Chapter Twenty-Two
AMY SAT IN her car Sunday morning in front of the Bookstore Restaurant, trying to get her hands to stop trembling. She’d changed her clothes three times before leaving her cottage, finally deciding on a simple floral summer dress. Duke had seen her in her bathing suit, shorts, and dressed up. They’d known each other for a few years. She shouldn’t be this nervous. They may not be super-close friends, like she was with Jamie, Caden, Pete, or Kurt, but they were still friends, and that meant a great deal to Amy. He was a smart, rational man. Surely he’d understand her decision.
Wouldn’t he?
He spent so much time looking after his siblings that Amy was sure at least a part of him would understand. The question was, would it be a big enough part of him to save their friendship? She gave herself a little pep talk, then headed inside, hoping for the best.
Duke was sitting on the front patio at a table for two. He waved Amy over. Even without his suit Duke had a regal air about him. He had all the hallmarks of classic good looks: broad shoulders, square jaw, intelligent eyes on the small side but offering a welcome and warm gaze. He rose to greet Amy, and she noticed that his gray T-shirt and jeans were nicely pressed. His dirty-blond hair was slightly askew, giving him a casual edge.
His embrace engulfed Amy’s small frame.
“Good to see you again, Amy.” He pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to settle into it before sitting down. Always the gentleman.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Duke. Did you and Blue like the property?” Her pulse was racing so fast she was afraid she might blurt out, I can’t take the job! She was doing all she could to try to distract herself with other topics.
“Yes, very much. I think it has a lot of promise, although knowing my brother, he’ll keep it for himself instead of renovating it for a business. He had that look in his eyes.” Duke flagged over the waiter. “Amy, would you like something to eat? Some coffee?”
“Just ice water, please.” I’m too nervous to eat.
Duke asked the young man for a cup of black coffee, then turned back to Amy. His eyes dropped to her engagement ring, sparkling like a beacon on her left hand, and his lips curved up in a smile.
“Ah, I see congratulations are in order.”
Amy felt her cheeks flush. She dropped her eyes to her ring, and a smile pressed at her lips. “Yes, thank you. Tony and I are getting married.”
Duke nodded and lifted her hand to inspect the ring. “It’s a beautiful ring. Tony’s a lucky guy. And that explains the possessive vibe I got from him at the wedding.”
“Possessive vibe?” Amy flashed back to the wedding, when Tony had seen them talking right before he’d told Amy to take the job. She swallowed the uneasy feeling the memory brought with it. Tony’d tried so hard to fight their attraction—she was so glad that it was bigger than he was.
“Sorry about that. It was a confusing time for both of us. There’s a lot of history there.”
“Amy, you don’t have to apologize. I’m happy for both of you. Tony’s a stand-up guy. I’ve got nothing but respect for him. And he’ll love Australia.”
A pang of guilt tightened her throat. Amy was relieved when the waiter brought her ice water.
“Thank you.” She was afraid to pick up the glass because her hands were shaking again over the Australia comment and what she had to tell him.
“So when’s the big day?” Duke asked.
She breathed a sigh of relief. This was a conversation she could handle much better than the whole I’m not taking the job talk looming over her. “Soon. We’re thinking of having a small wedding here on the beach with the girls and then we’d each have a bigger family wedding at another time. You and Blue will come, won’t you?” She couldn’t believe she was actually talking about getting married to Tony and it was really happening. She’d dreamed about it for so long, and here she was, inviting Duke and his brother to their wedding.
Our wedding!
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Duke sipped his coffee. “I’d like to gift each of you a honeymoon suite for a week at whichever Ryder Resort you’d like.”
Amy’s jaw dropped. “Duke, you don’t have to do that.”
“It’s your wedding, Amy. Hopefully this day will come only once in your life—same for Bella, Leanna, and Jenna. It’s my pleasure to do this.”
“Really? That’s so generous of you.” How could she turn down the job after he offered her that?
“What good is owning luxury resorts if you can’t share the fun with friends?” Duke leaned back and looked out over the harbor. “I’m a sucker for love. You guys just let me know when and where you want the rooms and consider it done.”
She dropped her eyes, trying to gather enough courage to tell him what she’d come there to say. She drew her shoulders back, settled her hands in her lap, and locked her fingers together in a death grip. When she met his gaze again, he was still smiling. Her stomach sank, knowing she was about to upset his apple cart.
“Duke, before I accept your generous gift, I need to talk to you about the job.” I can do this. I can do this.
He drew his brows together. “Should I worry that we need to talk before you accept the gift?”
“Probably.”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed an ankle over one knee, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. “Might as well give it to me straight, Amy.”
“Straight.” Right. “Okay, well. This is really hard for me to say, because I really, really want to work with you. The position you’ve offered is exactly what I’ve been working toward all these years, and I know I’d do an excellent job.” She paused, and his facial expression didn’t change at all. She straightened the silverware on the table and refolded her napkin, anything to release the nervous energy buzzing beneath the weight of his steady gaze.
“It’s just…All I can do is be honest with you, Duke. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, and I really don’t want to give up this job, but my circumstances have changed. Now that Tony and I are getting married, I’m thinking about having children and starting a family, and I want to do that here. At the Cape. With my friends.” There. She’d gotten it all out in the open without passing out.
Duke didn’t say a word.
Shoot. Fearing she’d ruined their friendship and given up the job, she tried to explain further.
“I’m sorry. I am not normally the type of person to back out of a commitment.” Yes, I am. I broke up with Tony all those years ago.
I had to. Didn’t I?
Duke leaned forward, hands steepled beneath his chin. “Well, that puts an interesting spin on this situation, doesn’t it?”
His words pulled her back to the present. Interesting spin? She didn’t know how to respond to that, and she was still thinking about how she’d broken up with Tony so long ago. She’d done it to save him, yes, but she’d also done it to save herself. It had been too difficult to see Tony’s caring eyes looking at her with so much sadness that she’d nearly drowned in them. She’d barely been able to make it through each day, and she’d been at risk of failing her classes if she didn’t pull her head together. She’d been a kid making a decision based on fear.
What was she doing now? What or who was she saving?
Her relationship with Tony? No. He’d said he’d go wherever she wanted.
Now she was making a decision as an adult. She was saving her own stupid self again, coveting the time she had to be at the Cape with her girlfriends. Was that so wrong?
Duke was looking at her with a question in his eyes.
No. It wasn’t wrong. She’d waited a lifetime to marry Tony.
I’ve also waited a lifetime for a job like this.
“Is this an all-or-nothing decision?” Duke asked.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Amy, I didn’t offer you the job because we’re friends. I offered you the job because you’re the best person for the position.” He paused long enough for the weight of his words to sink in.
The best person for the position. What a nice ego stroke. Duke’s eyes were dead serious. She’d been so busy worrying about saving their friendship that she hadn’t considered why he’d hired her.
“You have the professionalism and skill set to make this conference center a success, and you have the vision to drive it into the future. Not to mention that you know how to finesse clients.” Duke sat up straighter, and Amy suddenly felt as though she weren’t talking to her friend Duke Ryder but to the real-estate-tycoon Duke Gerald Ryder.
And the real-estate tycoon wanted her for the job.
Amy sat up taller. It had been such an emotional few weeks that she’d lost sight of the fact that she was Amy Maples, President of Maples Logistical & Conference Consulting.
Her personal life was heading in the direction of her dreams, all because she’d taken a chance the night before Jamie and Jessica’s wedding. She glanced at her engagement ring. Even if she’d failed miserably at being a seductress, she must have done something right, because she’d gotten Tony’s attention. She’d had no idea what she was doing as a temptress, but she knew exactly what she was doing in her professional life.
She reveled in her realization and used that renewed confidence as she would with any client—to get what she wanted.
“Perhaps we should discuss our options.”
An hour later Amy was back in her car. She drove to the end of the Wellfleet Pier and parked by the boathouse. With her cell phone in hand, she walked down to the docks, where her father used to take her to watch the fishermen take their boats out in the mornings. She sat with her back against one of the wooden pilings and called her father.
“Princess.”
She heard the smile in his voice and her determination faltered. “Hi, Dad.”
“How are you, sweetie? Are you ready to discuss the business plan for next year? I’ve been thinking—”
“Dad!” She cut him off before she lost her courage.
“What’s wrong, honey? Do you need a few minutes to get your files in order before we go over them?”
“No, Dad. I need to get my life in order. By myself.”
“I…I’m sorry, princess. I’m not sure I understand.” His voice grew serious.
“I know you don’t, and neither did I until recently. Dad, I appreciate all of the guidance and support you’ve given me.”
“I know you do. That’s what your old man is for. To make sure you don’t go down the wrong path.”
Amy closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She drew her shoulders back and stared out over the boats. “Dad, remember when you used to take me to the marina?”
“Sure. Those were good times.”
“Yeah, they were.” She smiled with the warm memories; then her smile faded as she finished her thought. “Remember when you told me that story about you and Uncle Sal when you went on that fishing trip? The one about Grandpa not letting Uncle Sal reel in the fish because he thought he’d lose it, and how you felt bad for Uncle Sal because you knew he could do it himself?”
Her father laughed. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”
Amy wasn’t laughing. She was holding her breath because what she had to say next was second only to talking about the past with Tony when it came to things that were hard to do. She swallowed her fear and blurted it out.
“I need to reel in my own fish, Dad. You taught me well, and I can manage my business and create my marketing plans on my own.” She closed her eyes tightly, hoping he wouldn’t get mad.
“Why, I know you can, princess. Why are you telling me this?”
How could he not understand? Did she really need to spell it out for him? His silence told her she did. She pushed to her feet and paced the dock. “I’m telling you because, you know, Dad, you kind of hover over everything I do. You asked about every test I ever took, talked to me about studying on a weekly basis, and when I started my business, you were there with me when I met with my attorney. I appreciate it all, but now it’s time to cut the line. I can swim on my own, and if I sink, I sink. But I need to do it on my own, Dad.”
“But you are doing it on your own, Amy. You built your business, not me. You do the work, not me. I’m only here to guide you.”
Amy let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m glad you recognize that I am doing the work, but I really don’t need your guidance with my business plan, Dad. Or with my contracts. I can do this.”
She listened to his breathing, wishing he’d say something.
Anything.
“Dad?”
“I’m here. I’m sorry.”
Guilt threatened to strangle her. “Dad…”
“No. You’re right, Amy. One reason your mother left was because I was too overbearing. In her face, she used to say.” His voice was full of regret.
“Dad, you’re not in my face. I know you mean well, but—”
“But I put too much pressure on you, and I don’t let you make your own decisions. I know this, Amy, and it’s not because I don’t trust your decisions or your abilities. You’re brilliant and capable, like your mother.”
“Then why do you do it?” This was news to her. Her mother had never told her that she felt her father was overbearing. Then again, Amy had always been careful not to complain to her mother about her father’s being so overprotective. She’d always skated a fine line between the two of them. Now she wished she hadn’t waited so long to talk to him.
He sighed. “I don’t know. It’s who I am, I guess. I just want the best for you. But you have to give me credit. I bit my tongue a lot when you were younger. Like when you used to sneak out to go swimming with the girls at the pool. And that summer when you dated Tony Black. And, boy, did I want to say something. Not that I don’t like Tony, but I was afraid you’d get married and follow him around the country instead of going to college. But I bit my tongue then, and you had a great summer. I figured you needed a good time before you hit the books.”
Amy’s breath left her lungs in a rush. She sank down to the dock, her jaw agape. “You…you…knew?”
He laughed. “Honey, how could anyone not know? You two could barely stand to be away from each other that summer.”
“You knew.” She said it more to herself than to him. Tears welled in her eyes. “You never said anything. That summer…you just kept harping about how I would need to hunker down in the fall and I’d have no time for boys and dating.”
“Exactly. That’s why when you two had your little fling, I didn’t say anything. It seemed harmless enough. I never even saw you two kiss. I figured a little infatuation was okay before you hit the books and every minute would matter.”
“A little infatuation.” She shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. Would things have been different if she’d known that he saw what was between them? She mulled that over as he rattled on about how he and the other parents thought their crush was cute and how they were surprised that Jamie and one of the other girls didn’t experience the same thing.
She wanted to yell at him, to tell him that it wasn’t just a crush, that she’d loved Tony with all her heart and that she still did. She wanted to tell him that she’d gone through a miscarriage alone because she was so afraid of disappointing him that she couldn’t stand to tell anyone. But in the end, as she sat alone on the dock with the sun shining down on her and the soothing sounds of water splashing against the boats in the gentle breeze, she didn’t say any of that. That was her business. Tony’s business. It was their private heartache, and her father knowing about it wouldn’t change what they’d experienced.
She drew in another deep breath, feeling as though she were living on them lately, and said what she’d been determined to say all along.
“Dad, I love you, but from here on out we need to move forward without discussing the intricacies of my business, okay?”
“Okay, princess. I promise to try, but I’m an old dog, and you know…learning new tricks and all that.”
She smiled. “Yeah. I know. I’ll cut you some slack. A tiny amount.”
“Okay. Fair enough. I admire the courage it took for you to call me.”
“Thank you. It did take courage.” She didn’t realize how much until now. “Dad. One more thing. I’m marrying Tony.”
“You’re…”
“Marrying Tony Black. I love him. I’ve always loved him. And if you have anything negative to say about it, don’t. Because it doesn’t matter to me if you don’t think he’s good enough or if you think I should be with some—”
“Amy, stop.”
She silenced at the paternal tone he rarely took with her.
“I love Tony like I love the other kids. Uh, the other men and women. Not kids anymore, I suppose. I have nothing against him. He’s always been a nice, respectable person.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, he is.”
“I just didn’t want you to follow him at eighteen. I wanted you to get your degree and become self-reliant.”
“That’s funny, considering how much you hover over every decision I make.” She couldn’t believe she’d said it out loud, and she had no idea how the words escaped without her brain stopping them first.
“Wow. How long have you been holding that in, princess?”
She was relieved to hear a smile in his voice. “Um, probably for more years than I want to admit.” She felt like a giant weight had fallen from her shoulders, and she couldn’t wait to see what walking around without it would feel like.
“Right. Okay, that’s fair, too. You are self-reliant, Amy. As I said, I was there for guidance, but you have built your own business. You’re capable, and I realize I need to back off. What matters now is this. Are you happy?”
“Very.”
“That’s all I ever wanted for you. So I guess it wasn’t an infatuation.”
“Not even close,” she admitted.
“I didn’t even know you were dating. How long have you been seeing each other? Or I guess how long have you been in love is a better question.”
Amy thought long and hard about how to respond. Seeing each other? Every day and night in my dreams. In love?
“Forever.”
TONY CHECKED HIS cell phone for what felt like the hundredth time. Still no message from Amy.
“Dude.” Pete shook his head. “She’ll call when she’s got something to tell you. Sit down, have a drink, and chill.” Pete patted the wooden dock.
They’d spent the morning out on the schooner that Pete had refinished two summers ago, and they’d been back at the marina for about twenty minutes. Tony lowered himself to the dock beside Pete and accepted the beer he handed him. “I’m just worried about Amy. What if things didn’t go well with Duke? You know her. She’s sensitive. She’ll feel bad about letting him down for weeks.”
“She does have that whole heart-of-gold thing going on.” Caden sat on Pete’s other side and waved off the beer Pete offered. “Someone’s got to uphold the law. I’m the designated driver.”
Pete shook his head. “Always the cop.”
“I’m drinking one beer, that’s it.” Tony held up his beer bottle.
“You guys all cool with this whole group-wedding thing?” Caden asked.
“Pfft. Why not?” Pete tipped his bottle back and took a long swig. “If it makes the girls happy.”
“Hey, you guys and the girls are my family as much as my mom is. I’m all for it.” Tony set his beer down on the dock. “Besides, weren’t Bella and Jenna waiting for Amy to get engaged before they got married? Oh, and Leanna, of course.”
“Yup.” Caden ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. “Call me backward, but I want to get married sooner rather than later. I haven’t told Evan yet, but Bella and I would like to try to have a child together.”
Tony smiled. “I think Amy’s biological clock is ticking pretty loud, too.”
“Jenna’s, too.” Pete held his beer between both hands. His eyes grew serious. “Tony, um, I don’t know if this is out of line or not, but Jenna told me what you guys went through.”
A sharp pain cut through Tony’s chest. “Yeah? That’s okay.”
“I’m sorry, man.” Pete gave him a brotherly pat on the back. “That must have been rough.”
“Yeah. I lost my mind a little back then. That’s for sure.” Tony finished his beer and set the bottle beside him again.
“Bella told me, too. I can tell you that raising a kid at a young age wasn’t easy. I don’t mean to minimize what you went through. I’m just saying…You know what I mean. I’m really sorry.” Caden had taken on full responsibility of Evan when he was still in college. He’d dropped out to take care of Evan and had become a police officer because the schedule allowed him to work nights and spend more time with Evan during the day when he was a baby.
“I know. Thanks, man,” Tony said. “She’s worried about having another miscarriage. I think that might be one reason she wants to stay here at the Cape, to be with the girls. She needed them back then, but she’d closed herself off.”
“Well, she’ll have their support, that’s for sure. But you’ll have ours, too, Tony.” Pete blew out a loud breath. “I think it’s a good thing that they’ll all be together. It feels like it was meant to be this way.”
Tony glanced up at the sound of fast footfalls on the dock. Amy was running down the dock in her summer dress and bare feet, arms flailing, hair flying behind her like a mane. She was running too fast. Tony rose to his feet to slow her down and she plowed into him, sending both of them over the edge of the dock and into the water. Amy flapped her arms and legs. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks puffed out as she held her breath. Her hair flowed in slow motion around her face as Tony grabbed her beneath her arms and pushed her up through the surface. Both of them gasped for air.
“Are you okay?” He held her against him, kicking to keep them both afloat as she caught her breath.
“Yes.” Her head kicked back with an uninhibited laugh, which made Tony laugh.
“You guys all right?” Pete threw a life jacket into the water.
“I’ve got her. We’re fine.” Tony tucked the life jacket under one of Amy’s arms.
“I’ve got you, but hold on to that. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Fine. Fine.” She pressed her lips to his. “Duke and I worked it out.”
Tony grabbed the edge of the dock with one arm, keeping a firm grip around Amy. “That’s great. I think. Is it what you want?” Are we moving to Australia?
“Yes!” She kissed him again, a wet, sloppy kiss as she panted to catch her breath. She let go of the life jacket and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We can live here.”
“Here? Here!” He gave her another wet kiss, completely forgetting that he was keeping them up. They sank below the surface, mouths sealed together. Both of their eyes opened wide under the water, and as they rose to the top, they were both smiling.
They broke through the surface again, and they laughed and kissed each other again. Pete and Caden shook their heads.
She swiped at the water in her wide eyes. “And I talked to my dad. I told him we were getting married and to back off of my work stuff.”
“Amy.” He searched her eyes for any signs of distress, but they were still radiating with happiness. “It went okay?”
“It went better than okay.” She hugged him tight, then pushed back with a wide smile. “Clean slate.”
“Clean slate. You’re amazing. Truly amazing.” Tony kissed her again, and this time when they sank beneath the surface, he breathed air into her lungs, just as she’d breathed new life into him.