Sunsets At Pelican Beach (Pelican Beach Book 2)

by Michele Gilcrest

  Sunsets At Pelican Beach

  Pelican Beach Series Book Two

  Michele Gilcrest

  Contents

  Forward

  1. Lexi

  2. Payton

  3. Cole

  4. Payton

  5. Payton

  6. Rebecca

  7. Payton

  8. Payton

  9. Lexi

  10. Rebecca

  11. Payton

  12. Cole

  13. Rebecca

  14. Payton

  15. Cole

  16. Payton

  17. Epilogue: Payton

  Also by Michele Gilcrest

  Forward

  Welcome!

  Thank you for purchasing Sunsets At Pelican Beach. If you haven’t read book one in the series, The Inn At Pelican Beach, be sure to read it first.

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  Copyright © 2020 by Michele Gilcrest

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Lexi

  Cole and his crew carefully carried in the granite for my parents' new center island. Once it was in place, he stood back, admiring the cut and gliding his hand along the surface. She chose the most elegant European granite that Cole could find. It was just like her to spare no expense. Dad gave his stamp of approval but really didn't care about the details. I stood nearby in the dining area, admiring his skills and other aspects of him as I prepared lunch. In a little while, I'd head back to the boutique, but not before seeing to it that Cole had everything he needed.

  "Lexi, that's quite a spread you have there," he said.

  As a client and long time friend of Cole’s family, I thought it was only right to take good care.

  "Yes, I made it for you and the crew. I thought you might need a little fuel to help you get through the rest of the day."

  "I know the guys will appreciate it. You really didn't have to do this. I'm sure you're already busy with running the boutique. Coming over here during the day and feeding us is way beyond your call of duty."

  "It's no big deal. I promised I would be here to help Mom oversee things whenever she couldn't be here."

  Cole whistled for the crew members working outside to get their attention.

  "Everybody, Miss Donovan has some food here for you. I'll take care of the counter while you guys go ahead and take a lunch break."

  He turned back toward me.

  "You're going to have some, too, aren't you? There's a variety to choose from. Over here, you have turkey or ham and cheese on croissants, and then you also have…"

  "Thank you, Lexi. I appreciate it. I really do. However, my girlfriend, Payton, should be stopping by any moment now. Usually, once a week, she whips together a surprise lunch for me. I'd hate to disappoint her by spoiling my appetite."

  "Oh, I see. That's awfully nice of her. Does she make it a habit to come to your worksite?"

  "She doesn't stay long. My clients don't normally have an issue with it, but if it's a problem, I can call her."

  "Oh, no. Don't be silly. I wouldn't give it another thought. I'll just lay the tray of food over here, so it doesn't interfere with your workspace."

  I laid the tray on a table that was out of the way. I was irritated at the idea of Payton stopping by. I didn't want his time at the house to end without me telling Cole that I was in love with him. With a little encouragement, hopefully, he'd realize that I was perfect for him. We were perfect for each other.

  "Cole, I have to get ready to head back to the boutique. My mother and I are swapping this afternoon. I'm covering the boutique while she'll be here with the crew. Before I go, I was wondering if you heard about the fundraiser that we're hosting for the young boys and girls club?"

  "No, I wasn't aware."

  "It's going to be a huge event. All of the proceeds will go to the children. We thought it would be a great way to give back to the community. Hopefully, if we can get all the locals with deep pockets to participate, we can raise enough funds to provide school supplies, activities, and new clothing to the children this year."

  "Well, that certainly sounds like a good cause. I'm all for anything that will benefit the kids."

  "I figured you would be. I was thinking this might be a good opportunity for you and your daughter, Emmie, to get involved. I know how much she loves to help out.”

  "Really? What did you have in mind?"

  "Mom wants to have a live auction at the fundraiser. She's been in touch with quite a few business owners to ask them to donate some of their services."

  Cole leaned back on the counter and folded his arms.

  "That makes sense for businesses like the bakery that could offer a free gift basket, or the nail salon that could offer a… what do you ladies call it?"

  "A mani-pedi?" I said.

  "Yes, a mani-pedi or a spa day. But I'm not sure my business falls in line with all of the other services."

  "Yes, but there is something else you could offer."

  "And what's that?"

  "Perhaps a small donation and spreading the word around Pelican Beach, of course. But even more importantly, we want you to be there with sweet Emmie."

  "Oh, Lexi, I'm happy to give a donation, but I don't know about…"

  "Now, now. Think about how helpful it would be for you to attend and mingle with the town officials. Come on. You know them all on a first-name basis because they all speak highly of your renovation work. Your reputation spreads beyond Pelican Beach and is well known here in Naples as well."

  "Yes, but.."

  "And... perhaps if you're there, you can encourage the donors to give up a little bit more money for the fundraiser. Emmie can help out with the games, and you can feel good in knowing you did it for a great cause. It's a win-win for all!"

  He stood scratching his rugged beard. I knew I was starting to warm him up to the idea by his slowly emerging smile. I think deep down, Cole always did have an interest in me. All I needed was a little more time, and Payton Matthews would be a thing of the past.

  "Lexi, you sure do drive a hard bargain."

  "Yes, but a hard bargain for a very good cause. Wouldn't you agree?"

  "Yesss, you can sign me up. But only under one condition."

  "Anything, you name it."

  I stood in front of him, trying to look as irresistible as possible.

  "No tricks on the day of the fundraiser, Lexi. I mean it. You're not putting me in a dunking tank, I'm not going on any dates, and I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm just there to show support."

  "You got it. Note to self. No dunking tanks and no dates, for now."

  "Lexiiiii."

  "Just kidding." I adjusted the collar on his shirt, which was a little out of place.

  "In the meantime, be sure to ask Emmie to think about if she'd prefer to help with games or the cotton candy booth."

  "Ha, that's a no brainer, but I'll let her know."

  His daughter Emmie was the cutest little thing. She always looked so darling in the dresses that we sent her from the boutique. I'm confident it wouldn't be hard to win her affection as a stepmother. My family has known Emmie and Cole's mother for years. Yet another advantage to add to the list if you ask me.

  Just then, the doorbell rang.

  "That's probably Payton," he sai
d.

  It was all I could do not to grit my teeth. I mean, could the man work in peace without having her checking on him? Or maybe she was here to check on me? Either way, if she wanted to come by and see what was going on, I'd be happy to give her a little show.

  "I'll get the door." I offered.

  I noticed him catching a glimpse of me as I walked out of the kitchen. It was probably my new dress that hugged my silhouette just so. Through the stained glass, I could see Miss Perfect standing with a bag in one hand and a cooler in another. I opened the door.

  "Payton, darling. How are you?"

  She gave me a fake smile and seemed rather shocked.

  "Hi, Lexi. I'm pretty good. How are you doing?"

  "Oh, I can't complain. And if I did, no one would listen anyway. It's been a while. I don't think I've seen you since our last photo shoot."

  I let her continue to stand just outside of the door, hoping that she would get the message that I didn't want her to come in.

  "Let me guess. Is all of this for Cole?"

  "Yes, it is. I normally surprise him with lunch when my schedule allows."

  She proceeded to step inside the house, but I shifted so she couldn't get past me.

  "Lunch. Yes, that's right. He mentioned that you'd be stopping by. Unfortunately, the kitchen is literally in shambles right now. Cole asked me to thank you and to collect the lunch, so you didn't have to get in harm's way."

  Those weren't his exact words, but there was no harm in keeping her out of a kitchen that was under construction.

  "Well, I normally say a quick hello. It won't take but a minute,” Payton said.

  "It's fine. You can hand everything over to me. I'll be sure he gets it. Mom would have a nervous breakdown if she thought someone was in her kitchen and could potentially get hurt."

  She finally handed over the bag and the cooler.

  "Do me a favor, Lexi. Please tell Cole that I packed all of his favorites and ask him to give me a call when he has a chance."

  "Certainly. Don't worry; I'll get right on it."

  Behind her, I could see the palm trees starting to sway and some dark clouds rolling in.

  "Oh, Payton, it looks like a storm is heading in. You should be on your way. Be safe, dear."

  Since my hands were full, I closed the door with my foot and returned to the kitchen.

  "Lunch is here."

  "Awesome, where's Payton?" Cole was looking beyond where I was standing.

  "There's an awful storm kicking up, so she had to run. She did ask me to give you this contraption of a cooler, and this bag."

  "Thanks. I'm surprised she didn't want to come in. Even if it was only to say a quick hello, she didn't say anything else?"

  "No. I'm sure she was concerned about heading back before the storm lets loose."

  "Hmm."

  "Well, you go ahead and eat. I'm going to check on my mother and let her know she may want to delay heading back until the storm passes."

  He bit into his apple while glancing out the kitchen window.

  "Yeah, I guess I didn't do a good enough job at checking the forecast."

  I really had my work cut out for me if I was going to win Cole over. It seemed completely unfair that Payton would just show up in the last year and serve as a distraction. After his wife's passing, I provided an ear to listen and a shoulder when he needed it most. That's okay. She may be a little setback to my plans, but my mother didn't raise a little weakling.

  Payton

  It wasn't like Cole to not say hello when I stopped by to bring him lunch. And it certainly wasn't like him not to call me. I'd have to deal with all that later on. For now, I had one week until the grand opening of my photography store, and I was feeling pretty anxious. My dream was finally coming to fruition, and all I could do was worry. What if no one showed up for the grand opening? What if my shipment for the front display didn't arrive on time? I had so many thoughts swimming around in my head. Thankfully, Abby my sister, was here to help keep me sane.

  "Would you like me to hang your new welcome sign on the front door?" Abby held the sign up, admiring the handcrafted beauty.

  "Yes, that would be perfect. Thanks, Ab."

  "Sure. I really think things are starting to come together. "

  "Do you think?"

  "Yes, Payton, you have to stop being so hard on yourself. Seriously, when I arrived today, I was expecting this place to be a mess, according to your description. But instead, it's just like the name of the store, 'Picture Perfect.' "

  "Aww, thanks, Abby. It feels like I live here as of late, so I would hope it's starting to have the resemblance of a real business."

  I managed to get a good deal on renting the store Cole discovered. Its location was not far from the center of town. I was surprised to see the place was still vacant. It turned out, the owner had taken the for rent sign down and was considering selling instead. We worked out a deal, and with a little help, this place was really starting to look nice.

  "Payton, I'm going to give you a pass to work long hours now because you're just getting things up and running. After the opening, you have to promise me you're going to set decent hours for yourself."

  I nodded but wasn't sure how realistic that would be.

  "You do understand that I'm running this place by myself, right?"

  "Understood. But, plans are in place to hire part-time help. You don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, but just recall the times we used to practically live at the Inn as little kids. Remember the long hours Mom and Dad used to work?"

  "Yes, I can also recall it eventually paid off for them."

  She walked over and rested her hands on my shoulders.

  "Not before having an impact on Dad's health and forcing them into retirement."

  "True."

  Abby returned to breaking down boxes and popping bubble wrap.

  "Besides, you have a love life to attend to and a potential step-daughter to spend time with."

  I stared at the position of the coo-coo clock nestled in the corner.

  "You're rather quiet over there. Is everything okay with you and Cole?"

  "Everything is good, I guess."

  "You guess? Alright, spill the beans. Something's bothering you. I know that sound when I hear it."

  "It's nothing, really."

  Abby gave me a blank stare. Probably because she knew I was a terrible liar.

  "Everything is fine with Cole. It's Lexi that I'm concerned about."

  "Lexi Donovan?"

  "The one and only. She and her mother, who I affectionately refer to as Cruella, are on a mission to destroy our relationship."

  I didn't know this to be a fact, but it sure did feel like it.

  "I remember you saying something about them back when Mrs. Donovan was your client. That was a while ago. I thought surely everyone had moved on by now."

  "Well, I guess I didn't mention it before now, but they persuaded Cole to do Mrs. Donovan's kitchen renovation."

  "Persuaded? Come on, Payton. He is in the renovation business to make money. I'm sure all she had to do was call and book an appointment just like everyone else."

  "Not so. Cole has been overbooked for months and kept telling her he wasn't sure he would be able to take on the job. He even went as far as offering some good recommendations of other companies that he works with on occasion. But nooo. Mrs. Donovan doesn't take no for an answer. I know first hand because it took forever for me to finally wrap up the photography job I had with her. That woman acted as if she was going to make me a permanent part of the staff."

  "Okay,” she said.

  "They sent Emmie clothing from the boutique to kiss up to Cole until he eventually caved in and said yes. Prior to him agreeing, she used to send Lexi over to his house to 'butter him up,' as she would say. And to make matters worse, Mrs. Donovan came right out and told me she thought Lexi was a good fit for Cole. As if she didn't already know we were dating."

  "Now, that's a bit muc
h!"

  "Do you think?"

  Abby put down the bubble wrap and rested her hand on her hips.

  "Did you tell Cole?"

  "Why? So I could risk looking like a jealous new girlfriend? Absolutely not! Besides, I didn't want to start giving Cole the impression that I didn't trust him. It's bad enough that I have trust issues from a failed marriage."

  "Makes sense. But that was last year, Payton. If this is still going on, maybe you need to find a gentle way to bring it up."

  "I'm two steps ahead of you! After what happened today, I'm definitely going to bring it up. I went over to their house to drop off his lunch just as I would normally do whenever I have the spare time. He's always welcomed the idea of me bringing lunch, and his clients never complain about it."

  "Let me guess. Lexi was there?"

  "Not only was she there, but she took the food, wouldn't let me in, and practically slammed the door in my face."

  A slightly exaggerated version, but it's the principle that matters.

  "Cole didn't come looking for you?"

  "No. But only God knows what she may have told him."

  "True," Abby said.

  The telephone rang and startled the both of us. We laughed at the old push-button phone. It sounded like an alarm clock, but the vintage look fell right in line with my parlor theme.

  I paused to clear my throat. "Picture Perfect."

  "Payton, oh, I'm so glad I caught you."

  "Mom? Are you okay?"

  "Your father is missing. Please tell me either you or Abby have heard from him?"

  "I haven't spoken to Dad since I left the house this morning. What's going on?"

  "Is Abby with you?"

  "Yes, she's been here with me for most of the day."

  Abby was mouthing to me in the background, "What's wrong?"