A Venture of the Heart (Silver Bay Book 1)

by Amelia Judd

  “How’s your mom?” Kat asked.

  “New guy. New job. Same old story.” Sage sipped her tea. “Other than that, I don’t have any details. You know how it goes. My mother never has time to talk to me when she’s dating somebody new. I’ll hear from her once the dramatic break-up hits. Then she likes to share all the gory details.”

  “Ugh. How do you put up with her?”

  “She’s my mom. I love her even if she’s immature and a bit self-centered.”

  “A bit?” Kat asked, an eyebrow arched.

  Sage sighed. “Fine. More than a bit. It’s okay. I accepted a long time ago that our relationship would never be a traditional one.”

  “If it helps, traditional parental relationships can suck too. My family is the epitome of traditional and look at Pax and Dad.” Kat shook her head. “I can’t remember the last time they said more than a few words to each other. It’s gotten so bad, Pax doesn’t even come home for Mom’s birthday anymore.”

  “He’s still mad that Pax didn’t want to take over the family business?” Sage asked, shoving away thoughts of what happened the last time Pax visited Silver Bay for his mother’s birthday.

  “Yep. He can’t believe the son of Richard Bennett enjoys doing menial labor at a ‘two-bit motel.’ His words, not mine. Dad’s devoted his life to turning Bennett Industries into a household name, and even though Claire works with him everyday in the office, that’s not enough. He wants the legacy to continue in the hands of his only son.”

  Sage had known Richard Bennett for years. While he could be stern and stubborn, he could also be incredibly kind and generous to those he loved. Surely, if he knew of La Vida’s success, he would be proud of Pax? A flash of inspiration and a glimmer of hope instantly brightened her mood. Maybe Richard would even be proud enough to loan Pax the money he needed. If that happened, La Vida would be saved, and Sage could avoid becoming the grim reaper of dreams. And, more importantly, she could return to the safety of Wisconsin before something really horrible happened like getting attacked by a snake, or worse, throwing herself at Pax only to be rejected by him. Again.

  Sage swallowed hard. She couldn’t let either of those things happen. The faster she helped Pax and his dad mend fences, the faster she could get out of there. It wouldn’t be easy, but she had an idea where to start. Problem was, Pax wouldn’t like her idea.

  Not even a little bit.

  •••

  What the hell? The sight of his little sister sitting with Sage by the pool stopped Pax dead in his tracks. How long had he been gone?

  When Kat spotted him, she leapt from her chair, flew into the lobby, and threw herself onto him. “I love your home! I’ve decided to move here too!”

  Stunned by the sudden body slam, Pax wrapped his arms around her more out of instinct than intent.

  He and Logan had been at a meeting with the local school to discuss the next stage of the school’s renovation. He’d been anxious to return to La Vida and had done a terrible job maintaining focus during the meeting.

  Apparently, he should have focused more on what Sage was up to too.

  “Kat, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “Sage called me yesterday, worried about you. She said you really seemed to be missing your family, and that she thought I should fly down right away to see you. I’m going to stay in her room the rest of the week. But I’m considering moving into your place for a few months after that.” Kat dropped back to the ground and laid a reassuring hand on his chest. “I think this will work out great for both of us.”

  A few feet behind him, he heard Logan choking back laughter.

  Kat leaned around Pax and narrowed her eyes at the Australian. “Is something funny, big guy?”

  “No, darl.” Logan extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Logan, one of La Vida’s guides.”

  An unreadable emotion flashed briefly across Kat’s face. Ignoring Logan’s outstretched hand, she scanned him up and down. “You’re ridiculously large,” she snapped with uncharacteristic rudeness.

  “Thank you, darl.”

  Kat’s eyes flared. “It wasn’t a compliment.”

  “It’s never been a complaint,” Logan said, his tone full of humor and arrogance.

  Warning bells went off in Pax’s head. He purposely stepped between his friend and his sister. “Logan, shut the hell up. You’re talking to my baby sister.” He narrowed his eyes at Sage. “In my office. Now.”

  Her wide-eyed expression betrayed her nervousness. Good. She should be nervous—he was going to eat her alive.

  “I need to let Kat into my villa,” Sage croaked, scrambling to her feet. “I’m sure she wants to get settled. Isn’t that right, Kat?”

  “I’ll show her to your villa,” Logan offered, picking up Kat’s luggage. “In fact, I’m happy to give you a tour of the whole resort.”

  Pax’s blood pressure kicked up a notch. He needed to have a little talk with his friend about keeping his hands off his sister during her short stay at La Vida.

  “I can take care of myself.” Kat jerked her luggage out of Logan’s hand. “Just show me the way.”

  Pax’s nerves eased. It seemed Kat already knew better than to get involved with a player like Logan.

  “What the hell did you say to Kat?” Pax demanded as he and Sage stepped into his office. “She’s threatening to move here.”

  “Well, yes, that was unexpected,” Sage conceded. “In my defense, I never suggested she relocate. I only said she should come for a short visit. I thought it would be fun to have her here with me.”

  “Fun?” Pax growled. “She’s a pain in the ass.”

  “She isn’t a pain. She’s enthusiastic. No matter what you say, I know you love her, and she loves you too.” Sage paused. “Plus, she misses you. Your whole family does.”

  He blew out a breath, guilt and frustration gnawing at his gut. “Fine. It looks like I don’t have a choice about Kat, but I don’t want any more of my family invited. Understood?”

  “Yes.” She bit her lip and looked away.

  Oh, boy. He knew that look. “What?”

  “I’ve been thinking about your loan request?”

  “And?”

  “While La Vida’s numbers are very solid, you don’t have much money to put down on the loan. Can you convince the owner to hold off selling until you have more money saved?”

  “I tried, but Charlie wants out. There is no way he’s going to turn down the large amount of money that damn hotel chain offered him.”

  “How did you get involved with Charlie in the first place?”

  “I met him when I visited Costa Rica during spring break of my sophomore year at Northwestern. I was here for fun, and he’d just finished up a career in the Peace Corps. When he talked about the experiences he’d had over the years, I was awed by the sacrifices he’d made in his own life to help others.” Pax moved to sit behind his desk and gestured for Sage to sit as well. “I’d never wanted the life my father had chosen for me. I liked working with my hands, building things. I didn’t want to sit inside all day where business deals were the only thing I could make.”

  Sage nodded. “I can’t imagine you in a tie.”

  “Just thinking about it makes me itch.” Pax rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a sigh. “Charlie and I talked about the feasibility of opening a luxury resort that offered both a place to get away from the stresses of everyday life and a place to give back to others. Over the course of a few nights and a few bottles of beer, La Vida de Ensueño was born.”

  That week had changed his life. Before then, he’d been a wealthy kid attending a prestigious college, being groomed against his will to take over the family business. After that week, he’d quit college and joined the ranks of the working class, earning every dollar in his pocket and every callous on his hands.

  “Charlie had inherited enough money from his parents to bankroll the building of La Vida, and I worked as the hands-on manager on-site. I didn’t care tha
t he owned the resort. I just wanted her to become something special. And she has.”

  “But?” Sage prompted.

  Pax sat forward in his chair. “But Charlie moved home and now he’s lost interest. He wants out. That’s where your loan comes into play.”

  Sage looked at him with a hesitant expression. “What about your parents? The amount you need for a down payment is less money than they spent on their new boat last year. Have you considered asking them for the loan?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “My father never accepted that I dropped out of college and moved here. He didn’t go so far as to disown me, but let’s just say he has mentioned, multiple times, what a spectacular disappointment I am. If I went to him for money now, he would laugh in my face as he told me no.”

  “You don’t know that,” Sage argued. “If you had bothered to visit more often, you would realize your father has mellowed over the last few years. I can tell he misses you like everyone else does. And if you weren’t such a stubborn ass, you’d realize that facing the past issues you’ve had with your dad, rather than hiding from them, could be the answer to all of your problems.” She glared at him for a moment longer, then stormed out of his office.

  Pax let out a groan and wondered why the hell the bank couldn’t have sent a normal loan officer? Some guy named Bill, who liked to wear brown suits, boring ties, and who knew absolutely nothing about Pax’s personal life.

  Karma really was a bitch.

  Chapter 8

  “You’ve been frowning at those poor clothes so long I’m afraid you’re going to give them a complex,” Kat said from the doorway of the villa’s bedroom.

  Stationed in front of her suitcase for the past fifteen minutes, Sage had considered every possible outfit option. “I’ve eaten in my room the past two nights. This will be my first time having dinner at the hacienda with everyone else. I’m not sure what to wear.”

  “Pick something. I’m hungry. I’ll be waiting on the couch.”

  Sage rolled her eyes and snatched a pair of trim white pants and a light pink, three-quarter-sleeve silk top. The outfit would have to do. Although the breezy top had a deep vee in the front, she considered the amount of cleavage it showed flirty rather than skanky. She added dangly earrings, a silver cuff bracelet, and nude, peep-toe platform pumps. She secured her hair into a twist and finished the look with a sheer lip gloss and a smoky eye.

  “Okay, I’m ready to go,” she told Kat as she stepped into the villa’s main room.

  Kat took one look at Sage and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Why do you tall girls insist on wearing heels? You make it impossible for the rest of us to keep up. And, frankly, I’m tired of playing Skipper to your Barbie.”

  Sage laughed. “Trust me, no one thinks of you as Barbie’s younger sister.” She eyed her friend’s black slim-fitting pants, stretchy tank top, and slicked-back ponytail. “With all the black you’re wearing, you’re more likely to be mistaken for Lara Croft, exotic locale and all.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. Lara Croft kicks ass.” Kat smirked. “Let’s go. I haven’t seen Pax in a couple hours. He’s probably missing me.”

  Doubtful. More likely Pax would rather both Kat and Sage pulled a no-show.

  Towering over Kat on the walk to the hacienda, Sage began to question her shoe choice. The moment she stepped onto the tiled pool deck and her gaze locked on to Pax, she thanked the stars for her added height.

  He was leaning casually against the wooden bar with a beer in his hand, talking to the floral-print couple she’d seen at the pool earlier. He wore dark jeans and an untucked black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He’d shaved tonight which gave him the mouthwatering appearance of being both rugged and polished.

  He looked up, caught her staring, and gave her a look so intense that she would have run away if Kat hadn’t been by her side.

  “Hey, Brick,” Sage said, ignoring Pax. “Are you La Vida’s bartender too?”

  “I help out a few nights a week.” He wiped the spot in front of them with a towel. “It’s a great way to meet the guests.”

  When she introduced Kat, his eyes went wide. “Pax has never had family here before. I was beginning to think he’d made up the whole bunch of you.”

  This coming from the king of exaggerated stories.

  “I think I might move here,” Kat said cheerfully.

  “Sweet! Now, what can I get you ladies to drink?” Brick asked. “If you’re not sure, I recommend a mojito. I use Gloria Estefan’s personal recipe.”

  Sage grinned. “A mojito sounds lovely.” No doubt he had a story to go with that recipe—one full of entertainment and creativity that likely featured Brick as a former backup dancer for Ms. Estefan.

  “Make that two,” Kat chimed in.

  A few minutes later, mojito in hand, Sage heard Susanna’s raised voice.

  “Did I just hear the words ‘hopeless’ and ‘ass’ coming from the kitchen?” Kat asked, eyebrows raised. She took a sip of her drink.

  Sage laughed. “That’s Susanna, the matronly chef with an iron fist. I have a pretty good idea who she’s chastising in there. Let’s check it out.” She scooped up her drink and led the way into the spacious kitchen.

  Kitchen staff were hard at work, using all available surfaces and appliances. At the far end of the scene, at a counter near the industrial-sized oven, Susanna glared at Logan. The big Australian had an egg in his hand and a hesitant look on his face. He tapped the egg way too gently against a mixing bowl and then examined it for any cracks.

  “No! You are doing it wrong. Do it like this.” Susanna snatched the egg from his hand, cracked it against the countertop, and expertly emptied it into the mixing bowl. “I swear, Logan, I gave you the easiest dessert recipe and you are still hopeless.”

  “Come on, darl, give me a break. I’m not a baker.” Logan turned on a smile so full of charm Sage imagined it had gotten him laid many times in the past. “I can’t even read this paper. What’s a ‘t-s-p’?”

  Ouch. Sage winced and watched Susanna’s face redden like cartoon smoke was about to come out of her ears. Instead, a rush of angry-sounding Spanish came pouring out of the chef’s mouth.

  “Whoa. Señora Pineda never taught those words in Spanish class,” Kat said.

  “I thought the same thing yesterday,” Sage whispered. “Logan wined, dined, and dumped Susanna’s last two pastry chefs. I assume this is his punishment. Come on. This is too painful to watch. Let’s see if we can help.”

  Sage dragged Kat to the back wall and dropped aprons around both of their necks. She pulled Kat over to the war zone and directed her friendliest smile at the simmering chef. “Kat and I would like to help Logan make the dessert tonight. Would that be okay with you?”

  Susanna shifted her narrowed eyes at Sage. “That depends. Do you know what a ‘t-s-p’ is?”

  “Yes. I also know the difference between a ‘t-s-p’ and a ‘t-b-s-p.’ I love to bake,” Sage said. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure Logan has work to do, as well.”

  Susanna stared her down for a tension-filled minute. “Fine. You are in charge, but don’t let him off too easy. He needs to learn the cost of his dallying.”

  Once the chef moved out of range, Logan let out a sigh. “Thanks, Sage. She scares me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. She couldn’t hurt you,” Kat said in a clipped voice. She stared blankly at the space Susanna had just filled.

  “What’s wrong?” Sage whispered, surprised by her friend’s tone and her unusually dark expression.

  Kat shook her head, breaking the trance. “I’m fine. Now let’s get to work before the mean lady comes back.”

  •••

  Two hours and two contraband mojitos later, they finished taking the last individual chocolate lava cakes from the oven. While Sage and Kat had done all of the real cooking, Logan had helped with the simple tasks, including sneaking the extra mojitos into Susanna’s kitchen and risking the return of he
r rage.

  Sage held her breath as Susanna inspected the cakes like a general inspecting her troops. Sage hadn’t lied—she had always loved to bake. She found it a relaxing way to express her rarely called upon creative side. Honestly, the recipe had been very easy. If she found a little free time this week, she might stop back in the kitchen and try her hand at a more difficult one.

  Finally, Susanna nodded her head in affirmation. “You three did good. Now sit. Eat.” She gestured to the large kitchen table, set with six mouthwatering plates of food.

  “Is it safe to come in there?” Brick’s voice boomed from the entryway.

  Kat laughed. “Don’t worry, you chicken. The work’s all done.”

  Brick crossed the room and joined Sage, Kat, Susanna, and Logan at the table to enjoy the fish Susanna had prepared.

  “Where’s Pax?” Kat asked.

  “He’s trapped talking to some guests,” Brick said, leaning across the table to grab a slice of bread. “They love him. A group of ladies stayed here last month, and they couldn’t get enough of Pax. Poor guy had to hide at his house in the evenings to avoid the unwanted attention.”

  “Poor guy?” Kat scoffed. “Pax probably loves having women dropping at his feet.”

  “Depends on the woman.” A faint smile played around Pax’s mouth as he walked into the kitchen, his gaze locked on Sage.

  “That’s your problem, mate. You’re too picky.” Logan picked up the open bottle of California Cabernet on the table, poured a glass for Pax, then set it down at the empty place setting next to Sage.

  Susanna’s eyes narrowed. “And you, Logan, could make all of our lives easier by being a little more picky.”

  “Come on, darl, don’t be a wowser.”

  The older woman’s face reddened in anger. “Wowser? That better be Australian for an intelligent woman.”

  Sage’s gaze ping-ponged between the two.

  “My money is on Susanna,” Pax murmured near her ear. “Logan’s got her in size, but she’s a lot more spirited.”