by Kara Lennox
“I’m his fish-finder,” she said, and Cooper slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle what she hoped was laughter. “Best in the business. I’m also a gourmet chef, and I prepare all the meals for our passengers.”
“Ah. You can get me a cold beer, then.”
“Yes, sir. Right away.” Gawd, he did everything but snap his fingers at her and say, “Chop chop.” And she’d thought Cooper was arrogant.
Fortunately, Otis had moved what little food and drink had been in the old fridge to the new one, so she was able to lay her hands on a cold beer.
“So, who is she really?” Derek asked, his body language reeking with disapproval.
Allie stopped when she realized they were discussing her. She stood there, frozen, not sure whether she should retreat, interrupt them, or eavesdrop.
She decided to eavesdrop.
“She is, in fact, the best fish-finder on the Texas coast,” Cooper said. “And she works miracles in the galley.”
“So she’s not your little playmate?” Derek asked. “Mom wondered if there wasn’t a woman involved, given your history of turning stupid around a pretty girl. Heather wasn’t the first woman to take advantage of you.”
Oh? This was interesting. What awful thing had Heather done? Was that what made Cooper so suspicious?
“No, we’re not involved,” Cooper said.
Not anymore, Allie added silently.
“But I’ll agree she’s pretty.”
“If you like that earthy, tomboy look. You didn’t, last time I checked.”
Allie gasped. How rude. Then she remembered she wasn’t supposed to be listening. She stepped through the hatch and rejoined the men, handing Derek his beer.
“There you go, sir.”
“Thank you,” he said without looking at her.
“Captain Remington,” she said to Cooper, “I was just on my way to buy provisions for tomorrow’s outings, so I’ll leave you and your brother to visit.”
Cooper bit his lip. “See you later, then.”
As she disembarked, he mouthed a silent thank you.
COOPER HAD BEEN HOPING FOR more time to prepare for his brother’s visit, but at least Allie was playing along. He wasn’t sure why it even mattered. So what if Derek thought he was insane for wanting to fish for a living? But all his life he’d been competing with his brother-partly thanks to the fact their father always pitted them against each other-and he couldn’t bear the thought of Derek returning to Manhattan with tales of how deluded Cooper was and what a mess he was making of his life.
“So this is for real?” Derek asked. “I figured you’d play around on the boat for a week, then put it up for sale and come home.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Cooper assured him. As he did, something tight uncoiled inside him. He didn’t have to worry anymore whether Derek approved. Derek had no power over him-none. The resentment he’d felt for his brother vanished like the morning mist and with it had gone any need for subterfuge.
Cooper took a deep breath. “Allie isn’t really my fish-finder, although she’s damn good at finding fish. She’s my partner.” Man, it felt good to say that. “Johnny wrote a new will, awarding her the Dragonfly. She has a legitimate claim, and she’s sunk her life savings into this tub. It’s all being sorted out in court Friday, but until then we’re working together to keep the charter business going.”
Derek looked at him as if he’d just announced he ate small children for breakfast. “I knew you’d come down here and gotten yourself into trouble. What time is the hearing? I’ll have to rearrange my schedule-”
“No, Derek. I don’t want you there.”
“Do you want to keep the boat or not?” Derek asked, utterly baffled.
“I do. But I want to keep the girl, too.”
ALLIE WAS QUITE PLEASED with their morning charter the following day. She’d spent the previous evening preparing ingredients for a slightly more upscale breakfast for the two men and one fourteen-year-old boy who were their passengers. Everyone, including Cooper, devoured the sausage-and-egg wraps, which bore no resemblance to the fast-food version of the same dish. Allie’s exploded with the taste of fresh herbs and real aged cheddar cheese.
They were fishing for barracuda, and the fish were being elusive, but the men didn’t seem to care. And when the boy caught the one and only fish of the day, he came unglued he was so excited, and the two men coached him on how to bring in the big fish. So all in all it was a good trip.
As soon as the passengers were gone, she and Cooper got to work cleaning and straightening and preparing for Derek and Sylvia’s visit. But Cooper seemed relaxed about the whole thing.
“Oh, by the way,” he said, “I told Derek everything. He knows about the two wills, and the fact we’re partners.”
“Really. What was his reaction?”
“He thinks I’ve gone ’round the bend. Which maybe I have. Allie, tell me honestly. When I first got here, was I like him?”
“I’m afraid so.” When she saw the disappointment on his face, she gave him a break. “Okay, you were only somewhat like him.”
“By moving down here, I might have saved myself just in time.”
After all the build-up, the cruise with Derek and Sylvia was anticlimactic. Sylvia was about what you’d expect a corporate lawyer’s wife to be-beautiful and polished and well-spoken, polite to the extreme but reserved.
The couple wasn’t terribly interested in fish, but Cooper baited their hooks and put their lines in the water, anyway. And when Sylvia’s line went taught, the haughty look disappeared from her face and she squealed with excitement.
Allie watched from the bridge as Cooper coached her on how to bring it in. She fought it for nearly two hours, and by the time she brought it in-a good-sized sailfish, of all unexpected things-she was sweaty and sore and sunburned, and she declared it was the most fun she’d ever had in her life.
As Cooper piloted the boat toward home, Derek and Sylvia ate the chicken tarragon salad on croissants and steamed asparagus Allie and Sara served, raving about it the whole time.
The two of them left Port Clara totally sold on fishing and promised they would return in the fall for a longer visit.
Allie wondered which one of them, her or Cooper, they would find running Remington Charters.
Chapter Sixteen
Friday came way too soon.
Allie and Cooper had a morning charter, and ironically it was probably their smoothest and best ever. The three male passengers spent most of their time upping each other, seeing who could bring in the most snapper. Their wives, however, were far more interested in Allie’s cooking, going so far as to invade the galley to find out how she was making those delicious wraps.
As she worked, Allie was keenly aware of the fact this was her and Cooper’s final cruise together-and possibly her last outing on the Dragonfly.
She took the bridge on the way home and left their passengers to Cooper’s capable care. “Well, Johnny, I gave it my best shot,” she said, knowing the drone of the engines and the wind would drown out her voice. “The truth is, I’m not sure I could’ve made it on my own. If Cooper wins, he’ll do you proud.”
As the boat neared port, Allie mentally recorded every detail of the experience-how the wind felt against her skin, the smell of the salt air, the way the sun sparkled on the water.
It all felt different since Cooper had come into her life. She would find a way back on the water, that she knew. But it would never be the same.
After they’d seen their passengers off, Allie barely had time to return to the bed-and-breakfast-she hadn’t yet moved back onto the boat, since she might have to move right back off-and grab a shower. She dressed in the white outfit for court, since it was the only thing she owned remotely appropriate, but she wore a high-necked black shirt underneath so as not to flash her cleavage.
She met Arlen Caldwell in front of the courthouse. He’d caught a cold, and he sneezed into a giant handkerchief every couple
of minutes.
“So what do you think?” Allie asked the elderly attorney. “Are we going to win?”
“As I’ve said from the beginning, the law’s on your side,” he answered. “It all depends on what kind of tricks that shyster from New York tries to pull. But Judge Isaacs is no dummy. He won’t be taken in by smoke and mirrors.”
Allie smiled at Arlen’s description of Cooper as a shyster. She’d have said the same thing a few weeks ago.
Cooper’s BMW pulled into the parking lot, and that was her cue to hustle Arlen inside. She hadn’t seen him since they’d parted ways after the morning charter; they’d managed to avoid each other at the Sunsetter. If she saw him now she might lose it.
Once they were in the courtroom, she planned to simply not look his way.
The courtroom wasn’t like she pictured it. For one thing, it was tiny. The judge sat behind a normal-looking desk, not one of those giant, imposing things she’d seen on TV. A small table was set up for each party in the dispute. A half-dozen folding chairs accommodated anyone else interested in the proceedings.
Allie and Arlen took their places behind their table; Cooper, Reece and Max filed in right behind them and sat at theirs. They all wore sober suits, even Max, though unlike his cousins he appeared ill at ease in his, tugging often at the collar. Apparently Reece had postponed his trip back to New York.
Sara showed up, too, looking like a colorful butterfly in her paisley-print skirt. She gave Allie a little finger wave and found a chair.
Cooper looked Allie’s way, and she quickly averted her gaze. Darn it, she said she wasn’t going to look at him. Her throat was already tight, and if she was required to testify she feared her voice would come out sounding like Minnie Mouse.
“Are both parties ready to start?” Judge Isaacs asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Cooper said. Lord, even speaking those three simple words, his voice rang with sincerity.
“We’re ready, Your Honor,” Arlen said. His voice was scratchy, and he sneezed again into his handkerchief.
“I’ve read both wills cover to cover,” the judge said, “and I’ve read the depositions provided by both parties. Mr. Remington-Mr. Cooper Remington, that is-you’re representing yourself and your cousins, is that correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Did you have anything to add at this time?”
“No, Your Honor. I believe the documents speak for themselves.”
Allie nearly fainted. A lawyer who didn’t want to stand up and pontificate when he had the chance?
“Mr. Arlen Caldwell, have you anything to add?”
Arlen stood. He opened his mouth, seemed to think better of it, and closed it again. “No, Your Honor, I concur with Mr. Remington. The documentation speaks for itself.”
“Then I’m prepared to render my decision.”
Now Allie really did feel lightheaded. So soon? She’d expected some kind of recess, during which the judge would ponder the facts before announcing the verdict. But since neither party added new information today, he must have already known how he was going to rule.
That didn’t mean she was ready for it.
Arlen, sensing her distress, patted her hand reassuringly.
“The handwritten will,” the judge began, “appears to be legal in every respect. Since the date on this will supersedes that of the other will, it takes priority. Therefore, I am awarding full ownership of the boat known as the Dragonfly, and everything on it, to Ms. Allison Bateman.”
Allie closed her eyes. Just like that, it was over, and she’d won. She’d expected to feel triumphant at this moment, but she felt a curious emptiness inside.
“However,” the judge said, and Allie’s eyes flew open, “the handwritten will makes no mention of the business known as Remington Charters, Incorporated. The earlier will, however, specifically spells out Johnny Remington’s wishes in regard to that business, which is a separate legal entity from the boat.”
What? Allie glanced over at Arlen. He looked suddenly worried.
“Therefore,” the judge continued, “I hereby award ownership of the corporation known as Remington Charters to Cooper Remington, Reece Remington and Maxwell Remington, to be shared equally among them. Allie Bateman, you will cease and desist using the Remington Charters name or logo, and you will turn over ownership of any corporate bank accounts and all records pertaining to the business, and the fruits of any contracts you entered into under the Remington Charters name, to Mr. Cooper Remington, representative for all three Remington parties.”
The judge droned on and on about how if she didn’t follow his orders in a timely fashion, a representative of the court would step in then. But her ears were buzzing so loudly she couldn’t hear.
Her first thought was to suspect Cooper of somehow engineering this disaster. But when she glanced over at him, she could see he was just as stunned as she was. The Remington cousins were all staring at each other, slack-jawed.
The judge ended the hearing, but Allie just sat there, because she didn’t think her rubbery legs would hold her up.
“I guess I should have seen this coming,” Arlen said in a low voice. “But I’d always thought of the boat and the fishing business as one and the same.”
“You aren’t the only one. Even Cooper didn’t anticipate this decision.”
“We can appeal,” Arlen suggested.
But Allie couldn’t stand the thought of dragging this out any further.
She couldn’t start a fishing charter business from scratch, not without a huge influx of capital. On the other hand, Cooper would have a hard time running a fishing business with no boat. He would have to buy a new one.
She knew what she had to do. But she wasn’t ready to do it.
“Send me a bill for the remainder of what I owe you,” she said to Arlen. “It may take me a little while to pull my finances together, but you’ll get paid.”
“Now, now, I told you not to worry about that. But I do have one more matter to take care of.” He reached into his jacket and extracted a sealed envelope with her name on it. “Cooper came to my office yesterday. He asked that I give you this once the hearing was over, no matter which way it went.”
She was almost afraid to touch the envelope. “What is it?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. But I’m curious as hell,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “The boy seemed agitated when he gave it to me.”
She glanced over at the opposing counsel’s table, but Cooper and his cousins were already gone.
Allie slipped away from the courthouse through a back door, fearing she would run into Cooper otherwise. She only went to her car when she was sure the Remingtons were gone.
But she didn’t return to the B and B. She drove to the beach. She wanted to read the letter somewhere where no one could see her, because she suspected it was going to make her cry.
Anyway, she did her best thinking near the ocean, where the sound of the waves crashing on shore soothed her and the smell of salt air cleansed her mind.
Port Clara’s public beach was small. Soon the tourists would cover the sand with their towels and umbrellas, but today it was cloudy, windy and deserted. Not the best sunbathing weather, but it suited her mood.
Allie took off her shoes and walked barefoot in the warm sand, then sat at the base of a sand dune, letting the natural surroundings calm the roiling inside of her.
She pulled her knees into her chest and propped the letter across them, staring at her name. She was terrified to open it.
She’d have to sell the Dragonfly to Cooper. Or maybe, if he didn’t have the capital to buy it outright, she would lease it to him. The one thing she wouldn’t do was hold on to it out of spite. If she did, she might kill off Johnny’s legacy for good.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting there, minutes or hours, when a shadow moved over her.
“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I was afraid you’d gone and drowned yourself.�
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Cooper.
“I appreciate your concern,” she said, meaning it, because he really did sound distressed. “Is that the effect you thought your letter would have?”
“I hope not,” he said with some alarm. “Have you even read it?”
“I haven’t. But I really need to do that alone.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a public beach and I have every right to sit and watch the ocean.” He sat down beside her, and she was surprised to see he was wearing a disreputable pair of cutoff jeans and an Old Salt’s Bar & Grill T-shirt. He looked a lot more beach bum than corporate lawyer.
“I suppose you want me to pay you back for all the money you put into the Dragonfly.”
He sighed. “No, Allie, for the third and final time-I hope-you don’t owe me anything. If you would just read the damn letter, you would know what I’m thinking.”
“The decision surprised you?” she asked, stalling.
“Yeah. I feel like an idiot for not anticipating it. I’m supposed to be the hotshot lawyer around here.”
“Are your cousins upset?”
“Truthfully? They both think the judge should have given it all to you. Johnny’s intentions were clear, even if there was a slight oversight in his will.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think the boat’s no good to you without the business.”
“And the business is no good to you without the boat,” she countered. “Which is why I’m offering to sell you the Dragonfly. It’s the only solution that makes sense.”
He appeared truly surprised. “You’d do that?”
She nodded, resigned but sincere. “Johnny wouldn’t want it all broken up.”
Cooper frowned. “I hate to burst your bubble, but I don’t have the money to buy a boat. I’ve put almost all my liquid assets into Remington Charters already.”
Now she was the one who was surprised. She’d been thinking of Cooper as having an endless supply of cash. “I could lease it to you until you’re ready to buy.”
“Actually, I have another idea. But I don’t want to get my head bitten off again.”
She put her face in her hands, deeply regretting the drama-queen hissy-fit she’d thrown in Houston. “I’m really sorry about that,” she mumbled between her fingers. Then she looked up at him. “I understand now you weren’t trying to cheat me or manipulate me. You really were trying to find a solution that would benefit everyone.”