Finally returning and sliding back onto the seat in the booth where his food was waiting, Rand was giving the redhead a side glance again as she returned to the table where her friends were waiting.
When Rand picked up his burger, he caught Jack’s gaze.
Jack had been thinking a lot about Rand and his strange comings and goings this past week, and as crazy as it was, he might have actually figured what Rand was up to. Nick seemed to suspect something too, although Nick was looking at Rand through suspicious eyes, so Jack had been quick to defend Rand from Nick’s disapproval the entire week.
Jack might have figured why Rand was living on Bali, when he didn’t seem particularly satisfied with the life he was living here, but there had to be a reason Rand didn’t want them to know, so Jack had been keeping his mouth shut since he’d arrived.
“Date tonight?” Jack asked Rand dryly.
“Nah,” Rand answered, grinning. “I wouldn’t leave you two on your own since it’s one of your last few nights here and we’ve already made plans.”
“Ah,” Jack muttered. “Tomorrow night, then?”
Rand grinned, rolling his eyes as Nick looked back and forth between them wearing a puzzled frown.
The three of them had gone to grade school together, but Jack hadn’t become a close friend until they were in high school. Since his dad had died when he was thirteen, he’d helped his mom pick up the slack by taking care of his two younger brothers, so he’d never had the opportunity to play sports like Rand and Nick, which was how they’d become friends.
Unlike Jack, who’d always been able to read Rand well, Nick had been way too distracted by events going on in his own life, especially after meeting Marissa, so he’d lost touch with Rand during the last couple years.
They’d all had a pretty good time this week. Rand had given them a tour and they’d visited several places on the island which Rand said he hadn’t visited in a while. After snorkeling and scuba diving, they could surf right outside of Rand’s front door since his home was located beside the beach. Jack and Nick had visited here a few years ago, and feeling more adventurous, they’d gone rafting and tried kitesurfing as well as flyboarding, which Rand was really into. Jack and Nick, not so much, even going as far as to suggest Rand had a death wish.
Jack was thinking about Rand’s behavior again, and he studied him closely. If Rand was here living the playboy lifestyle, there would be signs of dissipation, but Rand was definitely physically fit and kept a daily routine, which included working out.
After the three of them finished eating, Rand set aside his napkin, leaning back in his seat. “Anything special you both want to do this afternoon?”
Nick shrugged. “I thought about just taking a good old-fashioned walk, and maybe picking up a few souvenirs for the family.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jack murmured. “I saw a wallet and purse in one of the shops which I know my mom would love.”
Nick grinned when Rand tried to look enthused.
Jack laughed, muttering, “You don’t need to stick with us, Rand. Hey, we’re going out tonight. You’ve been with us every day. I’m sure you’ve got a few things you need to catch up on?”
Rand’s smile was definitely rueful. “As a matter of fact, there’s some work I need to get done at home online. You sure you don’t mind?”
“Nah,” Jack answered, giving Rand another thoughtful glance.
“I’ll take care of lunch,” Rand muttered.
“Of course, you will,” Nick answered, finally giving Rand a grin. “Thanks for having us. It’s helped, keeping busy this week. We’ve had a great time.”
“Yeah, we have,” Jack murmured. “I almost hate to go home.”
Rand pursed his lips, looking at Nick. “Are you still dissatisfied with your job?”
Nick had an MBA in business administration and was currently working as a stockbroker. But few people knew, after delegating well, he was also overseeing the family business.
“I thought I’d love it, but I just don’t get the satisfaction I should. Plus, the company I work for is so cut-throat.”
“I might know about a job for you.” Rand looked like he’d come to a monumental decision. “How would you feel about moving away from Virginia?”
Nick sat up. “Where?”
Rand answered, “Wisconsin.”
“Wisconsin?” Nick’s look was quizzical. “Now there’s somewhere I’ve never dreamed about wanting to live.”
Jack laughed. “I like Wisconsin. I went to the Dells a few times as a kid with my family.”
Rand stood up from the booth, ready to pay the bill. “Think about it this afternoon, Nick. If you want a fresh start, I have an idea about a change in career.”
“What about me?” Jack asked, frowning as the three of them walked toward the register.
Rand halted, his eyes going wide. “You want to move to Wisconsin?”
Jack shrugged. “Why not? My mom is doing well with her new husband and now that my brothers are both enlisted, I was thinking about starting over anyway. Providing it’s a job that’s better than selling insurance, I’m willing to try something new.”
“Let me think about how this might work,” Rand murmured, as they walked outside.
Jack looked back one final time, and smiled, catching the eyes of the woman with the ash brown hair. She and her friends were definitely watching them depart.
Just for the heck of it, Jack raised his hand, and appearing taken aback, she blinked, raising her hand in return and giving him what was definitely a hesitant smile.
Returning his attention to Nick and Rand, Jack noticed they were watching the ladies themselves.
Rand started to walk away. “We can talk about Wisconsin later this afternoon when you get back to the house.”
“Sounds good,” Nick answered, as he and Jack began strolling in the opposite direction along the street.
Chapter Two
“You’re really going out with him?” Janelle Thoreau punched Ciara Ryan in her ribs with an elbow.
“Ouch,” Ciara muttered, picking up her fork and taking another bite of the tropical chicken salad scooped onto a plate in front of her. “What was that for?”
“I thought you meant it when you turned him down,” Janelle said dryly. “What happened? What made you go after him?”
“I followed him down to the beach, because I thought, for sure, he was meeting someone,” Ciara murmured. “I was hoping to get over this obsession I’ve always had for the guy by facing reality.”
Apparently, Ciara and Rand, the guy who’d made a pass at her earlier, had met when they were kids, although Rand had obviously not recognized Ciara.
Janelle paused, her fork in midair. “Well—did he—meet someone, that is?”
“Yes. But not romantically,” she answered, still looking slightly puzzled.
“It was a guy?”
Ciara heaved a sigh. “No. It was a woman. All she did was hand over some keys to him, I think.”
Janelle snorted. “Well, there you have it. They’re probably meeting up later. Tell her Em, why she shouldn’t trust the guy.”
“Why would I do that?” Emma Caffrey snorted, focusing on her food. “At least one of us deserves the chance to have wild crazy sex while we’re here.”
Ciara blinked.
And the three of them began laughing.
* * *
Ciara, Janelle and Emma spent their first day of vacation shopping in town, and then settled in at their hotel, where they went for a swim and enjoyed some down time by the pool.
And then later in the day, Emma decided that Ciara needed something new to wear for her date with Rand the following evening, so they hit one of the exclusive boutiques located within the confines of the resort.
Shopping for clothes had never been a favorite thing for Ciara, but Emma was a stylist, and she and Ciara had been friends from the moment Emma had moved to Crystal Rock with her family when she was only ten. Now Ciara
was an Air Force officer, along with Janelle. Every year for the past five, the three of them had taken their vacations together. Janelle and Emma had hit it off immediately five years ago when Emma had visited Ciara in Alabama where she was stationed and had introduced them.
“I love it,” Ciara murmured, staring at herself in the mirror.
The sheer tropical print in shades of navy and maroon fit over a clinging halter dress and complemented the color of her skin and hair.
“Wow,” Janelle exclaimed, strolling over from the other side of the boutique and taking a look. “That looks great on you. Isn’t it strange to be out of uniform?”
“You said it,” Ciara murmured, grimacing as she peeked at the price of the dress.
Which Emma noticed. “The items here are a little costly, but this is worth it. Don’t you dare try to walk out of here without buying it. That’s probably the most flattering dress I’ve ever seen you wear.”
Ciara heaved a sigh, obviously admiring her reflection. “Alright. You’ve talked me into it. But now I need shoes.”
“And maybe a new handbag?” Janelle added. “A perfect excuse to return to that cute little shop near the restaurant where we ate lunch today.”
“I know exactly the one you mean. We’ll have to stop there tomorrow,” Emma answered.
Janelle seemed thoughtful, saying suddenly, “You need to get your hair done. You should look your best.”
Ciara gazed at Janelle in the mirror with a puzzled look on her face. “I thought you didn’t think it was a good idea for me to go out with him?”
“I got thinking about what you said,” Janelle answered. “Maybe if you get to know him a little better, you’ll rethink your idea of him as the perfect guy. It’s a good plan.”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t believe how he singled out Ciara as soon as we walked into the bar. It’s actually kind of romantic.” Emma grinned, making up her mind with a sharp nod of her head. “I’d go out with the guy no matter how flawed he is. He’s totally hot.”
Ciara’s eyes met Janelle’s before they both began laughing.
“So, what’s on the schedule for tonight?” Ciara asked Janelle, a few minutes later when they were walking out from the boutique.
Ciara and Janelle followed Emma through the thoroughfare toward the designer shoe store located at the end of the path.
Janelle replied, “We have reservations at one of the best restaurants, and then I thought we’d play it by ear and check out a few places with entertainment afterwards.”
Emma turned and asked, “When’s that island tour—tomorrow?”
“Monday,” Janelle murmured. “I figured we’d take it slow, since we’re here for two weeks.”
“Sounds good,” Ciara answered.
Emma walked into the shoe store and immediately began hunting down Ciara’s shoes.
Five minutes later, Emma grinned. Her search had been successful. “Size seven, right?”
“Right,” Ciara answered.
Emma sent the clerk for the proper size while Ciara and Janelle checked out the shoes near the front of the shop.
When the clerk returned, opening a box and pulling out a fabulous pair of shoes, Ciara handed over the clothing bag containing her gown to Janelle and sat down to try them on.
“They’ve got just the right amount of bling,” Ciara murmured.
“Yes. I knew you’d like them. I know you way too well,” Emma answered, smiling.
“They’re perfect,” Ciara said, standing and walking around the shop. The heels were low enough to walk comfortably, but tall enough to be dressy.
A few minutes later, the three of them were walking out from the shop and heading back to their suite.
“Time to relax and have a few drinks,” Emma said.
“Sounds good,” Janelle murmured. “Let’s get ready for dinner, and maybe hit the beachfront bar beforehand.”
“Our cab will be here in a couple hours,” Ciara said, checking her watch. “I’ve got another lined up for Monday morning so we can pick up our rental before we go on our tour.”
“I’m glad you two international travelers made all the plans. It all sounds fabulous to me,” Emma said, as they walked into the lobby of their hotel and headed toward their suite.
Chapter Three
By the time Jack and Nick returned to the house a few hours later, Rand was apparently working on business when they walked into his office.
“Okay,” Nick said, his eyes searching the room. “What’s this mysterious job opportunity you wanted to discuss?”
Jack walked behind Rand’s desk, peeking over his shoulder and staring at Rand’s computer screen.
“Holy crap,” Jack muttered. “You own your own land development company? How did that happen?”
Rand shrugged. “When my father wouldn’t let me into our family company, even just to work part-time during the summer, I took a job with Jake Loughlin, the owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, when I was in Crystal Rock staying with my grandmother. He could see I was hurting, and he treated me like a son. I learned so much from working with him. By the time I turned seventeen, he claimed I had a knack at forecasting statistics, and he’d never known anyone as skilled as I was at coming up with purposeful uses for some of his less desirable property locations.”
“So how did you end up with your business in Crystal Rock?” Jack asked.
Rand answered, ‘There was a realtor there who got into some big-time trouble with the law. We’re talking corruption, human-trafficking and even murder, so his business was seized by the authorities. Jake gave me a call because he knew about my inheritance. I’d asked him to contact me if any opportunities arose.”
Nick stood up and came around the desk to take a look at the computer screen. “What’s that you’ve got going on?”
“There’s a wounded warrior home in Crystal Rock, and they’ve got me scouting for potential training facility locations. When it comes to retraining wounded warriors for active service, there’s a long list of requirements,” Rand answered.
“Really?” Jack asked, his eyes going wide. “That’s how much I know. I guess I never really thought about the fact that those who were injured might actually want to return to active duty.”
“A lot of these men and women haven’t known anything other than the military. Plus, there are surprisingly few opportunities for disabled veterans available once they opt out,” Rand murmured, scrolling through information on the screen to show Nick.
“Where do we come in?” Nick asked.
“I need someone there on hand to manage the office and negotiations – take clients on tours of the properties, prepare paperwork, be there at the closings, etcetera.”
“That is a long list,” Nick said, suddenly scowling and becoming disapproving. “Why don’t you want to go back to the states and do it yourself? You’re not afraid to compete with your old man. Are you?”
Jack held up a staying hand. “I know why, Nick. Can’t you guess? Rand isn’t who you think he is.”
Nick blinked. “Huh?”
“Just think about it for a minute,” Jack murmured.
Becoming thoughtful, Nick looked around the office first before studying Rand, who deliberately avoided Nick’s gaze.
“My old man doesn’t even know I own the company. That branch of my corporation is called Northwest Property Management.” Rand grimaced. “But as far as why I can’t take care of the company in Crystal Rock – at least right now? All I can say is I’m probably not going to be here in Bali much longer. Alright?”
Nick looked dazed. “But…”
“I need a manager,” Rand continued. “And Jack, if you really want the job? I can use someone who likes to travel, to scout and investigate available properties. The more I think about it, the better I like the idea of you two working together. I just never realized you were unhappy with your career, Jack.”
“Selling insurance is a depressing job,” he murmured. “I feel like I’m ripping peop
le off sometimes, just because I have a monthly quota to meet. I hate sales.”
Rand looked thoughtful. “So far, I’ve been handling commercial property and investing in land for residential subdivisions. I’ve been considering investing in homes and vacation properties for a while now. How would you feel about selling homes, maybe getting your realtor’s license?”
Jack pursed his lips. “I think I might actually enjoy something like that.”
“Me, too,” Nick answered.
“Good.” Rand grinned. “When can you two start?”
“If you’re that sure of us, I’ll give my notice as soon as I’m back in Virginia,” Nick said.
“What about your condo?” Jack smirked, looking curious. “Where’s Marissa going to live?”
“If Marissa isn’t willing to buy it straight out, I’ll sell,” Nick declared grimly, sounding certain. “That’s the one thing I was hesitant about. I guess something about our relationship was bugging me, so I was going to wait until we were married before I added her name to the title. I don’t think she’s aware of it either.”
Jack barked out a laugh. “I want to be there when you tell her.”
Nick grimaced. “I’ll probably need you to be there in case she tries to kill me.”
Rand began laughing along with Jack.
Chapter Four
A few hours later, Emma walked out from the bedroom wearing a sundress and high heels. Her white-blonde hair was piled high, and her violet blue eyes were highlighted with shadow and liner.
“Geez. I wish I could come out of my room looking like you do, Emma,” Janelle murmured.
“I don’t see why you can’t,” Emma growled. “You know I’ve been waiting to get my hands on you since the moment we met.”
Ciara started laughing.
Janelle was finally considering caving in, but she wouldn’t give Emma the satisfaction of knowing it yet.
Ciara said, “Emma’s been doing makeovers for me since I was in high school. She said my hair and the clothes I wore made me look too much like a boy. I was a tomboy, so I always thought that was fine.”
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