“Last I checked, this was a place of business,” Crew said, trying to sound gruff, but not pulling it off.

“Oh, quit your bellowing and join us for a smoke,” his father said as he scooted his chair over a bit so Crew could sit down. At this time in the afternoon, there were few patrons, and Crew had a chance to relax.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said accepting a cigar from his Uncle Joseph and lighting up. Leaning back in the chair, he noticed that all eyes were on him. The men were looking at him as if they’d weighed him and found him wanting.

“What?” he finally asked, not normally self-conscious, but struggling not to squirm under the heat of their stern gazes.

“We were just discussing you, boy, and wondering what the heck is wrong with you that you haven’t asked Haley to be your bride.”

Leave it to his father to come right to the point.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business. That goes for all of you.” Crew pointedly looked each of them in the eye, giving Marlin an extra look for good measure. But the man didn’t back down an inch — was Crew losing his touch?

“Well, of course it’s our business. We’re family and want to make sure you’re OK,” Joseph bellowed, blowing a thick plume of smoke from his mouth.

Crew had known of the man’s existence for only a couple of weeks and yet Joseph was already comfortable in his role as uncle. To Crew’s great surprise, he found he didn’t mind at all. He felt as if he’d known Joseph and George his entire life, and he was grateful to be a part of their family now.

“Not that I should admit this to any of you, but I won’t be letting Haley slip through my fingers. I may have made some stupid decisions in my younger years, but when you get your hands on a woman that good, you certainly don’t let her get away.”

“And besides, it’s about time I had grandkids…” Richard trailed off as Crew’s words registered in his ears. A huge smile broke out on his face as he looked at his eldest son.

Crew had never been a pathological people pleaser, but he felt a swell of pride at the slight sheen of tears in his dad’s eyes.

“Uh…well…that’s very good, Crew. I’m mighty proud of you,” Richard finally said as he clapped his boy on the back.

“What are you proud about, Dad?” Brielle asked as she joined them, plopping down in a chair and grabbing Crew’s cigar, much to his dismay.

“I thought you hated these,” he snapped as he tried to grab it back.

“I’m trying to broaden my horizons,” she said and she took in a puff, then doubled over as the smoke clogged her lungs.

“You’re not supposed to inhale, darling niece; just taste the sweet smoke on your tongue.” George patted her back and offered her some water.

“Thanks for the warning,” she gagged with a glare at Crew.

“You didn’t give me a chance,” he responded with a smirk as he took his cigar back. That would show her to take one of his.

“OK. OK. You got me. So what are you so proud about?” she asked again.

“Crew’s getting married,” Joseph piped in.

Crew looked around in a panic. “Shh. I haven’t talked to Haley about any of this, and no one said anything about marriage. I just said I wasn’t going to let her go,” he whispered.

“You’d better not plan on just shacking up with the girl. She’s a lady and deserves a ring on her finger,” George admonished him.

“You guys are so nosy,” Crew growled as he stood and smashed out his cigar in the ashtray. He’d best find Haley before the old men gave away his game plan. He would bet his fortune none of them could keep a secret. Why he’d said anything, he didn’t know.

“Well, we wouldn’t have to be if you weren’t such a blasted fool,” Richard called out.

Crew didn’t bother responding as their laughter followed him from the room. It was a good thing Marlin had kept quiet; otherwise, he might have canned him on the spot.

He wouldn’t have, of course, but it was a nice thought, anyway.

With a determined stride, Crew headed to his room. It was time to give Haley the romance she wanted. He had big plans for them, and the tighter he weaved his net, the more likely he’d be able to keep her stuck in it forever.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Several hours later Crew found Haley reading a book out back by one of the fire pits. He loved the way her face lit up when she came to a good part in a story, and the different ways her tears would fall during joyous and sorrowful scenes.

He didn’t even need to pick up the book. He could read it through her expressions alone. If only she were as easy to read when they talked. She had grown very good at masking her emotions in front of him.

He hoped by the end of the night she’d trust him enough never to do that again.

“Good evening, beautiful,” he said as he sat next to her and nuzzled her neck.

“Hi, Crew. Sorry I haven’t come up yet. I lost track of time.”

“It wasn’t too hard to find you. Are you ready?”

“Yes. I’m getting sleepy.”

Helping her stand, he wrapped his arm around her and began leading her toward the elevators.

“Did you have a good day?”

“Yes. I went golfing for the first time in my life. It’s a good thing your father and uncles are so patient; I was afraid they might throw me into one of the water traps. I’m terrible at it,” she told him with a laugh. “Correction. I’m very good at finding the water traps.”

“I’ll tell you a little secret. I’m terrible, too.”

He could see she didn’t believe him.

“You know those old men are crazy about you. I thought there for a while that I might have to fight my father for you. He’s pretty infatuated.”

“Oh, I love them, Crew. They are all so funny and kind. Whenever I dreamed of having a father, I imagined him being the perfect mixture of all three of them. They may bark pretty loudly, but they all have hearts of gold, and are really just big softies,” she said with a sigh.

Crew was grateful she loved his family so much. Now that he’d found his way back home again, he could never settle down with a woman who didn’t think family was just as important as their relationship. They went hand in hand.

If you had family, Crew believed, but no one by your side to love, you were only half a person. It went both ways, though. If you had true love, but no family to come home, too, you were still only half a person. To feel the full effect of a happily-ever-after, you needed your true love and your family to keep you standing strong. They were the ones who’d hold your hand in a storm, fall to their knees with you when the rest of the world let you down — they were everything that made you a whole person.

Poor Haley had gone so many years without that special bond. And though he’d had it all along, for years he’d taken for granted those who mattered most. At least it wasn’t too late for either of them.

They reached the room, and he slowly opened the door and ushered her inside. She stopped in her tracks.

Crew was proud of himself. Since he wanted to uproot her life, he’d gone all out to make this night special, do it the correct way. Nothing but scented candles lit the room; they cast dancing shadows on the wall and released the sweet scent of jasmine in the air.

A table was set in the middle of the room with silver and crystal and the finest bottle of champagne he could get his hands on. A menu of cold salad, lobster fettuccine and chocolate mousse was ready to be served when they were, and overflowing vases of flowers sat on the two end tables. A few roses lay across her plate.

“What is the occasion?” she asked in a whisper. She looked up at him with gleaming eyes.

Yes, he’d done well, he thought as he pulled her close.

“Every day I’m with you is an occasion to celebrate,” he told her, surprised by how much he meant the words.

“Crew, you make me melt,” she said as she kissed him in appreciation.

Before he got lost in her touch, he led her to the table, where he picked up one of the delicate flutes and poured a glass of the sparkling wine.

“To yesterday, today, and tomorrow. May each and every day we face be as magical as this very moment,” he offered as a toast, and she clinked her glass against his.

He held out her chair and had her sit, then moved around to the other side of the table so he could relish her every expression and gesture. When he watched her pick up her fork with her long, slender fingers and begin to nibble on her salad with her luscious mouth and tiny white teeth, moaning her approval, his body had no choice but to tighten.

He had to remind himself again that there was a purpose to this night. Yes, he planned on getting her into bed afterward, but he needed her to accept his offer to move with him. He refused to leave the island without her.

Feeling the inside of his pocket, where a small velvet box rested against his heart, he couldn’t believe he was working up a sweat. Why on earth was he so nervous?

Because, for once in his life he was going into something to which he didn’t know the outcome. He normally never gambled on anything; he was all about guaranteed wins. With Haley, although he felt that she loved him, what if he were simply seeing what he so desperately wanted to see?

She spoke of her fears, but Crew found himself the one now afraid — afraid of losing her. It was unthinkable.

“The resort has sold,” he told her. “The papers were signed today and the new owners will take over at the end of this month.”

Haley’s fork clattered to her plate. She quickly picked it back up and threw him one of her trademark fake smiles.

“That is wonderful, Crew. I’m very happy for you,” she said, her voice almost convincing.

He didn’t understand why she was upset. He’d told her for months this was in progress. Was she that attached to Catalina Island? If she was, he could most likely find another development property nearby. Not on the island, as he’d signed a non-compete clause, saying he wouldn’t build another resort there that could possibly be better than this one. But the California mainland was only twenty-two miles away, and he could easily commute to another spot on the coastline to do what was now his passion, restoration.

“Is everything OK, Haley? You seem a little...I don’t know…”

“I’m very happy for you, Crew. Very happy,” she said, rising from the table. When her arms twisted around his neck and she sat on his lap, he didn’t fight her; nor did he when her lips moved over his.

But after a few moments, he pulled back and tried to get the situation under control. Sex would come later. Right now, he had a very important question.

“Make love to me,” she pleaded, and she wiggled herself against him. This was hard; he was hard. Harder. Hardest. No! He couldn’t do this right now. He had to think. The night was planned out for a reason.

“Haley…” he groaned as her breasts pushed into his chest and her fingers began undoing his shirt.

“No more talking, Crew. Make love to me,” she demanded as she slipped from his lap and knelt before him, unbuttoning his pants and freeing his pulsing arousal.