The Queensbay Series: Books 1-4: The Queensbay Box Set

by Drea Stein

  “I can count on you?” Jake said, and Jackson knew all that was implied in that simple question.

  “You can count on me.”

  Jake smiled and said, “Well shit and hot damn! How do we get started?”

  Jackson let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I had a lawyer draw up some paperwork, about forming a partnership. I’ll have him send it over for you to look at.”

  “Alrighty then. There’s just one more thing. What are we going to name it?”

  “Sanders and Owen Construction?”

  Jake smiled, “I don’t know, Owen-Sanders sounds more official, don’t you think?”

  Jackson laughed and almost could have hugged Jake through the mesh of the batting cage.

  “We’ll flip a coin, ok?”

  Jake stuck his hand out and Jackson came outside the cage and shook it.

  “Of course, now all you have to do is figure out how to convince the clinic to go quietly and you should be all set.”

  “I don’t have to convince them of anything. I have the paperwork that says they have to be out,” Jackson said stubbornly. If he wasn’t going to back down in the face of town gossip, he wasn’t going to back down on a business deal either. He had to be strong on both fronts if this was going to work out.

  Jake shook his head and was about to say something when both their sets eyes were drawn to someone just entering the building.

  Jackson watched as an all-too-familiar figure, striding with purpose and a bounce in her step, brunette ponytail swinging behind, passed them without seeing them and headed into the long corridor that separated the batting cages from the rest of the gym.

  Jake gave him an enquiring look. “Speak of the devil. Perhaps you should see if you’re more convincing this time around. Maybe the clinic will go quietly.”

  “No way,” Jackson said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He didn’t need another run in with Lynn Masters, especially not today. Every time he saw her, he came off looking like a heel. Jackson had never flinched in a business negotiation. His projects always came in on time and on budget. If he needed to be a hard ass, then so be it. It was one of the reasons why he’d been so successful so quickly. He had to remember that there was nothing personal in this. The building was his to do with as he damned well pleased, and he didn’t need to be swayed by a bleeding heart doctor. And he didn’t owe her anything for what she’d done at The Golden Pear.

  All of that flashed through his mind before he realized just what Jake had in mind.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he warned his friend.

  But Jake just smiled and called out, “Hey, Lynn. How ya doing?”

  Lynn, because it really was her, stopped, hesitated as if with indecision, then turned slowly around. She looked over at them and Jackson knew that she had seen them when she first walked in and had been doing her best to ignore them.

  Now she looked at them both and finally said, in what Jackson knew was a deliberately cool voice, “Hello, Jake.”

  To Jackson, she only nodded before turning and heading in her original direction.

  “Wow, you must really have pissed her off. I’ve never seen her not say hello to someone. Usually she’s handing out hugs and lollipops as well,” Jake said, his voice showing his amusement.

  “Glad you’re having some fun at my expense,” Jackson said as he quelled the urge to slug his friend with the bat; instead, hefted it and stepped into the batting cage. His one thought was that perhaps Lynn had heard the story and realized she’d taken the wrong side the other day. No wonder she had looked right through him.

  “Don’t worry, the fun’s just begun,” Jake said with a laugh, and after a moment, Jackson joined in. It was good to be back home, even if his re-entry plans were not running quite as smoothly as he had hoped.

  Chapter 17

  “Phoebe!” Lynn cried out, opening the door to her apartment and wrapping her friend in a hug. “When did you get back?”

  “A couple of hours ago,” Phoebe said, her voice muffled by Lynn’s arms. “Wow, I think you got stronger.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to swarm you. It’s just that I missed you,” Lynn said and realized that she had. Phoebe looked good, relaxed, and rested, with her summer tan still in place and her long blond hair pulled back in a loose chignon. She moved further into Lynn’s apartment, an elegant vision in a flowing, floaty linen top paired with a long, clingy skirt.

  “I missed you too. I have presents, so pour me a glass of wine,” Phoebe said.

  Lynn smiled, all of a sudden feeling less tired. The whispers were flying furiously at the clinic about the imminent closing and one nurse had already announced her resignation, saying she had found another job. Lynn had thought a workout at the gym after work would make her feel better, but seeing Jackson had only put her in a sour frame of mind.

  Phoebe took a look around and tsk-tsked. “Wow, I’d like to say I love what you’ve done with the place, but I don’t think anything’s changed. Except maybe that mountain of magazines has grown.”

  “You were only gone three weeks. I’m busy,” Lynn said. “But,” and it was hard to keep the note of pride out of her voice, “I did what you said. I’ve been buying all those magazines about houses and marking the things I like, you know to help me find out my personal style.”

  So far, Lynn had only invested in a couch, low slung, slightly modern, in a neutral gray color, her a mattress and bed frame, a TV, and a couple of stools for the bar. Her clothes fit easily into the walk-in closet, so she hadn’t even bought a dresser yet. The apartment was a basic white on white theme and while she knew a little color would be a good idea, she was enjoying the clean, clutter-free lines of it. For her, less was definitely more, but she wouldn’t object to some pictures, bookshelves, and a knickknack or two.

  Phoebe cocked an eyebrow at her and her eyes twinkled as she walked over to the pile of pages Lynn had torn out. She flipped through them, and Lynn waited in silence, finally deciding since it was her house that she could take off her grimy sneakers and shed the top layer of her workout clothes. She walked into her bedroom, dumped her clothes in the laundry hamper and found her favorite slippers, soft and lined with lamb’s wool, put them on, and then threw on a clean t-shirt.

  As she returned, Phoebe looked up and said, “Your style is kind of all over the place.”

  Lynn sighed. “I know. I can’t decide if I like modern, or beachy, or country cottage. There’s nothing ugly in those magazines, which I guess is kind of the point.”

  Phoebe pursed her lips. “You’re definitely not country cottage. You’re too simple for that.”

  “Excuse me,” Lynn said as she went over to one of her cabinets and pulled out two juice glasses. She hadn’t gotten around to finishing all of her shopping yet.

  “I mean your personal style, your method of being, is simple. You care too much about and for other people to really focus on things. But it’s not like you’re Zen-like about it. You have too much energy and passion for that. But I don’t ever see you collecting a bunch of things for the sake of it.”

  Lynn frowned, but she could see what Phoebe was saying. “I guess I’m more into experiences than things. You know, a great hike or good climb. An exciting vacation. A great run. A ski slope. Those memories get me more jazzed than any one thing.”

  Phoebe nodded, pondering. “You like old movies and books, but I don’t see you as a collector of those since you have everything on your e-reader. You’re a health nut, too, so you have all of that sports equipment.”

  Lynn laughed. “In my case, for the hiking and climbing, it’s called gear. And like you suggested, I left most of it at my parents since I don’t have a lot of storage space.”

  “Hmm,” Phoebe said as she took the glass of wine Lynn handed her. She picked up the collection of magazine sheets and Lynn watched as she flipped through them again, deftly sorting them into separate stacks.

  “What are you doing?” Lynn asked.


  “You’ll see. How’s your new project at the clinic?” Phoebe asked.

  Lynn sighed. “I think it’s DOA. So much for making a difference.” Phoebe had cheered her on through every stage of Healthy Kids Now, even encouraging Lynn to think up some sort of catchy nickname. Lynn didn’t know if the name was catchy, but it had certainly made it more real to put a title to it.

  “What do you mean? I think it’s a great idea. Childhood health and wellness is such an important issue. I thought you had all the support you needed.” Phoebe’s wide blue eyes were clouded with concern.

  “I did. That’s not the problem. The problem is the clinic may not be around much longer.”

  Phoebe looked up from her sorting. “What are you talking about?”

  “Two words,” Lynn said. “Jackson Sanders.”

  “The elusive, ruthless, and enigmatic Jackson,” Phoebe said. “Not even his own brother can explain him to me. Do tell.”

  So Lynn told and Phoebe nodded along.

  “Chase told me about what happened to Jackson’s fiancée,” Phoebe said. “I guess it really tore him up. Chase isn’t one to talk about things like that, but I can sense that Jackson’s never really been the same since then.”

  Lynn took a moment to wonder what the old Jackson could have been like. Happy, carefree, a shorts and flip-flop-wearing beach bum? Somehow she didn’t quite buy it. Jackson looked as if he’d been born in one of those expensive suits.

  “Are you sure he won’t change his mind? I mean, I know Jackson’s not the friendliest person but shutting down the clinic, that’s cold.”

  Lynn could only shrug in answer.

  They had moved to the couch and were sitting facing each other, knees drawn up, bare feet tucked underneath. Despite the subject matter, Lynn was glad that Phoebe was home, here to speak with.

  “What will you do?” Phoebe asked.

  “I guess find another job,” Lynn said, though in truth she wasn’t so worried about that. There would probably be a space at the hospital, at least initially, and there were usually openings in private practices. But it was the loss of the opportunity to pioneer her Healthy Kids Now program that was gnawing at her.

  She’d made a lot of progress already, collected a lot of data and worked one on one with dozens of kids. And she was starting to make a difference. Already some of her kids had lost weight, taken up a sport, started to do better in school. And best of all, they all felt great about themselves, filled with pride that they could make a difference in their own lives. But without the clinic she didn’t know how she would keep the program going.

  “What are you more upset about?” Phoebe asked after a moment.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The loss of the clinic or the fact that you won’t get to work with all those kids?"

  Lynn didn’t hesitate. “The kids. I mean the clinic is great, but there are other places people can go for care. The hospital for one, or some of the other clinics in the area. A lot of them are in newer buildings, with better facilities.”

  “So maybe you’re focusing on the wrong thing, if it’s not the clinic that matters most to you,” Phoebe suggested.

  “And maybe you’re taking his side because he’s going to be your brother-in-law?” Lynn suggested, but without any anger.

  “I don’t feel there are sides here; but in any case, it doesn’t seem to me like Jackson would care what I think. I have a feeling Jackson does what Jackson wants. But you,” Phoebe fixed Lynn with a steady gaze, “surely, if you wanted to you could figure something out. You’re a resourceful, successful, savvy woman.”

  Lynn sighed. “So I keep telling myself.”

  “What does that mean?” Phoebe laughed.

  “I can’t seem to have a successful date, my apartment looks like a dorm room, and every time I’m in front of Jackson I wind up looking like an idiot.” The last part was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

  Phoebe’s eyebrows rose and she sent Lynn a knowing look. “Interesting. I’ve never known you to care about how you appear to other people. Usually, you’re not above strong-arming them into helping you with whatever cause you’re working on.”

  “Apparently, Jackson is immune to strong-arming,” Lynn muttered, deciding that she definitely wasn’t ready to admit to Phoebe that she found her future brother-in-law attractive. A jerk, true, but an attractive one.

  Phoebe reached out and patted Lynn’s knee. “Well, there’s one thing I can help you with. And that’s your apartment. Here...” She picked up a sheaf of magazine pages. “I separated them into three different styles I think you’ll like. All you need to do is pick the one you like best and then we can go shopping.”

  “Ok. I guess one out of three isn’t bad,” Lynn said, deciding that shopping might be just the thing to distract her from thinking about the way Jackson’s shoulders looked in a pinstripe suit.

  Chapter 18

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Jackson looked up from the plans he had spread out on the desk to see his brother Chase, holding a six-pack and standing in the doorway of the top floor of Jackson’s new building.

  “And it’s good to see you too,” Jackson said, tossing down his pencil.

  “Come here, little brother. You, back in Queensbay. I’ve been waiting years for this. Each summer I’d hope that you would come back, that we’d take the boat out for a spin. But each time, September would come around and we never get our sail in.”

  Chase, his big brother, grabbed him in a giant bear hug. Chase was shorter by a hair but more solidly built, a point he could never help but emphasize whenever he got the chance. Jackson relaxed, let Chase get his hug in, and then breathed again when his brother let him go.

  “There was the time we met up in Norway and sailed the fjords. That was pretty spectacular,” Jackson pointed out, though it had been cold enough to freeze the pickled herrings.

  “True, but even here it’s not too late. We still have a few good weeks of boating weather left,” Chase said, his eyes flashing with eagerness. Jackson shook his head, knew that if Chase had the chance he’d be out on his boat all year round.

  “We’ll see. We have a lot to get started on,” Jackson pointed out.

  Chase held up his hand. “That stuff can wait. I still can’t believe you’re here on home soil.”

  “Don’t get all misty eyed. Did you and Phoebe have a nice trip?”

  “Couldn’t have been better. Almost convinced her to elope with me on the shores of a beach in Indonesia, but I figured Mom and Dad would kill me. And Phoebe didn’t want to disappoint all of her friends. We’re planning something for the spring, maybe at the hotel, maybe at The Ivy House. Depends on how many people we invite.”

  “Don’t you mean ‘you,’ not ‘we?’” Jackson said. His brother collected friends the way other people collected lint in their pockets. If Chase was going to throw a party, there was a good chance he’d invite the whole town.

  Chase rubbed his short, dark hair and looked a little sheepish. “Should I be blamed for wanting everyone to see how great she is?”

  Jackson shook his head. Phoebe was smart, talented, and beautiful. And she happened to be the granddaughter of Savannah Ryan, a famous movie actress who had once had an affair with Jackson and Chase’s grandfather. It had been quite the scandal a generation ago and hadn’t exactly ended happily. But Chase and Phoebe had somehow managed to defy the odds and seemed truly happy. It made Jackson wonder if sometimes fate really did smile on some people.

  “I would feel the same way if I were you.”

  “You know you’ll be my best man. You and Noah, of course. I figured the women get to have all those bridesmaids, so I can have my brother and my best friend up there with me.”

  Jackson shook his head. “I can’t believe you of all people are settling down. I mean, if anyone would have said to me that you would find the one, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

  Chase laughed. “It’s like role reversal. I�
�m the guy looking to settle down, and from what I hear you’ve been dating your way across the seven continents.”

  There was a pause. “Hell, I didn’t mean it that way, Jax. I know if what happened to Ash…” Chase trailed off and Jackson waved his hand. Chase had been there for him, tried to get him to talk about it, but after being shot down so many times, usually knew better than to say anything about it.

  “Hey, it’s the past. Besides, I couldn’t let you have all the fun. And now that you’re off the market, just means there’s more left for me.”

  Chase laughed with him. The lie slipped off of Jackson’s tongue easily enough, but he could see Chase wasn’t quite satisfied. Truth was he envied Chase, just as he knew that he couldn’t go down the same path. Jackson knew he could never love like that again, never get so caught up in someone else that he forgot himself. Nope, he’d leave love to the stronger men of the world.

  “I like what you’ve done with the place,” Chase said, pointing to the hole in the wall.

  “I decided I was ready start on the remodel,” Jackson said and hoped that Chase wouldn’t ask him more about his thoughts on relationships. In truth, after seeing Lynn at the gym, he had had felt the need to destroy something and decided that now was as good a time as any to start on the demolition part of his planned remodel.

  “I can see that,” Chase said, setting down the beer on the large piece of plywood set across two sawhorses, which was currently serving as a desk, worktable, and everything else in the place. An old boom box sat in the corner next to a large, super bright light. The radio was on the local classic rock station.

  “I’ll take one of those,” Jackson told Chase, gesturing toward the six-pack. Without saying anything, Chase popped the tops off of two bottles and passed one over.

  “You know, Jake could send a crew over here to do this for you.”

  “Feels good to take a swing at it.” He looked over at the wall which was partially down.

  “Hell yeah,” Chase said, putting down his bottle and picking up the sledgehammer, hefting it in his hands. “Just tell me where.”