Realizing she never answered Ed’s question, she said, “I’m doing all right.” She glanced at Gavin, and he winked. She even felt a little relief at not having spiked Ed’s beer with something nasty.
She and Robby had made a list of potential sabotage techniques, but in the end, they decided to take the high road and not do anything terrible. Besides, she’d promised Sam she would never do anything to jeopardize her bar, and she meant it. Getting a little payback on Ed wasn’t worth that risk.
“There you go, gentlemen.” She set a beer in front of each man but kept her gaze locked on Joe. It was easier to be nice if she focused her attention on him and pretended Ed didn’t exist.
After getting them settled, she rounded the bar and sat on the stool next to Gavin. Whispering, so as to not be overheard, she said, “Okay, I need details. This is killing me. What happened?”
He brushed a stray hair out of her face and gave her his intimate, lover’s smile. Her feminine spots answered in their own particular way, something he must have noticed by the way his gaze dipped to her breasts and his eyelids drooped.
With a slow visual caress, his gaze traveled up her collarbone, to her neck, and then settled on her mouth. “How long until you get out of here?”
“Hours. You’re stalling.”
“I’m distracted. There’s a difference.” He leaned forward and tried to peek down the high collar of her shirt. “Which necklace are you wearing tonight?”
She pressed her fingers to her throat to feel the chain, then remembered she hadn’t put one on. Rather than ruining a potentially seductive moment by sharing that information, she slowly stroked her finger down the center of her breasts, as if following the length of chain.
Heat gathered in his eyes as he watched her fingers, then, without warning, he grabbed her hand and squeezed. “If you don’t stop, I’ll throw everyone out of here and slap a closed sign on the door.”
She leaned over the bar and grabbed a Dum-Dum. “Okay, tell me what’s going on. All of it.”
His sexy facade slipped away, and the businessman returned. “I went through all the files in Max’s office.” He was talking so quietly she had to lean forward and strain to hear him over the background noise. “I don’t believe he’s done anything horrible, like I was beginning to fear. I think he’s harassed land owners, spread rumors, stuff like that.”
She must have been glaring, because he added, “I know, all that’s wrong. But shit, Sunny.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I was beginning to think I’d been an equally horrid person for turning a blind eye to his actions.” He looked at the ceiling and drew in a deep breath. “Which, I guess I am, because I did. But not to the degree I’d feared.”
She ran a soothing hand over his knee. “It might not have been the right thing to do, but you’re not a horrible person. And you’ve learned from your mistakes, right?”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Absolutely.”
She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Now, what about this property? How did you fix things?”
The wicked gleam returned. “How would you feel about helping me fix up the old fishing pier? I’m thinking of turning the top level into a restaurant and restoring the lower level to its original state.”
“What?” Realizing she was once again drawing attention to herself with her squealing, she shut up and hunkered down on her stool. In a harsh whisper, she said, “I think it would be awesome. But how are you going to do that?”
“To keep things from coming to the board’s attention, Max put several of the Anticue parcels in his wife’s name and several in Callie’s. The fishing pier was in Callie’s name.”
He laughed, and Sunny realized her mouth was hanging open so far her sucker was about to fall out. She snapped her mouth shut and swallowed. “She’s going to sell it to you?”
Gavin’s smile was downright cocky. “She already did.”
Sunny was flabbergasted. Max Holden had been sneaking property into his wife and daughter’s name, and now the sneak had been snaked.
The whispering was driving her crazy, not to mention she was about to bounce off the barstool. Since they only opened the kitchen on weekends and Robby hadn’t come down from the apartment, the back of the bar was empty. She grabbed Gavin’s hand, yanked him off the stool, and dragged him to the kitchen.
“Okay,” she said, shutting the door behind them. She stood on tiptoes and peered through the window so she could keep an eye on things. “Start from the beginning and tell me everything.”
“How about the abbreviated version for now?”
She cut her eyes to him, judging if this was another avoidance technique.
He must have understood the look, because he said, “I swear, I’ll tell you and Robby everything later, when we’re alone in your apartment.”
She chomped off the last of the sucker, tossed the stick into the trash, and leaned against the wall. “Okay. Spill it.”
“Callie wants to move out and be on her own, but in order to do that she needs money. She had no idea the fishing pier was in her name, until I told her. It’s a dirty move, but it serves Max right and fixes all our problems. I made her an offer on the pier, which gives her the money she needs to move out. Since I own the largest piece of property and I’m not willing to sell any more than you are, Max is fucked. Even if the commissioners change the ordinances, he doesn’t have enough property to accommodate the resort.”
“Not here, but it could be built someplace else.”
He looked uncertain. “I’m not sure there’s anyplace else that could handle something that size. The town takes up one end of the island, and I think the other end is too narrow to make it work.”
She glanced out of the window to Ed. “What about the commissioners?”
Gavin shrugged. “That’ll be up to the Anticue residents to deal with. I think once they’re exposed, they’ll lose their seats. The voters will be more cautious from now on and will thoroughly check all candidates to make sure there aren’t any hidden agendas.”
“If you own the fishing pier…” What did that mean?
She chewed on her lip and contemplated having Gavin as a neighbor. Robby would be happy, because he wouldn’t feel like he was leaving her all alone. Her hormones were thrilled at the prospect of a continued relationship with Gavin, but what was the nature of their involvement? Were they in a relationship, or were they simply using each other for great sex?
“You look terrified.”
“Yeah.” Well, she kind of was, but she didn’t want him to know she was mostly scared because she liked the idea of having him around. “I’m…” She averted her gaze and peeked out the window while searching for an answer. “I was thinking about more nights on the beach.”
He shifted closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling her to the side so no one could see them through the window, he nuzzled her neck. “I’m looking forward to a lot of nights on the beach.” He paused, then quietly added, “I’m looking forward to a lot of things with you.”
She turned in his arms and smiled suggestively. “Wanna start tonight?”
He laughed and kissed her nose. “I’d love to start tonight.” His eyes softened, not the liquid heat they normally radiated when he was turned on, but something more. “I wasn’t just talking about sex, though. I want to get to know you. As a person. As a woman. I want to walk on the beach and watch the sun set with you. I want to watch you in your workshop and see how you make those incredible pieces. I want more than sex.”
She struggled to breathe while assimilating his confession. She’d held back from having relationships because of Robby. But he’d be leaving in three months, and it was time for her to start living life for herself.
Gavin seemed like a great place to start.
She stood on tiptoes and dropped a soft, tender kiss on his lips. “I can’t remember ever watching the sunset on this beach. And I’d much rather walk with you than walk alone.”
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
The vibration of Gavin’s cell was a rude interruption to their sweet moment, and he was tempted to ignore it. But he was sure it was Callie, and he couldn’t ignore her, not after everything she’d done today. And not after the torturous past several hours she’d no doubt endured with Max.
Unclipping the phone from his belt, he said, “As much as I hate to break this off, I need to take this call.”
Sunny stepped back and nodded. “I’ll go out there so you have some privacy.”
He snatched her hand before she could disappear through the doorway. “I—”
What the hell was he thinking? “Love you” were going to be the next words flying out of his mouth, but his brain kicked in and overrode his tongue.
Did he love Sunny? It seemed a perfectly natural thing to say. And now that he was giving it some serious thought, it felt right, too.
The phone vibrated in his hand again, snapping him back from whatever freakin’ dreamland he’d slipped into. He pressed the call button so it didn’t go into voicemail, then whispered to Sunny, “I’ll be right out.”
She disappeared through the door, and he rubbed a hand over his face to wipe away the sweat before putting the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”
All he heard at first was static and then Callie’s voice came across the line. “Gavin, can you hear me?”
“Yeah. Where are you?”
“On my way to Jason’s.”
Jason?
“Who’s Jason?”
Through the static, he thought Callie said, “A guy from the club.”
Wow, she’d only been over Gavin a day, and she was already back on the horse. He knew all along if Max stopped pushing her, or at least stopped supporting her idea of a relationship with him, she’d find someone else.
“There’s a lot of static, so I’m having a hard time hearing you. Bear with me if you have to repeat things.”
“I’m scared, Gavin.” Her voice shook, and it sounded like she was working hard to not break down. “He’s furious, and I honestly don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Jason?” What the hell was she doing with a guy she was scared of?
“No! Daddy.”
Gavin squeezed his eyes shut and tried to switch gears.
“I thought Daddy was going to have a heart attack in the restaurant. I’ve never seen him so furious. He started yelling about hell to pay, and…” A sob broke through the line. “He threatened to disown me if I didn’t cancel the contract with you."
Gavin sank against the stainless steel kitchen counter. He’d been afraid Max would try to intimidate Callie into breaking the deal. He even warned her that Max would play the “disown” card. But she’d been firm in her decision to sell him the property.
She said she wanted to be on her own, and having the money from the sale of the fishing pier was the only way she could do it. Maybe Gavin should've given her more time to think it through, to really consider the risks and potential ramifications.
Guilt and grief swamped him. He had to believe Max would eventually forgive her, but he’d make her life miserable, just as he did everyone else who didn’t play the game as he dictated. “Callie, if you want to change your mind, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Hell, no.” The static subsided and he jerked the phone away from his ear, shocked by the ferociousness of the response. “I’ve seen a side of him over the past several days I never thought existed. I need to do this for me. I need to be on my own, out from under his and Mother’s control, so I can figure out who I am and what I want.”
Pride shoved his guilt aside. Not pride in the way they’d managed things, because the deal had been sneaky and deceitful. But pride for Callie and how she handled all of this. He laughed to himself as he thought back to his and Max’s conversation a few days earlier. This probably wasn’t what Max had in mind when he said he hoped Callie settled down.
“I’m sorry he’s angry with you. I knew he’d be furious, but I really hoped he'd take it out on me, not you.”
A half-laugh, half-sob came through the phone. “He only yelled at me, Gavin. I’m terrified of what he’ll do to you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I have a picture of the guy he called last night. I know who to be on the lookout for.”
“Since Daddy would never think to look for me at Jason’s, I’m going to stay there until this blows over. I’ll have my cellphone. You can call me on that if you need me.”
“I’ll check on you tomorrow to see how you’re doing.” He was about to hang up when he remembered there was a new player in the game. “Wait,” he said. “Tell me about this Jason.”
A giggle blended with a sob. “He’s the host from the country club. He’s the one who drove me to Anticue the other night.”
“Oh, great. Next time I’m at the country club…” His words trailed off as he realized there wouldn’t be a next time. He’d never enjoyed his time spent there, and now he had no reason to go. “Have a good night, Callie. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“Gavin?” After a long pause, she said, “I know everything's going to be different now that you don’t work for Daddy. But… will we still be friends?”
Gavin swallowed hard to clear his throat of the emotion welling up inside him. He cared for her, tremendously, and nothing would change that. “Of course. I’d never lose touch with you. Besides, I’ll need to check this Jason guy out. Make sure he’s good enough for you.”
Laughter filled the line as she disconnected.
***
Gavin’s exuberance idled down ten notches while in the kitchen, and a sense of doom and gloom oozed into Sunny’s gut. As he approached his barstool, she said, “Something’s wrong. What happened?”
He shook his head no, then flopped down. He dropped his forehead into his hands and stayed like that for so long Sunny was about to jump out of her skin with concern. Finally, he said, “I feel bad for Callie. She’s always adored Max, and the past few days have been rough on her.” He took a long drink of his beer. “I think… I hope Max will eventually forgive her, but it’s going to be a long, long time before she’s daddy’s little princess again.”
He cut his gaze to the end of the bar, then back to her. “Where’s Robby?”
She knocked her head back and glanced to the ceiling. “I wasn’t sure I could trust him to behave around Ed, so I had him stay upstairs. I told him I’d call if I needed him.”
The corner of Gavin’s mouth twitched as he turned his cold, scary-as-shit gaze onto Ed. “Max knows everything now. I think it’s time to call Robby.”
Butterflies jostled for position in her stomach and she began to tremble. She leaned over and spoke softly, in case she misunderstood Gavin’s intent. “We can confront Ed now?”
Gavin shrugged and took another sip of beer. “Ed can’t tell Max anything he doesn’t already know.”
Sunny snatched up the phone and dialed Robby’s cell. When he answered, she said, “Hey, c’mon down. Gavin said it’s clear for you to say and… well, I’m not going to allow you to do whatever you want. But you can say your piece.”
Robby must have been running down the stairs while on the phone, because the door to the bar burst open before she replaced the receiver. She expected him to come in with guns blazing, but he seemed more hurt and disappointed than mad, and the look of despair on his face broke her heart.
He glanced at Ed, then shifted his gaze to the floor, as if it hurt too much to look at the man they’d once considered a dear friend. Rather than heading for Ed, he came behind the counter and quietly said, “I’m afraid I won’t say things right. You talk. I’ll take the barstool cover.”
She laughed as she squeezed him in a hug. “You know,” she said, in a low voice, “this isn’t personal against us. He tried to hurt the whole town. And I’m sure he only did it for the money.”
Robby nodded and rubbed his eyes. “I know. But it still feels personal.”
She squeezed his
hand, then moseyed toward the end of the bar, where Joe and Ed sat with curious expressions on their faces. Because of her and Gavin’s kitchen conference and the way Robby burst through door as if his ass were on fire, everyone in the bar knew something was amiss.
Sunny just told Robby this wasn’t personal, and she mostly believed that, but there was one part of this equation she did take personally. And while she was grateful for the way things were turning out, she still didn’t appreciate being played.
“Hey, Ed.” She paused, making sure she had her thoughts together. “When Gavin came in here the first night, did you know who he was?”
Joe looked at Ed with a ton of what’s-she-talking-about on his face.
Ed shifted on his stool and swiped a stream of sweat off his beer bottle. He pressed his lips together, shrugged, and shook his head. “No. I’d never seen him before.” He flashed his normal toothy grin, which caused her chest to ache, because, dammit, he was family and he betrayed them all. “He’s spent enough time around here lately, though, we’ve all gotten to know him pretty well.”
Ignoring the sadness seeping into her chest and the desire to brush all this aside as a big misunderstanding, she said, “Did you suspect he worked for Max Holden that first night?”
Some of the color drained from Ed’s face, but he held her gaze unwaveringly. “Who’s Max Holden?”
Joe’s eyes narrowed and he flipped his gaze from Ed to Gavin, who sat silently, letting Sunny and Robby handle things their way.
Ed readjusted his ball cap and took a drink of his beer before reiterating his position. “I don’t know Max Holden.”
She leaned onto the bar and stared at him for a moment, trying to regain control of her crumbling emotions. She was still angry and hurt. But now that her bar was no longer in danger and the town was safe from the threat of a resort, she was mostly sad.
“Did you do it for the money? Or did you have other reasons?”
Last Call (Book #2 - Heat Wave Series) Page 23