by Cate Beauman
Cade reached for her plate, stacking it on top of his. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No. Thank you. There isn’t room for anything else.” She patted her stomach. “I literally can’t eat another bite.”
He grinned. “Not even lemon cheesecake?”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “Not even lemon cheesecake. Or at least, not yet.”
He stood with their dirty dishes. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded. “Sure.” As he left to go back into the house, she looked toward Carter House’s rambling roofline, imagining that Kaitlyn was asleep by now. It was just after eight—long past her daughter’s bedtime.
“Do you want to call and check on her?”
Gwen jumped, whipping her head around, laughing a little that she’d been caught. “No. Kaitlyn’s fine. Kay’s wonderful with her. She has everything under control. But I know you didn’t invite me here only to feed me.”
He bobbed his head from side to side. “I imagine we should have a chat about the airport eventually.”
“We should.” Seeing that as her cue to move the evening along, she stood, walking inside the guest home she’d been in countless times over the years. Grabbing her laptop and notebook, she brought them over to the spacious island. “Does sitting here work for you?”
“Sure.” He pulled out the stool next to her and sat down.
“Great.” She took her seat, opened her Mac, then immediately connected to the Sandersons’ Wi-Fi.
“It looks like you’re all set.”
She chuckled as he grinned. “I’m as much at home here as I am next door. Nate, Molly, and I grew up running between Carter House and the compound with the Sanderson kids. It was pretty much a free-for-all from after breakfast until dinnertime.” Sweet childhood memories she treasured, and she hoped Kaitlyn would be able to create as well.
His smile returned. “That must have been something. From what I understand, there was a whole brood of you.”
Nodding, she laughed. “It was definitely busy. Thomas and Leah lived with Brad in the main house. Matthew and Mini have the two boys. They lived in the other house on the property.” She gestured toward the smaller, two-story home on the compound. “Evan and Lily lived here with their kids at that point, too—or mostly, Lily and the kids, anyway. This was their house until they moved their family to Boston. Derek, our governor, would come out with his wife and two kids when he could.”
“I imagine things must be quite different now with all that’s gone on.”
She nodded, knowing he spoke of the horrifying scandal that had recently rocked the Sanderson family to their core. Brad and Cade were friendly, but Gwen chose her words wisely, wanting Brad to be the one who decided what was and wasn’t said about his family’s issues. “It’s been tough—quiet here with everyone gone. It’ll be nice having Leah and Mini back on the island early this fall. I imagine Mini’s grandkids will come for a visit once everyone’s home, and Brad and Molly will undoubtedly start their family sooner rather than later.” She smiled. “I’m looking forward to Kaitlyn having friends and her cousins to play with.” Her smile vanished, and she sat up straighter as she caught herself sharing her personal thoughts with a stranger. “But, anyway.”
He winked. “The airport.”
“The airport,” she repeated, wanting to get back on track. “I think it’ll be easiest if you start by telling me about your vision. Earlier, you mentioned tweaks you’d like to make.”
He nodded. “The ultimate goal is expansion—expanding the airport in phases and contracting with a major airline to maximize the island’s summer reach. I’d like to bring in flights from D.C., Atlanta, and Miami.”
Gwen blinked her surprise. “Wow, I didn’t realize that was happening.”
He nodded again. “That’s the long-term plan. Infrastructure needs to catch up before we start bringing more people in for a visit, though. I’d say we’re three years away from the full implementation.”
“I see.” She made notes, not sure how much she liked the idea of Carter Island becoming a massive tourist attraction. They had numerous visitors every summer, but this seemed extreme.
“You don’t have much of a poker face, Gwen.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re frowning.”
“Oh.” She immediately smoothed her features with a polite smile. “I apologize.”
“You’re not much on the idea, then?”
She shrugged. “We’re not looking to turn Carter Island into a summertime circus. It’s unfortunate if Buzz and the council have given you that impression.”
“There’s plenty of room for growth.”
“As a developer, I’m sure that’s your bottom line, but there’s also a need for conservation. I recognize that Thomas was too stuck in his ways when he was mayor. I also understand that Buzz is moving Sanderson in a new direction, but bigger isn’t always better.”
“I agree.”
She nodded decisively. “Good. Because both of the founding families are on board with careful, well-considered growth, but neither the Sandersons nor Carters will tolerate developing to capacity. As a Carter myself, I can assure you that won’t be happening.”
A grin split Cade’s face.
She felt her frown return. “Why are you smiling? What have I said that’s funny?”
“You’ve certainly told me.”
Her temper began heating. “This is my home—my daughter’s home. I have a duty to speak up and protect my birthright.” Never again would she be complacent when something didn’t sit right.
“It’s been quite some time since anyone’s put me in my place. Most people wouldn’t dare.”
She jerked her shoulders. “You don’t frighten me much.”
He roared out a laugh, his head tipping back with the deep sound. “Duly noted.”
She cleared her throat. “Should we get back to work, or would you prefer I pack up my things?”
His good humor left. “And why would you do that?”
“Perhaps you’re uncomfortable working with someone who has such a difference of opinion.”
“It would concern me to start a massive project with someone who’s only interested in telling me what I want to hear.”
She blinked her long lashes, holding his gaze. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
His smile was back. “Good.”
“Good,” she said, sending him another decisive nod.
He picked up the water glass he’d brought inside with him, taking a drink, swallowing. “And, Gwen, we don’t have all that different of an opinion when it comes to growth here on the island. I want to maximize potential, but that can be done with intelligence and keeping long-term impact in mind.”
She let her lips curve, unbending a little, appreciating that they were on the same page. “All right. Then we should probably talk about rebranding. I imagine that’s part of your plan for Carter Island Air and the airport as a whole?”
He nodded, pulling a paper out of a folder by his side. “My team has been toying with this.”
She leaned closer, breathing in the scent of his cologne as she studied the various concepts, all of them navy blue and white. “I like this one. A lot, actually.” She tapped on the CIA creatively incorporated within a navy-blue ship’s anchor and a larger surrounding circle. “It’s eye-catching and clean. You have a great balance between the feminine and masculine with the font and graphics. And Carter Island Air looks really good spelled out along the side of the plane here. Everything ties together nicely.”
“That’s the one I’ve been drawn to myself. I didn’t realize it was because of the feminine/masculine balance, though.”
She grinned, glancing his way, realizing how closely together they sat. She sat up again, giving herself more space. “I’m going to strongly recommend you choose your logos and are certain of your color palette before we move forward. Both will play an integral part in any further choices y
ou’ll need to make. We want to stay on-brand.”
He nodded. “That makes sense. If we went with this option.” He pointed to the logo they were both drawn to. “What ideas come to mind for the airport?”
“Before I can answer that, I need to know what you’re looking for regarding customer experience.”
He sat back, steaming out a breath as his brow furrowed and he stared across the room. “Comfort is most important. Traveling is exhausting, whether your flight’s an hour or five. I’m thinking higher-end but without going overboard. Carter Island is beautiful, but there’s also a simplicity that we’ll need to keep in mind.”
She nodded, typing up his thoughts, agreeing one hundred percent.
“I’d also like to incorporate some of the local flavor—give tourists a glimpse of what they’re in for once they walk out the airport doors.”
She typed faster as visions started playing through her head. “I have some ideas.”
“All right.”
“Lighter- to a mid-toned wood flooring, maybe large navy-blue area rugs and brown leather chairs that designate seating for each of the gates. Pretty tables every couple of seats with charging stations—there’s nothing more annoying than not being able to charge up before a flight.” She started drawing a rough sketch for him in the notebook she kept handy. “The planes hold nine seats—” She glanced up, noting that he was smiling at her. “What?”
“Nothing. Keep going. I like what you’re doing.”
She swiped at the loose strands of hair falling from her updo, tucking them behind her ear, refusing to feel self-conscious under his scrutiny. “Um, I think unique lighting features above each space could be a fun statement.” Her eyes grew huge as she gasped, pressing her hand to Cade’s powerful forearm. “I just got an amazing idea.”
“All right.”
“What if we commission Callie to create a large pendant light—sort of like what we have going on over at Arts and Eats? It’ll cost a fortune, and I don’t know what kind of timeline we would be looking at. I don’t want Callie overdoing it with her pregnancy. But it could be fantastic.”
“I’ve been into the bakery several times, but not into Arts and Eats.”
“You should check it out.”
He nodded. “I’ll swing by tomorrow and take a look.”
“Perfect. If you like it and Callie’s up for that type of project, we could do complimentary lighting at each of the gates. But Callie’s would be the statement piece.”
“Sounds good, but I’m a little concerned about the flooring. With the amount of traffic we see in a day and our plans for expansion, I think we’ll have wear and tear issues down the road.”
Gwen nodded. “That makes perfect sense.” She turned to her computer, pulling up a website. “What do you think of this?”
He leaned closer, studying the porcelain tile that looked like wood. “Huh.”
“It’s extremely durable, easy to clean, and it looks high-end.”
“I like it, but I want to see samples.”
“Of course. I have a few smaller pieces available at Mini’s little design center, but eventually, I’ll want to head over to the mainland for larger samplings of all of your choices—really give you an opportunity to see what you’re investing in.”
“Sounds good.”
“There’s still a lot to talk about. We’ve got the cafeteria, bathrooms, offices, and kiosk areas. Since I don’t want to overwhelm you, what if we discuss the cafeteria for now and call it a night?
He nodded. “Sure.”
She turned a page in her notebook, ready to bring to life anything that came to mind through their discussion. “So, what are your ideas in regard to the eat-in space?”
“I’d like to redo the whole thing. It feels cheap, as is. The food selections are terrible—mostly junky, vending machine shit.”
Gwen nodded, struggling with a smile, loving the way Cade said “shit” in that accent of his. It was hard to pretend that she didn’t enjoy listening to every word he spoke.
“I’d like to keep things simple with low-maintenance local items: muffins, bagels, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and other breakfast options for our morning passengers. Perhaps we can create a soup station and takeaway sandwiches from Molly’s place. Cookies and brownies, too, for lunches and dinners. I know she uses produce from the farm when it’s available, which bolsters our economy right here. It’s win-win.”
“Yes! Cade, I love this.” Molly would definitely have to hire extra help, but that was the plan anyway. As soon as Brad and Molly’s new home was ready, she would be hiring another chef from the mainland. The opportunity to use her apartment above the bakery would be part of the compensation package.
“Molly and I have talked about it some, but we’ll need to have further discussions.”
“That makes sense. I have a few ideas I’d like to toss around in my head for the eat-in space.” She typed a couple of fledgling thoughts, then closed her notebook. “Let me put together some concept boards. From there, we can look at preliminary fabric samples, and I want to show you some furnishing and lighting options, too. We’ll build everything off of the main passenger space.”
“Sounds good.”
She shut down her Mac and closed the lid, gathering her items. “I should have some boards ready for you within the next forty-eight hours or so—maybe even tomorrow if Kaitlyn is back on track with her schedule.”
“All right.”
“And if you’re planning on checking out the lighting at Arts and Eats, take a peek in the bathrooms, too—see how you feel about the new tiling. We could do something similar, yet keep it unique at the airport.”
“I can do that.” He stood as she did. “Are you staying for cheesecake?”
She glanced at the wall clock in the living room, realizing it was nearly nine thirty. “I wish I could, but Kaitlyn will be ready for a snack soon. I don’t want Kay giving her another bottle.” Because then she would be up pumping instead of sleeping. And she desperately needed sleep—a solid couple of hours, at least.
He nodded. “All right. Hopefully, we can do this again.”
Her gaze locked on his as she settled her laptop bag on her shoulder. “You want to have dinner again?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
“My evenings typically belong to my daughter. It’s important that I keep her in her routine.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, still looking at her. “Your frown is back.”
She immediately smoothed her features, trying to decide how she wanted to navigate these dicey waters. Cade was nice enough, but dinners would not be happening on a regular basis, especially when it was impossible to deny that Molly was right—he was incredibly hot and charming. “This was a dinner meeting.”
“One hundred percent. Let me be clear that I’m not hitting on you, Gwen. We’ll be working together for the foreseeable future, and we’re neighbors here on this tiny island. Plus, I consider your family members new friends, which means there’s a fairly good chance we might become friends, too.”
“Men and women can’t be friends,” she heard herself say, regretting it instantly. Why hadn’t she simply agreed to the idea and been on her way?
He rocked back on his heels, his bold green eyes dancing with amusement. “And why’s that?”
She jerked her shoulders, not exactly sure of the reasoning behind the whole thing, but as she stared at the way the lighting played with the angles of his spectacular face, she knew for a fact that it would be wise to spend as little time with Cade Paxton as possible. “Because it’s just a thing.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard.”
She narrowed her eyes, her embarrassment growing by the second. “I don’t think it is.”
“I imagine men and women can be friends if that’s all either party is looking for. And that’s all I’m looking for, Gwen.”
She hardly knew him, yet she believed him. But still. She raised her
chin. “I’m most comfortable with colleagues for now—keeping things professional. We’ll see about the rest.”
He grinned. “Fair enough.”
She adjusted her laptop case strap, trying not to fiddle. “Thank you again for a delicious meal.”
“You’re welcome.” He moved to open the door for her, stepping out after she did. “Let’s get you back.”
She stopped abruptly. “What are you doing?”
“Walking you home.”
Hadn’t they just discussed keeping things professional? People out on dates did the whole walk-your-partner-home thing. And she and Cade weren’t partners. “I appreciate it, but you don’t have to do that.”
“It’s dark, and there are still people about on the beach. Nate mentioned an assault when I saw him the other day.”
She stood her ground. “That may be, but I can take care of myself. I’ve been walking home from the Sandersons’ without any trouble for most of my life.”
“I’ll walk you home, Gwen.”
“Thank you, but I’m all set. Good night, Cade.” And with that, she walked off, then stopped halfway up the driveway, turning. “I hope you’ll eat the cheesecake.”
“I’m planning on it as soon as I go inside.”
“Good.” She grinned, then turned again, heading home, well aware that he was still watching her in the security lights scattered around the massive property. But as she’d said, she took care of herself.
Chapter 5
Cade walked into Carter Island Deli and Bakery, breathing in the amazing scents of coffee and freshly baked bread. Top 40 music played through high-end speakers while patrons lingered about, taking refuge from the hot summer sun while they ate their late lunches in the cozy seating area. He stood back, catching Molly’s eye as she sent a group of six off to a table with cold drinks and massive chocolate chip cookies.
“I’ll definitely take one of those,” he said, walking up to the counter, smiling at one of his favorite people on the island. Molly was sassy and beautiful—a lot like her older sister.
Molly smiled back, wearing snug jeans and one of her typical Carter Island Deli and Bakery T-shirts. “Sure thing. Do you want an iced tea, too?”