Straight on Toward Paradise

by Kristin Wallace

  Not that Emma had noticed when he flirted back. Nope. She had not cared one bit.

  “Uncle Reece!” the girls cried, running to give him a hug.

  “Wow, don’t you two look beautiful,” he said, kissing the top of their heads. He glanced up at Emma. “Miss Bertram.”

  “Who tipped you off to our whereabouts this time?” she asked, wondering which girl had felt the need for reinforcements.

  “I did.” Imogene lifted her chin and looped an arm through his. “He’s going to sit with us, too.”

  Of course he would. Emma was already in danger of lightning striking her down since she’d drifted away from the church for so long. Now, she’d probably be having some very sinful thoughts while she sat in the pew.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Emma said.

  She and Reece ended up sitting with the two girls between them, which would at least protect her sanity. Not to mention some righteous judgment from On High. Her mother sat on Emma’s other side.

  “He certainly is a devoted uncle,” Mary Bertram observed.

  Yeah…devoted and determined to drive her crazy.

  Emma did manage to concentrate on the service. The new minister was inspiring, a gifted preacher and teacher. It helped that he was easy on the eyes, too. After the benediction, they all filed out of the pew and back up the aisle. Reece and the girls went on ahead while Emma and her mother followed.

  “Emma, I see some people I know,” her mother said. “Do you mind hanging around a bit while I go talk to them? I think the girls are enjoying the company as well.”

  Emma glanced around and noticed the same girls from the reception were once more surrounding Paige and Imogene. No doubt Imogene was regaling them with tales of the torture she’d endured at the outlet mall. Still, she was smiling so Emma didn’t have the heart to interrupt.

  “Sure, you go ahead. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  Her mother threaded through the crowd, leaving Emma alone in the busy vestibule. Alone…but not for long…because Reece Casings had spotted her. Emma watched him approach with growing apprehension. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a wild reaction to anyone. Not even the Evil One had affected her this much. So, Emma took the coward’s way out and sprinted in the other direction. Taking a sharp left, she ended up in the hallway leading to the Sunday school rooms.

  As she neared the 5-year-old room at the end of the hall, her footsteps slowed, and she peeked in. Someone had put up paper cutouts of Noah’s Ark on the bulletin board. A long train of animals waited patiently to enter the ark. In the background, roiling storm clouds were beginning to gather.

  Emma smiled as her gaze went unerringly to the corner table. The exact spot where she’d met Layla and Callie so many years ago.

  Emma tried to pay attention as Layla lit three candles and placed them in the middle of a circle she’d drawn on the floor. Only she didn’t get what her friend was doing. Layla liked to make up goofy games and stuff.

  Emma scratched a scab on her knee, even though her mommy said not to. She’d fallen in her new roller skates, and it had hurt! But she’d figure out how to use the stupid things.

  “Pay attention,” Layla said.

  Layla always got mad when people didn’t follow orders. Callie turned away from the window, and Emma lowered her knee.

  “Sorry,” Emma and Callie said together.

  Emma twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “What are the candles for again?”

  Layla shrugged. “They always use them in the movies.”

  So weird, but whatever. It was getting cloudy outside the clubhouse in Layla’s back yard, and it smelled like rain coming. So they needed to finish fast.

  “Okay. We gotta hurry,” Emma said. “My mom said to be home for dinner. It’s pot roast night.” She rubbed her tummy. “Mmm…”

  “Yeah, and I left my mom alone,” Callie said.

  “Is she sad again?” Layla asked softly.

  Callie looked away. “She’s always sad.”

  Emma’s tummy hurt when she thought about Callie’s mother. There was something wrong with her that never went away. It wasn’t like a cold or anything. Mommy said it was bad thoughts, but Emma didn’t know what that meant. Mostly, she hated how scared Callie always looked.

  “We could bake her some cookies,” Emma said, putting an arm around Callie’s shoulders. “That’ll make her feel better.”

  Callie shrugged.

  Emma wasn’t exactly sure cookies would work, but she had to try something to get Callie to smile.

  Layla frowned and then clapped her hands. “Come on.”

  She held out both hands. Emma took one, and Callie grabbed the other. Layla looked down at a book on her lap. It had a lot of cool pictures, like dragons and horses with wings. There were also magic spells. Emma thought those were weird, but Layla wanted to try one that was supposed to bind people together for life.

  Emma thought it would be cool to be bound to her friends so she didn’t mind so much.

  Layla began to read. “I pledge…”

  Emma waited, wondering what she was supposed to do. She’d never done a spell before. What if she did it wrong and they stopped being friends?

  Layla looked up from the book and glared at them. “You’re supposed to repeat after me.”

  “Sorry,” Emma said, for once glad that Layla was so bossy. Emma looked at Callie.

  “We pledge…” they said together.

  Layla went back to her book. “To be faithful to each other…”

  “To be faithful to each other.”

  “And be friends forever and ever,” Layla finished.

  “Forever and ever.”

  Forever hadn’t lasted very long. Callie’s mother had died a few years later. She and her father had moved away within days of the tragedy, and they’d never heard from her again. Then Emma’s parents had divorced, and she’d gone with her mother to Naples. She should have tried harder to stay in touch with Layla, but somehow her best friend had served as a painful reminder of everything Emma had lost.

  Which was a selfish reason to let a friendship flounder.

  “Emma, there you are.”

  Startled, she spun around to see Layla herself in the doorway. Emma wondered if she hadn’t somehow conjured up her friend out of thin air. With a little cry, she threw her arms around Layla’s neck.

  Layla hugged her back. “Hey, is everything all right?” She made an exasperated sound. “Of course you’re not all right. Your dad just died.”

  “No, it’s not my dad right now,” Emma said, pulling back. “I’m so sorry that I’ve been a terrible friend.”

  Startled laughter erupted from Layla’s throat.

  “What?” Emma asked, confused by the odd reaction.

  “I was going to say the same thing.” Layla’s expression grew more serious. “I didn’t try very hard to stay in touch once we graduated, either. I was always so busy chasing my dream of business success.”

  “And I was busy trying to forget everything Shellwater Key once represented.”

  Layla shook her head. “I guess we both wanted to shake off the dust of this town.”

  “I’ll say, but it looks like I’ll be living here for the foreseeable future.”

  “I heard you were given custody of your sisters.” Layla put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must be, given what they represent.”

  She stared at the figure of Noah welcoming the animals two-by-two onboard the ark. Emma wondered if he’d felt any regret about getting on a big boat and leaving everything behind, especially knowing it would all be destroyed. She’d set out on her own personal ark and couldn’t be sure her entire family wouldn’t drown.

  “I won’t deny that being around them stirs up a lot of unresolved anger, but mostly I’m scared to death,” Emma confessed.

  “Of what?”

  “Every time I look into my sisters’ eyes, it hits me again that I’m al
l they’ve got,” Emma said, voicing her number one fear. “If I ever happen to forget how ill-equipped I am for the role of caretaker, Reece Casings is there to remind me.”

  “Who is Reece Casings?”

  “My father’s law partner and the girls’ personal watchdog.”

  Emma thought she’d done a good job of keeping her tone even, but Layla must have read something.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Is he making trouble for you? Trying to come between you and the girls?” Layla’s tone suggested she wasn’t above hunting Reece down and giving him a piece of her mind.

  “No, but he’s so superior,” Emma said, thinking of the way he’d looked at her in the vestibule of the church. “He stares at me like I’m the most worthless person he’s ever met, and I’m sure he’s grading everything I do and loving it every time I fail.”

  That is, when he wasn’t setting her entire body ablaze with a single, scorching look. At this point, she didn’t know which frightened her more – dealing with her sisters or the crazy attraction to Reece.

  “Emma, is it possible you’re projecting those feelings onto him because you’re afraid of failing?” Layla asked.

  “I don’t know.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Maybe. Frankly, I’m still surprised my father didn’t make Reece the girls’ guardian. I know they’d probably prefer him.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “You haven’t seen them when he comes around. It’s like he’s the second coming. They even call him Uncle Reece, although I still can’t figure out why a young, good-looking man like him would become involved with someone else’s family.”

  Layla’s brow arched, and she tipped her head to the side. “Young and good looking?”

  Emma realized her slip immediately. “It’s not like that.”

  The other brow arched up to join the other. “So, you think he’s extremely good looking?”

  “Stop.” Emma shook a finger in her friend’s face. “Now you’re projecting.”

  “Somehow I doubt that,” Layla drawled. “This guy has you rattled.”

  How could she and her friend be separated for years, and yet it only took a few minutes for Layla to read her? “Only because he’s an annoying reminder of everything I stand to screw up,” Emma said.

  Layla’s expression went from speculative to determined. “Don’t think like that. You’re not going to screw up. You’re so much stronger than you realize.”

  “How would you know that?” Emma countered. “We haven’t seen each other in ten years.”

  “I’ve followed your career so I’m aware of what you’ve accomplished.”

  “You kept track of me?” Emma asked. “How?”

  “Your dad filled me in when I came home for a visit, and I’ve found articles online. The Shellwater Key Gazette always put in a notice whenever you were hired somewhere too,” Layla said. “You’ve worked in some of the best restaurants in the country. I can’t imagine that being a female chef in a very male-dominated profession was a piece of cake.”

  “No, of course it wasn’t.”

  How much had her dad said anyway? Emma had never spent much time talking to him about her career. Their conversations had been too stilted for small talk, and why had the local paper bothered to track her career? She’d never been head chef anywhere, outside of Isabella’s yacht. Those doors had remained stubbornly closed to her so far. Perhaps anyone who left town and had marginal success in any career became a local celebrity, though.

  “So, apply that same tenacity to your sisters,” Layla said. “You’ll find your way eventually.”

  “Are you my own personal cheerleader now?”

  Layla chuckled. “If you want me to be. It’s all part of the new and improved Layla McCarthy.”

  “What have you had to improve?” Emma glowered at her friend. “Just look at you. You’re still disgustingly gorgeous, and I’m willing to bet you achieved huge business success.”

  “Then you’d lose that bet.” Layla’s expression darkened. “My life hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would. It’s ironic that we both shook off the dust of this town, only to end up right back where we started. I once swore I’d never endure the pointed stares and judgment of everyone here.”

  The statement brought Emma up short. “Wait, you live in Shellwater Key now? You moved back…of your own free will?”

  The sadness retreated as Layla grinned. “No, more like I was dragged back kicking and screaming.”

  No doubt. Layla had spent her entire childhood trying to live down the scandalous reputation of the mother who had abandoned her as a baby. She’d been raised by her grandmother, and Layla had never gotten over the sting of rejection.

  “When did this happen?” Emma asked in shock.

  “At the beginning of the summer, and now my great-aunt and grandmother have involved me in their wildest scheme ever.”

  “What kind of scheme?”

  Emma couldn’t see Dr. Barbara McCarthy being involved in anything crazy. The woman had become the first female surgeon in the state of Florida, and she hadn’t done it by launching “schemes”. Layla’s great aunt was another story. Grace-Anne Carter had always been a little flighty.

  Layla’s expression became a little more furtive. “That’s kind of why I stalked you today,” she said. “I have a job opportunity for you. It’s a bit out of the ordinary, and probably not what you’re used to, but I think you could be very happy.”

  “Are you in the restaurant business now?” Emma asked. “Is that the wild scheme you were talking about?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “How not exactly? Does the job include working in a kitchen or not?”

  “Honestly, I think the only way to explain is for you to see the place for yourself,” Layla said. “Let The Paradise cast her spell.”

  “What the heck is The Paradise?” Emma asked in confusion. “Have you become a madam or something? Am I going to be cooking for ladies of the night?”

  Layla threw her head back and laughed. “Nothing like that, I promise. Listen, why don’t you come with me now, and I’ll show you my latest venture?”

  Emma still wasn’t sure if she could completely trust in Layla’s scheme, but she needed a job. “Okay, I’m with my mom and sisters, but Reece Casings can take them home.”

  Layla and Emma returned to the vestibule. Her mother and the girls were waiting, with Reece glowering just behind them.

  “Emma, we thought you’d disappeared,” he said.

  What? Did he think she’d skipped town in the last few minutes?

  Emma bit back a sarcastic retort and instead indicated Layla. “I went exploring and ran in to an old friend.”

  Mary Bertram smiled when she saw Emma wasn’t alone. “Layla, it’s so good to see you again. I didn’t know you were still in town.”

  “Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” Layla said. “I’m a permanent resident now.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Well, I had no idea. What made you move back?”

  “That is a pretty long story, but I can show you part of the reason,” Layla winked at Emma. “I have an offer for Emma, and I’m hoping she can’t refuse.”

  “She’s being very cagey, but I think it has something to do with paradise,” Emma said.

  Reece’s head rotated toward Layla, and he gave her a long look. Emma realized once more how completely mesmerizing her friend was, and wondered if introducing Layla had been such a good idea. How could Reece help but notice her golden-blonde hair, emerald-green eyes, and figure that made most men forget their own names? Emma looked like a prepubescent child by comparison.

  Reece’s gaze didn’t linger for long, however. He looked back at Emma, one brow arched. “What kind of friends are you keeping, Miss Bertram?”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “None of your business. Listen, I’m going with Layla to check out this offer. Could you take my mom and sisters home?”

  He aimed another suspicious look at Layla, which somehow lighten
ed Emma’s heart. Reece didn’t seem affected by her friend at all.

  Not that she cared. Reece could go out with anyone he wanted. He could even have a girlfriend, though she hadn’t seen evidence of one so far.

  “Sure, I can get everyone home,” Reece said.

  As they exited the church, Emma let out a sigh of relief, glad to be on her own for a little while. The past few days had been like living in a pressure cooker. Stepping into the role of instant parent. Trying not to let her father down. Beating down guilt over the way she’d allowed their relationship to crumble. Even her unwanted attraction to Reece had put her on edge.

  She followed behind Layla’s car, frowning when she drove toward the highway. Why were they heading away from town? Shouldn’t a restaurant be located where people actually congregated? Of course, Layla had said her offer was unusual. Maybe she had a taco stand on the side of the road?

  Up ahead, Emma spotted The Paradise Dinner Theatre. Her mother had taken her to see a couple of shows there. She hadn’t thought about the old place in years, and as they got closer, she realized no one else had, either. It was falling apart.

  When Layla slowed and turned into the parking lot, Emma’s pulse began to race. This couldn’t be her friend’s wild scheme.

  Except Layla did pull into an empty spot and get out of her car.

  What in the heck is going on? If she wanted to find out, Emma had no choice but to get out as well. She took in her surroundings with rising horror. The parking lot had more weeds than asphalt, while the marquee listed to one side and was missing the two middle sections. The hulking theatre itself wasn’t much better. The paint, which Emma remembered had once been a cheerful shade of yellow, was peeling and faded. The only saving grace was the tall, arched entryway.