Bella Key

by Scarlet Chastain

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Scarlet Chastain

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-398-9

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: JS Cook

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To the wonderful women at Evernight Publishing. I'm honored to be part of such a talented and supportive group of writers.

  BELLA KEY

  Romance on the Go

  Scarlet Chastain

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Moist air hit Madison Jacobs like a hot blanket as she attempted to hail a cab outside the Miami office building. Her meeting had wrapped up sooner than expected and she’d hoped to grab an earlier flight back to Portland. Cabs whooshed by, blowing steamy exhaust-laden air over her face. She hated cities, and Miami wasn't tops on her list. She waved her arm in the air, summoning an old-fashioned checkered cab, which squealed to a stop at her feet.

  “How do people handle this?” she asked the cabbie, sliding into the seat. She pinched and tugged at the placket of her blouse, allowing the sad excuse for the cab’s air conditioning to reach the inner depths of her sweat-soaked bra.

  “Not from around here, huh?” The cabbie’s grin reflected from the rearview mirror, his eyes darting about eight inches lower than they should’ve been stationed.

  Maddie cleared her throat, covered the opening of her blouse and pointed toward the windshield. “How about you keep your eyes straight ahead and take me to the airport? Thank you.”

  “Must be a New Yorker,” the cabbie muttered under his breath.

  Maddie cracked the window and shrugged. He’d been half right. She’d earned the “New Yorker” title by spending her undergrad years at NYU before taking the job at Milano and Jones Public Relations. After a few years in New York specializing in creating the marketing campaigns for a few B-listed romance authors, she hit pay-dirt. Her hard work had finally paid off when a couple of successful advertising campaigns catapulted her clients to the top of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Maddie soon morphed into M&J’s rep-in-demand. She caught the attention of the company’s C-Suiters who offered her a transfer to the Portland office, as most of her clients lived in the Pacific Northwest. The promotion couldn’t have come at a better time.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled her phone from her purse to check her voice mails. A groan erupted from her lips as she squinted at yet another message from Tim. Better to get it over now, she thought. She slid her finger over the message button and pinched the bridge of her nose as she held the phone to her ear.

  "Hey Mads, it's me again. Listen. Can we talk when you get back? I know you said you needed space but I don't get it. You up and left without so much as a good-bye. Anyway, let's talk. Okay? I'm sure we can work it out.”

  Tim had a point. She hauled her ass out of New York so fast, no one saw it coming, especially Tim. She sucked at breakups. What better way to get rid of a guy she would never love than move across the country? Three thousand miles seemed like enough distance to gum up a relationship. Truth be told, she had no idea why she wasn’t feeling a connection with Tim. They were perfect on paper. At least, that was what her mother said every chance she had. Maddie made the mistake of bringing her hotshot Columbia Law graduate of a boyfriend home for Christmas which made her mother practically do cartwheels down the street.

  She tapped the delete button on her phone and dropped it back into her bag. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back on the fake leather seats.

  "I hope you're on your way to someplace nice. You look like you need to get away," the driver’s voice called from the front seat.

  She opened her eyes and stared at the brown eyes looking at her from the rearview mirror. "Huh? What?" She’d hoped her curt tone relayed her ‘I’m not interested small talk’ mood.

  "Sorry. I just mean you look like you could use a vacation."

  She snorted. "Yeah, vacation. Good one."

  The cab pulled up to the Departures gate and Maddie handed him her corporate credit card.

  "Have a good vacation, Miss." He handed her the fare slip.

  Maddie signed for the charges and took back her card. "I'm not—Oh, never mind."

  The heat hit her like a wet rug as she grabbed her overnight bag and strode through the airport doors to the ticket agent. "I'd like to get on an earlier flight to Portland."

  The agent took her ticket and after a few clicks on her keyboard, shook her head. "Sorry Miss Jacobs. There are no earlier flights; the one you're booked on is the next one out."

  "Figures," Maddie grumbled under her breath.

  She took her ticket back and walked through the terminal spotting a number of bars she wouldn’t mind wasting a couple of hours in. She shrugged and shuffled into the Caribbean Breeze. "Yeah, some vacation. I may as well make the most of it." Maddie slid onto a barstool and ordered a piña colada.

  "Starting your vacation early?" asked the bartender.

  "No, this—" She pointed to her drink when he set it in front of her. "This is my vacation. How pathetic is that?"

  Looking at the many variously sized television screens, her gaze fell on one in particular, a commercial for Bella Key, the farthest island of the Florida Keys. Couples frolicked through the sand and sea. They lounged together on hammocks and drank fruity drinks by the pool. She looked longingly at the screen.

  "Do you believe in signs?" Maddie asked the bartender.

  "Signs, as in you're fated to do something because of related events?"

  "Yeah, something like that, do you believe in them?"

  "Actually, Miss, I do."

  What the hell? Why not.

  "Hmm. Well, then, I'm going to finish this drink and go see someone about a rental car. How much do I owe you?"

  After settling the bill, she added an extra ten to the tip and slid off the barstool. She found the bank of car rental counters next to baggage claim and approached the nearest one.

  "Hello," Maddie smiled at the surfer dude wannabe behind the counter. "I’d like a car for the weekend. What the heck, make it a convertible if you have it."

  He offered her a warm smile. “Let’s see what I have to give you.” After a few taps and an exchange of her driver’s license and credit card, he handed her a set of keys. “Would you like a GPS unit?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  Pulling the dashboard GPS from a drawer, he switched it on and swiped his finger over the screen. “Let me program your destination for you. Looks like this one is set to Bella Key. Where are you off to?”

  She smiled and extended her hand. "I’ll take it just how it is."

  On her way to find the cherry red convertible, she pulled out her phone and pushed the speed dial number programed for her boss’s private line. Relieved to make it to the third ring, she knew the call would head to voicemail. "Hey Diane. The meeting went well and Anderson will send us the signed contract next week. I know this is last minute, but I'm taking the rest of the week off. I've decided to treat myself to a little side trip before returning. I'll see you Monday." Maddie tapped the screen and grinned. She'd never done anything remotely unplanned like this. She had no vacation clothes with her, no hotel reservations and no idea what she was doing. Yet, she couldn’t feel more alive.
<
br />   She patiently listened as the rental car attendant gave her a quickie lesson on how to lower the roof of her convertible. "Be careful,” he said as he closed the door. “There's a storm headed our way in a few days." Storms were the last thing on her mind. She’d be damned if she’d allow a little storm to keep her from her impromptu adventure.

  Within fifteen minutes she turned toward Highway A1A and headed south with the wind in her hair. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she whizzed by the first sign for the Florida Keys. Her fingers strummed the steering wheel to the beat of a Top Forty song as she inhaled the sweet scent of ocean air. Stopping at the Visitor's Center, she stretched her legs, kicked off her heels and threw the confining pumps into the back seat. She slipped on the cheap pair of flip-flops purchased at the airport and swore they would be her footwear of choice for the duration of the trip. Approaching a white haired woman sitting behind the large counter in the center of the room, she scanned the colorful brochures, picking one for Bella Key.

  "Hi, can you recommend a place to stay on Bella?"

  "What are you looking for? Hotel or a Bed & Breakfast, dear?"

  Maddie considered the question. "I'd say B&B. I've never stayed in one before."

  The woman took the pamphlet from her hands and flipped it open. "I'd recommend this, this, oh and this one," she said circling each of her choices with a red pen.

  "Thank you," Maddie said offering the woman a smile.

  She walked back outside and enjoyed the tropical breeze flowing through her hair and the sound her flip-flops made on the crushed shell walkway. Opening her door, she pulled out her iPad and laid it on the hood of her car. She typed in the name of the first place the woman circled. It was tiny and located in the middle of the small island. Too crowded, she thought. A beach view was a necessity. After all, if she was going to do this, she might as well go all out.

  The next B&B was a butter yellow two-story Victorian style house on the beach. The advertisement stated, "Come to the end of the world. Make Casa Bonita your first and last stop on Bella Key." Anchoring her hand on her hip, she smiled. Casa Bonita, here I come.

  Maddie weaved the convertible along the windy streets of the small Key. Palms swung overhead in the lazy breeze, washing peaceful vibes over her body. Following the only main street of the island, she pulled alongside a dead end sign and peered at the sea beyond the barricade. Scanning the street, she figured she'd missed the B&B and shifted the car into reverse when she spotted the sunny yellow exterior of a home resembling the picture on the brochure. Her elation fizzled as she pulled into the driveway and saw ‘closed’ dangling from Casa Bonita’s wooden sign. A woman carrying grocery bags from her car caught Maddie’s attention. She pulled in closer to the house and shifted the car into park; her angry bladder threatened a revolt from the grande mocha Frappuccino she bought on the main key.

  Pushing open the car door, the white gravel of the driveway crunched under her flip-flops as she stood. "Sorry to bother you, Miss. I didn't realize the Inn was closed."

  The woman cocked her head and smiled. Dropping the bags back into the trunk of her car, she approached Maddie’s convertible.

  "Yeah. Sorry about that. The A/C conked out last week and I had to cancel all my reservations. I thought I reached everyone." She furrowed her brow and glanced at the rental car. “Did you come far?”

  "Oh no. I didn’t make reservations; I took my chances and dropped by. It was kind of a last minute decision to come here. I was on my way back home from a business trip when I decided to take a mini vacation.” Maddie gazed wistfully at the flowers leading to the entrance of the B&B. “It seemed to be the perfect place to hide out for a few days and clear my head."

  The woman flipped her long dark hair over her tanned shoulder and placed her hands on her slender hips. "Now I feel really sorry. I'd love to have you as a guest but I’m afraid the upstairs guest rooms will be uncomfortable without air conditioning. I can recommend another place if you'd like."

  "That'd be great." Maddie pressed her legs together and shifted from foot to foot. "Can I trouble you for the use of your bathroom? This frap went right through me." Maddie jiggled the empty plastic cup in her hand.

  The woman laughed. "Of course. Come on in." She led her through the back door, which opened into a comfortable kitchen complete with shiny stainless steel appliances. Maddie looked around approvingly before the woman pointed to the swinging door.

  "It's right out that door into the dining room to the right."

  "Thanks." Maddie walked through the swinging door into the dining room containing four tables, which she assumed corresponded with the number of guest rooms. She strode into the kitchen a few moments later, disappointed that the B&B was closed, as it was the perfect spot for her stay.

  "Thanks again. You're a lifesaver." She laughed and gave the woman a quick bow.

  "Glad to help," she said easily. "I'm Soledad, Sunny for short. Welcome to my treasured pearl, Casa Bonita." She turned on her heels and swung around with the grace of a dancer.

  "Good to meet you, I’m Maddie. Your place is beautiful and I'd never guess your air conditioning wasn’t working. It’s very comfortable in here."

  Sunny sighed. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't even have it on. Tourists like the A/C, especially when sleeping at night. The guest rooms upstairs do get a little stuffy. This couldn't have happened at the worse time, too. There's still a couple weeks left of tourist season," she said with a shrug.

  "Can't you get it fixed right away?"

  "Out here everything moves slow, especially workers. We're waiting for a part to be delivered from Miami."

  Maddie nodded and scanned the kitchen. "Your oven is making me salivate. I just have a little electric one back home and I love to cook."

  “May I offer you something to drink?”

  “As long as the bathroom offer is still open.” The two women chuckled and Sunny gestured for Maddie to sit at the small kitchen table. Sunny yanked open the doors of her monstrous stainless-steel refrigerator and pulled a glass pitcher from the top shelf. “Sweet tea?” She turned and held the pitcher up.

  “Perfect.”

  "Where are you from, Maddie?" Sunny asked, pouring two tall glasses of tea.

  "Portland."

  “Maine?”

  Maddie took a long sip and licked her lips. “Delicious. Portland, Oregon.”

  "You're a long way from home. What brings you to Bella Key?"

  "It's a funny story, actually. Business brought me to Miami, then I was due to fly home today, but something told me I needed a break. A break from everything…"

  "I'll tell you what. Why don't you stay here? Since you're from Portland, I have a feeling the lack of A/C won't affect you. You can take the small room next to mine down here on the first floor. You'll never know we don't have air conditioning. The breeze is fantastic. The room is free of charge."

  Maddie's stomach jumped. "Really? I'd love to stay but I'd have to pay you. I wouldn't feel right staying for free."

  Sunny regarded her for a moment. Her eyes lit up as she snapped her fingers. "You like to cook, right? How about you do the cooking while you're here. It'd give me a vacation from the oven. Feels like that's all I've been doing lately. The B&B has been filled to capacity for weeks."

  Maddie mulled the offer over and nodded. "Okay. You have a deal."

  Sunny smiled and offered an outstretched hand. "Come on. Let's get your things and the rest of my groceries.”

  ***

  An hour later, her suitcase sat in a small guest room on the first floor and Maddie stood at the gleaming countertop tapping her finger on the granite deciding what to prepare for dinner. Sunny reached over Maddie and pulled two plates from the cabinet, placing them on the kitchen table. Maddie glanced over her shoulder. “Do you live here alone?”

  “Si, it’s just me. Things didn’t work out with my partner, and she left a few months ago. I didn’t realize what a help she was around this place.”

&n
bsp; “That’s tough to lose a business partner.”

  Sunny snorted. “Not business partner, chica. Slone was my girlfriend.”

  Maddie froze as heat crept over her cheeks. “Oh. I’m sorry. I thought you meant...”

  Sunny glided past Maddie and pulled open a drawer. Silverware clanged together as she removed the forks and knives. The skirt of her dress tickled Maddie’s calves as she strode back to the table. “No worries. I know what you meant. I’m so used to living in the Keys where half of the female population are lesbians. Most visitors assume single women are of that persuasion.”

  Maddie busied herself with the wrapped seafood bundles. She opened the white paper to find two of the finest tuna steaks she’d ever seen. Grasping the pink flesh between her thumb and index finger, she flapped it at Sunny. “These look fabulous and I know the perfect recipe for them.”

  “Yet another perk for living down here. You can’t find fresher seafood.”

  “Were you expecting guests? There are two huge hunks of fish here.”

  Sunny let out a sigh. “I’m just so used to buying for more than one person; I can’t bring myself to buy one of anything. Did you notice all the duplicates in the grocery bags?” To prove her point, she walked to the refrigerator. “See? A couple of bottles of orange juice, two pounds of butter and—” She pulled the freezer drawer and reached inside. “—a pair of Ben and Jerry’s pints.”

  The two giggled in unison as Maddie took the pint-sized containers from Sunny. “That’s a lot of ice cream. Good thing I showed up to stop you from polishing one of these off, huh?”

  “Who’s stopping me? One for me and one for you.” Sunny playfully bumped her hip.

  “I’d better hide these.” Maddie winked and hurried to the freezer, tucking the containers in the back corner.

  Sunny leaned her back on the counter and folded her arms across her chest, surveying Maddie as she walked back to the stove. “I’m glad you showed up,” Sunny said, nodding.