Chapter Fourteen
A few days later, Kinsley managed to obtain a giant outdoor movie screen, a bulk bag of popcorn kernels, and several DVD choices for Damon’s movie night idea. Elena had even stopped at a dollar store and picked up popcorn bags for the event as well.
Ultimately, she decided to go with the classic movie night theme tonight, since most of the guests staying this week were either couples or had older kids with them. Plus, she wanted to surprise Damon.
As Kinsley wheeled out the popcorn cart and plugged it in, she noticed a decent-sized crowd had already begun laying out blankets and setting up beach chairs in front of the screen.
“Well, I see you didn’t waste any time putting my idea into action,” Damon said, coming up behind her.
“That’s because my boss put me on a tight schedule.” She measured and poured the popcorn kernels then closed the lid. “And because it happened to be a darn good idea.”
“Why, thank you.” He made a show of patting himself on the back. “I have my moments.”
“I’ll say. Even Alec Dunleavy thought it was a great idea.”
Damon’s expression turned dark. “You told Dunleavy about my idea?”
“Yes, why? Was it supposed to be a secret?”
He hesitated. “Uh, no. No, I guess not.”
“Damon, what’s going on with you? Ever since Alec was here you’ve been in a mood.”
He made a face, throwing his head back. “Oh, geez, you’re already on a first name basis with that guy?”
“See?” she said, folding her arms. “This is what I’m talking about. You’re acting ridiculous. What’s gotten into you?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “You’re right. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I’m sorry.”
She worried her lip. “You don’t have to be sorry,” she said, running a hand down his arm. When he opened his eyes, she gazed into them and couldn’t help feeling he was holding something back from her. But she nipped her doubt in the bud and pasted on a happy expression instead. “Help me pass out the popcorn?” she asked.
His lips curved. “Sure.”
Elena came up to them as they began filling the popcorn bags. “Movie is all set up in the DVR and ready to start at your command. Why don’t you guys sit? I can handle the popcorn from here. Plus, I reserved two beach chairs over on the side there for you so you can enjoy the movie.”
Kinsley filled one more bag then stepped back. “You are the best, and if we had the money, you’d definitely get a raise for sure.”
“Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes. “Having a pretend raise is almost as good as getting an actual one.”
“Really?”
“No. But as you can see, I’m still here.” She winked and handed Kinsley a bag of warm, buttery popcorn. “Go. I’ve got this,” she said, making a shooing motion with her hand.
Kinsley laughed. “Okay, thanks.”
Damon and Kinsley walked over to the beach chairs and made themselves comfortable by kicking off their shoes and allowing the cool sand to sift through their toes. The temperature was mild, and there was just a slight breeze from the ocean as the waves crashed along the shoreline. Stars filled the clear sky. The area of the beach roped off for the movie was now packed with guests. People walking along the boardwalk were stopping to see what was going on. It was creating quite a buzz. She was already thinking of ways to promote the event for next time. Maybe she could make the area larger and even charge a small fee for non-hotel guests.
“Your staff is really loyal to you,” Damon commented with a frown.
“Well, they’re more than just staff to me. They’re like family.” She offered him some popcorn, but he shook his head.
“Do you think that’s wise, letting your coworkers get so close?”
His question gave her pause. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s the way I’ve always been.”
Damon looked off into the ocean, not saying another word. She couldn’t put her finger on it but something definitely felt…off lately. She wondered if there wasn’t more to Alec Dunleavy’s visit than he’d let on.
“You seemed to have gotten the word out pretty well,” he said after a moment. “This is really a great turnout. Good job.”
She glanced around again and nodded. “It helped that the weather cooperated, but the actual movie might have been a draw, too.”
“What is the movie?”
“Casablanca.”
“Oh, really?” His mouth quirked and he took her hand, his thumb stroking over her palm. “Look at you getting all cultured in classic film selection.”
She shrugged playfully. “I had a good teacher. Tossed around a lot of movie quotes when we first met.”
“Well, then…” He tugged lightly on her hand, bringing their mouths only inches apart, and smiled into her eyes. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
“Hey, I actually know that line,” she said, feeling proud of herself.
He glanced around as if to make sure nobody was watching then leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled back, it warmed and relieved her to see him still grinning down at her. “You know, there might be hope for you yet.”
She grinned back. “Thanks. I have my moments, too.”
…
Kinsley watched with polite interest as Chef Rick decorated a sample tray of petit fours he’d made to test out before they decided whether to offer it at the next high tea. Normally, a treat like this would be right up her alley, but her heart wasn’t in it today. Damon had been acting strangely all week. Although they’d still spent a good share of the weeknights together after work, he seemed suddenly preoccupied and quiet. She wondered if the casino buyout had him under a lot more stress than he was letting on.
“Aren’t you going to try one?” Rick asked.
She blinked. “Oh, yes. Of course.” And even though she wasn’t hungry, added, “They look delicious.”
She picked up a small chocolate-covered cake and bit in. It had a nice vanilla flavoring and a thin raspberry center that complemented the chocolate nicely. “This is truly wonderful. I think I’ll put this tray out with tea and coffee by the registration desk. Maybe if guests sampled them, they might be inclined to make a reservation for the tea.”
“Whatever you think, boss.”
She looked up and met his smile, liking the sound of “boss.” It was nice to have such trust from her employees. She’d proven herself to them and to Damon. And to some respect even Alec Dunleavy. When she had given him a tour of the hotel earlier that week, he appeared to be enthusiastic about the progress she’d made and was continuing to make with the hotel. She took it as a good sign. He’d definitely be a board member on their side if push came to shove.
One thing Alec had also mentioned was that once the demolition of the casino in Atlantic City was underway, Damon would be needed back in New York. Maybe even sooner. Funny how Damon hadn’t mentioned it to her yet. She wondered if his detached behavior was in some way getting her ready for his departure. Cooling things down before they got out of hand.
Little did he know things were already out of hand on her side.
Rick laid a hand on her shoulder. “Everything okay, Kinsley? You look a little sick. I hope it’s not from my cake.”
“It’s not the cake,” she assured him. Unfortunately, love had a sneaky way of making a person feel deathly ill, especially when it was one-sided.
“Anything I can do?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. But thanks for offering.”
He nodded then picked up the tray to leave.
“Wait, Rick,” she said, changing her mind. “Can I ask you something?”
He placed the tray down again and regarded her keenly. “Sure, darlin’. Anything.”
“How do you feel about frosting?”
His brows shot up. “Frosting?”
“Yeah.” Nervously, she moistened her dry lips. “Do you like it more than you…you know, like cake?”
“No way.”
His decisive answer made her blink. “Not a frosting person at all?”
“Heck no. At least, just not by itself. Cake is where it’s at. A dense cake with lots of layers and frosting in-between—that is the filet of desserts.”
She leaned slightly into him. “By any chance are you married?”
“Thirty years, why?”
Her heart sank. “No reason,” she said with a forced smile. “I wanted to get another man’s opinion. That’s all.”
Rick gave her a funny look. Luckily, her cell phone saved her from having to explain herself any further, and he took the tray of cakes out to the lobby for her.
“Hey, Arden,” she answered. She stood and began making her way out of the kitchen. Veering left, she decided to take the back way to her office in order to get some privacy. “Are we still on for Chinese takeout tonight?”
“You bet. But that’s not the reason I’m calling. I have good news.”
Kinsley reached her office and flopped down behind her desk. “Good. I love good news.” And I could use some. “Spring it on me.”
“The wedding is on.”
“Whose wedding? I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
Arden laughed. “Not me. Remember the quirky bride I was telling you about who wanted a beach wedding? Well, I pitched the idea of her wedding on the beach and reception at your hotel with all the food Rick talked about, and she absolutely went gaga over it. I was hoping to make an appointment so I could bring her by to take a look at the ballroom tomorrow.”
“Oh my gosh,” Kinsley said breathlessly. “Arden, that’s huge. Wait until Damon hears this.” She quickly logged on to her computer. “I don’t think there’s anything scheduled, but let me double-check.” She scanned the calendar and saw it was all clear. Then she went to her email to make sure Elena hadn’t sent her anything she’d missed. Nothing. She was about to exit out, but the subject of one of the emails caught her attention.
It was from the St. James Corporation. The subject read: Harbor Light Acquisition. She automatically clicked it open. It was a blanket email update informing her of recent changes in ownership that were under agreement as of a few days ago. Everyone in good standing with the hotel would be asked to finish out their duties for the remainder of the month and then be given two months’ salary compensation and benefits. Letters of recommendation would be given upon request.
She stared at the email as numbness overtook her senses. The email had been sent by Alec Dunleavy.
“Hello? Kinsley?” Arden called through the phone. “Are you still there?”
“I…” She swallowed, feeling her throat grow tight. “I have to go.”
“What’s the matter? You sound funny.”
“I have to go,” she repeated. “I’ll call you later.” She clicked her phone off then re-read the email. There had to be some mistake. Everything was happening so fast. When she had given Alec a tour of the hotel, he made no hints that there were any negotiations going on with the hotel property. And Damon had never mentioned it.
Damon. Maybe he didn’t know! Maybe he could fix this before it went further. She hit print. Once she had a copy of the email, she grabbed it and dashed out.
…
Damon slammed his cell phone down on his desk.
Damn Alec Dunleavy. As soon as Damon saw the email about The Harbor Light acquisition, he quickly dialed Alec to find out the real story. Not surprisingly, the asshat was hiding behind his receptionist’s skirt and wouldn’t take his call. That alone told Damon plenty. Alec was behind the sudden push to sell the hotel. The board wasn’t even giving him a chance. He had to talk to Kinsley before she saw the email.
Just then Kinsley charged into Damon’s office, waving a piece of paper in her hand. The despair and hurt written all over her face told him she’d already seen it.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, not knowing what else to say.
She frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t understand.”
“The board was approached by a builder interested in the property for development and they accepted. These things happen all the time, I’m afraid.” He shrugged helplessly.
“Damon, how could this have happened? You said I would have until the end of the summer. I’m not even getting the beginning of the summer.”
He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, hating that he’d let her down. “I know. Again, I’m sorry.”
“So that’s it? All that work I’ve done was all for nothing?”
“I’m afraid so,” he said, his voice low. “After talking to Alec’s secretary and from what I read in the email, everyone here will be compensated fairly.”
She crumpled up the paper in her fist, her eyes flashing. “I don’t care about being compensated. I care about the hotel. The people who work here. I thought you cared, too. I thought we were on the same page. You said you believed in me.”
“I know,” he said, running a hand down his face. “I said a lot of things.” He’d meant every word, too. But he should have known better than to make any promises to her—to anyone. In trying to please both his father and Kinsley, he should have known he would end up disappointing one of them.
“I thought I was starting to mean something to you,” she said, her voice cracking a little.
“You do mean something.” And that’s when he realized he needed to step back. Because he did care for her. But he’d already let her down. If he stayed on longer and became more involved, he’d only make things worse.
“If I mean something to you then how could you sit back and let this happen?”
He stood. “Kinsley, it’s not that simple,” he said, his frustration building. “It’s different. This is business.”
Unfortunately everything was business to him. Never personal. That was the catch to being with him that most women he dated understood. No expectations. No chance he’d hurt them. He’d always held a piece of himself back. But not with Kinsley. And look where that had gotten him.
“What happens now?” she asked. “With us.”
“I head back to New York on Monday.”
Once the words left his lips, Damon was gripped by a familiar feeling, similar to the grief he’d had when his brother had died.
But he still made no promises to call or plans to visit. Better to have a clean break before they became any more involved. Just the way he ended all his relationships.
He numbly came around his desk, feeling a growing need to touch her. “I hope you know how I feel about you. I didn’t want to end things like this. You were never meant to find out this way.”
She went very still for a moment. Then met his gaze, almost daring him to look away. “How long have you known about this?”
“What?”
“How long have you known that the St James Corporation was planning on selling the hotel? Hours? Days? Or did you know from the very beginning?”
He said nothing.
“What was this all for, then?” she said, flinging her hands up. “The budget you gave me, the friendship? Did you think you could use me to somehow get more money when you sold the hotel? Look better to your father and the board?”
“Kinsley, I really did have full confidence in your abilities. I never—”
“I’m not listening to any more of this.” She turned around and headed back out the door, but he followed closely at her heels, needing her to hear him out.
“Kinsley, you have to believe me.” He reached for her, but she shrugged his hand away.
“Why should I believe you? You’ve been lying to me all this time.”
“Please.” He took a steadying breath. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
She gave a choked, bitter laugh. “You know, I actually do believe that. You’re right. You never tried to pretend you were anything other than a shallow businessman.”
Her words cut like broken glass, more so because she spoke the truth. He had been a shallow businessman. Things had always been just business, not personal with him. At least, they were before he came to Cape Harmony. Before he’d met Kinsley.
She stood there, tears glittering in her eyes, and reached for the doorknob. “But I fell in love with you anyway, Damon,” she whispered hoarsely.
He stilled at the words—her words—confused and fumbling for a response of his own.
She shook her head. “I fell in love with you, because I had hoped that you were more than that. Turns out I was wrong.”
…
Kinsley grabbed another tissue and blew. “Please don’t say I told you so,” she said, her voice wobbly.
Arden shook her head as she poured more wine into each of their glasses. “Wasn’t even on the tip of my tongue. But I will say I’m sorry. As much as I pegged Damon to be a commitment-phobe, I never thought he was capable of being this cold.”
“I can’t believe I fell for that. I fell for him.” Told him that I loved him.
“Don’t beat yourself up. He’s just not the kind of man who’s reliable.”
Precious hopped onto the sofa next to her and laid her head in Kinsley’s lap. Wade hadn’t found any room in the shelter to house the dog, so she was still staying with Kinsley. Not that she minded. She and Precious had a nice routine going, snuggling together at night, watching TV whether Damon was with her or not. Kinsley gave the dog a kiss on her head and nuzzled her face in the dog’s neck.
“The thing is, Damon doesn’t even try,” Kinsley murmured into Precious’s fur. “He automatically expects people to think the worst about him and he acts accordingly. I think it all stems from his brother.”
Arden nodded. “Well, when a tragedy happens in a family and it’s not dealt with properly, I imagine it’s kind of hard to rewire your thinking.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Do you really need to ask?”
Kinsley picked up her wine and downed half the glass. “None of this matters anyway. I’m done with men forever.”
Arden chuckled.
“I’m not joking.” She leaned down and sniffled into the dog’s fur again. “My heart was completely ripped out of my chest today. I’m pretty sure it’s on the floor in Damon’s office somewhere, kicked in the corner, rotting away as we speak. That’s if the cat hasn’t found it and eaten it first.”
Arden made a face. “Okay, now you’re just being morbid.”
She knew she was babbling. Part of it was the wine talking, but nothing made sense to her because it just hurt so much. It hurt to lose the hotel but also that Damon hadn’t allowed himself to get close to her, to trust her. She’d told him she loved him and he’d completely brushed it off. The shocked, unhappy look on his face was a vision that would never leave her alone.
Her doorbell rang, and Arden looked at her expectantly.
Kinsley wiped her eyes. “If it’s Damon, tell him to go away. I don’t want to see him.”
“Got it. Tell him to get lost.” Arden got up and answered the door.
“I’m here to pick up Precious,” she heard her brother announce.
No! Kinsley’s arms tightened around Precious. She’d lost the hotel and Damon. She was not going to lose her dog.
“Now’s not a good time, Wade,” Arden said. “You should have called first.”
“I tried.” Wade walked in and gazed down at Kinsley curled up on the couch with the dog. “Don’t you answer your phone anymore?” he said to her in greeting.
“I never checked.” She had turned off her phone several hours ago after many attempts by Damon to contact her. “By the way, you’re not taking the dog. She’s officially mine now.”
“That’s grea—” Wade frowned, taking a closer look at her face. “Hey, have you been crying?”
“No,” she answered. Tears sprang to the surface and began flowing down her cheeks.
“Aw, Kins,” he said softly, coming over to her and sitting beside her. “What did Arden do?”
“Hey!” Arden said. “It wasn’t me. It was your old empty shell of a college buddy who made her cry.”
“Damon hurt you?” Wade jumped to his feet, anger radiating from him in waves. He looked like Bruce Banner right before he turned green and changed into the Incredible Hulk. “Where is he?”
Kinsley half smiled, appreciating how quickly her brother would go to bat for her. “Relax, Wade. We broke up.”
“You were dating?”
“Oh, boy, on that dramatic note…” Arden grabbed her sweater from off the end of the sofa.
Wade turned and frowned at Arden. “You don’t have to go,” he told her.
She smiled. “That’s sweet, but I think this is my cue to leave. Kinsley, call me if you need me,” she said as she ran out the door.
Wade’s gaze remained trained on the door several beats after Arden had left, almost as he was trying to summon her to return. When she didn’t, he let out a heavy sigh and dropped down beside Kinsley again. “I can’t believe you were actually seeing Damon St. James behind my back.”
“It was not behind your back. Your back just hasn’t been around lately, otherwise I would have told you. None of it matters now anyway because I won’t even have a job to speak of for much longer, either. He made sure of that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The St. James Corporation will no longer control The Harbor Light and the new owners want the hotel closed as soon as possible. We’re to finish out our duties this month in order to receive our compensation packages.”
Wade blew out a harsh breath. “Damn. They certainly aren’t wasting time, are they?”
“No.”
“Was Damon behind the sale?”
She tilted her chin up, wiped her eyes. “I don’t know. He told me he wasn’t. He led me to believe there was a chance I could revive it. He gave me hope.”
And not just with the hotel. Damon had given her hope that something special was going on between them personally, too. She had thought there was a chance for a future together.
“I’m sorry, Kins.”
“I tried so hard. Things would have worked out, too. I know it. I was even going to have a wedding on the schedule. The place was starting to thrive again. I was starting to thrive again. Heal. It was like old times. But now…I feel like a failure, as if I let Mom and Dad down.”
“Don’t think like that. You didn’t let anyone down.”
“Of course I did. I should have been paying more attention instead of relying on Damon’s empty promises. I can’t seem to hold on to anything in my life.”
“You wouldn’t have had this problem if I hadn’t had to sell in the first place. But at the time, Dad was just too much for me.”
She frowned. “Wait. I thought it was too much for you with the hotel and your veterinary practice after Dad passed away. Were things bad before that?”
Her brother sat back. A bemused expression crossed Wade’s face as if he was trying to remember what he’d just said.
“Wade, what did you mean by Dad being too much for you? Because Elena told me she didn’t recall Dad being that sick. Please, don’t tell me you’re hiding something from me, too.”
Wade’s shoulders lowered. Then he sighed deeply. “Dad wasn’t physically sick. But he did have a problem. I think the loneliness of Mom not being around combined with running the hotel got to him. He started hitting the casinos every weekend as an outlet. I didn’t think much of it at first. Until it became a gambling problem.”
“What sort of problem?”
“The kind you get when you’re not a very good gambler. Elena didn’t understand why vendors were coming into the hotel angry when she was assured their checks had been mailed out. But what she didn’t know was that there wasn’t enough money in the account to cover the checks and they were bouncing. The manager had known about Dad’s problem but never said a word to me because she was using the situation to her own benefit, since no one was staying on top of the books. We didn’t find out until later that the hotel credit card was being used for more than just hotel purchases.”
“Oh my gosh, Wade. Is that why there was no equity in the hotel when you sold?”
“Yeah,” he said, his tone sounding defeated. “I had to take money out of the mortgage to cover the gambling debts as well as the hotel debts. It was a hot mess. The stress must have caught up with him. Maybe that triggered his heart attack.”
“I had no idea,” she whispered.
“Well, that was the plan. Dad was embarrassed and didn’t want you to know, and I didn’t want you to find out, either.”
“But why? I’m not a child.”
“I know, but I still wanted to protect you from all that ugliness. I wanted you to hold on to the good memories. I thought in a way, by doing that I was giving you a gift. Toward the end, Dad resented the hotel. He wanted Mom back and felt if they hadn’t spent so much time and energy on The Harbor Light, he’d still have her. I know how much you looked up to Dad and loved the hotel.”
“I only loved the hotel because I thought it had brought our family joy. I wanted to keep it running to hold on to that happiness. I was doing it for them.” She sat back as a realization washed over her. “Maybe that’s been my problem in life all along. I should be doing things for me.”
“I know you wanted to keep the hotel for Mom and Dad’s sake, but you have to admit that part of you was also keeping it for yourself, too.”
Memories lingered on the edge of her mind, and she sighed. “Yeah. I was keeping it for myself. We had a lot of good times in that place, didn’t we?”
“The best times,” Wade said, bumping her shoulder with his.
“I’ll be even more depressed if it becomes a liquidation outlet.”
He nodded. “Yeah, or a casket emporium.”
Kinsley chuckled, then leaned over and kissed her brother on the cheek. “I love you. But you’re a dope. No more secrets between us, okay? From now on we’ll tell each other the truth.”
Her brother cracked a small smile. “Deal. But what are you going to do about a job?”
“I don’t know. The funny thing is when Damon gave me all that freedom to do what I wanted with the hotel, I really enjoyed it. So I think whatever I do next, I want to be my own boss. Maybe I could open up a bed-and-breakfast.”
“You’d do really well with that.” With a grin, he lightly punched her in the arm. “I believe in you.”
She smiled. “I believe in me, too.”
He cleared his throat. “And, uh, what are you going to do about Damon?”
“There’s nothing to do. He was just like Paul. Maybe worse. He doesn’t care for me. I don’t think he can fully care about anyone. And he never had any real confidence in me or my work. He didn’t believe in me like you and Arden. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let this happen.”