by Kaci Rose
"Enjoy your dinner," I say as I turn to walk off.
"You really aren't going to eat with me?" he asks in shock.
I turn and smile at him. "This isn't Hollywood, and I'm not some groupie who's going to fawn all over you and stroke your ego. So, no, I'm going to go eat with my best friend and help her through her ex being back in town. Enjoy your meal. The lobster bisque comes highly recommended," I tell him before turning and heading to Brynn's and my table in the corner out of the way.
She is already sitting down and has a Hummingbird Island iced tea waiting for us. It's basically a Long Island iced tea but named after the island instead.
"How's it going with you-know-who?" she asks.
"He wanted me to eat dinner with him, and when he wouldn't share anything in return, I said no. He was shocked I wasn't passing out from a dinner invite," I say, taking a large gulp of the iced tea and then grabbing a roll and some honey butter.
"We need a code name for him," she says as she grabs herself a roll. "How about Mr. Blue because that's the color of that fancy car he drove in with."
"Sounds good to me. Mr. Blue kept to himself until dinner. Says he turned off his phone and only his manager and his parents are to get through. If anyone else calls, I'm to take a message."
"What are you, his secretary?" she asks.
"He did ask me instead of telling me, though I get the feeling he wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. So now tell me about Mr. Kiwi," I joke, but that earns me a glare. "Don't get any ideas about throwing anything at me tonight, or I will leave you to be Mr. Blue's secretary."
She gives me the evil eye before she sighs and sags back against her chair.
"I was at the farmers' market and getting excited about the strawberries to do some desserts for Mr. Blue, and I hear his voice. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me because of the lack of sleep the past few days. The world wouldn't be so cruel as to let me run into him on a day with my hair pulled back, in old clothes, and no makeup, right?"
"The island has it in for us, so yeah, that's exactly when I'd expect it to happen." I roll my eyes.
We each take a drink of our iced tea as our meal is served. We never order. Brynn always places an order for us before she comes out to sit down.
"I mean, I know his dad died, and he was home for the funeral, but I know he went back to New York City. There was no reason for him to be here. Yet as I rounded the corner there, he was at the kiwis. I froze, and when he looked up, he smiled like a fucking bastard." She grunts and tries to keep her voice down.
"I asked him when he was leaving, and he smiled bigger! Then said he moved back to help his mom with the family's restaurants, and I was stuck with him."
Jasper's dad was a chef as well, and he owned two restaurants downtown that always had a considerable waitlist during the summer. His dad always wanted him to come home and run one, but Jasper had a dream of working in New York City, and he was there last we all heard.
"I'm guessing this is where the kiwi comes in?" I ask.
"Yes, I grabbed the closest thing, a kiwi, and threw it at his head and turned around and stomped off."
"Oh girl, it's already all around town about you throwing that kiwi at Jasper. Sweetheart, he deserved it." Ken, our server, approaches. He's been working here since the summer he was sixteen, and that was the summer we took over the inns.
"Great, maybe it will be a warning for everyone to leave me alone." She grunts.
"Actually, everyone is taking bets on what you will throw at him next. Since we all think it will be at the farmers' market next, the front-runners so far are a coconut or an apple." Ken smiles.
"Perfect. You will be doing the farmers' market shopping this summer. Thanks for the heads-up." Brynn fills her mouth with her dinner, and Ken just walks away laughing.
"Okay, so he's back. Brynn, this is such a small town you’ll run into him more and more. You have to find a way to deal with it that won't cause a scene every time." I level with her.
"I know. I know we need to talk this out, but I just… Ugh. I wanted it to be on my time." She tosses her fork down and takes another drink of her tea.
"Okay, so set up an appointment on your time. Does it have to be in your space, your way? Fine, but you have to do it. We have always worked with his family. They send us some great business."
"His mom has sent us business, not him." She rolls her eyes.
"I get it. Listen, I'm going into town tomorrow, so make me a list of what you need, and I'll do your shopping to give you some time to think about it. You know he won't show up here, so stick to the grounds until Mr. Blue leaves, and then we can deal with Mr. Kiwi."
We both erupt into a fit of giggles that draws Ken over.
"I know those giggles. More tea or chocolate cake?" He smiles at us.
We look at each other and say, "Both," at the same time and erupt into more giggles.
By now, the dining room is empty except for us. I assumed Kade had gone back to his room, but I was wrong. Because right after Ken sets down the cake and two more Hummingbird Island iced teas, he pulls up a chair and sits with us.
"I think you ladies are having the best time. Your giggles filled the whole room," he says.
"Oh, that was the tea." Brynn holds up her tea before taking another long sip.
"Tea caused you two to giggle like that?" He raises an eyebrow in question.
"It's a Hummingbird Island iced tea. You might know it as a Long Island iced tea, but we are on Hummingbird Island, so when in Rome…" I explain.
He shakes his head and watches me suck down more of my drink.
"Do you always drink when you're working?" he asks.
"Well, I'm not working anymore. I live here, and come dinnertime, I'm off duty. I normally have a night manager, but I'm on call since you paid her to stay home. But between you and Mr. Kiwi, a drink was definitely in order today." I slap my hand over my mouth, causing Brynn to giggle again.
We giggle a lot when we drink, and we both call alcohol our truth serum because it's like our filter disappears.
"What did I do that caused you to need to drink a Hummingbird?" he asks and realizes how it sounds soon as he says it.
This time, he chuckles along with us.
"I mean, have you seen you? Plus, the stress of getting this place ready for you was enough to make Jesus himself hit the bottle," Brynn says. “I think we've slept maybe eight hours in three days. Then he who shall not be named shows up today of all days as if he can just walk back into town like he did nothing." Brynn finishes off the cake we were sharing.
"I think we need to go to bed," I tell her.
"Okay. See you tomorrow," she says, and Ken is right at her side.
"I'll make sure she gets to her room," Ken says and guides her out of the dining room.
Kade walks beside me as we head out the side door and across the boardwalk to the Sunrise Inn.
"She lives on the property too?" he asks, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, we both moved in when our parents died. Didn't want to live alone and figured this was best if we were going to run them," I say.
"I'm sorry about your parents," he says in a soft tone.
Needing to change the subject, I wave my hand at him.
"It's been fun most nights off-season. We stay in one inn or the other together and binge-watch all the TV shows we miss during the season." I shrug.
"Except when an annoying Hollywood playboy shows up on your doorstep demanding all your time." He smiles.
"Will you be demanding all my time?" I ask.
"Not demanding but maybe requesting? Despite coming out here to get away from Hollywood, I don't actually want to be alone for two weeks."
"Ahhh, I'd suggest getting off the island for those needs. There isn't a girl in town who wouldn't blast about where you are if they landed in your bed."
He's quiet for a bit, and I can't see his face clearly until we reach the door for the Sunrise. He looks a little hurt
and a little upset, and he tries to mask it but fails.
"Not everything you read is true," he says.
"Yeah, but you have been photographed with more women than who live on this whole island."
"So that makes every story written about me true?" he asks. I can't get a read on his voice, so I stop in the middle of the lobby and just stare at him.
He looks a bit amused, but maybe a bit hurt as well? That has to be the alcohol playing tricks on me.
"No, but it makes it easy for them to paint you in whatever light they want."
"Now you sound like my manager." He shakes his head.
"Well, I'm this way." I point at the hall at the back of the lobby.
"Good night, Lin," he says before turning to head to the stairs. The fact that he takes the stairs and not the elevator even turns me on. What is wrong with me?
"Good night, Kade," I say, though I doubt he hears me.
Chapter 6
Kade
I can't remember the last time I was awake to watch the sunrise without having been up all night. But today, I find myself drawn to my balcony to watch the sunrise over the water. It's almost like soul-cleansing with how peaceful it is. A promise of a new start. Today will be what I make of it.
I take my time getting ready to head downstairs, just enjoying not being on any schedule or anyone's timeline but mine. When was the last time that happened? Even when I would go home to visit my parents, I'd have a schedule of phone interviews or local radio station spots. My time has never been my own like this. I'm not sure what to do with it, but I know I'm going to enjoy it.
When I make my way downstairs to the dining room area Lin showed me yesterday, I find blueberry muffins and coffee on the table. I grab a muffin and walk over to the wall of windows overlooking the beach.
It's not a long walk out to the beach from the back of the inn. There are several couples out walking on the shoreline holding hands. One guy has a metal detector out, and another is just sitting on the beach with a notebook, sketching maybe?
I'm so lost in how peaceful everyone looks I don't hear anyone enter the room until a throat clears.
I turn to find Lin watching me.
"I didn't expect you up so early. How's your head?" I ask.
I loved spending some time with her. Drunk Lin is full of giggles and just carefree. Nothing like this girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders now. Though I didn't like hearing I was part of the reason she was drinking. I didn't think of all the preparations it would take to get ready for me to be here.
"I'm a morning person. A little coffee and I'm good to go. Brynn will be the one hurting today. Do you need anything while I'm in town?"
Not really, but I want to spend some time with her and see the town she and Brynn seem to have a love-hate relationship with.
"Well, do you mind if I go with you? I'd like to see the area a bit, and I will go crazy if I don't get out of the inn," I admit, trying to get her to agree.
I don't add that I want to spend time with her more than anything because I'm pretty sure she will write it off as the Hollywood playboy using his lines to pick up a girl. Knowing those lines won't work on her is also a turn-on.
As she eyes me up, I know she is trying to come up with an excuse to put me off, but I also know she is too nice to tell me no, so I hope that part wins.
"Fine, let's go. But if this goes bad, it was your fault, and I still demand my bonus," she says and turns to walk out of the room. I follow her and catch up easily.
"Deal. Let's take my car," I suggest.
"No way! That thing is too flashy as it is. We have to worry about people recognizing you. Got your hat and some sunglasses?" she asks.
"Yeah, in the car," I tell her.
"Go get them and meet me at the Sunset side door we went in last night. I need to get Brynn's list," she says and turns to head over to Sunset without another glance at me.
I nod and jog out to my car and get the hat and sunglasses and jog back to the door. I don't want her changing her mind.
The fact that she is treating me like a normal person and is a bit irritated with me instead of fawning all over me makes me want to be around her more. Being able to feel like a normal guy has been rare since my first movie hit number one.
I get to the door just in time to watch them both come walking out. They are in almost matching outfits of cutoffs, tank tops, and sandals, but Lin's natural beauty outshines Brynn's by miles.
They both turn to look at me as I walk up to them, and they stop talking, leading me to believe they were talking about me. Hopefully, it was all good things, but if Lin's earlier irritation is a sign, then probably not.
"I can't believe you are taking him into town. If he gets spotted, that manager guard dog is going to kill you," Brynn says.
"No way. I take full responsibility here. Wren knows he won't be able to keep me holed up in the inn." I try to defend Lin.
"I'm not a babysitter. He's a grown man, and if he gets himself in trouble, that's on him. Now give me your list," Lin says.
She takes the paper from Brynn, and they hug before Lin turns and heads out to the parking lot.
I'm so used to driving or having a driver that it feels weird getting in the passenger seat of her small four-door car.
"Do they really shut down the bridge during storms here?" I ask because the bridge is the only way on and off the island.
"Yeah, for safety measures. It washed out in a bad storm a few years ago, and a few people died. So it's a better safe than sorry thing. We are not quite in hurricane season yet, but the storms can still get pretty intense. The inns are prepared. After the bad storm hit, we redid the inns, the windows are all hurricane-proof, and we have more food storage. Both inns have a generator, and if things get bad, there is a shared storm shelter," Lin says as she parks beside a row of brick buildings.
"Wow, does it ever get that bad?" I ask.
"Only since the storm a few years ago. Better to be safe than sorry again." Her eyes are dark, and I don't like the tone in her voice. "Let's get this stuff and get back to the inn. The few employees I do have on staff are storm-proofing the outside, but I want to get back and help."
Now I feel guilty she is so short-staffed in a time when she needs the help. I decide when we get back, I will pitch in and do my share. For a moment, I think maybe I should have gotten a cabin in the middle of nowhere, so I didn't have to worry about the staff and putting so many people out. Then I remember the last meal I tried to cook for myself and realize I'd probably starve or be forced to live off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those thoughts are forgotten when we turn down Main Street.
"Wow. I didn't think places like this really existed," I tell her as we round the corner.
To our left is the harbor and the docks filled with boats. Most are fishing boats, some are personal boats, and a few scattered houseboats.
To our right are rows of coastal-themed shops and restaurants. Every restaurant has outside dining, and the street isn't all that busy today. It looks like one of those picture-perfect postcards for a small beach town.