biscayne Bay. They both drove new modeled Mercedes, kept their bodies and faces primed by Botox and expensive gyms, but their hearts were cold and empty.
“Yeah. I checked in on her.” He shook his head. “She hasn’t had any customers yet. Not a one. Poor kid.” He knew Taylor was only a few years younger than himself, but out of necessity he’d had to grow up fast. Taylor seemed incredibly innocent, untouched by the tawdry side of life. He’d like to see her stay that way.
Anna made a sympathetic clicking noise. “Oh, dear. That is awful. But it’s early yet. Half past eight, and in the summer people don’t rush around like crazy. They will get there when they’re good and ready.”
“That’s true.” The Keys had its own rhythm, with tranquil days and breezy nights. “Still, quite a few cars went by—but nobody stopped. Even after I tried to wave them down.”
He jostled the baby in his arms as she played patty-cake with his face. “It’ll work out, but I know how disappointed she was. She’s been talking about this opening for weeks.”
“And dreaming about it for years,” Anna added with a concerned frown. Then she shook the sad look off and asked, “So, what time do the boys get done with baseball camp?”
“Noon, then I figured we’d all go fishing.” He’d taken Raul under his wing this summer while his daddy built Taylor’s Cafe. Juanita had been busy with the baby and working as a housekeeper for the cottages. Raul was a good kid and Jamie liked him fine. Which was surprising as hell. His son had been getting into fights with a few of his former friends at school. Last spring, Colt had been called in a few times to the principal’s office. The separation, and all the ugliness it entailed, had been hard. The divorce was worse. He understood Jamie acting out, but couldn’t condone bad behavior.
“Good idea, but before that you could take them to the cafe, couldn’t you? For lunch?” Anna wiped a strawberry seed from Merica’s cheek.
“Of course. They’ll be starving after practice and Raul will want to check in with his mom.” He put the baby in a mobile swing and lined up another two strawberries for her to eat. Merica immediately banged her binkie down on the tray. “I can hang here for an hour or so, if you want to run down and see the girls.”
“You are too sweet, but that’s not necessary. I’ve got to run the new ads for the resort. If I get bored I can close up for fifteen minutes and take Merica for a quick stroll.” The cafe was within sight of the office, just a few hundred feet down the dirt road.
“Okay.” He bent over to give the toddler a kiss and got a sloppy one back. “Bye, baby.” Her little face puckered and he could see she was getting ready to let one loose. He backed away quickly. “I’m outta here.”
“Chicken,” Anna called as he rushed out the door.
The sound of the girl’s cries followed him down the road. Merica was a cutie, but he was glad that Jamie was too old for tantrums.
Colt checked his watch. He still had a couple of hours left before getting the boys and he wanted to catch some yellowtail snapper for the local market. Although being a licensed fisherman didn’t make the kind of money that charters did, it helped put food on the table in off-peak season.
A half-day’s charter brought in four hundred, plus tips. Out of that he’d pay one or two mates, depending on how many anglers were fishing. The mates were local boys who worked for him and other bigger boats. It was a decent enough living, and took care of his creature comforts.
That was one of the things he and his ex-wife had fought about. He’d had an opportunity to take a private job for a guy who owned his own company. The pay was lucrative, with plenty of perks, but it would have meant spending months away from home. From Jamie. He wasn’t willing to do that.
Like his mom and sister, Sharon had wanted the good life, and she’d hoped a doctor that she was seeing on the side might give her just that. So far, no proposal on the table. But she’d given him the house to keep so she could move into an apartment closer to the hospital where she worked as an ER nurse. Made it easier for her to spend time with her resident doctor, too. He and Sharon split custody: Colt had his son Monday to Thursday night, and Sharon had him for a three day weekend. It suited them both fine. Jamie, well, Jamie was adjusting.
He skirted the pool, and walked toward the wharf. It was a small marina, and his 43 foot Hatteras, “Bait Me” was the largest boat there—at a fraction of the price he’d pay to moor it at one of the other marinas with more foot traffic. He’d bought his ten-year-old Fisherman Sport after his wife left. Cost him a pretty penny, but he figured it was better than giving it all to her. Besides, he needed the bigger boat to attract the bigger clients.
Once he had his boat readied, he headed out near a reef where the fish were plentiful. Several other boats were already there, and he called them up on the radio to see what was biting. They were a tight community, and no secrets were sacred. Someone acted out on a Saturday night, by Sunday everyone knew. On the other hand, you ever had trouble? A friend was a radio call away.
Within minutes he’d caught enough baitfish to last him the day and tossed the little ballyhoos and pilchards into a tank full of water. He used chum to get the snapper to follow as he trolled the reef. Once he had their attention, he cut up some fresh bait, allowing it to drift back to the yellowtails. They were pretty smart, known to be line-shy, so Colt released a long length of lightweight line attached to a saltwater reel and set the fiberglass rod aside.
It was only nine in the morning, but the sun was brilliant, glistening off the turquoise sea. Colt adjusted his dark sunglasses against the blinding glare, tugging his white cap down over his forehead.
The breeze kept it from being too damn hot. As he sat back in his fixed chair at the back of the boat to wait, he figured mornings like this were close to perfect. After fifteen minutes or so, he felt a little tug on the line and gave it a snap. There! Adrenalin pumped and he went from relaxed to ready in less than a second. The hooked fish shook its head, putting up a good fight as Colt quickly reeled it in. Within an hour he had half a dozen decent-sized fish, and decided to head back. There was plenty of time to clean the fish and himself before picking up the boys. As he made his way to the marina, he found himself anxious to see how Taylor was making out.
* * *
“Juanita, we need two quiches, and someone has asked for eggs Benedict at table four. I’ll get that going right away.” Her face was flushed with excitement and nerves. “Why did everyone come in at once! How can we handle this? Eggs Benedict is messy and it wasn’t even on the menu!”
“Breathe,” Kayla said. “I’ll pour the mimosas, and offer a basket of your fresh muffins. That will keep the customers happy until you have time to prepare the meals. Oh, and I need two cups of lobster bisque and two conch chowder for table twelve.”
“Thanks, Kayla. Keep the champagne flowing. Juanita, can you get the soup and the quiche while I get busy with the hollandaise sauce?”
“Si.” She wiped her hands on her apron and took down four soup bowls. “So exciting. We have nine customers at once.”
Taylor was melting butter into a saucepan, adding four egg yolks, and whisking quickly to keep it from clumping. She popped an English muffin in the toaster and grabbed a small poaching pan for the two eggs. As the water boiled, she squeezed fresh lemon into the hollandaise sauce and started another pan with the Canadian bacon.
The door opened and two men entered, taking table number two. She glanced at Kayla. “Please?”
“Fun for you. I’m freakin’ out. I want everything to be perfect.”
“And it is. Take a second and look at your customers. Not one grumpy expression or single complaint.”
She nodded, seeing it was true. A table of four women enjoyed their hearty bowls of soup, munching away on the free muffins, and sipping on three-dollar mimosas. They were taking selfies and pictures of the decor.
“Yikes! My sauce is bubbling.” She grabbed a mitt and rescued it from the stove. She cracked two eggs and added them to the poacher, then buttered the English muffin, adding sliced mango and fresh strawberries to the plate.
When she served the dish and the bacon and mushroom quiche to the threesome, they were already on their second mimosas. “This place is awesome,” the twenty-something woman said. She wore shorts and a halter top, boldly displaying the ink on her arms. She sat across from two guys in biker clothes, with bald heads, droopy mustaches, and more ink.
“You Taylor?” One of the bikers asked. He was big and beefy, perhaps two fifty. She hoped he didn’t have a complaint.
“That’s me.” She looked at their faces, never having seen them before. “You guys from around here?”
“No. Homestead. Just heading down to Key West for a day’s ride.” He sucked back his mimosa. “You got any beer?”
“Sure. What’s your pleasure?”
“Something light.”
Taylor nearly laughed, relieved to see he wasn’t planning on getting drunk. “Coming right up. Anyone else?”
HOOKED ON YOU (Paradise Cove) Page 2