by Judith Keim
“Funny,” he said. “I’m not. I thought I would be after a day or two of excitement, but that’s not how I feel. We’re much more financially secure, and that will make a difference to both of us, I hope.”
Darcy stopped and gave him a pat on the back. “You’re a good man, Tony.”
“Thanks. You won’t tell Sheena about Taylor. Right?”
She shook her head. Men!
###
Two days later, after all agreements had been completed with Nicole and Casey for their new roles, Darcy sat with them, Sheena and Tony, Regan and Brian, and Austin in the small, private dining room on the second floor of Gavin’s.
Sheena lifted her glass of bubbly water in a toast. Here’s to the two new members of our group—Nicole and Casey. We welcome you to Salty Key Enterprises.”
“Hear! Hear!” came the response.
Brian stood. “And, Nicole, we welcome you to the staff of Ventura Village. We hope it leads to many sales.”
Nicole laughed. “I hope so too!”
Darcy looked around the room and sighed with satisfaction at the sight of the people gathered together. They represented a growing family to her. Her father would be here soon, and while she was caught up in preparations for her wedding, he would look for a new home. Marriage would expand her family even more. She already loved Austin’s grandfather, Bill Blakely, and in time, she’d get to know Austin’s parents better. With him, they’d given her the best gift imaginable.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
REGAN
Several days later, Regan hid her discomfort as she always did when she faced the camera to do one of her ads for Arthur Weatherman’s restaurants. The red light signaling she was “on camera” flashed before her, and then everything around her seemed to disappear as she focused on her words. She’d learned if she memorized the script carefully, the words could carry her through the uncomfortable time before the camera. Being in the spotlight like this hadn’t become easier over time. Even when her face was so-called “perfect,” she hadn’t wanted attention centered on it. Now that her scars were apparent, and her lip still drooped at one corner, it was harder still.
Regan smiled as she had been directed and spoke the words she’d been given, pleased the money she was earning for being spokesperson for the restaurant chain was something she intended to put to good use by supporting a variety of charities. Her first project would be to help Cyndi Jansen raise funds for children of war veterans to get scholarships to college. Cyndi and her husband, Tom, a disabled war vet, had been among their first guests at the hotel using a special military discount she and her sisters had offered. They’d remained loyal customers and had encouraged others to come to the hotel. Because Regan had never been able to get into college, she was especially anxious to help Cyndi in this way.
“That’s a wrap,” said the cameraman. “Mr. Weatherman is going to be pleased with this special Florida visitor campaign. Good job, Regan!”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling the tension in her cheek muscles ebb. There was only so much smiling one could do. It was easier when she was sharing the camera with a child or an animal. But Emily had decided she didn’t like being in front of the camera, either.
Regan left the studio and headed back home. She loved sharing the cottage on Kenton’s property with Brian, but it bothered her that she was doing exactly what her mother had warned her against—living with a man before marriage. They were engaged, but still ...
At the cottage, she changed her clothes into something more suitable for work at Ventura Village. She and Mo had set up her office there, and she was meeting with a new client that afternoon. First, she was going to check on progress at the hotel.
She drove into the entrance to the Salty Key Inn and stopped to admire the plantings recently installed in well-designed groupings to accent the property’s view corridors and to provide some privacy for guests seated at the pool and on their patios or balconies. The new hibiscus, oleander, bougainvillea, and sabal and queen palm trees gave a distinctly tropical look to the grounds that hadn’t been present before.
By habit, she pulled into the parking area behind the building containing the eight suites they had yet to renovate. The space was empty now except for the hotel van and cars belonging to Sheena’s family. At night, the patrons of Gavin’s would fill the lot.
Regan got out of her Jeep and studied the building. The sign Austin had carved of a Sandpiper had been mounted earlier that year indicating the building was officially called the Sandpiper Suites Building. She hoped Brian’s crew could start on the demolition and re-configuration of the interiors of the building as soon as Sheena’s family moved out shortly before Darcy’s wedding.
One of the last things Mo had helped her with before heading to California was a re-design of the space inside each suite. Her sisters had agreed with Mo and her that the suites should be comfortable and convenient for long-term stays, which was how many smaller hotels and resorts in the area did well in the winter months. Each suite would contain a full-size refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, plenty of cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, and larger-than-normal closets for clothes and storage.
Crossing the lawn to the Egret Building, Regan paused to lift a beautiful pink hibiscus blossom to her nose. She loved the bright colors of tropical flora. More aware of color and tones now that she worked with them every day, she marveled at nature’s beauty.
The pounding of a hammer brought her head up. She smiled at the sight of carpenters building the framing for a bohio-style, outdoor casual bar near the swimming pool. Open-aired, and with a palm-thatched roof, it would be a small operation providing a place where guests could relax with a drink and light snacks.
She waved at Sheena, who was working in the office, and then hurried across to the Egret Building. For the upstairs rooms, she and Mo had chosen a slightly different color scheme from the ground-floor rooms. Soft-yellow walls, sand-colored carpets, and the blue on the hand-painted furniture were still in place. But instead of the blues, yellows, and oranges of the soft goods on the ground floor, green was the predominant color, reflecting the color of the palm trees and other tropical foliage outside.
The main renovation project for the second-floor rooms was in the bathrooms. Sinks had been torn out earlier and re-installed in the downstairs rooms. Because they now had enough money, they were replacing the vanities with twin-basin units and also ripping out the tubs and installing walk-in showers with large, soothing shower heads. Similar shower fixtures had already replaced those in the downstairs rooms.
In each room, a new, overstuffed chair complemented the small settee Regan had purchased when she’d first met Mo.
Regan found a couple of workmen in one of the bathrooms finishing grout work in the shower. “Good afternoon! How are you doing?”
“Coming along,” the older of the two replied in a voice that warned against too much talk.
“Are we still on schedule?”
“Yep,” the man replied. “All the showers should be done in about ten days or less.”
“Good,” said Regan, happy the noisy part of ripping out the old fixtures was over. The new cabinetry holding the sinks was installed in most of the bathrooms. Once the showers were in, flooring could be installed, and then the new toilets would be placed and connected to water supply and sewer lines.
Regan hated losing the opportunity to open these rooms before March, but the result would be well worth it.
Downstairs, she checked an empty room. The new air conditioners they’d had installed were quieter and more efficient. The upholstered chairs for these rooms, recently purchased at their favorite discount furniture store, helped to fill the space nicely with a sense of comfort.
Satisfied things were moving along at an acceptable pace, Regan left the building and went to talk to Sheena.
Sheena was on the phone looking distressed when Regan entered the office. Regan stood aside, listening.
“No, of course you didn’t kn
ow about her. It will be fine. I simply ask you to keep a careful eye on her. I don’t trust her for a lot of reasons. Yes, okay. I understand. Good luck, Nicole.”
“What was that all about?” Regan said.
“Nicole has hired Taylor Hutchison to work in the sales office at Ventura Village. She’s worked in real estate before, and Bett Ryder, the real estate broker Nicole hired yesterday, approved of her, as did Brian. She’s been showing a lot of interest in the project.”
“But?”
Sheena sighed. “I caught her with Tony in a bit of a compromising situation. She pretended to have an ankle injury, but, not so strangely enough, when Tony was out of the picture, she had a miraculous cure.”
Regan’s jaw loosened with surprise. “Tony? No way. What does this Taylor woman look like?”
“She’s very attractive—tall, slim, red-hair. I trust Tony not to start anything, but this woman is a bit like ... maybe like Darcy’s old roommate, Alex Townsend. You know—arrogant, self-confident, eager to get her own way. That was my initial impression of Taylor.”
“Hmmm. Can’t Nicole tell her there’s been a mistake?”
“I guess not. She’s already started on the job. She’s in the office now.”
“I’m headed there for an appointment later this afternoon. I’ll check her out.”
###
As Regan pulled into the development Brian and Tony were creating, her excitement grew at the prospect of helping clients make a house their home. Anyone would be grateful to have one of the upscale, beautiful homes to begin with, but Regan hoped, with her help, the buyers would be even more thrilled with their new home and its decor.
She pulled up to the model home that contained her office and the sales office, wondering about the woman who’d been flirting with Tony. It wasn’t like Sheena to be alarmed about something like that. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones at work. Even so, Regan was determined to make sure Tony wasn’t distracted by someone named Taylor Hutchison. He was a good-looking man.
Inside the house, in the front office, an older woman with blond hair cut into a smart, swinging, above-the-shoulder style smiled at her while continuing a conversation on the phone. Regan waved to her and went on back through the house to her office in what would ordinarily be the family room. Sample books for wallpaper, fabrics, carpeting, and flooring lined the shelves on one side of the fireplace. Kitchen and bathroom hardware choices, as well as sample cabinetry, rested on shelves on the other side of the fireplace. Two long tables sat along another wall to be used for looking through the books. Folding chairs stood stacked against the wall. Regan’s desk sat in the middle of the room, giving visitors plenty of space to make their way through sliding glass doors to the lanai and swimming pool.
Regan paused and studied the scene, thrilled to be in business for herself. As a high school student, she’d dreamed of going to RISD, the Rhode Island School of Design. But with her inability to test well, that dream had been taken away from her. Mo was the one who had presented another opportunity to fulfill her dream.
Regan settled behind her desk and checked for phone messages. Her client had called to reconfirm the time. Regan quickly called her back, and because she was free, told her to come ahead of their appointed time. Regan couldn’t wait to begin working on the project.
As she hung up the phone, a young woman with red hair approached her. “You’re Regan Sullivan?”
Regan stood. “Yes, and you are?”
The woman held out her hand. “Taylor Hutchison. I’m the new sales manager here at Ventura Village.”
As she shook Taylor’s hand, Regan blinked in surprise. “Sales manager? I thought Nicole Coleman was the new sales manager.”
“Oh, well, but I’m the one handling the office,” said Taylor with enough self-confidence Regan almost believed her.
“Right, handling the office for Nicole and Bett Ryder, who’s in charge of the real estate sales,” Regan said, giving Taylor a steady look.
“Well, yes,” said Taylor. “But I intend to be the best person they’ve ever hired. I’m even hoping to move here myself after I sell my home. But you know how it is after a divorce. Everything takes time for you to get resettled and meet a new man.”
Overcome with distaste, Regan remained silent. This was definitely a woman on the prowl.
“Bett and I have worked together on other projects, so I’m sure it’s going to be great. Anyway, nice to meet you, Regan. I hope we can work well together. I understand you’re handling the interior decorating end of things.”
“Yes,” said Regan. “I’m excited to get going. Leslie Tanner is arriving shortly for her first appointment. I’ll try to keep you updated on my schedule.”
“Please do,” said Taylor. “Update your calendar and give me access. That should do it.”
Taylor turned and walked away, dismissing Regan as effectively as a principal might dismiss a dim-witted student.
Regan went into the front office. When the older woman saw her, she rushed to her feet.
“Hi, you must be Regan. I’m Bett Ryder. I’m glad to meet you. I’ve heard such good things about you and your work. In fact, I’m coming to the Salty Key Inn to go to dinner with Nicole at Gavin’s later this week.”
“Great! You’ll love it! The food is terrific!”
“Where’s this?” said Taylor swinging into the room on high heels.
“Gavin’s restaurant at the Salty Key Inn is supposed to have fabulous food,” Bett said. “You’ll want to keep that in mind when clients ask where they can go to dinner.”
“Oh, Brian mentioned that to me. He said he hoped I’d try it out. He was sure I’d like it.” She checked her watch. “Maybe I can catch him before he leaves. He said he’d help me with a project at my house. I’m trying to sell it, you know, and everything has to be perfect.”
As Taylor left the office, Regan lowered herself into a chair, her knees so wobbly she couldn’t stand. Brian was helping Taylor with a special project at her home? From the gleam in Taylor’s eyes, Regan could well imagine what Taylor had in mind.
Unaware of the sick feeling that had washed over Regan, Bett smiled at her. “Your Brian is such a nice guy. He and Tony are doing a great job with the development. I’m excited to head the sales team.”
“Taylor told me she was the sales manager,” Regan said.
Bett laughed. “That woman has delusions of grandeur. She’s a good people-person though, and in this business, it counts for a lot. She has a way of getting people to buy into whatever she says.”
“I see,” said Regan, wondering if that’s what happened with Brian. She swallowed bile. All her old fears about Brian and other women played a rough game of tag in her mind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DARCY
Darcy slipped on a simple, long-sleeved, aqua-blue dress and studied herself in the mirror. Not bad. The dress was well-tailored and fit her perfectly. Hooking a silver band around her neck, she gave it, too, a silent nod of approval. Since becoming engaged and starting to build a wardrobe for travel, Darcy had learned simple and quality go together nicely. At Christmas, she’d studied Austin’s mother, carefully observing how she dressed, talked, and acted.
“Ready, honey?” Austin stepped into their bedroom and let out a low whistle. “You look great, Darcy!”
Darcy turned around to face him. “Thanks. I want to look nice for your parents.”
“Don’t worry about it. They don’t care,” said Austin. “They love you because I do.”
Darcy smiled, but she wasn’t so sure. Whereas her family sometimes seemed smothering, Austin’s family seemed detached. Of course, his parents spent most of their time traveling for their business. Traveling that included weekends and, sometimes, holidays.
Darcy wrapped a light shawl around her shoulders, and they left the condo. A cold front had come down from the Midwest, bringing a chill to the air Darcy hoped would not hang around for her wedding. “I can’t wait to have dinner at the Don,�
�� said Darcy. “My sisters and I drove up to the front of the hotel when we first moved here. We’d heard about the Don CeSar, but until we saw the big, pink building, we didn’t understand how elegant it was.”
“It’s a beautifully maintained property,” agreed Austin.
They drove from the condo to St. Pete Beach on the coast and pulled up to the front circle of the hotel. A uniformed young man rushed to open the car door for Darcy. She stepped out onto the drive and waited for Austin to come around the car and take her arm. When she walked inside and into the lobby, her glance took in the marble flooring, pillars, and sparkling chandeliers, and a shiver of nerves shook her shoulders. She knew she shouldn’t feel anxious about meeting his parents for dinner, but she was. With her own mother deceased, she yearned for a close relationship with Austin’s mother. Though they’d been pleasant to her, she still needed to be reassured they wouldn’t turn on her like her old boyfriend’s parents had.
After receiving directions, Darcy and Austin walked into the grill-type restaurant. Charles waved to them from a booth in front of a salt-water fish tank and rose to his feet. Beside him, Austin’s mother, Belinda, smiled and waved.
Darcy took a deep breath and smiled, focusing on Charles, who had his arms out to her.
They exchanged quick hugs, and Darcy slid into the booth, so she was sitting opposite Belinda.
“How are you, dear?” Belinda asked. “Just a few days until the wedding.”
“I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s such a special day.”
“Oh, yes! I’m so pleased you’ve made my Austin happy. He just beams when he looks at you.”
Darcy felt some of the tension leave her.
“What’ll you have? We’ve already ordered drinks. What can we get for you?” Charles signaled a waiter, who came right over to them.
Austin ordered a vodka and tonic, and Darcy ordered a Texas margarita, her favorite.
After their drinks came, along with menus, Charles lifted his glass. “Here’s to the two of you. Best wishes and many happy years together.”