“Did you finish your juice yet? Cucumbers are very refreshing,” Ava’s mother, Maile Everrett, called from the kitchen.
Ava looked at the green concoction her mother had set beside the drafting table that Billy was in the process of assembling for her. Shifting her attention back to her very pregnant sister-in-law, she forced a smile. “Right. My niece.”
“Come on, Ava.” Her brother smiled up at her. “Look at it this way. Free room and board while you get established.”
Nodding, Ava leaned back in her new desk chair. “Right. It’s only temporary.” The problem, of course, is temporary to some could be damn-near permanent to others.
“More fritters?” Dressed in one of her usual floral caftans, Maile came into what used to be her other daughter, Kathleen’s, bedroom, but, for the immediate future, would be the home of Everrett Architectural Designs.
How could her mother serve something green one minute in the name of good health and fritters the next?
Angela rubbed her tummy. “I’ll explode if I eat another bite.”
“No thanks, Mom.” Billy tightened the last screw on the table.
“Ava, dear?”
“Hmm?”
Holding the plate under her daughter’s nose, Maile looked over Ava’s shoulder at the sketch pad. “Another coconut fritter?”
At this rate she’d not only lost her independence, pretty soon she would lose her waistline too. “No thanks, Mom.”
“That’s not the Alanis’ new addition?” Maile asked.
“No.” Already Ava had her first small job. For years her parents’ best friends had been talking of turning the tiny boxed rooms in their house into a more open concept with views of their large yard and beautiful landscaping. Whether or not they would actually do it was yet to be seen, but at least they’d have the blueprints to admire.
“Another job?” her mother prodded.
“Just doodling.” Ava had spent her entire life doodling. Except, instead of scribbling Ava loves whoever with hearts and cupids or quirky caricatures, she’d toyed with changes to her bedroom, the sunporch, the doghouse. She’d even spent an entire weekend redesigning her small school’s multipurpose cafeteria-gymnasium-auditorium. To scale.
“Not bad.” Billy stood over her other shoulder. “Very artsy.”
“Really?” She felt a grin tug at her cheeks. “It’s an aquarium.” In the month since she’d left E&S, she’d shifted her focus to the aquarium in the San Francisco Bay Area that E&S would not be invited to bid on. Of course, most likely neither would she, but putting the flowing ideas on paper had helped her maintain her sanity. Especially after she’d stormed out of the E&S conference room, packed up her desk in record time and found herself sitting on her living room sofa, alone and unemployed. And thanks to her thrill-seeking ex’s love of extreme sports and his allergy to full-time employment, her childhood piggy bank contained more money than her savings account.
“Really cool,” her brother affirmed.
“We could use something like that on the Big Island.” Angela looked over her husband’s shoulder. “Maui has an aquarium. Loved walking between the tanks and seeing the big fish swimming on the other side of the glass. It’s the only way you’ll ever get me near the sharks. Kona should have one too.”
While Ava agreed the idea was a cool one, it wasn’t very likely to ever happen. But she only needed to earn a living for now. She already had some feelers out for bigger jobs. Though her career had been stymied for the last few years at E&S, she had made connections and friends. She’d make her mark yet. And, if she played her cards right, maybe, in the not-too-distant future, she’d be competing with the big boys for the most sought-after projects.
Billy patted his sister’s shoulder. “I really appreciate you helping out tomorrow.”
“My pleasure.” She offered a halfhearted smile. “It’s been ages since I’ve had time to dive. It will be fun. Reminds me of when Pop would let us play hooky to help out, when the tourists descended en masse during whale-watching season.”
“If the bookings for the next few weeks are any indication, we’re going to have a bang-up end of season this year. Wish I had a few more sisters hanging around to bamboozle…er…persuade to help out.”
“If you need more help,” his mother began, “maybe your friend Kenny would like to lead a few dives. Isn’t he arriving soon?”
Billy shot a head-shaking glance at his wife, who, smiling that coy I’m a pregnant woman allowed to have lapses grin, hefted a lazy shoulder.
“I might have let it slip,” Angela added.
“Not sure yet, Mom. His last assignment went longer than expected. All he wants is a quiet place to decompress.”
“What?” Maile set the fritters on the drafting table. “Did I say something about making noise?”
“Oh, Mom.”
Ava almost laughed at how her big bad brother always reverted to a little boy around their mother. Except, odds were, Billy was right about one thing. With a fresh unmarried male in town, Maile Everrett was most likely already honing her matchmaker plans. The only way Ava wouldn’t be a part of that would be if her luck had changed—and she wasn’t holding out much hope for that.
* * *
“Oh, for the love of God. Who’s the genius who authorized this?” Arms spread wide apart, CEO and President of FJM Global John Maplewood, né Forrest John Maplewood, held open the most recent set of blueprints for the new shopping center. The mixed-use development was at the heart of the up-and-coming planned community of DelFrisco, California.
“You did.” Arms folded across her middle, John’s assistant, Evelyn, stood, shaking her head at him. “And I quote, I don’t care if the damn thing is made of bubble gum, just get a fence installed. You got your fence.”
The lunatic in his head, hacking away at his eyeballs with an ice pick, was at it again. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he squeezed his eyes shut and willed the hammering to go away. “It’s a construction sight. Not a luxury estate. Chain link and a padlock would have done the trick.”
Evelyn nodded. “Yes, that’s what I said.”
“And?” He straightened, letting the drawings roll closed.
“And the new project manager insisted that a wood fence would be a better deterrent to prevent the thieves from the temptation of returning to the scene of the crime. It was up before any of us knew what he’d done.” Exasperation dripped from her dry tone.
Evelyn didn’t have to say anything more. John knew she was as frustrated with the unnecessary cost overrun as he was. Her title might be administrative assistant, but she did a better job of keeping his ship in order than his chief operations officer.
“All right. I’ll handle it.”
Evelyn dropped her hands to her sides and, stepping over to the wet bar, spilled two aspirin into her palm and poured a glass of water, before returning to her boss’s side. “And just how are you going to do that? You’re supposed to be on vacation, starting in seven hours and twenty-one minutes.”
“Rearrange my day.” He accepted the pills, popped them in his mouth and swallowed them dry. “I can probably push my flight back.”
Still holding out the glass of water, Evelyn waited patiently for him to accept it. “The headache will only get worse if you dehydrate.”
“Yes, Mother.” The truth was, Evelyn wasn’t even old enough to be his big sister, but Evelyn kept him in line, like a mama duck with her ducklings. He took hold of the glass and gulped down half the contents in one swallow.
“No.” Evelyn shook her head. “I’ve already spoken with Derrick. He’ll handle it. Annette Deluca has worked hard to put this surprise birthday party together for your sister, and you are not going to muck up her plans.”
Beside him, his cell phone rang, and, recognizing the number, he held up a finger to Evelyn and took the call from his man in charge of the upcoming Sacramento project. “What have you got for me?”
As the head of North American projects, Derrick was as
valuable to John as Evelyn. “Not much. Things are coming together. Still waiting on some updates from the architectural firm.”
John noticed Evelyn pull out her phone, punch at the keypad, then begin chatting and laughing with the person on the other end.
“What updates?” John asked.
“The usual. City inspectors want some design adjustments, before they’ll issue all the permits. Last-minute use of space. Same old, same old.”
“I could—”
“No. Evelyn will shoot me if you use this delay as an excuse to postpone your vacation. And honestly she’s right. You haven’t taken time off in years. This will be great. The whole family together in Paradise. Just go.”
Right. Just go. Easier said than done. John set his phone on his desk, and Evelyn thrust hers in his face. From her huge grin, he had a good idea who was on the other end.
Added reassurance that he wouldn’t cancel his plans. His one weak spot, Magnolia.
“Hi, sis.”
“Evelyn sounds worried about you. Again.”
He stabbed one finger at the bridge of his nose. The aspirins were already making a difference, just not enough. “You know how it is. Good help is hard to find. City inspectors are a royal pain in my ass. One of these days I’m going to tell all of them to go—”
“Forrest.”
He cringed at the use of his given name. “Well, you asked.”
“Maybe if you didn’t take on so many projects.”
“It’s called earning a living.”
“Oh, give me a break. You passed earning a living after you built your first shopping mall. You’ve more than exceeded Father’s portfolio. By now you should be just shy of ruling the world.”
The laughter in his sister’s voice made him want to laugh too and seemed to do more to relieve the pounding in his head than the aspirin. But, as Evelyn had no doubt expected, the sound of his sister’s voice reminded him why he’d agreed to take this vacation in the first place. He very much wanted to be part of the big surprise birthday bash Magnolia’s boss had arranged. Evelyn had won again. He would not disappoint his favorite sister. He would leave everything behind and go celebrate her life.
“I need to go. Evelyn is cracking the whip.”
The woman seated in front of him raised one questioning brow.
“Well—”
Magnolia sounded wistful.
“—I do wish you would consider coming for a visit. It’s so easy to relax here. Forget about the real world.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Promises, promises.” Her amused tone returned in time to stop John from feeling the tiniest bit guilty for lying to her about his plans.
“Love you, sis.”
“Back at you.”
Evelyn held out her hand for the phone, and, in the other hand, she dangled a set of keys. “Your schedule has been cleared. Your bags have been packed. The driver is picking you up at exactly 5:00 p.m., and you will be spending a full and entire month in Hawaii.” Evelyn jingled the keys so he’d take them. “Not four weeks. Thirty whole days in Kona. You can even play tourist and visit one of the other islands. Maybe meet a nice girl. Have some fun. You remember what that is, don’t you?”
He snatched the keys from her. Temporary insanity was the only possible reason for why he’d agreed to those travel dates. One minute he was unraveling a mess in Dubai, and, the next, Evelyn had him booked first class to Kona, not returning for a full month. Now she wanted him to play footsie with strange women. Not that having a woman to relax with didn’t hold its appeal, but he’d learned the hard way where other people were concerned, so did his money.
“Don’t look so constipated. You’ll learn to love it. After all, there’s a reason they call it Paradise.”
Chapter Three
John dropped his keys on the front table and walked across the expansive living room of the Deluca guest cottage. “Not bad.”
He’d checked his voice mail the minute the plane had landed at the Kona airport, and then again at the baggage claim, in the back of the Lincoln, in the driveway behind the guest cottage, and, for his own sanity, he checked it one more time before setting down the phone. Nothing. Normally his phone rang every ten minutes without fail. Yes, he’d notified all his business contacts that he would be taking an extended vacation, as had Evelyn, but he hadn’t expected everyone to take the changes to heart so quickly.
At least he had a phenomenal view to mend his bruised ego. When Evelyn had said Annette Deluca had offered the guest cottage for him and his siblings, he’d expected something more primitive. Not a sprawling showpiece from the pages of Architectural Digest. He could only assume the new-century modern home perched atop the distant hill was the main house. Scattered palm trees and native shrubs hid most of it from view. No wonder the woman wasn’t concerned his sister would see him arrive.
Sliding open the patio doors, he stepped outside. The oversize veranda was almost as big as the living room. Talk about outdoor lifestyle. Only a few steps down, an impressive infinity pool sparkled in the moonlight, and, just beyond, he could hear the mild roar of the ocean. Evelyn was right. It was time to stop and smell the hibiscus.
From inside the house the Fifth of Beethoven ring tone sounded. Finally. Almost tripping over the massive ottoman on his way to the coffee table and totally out of breath from the short jaunt, he snatched up his phone. “John here.”
“All settled?” Evelyn asked.
“Still checking out the place.”
“Annette said there’s a sauna in the master bath.”
“Good to know.” Not that sitting in a steam room was his thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
“And the pool is heated.”
“Why? It’s eighty degrees out here all year long.”
“It can get chilly at night.”
“O—kay.”
“Have you tried the bed yet?”
“No, haven’t checked the bedrooms.”
“I have it on good authority that you’ll never want to get out of bed again. They’re like sleeping on a cloud. Annette had trouble resting, so she had them custom made.”
“When did you become such good friends with Annette Deluca?”
“I’m not really. Getting you out of this office and on a plane to Hawaii is no easy task. We’ve had lots of chances to chat. She’s very nice.”
“Yes. Yes, she is.” John’s gaze shifted down the hall. For him it was well after midnight, and the thought of crashing in a big comfortable bed, even if alone, held an extraordinarily strong appeal. “Thanks for the heads-up. Did you hear from Reagan on the—”
“No business talk. For the next thirty days you’re not to do anything except relax and have a little fun.”
“Got it. Fun. What about the DelFrisco proje—”
“Ah, ah, ah.”
“Seriously, Evelyn. You can’t expect me to just sit around and watch the ocean rush ashore for an entire month.” Whether she liked it or not, once his sister’s birthday celebration was over, he’d change his airline reservations and head back to California.
“Of course not. You can play in it too.”
“Evelyn.”
“I’m sure, as soon as Annette knows you’ve arrived, she’ll be checking on you.” At Evelyn’s words a soft knock sounded at the door.
“That’s probably her. I’d better go.”
On the other side of the door stood the petite woman. Her delicate frame made John wonder how she possibly could have survived a plane crash. Nothing hinted at the insanity of last year. The mad rush for his sister to sneak Annette’s kids into Hawaii and away from the threats that had sabotaged the Deluca private jet, killing Tom and leaving Annette barely hanging on to life. Nor her struggle to bring normal back to her and her children’s lives.
“Forrest.” Annette held out her hand. “Nice to see you again. Welcome to Hawaii.”
“Thank you.” John accepted the proffered hand and the fact that, for the duration
of his stay, he would have to get used to answering to his given name, which all his sisters insisted on calling him. “Please come in.”
She stepped into the room, casting a casual glance around. John bit back a smile. There was nothing casual about the quick surveillance. She was making sure everything was suitably in order. They’d only met a few times and briefly, but, even with that, John knew that Annette was as much a force to be reckoned with as her powerhouse late husband.
“I’m afraid there’s been a slight change in plans,” she said.
“Oh?”
“Your sister had a little surprise for us as well. She procured tickets for my daughter, Bethany, at the Taylor Swift concert in Oahu.”
“Taylor Swift?”
“My daughter’s a devoted fan. Anyhow, as an early graduation gift, Magnolia whisked her off to Honolulu late this morning. They’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”
“I see.”
“Heather and Rose are arriving tomorrow afternoon as well.”
Had he known a few hours ago that none of his sisters would be here today, he could have taken that extra day in Los Angeles after all.
“So that a busy man—like you—won’t be too bored waiting for everyone else, I took the liberty of calling the shop.”
“I’m sorry, where?”
“Billy’s shop. He’ll be picking you up tomorrow morning at six thirty. He has to get to the marina before everyone, so don’t be late.”
“Marina?”
“Uh-huh. I believe he’ll be captaining the Island Girl. That’s my favorite.”
“Captaining?”
Annette tilted her head and studied him a second. “Have you always asked so many questions?”
John laughed. “Yeah, I guess I have.”
Smiling back, Annette nodded. “The Island Girl is the newer of Billy’s boats. He’ll be behind the wheel.”
John momentarily bit his back teeth, the names all coming back to him. “What exactly have I been signed up for?”
The petite woman beamed up at him. “The first day of the rest of your vacation. You’re going diving.”
Love by Design Page 2