Sold!: A Holiday Romance

by J. L. Campbell

  "You don't know that."

  "Of course not, but I'm going on instinct and it has never let me down before."

  "Are you saying you've never made a bad business deal or decision?"

  "Of course I've made mistakes like everybody else, but where you are concerned I'm pretty sure we'd be good together."

  "I don't know, Carsten. I've been thinking about what you and Dee said and—"

  "What did she say?"

  "What you're saying."

  He nodded as if she'd said something he endorsed. "Your sister seems like a smart woman."

  "Simply because she's saying the same thing as you?"

  He took her hand in his. "Trust me, Feechi, you have nothing to lose if we choose to see where things go between us."

  He leaned closer, probing her eyes with his. Her lids lowered and he moved closer, brushing her lips.

  The kiss was the sweetest he'd ever had, starting with a gentle incursion and building to the point where his tongue swirled around hers until he forgot where they sat.

  The sound of an engine woke Carsten from the vacuum he'd fallen into.

  It also alerted Feechi, who pushed at his chest.

  He pulled back, grinning like an idiot. After pressing another kiss to her lips, he stroked her cheek. "Amazing. Like I knew it would be."

  She rubbed her fingers over his lips to remove her lipstick. "It's a good thing you're going home, otherwise people would be giving you some strange looks."

  He grabbed her fingers and kissed her palm. "You haven't said anything, but I sense something different. Can it be that you're actually going to give us a chance to see if this thing will work?"

  She stared through the windscreen, dragging the handle of her handbag through her fingers. "I've been thinking about it, but … "

  Carsten pressed his thumb to her lips to stop her words. "I'm going to ask you a favor."

  She averted her gaze before asking, "What's that?"

  "Stop thinking for a minute and allow yourself the freedom to just live for a little bit."

  He kissed her again, a chaste brush of the lips. "Please."

  He waited, and when he thought she'd say no, Feechi pulled in a huge breath and nodded. "All right, but the one thing I ask is that we carry on as normal at work. You know how I feel about people talking about us."

  "Fine, but I don't see how you're going to prevent that. While I'm professional on the job, I'm not going to sneak around like a teenager."

  "I understand. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

  He unlocked the doors and got out. "I'll see you inside."

  He hid a satisfied smile, but wasn't going to lie to himself. Having a woman to shower attention on felt good because it had been a while since he'd met anyone as special as the woman beside him. How long it would last, he didn't know but he was going to make the most of this time with Feechi.

  Chapter 16

  Since Tuesday, Feechi had been thinking about her conversation with Carsten and then Dee and had weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

  There was no question that being with Carsten would bring some advantages, not that she was looking for any benefits from him. What bugged her was that she didn't think she fit the mold of the kind of woman a man like him would be in a relationship with. She wasn't bringing him anything he didn't have. She was way below his socio-economic level and barring her connection with Marlon, they never would have met.

  She didn't know why she'd given in to Carsten's request on Thursday evening, except that she was tired of overthinking her situation.

  The children who played close by shrieked again, almost rupturing her eardrums, but she couldn't keep the delight off her face. Jack had now gone on the slide at least half a dozen times and didn't show any signs of getting tired.

  The water feature sat in the middle of a pentagon with pathways leading off each corner. The cement walkways were lined with a variety of red ginger and bird of paradise flowers. A group of birds also shrieked from somewhere nearby.

  Feechi caught Jack's eyes, and he waved madly and then turned away to charge back to the top of the slide.

  "We know who's having a whale of a time," Carsten said.

  He sat next to her, sprawled on one of the padded wooden chairs under a huge umbrella. For a while now, he'd been quiet and she liked that about him. She found him exciting, but his company was also restful depending on his mood.

  Her eyes followed Jack again. "It's his first time. Thanks so much for doing this for us."

  "If you thank me one more time, I'm going to scream."

  She stared at him and only when his eyes twinkled did she realize he was joking. Then she nearly fell over laughing at the picture of him screaming.

  When she stopped giggling, he closed the iPad in his hands and set in on the table. "I should be thanking you. I also needed some down time."

  While watching the slide, she twisted the straw in her glass. "You push yourself hard."

  "And you're telling me this because?"

  "You should listen to yourself. We had to stop in Mandeville this morning to check on that house and while we were on the way here, you were on the phone talking business for half the journey. In case you forgot, today is Saturday."

  "I work all hours when I have a project going on."

  "That house, are you really planning to sell it?"

  He took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers. "Why are you asking?"

  "Just curious, I guess. D'you pay that much attention to every property you renovate for sale?"

  "Yes and no."

  "Now what does that mean?"

  "Yes, if I'm very interested and I'm on a deadline. No, if it's something I think the contractor can handle with ease." He let go of her hand, curiosity in his gaze. "I can tell you've fallen in love with the house."

  "Actually, I was about to say the same about you."

  He went silent and seemed to be absorbed by the kids splashing in the shallow pool. "You look happy there."

  Feechi played with the end of her ponytail to disguise her discomfort. She didn't disagree that something about the house made her feel welcome, as if she belonged there. Maybe it was the open floor plan that made her think of children running through them and the empty rooms that made her daydream about filling them.

  "You haven't answered me, Feechi."

  She let her ponytail slide through her fingers and picked up the glass, sensing that Carsten's gentle prodding hid something deeper.

  She checked that Jack was okay before responding. "It's a nice house, why wouldn't I like it?"

  He let a few seconds pass before speaking. "I like it too. It seems like a good place to settle. Nice house. Clean air. Great surroundings."

  Since she didn't know what to say, she sat still and hoped he'd change the subject. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was hankering for more than he was ready or willing to give.

  He tapped her chin and turned her face so they were eye-to-eye. "You worry too much."

  "Who said I was worried?"

  "You care too much about what people think. I know you're not after what you can get from me, so you don't have to hold back with sharing what you think."

  She let out a soft gasp. How on earth did he know what she was thinking?

  "I'm not a mind reader, but you're easy to read."

  "So I'm an open book, huh?"

  "Not all the time. You do a good job of hiding what you don't want me to see. Like now."

  "Hmm. Give me a sec." She walked to where Jack was splashing with the other children. "It's time to get out and have something to eat, Jack."

  "Do I have to?"

  "Yes, you do."

  When he clambered out, she led him to where she'd been sitting with Carsten.

  "Take off your shirt," she said while opening the small duffel she'd carried.

  "But I want to go back in the water when I'm finished."

  "Okay, but I need you to put on a dry shirt to eat."
>
  While he slipped on a clean tee-shirt, Carsten got the attention of a waiter.

  Feechi gave him the order and sat opposite Carsten with Jack between them.

  In response to Carsten's questioning expression, she said, "He always orders the same thing wherever we go, as long as they have it on the menu."

  Wearing a wide smile, Jack said, "I love chicken and chips."

  The food came within ten minutes and Feechi watched Jack eat, happy he was enjoying the day so far.

  With her eyes still on him, she wondered for a bit where this thing with Carsten was headed. She liked him a lot more than she'd admit. His confidence and persistence put him far above the men who'd been attracted to her in the past.

  He'd called her yesterday and told her where he was taking her today, but hadn’t been obnoxious about it. He'd made it sound like a non-date, especially since he'd included Jack in his plans.

  He'd opened the iPad again and was reading something. That present moment was what it would be like if they were a family and off somewhere for an outing.

  She came awake when Jack reached for the glass of fruit punch. She held on to his wrist. "You know what the deal is with that."

  "But, Mommy—"

  "Finish your food, then you can drink."

  Apart from frowning, Jack didn't argue.

  "You remind me of my mother," Carsten said, looking up from the tablet. "Same rules when I was a boy."

  "And see, you turned out fine."

  His smirk told her he didn't buy that argument, but he said nothing to contradict her words. She liked him even better.

  Jack finished his meal faster than he should have and picked up the plastic container with his drink. When he finished drinking and wriggled his fingers, Feechi knew what that meant.

  They rose from the table at the same time. "We'll be back in a few."

  Carsten raised his head and watched them go, and once more Feechi was grateful for his persistence.

  She sent Jack into the men's room, tapping him on the chin. "Meet me right here when you're finished."

  He nodded and disappeared behind the door. He was at that age when he'd object to being taken into the ladies' room. Moving quickly, Feechi used one of the stalls in the ladies room, washed and dried her hands and headed outside to be in position before Jack came out of the wash room.

  After leaning on the wall for half a minute, Feechi straightened. What was taking Jack so long? With her heart beating a little faster, she went to the door and pushed it open. "Jack?"

  Other than a lone man standing before a urinal, she didn't see anyone.

  "Jack?"

  The man moved to the basin and that's when Feechi entered the sterile-looking tiled area. "Did you see a little boy?"

  The guy shook his head and moved to the exit.

  The thought of Jack leaving with a stranger sent Feechi's blood surging faster through her veins. The next time she called Jack's name, there was an edge of panic in her voice.

  Going down the row of stalls, she slammed each door against the wall behind it. No sign of Jack.

  With tears in her eyes, she rushed out of the men's room. In two minutes she was back at the table where she'd left Carsten. He was still reading from the tablet and had his hand on the handle of his mug of Red Stripe Lite when she stood in front of him.

  One look at her had him on his feet. "Feechi? What's wrong?"

  Her voice shook when she said, "Jack. I can't find him."

  Carsten took her face in both hands, swiping at her tears with his thumbs. "What happened?"

  She told him in a few sentences, and after he asked a couple of questions, his hands rested on her shoulders, their warmth bringing comfort and reassurance.

  Taking her hand in his, he led her to the edge of the verandah, scanning the slide and pool.

  Her gaze darted back and forth for any sign of Jack. A sob bubbled in her throat, and Carsten squeezed her wrist. "We'll find him. Don't worry."

  She wanted to scream at him to stop telling her something he couldn't possibly know. How could he tell her not to worry? She couldn't form the words she needed and sobbed in frustration.

  Carsten slipped a hand around her shoulder and walked her back the way they came when they first entered the water park. Before they got to the entrance, he took her down a side path that led to a rustic, two-story building.

  Her impression of being in a quaint setting ended when Carsten pressed the buzzer to one side of the door and they entered the office. It seemed to be a hub of some kind. The front office was small, housing generic furniture and a couple of visitor's chairs linked by a table with magazines on top. Through the open door, she viewed a bank of electronic equipment that ran along one wall.

  A tall, dark-skinned man wearing casual clothes greeted them, shaking Carsten's hand and then giving them his full attention as he listened to Carsten explaining why they were there.

  He turned intense eyes on her. "Just to confirm what he said, you searched the bathroom and the area where you were sitting and there was no sign of your son?"

  She nodded, but wanted to scream at him for standing there doing nothing while Jack was missing.

  "What was he wearing?"

  She told him and was relieved when he unclipped a radio from his belt and spoke into it. The radio crackled as people Feechi assumed to be security officers responded to his message.

  Sniffing, Feechi wiped her cheek with the heel of her hand. "I want to help look for him."

  Carsten brushed away her tears and spoke gently. "Good idea, but maybe you should stay where we were in case he comes back."

  She didn’t want to agree with him, but his words made sense, so she mumbled yes.

  "Don’t worry," he said, "I'll help them find him."

  When her eyes filled and overflowed with tears, Carsten gripped her shoulders. "Listen to me, Feechi."

  He made her look him in the eyes. "He will be okay. We'll find him. This property is safe and very tight in terms of security."

  She nodded again, feeling like a bobble-headed toy. When they entered the property, the guards had asked them to declare whether they had any contraband or firearm and had done a cursory search. She'd thought it was a bit much, but now she wasn't so sure. If luck was on her side, they'd be as vigilant with people who were leaving the water park.

  She couldn't face the thought of anything happening to Jack and so she forced herself not the think the worst. With her hand in Carsten's, they went back to the verandah. Her duffle was where she had left it and a look inside confirmed that nobody had removed her purse.

  She dropped on the seat, clasping her head between her hands. "I should tell Dee and my mom."

  "Not yet. He's only been missing ten minutes, so don't alarm them unnecessarily." Carsten stooped in front of her and rested one hand on her thigh. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere."

  His tone was stern, but the bottom had fallen out of her world, so Feechi barely acknowledged his words.

  He stood up, stroked her cheek and then walked away, his stride purposeful.

  Feechi got up, sure she'd drive herself nuts if she sat still. She walked from one end of the patio to the other, arms folded over her stomach. How could she have been so careless? What if something terrible happened to him? What if Jack had wandered away with someone who'd do him harm? Her legs went weak and she leaned against the railing, sucking in deep breaths.

  She stumbled to her bag and got out her cell phone. Surely Carsten had to know something by now. Her hands shook, but all she had to do was stab the screen to speed dial his number.

  He answered on the first ring. "Feechi?"

  "Yes, did you find him?"

  The momentary silence left a boulder in her belly.

  "Not yet."

  "Do you know if he's even here?"

  "Yes, he is. Nobody left the property in the last twenty minutes with a child."

  "Thank God, but where could he be?"

  "The securit
y team is working on that."

  She didn't want to be unreasonable, especially since there had to be several hundred kids on the property. When she gulped a lungful of air and steadied her breathing she said, "Find him, Carsten. Please."

  "Don't worry, we will."

  Those four words, spoken in an even tone, inexplicably calmed her. She squared her shoulders and tipped her head up. "If I find him first, I'll call you."

  "Don't leave the patio," he said.

  "I won't. I just meant—"

  "It's okay. I understand. Sit tight, we'll find him."

  With that he was gone, but his support gave her the strength to step into the sunlight and focus her gaze on the slide and the children still letting out shrill screams as they enjoyed themselves, oblivious to the situation unfolding around them. She slid the phone into her pocket, hoping she wouldn't have to make the call she dreaded.

  Despite the tropical breeze and the sunshine, a chill settled in her blood and she ran both hands over her arms. She returned to the table and then walked to the nearest railing. Turning sideways so she could see the children, she leaned on one of the support poles.

  If her mind hadn't been occupied with Carsten, maybe she'd have moved faster and gotten out of the bathroom sooner. Then, maybe she'd have seen who took Jack … no, she wasn't going down that road. Jack knew enough not to go off with a stranger, but who knew if someone persuasive enough wouldn't have convinced him to go against everything she'd told him about interacting with people he didn't know.

  She glanced at her watch. Thirty minutes had passed. Thirty minutes in which her son could be anywhere. She lowered her head, wiping her tears.

  Someone touched her on the shoulder. It was one of the waiters. Concern and sympathy shone from his eyes as if he understood what she was experiencing, but of course, he couldn’t. "Are you okay, Miss?"

  "Yes, I'll be fine," she said, but didn't look directly at him.

  After moving from the rail to the chair and back several times, Feechi eased the phone out of her jeans pocket. It was time to call her mother and then Dee, but first she'd talk to Carsten in case he'd located Jack.

  "Feechi?"

  She put the phone to her ear and then looked at the display, shaking her head. Carsten's voice came from somewhere close by, and for a couple of seconds Feechi thought her mind was fooling her.