The Archer House (The Archer Inn Book 1)

by Kimberly Thomas

  "Well, you know me. I just wanted to do my part to keep our island safe," Holly said. She winked at him and then slid an arm around Gabby's waist. "Jake Holton, meet my daughter Gabrielle."

  "Gabby, please," she said as she extended a hand.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you. Has anyone ever told you that you're the spitting image of your mother?"

  Gabby giggled and nodded. "I've heard that quite a bit today. I mean, I've seen the pictures of Mom from when she was younger, but it's one thing to look at those and another to hear everyone she grew up with telling me how I look just like her."

  "Well, let's hope for her sake you're not as wild and crazy as she was growing up!"

  "Wild and crazy, huh?" Gabby's eyes went wide for a moment. Then, she turned to her mother and grinned. "Are you sure he's talking about you? Because I'm not sure, I can believe that you were ever wild and crazy."

  Holly shot Jake a mock glare. "Well, I had my moments. But I think we can spare everyone a trip down memory lane. Wouldn't want to give my daughter the wrong impression, would we?"

  "I think you mean you don't want me giving her any ideas. Like that time after Sam Holland's party during our senior year..."

  "Jacob Holton!" Holly said, cutting him off. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as that memory resurfaced. As much as Holly wanted to be open and honest with her daughter, there were certain stories she didn't need to hear. And that one was most definitely at the top of the list. "If you say one more word, I swear I will stop by your mother's house and spill all the beans you've been hiding from her. And don't you think I won't do it."

  Jake looked horror-stricken at the thought. Gabby, on the other hand, cackled with laughter. Her eyes lit up with amusement, and Holly decided her daughter was enjoying this just a little too much.

  Hooking arms with Gabby, Holly smirked at her high school sweetheart. "Well, Jake. It was good to see you again, but Gabby and I must get back to greeting all the guests. You know how it is at these things."

  Jake nodded, but the grin he gave her said he saw right through her lame excuse. Not that she really cared. She just wanted to put a bit of distance between Jake and Gabby before he decided to bring up more memories Holly would rather her daughter not hear about.

  "So, Jake Holton, huh?" Gabby grinned at her mother. Sometimes Holly thought she might just be a bit too smart for her own good. "I don't think I've ever heard you mention him before. But it looks like you knew him pretty well."

  Heat rushed to Holly's cheeks again as she struggled to think of a reply. Anyone with eyes would realize the two of them had a history together, so it shouldn't have been all that surprising Gabby had picked up on it. But how was she supposed to explain him to her? That he was her first love, the man she would have probably still been with if she hadn't moved to Miami and met Gabby's father?

  "He's... a friend from high school," Holly said, then winced. It sounded lamer out loud than it was in her head.

  Gabby cackled again. Holly stared into the crowd, avoiding eye contact with her daughter. That just seemed to make Gabby laugh louder and harder, though. Gabby saw right through her, no doubt, but that didn't mean Holly had to admit anything.

  "Oh, look, there's my high school advisor. Let's go say hi," Holly said, abruptly changing directions toward an elderly man leaning against a cane.

  Gabby continued to laugh, but she followed her mother through the crowd. As Holly introduced her to various people, Gabby stuck by her side, pleasantly greeting each one of them. Even though Holly hadn't even thought of most of them in decades, they all remembered her clearly and even seemed to have kept up with her life in Miami to an extent.

  No doubt that was Nelly's doing. Not only did Nelly have to keep her thumb on Islamorada's pulse, but she had to keep a healthy amount of her own gossip flowing into the grapevine. And it was obvious from the way people talked to her that Nelly was proud of her eldest daughter.

  This, of course, made Holly feel guilty about not having told her mother the truth. She kept telling herself it was because Nelly wasn't healthy enough for it yet, wasn't ready to hear the news, but deep down, she knew it was just another lie.

  So far, the only ones who knew the truth were her daughter, of course, along with Jake and Randy, both of whom had kept quiet about the details so far. But Holly couldn't keep everything a secret for very long.

  It had already become public in Miami, and while Miami wasn't exactly right next door to Islamorada, the news would reach the Keys, whether Holly liked it or not. And if Will didn't hurry up and sign the paperwork already, it was liable to become national news once the IRS and SEC got serious.

  Holly had the image of herself in handcuffs on the evening news, and she shuddered at the thought. No, that could not happen. She could not let that happen, no matter what.

  She could only imagine what was going through her ex-husbands head right then. He already knew he was busted. Unless he pulled off some kind of miracle deal with the IRS, he was almost certainly going to jail. So what did he have to gain from not filling out the paperwork?

  Bringing Holly down with him wasn't going to make his situation any easier. If anything, it was just going to make it worse. Gabby and Sean already weren't talking to their father. What would they think of the man if their mother got sent to prison because of him?

  A realization hit Holly like a sack of bricks, knocking the air from her lungs. He didn't care, she realized. He didn't care one bit what his kids thought of him. That was why he had been so critical of Holly and her neglect of the kids. It wasn't because he thought she was a bad mother, though he might have. No, it was because he was projecting himself onto her.

  She hadn't been mother of the year. But she had never purposely neglected her kids. She had been there for all their important events -- sports games, awards ceremonies, etc. If they'd needed her, Holly had been there for them. She just wasn't a stay-at-home mother. She was a businesswoman that had also juggled motherhood and as far as she and her kids were concerned, she did a fine job.

  But how many of those games and ceremonies had Will missed? He had always had an excuse for not going. Usually, it was that they hadn't been able to both take time off at the same time, so he'd stayed at work while Holly attended whatever event was going on.

  Now, she knew the truth. He had avoided those events because it had given him the privacy he'd needed to run the shadier side of his business without Holly looking over his shoulder. He had used their own kids as a smokescreen for his illicit activities.

  Holly sighed and then pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Today was supposed to be a fun day. Not only was it a chance to reconnect with her neighbors, but it was a major step toward bringing the inn back to life. Holly would figure out what had happened to the funds that should've been in the inn's accounts, but for now, this would give them the cash they would need to really pay for the renovations and hire more staff.

  All of her other problems could wait until later. For now, she just wanted to live in the moment and enjoy life for a bit.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Holly slumped against one of the tables. The sun had set a little while ago, and the Archer family was busy cleaning up from the fundraiser. If she had been able to, she would have hired people to manage all of this, but since the whole reason for the fundraiser was how tight on the money they were, that left most of the duties to the Archers themselves.

  Most of the guests had left already, but a good number were still mingling around, enjoying the gorgeous view of the ocean and the last of the entertainment. Jake was out there somewhere. She was pretty sure. She had lost sight of him while she had been busy cleaning up the food, but she doubted he would leave without saying goodbye.

  Her cousins were still around, too, helping with the cleanup. Apparently, they took their role as Archers seriously, and even though the inn wasn't theirs, they weren't about to leave them in the dust. Holly wasn't sure what she would have done without her cousins. Not just
for the fundraiser, but for all the work they had done around the property.

  Sure, they were billing the inn for a lot of work, but Holly had already seen the initial invoices. They weren't charging nearly as much as they'd have charged anyone else. Near as Holly could tell, they were charging just enough to cover the cost of the materials and the wages for their crew, with neither of her cousins taking a cut from the job.

  "I can't believe you ever left this place," Gabby said, wandering over to lean against the table with her. She looked just as tired as her mother, her normally pristine hair now frizzy and messy. But she had a smile on her face. A real one, too. "Look how quick everyone in Miami dumped you once they found out about Dad. But here... You've been gone for decades, and they all still treat you like you've been here the whole time."

  Holly nodded. What Gabby said was true. Even she was in awe at just how many people had come to the fundraiser to help them out. She had expected some of them would want to help, either out of loyalty to the Archer family or just because of the inn's history. But she really hadn't expected the whole town to stop by at various points.

  Music still filled the air and the local D.J. they'd hired was still going strong. Technically, they should have finished up a while ago since Holly had only paid them for a couple of hours. But even though they were dripping with sweat upon the stage, it was obvious just how much fun they were having. And Holly certainly wasn't going to complain if they wanted to keep the music going for their neighbors.

  Holly's phone rang, the sound making both women jump. They exchanged glances and then laughed. Gabby nudged her mom and winked, then went off to continue with the cleanup while Holly fished out her phone.

  "Hello?" she said after accepting the call, not even glancing at the number on the screen.

  "Is this Holly Archer?" a deep voice asked from the other end. That voice made her heart skip a beat as she muttered another silent curse. It was her lawyer, and if he was calling her this late at night, she knew it wasn't good news.

  "This is her. What's going on, Mr. Marshall?" Holly asked as her mouth went dry. She glanced around for something to drink, but there was nothing nearby. She had already cleaned up most of the stuff where she was, and with the lawyer on the phone, she was hesitant to get any closer to the dwindling crowd.

  Thomas Marshall sighed. He was an older man, in his late sixties and the best in the area for this kind of law. She had spared no expense in hiring him, figuring it was worth losing a chunk of her remaining savings if it meant staying out of jail.

  "It's Will," he said at last. From the tone of his voice, Holly figured it was more than just him not having signed the papers. And when he continued, he confirmed her worst fears. "He tried to run instead of dealing with the IRS. The FBI picked him up, trying to board a ship to Mexico with a considerable amount of cash on him."

  Holly let out the breath she had been holding and gritted her teeth. Her hands balled into fists, and she fought back the urge to start pounding them against the table she still leaned against. He really didn't care about his family, did he? He'd had money stashed away this whole time, and instead of using it to try to make things right, he had tried to leave the country. Leave his family behind to deal with the mess he had created.

  "So, what now?" Holly managed to get out. Her entire body was shaking, and she was glad she had stayed a distance away from the rest of the people. She didn't want them to see her like this.

  "Well, now it gets tricky," Thomas Marshall said, letting out another tired sigh. "You're going to have to come back to Miami and testify. I've been in contact with both the IRS and the SEC, and I've given them everything I can that proves you had nothing to do with his schemes. They're willing to cut you a deal."

  "A deal?" Her mouth went even drier. What kind of deal had they offered? And what would Holly have to give up in exchange for this deal?

  "You leaving town right away didn't look good, but when your daughter told me you had gone back to the Keys to help with your family business, I was able to smooth things over. If you come back to Miami and testify under oath about what your ex-husband did, they're willing to drop any pending charges against you. You won't be able to get a realty license again, and I'm sure they'll be watching your finances like hawks for a while, but you also won't be liable for the money Will owes the government."

  Holly nodded, though the man couldn't see her. All things considered, it wasn't a bad deal at all. In fact, it was a downright good one. She wouldn't go to prison. She wouldn't be in debt to the IRS for the rest of her life. And, honestly, she had given up any notions of ever going back to real estate.

  "As your attorney, I highly suggest you take the deal. The evidence they have is... considerable. The fact that Will tried to leave the country could work in your favor if your charges went to trial, but it's still a crapshoot. But Will is the one they want, not you. And since they legally can't force a wife to testify against her husband, this is their way of putting the final nail in his coffin and giving you what you want at the same time."

  "When do I need to be back?"

  "As soon as possible. You're scheduled to testify on Wednesday if you accept their deal, but I would prefer it if you come back sooner, so we could discuss everything beforehand."

  "I'll be there," Holly promised. They only stayed on the line for another moment or two, and then Holly stuffed the phone back into her pocket.

  Feeling completely numb, she turned away from the people and the music and the lights and headed down toward the water. It was empty down there on the beach, and while she could still hear the music in the distance, the waves crashing against the shore helped drown them out.

  Unable to hold herself together any longer, Holly slumped down onto the sand. Tears fell as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let loose, crying without even bothering to fight against it.

  The news wasn't bad, not really. It certainly could've been a heck of a lot worse. But it was also the final nail in her coffin as well. Once she went back to Miami, once she stepped foot into that courthouse, her old life really would be over with. There would be no turning back.

  And even though she had already known that the phone call with her lawyer had really driven the point home. Even if she had wanted to, she would never be able to go back to being the person she had been for the last thirty years. And even though she had been excited to reinvent herself back when she was eighteen, trying to do it again at forty-six was not a fun thought.

  She heard the soft footsteps of someone walking along the sand behind her, but she didn't dare open her eyes. She didn't want to know who it was. Holly just wanted to be left alone for a while--to be able to sit and wallow in her misery.

  But of course, that wasn't what the universe had deemed she needed. Someone sat down beside her, but Holly still didn't open her eyes. It wasn't until a strong arm was draped over her shoulder and pulled her against a hard chest that Holly peeked an eye open.

  Jake gave her a sad smile and held her tight. He didn't say anything, didn't ask anything. He just sat there and held Holly as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Now that they had started, she couldn't make them stop.

  If Jake judged her for her breakdown, he didn't show it even a little. He just sat there and held her, even as the noise back up by the inn started to fade away. The music stopped and the sounds of the ocean drowned everything out.

  Eventually, her tears subsided and she could breathe again. But when she looked into Jake's eyes, her heart clenched. She couldn't keep lying to him. After everything he had done for her, he deserved the truth.

  Before she could stop herself, she told him everything, from start to finish. He sat there quickly, taking it all in. Holly was thankful for his silence. If he had interrupted, even to just ask a question, Holly wasn't sure she would have been able to keep going. But, before she knew it, she had laid it all out for him. All of her secrets were out in the open for
him to judge her by.

  Except, he didn't. He locked eyes with her for another moment and then pulled her tight against him again. His chin rested against her forehead. "When do you have to leave?" Jake asked. His voice was low, quiet and soft.

  Holly closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Being in his arms, hearing his voice again, sent her back to high school when he had been the one person she could always count on to comfort her. Even after all those years, she could still count on him, it seemed.

  "In a couple of days. I have to testify on Wednesday, but the lawyer wants to talk to me beforehand. So I'll probably have to leave by at least Monday."

  Jake nodded. He was quiet for another moment. Then, Holly felt him take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right. I'll pack a bag and go with you."

  Holly pulled back and stared at him, her mouth gaping open. She blinked a few times, sure that she had misheard him. Comforting her on the beach was one thing, but going back to Miami with her? Not just back to Miami, but going with her to testify against her ex-husband?

  Why in the world would he do that?

  Jake just gave her a lopsided grin. As if he could read her mind, he shrugged his shoulders. "I was always there for you, Holly. Why would now be any different?"

  "Are... are you sure?" More than anything, Holly wanted him there with her. That thought surprised her a bit, and at the same time, she couldn't just ask him to walk away from his life here for a few days, just to keep her company.

  Jake reached out and took her hands in his. He squeezed them and kept his eyes locked on hers, not looking away for even a moment. "I told you back then; you would always be able to trust me--that I would always be there for you. And I meant it, Holly. No matter what."

  Holly blinked away the tears that threatened to fall again. She nodded and smiled at him, her heart thundering loud enough to drown out everything. He was one of the very few people she knew she could trust completely.