by Amie Denman
“Perhaps the most important reason is this—I love your mother and I love your sister, so I’m feeling merciful. And, most important, I think I’m starting to fall in love with...”
Jack leaned closer, his lips only inches from hers.
“Starlight Point,” Gus concluded, her eyes on his and a slightly wicked smile turning up the corners of her lips. “It gets under your skin and in your blood.”
Jack felt his pulse racing through his brain and beating inside his ears. He knew something else that was under his skin and in his blood. And she was right there. He wanted to close the small gap between them, take her lips with his. He hadn’t made out in a car in a decade, not since he was a foolish teenager, but the temptation was irresistible.
He didn’t have time to finish his thought. Gus slipped her hand behind his head and pulled his lips to hers for a fast-breathing, heat-generating, stars-behind-your-eyelids kiss.
No way could he walk a straight line now, even at gunpoint.
The kiss was over as suddenly as it had begun. Gus pulled back, took a deep breath and stared him down for a minute. This was it, he thought. She was only pausing to invite him up to her place...
“Good,” she said. “You’re awake. I won’t feel bad sending you home now.”
She got out, slammed the passenger door and let herself into her building.
Jack rested his head on the steering wheel for just a moment, hoping his blood would circulate back into a regular pattern. He tugged on his seat belt and switched on the engine. If he got to bed in the next half hour, he’d get a few hours’ sleep before a busy Friday gearing up for a busy weekend.
The roller coaster his life had become was a messy track of exhilarating highs, devastating lows and gut-wrenching twists. Having Augusta along for the ride upped the thrill rating to a whole new level.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE MID-JUNE HEAT rolled across the counter at the Midway Bakery. Liz served up cookies and pastries to guests. Gus ran cookies through the bake ovens in the back, getting ready for the weekend. Tomorrow promised to be a busy Saturday and she wanted to keep the profits rolling in. The specialty cookies depicting rides at the Point were a bigger seller than she had even hoped. She cut out and baked two huge batches of the Sea Devil–shaped cookies, debating about which of the other ones she should stock up on.
“What do you think, Liz? Do people like the carousel, the Silver Streak, the Star Spiral or the night skyline the most? In my opinion, it’s a dead heat.”
“Aren’t you keeping track?”
Gus shook her head. “Not really. Evie could tell me how many cookies we’ve sold, but we haven’t kept track of what the shape is. Think we should start?”
Liz shrugged. “This seems to be working okay. We’re not throwing away any cookies at the end of the day, and people seem happy.”
“Which is your favorite?” Gus asked.
“Probably the Sea Devil. Love the new ride.”
“Haven’t tried it yet. I’m not a big fan of twisty rides,” Gus said.
“You don’t know what you’re missing. I went on it with Evie at the first employee ride night last week. It’s great in the dark.”
“I’ll bet.”
Liz wagged a finger and grinned at Gus. “Wait a minute. Exactly how many rides have you tried at Starlight Point?”
“I’ve ridden quite a few.”
“I mean this year,” Liz said.
“Oh.” Gus thought about it. The only rides she’d been on this season were with Jack. And a tandem bicycle and a maintenance cart probably didn’t count. “None yet, I guess. I’ve been busy. And there’s plenty of summer left.”
“You own three bakeries here, you’ve made hundreds of coaster-themed cookies, and you haven’t pulled down a lap bar and screamed your head off yet? If that gets out, people will call you a big fake. You’ll have to come to the next ride night and live it up a little. Or I’m spilling your secret.”
“Maybe,” Gus said. “But I think those nights are for the younger employees. Teenagers and college students.”
Liz laughed. “Nope. Everyone who’s not too tired goes. There’s lots of young summer employees, sure, but you’d be surprised at who else is there—some of the older maintenance guys, lease vendors, hot security guards. I even saw Jack Hamilton wearing an apron and serving drinks and French fries.”
“No way,” Gus said. A sight like that would make it worth her while to go to ride night.
“Really,” Liz said. “I think he always goes. I remember seeing him on the rides a few years ago when I worked here for the summer. That’s before I had my son. Now I don’t get out much unless I’m working.”
Liz turned and waited on a customer, boxing up two slices of cake with napkins neatly rolled and tied on top. She completed the sale, smiling as if it was the best job she’d ever had. Liz was a real find. She showed up on time, never complained and had a way with guests.
Gus stood in the doorway between the front and back rooms, watching the customers and trying to decide which cookies would sell best on a Saturday halfway through June. She knew this summer was shaping up to be very profitable already, despite the lack of any progress on renegotiating their contracts. The vendors had met again last night in her downtown bakery, but no one could agree on whether to negotiate the flat fee or the percentage part of the contract.
They wanted Gus to be the arbiter, but her leadership was lackluster. Her heart wasn’t in it. She couldn’t complain about her sales, and she liked the Hamilton family. But she couldn’t say that to the other vendors. The evening ended with a stalemate, no decision on approaching Jack. They planned to meet again, but Gus doubted a week would make much difference in her resolve or their organization.
She wondered if a week might strengthen her resolve to avoid getting entangled with the man who’d started the whole mess. Impulse and a generous serving of desire had made her lock lips with him in his car. But she’d come to her senses a half second before the kiss turned dangerous, making up an excuse and sending him home. Shipping him off got tougher every time he touched her, and summer rolled ahead with weeks and weeks of temptation.
She turned her attention back to the front counter, where Liz had just finished selling a whole box of treats to a group of teenagers with a maniacal roller-coaster gleam in their eyes.
“Who watches your son when you’re working here?” Gus asked.
“Day care at the hotel.”
“Hotel?”
“The one here,” Liz said.
“The Lake Breeze Hotel?”
“Uh-huh. They just added it this summer. For employees and vendors with little kids. They didn’t need that old wing of the hotel for employee dorms this year since there aren’t as many employees. So, they converted part of it to a day care. I heard about it just before the park opened—that’s why I applied for this job. Not many summer jobs come with free day care.”
“That’s amazing,” Gus said. “And free?”
“Yep. There’s a playroom, a lunchroom and a nap room. And I can visit Braden during my breaks. Evie said it was her brother’s idea. Sure works for me no matter who came up with it.”
Gus sighed. Jack had more dimensions and twists than the Silver Streak. How was she supposed to figure out a guy who put the screws to lease vendors but offered free day care to all employees—even the employees of the vendors? More important, how was she going to keep resisting him?
“We’ll have to deliver some cookies sometime,” Gus said. “Just for a treat.”
Three maintenance guys hustled past, their tool belts swinging. One talked on his cell phone. None of them looked happy.
“Hope it’s not the Sea Devil again,” Liz said. “I love it, but I hear it’s been broken down about as often as it’s been running.”
>
“What’s the problem with it?”
“Don’t know. I’ve heard a couple of things. One rumor said it’s electronics. I also heard they didn’t consider the stiff breeze that comes off the lake sometimes. Engineering flaw. I guess it stopped a train last night.”
Gus laughed. “I have a hard time believing that.”
“I heard it from one of the girls who loads riders on the platform. There’s a steep hill that doesn’t have a lift chain—just uses momentum—right by the beach. She says that strong wind we had earlier this week stopped the train and a bunch of people got stuck.”
“They got the people off, though, right? Nobody got hurt or anything?” Gus asked.
“No, but it looks bad for the ride and Starlight Point in general.”
“I’m sure. Nobody likes bad PR. Especially because Jack Hamilton is...” Gus paused, not sure how to put it.
“Totally trying to prove himself in the wake of his father?” Liz asked.
Gus nodded. “I’m sure he is.”
“That would be tough. But he’s been working here his whole life. He has to know what he’s doing. He’s a couple years older than me, but I had a major crush on him a few summers ago. I think every girl who works here does.”
“Has he ever dated the summer employees?”
Liz laughed. “No. And it’s a bummer he doesn’t. If he ever started, girls would be lined up in the ride queues. On top of being hot and rich, he has a reputation for being incredibly nice.”
Jack seemed to have no trouble asking me out, Gus thought. Maybe the rules are different for vendors. Or maybe he can do whatever he wants now that he’s the owner, not just the owner’s son.
“Sounds like a perfect man,” Gus said lightly.
“I’ve learned my lesson about the existence of that mythical creature, but Jack sure looks perfect. Even though you’ve had your head in the oven all season, you had to notice that.”
Two more maintenance men hurried by. Liz watched them and then sent Gus a quizzical glance. “Maybe Sea Devil cookies aren’t a good choice for this weekend. I’d go for the nice dependable carousel cookies if I were you.” She inclined her head toward the front midway where the tinny music played. “That thing never stops.”
* * *
JACK HANDED EVIE the newspaper, a scowl on his face. They sat at one of the small tables in front of the bakery in the hotel.
“Last thing we need as the season ramps up,” Jack commented.
Evie had already seen the paper. A stack of them waited on the hotel counter every morning and she’d grabbed one early today. She wanted to grab them all so guests wouldn’t have a chance to see the article about the problems with the new ride.
“It could’ve been worse,” she said. “No one was injured, for one. Also, the article makes it pretty clear that it was an engineering error—the ride designer’s fault—not ours.”
“That doesn’t really help us. Or leave us much choice. We either don’t run the ride when there’s a northeast wind, or we shut it down for weeks while they install an extra lift on that hill. If the work can even be done retroactively.” He covered his face with his hands and rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers. “This is a disaster.”
“Come on, Jack. It’s not a disaster. It’s a setback. We’ll manage. Maybe something else can be done. A compromise of some kind. Have you talked to Mel Preston?”
“Last night and again this morning. He thinks we might be able to make some small adjustments to the speed and braking on some of the hills. Might do the trick, but we have to consult with the ride engineers. They’re flying in tomorrow.”
“See,” Evie said. “It might turn out better than you think. Maybe now would be a good time for that positive PR piece. The one about the STRIPE and the birthday cakes.”
“Think Gus will go along with it? I’m not at the top of the vendors’ Christmas-card list. They don’t like their contracts, and Gus is leading the charge.”
“I can’t blame them,” Evie said. “No one likes surprises, especially when it involves money. You should know that better than anyone.”
“I still think you should come to work in my accounting office instead of working for Gus this summer. I don’t see why you’re not putting family first. You know I need your help.”
“One more summer, Jack. Let me have one more summer. I want to finish my master’s and CPA and then I’ll dive in. For now, I’m getting good experience managing the books for three pretty busy bakeries. And giving you good advice.”
“Really? Let’s hear it.”
“Make nice with the press, ask Augusta personally to do the feature, relax for five minutes.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Wait till next summer when I become your equal partner and start bossing you around. You may be wishing I’d shut up and go away.”
“I wish I could fast-forward to next summer right now.”
* * *
THE WEATHER FORECASTERS had hinted about evening storms, but the lake was calm. Jack told his secretary he’d have his phone with him and headed home. He crossed the parking lot with long strides, heading for his house and his kayak. Afternoons like this were made for burning off steam on the water.
He opened his mailbox and dumped its contents on the kitchen counter along with his keys, wallet and phone. The Roller Coaster Times leaped out at him from the junk mail. A glossy color photo of the Sea Devil took up the whole front cover with the Starlight Point insignia along the bottom. A writer from the magazine had been to the Point a month ago to test out the ride along with a few friends.
Jack flipped to the article. More pictures, a head shot of him with a few quotes about his hopes for the season at Starlight Point. And a review of the ride. On a scale of one to four screams, it got a three and a half. The article explained that the ambience and trees along the track were good and the first two hills were totally killer, but the rest of the ride just meandered and flipped around. The reviewer thought more direct theming of the sea-monster idea would have bumped it up to four-scream level.
More sea-monster stuff? Where the heck were those writers looking? The cars were made like ships, the color of the track sea blue, and the ride platform and entrance had large signs and artwork depicting coaster riders in the clutches of a leviathan. Even the queue lines—which they’d later discovered weren’t quite adequate—undulated in a wavelike pattern.
Jack flipped the magazine shut and slammed it on the counter. With the bad PR in the paper and the problems with the new ride itself, that extra half a scream just added to his sour state of mind.
He skipped the wet suit since he didn’t plan to be out long. Maybe an hour, just to work off some of his tension. Seeing Starlight Point from the water had the same effect as seeing its lights from the darkened parking lot. He needed that perspective today.
From his house on the Old Road, Jack crossed a narrow street and walked down a small hill of sand, and then he was standing on the shores of Lake Huron.
He paddled out, far enough to come around the long break wall jutting out from the Point, and headed back along the shoreline. The Lake Breeze Hotel and its wide sand beach came into view, along with the hills of coasters crouched all over the peninsula. He stopped rowing, his kayak barely moving in the calm water.
He had enough pent-up energy to paddle all around the peninsula and across to Bayside.
But Augusta probably wouldn’t be there anyway.
Jack dipped his hand in the cold water. Enough thinking of Gus. His interest in her right now was purely business. He needed to ask if she’d talk to a reporter about the Summer Training and Improvement Plan for Employees.
The wind picked up, ruffling the water. Jack started to paddle, turning his kayak and continuing down the shoreline in front of the hotel.
He knew he should turn back, and he would...in just a little while, after he’d taken a look at the place where the Sea Devil got stuck last evening. Maybe if he saw it from the water, he’d get a fresh perspective.
A bald spot in the trees showed the track plainly. The exact spot where the coaster had to climb the hill using only momentum was also the only place along the shoreline unprotected from the lake wind. A strong gust blasted him from behind as he watched the Sea Devil.
A windbreak. That was the solution. Could it be as simple as that? No reengineering, no adding lifts, just a tall fence strategically placed? They could theme and paint the wall to match the ride, with swirling blue-and-white sea monsters climbing it.
Jack wanted to whoop. He wanted to let out the half a scream denied to the Sea Devil by the magazine review. He watched the ride a moment longer and then whipped his kayak around to head back down the shoreline toward home.
His joy died quickly when he saw the sky behind him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
STORMS ON LAKE HURON had a reputation for coming up quickly. This one outdid itself. A streak of lightning split the sky, and thunder echoed off the Lake Breeze Hotel.
The rain started almost immediately. The forecast had clearly been off by a couple of hours, and he’d been lulled into complacence. Sunshine and cloudless skies had smiled on the Point ninety percent of the summer. Until now. No way was he going out around the break wall in this storm. He’d head toward the beach and find a ride home for him and his kayak.
He beached his boat and hauled it out of the water. Keeping an eye on his kayak, Jack took shelter in the hut where guests could borrow life jackets and towels, rent floats and mini-surfboards, and buy hot dogs and drinks. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and zipped open the plastic sandwich bag protecting it.
Mel’s phone rang only once.
“Howdy, Jack.”
“Where are you?”
“Hotel lobby. Flirting with a fantastic woman.”