Chapter Eighteen
Janie stood inside the small airport terminal of the resort, anxiously rocking back and forth on her tennis shoes. She still wasn’t sure she should be here, but how could she tell Archer no when he’d been so sweet about his plans? They hadn’t seen each other much yesterday, considering they had moved back to employee housing and then both had work, but Archer had called her before going to bed, reminding her that he’d pick her up in the morning before the first plane of the day landed.
He’d once again told her that he loved her, and there was no way Janie could refuse to let him introduce her as his girlfriend, even if she hadn’t been able to admit her own feelings to him yet. Trusting him was difficult with Carrie coming to the island, and she almost wished Chelsea hadn’t cut her counseling sessions back to once a week. She could use some advice on how to handle this situation.
Standing next to her, Archer reached over, twining his fingers through hers. “You okay? I’ve never seen you this nervous.”
She forced a small laugh. “It’s not everyday I fight some strange woman over a man. In fact, I’ve never done something like this.”
“You don’t have to worry,” he said in a calm, reassuring tone. “You don’t even have to talk. I’m simply going to explain to her and her parents that I’ve moved on, that you and I are serious about each other, and I’m sorry they wasted their time coming out here. After that, we’ll leave. Even if they stay on the island to vacation, it’s not like they can force me to date her.”
“True.” Even though he thought this would be easy, Janie figured a woman willing to come all the way to a private resort to get her fiancé back wouldn’t give up easily.
“You’re still worried.”
“Yes, I am.” She shrugged. “I honestly can’t understand why you aren’t.”
He leaned over and pressed a quick peck onto her cheek. “Because I don’t love her, I love you, and there isn’t anything she can say or do to change that.
The happy flutters those words provoked were such an odd sensation. It wasn’t that Janie didn’t like the way he made her feel, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She’d nearly reverted to her old habits, and only Archer’s self-restraint had stopped it. Everything still felt off kilter to her, but she liked the dreamy image Archer’s words had given her. Could she really believe in something like that? Her storybook romance?
“Here they come,” Archer said, pointing with his chin toward the doorway that led to the tarmac. “Try not to worry. It’ll be fine.”
She squeezed his hand and gave a firm nod. “We can do this.”
He chuckled. “And tonight, I’ll have you all to myself after work. I’ve got a special menu planned, so don’t eat before I get to the housing unit.”
More flutters flitted throughout her chest, and Janie couldn’t wipe off the wide smile on her face. It felt good, knowing he was voluntarily spending time with her even though they weren’t sexually intimate. She never knew a relationship could provoke happiness instead of only pain and anxiety.
“I’ll look forward to it,” she responded, stepping in closer to him so that their shoulders touched.
As though only waiting for this invitation, Archer slipped his hand out of hers and placed his arm around her waist instead, pulling her closer for a few moments. His hot breath bathed against her ear, drawing out an exited shiver in her body. “Look forward to it from now on, Angel. We’re going to be so happy together if you decide to be my girl for keeps.” Releasing her, he reclaimed her hand, but let out a soft murmur of discomfort. “Ugh, there they are.”
An older couple, dressed to the nines and looking fancier than the vacationers surrounding them, stepped through the doorway. Their eyes searched the small waiting room and lit upon Archer, flicking to her briefly before both their expressions shifted into frowns.
“That’s her parents,” he whispered. “Apparently, she didn’t tell them that I told her not to come. They look far too surprised to see me here with you.”
Janie searched behind the couple, wondering what his ex looked like, but the people right behind the older couple walked with their arms linked. Janie gasped when she saw the man, her body trembling with shock.
“Angel?” Archer looked down at her, eyes narrowed in concern. “What’s wrong? Is this too much for you to handle?”
Janie gaped for several seconds, trying to form words but unable to get anything other than a low groan out.
Archer glanced back at Carrie’s parents, frowning. “Who’s that man with Carrie? Did she meet someone on the plane? Hopefully she’s latched onto him and forgets all about me.”
The two couples approached them while Janie desperately tried to get control of herself. Why was he here? How did he get here? She had never wanted to see him again, yet he’d come uninvited. She’d been ignoring his calls for weeks.
He stopped in front of her, a wide smile on his face. It was a face she remembered well, though he looked thinner and his color was worse than she remembered, looking a bit ashen. “Hello, sweet pea. Surprise!”
Archer looked at him, wrapping his arm back around Janie and pulling her safely against his side, away from the man. “How do you know Janie?” he asked, voice full of suspicion.
He laughed. “Don’t act like you need to protect her. It’s me that should get her away from you.”
“Who the hell are you?” Archer’s voice was a low growl, and Janie shrank even closer to him, suddenly feeling like a child again.
“I’m her father.”
***
Archer looked between Carrie and the man who said he was Janie’s father. It concerned him how badly Janie trembled in his arms. She was certainly overwhelmed, and Archer couldn’t help but wonder if she was a little afraid as well. It seemed her father was every bit as much a stalker as Carrie was. How did they find out about the island? Archer was certain Janie hadn’t told her father where to find her.
He focused his glare on Carrie. “What the hell is the meaning of this? Why are you with him?”
Carrie let out a small giggle and fluttered her eyelashes, trying to flirt with him like she used to. However, that act no longer affected him. “Frederick’s the one who helped me find you, honey. Imagine my surprise when he called to say he knew where you were. If I paid the right price, of course. He needed help getting to his daughter, and we were only too happy to pay.”
Carrie’s mom stepped forward, patting Archer’s shoulder opposite the one Janie was glued to. “No price is too much to find our dear son-in-law and bring him back home where he belongs.”
A scoff of disgust sounded from deep in Archer’s throat without conscious effort on his part, and he couldn’t hold back a sneer. “I will never be your son-in-law. Janie’s dear old dad seems to know a lot about us. Did he forget to mention that we’re a couple? I finally know what true love is, and that’s never what Carrie and I had. I’m not going anywhere.”
Carrie simply smiled. “But Janie’s going to be too busy for you, now that she’s leaving the island.”
“What?” Janie croaked out the question in a hoarse voice, and Archer could feel her fear and confusion morphing into rage by the way her body stiffened. “I’m doing no such thing.”
She pulled away, standing upright on her own and looking down her nose at all of them. Archer had no clue she had the ability to look so haughty when she wanted to. She’d always been so sincere and honest with him. He wasn’t sure he liked this look on her, but it certainly made Carrie take a small step back.
“Fredrick,” Janie said, addressing her father. “You’re nothing more than the man who abandoned me when I needed a parent the most. I’ve told you to stop calling me. I’m not sure how you found out anything about me, or about Archer for that matter, but you should turn around and get back on that jet before it leaves. I never want to see or talk to you again.”
With that, she turned and strode toward the exit door.
Archer glanced at the group and shrugged. “Same goes for me with all of you. Janie and I are together now, so whatever you thought by coming here, I’m sorry you wasted your time. I’m not interested in your money or your company. Janie cares about my dreams, not what she wants my future to look like. I’m staying here and becoming a top chef. With her by my side, I can do anything.”
He spun around, racing to catch the only woman he would ever love again. Even if Janie wasn’t as sure about things as he was, it was only a matter of time before everything he said to Carrie and her family was true. He’d make sure of that. Having Janie be forever by his side had become another important dream.
***
Janie had marched halfway back to the resort before Archer reached her. He’d broken down and ran to beat her ground-eating stride, even though it made his freshly-healed ribs ache a bit.
“Angel!” he called as he neared. “Wait up.”
Her steps faltered, and she glanced over her shoulder, finally stopping when she saw him alone. “I’m sorry, Archer.”
He raced the remaining distance and gathered her into his arms, rubbing her back to extend as much comfort as he could. “Hush. There’s no reason to apologize.”
“But I said I’d let you introduce me as your girlfriend to get rid of her. Instead, I ran off without you.”
“I imagine you received a rather large shock,” he replied. “Neither of us knew your dad would be there. It’s okay. All I want is to protect you.”
She let out a soft sigh and leaned into him. “Why is it that you always make me feel so safe? I shouldn’t trust you so much, especially not with my deadbeat dad coming back to remind me that no one in this world can be trusted.”
“You’re wrong,” Archer said, not liking the way Janie tried to escape his arms when he said that, but not releasing her or stopping his thought. “He can’t be trusted. You do know I’m not him, right? I already told you, I love you, Janie. Nothing will ever change that.”
“I bet you said the same thing to Carrie when you were together.” Her voice didn’t sound bitter or accusatory, merely resigned to the reality of the situation.
“Wrong again. I never felt for her what I feel for you. What I craved from that relationship was the stability and security being a part of her family offered. They wanted me to run their company and put their trust in me. I’d never had that before, so I convinced myself it was okay to give up on my plans for the future if only they’d accept me into the fold. I realize now that it was a stupid reason to be with her. She never supported my dreams or thought I was good enough just as I am.”
“But I’m not good enough for you, Archer.”
“Damn, I hate to keep hounding on this point, but you couldn’t be more wrong.” He caught her chin with his thumb and gently pulled her head upward, staring into her dark eyes and hoping she sensed his sincerity. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re the one who is not only my friend but supports my dreams and aspirations for the future. You said you feel safe with me, well I feel safe with you too. You literally saved my life on the beach that day we met, but after spending all this time together, falling in love with you has saved me in other ways. I almost let Carrie’s cheating turn me into a bitter, resentful person. Your friendship and the honest way you opened up to me about your own troubles has saved me from that fate, Angel. I know what happiness is now. It’s having you by my side.”
Her face scrunched up, looking perplexed as she regarded him. “How is this so easy for you?”
“It’s not easy,” he corrected. “But at the beginning of all this, Larissa gave me some great advice. She told me not to give up on you, that if I kept trying, you were more than worth it. She’s right, so I can’t let you go.”
Janie shook her head. “I’ve done nothing but cry to you about my problems and been a total pain in the ass. How could that be something to admire?”
Archer chuckled, bending his head slightly to steal away her lips in a brief kiss. “You see it as crying about your problems. I saw it as you opening up to me, something you never normally do. It made me feel special to have that from you.”
“I guess that’s true. You are special to me.” She nodded, then leaned her head against his chest again, snuggling into his embrace. “From almost the beginning, I felt like you were someone who could handle the real me. I didn’t have to flirt and act happy all the time with you. It’s been okay to have feelings and be scared and vulnerable. From the first time I confided in you, I felt like you’d never use any of that against me.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I was also shocked to find that besides having a rocking body that I want in my bed, you’re honestly a good person. I love the passion you have toward cooking. Seeing you with Lilly and how good you were with her made me realize that one day you’d make an awesome father. Not to mention, my best friend absolutely loves you.”
Was she saying what he hoped she was?
“Janie, you have to be clearer. I’m not a mind reader, and I’d hate to misinterpret what you’re saying.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up. “I’m saying that I think I’m in love with you too, Archer. I think I have been almost from the beginning.”
The happiness bubbling inside him couldn’t be contained, and Archer let out a whoop of joy that could probably be heard all the way to the beach.
Janie’s giggle made his joy even greater before she pulled him down and pressed her soft lips against his. At first, it was a gentle kiss, both of them softly pecking against the other’s mouth, but within moments that wasn’t enough for him.
Archer ran one hand down her back, teasing at her mouth with his tongue until she opened up and invited him inside. They fit together so well. There was a bliss Archer hadn’t felt with any other woman. Soon, they both panted from how intense their kissing session became.
After a few minutes, he reluctantly pulled away. “We have work soon. We should probably get back to the resort.”
“You’re right. Besides, if we go any further right now, I won’t want to stop. The middle of nowhere isn’t the place for what I’d want.”
He loved hearing that. She was controlling her need for dominance in the relationship, not using her sex appeal against him, but she did want more. For the first time, Archer thought she might be viewing intimacy with a healthy perspective instead of the warped way she’d used sex all her life.
“I don’t close the restaurant tonight,” he said. “I should be home a bit before you get off work. How about I cook us something fancy and we eat in your room tonight.”
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “That would be nice. I’ll be counting the minutes until work is over.”
“Are you sure?” he tried to laugh off his sudden concern. “You hesitated. We don’t have to if you don’t want. I promise I won’t make a move on you, I just don’t want to eat in the community kitchen with the other employees.”
When she laughed, Janie’s happy face eased his worries. “I’ve been ready for you to make a move on me since we met. However, things feel different now from the beginning. I’m glad you didn’t let me go through with things the other night. We both would have regretted having sex when I was in that state of mind.”
“I told you, I don’t want to just have sex.”
She nodded. “You want to make love, I remember. That’s also the reason I’m letting you come to my room. I only hesitated because I never let men come over. Somehow, this rule doesn’t apply to you. I feel like it’s okay to have you there.”
Ah, so that was the reason. He understood now, and it made him happy. “It’s because I’m not just any man, right?”
“Exactly.” She smiled and gave him another deep kiss. “I’m starting to think you are my storybook romance. Damn that Larissa! She infected me with that optimism disease! What am I going to do?”
“Be in good company,” he replied with a chuckle. “Because I feel that way too. We deserve to get a happy ending, don’t you think?”
Now, if only Carrie and Janie’s father would leave them alone to get that. He hoped had they all turned around and went back to Hawaii, but he had a feeling things wouldn’t be that easy.
As long as he kept Janie safe from her father to stop her insecurities from coming back, he didn’t care about much else. Carrie couldn’t hurt them, but he had to wonder why Janie’s father had basically stalked her and then come to the island. He had a feeling it wasn’t simply in the hopes of having a reunion. The man must want something, but Archer would be damned if he’d let that bastard hurt the woman he loved.
Twining his fingers through Janie’s, they walked hand in hand back toward the resort. Archer could worry about the problems later. For now, he’d enjoy taking a walk with the woman he loved while thinking about a menu for dinner tonight. If anyone tried to come between him and his angel, he’d do what he had to then. For now, he’d just enjoy being with her and knowing their feelings were the same.