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 f
or 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?”
“No problem. I’ll take their orders, and give them drinks.” Her big sis grinned. “This is fun.”
“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?”
“More mimosa,” his female companion said.
“Nice place you’ve got here. When we get back tonight, maybe you and I could take a little ride?” the third guy said.
“Uh—sounds like a real nice offer, but I’m gonna be busy.” She grinned and hurried away, happy to retreat to the kitchen and away from the too-happy customers.
The door opened again, and in walked a guy who’d stand out in any crowd. Kayla nudged her. “Look at Mr. GQ.”
The kitchen had an open window so she could see her customers and take their orders when the place was busy. The guy her sister referred to was around their age, and had a thick head of dark hair that was professionally layered and fell just right. Broad shoulders, a slim build, and must have stood six feet four or five. Definitely taller than her five-foot-eleven stature. His face was tanned and exquisite—a strong chin, a straight nose, dark brown eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. He looked like someone….someone she’d once known long ago.
His gaze met hers and stopped.
She
breathed in deeply, and felt her cheeks flame. Her heart began to hammer, and she sighed. “Oh, my.” Turning aside, she whispered to Kayla. “He reminds me of a guy I dated my first year in college. But it couldn’t be, right? I mean, no way. This guy looks like he just waltzed out of a movie premiere.”
“Pretty fancy for around here, that’s for sure. Give me a moment, and I’ll find out.”
Kayla poured a glass of iced water and took it over to his table. He flashed his pearly whites. “Not just one, but two beautiful women. Is the food nearly as good?”
“See for yourself.” She showed him the menu on the wall. “Taylor’s my sister and she cooks like an angel. What would you like?”
“Looks like one too.” He glanced back at Taylor and winked. “I’ll let her surprise me.”
“She’s darn good at that.” Kayla smiled. “So, you want to stick with water, or try one of our famous mimosas? Only three bucks. Best deal in town.”
“How can they be famous? Sign out front says this is opening day. Free coffee.”
“So you want coffee?”
“Nope. You sold me on the mimosa.” He eyed her up and down. “You don’t look like an island girl. Been here long?”
“A year, and I’m staying. We own Paradise Cove Cottages, and my future husband works at Mount Sinai.” She waved her diamond ring in his face, setting that fact straight, just in case he’d been hitting on her. “You need a place to rent? Our cottages are efficiency units, and cater to lengthy visits.”
“Naw. I’m just here for a summer swordfish tournament down in Key West. Joining a buddy of mine who’s into this kind of thing. Had some business in Miami, and figured why not? Never fished for swordfish. So what can I lose?”
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