Lana was in her office meeting with her sisters in preparation for the evening’s fish fry. Their father had returned and wanted to thank the town for looking after his girls while he’d been gone. Whenever Lloyd left, the neighbors would make sure that the Inn was safe and that the Sable sisters were in need of nothing. They were beloved in the town and returned that love.
A light knock on the door had all three women looking up before Lana stood to answer. Opening the door, she froze at the man on the other side.
“Jamal, really?” she asked and her sisters turned to see what was going on.
Jamal smiled and entered the office with another floral arrangement. “Your dude is a good customer.”
The women watched as he sat the flowers on the desk.
“I have to tell Derek to stop this,” Lana said shaking her head.
Jamal turned to her with a frown. “Nah, don’t do that.”
Lorna hid a smile as the conversation continued.
“Jamal, I can’t have him spending his money like this,” Lana argued.
“He has an order in for every day, for the next month, Lana.” Jamal informed her. “Don’t make ME lose money.”
Lana froze. “Derek has you bringing me flowers every day this month?”
Jamal nodded. “Yeah, and I don’t get many orders like that.”
Lena laughed. “Don’t mess up the man’s business Lana. Let your man be a big baller.”
Lana frowned at her sister. “He doesn’t have to do this.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Lorna said and Jamal winked at her.
Lana took her seat and stared at the arrangement. “You’re really good at this now, Jamal. They’re beautiful.”
He smiled. “Thanks Lana, I don’t know what I would’ve have done without the Inn’s business.”
“We believe in you,” Lorna said quietly, and Lena looked at her sister.
“Yes, we do Jamal.” Lena agreed. “Although, clearly some more than others.”
Lorna flushed and Lana shook her head thinking about Derek. This man had actually ordered a month’s worth of deliveries to her. Who does something like that? This brother right here…
“Are we cool, Lana?” Jamal asked, bringing her back to the present.
“Yes, we’re cool.” She stood to her feet. “Don’t say I’ve never done anything for you,” she teased him.
“I could never say that,” he affirmed.
He looked at Lena and Lorna. “Bye beautiful sisters.”
“Bye, Jamal…” Lena said turning back to her work.
“Lorna, I left something for you at the desk,” he told her with a smile.
“Thank you, bye Jamal.”
He walked out the door and Lana closed it behind him while Lena glanced at the beaming Lorna.
“I swear, you two are a reality show.”
Lana took her seat again. “Let’s get back to business. Daddy is out catching the fish, so we need to take care of everything else for tonight.”
“Is Derek coming down for the fish fry?” Lorna asked.
“I haven’t spoken with him yet today.”
Lena smiled. “If Lana’s there, he’ll be there.”
“That’s true,” Lorna agreed.
Lana picked up her pen. “Let me worry about Derek.”
“Don’t mess this up, Lana,” Lena warned.
“Uh, excuse me?” Lana asked lifting an arched brow.
Lena wasn’t deterred. “I know you, and I know how you operate. Give that man a chance.”
“Since when did you become a love doctor?” Lana questioned. “You don’t even know anything about him.”
“I know that you’re feeling him,” Lena countered. “And he’s doing the same.”
“So…”
Lena sighed. “So don’t cut it off before it can begin. You’ll start analyzing and making lists of why you shouldn’t be with him, and then you’ll make a decision to protect yourself.”
“Damn Lena, I just met the man.” Lana protested.
“I’m not saying you’re going to marry him, but at least enjoy yourself Lana. Men like Derek don’t walk through these doors every day,” Lena told her. “Men who make arrangements to send you flowers every day and meets you at the pool to hold your hand and talk until the sun rises.”
Lana frowned. “You were watching us?”
“I told him there were cameras.”
“Lena!” Lorna exclaimed.
Lena shrugged. “It’s a public place.”
Lana shook her head. “Thank you for ruining that experience.”
“I’m not even going to ask what you did when you moved out of camera range,” Lena said with a smirk.
Lorna turned to her sister. “Lana!”
******
Lloyd stopped the cart near the water and climbed out. Moving to the back he grabbed two fishing poles, a bucket and a box as Derek joined him. Handing him one of the rods, Lloyd carried the bucket down to the water’s edge.
Derek followed slowly and when he got to the water, began to prepare his line as Lloyd watched. “Live bait?” Derek asked and Lloyd nodded then pointed towards the box.
“Cool.” Derek opened the bait and went about his business of catching fish. Lloyd watched in appreciation before joining him.
“Who taught you how to fish?” Lloyd asked.
Derek laughed. “Believe it or not, my Grandma. She helped my mother raise us until she passed away.”
“She must’ve been an expert because she taught you well,” Lloyd complimented.
“I’m rusty. I can’t remember the last time I fished, most of my time is spent in meetings.” Derek confessed.
“Lana tells me that you’re a Political Campaign Manager. That’s an interesting career.”
“My oldest sister is a Law Professor. I’ve looked up to her all my life. She taught me about law and the Constitution, then sent me on my path. I work mostly with black candidates, because I understand the need of representation for our people,” Derek explained.
“Politics weren’t created with us in mind, but it affects every aspect of our lives,” Lloyd agreed.
Derek looked out over the water. “I don’t think people realize just how much it does. The laws of the land control everything we do, from our finances to our freedom.”
Lloyd nodded in agreement before the two men went silent, each in their own thoughts about the plight of people who looked like them, until both their lines jumped. Each man skillfully reeled in their catch and added them to the bucket.
Laughing, Lloyd said, “Two down, and about twenty to go.”
Derek turned to him. “Twenty?”
“The people like fish.”
Shrugging, Derek prepared his line again and the two went back to fishing.
“So when are you going to ask me about your daughter?” Derek asked watching the sun shimmer on the ripples of water.
“I was waiting for you to tell me.” Lloyd answered.
Derek smiled. “She’s a lot like you, I can tell already.”
Lloyd smiled as well. “Yes, she is.”
“I’ve asked to spend time with her and she’s agreed,” Derek explained. “Other than that, we have to see where it leads.”
Looking around the scenery, Lloyd said, “She loves this land.”
“She’s told me, and I understand why she does.” Derek squinted against the sun.
“Are you looking to be in a relationship right now?” Lloyd questioned. “Seems like your job is going to demand a lot of your attention. This fiasco in Washington has the entire country in an uproar.”
Derek looked over at Lloyd. “Honestly, I was looking to rest and recuperate after a mudslinging Presidential election that exposed both parties, but I ended up here. I met Lana, and now the possibilities are endless.”
“Initially, I thought she was beautiful and each day I’m finding out that she’s so much more.” Derek finished and turned back to the water.
“Every meeting doesn’t development into a long term relationship,” Lloyd began. “As long as both of you are enjoying it, then I have no business there, but if she begins to hurt…it’s time to move on.”
“I agree sir,” Derek said quietly. “I’d never want to hurt Lana and if by some chance my actions did that, you wouldn’t have to tell me to make my exit.”
“There’d be a long line waiting for you, if you didn’t.”
Derek smiled. “I’ve gathered that, and I’m impressed that Lana has such a support system. It shows what an incredible woman she is, that so many people are willing to throw the paws on her behalf.”
Lloyd laughed. “Just so you know, Mrs. Langston is good with knives,” he warned.
“I’ll keep that in mind…”
******
After meeting with her sisters and working on a new hospitality plan, Lana made her way to the kitchen to check on the preparations. She ran into Mrs. Langston first.
“Do you need some help?” Lana asked.
Mrs. Langston looked at her. “Since when do I need help in this kitchen?”
Lana put her hands up. “I’m sorry!”
“Go check on the outside and make sure it’s how you want it setup, then make sure Jamal is putting those flowers on the tables and not staring at your sister,” Mrs. Langston said, swatting Lana lightly with another towel.
“Yes, ma’am.” Lana said laughing.
Heading outside to where the large fryer was set up along with covered tables and room for the local band and DJ to play, Lana was pleased with everything…including the flowers on the table. She looked around for her sister and Jamal as her father and Derek appeared. She watched Derek carrying a bucket of fish while her father had a string of them in his hand.
“There’s my pretty daughter,” Lloyd greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. “As you can see, I had some help with the fish today.”
“I thought Mr. Langston was going with you?”
Lloyd smiled. “Change of plans.” He glanced at Derek. “I’ll take those and get them cleaned up.”
Derek handed the bucket to Lloyd with a smile. “Thanks for the help,” Lloyd told Derek.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Derek replied. “I enjoyed it.”
Lloyd nodded and disappeared inside the building with the load for dinner. Lana stepped closer to Derek and he automatically stepped back, causing her to frown.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I probably smell like a bucket of fish right now,” he explained.
Lana smiled and stepped closer again. “I’ve smelled fish all my life.”
Derek stared down at her. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I thought you were resting in your room, I had no idea my Daddy dragged you out fishing.”
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Derek confessed.
“Did he play the Daddy card?” Lana questioned.
Derek nodded. “Of course, I expected it.”
She looked away. “Sorry about that, as you can tell…we have no secrets at the Sable Inn.”
“The people here are amazing, I see why you never want to leave,” Derek told her.
Lana looked around. “Yeah, it’s pretty wonderful here.”
“I should go take a shower, so I can get back down here for the festivities,” Derek said quietly and she returned her gaze to his.
“You’re coming down?”
“It’s where you’ll be.”
She smiled at him. “I’ll be working.”
Derek shrugged. “Then I’ll be watching you.”
“I’d rather you enjoy yourself and have a good time. The whole town will be here.”
He nodded. “Okay.” Derek walked past her and headed towards the building while Lana watched his stride in jeans and dark T-Shirt.
“Hey!” she called and he turned.
“You look nice, even smelling like fish.”
Derek smiled. “I’ll see you soon, Lana Sable.”
After watching him disappear, Lana began her duties as the people began to arrive. She greeted them all as the party began. The smell of fresh fish frying, along with band playing kicked off the evening as Lana welcomed their neighbors and her book club members.
“Do not even ask about Derek,” she warned Nadia when she arrived.
Nadia laughed. “I’ll just look at him…and your Daddy.”
“Girl, go sit down.” Lana told her and pointed to an empty table.
When Lloyd Sable appeared the women swooned and the Sable sisters smiled. They knew their Daddy was a fine man and was proud to call him their father. They watched him make his way around, greeting the guest and being welcomed like a king.
Chatting with the locals, Lana discretely watched the door for the man she was waiting for. When Derek arrived dressed in dark slacks and a casual shirt, she smiled. Lana realized that any woman would be proud to call Derek Wells her man because he knew how to command attention.
Lana watched as every female eye locked on the tall man in the doorway while he scanned the area. His eyes found his target and the smile that lit his face made every woman wish that she was the object of his attention. Lana returned his smile then went inside to check on the food.
After causing his own small scene, Derek moved to an empty table and took a seat. When he looked up Lana’s book club was waving at him, so he waved back. Derek was surprised when they all moved over to his table with their drinks.
“Hi Derek!” they greeted.
“Uh, hi…”
Nadia leaned in. “Lana’s working so we’ll keep you company.”
He looked at the trio. “Okay…”
“So are you enjoying your stay at the Sable Inn?” Debra asked.
Derek smiled. “Yes, I am…very much.”
“The Sables are good people,” Tiffany told him. “Everybody around here loves them.”
He saw Lana’s sisters and father dancing and mingling. “Yeah, they are good people.”
Lana returned and headed over to the table. “Good evening Derek, I see you’ve gained an entourage.”
“Girl, we just keeping the other ones away,” Nadia told her.
“Thanks Nadia,” Lana turned her attention to Derek. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Derek smiled. “You always know what I like.”
“I think so,” she replied silkily. “I’ll be back with that.”
Her friends watched her go then turned to Derek. “No you don’t have Miss Lana Sable flirting her ass off…” Nadia told him.
Derek laughed. “I take it that she doesn’t do that often.”
“If often is never,” Debra commented.
“You two should be nice,” Tiffany admonished them. “Let Lana do her thing. It’s romantic.”
Nadia rolled her eyes. “Girl, do you live in a romance novel?”
“I wish I did,” Tiffany answered.
Lana returned with a beer for Derek and looked at her friends. “I swear you all had better be on your best behavior out here.”
She handed the bottle to him and he thanked her. “Thank you, your friends are fine.”
“We’ll be serving the fish soon,” she told them. “Until then, enjoy yourselves.”
Lana looked at Nadia. “But not too much.”
All the women laughed as she excused herself to accommodate other guests. Derek sat back and watched Lana in her element. She was as gracious as she was beautiful and her smile melted everyone’s heart, including his.
Sipping his beer, he was content until Lorna arrived with a basket of hot fish for the table then he and the women dug in. Derek had to admit this was the best fish he’d eaten in a long time. The food, the drinks and the atmosphere had everyone in a mellow mood.
All the fish was cooked and served before the real partying began. The DJ got everyone to the floor for an old fashioned hustle and Derek found himself next to Lana in the dance line. She smiled at him as they executed the moves to the music blaring through the speakers.
When the dance ended, she looked up at him. “Having a good time?”
He nodded at her. “One of the best I’ve had in a while.”
She glanced around as everyone was heading back to their tables. “Thanks to you, we had more than enough fish.”
Derek began to walk with her back to his table. “I think your father is responsible for most of them. I did what I could.”
“I think the fish just gravitate to Daddy. He always catches more than anybody around here,” Lana told him.
“That’s good to know,” Derek said holding out a chair for her.
Lana took the seat and looked at the other three women. “So, my friends, have you ran Derek away from here?”
Derek took a sip of his drink. “Not that easily.”
“I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of Derek,” Nadia said giving Debra a look.
“I agree,” Debra added, taking a sip of her own drink.
Lana smiled. “I’m glad you all came out. It’s a beautiful night.”
Tiffany leaned in to Lana. “You should take Derek on a midnight river stroll. Remember how we used to do those?”
Derek lifted a brow and waited for Lana’s answer. “I may do that.”
Lana saw Mrs. Langston in the doorway and got to her feet. “Sorry, duty calls. I’ll see you all later.”
Lana and her sisters went to close down the kitchen and eventually the guests began to depart for the evening. Seeing everyone out and clearing the tables, Lana rushed to finish up so that she could possibly meet up with Derek.
When she returned to the outdoor area from seeing off the last of the guests, he was nowhere in sight. Frowning, she went to the desk and called his room. Getting no answer, Lana wondered if he had gone to bed. It had been a long day and they’d stayed up all night, last night.
Lana contemplated going up to knock on his door, but decided against it and just to head home instead.
“Hey Lana, Daddy’s started a poker game in the lounge,” Lena informed her. “So the guys are handling the front desk tonight from there.”
“Who’s all at the game?” Lana asked.
“He rounded up Willie, Mr. Langston, Jamal, and Derek.”
Lana blinked. “Daddy has Derek playing poker? He’s a guest.”
Lena shrugged. “I think Daddy is falling for Derek more than you. He stole his heart when he knew how to fish. You know Jamal can’t catch a boot and Mr. Langston just lies about how many fish he caught.”
Lana pouted. “I wanted to see Derek tonight.”
“You’d better step your game up ‘cause Daddy’s got dibs.”
“Goodnight Lena.”
Lena put her arm around her sister. “Come on, let’s get Lorna and walk home together. You can come and hang out with us until your man is free.”
“I’m going to have to let Daddy know,” Lana said plainly. “This is not a threesome.”
Lena waved a hand. “Girl, you don’t know nothing about threesomes.”
Lana frowned. “You don’t either Lena. You may fool Lorna with all that talk, but I know you too.”
Lena laughed. “We’ll see.”
The sisters found Lorna inventorying the leftover food then the trio walked to where their houses were located.
******
Derek collected his measly winnings and headed to his room in the wee hours of the morning. Lloyd Sable was not only a great fisherman, he was apparently also a card shark. Had it not been for the fact that both Jamal and Willie were terrible players, Derek wouldn’t have won any money at all. That and the fact that Mr. Langston could barely see his cards.
Entering his room, Derek checked his watch and sighed at the late hour. He’d missed Lana at the pool, and any hopes of that midnight river stroll were gone with the soon rising of the sun. He saw the light blinking on his phone and picked it up to listen to the messages.
When Derek heard Lana’s voice, he sat on the edge of the bed.
“So, I understand you’re playing poker tonight. I hope you have a good game. I have to say that I missed you tonight and maybe if you’re not too tired, we can talk when you get in. You can call me through the attendant, just ask to be connected to my line.”
“If not, I hope I’ll see you tomorrow.” The message ended.
Derek looked at his watch again, then kicked off his shoes before dialing the attendant.
“Yes, Mr. Wells?”
“Can you connect me to Lana Sable?”
“Yes sir, have a good night.”
Derek heard the phone ring a few times until a sexy, sleepy voice answered.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to wake you up this late.”
Lana rubbed her eyes. “Derek?”
“Yes, go back to sleep. I’ll talk to you later.”
She sat up. “Nooo…I want to talk to you. How was the game?”
“Your father won just about everybody’s money,”
Lana smiled. “That’s usually how it goes.”
“I wish you would’ve warned me.”
“I didn’t know you played poker…or fished.”
Derek laid across the bed. “I haven’t done either in a long, long time.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did, but not nearly as much as I enjoy being with you.”
She ran a hand down her face. “You’re supposed to be here resting and we’re keeping you up all night.”
“I don’t mind.” He told her. “How was your day?”
“I worked on some new hospitality plans that I may want to implement here at the Inn.”
He nodded. “Like what?”
Lana glanced at her clock and smiled. “It’s like four in the morning. I’m not about to bore you with my work plans.”
“I’m interested in knowing what you do and how you do it. We talk about my work all the time.”
“How about I let you get some sleep and later this afternoon, I can show you my office and tell you my ideas?” she offered.
“I’d like that.”
Lana laid back against the pillows. “Yeah, I’d like that too.”
“Why don’t you tell me some other things that you’d like?” he asked in a sexy tone.
She stretched out in her bed. “How much time do you have?”
“For you, all the time in the world.”
She couldn’t contain her smile. “I forgot to thank you for the flowers today. Jamal told me that you’ve order them to be delivered every day for the next month.”
“Is that a problem?”
Lana sighed. “Derek that is crazy.”
“Then Lana Sable has made me that way.”
“You’ve never been crazy before?” she inquired.
He laughed. “I’m at an Inn, in the middle of nowhere for a month, spending a fortune on flowers and putting my entire career on hold to be with you.”
“Hell no, I’ve never been this crazy before.” He told her.
“I guess you kind of like me, huh?” she teased.
“Lana, I want to like the hell out of you, repeatedly…”
She gasped then recovered, feeling a warmth go through her body. “So, uh…yeah, this is some of what I like…”
Derek took detailed mental notes of her every word.