The first thing Hannah did when she woke up Saturday morning was check her phone. She was looking for two things: a babysitting job and replies to her ad for the apartment she was renting.
Her house had a separate apartment on the first floor that was great for renting out. Her parents had been able to rent the main house and the apartment out separately, which had helped them to afford a vacation home. She didn’t like to rent it out because it was a hassle and it gave her somewhere to go when her sister’s family came to stay for vacation. They came as often as their schedules would let them, and Hannah let Leah and her husband have the master bedroom when they did.
Yesterday the air-conditioning had gone out, though, and she’d had to have the whole system replaced. The bill had gone on her credit card, which she hated. With her bills mounting, the rent money would be helpful.
To her surprise, she had several responses to her ad. The first two she discarded because they were obviously hoping for a different kind of living situation than a professional one and the third because they wanted to pay half the rent she was asking and no utilities. She sighed. Oh well. And no word from Tonia about a job for the day either. It was still early in the season, though, and tourists were just starting to trickle in. She’d have to be patient.
Throwing back her covers, she put on her swimsuit, as usual, and a sundress, made some coffee and walked down to the beach in her bare feet. Overnight, the tide had heaped the sand up into a small dune about ten yards back from the water’s edge. She sat down and dug her toes into the damp sand. Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, she took a sip of her coffee and settled in to relax. There were a few early risers, including some runners, on the beach this morning since it was a weekend.
She didn’t pay any attention to them until a particularly fit man caught her eye. He ran at a strong pace from the east towards her. Turning her head just slightly so he wouldn’t know she was watching, she admired the strong lines of his body and the athletic grace of his confident stride. When he got closer, she turned away, but stole one more glance when he got closer. She gasped when she saw it was the resort owner.
He looked down at her at the precise moment she recognized him and their gazes locked. Screeching to a halt, he stared at her, breathing heavily. “You,” he said.
In shorts and a t-shirt—a sweaty t-shirt that clung to his magnificent chest—he was an incredible specimen of manhood. Unfortunately, it made the filter on Hannah’s mouth short-circuit. “Well, if it isn’t the Billionaire Beefcake.”
Carter gave a short, surprised burst of laughter. He didn’t say anything though, just continued to study her.
“Did you come to kick me off the beach today?” Hannah asked.
“I couldn’t if I wanted to,” he said. “Unless you wander over onto my private beach up there.”
Hannah smiled. “I’m happy where I am. There’s a great view from here.”
He grinned. “Especially at the moment.”
She gasped. “Are you really that conceited?”
He looked confused for a moment, then laughed. “I was talking about you, but clearly you had similar thoughts about me. I wish I could stay so we could admire each other more, but business calls.”
“I’m sure it does.”
He gave a twisted smile and took off running again, cutting across the sand toward his resort. She thought about calling after him that he was trespassing on her beach but shut her mouth just in time. The last thing she wanted was for him to know that she lived in the house he wanted to buy so badly. So far he’d only seen her on the beach and she could have come from anywhere.
Feeling oddly energized, Hannah got up and went back to her house, washing her feet off with the hose at her back door. As soon as she went inside, her doorbell rang. That was strange. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
When she opened the door, she saw Brant, a guy she’d dated briefly a few months before. He was good looking and a great kisser, but unfortunately, his maturity must have stalled out around junior high. “Brant? What do you want?”
“I saw your ad for a roommate. And since I’m looking for better digs, it seemed like fate, right?”
“Wrong.”
“Come on, darlin’, why not?”
“You know why.”
“I won’t hit on you, I swear. In fact, you’ll barely even see me”
“You’ve already called me beautiful and darlin’.”
“Oh. Well, not because I was trying anything. You’d know it if I was hitting on you.”
“Yeah, I got a sample when I met you.”
He grinned, flashing his white teeth at her. “You see? I’m being good now. The apartment has its own entrance and kitchen right?”
“A mini-kitchen,” she said, trying to dampen his enthusiasm.
“That’s all I need—a place to make my protein shakes and chill my beer.”
“Oh, good gravy, Brant.”
She turned and walked away, but left her door open for him to come in. Was she crazy to actually consider this? He followed her to the kitchen and made himself comfortable on a barstool. She shot a glance at him before opening the fridge to find some breakfast. “You have a job, right?”
“Yep. That’s another thing that makes it perfect. I’m going to be the umbrella guy next door in front of the new resort. That’s my kind of commute.”
Hannah groaned as she thought of another stretch of beach being claimed by a rental vendor. But it was inevitable, and it meant Brant could actually pay his rent. She got out a jug of milk and grabbed a box of granola from the cabinet. “Have you eaten?”
“I’ve had my protein shake, yes.” Brant pushed up the sleeve of his t-shirt and flexed for her. “I’ve been doing double workouts to get ready for beach season. Are you regretting breaking up with me yet?”
“Amazingly, no.”
Hannah had just taken a bite of her granola when her phone rang, vibrating on the counter. She swallowed quickly when she saw it was Tonia and answered. “You got something for me?”
“Oh brother, do I. And it’s not a one-day thing. Some rich guy wants to hire a nanny for his six-year old daughter. You need to report over at the Seascape resort a.s.a.p.—and I do mean now. They want you there by eight o’clock. Ask for Brenda Maxwell.”
Hannah looked at the clock and gasped. She had less than fifteen minutes to get over there. “I’m on my way.” She grabbed a pen and wrote the name on the inside of her left arm.
It couldn’t be Carter, could it? No way was he old enough to have a six-year old. Then another thought occured to her. Was he married? Why hadn’t she looked for a ring?
“Ugh! What is wrong with me?”
“What?” Brant asked as he filched an apple from her fruit bowl.
“I’m just an idiot, that’s all. Look, I’ve got a job and I have like two minutes to get ready so you need to shove off.”
“So do I get the apartment?”
Hannah was already half-way to her bedroom. “Better the devil you know, I guess. And I just told you I was dumber than a stump.”
Running across the beach in the wind a few minutes later did nothing for her hair. She’d carried her sandals in her hand and stopped to wash the sand off her feet in the shallow end of one of Carter’s pools. Chuckling softly at her audacity, she strapped her leather sandals on her wet feet and went into the cool interior of the resort.
She looked around in awe at the lobby that looked like a lush tropical oasis with towering live palm trees and lush ferns and plants. The ceiling height went all the way to the top floor, so she got dizzy looking up. Looking around through all the lush greenery, fancy furniture, and waterfall features, she finally found the reception desk. Hurrying over, she said, “I’m here for an appointment with…” She paused to look at the name written on her arm, “Brenda Maxwell.”
The guy behind the counter nodded and picked up the house phone. Hannah wandered off and sat in a chair to wait. It was amazing how cool this place was with so much open space to keep air-conditioned. Thinking about what the electric bill must be staggered her. Before she could reflect further on how much money Carter must be laying out to get this place going, an older woman in a business suit came out of the elevator and approached her. She had a warm smile and a motherly figure, which put Hannah immediately at ease.
“Miss Rhodes?”
Standing, Hannah nodded and held out her hand. “Yes. Mrs. Maxwell?”
“Yes dear. Come with me, please.”
She took her up to the second floor, down a long hall and into a spacious office. “You can have a seat. I’ve spoken with the agency you currently work for and got a glowing recommendation. Also, your background check, references, and experience were all on file, so the only thing we need now is Mr. Ellis’s approval. He’ll be here in just a moment.”
Hannah’s thoughts scattered like dandelion seeds in the breeze. It was Carter. Well, that was likely it for her. No way was he going to hire her once he saw who she was.
She sat in her chair, trying to be her brave, confident self. But part of her kept trying to figure out the conundrum of the age of his daughter and why he’d been flirting with her on the beach this morning if he was married. Which were stupid things to be wondering about when the only thing that mattered was whether or not she could get a such a cushy summer job.
She heard the door open behind her and willed herself not to turn around and gape at Carter when she heard his footsteps coming toward her.
“Hello,” he said, from behind her. “Miss Rhodes, right?”
Taking a deep breath, Hannah stood and faced him. His mouth fell open, his hand hanging extended in the air to shake hers. He collected himself quickly. “If it isn’t the sea witch.”
She was glad for his teasing. It put her on her mettle. “Good morning, sand stealer. Nice to see you again.”