Chapter Sixteen
After dinner, the five of them spent time in the living room. While Janie couldn’t wait to get Archer alone to talk about her feelings and their future, Archer’s comment about returning to work had confirmed her earlier suspicions. He’d healed faster than expected, and it was time to leave Larissa’s house. She knew how much Archer loved feeling like he was part of a family, so she didn’t rush him while he played in the corner with Lilly, helping her pound away on her baby musical toy.
As proud of a mamma as Larissa was, she grimaced at the pair. “I have a feeling our little girl is not going to be the next Mozart.”
Quinn laughed. “Maybe Archer’s the one screwing up the music. Lilly’s perfect, so she can be whatever she wants.”
This softer side of Quinn since Lilly’s birth warmed Janie’s heart. Quinn and Larissa’s love truly was a storybook romance. The more she understood through therapy how a real couple should function, the more she realized that Larissa had every reason to believe their love would last forever. They were the perfect couple.
Glancing at Archer, Janie couldn’t stop little palpitations fluttering in her chest, telling her that the man who could give her the same thing Larissa had was sitting right in front of her. Besides, he’d talked about continuing to make her dinner once they returned to employee housing. If he planned to stop seeing her once they left here, he wouldn’t have said that. He must want a future.
That filled her with courage. Tonight would be the last night they shared a house before returning to employee housing, but Janie was sure it wasn’t the end.
The sudden generic ring of a cellphone had them all checking their pockets. Archer frowned, swiping his and putting it to his face. “Hello?” His confusions turned to anger in a few seconds. “Why are you calling me?”
A thread of unease tingled down Janie’s spine.
His expression returned to confusion. “You really think I’d want that? Carrie, you’re out of your mind.”
Carrie? Wasn’t that the name of his fiancée? What could she want now? What if she wanted him back?
“I don’t know,” he continued into the phone. “Look, I can’t talk here. I call you back in a second.”
He was returning her call?
Pain knifed through Janie as her heart clenched down. She wasn’t used to jealousy, never caring enough about anyone before to experience it. The anger mixed with pain and grief was enough to make her clench her fists and shove them under her thighs on the couch to stop anyone from noticing.
Larissa caught her eye, not fooled when Janie tried to smile. “It’s okay,” Larissa mouthed.
Larissa and Archer had talked a lot when Janie wasn’t around. It was likely she knew who Carrie was. Since she also knew that Janie had let herself fall head over heels for Archer, her friend understood exactly why Janie was distressed.
Archer patted Lilly on the head before turning to the rest of them. “Sorry, I need to go upstairs and return that call. Thanks for everything, really. I’ll get my bags packed in the morning.”
He didn’t even glance at Janie when he walked past her to the stairway.
Blinking quickly to stop the hot discomfort behind her eyes, Janie stared at the floor.
Suddenly, Larissa was on the couch next to her, arm around her shoulder. “I’m sure it’s fine,” she said softly. “Archer cares about you. Don’t be afraid about him calling her back. Maybe there was some sort of business that had to be dealt with after they canceled the wedding.”
Janie shook her head. “It’s been several months since then. You’d think he’d have taken care of it all. Why couldn’t he talk to her down here where we could hear if it was innocent?” Swallowing down her disappointment, Janie flashed a smile.
“Don’t do that,” Larissa scolded. “It’s okay to be afraid, but I’m telling you that there’s nothing to worry about.”
“She’s right,” Quinn called from his seat. “Archer’s not pining after that woman. Not when he has someone as great as you right in front of him.”
It was nice of Quinn to say that, even if he didn’t really mean it.
Janie sighed and stood up. “I’m tired. It was a long day. I think I’ll go to sleep. In the morning, I’ll get my stuff gathered as well and get out of your hair. It’s time to stop living the fairytale and return to real life.”
“Janie!” Larissa reached out, trying to stop her, but Janie brushed her friend’s hand away.
“Don’t worry, sis,” Janie said, hurrying to the stairwell before the tears welling in her eyes could fall. “I’ll be fine. You know I’m resilient.”
Not listening at whatever Larissa tried to say in reply, Janie fled up the stairs and to her room, shutting and locking the door before flinging herself onto the bed and letting her tears fall.
She wished she believed Archer wanted her, not Carrie, but he’d been with Carrie for three years. He’d only known Janie a short time, and there was nothing tying them together except one night of passion and a few weeks of walks on the beach. She should have told him earlier that she loved him and wanted to move to the next steps in their relationship.
Once his conversation with Carrie ended, it might already be too late for Janie to claim him as hers.
***
“What do you mean you’re coming to the island?” Archer asked, voice practically a growl with his frustration level. “There’s no reason for you to be here. I’m not changing my mind.”
“But, Archer, you should at least hear me out.” Her clear soprano voice used to make his heart race, but now it made his head hurt. “I’ve been so stupid. Mom and Dad are coming with me. They love you, Archer. They said they don’t care about your parents or past. They want you to be in our family. Daddy wants you to take over the business. I know I screwed up, but we can work through this.”
“No, we can’t,” he said, hoping she could feel the chill in his voice. “I will never take you back. We weren’t in love anyway, Carrie. I realize that now.”
“We were in love,” she argued, not seeming to understand how serious he was. “I was afraid of getting married and being tied down, that’s the reason I had that extra relationship. I was scared, but I never stopped loving you.”
“That extra relationship?” He snorted. “You make it sound like that last guy was the only one you dated while we were engaged. The mutual friend who clued me in told me about all of them, Carrie. I know what you were up to the entire three years we were together. You never loved me. For some reason, your rich daddy finds me acceptable as a son-in-law, and that’s the only reason you’re calling now. Sorry, but I’m not interested.”
She let out an unhappy huff. “Don’t make any decisions yet. We’ll be there in two days. I’ll prove to you that I’ve changed. You’ll be the only man for me.”
Archer had to wonder what had changed. Despite misgivings about Archer’s family, her father had told him that he wanted Archer to take part in the family business after the wedding. It wasn’t that the man was particularly warm or considered Archer a son. Heck, most of the time Archer and Carrie dated, her parents had barely tolerated him. He wondered why they were suddenly keen on him marrying her and taking over the company.
Perhaps with Carrie being their only child and no clear successor lined up, the family’s shareholders were getting anxious. Archer could understand that. There was no way Carrie was responsible enough to run a fortune five hundred company and keep the stocks up.
But, Archer wasn’t cut out for that either. He’d been willing to do it when he thought he and Carrie were madly in love. She thought his dream to be a chef was silly, and he’d convinced himself to give up on that.
Janie would never ask him to sacrifice his dreams. He was certain of that.
“Don’t bother coming,” he said into the phone. “It’s a waste of your time and money. Tell your dad I’m sorry, but he’ll have to find another sucker to marry you. I’ve found a woman I truly care about, and I finally know what a relationship should be. There’s nothing you could do or say to change my mind. Goodbye, Carrie.”
Not waiting for her reply, he hung up and then turned the phone off.
This was a disaster. Right when he’d been ready to tell Janie he loved her and wanted more, Carrie had to come nosing around. If she really did appear on the island, Archer worried how that would affect Janie. She had such deep-seated trust issues. Would she believe him when he told her he wanted nothing to do with his ex?
There was only one thing he could do. He had to confess his love to Janie tonight, make sure she knew how much she meant to him before Carrie arrived. He felt nothing but indifference toward his ex. Sure, once in a while there was a bit of anger, but it was low enough now to let Archer know he wasn’t disappointed that their marriage fell through. The last month had been better than any other time in his life, and that was all because he shared his days with a beautiful lifeguard who had become his angel in every way possible.
Standing from his bed, he crossed the room and started down the stairs.
Larissa was standing at the bottom, looking up at him. “What did she want?”
Archer hesitated with his steps, unsure why Larissa had been waiting to question him. “Nothing I wanted to hear. I told her to leave me alone.”
She nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer. “Janie locked herself in her room, if that’s who you’re looking for. Quinn and I are headed to bed. Good luck.”
Dammit! He’d been afraid to look at Janie when he went upstairs, knowing she’d probably think he wanted to talk to Carrie and would feel betrayed. The thing was, he knew how Carrie acted. If he hadn’t talked to her and found out why she called, she would have hounded him until he had. It was easier to hear her out, turn her down, and then block her out.
But he should have put Janie’s feelings first. That was a pretty big screwup on his part.
Going to her door, he knocked and then tried the handle. Larissa hadn’t been kidding—Janie really locked herself in there. “Janie,” he called. “I’m off the phone now. I really need to talk to you.”
“Not now,” Janie said. Her voice sounded thick, and Archer feared she’d been crying. “I’m too tired. It was a long day. Goodnight.”
“Not goodnight,” he said. “I don’t care how tired you are, we have to talk. Open up right now, or I’ll break in.”
“Stupid idea with those ribs, plus you’ll owe Quinn a new door.”
He rattled the handle, trying to judge just how strong the door was. “Do you think I’m kidding? Open up, or I’m coming in.”
He looked at the doorknob, realizing it was the kind with a hole inside it. If he found a pin to stick in there, he could push the lock open from this side without breaking the door. However, he’d really like it if Janie relented and let him in. She’d be more willing to hear what he had to say if he wasn’t forcing her.
“Please, Angel. We have to talk about this tonight.”
“Go away!”
“I can’t,” he said, gulping loudly before pressing on. “I can’t go away... because I’m in love with you!”