by Natalie Ann
“So a Bond doesn’t own the hotel?” she asked, her head turning and giving him a wink.
“They are from the Bond family tree. Patricia’s branch, so of course their last name isn’t Bond, but they’ve got the same blood as me at this point in their lives. The same amount of Bond blood.”
He wasn’t so narrow minded that only a “Bond” could own anything. In his eyes, all his cousins had their bloodlines diluted as much as him. They couldn’t control what their last name was any more than he could. But they could control what they did with their lives.
“It’s nice you think that way. I guess I might have an issue with you if you were sexist like that.”
He tugged her hand and yanked her into his side. “I’m not a sexist person in the least. Bond Retreat has legal documents that are passed down through the generations that it must stay under a Bond. The truth is, any Bond could take it over. Hailey could keep her last name and marry someone, or that guy could take her name and the line still continues. It’s a legality thing.”
“Interesting. I guess I never thought of that, but someone in your family must have.”
“Hailey is an attorney. Though she has never wanted any part of the hotel, she made sure it could go to her if it needed to.”
“How come she doesn’t want it?”
“The island life isn’t for her. She doesn’t like it here. She comes when she needs to for work or to visit but wants to go back to the city.”
“So you’re on your own?” she asked.
“I’m never on my own on this island. You haven’t figured that out by now?”
She turned her head to look out over the ocean. “Guess I forgot. I’m used to being on my own.”
“Hey, sorry about that. This day is supposed to be for us.”
“I’m glad you could clear it to be with me. Saturdays are hard since I need to sleep a bit and even only sleeping a few hours I’m crashing by seven that night. Sundays are much easier and I get tomorrow off. Unlike you,” she said, tugging his hand playfully.
“I could take any day off I want or none at all. I guess it depends on how you look at it.”
“As long as we get time like this, I don’t care how you do it or look at it.”
He smiled back at her, thinking the same exact thing.
They were making their way back to the wooden boardwalk to get to his car when he made eye contact with the chief of police.
“Hunter.”
“Mac,” he said back.
“You’re not normally on any beach but your own.”
Mac was a tall guy. Taller than Hunter’s six-foot-two-inch frame. All the Bond men were tall. “Just trying to escape being seen. Guess it didn’t work in my favor. Since when do you patrol the beaches?”
“Since I’ve got a man out today and no one to call in. I wouldn’t be here myself, but Emily called to say there was a disturbance that needed attention. I just got done lecturing the parents that their teenage kids need to cut the crap and be respectful to everyone here. I needed a breather.”
“Do I even want to know what they were doing?”
Some parents just figured when they were on vacation they didn’t care what their kids did or said. Thankfully Bond Retreat didn’t get as many family vacationers as the other hotels due to the cost and what they offered.
“Water balloon fight that turned into throwing them at random people on the beach. The parents sat there laughing at it,” Mac said, his fists clenching and unclenching. If Hunter was called serious it was nothing like Mac. “Who’s this?”
There was no way to avoid it even though Kayla might have hoped that was the case by the way she was standing to his side, almost behind him the entire time.
“Kayla, this is my cousin Mac Bond, Chief of Police on Amore Island. Mac, Kayla Rivers.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kayla said, returning Mac’s handshake.
“You too. I’m just going to get some air and then get back to the station. See you around,” Mac said and walked past them.
“So not all Bonds own things,” Kayla said.
“No. Some branches have more wealth than others. Mac comes from William’s branch. His father was the chief of police before him. I guess you could say they hated being labeled from the branch that was dubbed the black sheep and went into a career just the opposite.”
“Makes sense,” she said. “Where to now?”
“How about some lunch?” he said. They’d gotten to the beach around eleven and it was getting busy at this point.
“Lunch sounds good.”
“We can just walk to a cafe around the block from the hotel if you want,” he offered.
“That works. I’m agreeable to anything. Especially since I’m starving. I swear I could eat a cow lately.”
“It’s probably because you don’t eat much when you’re working and then you are sleeping. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for food.”
He noticed she always ate well when they were together. Not someone to pick at some greens or move them around on her plate. He always hated that.
“I’m sure that is it. I always stuff myself, but the truth is I eat a big dinner before I go to work and then on my lunch break around midnight or so I eat another meal. Other than that, I don’t have much more than a piece of fruit or a candy bar from the vending machine if I’m desperate.”
They walked along the boardwalk, him waiting for her to say something about running into Mac, but she didn’t. They got to the cafe and made their way in, only to be seated on the patio in the back.
They’d just gotten their drinks when he heard his name called and had to fight back the groan.
He turned his head to verify it was the last person he wanted to see out today. Damn, for sitting on the patio where people walking through the streets and the shops could see them or walk over to get a seat too. Please don’t let her want to join them! “Mom. What are you doing here?”
“Just shopping. There is a new art gallery that opened up and you know I love to look at the local work the islanders make and sell.”
He saw the bag in her hand. “You do. And you bought something.” She pulled the blue-and-green swirled vase out of the bag. “It is nice. It will look good in the sunroom.”
“That was exactly my thought too. So who is this?” She was grinning ear to ear.
“Mom, this is Kayla. Kayla, my mother, Nicole Bond.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kayla said, standing up.
“No, no, have a seat. Aren’t you just a sweet thing? All wholesome too. Nothing like the girls Hunter normally dates.”
He was grinding his teeth so hard he thought for sure one of them was going to break. “Mother.”
“Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t say that, but you know how I am. Your father made a comment about you going off the island or wanting time to yourself on the weekends. Now I understand it.”
He looked over at Kayla and saw the blush spreading across her face. “Don’t you have more shopping to do, Mom?”
“I do. Thanks for reminding me.” She leaned down to kiss his cheek, then said to Kayla, “Nice to meet you. Hunter will have to bring you to dinner sometime.”
The minute his mother was gone, he turned to Kayla. “Sorry. That is twice today.”
“And you were all about how no one approaches us when they see you out.”
He let out a breath. “Yeah, well, family is hard to get away from.”
He knew his mother would go back and say something to his father, which was why he didn’t say Kayla’s last name. Not that his father would put it together. Kayla worked nights, never any time his father would see her. And his mother never went to the hotel.
“So I see.”
Perfect timing—the waitress came out with their club sandwiches and placed them down in front of them. Kayla seemed content to let the topic drop and start eating.
She reached for her pickle first and took a massive bite of it. “Wow this is good.” She finished it off and a
sked, “Are you going to eat yours? Can I have your pickle?”
Laughter bubbled in his chest and just escaped. “You can have my pickle anytime you want it.”
She laughed back at him and he was thrilled to know she wasn’t put off by running into two of his family members today. “That isn’t what I meant. Leave it to you to make a joke out of it. I like pickles, but I’ve never loved them. These look homemade and, man, they are great.”
He moved his plate over to her, she snatched it up and ate it, and then dove into her sandwich with so much enthusiasm that he felt himself getting hard at the table.
She took a bite, closed her eyes, moaned low in her throat and then licked the mayo off the side of her lip. “This is good. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”
“Can you dial it back a bit?” he asked as he leaned forward. “Watching you go at that food is making me want to get a room at the hotel.”
“Come on,” she said. “Don’t be silly.” She looked at his face; he wasn’t laughing. “Okay, guess you aren’t joking. Wow. Sorry. I’ll be good now.”
“I don’t want you to be good. I want you to be like that the next time we’re alone.”
“I can do that,” she said and winked at him. “Gladly.”
25
Dishing Out Advice
“I had a great time today,” she said, leaning over to give Hunter a kiss in his car. “Not bad considering we ran into two of your family members. Including your mother.”
She hadn’t wanted to bring it up to him but figured now might be the time. Talk about rotten luck. She wasn’t ready for the meeting of the parents and now she wondered if Nicole would invite her to dinner.
“She can be a little overbearing at times. Just ignore her.”
“You aren’t going to ask me to go to dinner with them, are you?”
He frowned and she figured she put her foot in her mouth. “Why?”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that. What if they ask how we met?”
“I’m sure she is going to ask me that and I’m going to avoid it for the time being. My father will probably bring it up too. Don’t worry, I’ll put it off if you don’t want to do it.”
“You don’t want to either, do you?”
Now she felt bad because maybe he did want her to do it...even if she’d rather not. Why did this have to be so hard?
“I don’t know what I want anymore,” he said and left her to wonder what he meant when he pulled away.
She walked in the back door. Amanda was in the kitchen cooking like she always was. Sidney was there for once, Bri out. “Hey,” she said. “What smells so good?”
“Ribs,” Amanda said. “I’ve had them on the grill all day cooking low and slow. Baked beans are almost done and I’ve got corn. A regular old hometown barbeque here on the island.”
“Yummy. I’ve got dessert.” She held up the box she was carrying. She figured that Amanda did so much the least she could do was bring something home now and again.
“What’s that?” Sidney asked.
“A double chocolate cake. We passed a bakery on the way home and I asked Hunter to pull over so I could get something.”
“Are we celebrating anything?” Amanda asked, opening the box and taking a peek. “Oh man, look at that. I might have to try to replicate that.”
“I’m going to get fat,” Kayla said. “I’ve never eaten as well as I have since I moved here.”
“Tell me about it,” Sidney said. “I used to eat salads and yogurt half the time. I never bothered to cook much since I was by myself. This is better than living with my mom.”
Kayla smiled, as she had no reply to that. No home-cooked meals that held any memories to her growing up.
“So what did you do today?” Amanda asked. “Fill us two single ladies in on your romantic life.”
“Romantic life? I’m not so sure about that. Where’s Bri?”
“She has a date tonight,” Sidney said. “That girl can’t stand to be single or alone. Not sure what her problem is.”
“She is probably looking for love on Amore Island,” Kayla said, snickering. “I’m alone more than not and fine with it.”
“I’m sure you are better with the hottie on your hand though.”
“You girls are a riot.” She walked to the fridge and got a bottle of water. “Okay, here is how the day went and I need your opinion on things.”
“Shoot,” Amanda said, rubbing her hands together. “I love dishing out advice like my grandmother did her creamed spinach. No one liked it, but we took it with a smile anyway.”
Kayla giggled and wished she had memories like that growing up. “We walked along a beach over by a new hotel one his cousins put up.”
“Where?” Sidney asked. “There are a lot of hotels owned by his cousins on this island.”
“Atlantic Rise Hotel,” she said. “The beach was nice. The hotel was too, but you can tell it was more a family hotel compared to Bond Retreat.”
“Most of the hotels cater toward families here,” Amanda said. “The Casino and Retreat are the only two I think that might be more upscale.”
“Most likely,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure it all out. Anyway, we ran into the chief of police, who stopped to say hi.”
“Good old Mac,” Sidney said.
“You know him?” Kayla asked.
“He’s been in the bar a few times. Once to drink, but mainly to deal with any issues. I swear that guy never smiles.”
“He wasn’t smiling when we saw him either. Looked uptight, if you ask me,” Kayla said.
“I’m sure it has to do with his job,” Amanda said, always the peacemaker. “So walking on the beach. That is romantic.”
“I guess when you factor in we were holding hands while the waves washed over our feet.”
“Get out,” Sidney said. “That’s a total romantic move. Maybe his family heritage is catching up with him.”
“Yeah. I thought so too. The romantic move, not the heritage part. I get the feeling Hunter does what he wants when he wants it, regardless of any family history. Then we went to get some lunch and his mother showed up.”
“Oh boy. Mood killer there. How did that go?” Sidney asked.
“Not bad. She seemed nice. She said I was wholesome and nothing like the women Hunter dates.”
She was sure if Nicole Bond knew her background she’d have a lot more to say and compare to the women Hunter normally spent time with.
“That was kind of crude to bring up any past women,” Amanda said. “What did you say? What did Hunter say?”
“I didn’t say a word. I just wanted to crawl under the table that we were noticed and approached by two people in such a short period of time. I told him that would happen, but he didn’t believe me.”
“Maybe he doesn’t care as much as you do about people seeing you guys out. Maybe you shouldn’t care as much either,” Sidney said.
“He has nothing to lose. I have everything to lose,” Kayla argued.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Amanda said. “Let’s set the table and eat if you are hungry.”
“I’m starving again. I swear all I want to do is eat when I’m awake. I should try to eat smaller meals throughout the day.”
“You hardly ever eat breakfast and it’s after five. What did you have for lunch?” Amanda asked.
“A club sandwich and some fries.”
“And you walked most of the day?” Sidney asked. “I would have eaten twice more. My God, no wonder you are so skinny.”
Kayla never considered herself skinny, but she didn’t have that many curves either. “Then I don’t feel so bad. No judging me on the amount I’m going to consume tonight then.”
“So what advice did you want?” Amanda asked.
Kayla walked over to get the silverware since Sidney was putting the plates on the table. “Nicole, Hunter’s mom, made a comment about wanting me over for dinner. I told Hunter I’m just not ready. When I asked if he wanted to, he sai
d he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. I don’t know what that means. Do you think he wants to call it quits with me?”
“You’re joking, right?” Sidney asked. “You went to the beach and walked hand in hand. He introduced you to his cousin and his mother and you think he wants to call it quits. Why?”
“Maybe he doesn’t like that I don’t want anyone to know about us. I thought we felt the same way, but I’m starting to think maybe not.”
“He could just be torn over it,” Amanda said. “For all those reasons you don’t want anyone to know, he has to have some too.”
“His family reputation and all,” Kayla said. “I get it. He hasn’t come out and said it exactly, but family means a great deal to him. I’m sure it’d be an embarrassment that he was dating an employee. Especially in a position like mine.”
“Don’t put yourself down so much,” Sidney said. “If he is judging you on that—or anyone is—they aren’t worth your time. You’re a great person.”
She felt her eyes start to fill a bit. No one had ever told her she was a great person before. “I took a picture of us on the beach. I never do that, but I just felt the urge to do a selfie. I was going to put it on Instagram but thought he might get mad.”
“What did he say when you took the picture?” Amanda asked.
“Nothing. He wanted to see it. My arms aren’t that long and so it kind of cut both of our faces off on each side, but it’s a cool close-up with the sun behind us.”
“Let us see it,” Sidney said.
Kayla pulled her phone out and showed it to them. “Very artistic and you can’t tell it’s Hunter. You can’t tell anything other than he’s sexy as all hell. You are one lucky girl. I’d say go ahead and post it. It’s not like anyone on the island follows you, do they?”
“No. You two and Bri are the only ones I follow on Facebook. No one else. I don’t have a lot of followers on any social media.”
“So why are you on them?” Amanda asked.
“Don’t know,” she said. But she did. She wanted to belong and she always felt some connection to people if she read their stories even if she didn’t post much herself. But for once she had a boyfriend and wanted to post something.