Chapter Twenty-Three
Janie paced Larissa’s living room, fluctuating between anger and sorrow. “He just called,” she said. “What should I do?”
Larissa sat on the couch, eyes narrowed and face pinched in worry. “I think you should talk to him. It doesn’t matter what they promised him. If he loves you, isn’t that more important than a loveless marriage just for a restaurant that he can get on his own later?”
Letting out a snort, Janie stopped pacing to face her friend. “My dad blamed my mom’s illness for making him give up his dreams. Archer might resent me if he never gets a restaurant.”
“If you share his goals, you can get there together.”
“I shouldn’t dump this on you,” Janie said, plopping down on the couch beside Larissa. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know where else to go.” She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t want to let Carrie have him, but I don’t want to ruin his big chance either!”
Larissa wrapped Janie in a hug. “I’m glad you came to talk to me about it instead of hitting a club and forgetting your problems the way you used to. I know my house wouldn’t have been your first choice a month ago.”
The tears started again, and Janie clung to Larissa’s slender frame. “I’m so stupid. Even though I know that there isn’t anyone in this world I can trust besides you, I fell in love with him. Now, if I lose him…”
Larissa squeezed her tighter. “I know this is hard, but I really believe Archer loves you and wants you, not his ex. You need to see what he’s thinking instead of deciding what’s best for him all on your own.”
A small kernel of hope flared to life in Janie’s chest, beating back the sorrow. “You think I’m what he wants even though it’s been such a short time?”
Larissa pulled away, shrugging. “Carrie came here to split you and Archer up and get him back, right?”
Janie nodded.
“So, Archer told her in no uncertain terms that it wouldn’t happen. She must know how dedicated Archer is, know he wouldn’t dump you to go back to her. Her only option would be to get you to dump him by guilting you into giving him up.”
“Wait.” Janie stared at her hands, thinking quickly about what her friend was implying. “Do you think they’ll actually give him a restaurant at all?”
Larissa’s hands covered hers. “They want him to run their business, right? Both things would be a full-time job. I think this is a ploy to confuse him and guilt you into dumping him, I really do.”
Janie was scared by how happy that possibility made her. “So, Archer might need me to help point this out and rescue him from their lies.”
“He’s crazy about you, sweetie,” Larissa said. “I’m the one who sat here and listened to him for the past month while he tried to hold back his feelings so that you had time to work on yourself. I know how much he cares for you. I can’t see him giving that up for a future with her, no matter how sweet they try to make the deal sound. He loves you with his whole heart. I truly believe that.”
“You’re right.” Janie stood up. “Thank you. I need to go see him. I’m sure he’s probably back in his room waiting for me. I’ve been so stupid. There’s no way he’d go back to her. He can’t trust her. This has to be a scheme of hers to trick him. I’ll go talk to him, let him know what’s going on.”
A wide smile split across Larissa’s face. “Go get your man!”
She nodded. “I will. Thanks for talking some sense into me. I let myself get scared, I guess, because sometimes Archer seems too good to be true.”
“But he isn’t,” Larissa said. “He’s the man you’ve been waiting for. Go to him, let him know the dirty tricks his ex is pulling, and stand by his side while you get rid of her and decide what to do about your father.”
“Thanks, sis.” Janie gave her friend a bright smile. “I couldn’t get through life without you, you know?”
Larissa laughed. “I feel the same way, so we’re even. Now, enough giving me gratitude for doing nothing more than pointing out the obvious. Go to him.”
***
A knock on his room door had Archer leaping from his bed. Janie hadn’t called, but she must have listened to his message. He swung the door open quickly. “What happened? Are you...”
He trailed off, looking at the woman standing before him. He didn’t bother to hide his distaste. “Carrie? What are you doing here?”
She let a fluttery giggle. “Is that any way to greet your fiancée?”
“You aren’t my fiancée. Please leave.”
“Oh, Archer.” She laughed again, pushing into him so he had no choice but to step back or allow her to press her body against his. She slipped inside the room as soon as he stepped backward, shutting the door behind her. “It smells good in here. Have you been cooking?”
Archer stepped away from her, folding his arms across his chest to keep her from getting closer. “What do you want? I’m busy.”
“Busy?” Carrie rolled her eyes. “With that woman you claim is your girlfriend?” She let out a catty laugh. “I’ve heard all about Janie Davis. She’s worse than me. Not to mention, she’s poor and has no family to speak of. Come back to me. Mom and Dad are ready to accept you with open arms. We’ll get that restaurant and make all your dreams come true. That slut you claim to be with can’t offer you anything. Let’s stop this farce and go back home.”
Archer shook his head, so confused at Carrie’s intentions. “Why do you even want me? You’ve got plenty of boyfriends to choose from. I’m nobody. I come from a bad family, I don’t particularly want to follow in your father’s footsteps and run your family business, and we don’t love each other. Why not simply pick someone else?”
Carrie glared at him, her previous flintiness turning to irritation. “So, you’ve figured out that I don’t really want you, huh?”
Archer scoffed. “You made that pretty clear while we were engaged.”
“Whatever.” She shrugged, making herself at home by sitting on his bed. “Look, Daddy wants you particularly because you have no family ties. There is no pesky family that you hold a higher allegiance to, so he thinks you’ll be dedicated to the business. Besides, he says you’re honest and trustworthy.” She rolled her eyes, obviously frustrated by this.
“That’s nice of him to say, but I won’t marry you or take over the business. I guess I need to have a talk with your dad, not you. Please leave. I’ll contact him directly.”
“You can’t!” She stood up, flinging herself into him and wrapping her arms around him despite his unwelcoming stance and the fact that he hadn’t uncrossed his arms. “If you don’t marry me, Daddy’s going to cut me off for losing you! He said I’m too spoiled and irresponsible, and that I’ve hurt the family business and image. He thinks I need tough love or something.” She shook her head, eyes wide and horrified. “He wants me to get a job!”
Oh, good lord! How had he ever convinced himself it was a good idea to marry this spoiled brat? He’d been so blinded by his need to belong. However, either she was worse than before, or he’d been spoiled by Janie’s sincerity this past month and could now see how ridiculous Carrie really acted.
“Maybe your father’s right,” Archer said, gently pushing her away and moving to open the door. “You’ll have to work that out with him. I’m sorry you wasted your time, but I’m not in the business of rescuing you anymore. I don’t want his help getting a restaurant. You need to deal with this problem on your own. I’m staying here with the woman I love.”
She pouted, making her eyes round and sticking out her lower lip in a way that used to wrap Archer around her little finger and get him to do whatever she demanded. “I need you. I’ll make sure you have a good life. Money, power, fame, and the restaurant. As my husband, you’ll get all that. What will that good for nothing lifeguard give you?”
Archer closed his eyes, picturing Janie’s beautiful face as he smiled. “Love.”
Carrie let out a scream, coming at Archer and scratching her fake nails into his arm. “Love doesn’t mean anything! I can give you real things! Dump her and come home.”
Ignoring the stinging pain her fit of rage had caused, Archer opened the door without another word.
“Oh,” a familiar voice murmured.
Janie stood in the doorway, her startled eyes meeting his and then sliding past him to look at Carrie.
“You’re here,” he said, taking a step toward her before falling back at the look of despair in her eyes and the way her body stiffened. “She barged her way in here, Angel. Don’t start thinking weird things.”
Behind him, Carrie let out a soft titter of laughter, coming up and wrapping her arm around his left biceps. “There’s no need to hide it, honey. Tell your fling the truth. We’re back together.”
***
Janie stood frozen, staring at the hand wrapped around Archer. All she could think about was the fact that they made Archer such a good offer. Was Larissa wrong? Did he want to accept their proposition?
“Sorry,” she finally murmured, turning to leave.
“No, wait!” Archer’s strong hand closed over her shoulder, pulling her against his warm chest.
She struggled for a moment, but then sagged into him. Without turning to face him, she whispered, “Are you going back to her? She’s been in your room... Did you sleep with her?”
“What? Of course not!” His hot lips brushed against her ear as he spoke. “I will never look at another woman as long as I live. You’re it for me. She barged in here uninvited. I only opened the door because I thought it was you. There’s nothing going on. She’s trying to get you to leave me by implying something did.”
Even though a big portion of her brain screamed not to trust him since they were alone in his room or she’d end up hurt, Janie’s body instinctively relaxed. She twisted around to face him, standing on her tiptoes to claim his lips in a gentle kiss. “I believe you.”
Carrie let out a scream, barging up to them and pushing Janie with a lot of force.
Janie almost lost her footing before catching herself on the far hallway wall.
“He’s mine!” Carrie screamed. “I don’t know why he’s not telling you the truth, but we had sex just a few minutes ago. We’re opening a restaurant together. He’s already promised to come along when my family leaves tomorrow.”
They were leaving tomorrow? Thank goodness!
Janie flashed Carrie a smile, even though she felt like punching the bitch in the face. “I know you’re lying. He can’t run your dad’s business and a restaurant at the same time. Archer’s smart enough to know that. He didn’t have sex with you, and he didn’t agree to leave with you. I know he wouldn’t lie to me.”
“You really believe me? I don’t want anything to hurt that trust we’ve built.” Archer’s jaw clenched so loudly that his teeth grinded. “Even if there was some way to do the business and the restaurant, I’d turn down the offer. Nothing can replace you in my life, Janie. You’re all I care about.”
Janie smiled. “I feel the same way. And don’t worry, love. This woman is pathetically desperate, but you aren’t the type to have sex with her just because she showed up in your room. I know that.”
If anything, Archer had iron control, refusing Janie that day she tried to have sex with him to reclaim the power proved that. He wanted to make love and not let Janie give into the need she had for power, even though he was obviously excited and ready to go that night. If he could stop himself in that situation, there was no way Janie could believe he screwed Carrie now. She had been blindsided for a moment and reverted to her old pattern of thinking when she saw Carrie in the room. She knew Archer enough to know what kind of man he was. Plus, it had been obvious when he opened the door to his room that he was throwing Carrie out.
“You can say what you want,” she told Carrie, “but I believe in Archer.”
A wide smile split Archer’s face and he crossed the few steps between them, pulling her against him yet again. “You really do trust me, don’t you?”
The love and happiness in his voice was enough to melt away the very last of Janie’s concerns. “I really do. We decided we deserve a storybook ending, right? This wicked witch can’t get between us.”
“No!” Carrie screamed again, launching herself toward them. “I need him. He’s mine!”
She took a swing, apparently aiming for Janie, but Archer pulled Janie closer and turned them, taking the blow meant for her.
He let out a soft grunt of pain before releasing Janie and rounding on Carrie, hiding Janie behind his broad back. “Leave now, or I’m calling security and having you thrown off the island. The McCallisters do not tolerate violence. You’ve just violated the rules that all guests must abide by. You’ll never be allowed back here again.”
“Archer,” Carrie pleaded, crying now. “You’ll ruin my life. I need you. Please. You’ve only known her for a short time and she’s a slut besides. We had so much together.”
“Nothing you say is going to work,” he replied, voice cold. “What I have with Janie is already more real than anything we shared. You’ve screwed up your own life, and it’s not my job to fix it. Get out now, before I have you kicked off the island and you embarrass your father even more.”
With that, Carrie burst into what looked like honest tears and turned away from them, rushing toward the elevator.
“Come on,” Archer said, breathing a bit heavily and gently pulling Janie into his room. He shut the door and locked it, then leaned against it, looking entirely exhausted. “What a day.”
Janie sat on his bed, uncertain what to say. She felt guilty that she’d doubted him, even if it was only for a few hours. She needed to apologize, but the words were caught in her throat.
He pulled himself away from the door after a few seconds, sitting beside her and closing his hand around hers. “I’m sorry, Angel. I guess you heard about their offer before I could talk to you about it.”
She startled, then shook her head. “Why are you sorry? I’m the one who needs to apologize. I believed for a short time that you had slept with Carrie even though I know better. I’m so stupid. Please don’t think I don’t trust you. I know I screwed up by thinking that, however briefly. You’d never do that. I can’t—”
His lips pressed into hers, stopping her frantic apology. His kiss was sweet, a soothing balm for everything that had troubled her. He ran his hands over her hair and down her back, deepening the kiss after a few moments. His hot tongue twined with hers, pushing all bad feelings away as desire blossomed.
“Archer,” she moaned, rubbing at the firm muscles of his pecs before she began unbuttoning his work shirt. “I love you so much.”
He pressed another kiss against her lips, then backed away. “I love you too, but I think we need to eat dinner and talk before anything else happens.” Gently, he grabbed her hands and took them away from his shirt.
Did he think she was trying to control the situation again? If so, she couldn’t blame him. In the past, this would be the sort of thing to trigger her desire to dominate and get power. But, it was different with him. Everything was different now.
She nodded. “I’ll do whatever you want, Archer. I’m not trying to take over here. It’s just that I realized how much you truly love me after all that happened in the hallway, so I wanted to be with you. You can decide when and how we’re together physically. I’m simply happy to be with you.”
His eyes widened. “You’re really okay?”
“Yep. Surprising, right?” She laughed. “I wasn’t okay at first. This girl at the restaurant told me she caught you and Carrie having sex in the breakroom and my mind just went blank. I reverted back to the person I was a month ago, thinking you’d betrayed me.”
Archer grimaced. “I wish you hadn’t had to go through that. I’d never, ever cheat on you.”
“I know that.” Janie gave him her brightest smile, pulling his hand up to her face and kissing it. “You’ll be proud to know that when I heard that and feared I would lose you, I didn’t go to the club like I would have in the past. I headed to Larissa.”
Archer let out a little breath of apparent relief. “Good.”
“Yeah, it’s a step up for me, so I really am improving.” She laughed, even though the situation of her old habits wasn’t exactly funny. “Larissa reminded me of everything I already knew, what a good man you are, how trustworthy you really are. She also reminded me about how much you love me, claiming she had to listen to all your worries and complaints the entire time we lived there and knew what she was talking about.”
It was Archer’s turn to laugh. “I did sort of talk her ear off about you every time you were away. It’s her own fault for encouraging me to fall for you, though, so I don’t feel a bit bad.”
“I don’t think she really minded. She’s happy for us.”
“So, you believe me that I want to stay here with you?” His smile faltered, and he stared at her intently. “It must have hurt so badly when you thought I would choose her, and then seeing her here in my room on top of it... I never want to cause you any pain, but it’s only the second day of us being official and I’ve already done it.”
“No.” Janie moved in, kissing his cheek. “You can’t blame yourself for this. Carrie and my dad researched us. She figured out the best ways to get what she wanted, doing everything she could to get us to give up on each other. This is her fault, not yours. Unfortunately for her, are love is stronger than she thought. Your helping to heal what’s broken inside me. There might be instances in the future when I doubt again that it’s me you really want, and I’m sorry for that, but I know deep down that I can trust you.”
“I don’t care if you have doubts at times,” Archer said. “As long as you always come to me and we talk things over. I’m not going anywhere, no matter what. We’re in this together. I’m so happy you realized she was trying to split us up and came over here to talk. I couldn’t stand it if you left me, especially because you thought it was what I needed. I’ll never need anything more than I need to be with you. Besides, I’m truly happy at Paradise Point. I want to stay here and learn from Shane. Never think you’re holding me back. The support you show for my dreams is one of the things that makes me love you more, but my dreams include you now too.”
The complete happiness spreading throughout her chest and into every inch of her body was hard to contain. He truly wanted to be with her. It was hard to doubt when he was this earnest about it.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I never expected something like this, but I love you with my whole heart, Archer Croft.”
He chuckled, pulling her in for a kiss. “Maybe I was stupid going into the ocean to save that little girl that day without any lifeguard training, but I’m glad it happened.”
She giggled, resting her forehead against his. “Yeah, just think, all you had to do was die a little bit for us to find our storybook ending.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his green eyes full of love as they gazed at her. “I’d do it all over again. What’s death in the face of our love?”
His warmth enveloped her as Archer pulled her in for another kiss, their bodies melding so close together that it was hard to know where one of them ended and the other began.
It would be this way from now on. After all, that’s what happened when two lovers found their storybook ending.