Forever and For Always

by Debra Clopton

  A man was half hidden in the trees, watching the back deck. If it hadn’t been for his red shirt, BJ might not have spotted him. What kind of professional snooper wore a red shirt when hiding in bushes? BJ didn’t wait to find out the answer. He took off running across the sand, hoping to make it to the tree line before the man turned and spotted him.

  Obviously he hadn’t heard him drive in with the boat and BJ figured that might have been a little helping hand from the man upstairs.

  When he reached the trees, he moved quietly and slowly as he made his way through the bushes to where he was within only ten or so feet from the jerk.

  “Hands in the air and don’t run or I’ll shoot,” he growled, bluffing as he didn’t have a weapon on him.

  The man froze and dropped his huge camera. “Don’t shoot,” he said. “I’m unarmed.” Lucky for him, his camera was attached to a strap around his neck and had been saved from hitting the ground.

  BJ felt no sympathy either way. He figured the photos on the camera could be used as evidence if they needed it.

  “You’re a trespasser, spying on my friend,” BJ corrected him.

  “No, I’m on the beach. It’s not private property.”

  “From where I’m standing, that’s more grass than sand under your feet.” BJ pulled out his phone. “I’m calling this in. You just stay put.”

  “No need. I’m here.” Levi came from around the corner of the bungalow. He did not look happy. He hadn’t shaven and his eyes were dark slits as he pulled cuffs from his waistband.

  “You are on private property and caught on surveillance cameras from several different angles. You’re about to spend time in my jailhouse. You and your buddies have prevented me from getting my beauty rest and you know what happens when I don’t get my rest? I get grumpy and have no sense of humor or forgiveness. That means everyone goes to jail. No second chances.”

  “Come on, man. I need to get paid too, you know. I’m just doing my job.”

  Levi grabbed him by the arm, spun him around and snapped the cuffs in place. “You should have thought about that before you started snooping. You need a new occupation. Because in my jurisdiction, being a Peeping Tom is against the law.”

  “I’m no Peeping Tom—”

  “Zip it, man. You’re already on my bad side.”

  “You got it from here, I assume?” BJ asked.

  “I’ve got it. That and a headache.” He shot BJ a scowl. “Thanks for looking out for Olivia.”

  “Glad to do it.”

  “We’ll talk about that kiss later,” Levi shot back.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, the tabloids are out and you and my sister are all over it. ‘The Kiss That Wouldn’t Stop’ was one headline.”

  “Oh, that kiss.” BJ smiled.

  “Yeah. Is that what you call looking out for her?”

  “Actually, yes. But, I understand if you’re upset. Believe me, my intentions are honorable.”

  Levi hitched a brow at BJ and then nudged the grumbling cameraman forward. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but my sister is a fully grown, independent woman very capable of figuring her life out all by herself. The only reason I butted in on the paparazzi is because this was about stalking, in my eyes. And not her choice. For what it’s worth, I think the two of you are a good fit. Tell her I said she needs to close her blinds.” And then Levi led the bewildered photographer around the corner of the house and out of sight.

  BJ stared after them for a moment and then headed to the back deck and went to knock on the door. It swung open before he knocked.

  “I just got off the phone with Levi’s dispatcher. Did you get him?”

  “He’s headed to the jailhouse with your brother.”

  “Good. Where did you come from?”

  “The boat dock. I spotted him from there and snuck up on him.”

  “And I missed it. I bet you scared him to death.”

  “Did you ever stop and think he might have been dangerous?” BJ asked, his temper flaring suddenly.

  “He had a big camera with a massive wide angled zoom on it. Did you get a look at that thing?”

  “Okay, so you’re right about that. I thought it was going to knock the breath out of him when he dropped it and it slammed him in the chest.” He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. “Does trouble follow you around like this all the time?”

  “No. I’m usually pretty boring. I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. Really.”

  “I’ll believe that when I see it. So far my experience with you has been a rooftop escapade and days of paparazzi. I’m just having fun waiting for the next exciting installment of the Olivia Sinclair Reality Show.”

  She scowled. “Funny.”

  “Entertaining.”

  She shook her head. “Well, today I won’t be your entertainment. I’m sneaking off for a secret rendezvous with my mother and dad. We gave the media a story and now I’m going off grid for a few days. Hopefully they’ll be gone by the time I show back up in two days.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “My parents are meeting me in Naples for a couple of days. If I’m lucky, by the time we get back, everyone will have gotten bored hanging out and be gone and when Gage and Shar arrive home, all will be back to normal in Windswept Bay.”

  “How are you getting to Naples? Do you need me to take you?”

  “You went above and beyond the call of duty yesterday and I appreciate it very much. But today I’m giving you the day off. Jake is coming by to get me. He’s driving me down to Naples. Besides that, you have to get ready for your big outing tomorrow with the lawyer. Relax. Jake can take care of me too. I see the worry in your eyes.”

  It was true. But he had to agree with that—Jake looked as if he could handle himself very well. From what he had gathered, Jake had been something in the military and now owned a dive shop. BJ knew Olivia was in good hands.

  He just wasn’t ready to let go of her himself.

  “Okay, Jake will take care of you,” he agreed and then kissed her forehead. And he did need to get ready for tomorrow.

  “Are you still worried about what the lawyer has to say?”

  “I’m still conflicted,” he admitted. “But contrary to what you might think, I spent very little time worrying about that last night. I had my mind on something, or someone else.” He fought the urge to kiss her.

  Olivia’s eyes turned misty green. “I think maybe what is going on between us is moving a little fast.”

  She wasn’t denying it, he realized. Just acknowledging it.

  “I can handle slowing down,” he said, without hesitation. “Whatever it takes.”

  “I think we’re in agreement then. I’ll go with my mom and dad, spend a little quality time with them and give you time to sort through what you learn tomorrow.”

  He nodded slowly and then he took her face gently in his hands. His heart faltered, as if stumbling over itself when her gaze held his. “You mesmerize me, Olivia.” And then he captured her lips with his.

  It was a short, but lingering kiss that he ended far sooner than he’d wanted to. “I’m hoping to get more of that next time I see you.”

  “We’re slowing it down.” Her eyes twinkled again.

  “But not regressing.”

  She laughed softly. “We’ll see,” she teased.

  His heart melted.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You were right,” Larry Stewart said proudly the next day as he held up a nice-sized bluefin tuna. “This should have been on my bucket list a long time ago. I’m hooked.” He chuckled at his play on words.

  The lawyer was in his seventies and had a dignified way about him that caused BJ to immediately think the man would find deep sea fishing appalling. He hadn’t; he’d loved it and it had, so far, been a great day to fish.

  “You’re really good at being a captain,” Larry observed as BJ took the tuna and put it in the ice chest with the other fish that Larry had caught so far
. “Your father would have been proud of you.”

  BJ had his back to Larry when he made the statement and the words hit him like a cold blast. Turning around, he met Larry’s thoughtful gaze. “Tell me about Milton Lancaster. I know very little about him. Gage and I have had very little time together to discuss any of this. Like I explained on the phone the other day, I’ve basically learned my life wasn’t exactly what I was led to believe. It’s a jolt to learn I have a father other than the man I called father and loved and respected. To be fair to Milton, I know that he has spent a lot of money over the years looking for me after my mother took me and disappeared. It still makes hearing that he’s my dad and would be proud of me a little disconcerting.”

  Larry sat down in the seat and looked solemn. “I understand. I knew Milton most of his adult life. We met right out of college, so I can assure you he was a good man. He was a man who experienced a lot of early loss when he lost his first wife in childbirth and was left with a baby son and absolutely no idea how to raise the boy. Gage was raised by nannies until the age of ten, when his father then started taking him to work with him. It was what Gage wanted and in his own way, it made Milton happy to have his son beside him. But Milton worked too hard, put too much of himself into his work and building his wealth portfolio than he spent developing a meaningful relationship with his son. But he loved Gage. And Gage never knew exactly what drove his dad to be the man that he was. I advised him many times to tell Gage about you, but I was his legal counsel and by that, my hands were tied. But losing you when you were a baby sent Milton into a tailspin that he never fully recovered from.”

  It was surreal hearing about the man he was supposed to have feelings for. He felt more for Gage and the way he was brought up. True, he’d had everything a kid could want in the way of food, a safe place to live, and the best of care. But unlike the happy, carefree childhood that BJ had experienced, Gage had missed out on a normal way of life. And Larry was telling BJ that it was his fault. “I still don’t get it. This is all very hard to take in.”

  The boat rocked gently on the waves as BJ moved to sit in his seat.

  Larry nodded agreement. “Bear with me. Your father had lost his first wife, whom he adored, and he was grief-stricken. And then, nearly a year later, he was down here looking at a business he was buying when he met a woman on the beach early one morning when he was out jogging. He fell for your mother hard. It surprised him and changed him. And that year he spent much time here in Windswept Bay. Gage was still a small child and he was well taken care of back in New York. When Milton learned your mother was pregnant, he was ecstatic. He called me immediately and told me the news. And altered his will that day to include you. He had plans to marry your mother and unite his family as one.

  “I had never seen him happier. But your mother, whom I will admit I had never met, loved her life in Florida and had a huge aversion to moving to the city. Much like you.” He smiled. “By the time you were a toddler, he wanted to combine his family but they fought bitterly over her not wanting to move. He needed to be, or so he thought, in New York in order to really build the business that he wanted. And as you can gather, it wasn’t long after that that your mother took you and went away. And Milton became emotionally distant after that. It was like a light went off in him. Work became his priority after that. But he never gave up hope of finding you. And your mother. He didn’t talk of it often, but when he did, it was obvious how painful it was for him.”

  “Why did my mother run? The question keeps roaming through my mind.” BJ could feel for Milton, but he still didn’t understand.

  “Milton told me he made the mistake of telling your mother that he would fight for custody. And not long after that, she disappeared.

  “He regretted his words for the rest of his life. For all of you.”

  BJ was silent. There was nothing to say as he let all of it sink in. It was a hard situation. But he still felt nothing for Milton other than a sense of regret for the man. BJ’s mother had done what she must have believed was her only option. She hadn’t wanted to live in the city…and yet she’d obviously fallen for Milton; it was clear in the photos they loved each other. They’d just wanted different things out of life and had different visions for raising their son.

  “For what it’s worth, your father never stopped loving you or believing he would find you. He kept the house here all these years because of your mother. He never stopped loving her either. Are you ready to go over the will? I have a copy of it in my briefcase.”

  BJ stared out over the blue calm water as his insides churned as though a storm had swept into the bay. “No, Larry, I think I want to fish for a while. How about you?”

  Larry grinned. “I’m in agreement. It’s just money and property being discussed in there. I just told you the important information. You and Gage will have to navigate your way from here on out. I’ll advise you all you want but I think the most important thing in Milton’s heart was that the two of his boys would become brothers.”

  “I’ll be glad when Gage arrives home sometime tomorrow. We have a lot to go over together and decisions to be made…and yes, we need to get to know each other. He’s a good guy. I’ve already figured that out and I haven’t even been around him that much.”

  Larry crossed his arms and studied him. “Something tells me, though, that all of this means very little to you.”

  “I just don’t know how to wrap my head around this newfound wealth. Like I told you on the phone, I’m happy with my life. Content. And that’s something a lot of people don’t understand.”

  Larry moved to pick up his fishing rod. “I’m beginning to. I think you’re going to have to put me down as a regular charter from here on out. Believe me, if you can learn to navigate these waters, you’ll learn to navigate the new path of your life. It will only change you if you want it to.”

  BJ chuckled. Larry was alright. “You have a point there, Larry.”

  “Now, are you ever going to mention why I saw photos of you kissing that lovely young woman splashed all across the newsstands in the airport?”

  BJ laughed at the unexpected question. His thoughts went to Olivia. He hoped she was having a good time with her parents. She, too, was learning to navigate uncharted waters.

  “Well, Larry, do you have time for a long story?”

  “I have all day. And something tells me this is going to be a good story.”

  BJ’s heart warmed, thinking of Olivia. “You’re right about that. Absolutely the best story.”

  The moment Olivia and her parents arrived back in town, her sisters met them at Shar’s house to prepare for the coming home party that they were throwing for them that evening. Their plane was due to arrive at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport around four and they wanted to have everything ready.

  To Olivia’s relief, Levi had informed them yesterday that it seemed all of her “admirers” had grown bored and gone back to the land of the stars. He’d also had her take a look at the new tabloid. It seemed that Brad Pearson had gotten himself into a bit of trouble—which came to no surprise to Olivia. Someone had finally figured out that the second photo that everyone had claimed was her and Brad was not Olivia. And they’d caught him with the wife of one of the higher-up executives of the studio he was contracted with.

  And in that one moment, Olivia understood why he’d kissed her. She just happened to resemble in size and coloring the woman he was really seeing. So Olivia had been a decoy.

  “So,” Jillian said as she walked through the door of Shar’s home. “How does it feel to be scandal-free?”

  “For a decoy, I think she held up really well.” Cali gave her a hug.

  Violet, their mother, pushed a thick strand of charcoal grey hair behind her ear and frowned. “The lack of class that man showed is shocking. To use Olivia like that is just appalling. And she lost her job.”

  “Mom, wow,” Olivia said, shocked by her normally calm mother’s outburst. Cali and Jillian looked just a
s startled. “I love you, too. And I’m okay. Really, I am. Despite everything that went on in my life in the last two weeks, back in Hollywood and then followed me here…” She smiled. “I’ve actually had one of the best weeks of my life.”

  All eyes were on her.

  Cali didn’t look surprised at all. “Does that have something to do with your sister’s new brother-in-law?”

  Olivia nodded. Her heart swelled just thinking about BJ. “It does. He’s so kind. And amazing.”

  “And,” Jillian added with a smile, “he’s obviously a great kisser from the now famous tabloid cover.”

  Violet’s expression softened. “You’re in love. I knew you had something on your mind these last two days and with all the humming you were doing, it didn’t seem to be anything horrible.”

  Olivia took a deep breath. Was she in love? “I know I’ve never felt this way before. But BJ has a lot on his plate right now. His entire world has been turned upside down, and so I’m just content to be here for him as he figures things out. We’ve just met but this last week had a lot packed into it and it seems like I’ve known him much longer.”

  “You two were inseparable for about three days there,” Cali pointed out.

  Three wonderful days, Olivia agreed but kept the thought to herself.

  She couldn’t wait to see BJ and find out how his time with the lawyer had gone.

  “Speaking of BJ, I think I better call him and let him in on our impromptu plans for this party and make sure we can come down and hijack the house since he’s been staying there. I’ll just step outside.”

  She left her family as they busied themselves with the food preparations for the party. Olivia walked out onto the deck and pulled out her phone. She glanced down the beach toward the dock and her heart caught in her chest at the sight of BJ working on his boat. He had his shirt off and even from this distance, she could see his tanned muscles gleaming in the sunlight.

  She saw him reach to his left and pick up the phone. He looked toward Shar’s place as he answered.

  “You’re back.” He waved from the boat. “What are you doing up there? Come on over, pretty lady.”