by Anne Kemp
“That makes me happy, too. Especially since I’m not sure how long it will be until I can afford to get to London to see you. Plus with the inn and the repairs . . . ”
Abby didn’t get any further. Andrew was pulling an envelope out of his pocket.
“Here.” He thrust the envelope into her hands.
“What is this?” Abby asked as she inspected the small, somewhat bulky package.
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Well, go on and open it. I can’t tell you what it is. Technically a present should be a surprise.”
The corners of Abby’s mouth were already curling up into a wide grin that was threatening to encompass the lower half of her face. She bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud as she tore into the envelope. Its contents spilled out and into her hands.
It was an open-ended airline ticket to London.
With her jaw dropping to the floor and tears threatening to spill, Abby stood gripping Andrew’s hand so tightly that he had to ask her to stop trying to cut off his circulation. Throwing herself into his arms, she placed her lips on top of his to thank him the best way she knew how, taking a moment to whisper in his ear the ways she would find to thank him at another, more opportune time.
Andrew put out his hands and stepped back from their embrace. “Abby, I’m not done yet. I still have one more gift to give you.”
“Andrew! This is insane. I give you a hard time and you give me a ticket to London and there’s still more?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d change your mind . . . if you didn’t, I was going to have to return all of it before I left.” Winking at Abby, he continued, “That’s why that ticket is open-ended. See definition of ‘refundable’ in the airline dictionary.”
Abby giggled and playfully swatted him. “Okay, mister. Good one.”
Andrew then took a small box out of his pocket. It wasn’t so small that it could be misconstrued for a ring box, but she knew it either held jewelry of some fashion or it was a joke. Tentatively, she took the small square box out of his hand and began unwrapping the paper around it.
Inside the box, Abby found the most delicate charm bracelet she had ever seen. Suspended on links of silver or pewter -- not that she could tell or even cared -- were two small palm trees growing from the same trunk with an emerald or some other green gemstone set inside, and another charm that was a heart with a red stone, possibly a ruby but more than likely a perfect imitation. Abby’s breath was taken away as she picked up the fragile piece, which sparkled brilliantly in the sun, sending cascades of tiny lights like those on a Christmas tree floating around the pair.
“I saw it and thought of you. I was at Ricky’s and Miss C. was selling them. She said she knew you and she thought the charm should actually be of a rum punch drink . . . not sure why, though.” Abby still hadn’t said anything. “Look, I know it’s silly, and I’m pretty sure the stones are fake but . . . ”
“It’s beautiful,” Abby whispered, interrupting his nervous prattling. She held the bracelet and her wrist out to Andrew. “Will you?”
He obliged, finishing off the moment with a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. Abby squeezed his hand and gazed into his eyes.
“So, we’re going to do this?” Andrew asked.
Abby nodded. “You betcha.”
She stood on her tippy-toes to give him a final kiss on the lips, long and slow. She wanted it to say Thank you, Trust me and I’m going to do the best I can.
Linking hands, they made their way inside for the impending meeting with Jack Rhys.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Abby stood alone outside the door leading into the dining room. She was pacing nervously, waiting for Leigh to join her so they could walk in together. She and Andrew had decided it was best to go in alone; for one, she didn’t want to mix business with pleasure. And two, she didn’t want to jeopardize his job if his boss, Jack Sr., thought they had something going on.
She was filled with nervous energy, knowing she was about to officially become the talking head for the inn. Knowing that she had the support of her family, Andrew and Maria behind her had made her all the more confident that this was the right decision.
She heard the soft tapping of feet on the floor behind her. Turning, she was greeted by the sight of a very refreshed and jubilant Leigh. Not like the Leigh she was accustomed to as of late, but Leigh from years past. This Leigh was one who liked to smile and thought frowning was for grumpy-farty old men.
She was almost skipping as she came to a halt next to Abby.
“Well, let’s go tell these guys that we ain’t selling. I already broke the news to our real estate agent, and now these folks are officially the last to know.” Leigh smacked her sister’s butt playfully as if they were about to “Play ball!”
Abby pushed open the doors to the dining room and stepped in. But the person sitting at the table wasn’t the older man, Jack Sr., that she was expecting. No, the person sitting next to Andrew was very familiar. Too familiar, in fact. So familiar that she wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was more than concerned that these two had been talking.
Abby could feel the color drain from her face as she stood across the room from Andrew’s boss, Jack Jr.
“J.D.? What are you doing here?”
J.D.’s face lit up at the sight of Abby, almost as if he were backlit by a golden glow.
“Abby! I wanted to explain the other day . . . ”
“You two know each other?” Abby heard the voices in unison echoing in the room, knew it was Leigh and Andrew, but couldn’t shake the fact that the man she had been locking lips with the other day, the one person besides Andrew who physically made her crazy and made her question her own sexual sanity, was here in front of her . . . in her inn.
Her inn that he wanted to buy from her.
Abby and J.D. stared at each other a moment longer before she broke the gaze.
A little too much of that and everyone will wonder what the hell’s going on, she thought.
Clearing her throat, Abby answered the question for Leigh and Andrew. “Yes. I know J.D. We’ve met on a few different occasions since I’ve been here.” She turned to her sister, whose puzzled expression made her pause. “That’s all. A little bit of a shock to see him here when I was expecting Jack Rhys.”
“Well, I am Jack Rhys, Abby. J.D. to my family.” His eyes were zeroing in on her lips and she could feel his heat even with a table separating them. “And to my close, intimate friends as well,” he added.
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as intimate, but fine.” Abby took a moment to regain her composure so as not to drag this out any further. Running her hand through her hair, she attempted to gather her thoughts but was interrupted by none other than J.D.
“That’s a pretty bracelet you got there,” he said, nodding at the charm bracelet. It had caught the sunlight as she was smoothing her hair back, causing the delicate twinkling to begin in the enclosed space.
“Thank you.” Abby looked down lovingly at it.
“In fact, I almost got one just like it for my sister, Callie.”
Abby worked overtime attempting a straight face. “Your sister’s name is Callie?”
Andrew cocked his head as he spoke. “Yes. Well, her name is Colleen but I’ve always called her Callie. She was with me the other night. Do you remember seeing her? At the casino?”
“Oh.” Abby’s face was twitching in an effort to mask her surprise. Mystery woman is his sister? So, Callie was the woman he was meeting on Nevis, as well as the woman who was with him at the casino the other night. “I see.”
Leigh grinned as she took Abby’s arm, admiring the bracelet as well. “Well, this is absolutely gorgeous! Where did that come from?”
“Just someone very special,” Abby said, hoping for a mysterious tone.
“Funny,” J.D. began. “Andrew picked one of those up today for a lady friend, didn’t you?” He turned to Andrew pointedly. “In fact, your words were that you were going to use it to lure her o
ut of ‘her cold, hard conch shell she chooses to live in,’ I believe?”
Andrew’s cheeks were a soft flushed pink as he realized he had been outed by his boss, not understanding that there was so much more subtext happening here. Subtext that didn’t involve the bracelet. Or Andrew.
“Not that I meant you were cold and hard, Abby. In fact, just the opposite -- ”Andrew stopped as soon as he realized he was revealing too much information. “Sorry. Carry on.”
Abby took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next few moments. Her mission now was not just to tell J.D. they weren’t selling the inn, but to get J.D. the hell out of the house. And fast.
“Look, J.D., or Jack . . . I’m sorry to tell you this when you came here to buy the property, but we’ve decided not to sell. I hope that doesn’t interfere with your plans for the rest of the evening.”
J.D. kept his cool gaze on Abby, matching her faux-relaxed facial expression and her attitude of utter calm, which she had quickly regained. Abby was channeling her bosses of years past as she stood there with him staring at her. She knew she had to keep up her appearance as the cool business owner not just for him, but for Leigh as well.
The room was quiet. Abby wasn’t sure what was going on, except for the fact that Andrew and J.D. were parked next to each other in her dining room. Both sets of lips had been on hers and both men had found ways to make her weak in the knees. Not that it mattered, but still. And now, no one was speaking. Not even Leigh. Abby wanted to swallow, but felt they’d all hear it and take it as a sign of weakness.
Just when she thought it couldn’t go on any longer, J.D. cleared his throat and stood.
“Well, okay. I get it.” He looked down at a folder that was on the table in front of him and he scribbled a number inside. He slid the folder over to Andrew, allowing him to see it. Andrew nodded his head in agreement.
“I’m going to double the offer.”
Abby felt her heart drop in her chest. Are you kidding me? She wanted to slap him.
From behind her, Abby heard Leigh shuffle her feet. “I’m sorry. You want to double the offer?”
Keeping his gaze steady with Abby’s, J.D. nodded. “Double. It’s the only time I’ll offer you that much.”
Abby was flabbergasted. “Double. You want to pay double for this inn?”
J.D. tilted his head slightly to the right and smiled cryptically. “I do. I want La Cantina.” It was only then that he tore his eyes from Abby’s and focused on Leigh. “I told you double, and you have my word.”
Leigh laughed, high and flitty. She grabbed Abby’s arm. “Please excuse us for one moment. I just need to talk to my sister.”
Abby felt as if she were rooted to the spot. It was as if she were in a dream, the way it felt when Leigh was tugging on her arm, signaling she wanted to speak with her privately, away from the stare of Jack Rhys, a.k.a. J.D., and his architect, Andrew. Abby finally gave way and allowed herself to be led into the kitchen.
“Double, Abby! Double! He wants to pay double.” Leigh took Abby by both shoulders and sat her down on one of the barstools. “I’m going to ask you this only one time and this will be the last time. . . . Are you sure you want to do this? Take over the inn? Stay here on this island and not go back to Los Angeles?”
Abby sat for a second taking it all in. She knew she could just take the money and go. Go back to her apartment, her non-life in the city, her home full of broken memories and the sad air that still threatened to suffocate her on a daily basis since Matt. She could say “Yes, let’s take it” and be gone, leave Maria and Ziggy here to tend to things and Cap’n Joe Cutty to his happy-hour parties of one. Yes, indeed, she could say yes and she, Ben and Leigh would all be the richer for it.
Yet when she thought of leaving the island, she was sad. She didn’t want to say yes. She had to say no. The only thing she had now was this island and the inn. Abby knew in her heart that she could do this and she was going to kick some ass running this place.
Grinning, she looked up to her sister’s face and slowly began to nod her head.
“Are you saying yes to selling it?”
Abby shook her head. “No, I’m saying yes to staying here. I got this, Leigh. Let’s tell him to leave. We’re done. I have a business to run.”
Leigh wrapped her arms around her little sister and hugged her close.
“Oh, Abs, I know you can do this. You know why?”
“Because I’m so freaked out I have no choice?”
Leigh laughed. “No, because you know you can do this.” She began walking back to the dining room. She stopped at the doors and waited for Abby to join her.
Abby opened the doors and locked J.D. in her stare as she gave them their final answer.
“No, thank you, Jack. As I said, we’re keeping the inn. It belongs to my family and we’ve decided to keep it.” She tossed a small smile Andrew’s way. “It’s time I got to know it a little better.”
J.D. pushed away from the table. “So be it. Can’t say I didn’t try.” He put out his hand to Leigh. “You must understand, we Rhyses hate to lose. Anything.”
Leigh took his hand and shook it, smiling. “I completely understand.”
J.D. then put his hand out to Abby. “We like to win, at any cost.” His smile was tight but his eyes were flirting. Abby sensed that all she had managed to do was to turn him on for the last half-hour.
“Well, J.D., it’s been a pleasure. Again, I’m really sorry that we wasted your time.”
His smile was almost a smirk as he held her hand for a moment too long.
“You didn’t waste my time, Abby. I came here for Ricky’s and your inn was brought to my attention, just a mere blip on the screen. Now it’s front and center. I’ll be watching it and you.” He let go of her hand and started to walk past her, but stepped back, whispering, “I told you I didn’t think we were done yet.” J.D. then took a moment, allowing his eyes to rest seductively on Abby’s lips as he brushed past her, making sure she felt the heat that she knew already existed between them.
And if she wasn’t mistaken, it had gotten hotter.
J.D. paused at the door, turning back to the room to address Andrew, his tone taunting and his eyes watching Abby for her reaction. “Don’t forget, you need to get back, Andrew. When’s your flight?”
The realization hit Abby like a ton of bricks: J.D. must have known. He knew the whole time, she thought, narrowing her eyes and struggling to keep her composure. He knew that Andrew was here with me, so he decided to send him back! She wanted to confront him, but knew now was not the time. Not here.
“Bollocks, Abby! I needed to be at the airport ten minutes ago! Do you mind . . . ?” he didn’t need to finish, because she was already out the door and dashing to get Ziggy’s keys from Maria.
As she bolted across the property to the maids’ quarters, all she could think of was that Andrew was leaving her and she’d be left on this island, alone, with J.D. Rhys just down the road to torture her . . . if he felt the need.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The morning light was just beginning to fill the front rooms of La Cantina. Abby had risen to another gorgeous day on St. Kitts and to another to-do list a mile long. Her schedule now required her to wake up with Maria at 6 a.m. so they could prep breakfast for the guests. Abby was making it a habit to eat with anyone staying there and to be visible in case the guests had any questions or needed suggestions or help organizing their day on the island.
This particular morning, Abby had given Maria some much-needed time off, which was a first. Even though the guests staying at the inn had asked to sleep in, Abby insisted on being there in the morning in case anyone’s mind changed. She knew she could whip up a meal if needed.
Abby shuffled over to the check-in desk in the front hall with her coffee and settled in to go over the reservations for the week and organize any special accommodations. These mornings were like gold, silent starts to the day where she had a minute or two alone before the hustle and bu
stle began. Soon Ziggy would need his grocery list, more guests would arrive via a cruise ship and from the airport. To top it all off, she was organizing a poolside happy hour for the guests, a new tradition, complete with rum punch and conch fritters.
As Abby opened the drawer to pull out a pen, the white envelope with Andrew’s handwriting on it caught her eye. She smiled to herself, remembering the moment he had given her the plane ticket for her flight to London. A hot, comforting warmth traveled through her body as she thought of him this morning.
It had been a few weeks since Andrew had rushed out the door, with Abby racing to get him to the airport for his plane back to London. Their goodbye had been hurried, but they had made up for it, logging several hours a few days a week on video chats. Abby was excited knowing he would be back in a few short weeks because he was needed for the beginning stages as the construction began on Ricky’s. Since the Rhys family had decided on remodeling Ricky’s versus tearing it down, it meant that Andrew’s job would be a touch easier, but complicated nonetheless. Jack Sr. had asked that Andrew spend more time overseeing this project with J.D., and Andrew had quickly said yes. While Abby was thrilled that Andrew would be back for more time with her, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling she had in her gut that Jack would insist on turning their lives upside down if he saw the chance.
If he could do it once by sending Andrew home, he’ll find a way to do it again, she thought as she lovingly stroked her airline tickets.
Abby had been thrilled with the tickets, as they would serve her a dual purpose when the time came: visiting her handsome boyfriend in London and meeting her father’s lover and the mother of her half-brother, Carla Stenson. Abby sucked in a deep breath, feeling her stomach fill with excited butterflies. She wasn’t sure when she would go yet, but she knew it would be soon. When the timing is right, she thought.
Abby sipped her coffee slowly, watching as the morning light stretched its golden fingers further inside the inn, welcoming the morning. The sun’s rays hit the framed photo in front of her, which caught the light, begging to be seen. She smiled as she gazed lovingly at the picture that had been taken just a few days previously, before Leigh and Daryl had left to go home. Somehow they had all managed to pile in the photo together, after Ben had made several attempts at setting the camera on auto for a picture. Maria, Ziggy, Ben, Abby, Daryl and Leigh . . . they were all sitting on top of one another by the pool, laughing and hugging each other as they were toasting the inn and their family. Abby caught herself giggling at the memory.