Moon Over Montego Bay

by Jane Graves

  “You know I'm in line for Executive Director.”

  “You’ll eventually be Executive Director anywhere you go.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you quit your job and we’ll stay in Houston? You can always get another one.”

  “My job isn’t one you just quit. This is my family business we’re talking about.”

  “What about our family?” Sarah said, practically shouting.

  Randall held up his palms. “Take it easy. It’s not a done deal yet. We still have plenty of time to discuss it. We won’t go if you don’t want to.”

  "You've already bought the house!"

  "It's just a house. No big deal."

  "No, Randall. That's where you're wrong. It is a big deal. It's a very big deal!"

  "It'll be okay, Sarah. Really. Trust me."

  He leaned in to kiss her. She turned away, feeling as if a dark cloud had settled over her. He said they’d discuss it. But every time they discussed anything, he listened to her opinion, but in the end, whose had counted the most? He always made it seem as if their decisions were mutual, but all he really did was get her to agree with his point of view.

  "I just want to give you everything," Randall said. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

  "No. You want to give yourself everything. I'm just along for the ride."

  "That's not true."

  "I don't know if I can do this."

  "Yes, you can. The move will be easy, and you'll love it once we're there, I promise you."

  I'm not talking about the move to Chicago!

  The words were on the tip of her tongue, on the verge of spilling out her mouth. She wanted to tell him she was having second thoughts, and not just about the house in Chicago or his taking over the company. Second thoughts about the ring she wore and the man who'd given it to her. But how could she say that? Right then, only twenty four hours before she was supposed to get married? What if she was being unreasonable? What if she told him how she was feeling and then regretted it?

  She didn't know what to do. She just didn't know!

  "Your parents are having a tough time of it," Randall said. "Money is tight. Their mortgage is choking them."

  Sarah looked at him confused. "Why are we talking about that now?"

  "One more bad year and they could lose the whole farm. Isn’t that true?"

  Yes. It was true. And it was all because they'd helped her through college, taking out that second mortgage to do it. If she had it to do again, she'd tell them to forget the mortgage, that she'd go to junior college. At least then she wouldn't have to feel this horrible guilt.

  "It doesn't have to be hard for them," Randall said.

  "What do you mean?"

  "As soon as we're married…"

  "What?"

  Randall shrugged offhandedly. "Maybe we'll see what we can do about getting rid of that mortgage."

  Sarah slid her hand to her throat, shocked at what he was saying. This was the answer to her prayers. "Are you telling me you'd pay off their mortgage?"

  "I'll certainly think about it."

  She put her hand on his arm. "Randall! That would be wonderful!"

  "Just as you'll think about living in Chicago."

  It took Sarah a second or two to grasp what he was saying, and when she did, a chill settled in her stomach.

  "I know this was sudden for you," Randall said. "But you'll love it there, I promise you." He took her in his arms. "You'll be able to find another job in no time. There are bound to be some very worthy nonprofit organizations there that'll be thrilled to have you, right?"

  "I-I don't know…"

  "Of course there will. And I'll be running Baxter Industries. Calling all the shots. And we'll live in that beautiful house. If you don't like something my mother has done to it, hire a decorator and change it. Then pretty soon we'll start to think about a family. I know how much you want to have kids."

  She had a flash of the way he'd talked to the boy on the beach, then squeezed her eyes closed to drive the image away. "Yes," she said. "Kids."

  "Your parents will only be a few hours away by plane. I'll buy you a first class ticket anytime you want to see them. But you won't have to worry about them. Not when all their financial worries disappear. It'll be a beautiful life, Sarah."

  He hugged her close and stroked her hair, then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Maybe she was just being silly. Overly emotional. Clinging to things that didn't matter. Maybe Randall was right and everything was going to be perfect.

  "We should go back there," Randall said. "We'll just tell them you were so overwhelmed by my gift that you thought you were going to cry."

  She nodded, realizing it wasn’t exactly a lie. He took her hand and led her back to the ballroom. She heard the low murmurs of their guests, clearly wondering what was going on. The moment they went back into the room, everyone fell silent.

  "I'm sorry," Randall said. "It seems my beautiful bride to be got a little overwhelmed by my gift. I suppose a multimillion dollar home will do that to a person."

  Everyone laughed, but Sarah sensed the tension still hanging in the air. She turned and smiled at Liz and Kelsey. "Sorry I had to leave, but I was sure I was going to cry and my mascara was going to run and I'd end up looking like a raccoon. You know how I hate that."

  More laughter. Kelsey smiled, but she knew Sarah too well to believe everything was just peachy. Liz didn't even bother to smile. In fact, Sarah read her thoughts as clearly as if she'd shouted them. Liar, liar, pants on fire…

  She avoided looking at Nick altogether.

  "Thanks so much for coming, everyone," Randall said. "We're looking forward to seeing you in the gazebo tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock for the big event."

  Everyone rose from their tables, chatting among themselves as they left the room.

  "So I guess your bachelor party is this afternoon," Sarah said to Randall.

  "Cigars and Brandy. That's how civilized men do it."

  "My bridesmaids and I are going to the spa to have our nails done."

  "Okay. I'll see you later this afternoon." Randall leaned in and kissed her, and Sarah told herself once again that these feelings would pass and she'd realize just how lucky she was and then everything really would be fine.

  As Randall walked away, her parents came up beside her. "Oh, my stars!" her mother said. "That house was just about the prettiest thing I've ever seen!"

  "I know. Wow, right?"

  "I remember when you were thirteen years old. You used to look at pictures of pretty houses in magazines. We were never able to give you much, Sarah Lynn. But now it looks like you'll have everything you ever wanted."

  "You didn't tell us you were moving to Chicago," Carl said. "That's a long way from Big Fork."

  "Hush, Carl," Treva said. "Do you really expect Sarah not to go where her husband goes?"

  "It came up kind of…suddenly," Sarah said. "Randall's father just recently decided to retire. And of course Randall would be the one to take over the company."

  "It's still a long way," Carl muttered.

  "I know," she said with a smile. "But I can hop a flight anytime I want to and come see you." Except that I'll be starting a new job and probably won't be able to get away.

  "Well, at least you'll have family up there," Treva said, but she put a funny little emphasis on the word "family," as if the Baxters were a special breed that didn't quite qualify as one.

  Then there was silence.

  Sarah hated this. She could feel her parents' disappointment, but what was she supposed to do? Instead she pictured the look of joy that would fill their faces when their biggest worry was suddenly taken away.

  She looked over her shoulder, where Kelsey and Liz stood near the door. "My bridesmaids and I are going to the spa to get our nails done. They're waiting for me."

  "You go right on ahead," her mother said. "Your father and I are going back to our room."

  "They have movies you can pick from on the TV," Carl s
aid.

  "I'm trying out the Jacuzzi," Treva said. "And your father wants to get room service."

  "So soon after lunch?"

  "Just those shrimp things," Carl said. "They're practically diet food."

  Treva rolled her eyes. "You've ordered them three times already. Even iceberg lettuce isn't diet food if you eat a truckload of it."

  "Yeah? How about those chocolate ruffle things you tack on to every order? Are those diet food?"

  "Truffle," Treva said, then turned to Sarah and whispered, "By the time I get back home, the only thing I'll be able to fit into is a feed sack."

  "We'll talk to you later, honey, Carl said.

  As they walked away, Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gathering her composure so she could face Kelsey and Liz and convince them everything was just fine.

  Then she glanced back at her parents and got a surprise. Her father was doing something she hadn't seen him do in…well, ever. As they walked away, he was holding her mother's hand. Then he leaned in to say something to her. When she turned and smiled up at him, Sarah had the strangest feeling that thirty years of blood, sweat, and tears had melted away and they were nineteen years old again, newly married without a care in the world. She remembered Randall's promise about their mortgage, about how it was going to lift at least one of those cares they'd acquired right off their shoulders. In that moment, she decided there was no convincing to be done. She was happy.

  She turned to leave the room, and somebody caught her arm.

  "I need to talk to you," Nick said.

  "I'm busy."

  "Now."

  She glanced back to see that Kelsey was watching her and Nick. She looked back and forth between them, her eyes narrowed into her default cop expression. Is there a problem here? Something wrong? Is a certain bride-to-be doing something she shouldn't with her future brother-in-law?

  No. Not this time. Not ever again.

  "Wasn't the house beautiful?" she told Nick with a radiant smile. "I can't wait to move in. You'll have to come visit us real soon. Now, if you'll excuse me."

  With that, she put Nick out of her mind and out of her life, and followed her Liz and Kelsey out the door.

  15

  If Nick thought he was miserable before, he was positively despondent now. Yeah, Sarah had run from the luncheon as if she was upset. But now it appeared as if she'd thought things through and the lifestyle Randall was offering her was enough to drag her right up the aisle to say "I do."

  Nick walked past the cigar bar and spied Randall with his groomsmen. He paused only a moment before swinging the door open and going inside. His first breath caught enough cigar smoke to give him a raging case of lung cancer, but he ignored it and pulled out a chair at Randall's table and sat. He waited for his brother to order him out of the room, in which case he would sit there anyway until he got to the bottom of how this whole thing had gone down. Instead, a slow, closed-lipped smile came across Randall's face.

  "Nick. Glad you could drop by." Randall turned and called out to the waiter. "Another glass of Brandy and—"

  "No," Nick said. "Nothing."

  Randall shrugged. "Suit yourself."

  He snuffed out the butt of the cigar he held and ordered another one, acting so jovial that it was clear that he and Sarah were back on the same wavelength. Randall always behaved like that when he felt as if he had the upper hand, which meant he no longer considered Nick a threat. But this move to Chicago, the house, Randall springing it all on her…how could that possibly be okay with her?

  "So what did you think of the house, Nick?" Randall asked. "It's in Lincoln Park."

  "Yeah, I saw. Why didn't you just move in with our parents? You couldn't get much closer."

  "It's the best neighborhood in Chicago. Where else did you expect us to live?"

  "Where is Sarah now?"

  "With her bridesmaids getting their nails done."

  "They're probably talking about sex," one groomsman said, a guy with bleach-blond hair. "They all do that."

  The other groomsman's eyebrows pulled together into a single bushy line. "They do?"

  "That's what my last girlfriend told me,” Blond said. “‘Don't think we're not talking about size and technique, because we definitely are.’”

  “So which of the bridesmaids do you have your eye on?” Unibrow said. “I’ve got dibs on the redhead. Always had a thing for those.”

  "So make a move,” Blond said.

  Unibrow shrugged. "Maybe." He looked at Randall. "Is she easy?"

  "How the hell do I know?"

  "She's Sarah's friend.”

  "So you think one day Sarah just happened to say, 'Hey, in case you didn't know, my cousin Liz is easy?'"

  “The other one’s not bad looking, but she scares me,” Blond said.

  "That's because she's a cop," Randall said. "Evidently you can't handle a strong woman."

  "On the plus side, she has her own handcuffs," Unibrow said. "Saves you a trip to the sex toy store."

  These guys were making Nick's head hurt.

  And through it all, Randall sat back in his chair, puffing on that damned cigar, looking smug and self-important. Too bad you guys don't have what it takes. I, on the other hand, have it all.

  "Hard to believe you sprung all that on Sarah," he said to Randall. "A new house? Moving to a new city?"

  "I like surprises."

  "Sarah didn't appear to."

  "Yeah, she got a little freaked out. But I talked her down."

  "Talked her down?"

  "She got a little pissed that Mom knew about the house but she didn't. But she couldn't argue with living in a place like that."

  When the pair of idiot groomsmen nodded and threw out a couple of Hell, yeahs, Randall drew himself up and took a drag off his cigar. It was all Nick could do not to yank it out of his hand and stuff it up his nose.

  "Maybe it wasn't only about the house," Nick said. "Maybe it was about where the house was located."

  "Yeah, she wasn't too happy about moving to Chicago. But she's smart. She can get a job anywhere. Her salary right now doesn't amount to much, anyway."

  Again, as if money were the only consideration. "So she's fine with it?"

  "Of course she is. What woman wouldn't be?"

  Sarah Renfro, that's who!

  But was that really true? Yeah, there was the issue of Mona decorating the house she was going to live in, which would irritate anybody. But he also knew where Sarah had come from. A house like that had to be way beyond anything she'd ever imagined.

  But what about her job?

  Nick sighed. Randall was right. Houston, Chicago—did it really matter? Nonprofits were everywhere in major metro areas. She could get another job in a heartbeat.

  Maybe this really was her dream come true.

  "Of course, it didn't hurt that I'm going to pay off the mortgage her parents have on their farm," Randall said.

  Nick blinked. "You're what?"

  Randall shrugged. "She didn't like the idea of moving to Chicago, so I sweetened the pot a little. It made her happy, so why not?"

  "Why not? Are you kidding me?"

  "Huh?"

  "You're bribing her!"

  Randall looked at Nick as if he seriously didn't understand. "I'm getting something I want, and she's getting something she wants. What's wrong with that?"

  "You're treating this like a business negotiation! That's what's wrong with that!"

  "Hey," Unibrow said, "in my experience, you keep 'em happy any way you can. One hand washes the other."

  The other men nodded, as if this was a generally accepted fact of relationships.

  Nick couldn't believe this. He knew how much Sarah loved her parents. If they still carried a mortgage on their farm, chances were their financial position wasn’t all that great. Now Randall was holding the solution to their problem over her head? I'll solve your parents' financial problems if you'll shut up, marry me, and move to Chicago?

  "All
I know is that she's happy now," Randall said.

  "Is she really?"

  Randall's smile dimmed. "Of course she is. She told me so."

  "Could you be any more insensitive?"

  "Hey, I've done more than most men would do. I gave her a house. I'm fixing her parents' financial problems. What more does she expect me to do?"

  "God, Randall. Would you get a clue? Just one?"

  Randall looked at him blankly.

  "Stop thinking in terms of what you want that you have to get her to agree to. Just once, think about what she might want."

  "What woman doesn't want what I'm giving her?"

  "I can't listen to this."

  Nick rose from the table. He made his way through the cloud of smoke, left the cigar bar, and walked down the hall toward the atrium. On the way, he passed the spa. Through the window, he saw Sarah and her bridesmaids in the waiting area. Sarah had a smile on her face, but it was a phony one, and even at this distance, the atmosphere seemed tense. The other women couldn't possibly be buying her happy act, but that didn't mean they would talk her out of making the biggest mistake of her life.

  Desperate times called for desperate measures. He grabbed his phone and texted Liz.

  Okay, he punched in. It's time for plan B.

  "There's barely a road here," Sarah said, as the shuttle bumped along. She leaned toward the driver. "Are you sure there's a craft marketplace up here?"

  "Oh, yah, milady."

  "It should be just around the bend," Liz said, wincing as the bus hit another pothole. "I hope."

  Sarah felt as if her internal organs had been shuffled like a deck of cards. They approached a river, crossing it on a bridge so rickety she was surprised they didn't crash right through it. "Tell me again why I agreed to this?"

  "Because you needed to get away from that resort. It was making you crazy."

  No. Nick was making her crazy. But she had to admit that Liz's suggestion that they get away after they got their nails done was probably a good one. Kelsey decided to go to the pool, and Sarah and Liz grabbed the resort's shuttle bus and headed for the marketplace. Sarah only hoped her dental work was still intact by the time they got there.