Chapter Four
Kinsley scrolled through her appointment calendar. She was on a roll. She’d just had a fantastic meeting with the executive director and the marketing director of the Chamber of Commerce. Not only did she reinstate the hotel’s membership but was also assured that they could get help and publicity from the Chamber as well. Kinsley’s mind was already buzzing with new ideas. Which was all great, because keeping her mind on the hotel and work kept her mind off the man threatening to take it all away.
She knew if she had a little more time, she could turn things around. Wade should have said something to her earlier. Looking back on the situation now, she should have come home to help her brother with the finances and property a lot sooner. But she’d been too wrapped up in Paul and what he wanted at work and in their private life. No wonder she became so uninteresting to him. She had been a puppet. Someone associated with Paul, with no real identity of her own. The vanilla ice cream in a Neapolitan container. She needed to find her passion again. Find herself.
After their breakup, that was one of the reasons she decided to move back home. The town of Cape Harmony was safe and grounded, and she knew she could find the pieces of herself that went missing when she’d left and somehow put herself back together. Put her life back together. She knew the hotel would help her do that because, when she was a teenager and her mom passed away, the hotel saved her father. The retail merchant friendships and the visitors who’d come back year after year and had become like a second family gave them a purpose and a passion to move on. It was the glue of happy memories and a bustling time that had saved all of them. It could save her again.
“Knock-knock.”
Kinsley looked up from her desk and flinched at the handsome presence of Damon St. James. Darn it, she could kick herself. Every single time his gaze met hers, her heart turned over in response. Real smooth and professional.
“Mr. St.— I mean, Mr. Da— I mean Damon,” she said, quickly standing. She banged her knee against her desk drawer and stars clouded her vision from the pain. More smoothness on her part.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Just Damon is fine. However, if the moment should strike you, I would also respond to ‘number one boss’ or ‘world’s greatest employer.’”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you here for another reason? Is there a problem?” Besides my knee, besides you destroying my family’s business, besides you being so attractive, besides me waking up in your hotel room…
“Unfortunately yes, there does seem to be a problem.”
“Oh…well, I’m sure whatever it is can be taken care of right away.”
Damon stepped farther into her office and closed the door behind him with a quiet yet menacing click. “No, Kinsley. I’ve combed over the financials. As it stands right now, things aren’t looking good. You’re fooling yourself into thinking this hotel itself is worth more than the property it’s sitting on. I’m sorry.”
Kinsley’s legs felt about to give way. She braced a hand on the chair behind her. “You’re not giving it a chance. I just spoke with the Chamber of Commerce. I plan to speak to my friend Arden. She’s a wedding planner. There’s so much untapped potential.”
“The board is probably not going to want to tie money up in a small seashore hotel that may eventually do okay in a few years, when instead they can knock it down and make serious upfront money on the land, selling it to any variety of beachfront developers.”
“So it’s all about a quick buck for you and your company. Forget what it means to the town, to my family, to the employees?”
Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I know this is hard for you to believe, but I’m not trying to hurt you on purpose. I’m not the bad guy.”
Her chin wobbled. “No, you’re not the bad guy. You’re the worst guy,” she told him, her voice thick with emotion. She had the satisfaction of seeing him blanch at her words.
“I can’t believe I ever thought differently about you,” she said. “When we met at the wedding, you were…you seemed so… I can’t believe I…” She shook her head, afraid she’d burst into tears, and decided to leave before that happened.
One less thing to give to Damon St. James.
He held up a hand as she took a step forward. “Wait. Please. You need to sit down. We still have to talk. About that night. I don’t want it affecting our business relationship going forward.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, Damon. Is it really necessary to bring this up now, of all times?” Did he want to further humiliate her while she was at her lowest? “Are you the type of guy who won’t be satisfied until you draw blood or something? Well, pardon me if I’m one of the few women who does not want to be reminded that she slept with you.”
Anxious to escape, she rushed across the room. But as soon as she placed her hand on the knob, Damon’s palm slammed against the door. Shocked, she could only stare at it.
Several beats went by before he spoke.
“Nothing happened,” he finally said.
Her heart stilled. Huh?
She blinked then turned to look up at him. “What do you mean nothing happened?”
“That night we met.”
Kinsley heard the words, but her mind could only spin them around instead of processing them. She released her grip on the knob, but Damon’s hand remained planted on the door, obviously still not trusting that she wouldn’t run out on him. “You mean we didn’t…?”
He shook his head.
She paused. “Are you sure?”
“Kinsley,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Believe me, I’m absolutely positive. When I said I remembered every minute of that night, I wasn’t lying. After the reception was over, we decided to head to a jazz bar across the street. But you wanted to change out of your bridesmaid’s dress first. You’d brought a change of clothes, so I took you to my hotel room to change. Unfortunately, you didn’t make it past your shoes when you collapsed and passed out on my bed.”
Could that be true? “B-but I saw my pantyhose on your lampshade.”
Damon’s face colored, and he had the decency to look slightly guilty. “Right. There might have been a very short attempt at a strip tease on your part.”
She raised her hands to her face and groaned into them.
“It was kind of cute. Honestly.”
Cute but only kind of. She groaned louder.
“Then you fell back onto the bed and that was it. Well, then you rolled off the bed, so I had to pick you up and place you back on the bed. I think your dress became twisted in the process.”
Dear Heavenly Father. She continued to bury her burning face in her hands. Did he really think any part of the information he’d just told her would make her feel better about that night? Because—spoiler alert—it didn’t. Not by a long shot. In fact, it only reaffirmed every insecurity she’d ever had about herself and why her fiancé broke up with her, thank you very much.
But since he was still her boss, she had to somehow manage to paste together the tattered remains of her dignity and face him. She could do this. She had to remain professional.
She lowered her hands and struggled for calm. “So you didn’t try anything?”
“I’m a lot of things, but a rapist is not one of them. I left you to sleep, then after I checked some emails and got changed myself, I went to sleep. And since it was my bed and my room, that’s exactly where I stayed. A poor decision on my part, considering you had yourself wrapped up like an eggroll in all my blankets.”
Suddenly a lot of what he said came seeping back into her memory, and she frowned. Huh. This certainly put a bit of a different spin on things. No wonder he hadn’t been embarrassed the next day. Why would he be if the night had ended as unremarkably as that? In fact, if she had to analyze it further, he had actually been rather…gentlemanly. Huh again. That wasn’t an adjective she’d have normally assigned to him, and an uneasy feeling overcame her.
“Where is the change of clothes I brought with me?” she asked.
“You ran out the next morning and I didn’t have your number or even your last name, so I just left your bag with the front desk in case you came back.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip. Made perfect sense. Of course it did. Why wouldn’t it? Because only perfectly sensible things ever happened to her.
Damon finally dropped his hand from the door, and his mouth quirked. “You seem disappointed.”
Maybe a little.
“What? No, I’m not disappointed.” She stared up into his handsome face, startled to realize how close he was standing to her and how his blue eyes had the prettiest flecks of gold in them.
She took a step back. “Thank you for telling me. This is good news. In fact, wow, this makes things so much less awkward. Especially with you being my boss and all. My boss for the time being, anyway. Phew, what a relief.” She made a show of wiping the imaginary sweat off her brow.
Yep. A total relief… So why was she so upset? She knew deep down that she didn’t attract rich, handsome playboys. She just happened to embarrass herself in front of them. Repeatedly. But gosh, she couldn’t even seduce a man right! How pathetic. It was a deflating feeling, and little did he know that if she could do it without drawing any attention to herself, she’d curl up in the fetal position with Colette the cat at that very minute.
Damon studied her, his expression turning inscrutable. “Yes. A relief. Because of work and all, right?”
“Right. Getting involved with coworkers is a mistake. It makes things so awkward and weird.” That she knew well, too. Things got extremely hairy at work with Paul after they’d broken up. So awful, she ended up quitting and then moving back home. And, gee, what a great decision that had turned out to be.
“Oh, yes. Wouldn’t want the awkward,” he agreed, his eyes dancing. “Terribly inconvenient working conditions.”
“Exactly. And now there’s no awkward,” she lied. “Whatsoever.” Ugh. Saying it made it sound even more awkward.
“Good.”
“So…why tell me all this now? You could have said something earlier.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, I tried, but you’ve been ducking me all day, and I hardly thought an email was appropriate. Plus, with the bad news about the hotel I had to spring on you just now, I figured I could ease your mind with at least one thing today.”
“Yeah, thanks for that.” She let out a mirthless chuckle.
“You’re welcome. Now things will be a little less weird when I shadow you tomorrow.”
She blinked. “Shadow me? What does that mean exactly?”
“I observe you on your daily operations of the hotel. Like a shadow.”
“You mean like a stalker,” she said, folding her arms. “And what if—with all due respect—I refuse to be shadowed by you?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Then I’ll just have to formulate any decisions about the hotel based on the accounting report I’ve been given.”
“Hey, you can’t do that,” she said with a gasp. “You can’t possibly get a sense of the hotel from a piece of paper. You just…can’t.”
His smile was slow and teasing. “Can’t I?”
“No, absolutely not. You’re going to shadow me tomorrow and that’s that. Then you’ll see firsthand what the hotel has to offer.”
“A fine idea, then,” he said, clasping his hands and rubbing them together. “I accept. I would be happy to shadow you tomorrow. We’ll meet here in your office, say around eight thirty in the morning?”
“Eight o’clock sharp,” she blurted, feeling the need to gain the upper hand she had just lost.
“Perfect. I will still need to look through a few more balance sheets and also talk to payroll, so until any official decision or announcement is made by the board, I’m going to have to ask you to keep what I’ve said about the hotel confidential. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but things could always change.”
She nodded. His words offered some hope, but a ball of nausea grew and began to bounce around like a ping-pong ball in her stomach. “Help yourself to the accounting files over there,” she murmured, pointing to the corner of her office. “If there’s anything else you’re looking for, there are more files in the attic. Elena has the key.”
Damon’s expression stilled and grew even more serious. Without warning, he leaned closer. He looked about to reach out and touch her, but then seemed to think better of it. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
The gentleness in his words almost undid her, but she refused to be fooled by his false concern. She lifted her chin and defiantly met his gaze. “I’ll be fine.”
Just fine. She only wished she believed her own words.
…
Damon stood in the doorway of Kinsley’s office the next morning, ten minutes ahead of the time they’d agreed to start. She hadn’t noticed him standing there yet, and since he was in no real hurry, he simply took a sip of his coffee and studied her.
Kinsley looked like the ultimate professional today. Neutral makeup. Reading glasses perched low on her nose as she typed. Even her dark-brown hair was pulled back in a tidy bun, which he had a sudden and irresistible urge to reach out, unpin, and run his fingers through.
And…on that note, time to get down to business.
He cleared his throat. “Ready and willing to shadow,” he said in way of greeting.
Kinsley glanced up from her computer, her mouth forming a grim line. “So I see,” she muttered.
“Oh, come now, Kinsley.” He walked over to where she was sitting and placed a large to-go cup of coffee on her desk. “I promise it will be painless. I’ll be on my best behavior and only observe in silence. Plus, I come bearing coffee. What bosses do you know who do that?”
Kinsley merely grunted.
Damon raised his own cup to his lips to hide a smile. “So you’re one of those types, huh?”
“What types?” she asked with a scowl, pulling the cup toward her greedily.
“No talkie before coffee.”
“Yeah, something like that.” She raised the cup to her lips and took several sips before closing her eyes and sighing. “It feels like my brain was just high-fived. Thank you.”
He chuckled. “You can thank Elena. She suggested I bring you coffee to get on your good side. She might also have said something about it being for my own protection, too.”
“She knows me well,” Kinsley said with a slight smile.
Damon sat down in a chair facing her desk. “So what’s on the agenda today?”
Kinsley glanced at her computer screen. “Let’s see. Usually I have early morning meetings with the staff, check on the overall cleanliness of the hotel. But Elena is going to run the meeting for me today. I figured it was time for her to take on more responsibility in case I need to be elsewhere.”
“Good thinking. Better to add on responsibility to a few people instead of hiring a whole other position.”
“Right. Not that I’m opposed to hiring if we feel we need it. It’s more of a trial and error kind of thing.”
“So what will we be doing instead?”
“I want to check on the kitchen. But first we’re going to take a walk to the store a few doors down.”
“Why?”
Kinsley rolled her eyes. “Newspaper run. We usually get a daily delivery but one of the guests must have walked off with them, so I need to buy a few more for the seating area. Trivial, but it is part of my job. Most of our guests like to linger in the main seating area with their coffees and read the paper first thing in the morning.”
“A real newspaper?” He shook his head. “That’s not necessary. Most people get their news from their phones or tablets nowadays.”
“Maybe that’s true in the city, but most people who come here on vacation actually want to unplug from all their electronics.”
He stared at her. “Seriously?”
She cocked her head. “Damon, when was the last time you were on a true no-work vacation?”
Vacation? He’d been on several, but he had always brought some form of work with him. He couldn’t fathom the idea of not having access to his computer 24/7. Did people actually enjoy that kind of thing?
Kinsley grinned. “Your silence speaks volumes, boss. You’re just going to have to trust me on this particular issue.”
Damon met her smile, getting to his feet. “Lead the way, then.”
He stood by the door, allowing her to pass first, and caught the light, refreshing smell of her perfume as she went by. His mind went blank for a split second. Not being able to think around this woman when she got close was going to be a major problem. He further realized the error in his judgment in following her around today when his gaze inadvertently dropped to her perfect backside.
“It’s a great view, isn’t it?” she said.
His eyes snapped up. “No, I—” Then he saw she was pointing toward the beach through the main glass doors. “Er, I mean, yes. Great view.”
Get your mind in the game, St. James.
An elderly couple walked into the hotel, holding hands. When they saw Kinsley, they both waved.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Southcott,” Kinsley said with a bright smile. “Did you try that new breakfast place I mentioned?”
“We did, dear,” the old woman said, patting Kinsley’s arm. “It was delicious and so much food for the price.” She elbowed her husband. “Wasn’t it good, Joe?”
Her husband squinted and leaned in. “What?”
“The food,” she said, raising her voice.
“I can’t eat any more food,” he said, raising his voice right back.
Damon quirked an eyebrow at Kinsley, who was trying her best to keep a straight face. “Um, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said smoothly. “Please let me know if you need anything else while you’re staying with us. Oh, and remember, we’re going to have lemonade and cookies in the main seating area at four o’clock today, along with beginner’s mah-jongg lessons. Don’t forget to sign up.”
Mrs. Southcott turned to her husband. “Did you hear that, Joe?”
The old man scowled. “I’m not learning how to sew.”
Evidently Joe did not hear that.
Catching Damon’s smirk, Kinsley jabbed him with her elbow. “We’ll see you later, you two.” Once he and Kinsley were outside, she turned to him with a smile. “They’re celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary. They’re a cute couple, aren’t they?”
“Cute as a baby scorpion.”
She glared at him. “Oh, right. I forgot. You’re not a wedding person.”
“Not particularly.”
“Why? Were you ever engaged?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
“No. Thank God.”
“Oh, come on, weddings aren’t that bad. Your parents obviously had a wedding.”
“Actually, can’t say for sure. I wasn’t invited,” he said with a wink.
She placed her hands on her stomach and gave him a ha-ha look, pretending to double over with laughter.
Yes. His parents had a wedding. But so what? They also had a loveless marriage, in his estimation. Not that his father had opened up and discussed that fact with him after his parents had divorced. But such was the way in the St. James family. No bearing of one’s soul in public, or in private. At least not anymore. And Kinsley didn’t seem to be getting that memo despite his clipped answers to her questions.
She tapped her chin with her index finger. “Hmm… Sounds to me like you were jilted in love.”
“Sounds to me like you’re grasping at straws. And how are you paying someone to teach mah-jongg today at the hotel, anyway? I don’t recall that particular line item in the budget.”
“It’s there. Under special activities. Nice diversion, by the way,” she said, giving him a knowing glance. “And actually, what I would like to do is bring in some more locals to showcase their businesses during the four o’clock social time. There is a cute little ceramic craft store downtown. Offering guests to sign up for an art class would be a fun thing to try. Some places I’m sure will do it for free—at least initially—but some I’ll need to pay. I really think that if I want this hotel to succeed I’ll need to have the help of the community behind me. Once you have respect from the other merchants, you’re in.”
Something about gaining respect piqued Damon’s interest. Her idea had a lot of merit. That and seeing her handle the guests and hotel sparked a sudden idea of his own that could benefit both of them if she was really passionate about holding on to the hotel. If it really did start to become a staple in the community, there was a chance it could have some value. Enough to please even his father and convince him to keep the property as an investment.
He stopped walking and gave her a direct look. “I like what I’m hearing. So much so that I’d like to offer you the time to put your plans in action.”
She blinked. “How much time?”
“Until the end of summer. I can hold off the board to wait on any decision until then.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened. “Really? Three months isn’t a lot of time, but I think with some of the new ideas I’ve been tinkering with and an increased budget, I—”
“I didn’t say anything about increasing your budget.”
Her mouth opened then closed again. “But…how can I do anything constructive without more money?”
He grinned. “That’s what I’m paying you to figure out.”
“But that’s impossible. I’ll never do it.”
“Well, no, not with that attitude.”
She jammed a hand on her hip. “Damon, I’m serious.”
“So am I. Look, I’ll help you any way I can. But without real proof of financial stability, the board won’t give you one extra dime. We can talk about the future of the hotel in three months. Take it or leave it.”
The ultimatum hung in the air like week-old seafood. They stared each other down for almost a full minute before Kinsey finally opened her mouth.
“Of course I’ll take it,” she grumbled.
He smiled, slowly letting out the breath he’d been holding. If Kinsley was all in to making a real change, he’d be in it, too. Especially if there was a chance the board could look at the property—and him—in a new light.
Kinsley huffed and looked away, frustration oozing out of every pore. She marched along the boardwalk next to him, not bothering to engage in any more conversation. Her peach-colored lips pursed together in an adorable pout as the ocean breeze teased a few hairs out of her pulled-back hairdo. He had to admit it: Kinsley Roberts was a beautiful woman normally, but pissed off, she was spectacular.
Despite her beauty and the hinting to her needing more money, he wasn’t about to bite. He couldn’t. After all, business was business. He was already on thin ice with his father for buying this property in the first place. But when Wade had approached him for help, Damon couldn’t say no.
“Here we are,” she muttered, walking toward a building that looked more like a beach hut than a convenience store. She wandered in toward the back and picked up three different newspapers. When she approached the cashier, a tall, well-built man wearing a Cape Harmony baseball cap appeared next to her.
“Your money’s no good here, hot stuff,” the man said, whipping out his wallet.
She looked up and her face brightened. “Oh, you’re so sweet, but you don’t have to do that, Mike.”
Hot stuff? Kinsley shot the man such a brilliant smile, Damon’s sudden good mood automatically soured. Who is this guy, and why does she look so damn pleased to see him?
Damon’s expression must have mirrored his thoughts, since Kinsley chose at that time to acknowledge his presence again.
“Uh, Mike, this is the new owner of The Harbor Light and my boss, Damon St. James. Damon, this is Mike Irving. He owns Daphne’s Taffy here on the boardwalk.”
Mike puffed out his chest and immediately stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet ya, Damon. I bet you’re super impressed with our girl here.”
Damon shook the man’s hand, narrowing his eyes. “Oh yes. Our girl here is impressive for sure.”
“Smart as a whip, this one. Everyone on the boardwalk is happy she’s back in town and taking over The Harbor Light. Plus, we just loved her idea of partnering up with the hotel.”
“Partnering up?” Damon’s gaze slowly shifted to Kinsley, whose face turned three shades of pink.
Mike bobbed his head. “Yeah, didn’t she mention it to you? Kinsley worked out a deal to buy our saltwater taffy at a bulk discount. She’s having the maid service leave them on the pillows instead of chocolate. She’s clever and pretty,” he said, swinging an arm around Kinsley’s shoulders.
“Very,” Damon commented, keeping his gaze trained on her. Damon wasn’t lying on either count. Kinsley was playing up the South Jersey beach atmosphere for her guests in the hopes of making their stay a unique experience. He had a feeling he was right about underestimating her ability as a general manager. But only time would tell.
“You married?” Mike asked, sizing him up.
Damon lifted his brows. “No, I’m not.”
Mike tilted his head and squinted. “Girlfriend back home?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Is that so?” Mike said with a hard frown. “Kinsley used to wear my class ring in high school, you know.”
Kinsley let out a choked laugh. “One time, and only because you asked me to try it on. Thanks for the papers, Mike,” she said, ducking out of Mike’s embrace and scooping them up off the counter. “But we have to go. Duty calls.”
“Yeah, see ya later, Kin. Tell Wade I said hey.” He dipped his chin at Damon. “Nice meeting you, man. Take care of my Kinsley. She’s a keeper.”
Now it’s my Kinsley? “Oh, I’ll be sure to take care of her,” Damon said, placing a protective hand on her back. He knew touching her like that was inappropriate—maybe even a bit childish—but the perverse pleasure of seeing the expression on Taffy Guy’s face made any admonishment from Kinsley totally worth it.
Kinsley tugged Damon out of the store behind her. “Sorry about that,” she said once they were heading back toward the hotel. “Small-town stuff. Mike and I go way back.”
He was tempted to ask how far back and in what circumstance, but he kept those questions carefully perched on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he asked, “Is the saltwater taffy in the budget as well?”
“It will be. I just need to finagle a few things,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “I’m sure you New York corporate bigwig types do that kind of stuff all the time.”
“Why, yes. In fact, we bigwigs love to hear the word ‘finagle’ with regards to fiscal budgets,” he said drily.
“Well, I wouldn’t have to finagle anything if you just went ahead and increased my budget.”
He stuck his fingers in his ears. “Not hearing you.”
She laughed. “Oh dear. I can see this town is having an effect on you already.”
Damon’s smile withered. He doubted his joking mood had anything to do with the town and was more to do with Kinsley herself. Which was troubling. He normally had more self-control. But every time he was around her, she had a way of making him feel relaxed and unguarded. Even his fingers itched to touch her again. He easily forgot himself and what he came here to do, which was ultimately to turn a profit for the company.
“Um, yeah. All the same, I’d like to get a monthly cost estimate of that candy,” he told her, feeling a desperate need to bring things back to a businesslike state.
She shrugged. “You’re the boss.”
Yes. He was. And he needed to remember that.
…
Kinsley had only been working with Damon for three days and already she needed a drink. Too bad she wouldn’t be able to get one at Frank & Kathy’s Bistro—or anywhere else in town for that matter, considering no alcohol was permitted to be sold anywhere on the island. Cape Harmony was founded by four Baptist ministers who had originally made it a Christian retreat, then out of respect of the four’s wishes, town officials had kept it a dry town ever since.
It was one of the things locals and vacationers liked best, since it kept Cape Harmony such a family resort. But after the day she’d had, Kinsley walked into the bistro with a prickle of disappointment, knowing that a large glass of club soda with lemon was no substitute for the glass of Chardonnay she really longed for.
Kathy O’Neil, the owner, came up to her and gave her a hug. “Girl, you look like you could use a drink.”
Kinsley chuckled. “I could. But I’m settling for one of Frank’s eight-ounce hamburgers instead. Extra fries.”
“Wow. Must have been one heck of a day at The Harbor Light. Don’t tell me a pipe burst.”
“Nothing that dramatic. Just normal hotel business stuff.” If leveling my family’s hotel could be considered normal.
“Well, it’s good to see you around town again. And if you ever need anything, you let me know. Your mom was an angel and always supported us when we first opened. We’ll support you, too.”
Kinsley smiled, her heart squeezing in gratitude. “Thanks, Kathy. I really appreciate it.” She turned and looked around the restaurant. “Is Arden here yet? I’m supposed to meet her.”
Kathy shook her head, sending her spiky blond bangs flapping. “She’s not. But your brother is.”
“He is?”
“Yep. Comes here at least three times a week by himself. Same exact days. Sits in the same corner table every time. If you don’t mind my saying so, that boy needs a woman.”
Kinsley frowned. Maybe Wade did need a woman. Since she’d moved back to town only a few months ago, she’d never considered her brother’s private life before now. Maybe she’d been a bit selfish. Wade had been dealt a bad hand, with his wife passing away only a few years into their marriage. But it had been so long ago, and she figured he had Dad for company and support. But then, with their dad’s passing and then trouble balancing his veterinary work with running the hotel, it was no wonder he hadn’t had time to date.
“Where is he?” she asked Kathy. “I’ll go sit with him while I wait for Arden.”
Kathy gestured to the back of the bistro by the kitchen doors. Wade had a sandwich and newspaper in front of him. Based on the brooding level of his demeanor and how low his baseball cap was tilted over his face, Wade definitely looked like a man who wanted no part of small-talk, a girlfriend, or of society in general tonight.
Kinsley smiled. Too bad, big brother. “Thanks, Kathy. I see him.”
She wandered over to him, briefly stopping once to say hello to a couple she knew were staying at The Harbor Light this week. Once she reached her brother’s table, she pulled out a chair and plopped down.
“I’m not in the mood,” he said, not bothering to look up from his paper.
“Not in the mood for what? Your only sister? Talking? I just wanted to see how my big brother was doing.”
Wade folded the paper and finally looked up. “Talking is fine. But if I have to hear another lecture from you about selling the hotel, then I’m leaving.”
Despite the bad-boy attitude Wade was tossing around like confetti, Kinsley couldn’t help but notice how tired his eyes were. Wade was a handsome man, but he looked…beaten down. He’d obviously been under a lot of stress, no thanks to her.
“No lecture tonight,” she told him. She sent him a wry smile. “I’ll save those for Damon St. James.”
Wade’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”
“I do want to talk to you, but first, I want to tell you that I’m sorry.”
“What?” Her brother squinted at her. “You’re sorry? Sorry for what?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She shrugged, suddenly feeling guilty, depressed, and just a little bit helpless. “Everything. Maybe you were right to sell.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
Tears unexpectedly sprang to her eyes. “It doesn’t look good, Wade. I’ve been trying. I really have. But barring some supernatural phenomenon, I just don’t see me convincing Damon to invest money into the hotel.”
Wade reached out and placed a hand on top of hers. “Hey, don’t give up. If anyone can work a miracle, it’s you. Remember when they were going to close the animal rescue clinic in town, and you and Miranda went door to door to get donations and people to sign the petition?”
His memory of her and his wife coaxed a smile from her lips. Miranda had been a good friend. Had been a good wife to Wade. “Yeah. I remember that, too. I had a lot more energy in high school. Plus, it looked great on my college resume.”
He chuckled. “Bull. You got it done because you wanted to help me and because you believed in what you were doing. As much as I hate to admit it, you can be very resourceful when you want to be, and quite stubborn. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that you’re a brainiac.”
“You make me sound as exciting as a potato.”
Wade picked up one of his French fries and dangled it in front of her. “Everybody loves potatoes in one form or another.”
She snatched the fry from his fingers then tossed it in her mouth. Then grabbed another off his plate. “You know, even if I may be jobless soon, I’m still glad I moved back.”
“Why, because now you can mooch my fries anytime you want?”
“Well there’s that,” she said, stopping mid-chew to grin at him, “and it’s nice being closer to you. I wish I had come back sooner to help you with Dad, though. I want you to know that I had no idea he’d been sick and needed money for his medical expenses. Whenever I spoke with him, he seemed fine.”
Wade sat back, the smile from his lips gone. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here now, and I’m glad.”
“I’m glad, too. And you know what? I’m going to listen to you for once. I do believe in what I’m doing. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m not going to give up on The Harbor Light. I’m going to fight for it. For us. For Dad.”
“You can do it, sis.”
“Ha! I wish Damon St. James was as easy to convince as you are.”
“Oh, Damon’s all right,” he said with a shrug. “He may seem tough, but he’s had some family issues to go through, too. Like we’ve all had. I’m sure if you sit down and explain your plan, he’ll listen.”
She snorted. “Easier said than done.”
“Well, just don’t underestimate yourself as far as he’s concerned. You have a good head for business on your shoulders. I should have asked your advice sooner.”
Wade’s expression turned melancholy, even though his words were encouraging. Clearly, he felt bad leaving her to fight the fight on her own. But that was the last thing she wanted him to worry about. He looked as if he still shouldered a ton of responsibility already—and he’d been doing it alone for all this time.
She glanced down at his half-eaten steak sandwich then up into his handsome face. A face with sad brown eyes that partly resembled her own. “Are you seeing anyone, Wade?”
He choked on a fry. “Oh, man. Who wants to know?” he asked in a hushed tone.
“I do, dumb-dumb.”
“In that case, no. But if anyone else should ask, then yes.”
“Why yes?”
“Because of Judy Tavish.”
Kinsley scrunched up her nose. “Judy who?”
“Tavish. You know. She owns that coffee shop down the street, Drip N Sip. She apparently thinks she’s a matchmaker in her spare time.”
“Oh, her?” Kinsley smiled, recalling the nice gray-haired woman who made a mean mocha cappuccino. “But she’s so sweet and chatty. I get my coffee and muffins there in the morning sometimes.”
“Don’t let the charming Mrs. Claus act fool you. She’s out for blood, and I happen to be her latest prey.”
Kinsley bit down on a laugh. “Might I remind you that you are sort of the perfect candidate for a fix-up, being the stereotypical young, handsome, widowed bachelor in town.”
“Yeah, but I’d like to keep it that way,” he said gruffly.
“Hey, there you are,” Arden said, coming up to their table. “Kathy saved us a spot by the window.” She looked down her nose at Wade and added, “You know, a table where people who like to be social sit.”
“Hello, Arden,” he said, not bothering to spare her a second glance.
“Hello, Unabomber.”
That comment got him to look up. “Why am I the Unabomber?” he demanded.
Arden’s pretty red lips stretched into a wide smile. “Because you’re a recluse and you save all polite conversation for your animal clients. And don’t bother denying it, because that’s what your receptionist confided to me when she showed up at her wedding consultation.”
“I should fire her,” he muttered.
“You wouldn’t dare. Not when she’s going to be married soon. And what happened here?” she said, waving a finger at Wade’s cheek and jaw, “your razor break or something? All you need is a hoodie, dark sunglasses, and a cabin up in Montana, and we’d have one perfect Unabomber match.”
Wade tossed a few tens onto the table and stood. “I hope you’re finished with the insults, because the more you talk, the more I’m beginning to understand serial killers.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that.”
Wade cracked a grin. “Why am I not surprised?”
Kinsley grabbed her friend’s arm. “Okay, you two. Enough. Honestly, I don’t know how you managed to survive in the same town without me being here to referee. Arden, let’s go to our table, and Wade, I love you, but I’m sorry she does have a point about the razor. Find one. Use it.”
Wade frowned, stroking the uneven hairs on his chin. “Not you, too, Brutus?”
Smiling, Kinsley kissed him on the cheek. Then with a little wave, she led Arden to their table.
Once they sat down, Kathy came over and handed them their menus. “Thanks for coming in tonight, ladies. It’s nice to see the locals’ support. Can I get you something to drink?”
“An iced tea for me,” Kinsley answered.
“Make it two,” said Arden.
Kathy gave them both a thumbs-up then went to tend to another table. Kinsley closed the menu and folded her hands. “Order anything you want,” she told Arden. “It’s on me. This is a business dinner.”
“Really?” Arden raised an eyebrow at her then continued to study the menu another minute. “So what’s this business proposition that you want to talk to me about?” she finally asked.
“I think you should start showing your clients The Harbor Light as a wedding reception possibility.”
Arden snapped the menu closed. “Oh, hell no.”
“Why on earth not?”
“Because I’ve seen the ballroom,” she said, flipping her long blond hair off her shoulders. “It’s a 1970s-style dungeon.”
“Oh, come on. It is not. There’s nothing wrong with that room.” She paused. “Well, nothing that a coat of paint couldn’t fix.”
“A coat of paint and a wrecking ball, you mean.”
Oh, who am I kidding? Arden had a point. The ballroom needed work. Everything about it was overly ornate and out of date. If Damon wouldn’t increase her budget, her only solution was to win the lottery.
“I’ll have to work on Damon some more,” she said, drumming her fingers on the table.
“Who’s Damon?”
“The man ruining my life.”
Arden’s interest seemed to pique. “There’s a man in your life? Since when? You’ve been living in the duplex below me for more than four months and I’ve never seen a man anywhere near you.”
“Damon is my boss. And right now, he holds the purse strings for my renovation plans. He’s not budging, though. I swear he just doesn’t get my vision for the place.”
Arden wrinkled her nose. “Those old-school businessmen don’t have the stamina for risk. What is he, like, eighty years old?”
Kinsley bit down on a breadstick. “Not quite that old.”
“Ugly?”
She glanced away. “Um…not so much. To be honest, I think it’s more his personality that I take issue with.”
And the fact that he is not old or ugly…
“Sounds like a real nightmare,” her friend said with a chuckle.
“That much is correct. He expects me to work a miracle without any money.”
“Oh, too bad. I wish I could help, hon. But I would really need to see some definite improvements to the hotel before I could risk my reputation to my clients. But you’re right. It really does have potential. If you think about it, it’s actually a perfect spot for a beach wedding. Rope off a spot on the sand right in front of the hotel, then everyone can walk back inside for cocktails and the reception. Very convenient,” she said, tapping a long blue fingernail against her lips in thought. “We could use something like that around here. Tell you what, update the place with at least some paint and we can talk.”
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.” The problem was convincing Damon.
“Good.” Arden folded her hands over the menu. “Now that that’s out of the way, what’s up with your brother?”
Kinsley blinked at her friend. “Up with Wade?”
“Yeah. He’s been acting weird. By that, I mean weirder than normal. To be honest, I haven’t seen him this low since Miranda passed away.”
Kinsley grew concerned. Maybe selling the hotel had had more of an effect on her brother than he’d been letting on. That combined with his lack of female companionship and his long hours at the animal clinic since they’d lost one of their vets due to a spouse’s job transfer would all be putting a lot of stress on him. “He does seem a little lonely.”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen Wade with a female. Unless you count Roxy.”
Roxy was Wade’s golden retriever mix.
“Arden, don’t you think it’s odd that a brother and sister would be so unlucky in love? I mean, Wade with Miranda. Me and Paul.” She placed her palms on the table and leaned in. “Level with me. Is there something wrong with us?”
Arden smiled kindly. “Nothing is wrong with you guys. You’re both intelligent, lovely people. If anything, you’re both just too darn nice.”
Too darn nice. Bleh. Translation: the Roberts family is as boring as melted ice.
Kinsley made a face. “That’s a terrible thing to say to a friend.”
Arden laughed. “Sorry, but it’s true. And in your case, your niceness also translates to being attracted to not-so-nice people who don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
Was she really attracted to men like that? Before Paul, there had been Sebastian, who, the few times they went out, always seemed to forget his wallet. Even in high school, Kinsley had started dating a boy, Ryan, a few years older than she was just because he was on the football team. He happened to be gorgeous, too, but he wasn’t exactly the nicest guy in school. In fact, they had broken up when he’d demanded she stop hanging around with her “nerd” buddies on student council. He hadn’t taken her rejection well and, soon after their breakup, broke into her locker and tossed several slabs of raw liver into it. She couldn’t exactly prove it was Ryan, but he wasn’t the most creative person—plus, his dad was also a butcher.
“You may have a point,” she told her friend.
Arden nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you a nice guy.”
“Ha. Good luck.” She’d really thought she had found a nice guy in Paul. But apparently nice guys didn’t necessarily want nice girls. Or if they did, they only stepped all over them in the end.
“Hey, just because things didn’t work out with that guy you met at Lori’s wedding doesn’t mean we give up hope yet. There are lots of nice guys in town.”
As luck would have it, the door to the restaurant opened and in walked one not so nice guy: Damon St James.
This town is getting way too small.
Kinsley raised a hand to her face so he wouldn’t see her. “Don’t look now, but my boss just walked in.”
Arden, of course, looked anyway. “Him?” Frowning, she swung back around for another look. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that the guy you met at the wedding? The same one you disappeared with that night?”
Uh-oh. Kinsley’s mouth dropped open but nothing came out. She’d forgotten Arden was at the wedding and knew what Damon looked like. This was so not good.
As if suddenly putting two and two together, Arden’s lips slowly formed a crafty smile. “Oh, this is so good.”