She moved aside and helped him fold the blanket. He was quiet. Was this a mistake? Was he afraid his parents would reject his idea and give their business to Valerie and Ryan? Cut him out completely? She couldn’t think of any parent being that cold, but then, her only experience with them had been at the restaurant. And she had destroyed his new responsible image for them.
“No!” Not paying attention, Kinsley had turned too quick and lost her footing, the blanket became airborne and then landed halfway in the water.
“Kinsley, are you okay?” Logan ran to help her from the ocean waves, his sneakers getting wet in the process.
“My ego’s hurt, but that’s fixable.”
Instead of grabbing Logan’s arm when she reached out while fighting the next round of waves, Kinsley road in the air because Logan took her in his arms and carried her to shore. Kinsley was embarrassed, but she loved being in Logan’s arms.
As a matter of fact, she was definitely falling for this guy.
Chapter Seven
Logan didn’t doubt that Kinsley could develop a good advertising campaign, but if she was going to present it to him and his family, Logan wanted to first get a feel as to how they’d react. He figured he’d find a way to work it into the conversation at dinner.
Drifting in and out of relationships over the years, being the party boy he was known for, Logan had slept with many women, but this time it was different.
Kinsley was different.
He was different.
“So, whose house were you slumming at yesterday?”
Seated on the couch watching the baseball game on television, Logan glared at Ryan, who stood in the doorway of the living room. Their father, who was sitting in a recliner reading the Mimosa Times-Gazette, muted the TV.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t slumming anywhere,” Logan replied. He took a long draw from his lager and fingered the paper in his pocket that held Kinsley’s phone number. He thought back to their lunch at the beach. Logan’s heart skipped a beat when he kissed Kinsley that afternoon.
“I don’t know about that, dude,” Ryan laughed. “Seems to me that party boy Logan just can’t keep his mind off women.”
“Ryan, you be quiet,” their mother called from the kitchen. “I want to have a nice dinner since we’re all together. I’m sure Logan can explain his actions at a later time.”
“What actions are you talking about? What’s going on?” Logan asked.
“Never mind,” their father said as he turned the television sound back on. “It’s nothing we need to talk about now. Your mother went to a lot of trouble cooking since we’re finally in one place, so for one night, let’s not argue.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong, but it feels like you want me to apologize for something,” Logan rebutted.
“Not that you’re still irresponsible or anything, right?” Ryan asked. He turned back to his father and continued. “I don’t know why we have to keep giving him special treatment when—”
“Ryan!” Their dad slammed the paper down on the arm of the chair. “That’s enough! I won’t have you ruin this one night. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together, with everybody’s crazy schedules. I’m looking forward to finally sitting down to a nice family dinner. I’m not going to have you ruin it for everyone.”
Logan knew Ryan wanted a larger share of the company than anyone else and wondered what Ryan had up his sleeve. Money had become a bad influence on Ryan. Did he really think he could make a play for control before Logan could prove himself? Logan had missed out on too many family dinners because of their differences, and he didn’t want to be the one to cause distress.
Ryan downed the rest of his beer. “You want a beer, Pop?”
Their father shook his head, and sat down to read the paper.
Logan finished his beer. “Hey, Val,” he said when she bounded into the room.
“Hey.” Valerie sat next to him and smiled. “I went around the island today and saw some property that I think would make a nice location for the next Sweet Adventures. Did you want to see it later?”
“I definitely want to look at some land options.” This was the opening he needed to bring up Kinsley’s business, but he knew he needed to tread carefully so they would take him seriously. Logan thought Valerie was limiting her view of the business, but not everyone agreed. “Where’s the land located?”
“And how much does it cost?” Ryan asked. “You know, Val, if we want to increase our salaries, you can’t go around buying land if it’s too expensive.”
“It’s possible that Kinsley Stone could come with us. I’m sure she could come up with a lot of good ideas,” Logan added getting a glaring look from Ryan.
“Whoever goes, you’ll have to look off the island,” their dad spoke up. He put his paper down and stood. “Your mother had lunch with Paula Riddick. She says the zoning board would probably not approve it.”
“That’s right,” their mother said. “Dinner’s ready. Have a seat at the table.”
They passed around the food after they sat. The pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut dinner was a family favorite, along with delicious buttery rolls, and Logan knew it usually came with a homemade strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Logan loved the familiar smells of dinners past. It was one of the special times Logan cherished.
Logan thought back to when his parents had been two of his best cheerleaders when he had to struggle to get the grades his siblings received through school. Their support had waned since he’d been directionless, but he’d been working hard to get back the respect and trust he used to have. He was a changed man. He could only hope they’d see it.
“This is really good, Mom” Logan said in between bites. “You went to a lot of trouble.”
“Thank you, Logan.”
“I remember Ms. Riddick. Isn’t she the PE teacher at Mimosa High?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, well, I mean she was. She doesn’t teach anymore. She’s a member of the town council now. She said our facility might represent a conflict, since the Barefoot Bay Bucks have a stadium at the northern end of the island.”
“Isn’t that just a baseball stadium? Is that completed yet?” Valerie asked.
“We’re not sure it’s completed, and we don’t know if we’ll have time to go see it before we leave,” their father answered. “Trying to get this house ready to sell is taking all of our time.”
The family had lived in this house on the island until Logan finished middle school. Then they moved to a new, smaller home in Miami. Mom and Dad had said the Miami high school was better. But Logan guessed his parents’ real reason for moving off the island and handing over the business to him and his siblings, was to begin, even back then, to transition into retirement mode.
“I’m sure Logan’s too busy with his activities to help out,” Ryan stated, snapping Logan’s attention back to the present.
“Ryan!” their father barked. “I’m not going to tell you again. You’re old enough to know better than to goad anyone into an argument. We’ll discuss this later. No more talk about business tonight.”
Ryan pushed away from the table and dropped his dishes on the kitchen counter with a clatter.
“Ryan Sweet.” His full name. Everyone knew that when their mother used anyone’s full name, she was a force to be reckoned with. “What’s gotten into you? I expect you to show some respect and not try and break any dishes. Help clear the table so I can bring out the dessert.”
Dinner plates were replaced with dessert dishes and the strawberry cheesecake was placed in the middle of the table. Their mother was about to cut the cake when Valerie brought out another dessert from the refrigerator.
“Sorry, Mom,” Valerie said as she set the plate on the table. “I know your cheesecake is everyone’s favorite, but I hope you don’t mind that I made a dessert, too. It’s an apple pudding cake with caramel sauce. I just thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“Oh, that looks won
derful, honey,” Their mother held the plate up as if she was judging a cooking show. “This could be a great new tradition. I’ll tell you what, I’ll put my cheesecake in the refrigerator for tomorrow and we’ll serve your dessert instead. It looks great.”
“Thanks, I made it when you and Dad were at lunch. Super easy. I got the recipe off the Internet.” Valerie beamed. She looked around the kitchen and then patted her pockets. “I’d show you, but I don’t know where my phone went. That’s strange, I know I had it earlier.”
“I’ve got it. It was lying around and I didn’t want you to lose it, so I held it for safekeeping. I meant to give it back to you earlier.” Ryan pulled it from the pocket of his shirt. He flicked the screen on and tossed the phone on the table.
Logan looked at the phone. The picture of him in a towel, standing next to Kinsley was displayed. He pushed his chair back with such force it hit the back of the dining room wall. He threw down his napkin and glared at Ryan.
“What’s that?” their mother asked. “What’s going on?”
“Absolutely nothing, Mom. Although I don’t know what the hell Ryan’s trying to pull.” Logan kissed his mother. “I’m going to my room.”
“It’s early yet,” their mother pleaded. “What’s gotten into you two?”
“Ryan,” their father said. “I thought I said we’d deal with this tomorrow.”
“There’s nothing to deal with,” Logan said.
“Sorry, Dad. I thought it was only fair that Mom knows Logan hasn’t changed. If we’re here this week to carve up the company, I don’t know why we should include someone who isn’t focused on doing the right thing.” Ryan looked at Logan with disdain in his eyes.
“You’re making some pretty big assumptions, Ryan. You don’t know the whole story.” Logan glanced at the picture of him in a towel, the picture that Valerie had said she’d erase. Valerie’s eyes were wide, and he shook his head before he turned his attention back to his brother. “Go ahead, Ryan, think what you want. I don’t need your support. I did nothing wrong. Good night, Mom. Dad.” The silence was like a chokehold on the room when Logan retreated.
Logan slammed his fist into his pillow and then slumped on his bed. Although, he’d been initially happy to be with everyone in the house he grew up in, it suddenly seemed confining. He knew he should have stayed and stood his ground, but it was getting late and he wasn’t about to get into an argument, keeping everyone up late into the night. He’d deal with this in the morning, after everyone had a chance to cool down. His hands behind his head, he couldn’t help but think of Kinsley and how he had put his faith in her. At this point, his entire career was in her hands. A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Logan? You okay?” Valerie asked behind the closed door. “Can I come in?”
“Sure, why not? Maybe you can come up with another way to ruin my life.” Logan barked.
“Hey, that’s not fair. He took my phone when I left it in the kitchen and went to find the recipe.” Valerie walked into Logan’s room and quietly shut his door. “You can’t believe how sorry I am. Ryan wasn’t supposed to see those pictures.”
“And if I recall, you were supposed to delete them.” His wild ways continued to haunt him, but that was part of his past and he’d need to deal with it in the morning, when everyone could talk with a clear head.
“Yeah, I know. I planned to delete them. I just thought they were funny and we could have a laugh about them before I did.” Valerie’s eyes were moist. “Here, you can do it yourself if you want.”
“Thanks, but it’s too late.” Logan took the phone from Valerie’s hands and deleted the pictures anyway. He handed the phone back to her. “What did you say to Ryan about the picture?”
“I told him what you told me, about the wine. I told him the truth,” Valerie said. Her shoulders sagged.
“So, what’s his beef anyway? Why has he been such a jerk these last few months?”
“Ryan’s looking to cut me out of the business, and probably you, too. He joked that he’ll be the sole owner someday, so I shouldn’t bother looking for other places to build,” Valerie said.
“But you didn’t you say anything at dinner. Why didn’t you tell Mom and Dad?”
“I was going to bring it up later this week. I figured since we’re here all together this week, it’d be easier to confront Ryan about it. I just didn’t expect him to be manipulative with the pictures. I’m really sorry, Logan.”
“Hey. Don’t worry.” Logan hugged his sister. “I’m sure Mom and Dad will listen to reason. They didn’t work this hard to see the business get lost in greed. Besides, I think if we get Kinsley on board, she might be able to work her magic and show them we can grow the business so it’s profitable for all of us.”
“You think so? Well, I’m ready to listen to you and Kinsley.” Valerie smiled for the first time since coming into his room. “Is she any good?”
“You bet. I’ve seen some of the campaigns she’s worked on. Let me go see her in the morning and then set up a meeting with Mom and Dad. If we work as a team, we might be able to pull this off.” Logan ruffled her short black hair before she left the room.
With the tension lessened between him and Valerie, and Logan’s mind was brought back to Kinsley. He resolved to see her tomorrow and try and work something out so she could feel at ease with any marketing proposal she came up with. Logan also knew he’d need to keep things strictly professional between them, to keep his heart in check and, as she’d said, not mix business with pleasure.
At least for now.
Chapter Eight
After a quick breakfast and shower, Kinsley sat at her computer screen clicking away at the keyboard. She needed to finish her advertising campaign to present to Logan. She hadn’t had much sleep the previous evening as her mind continued to drift to Logan. From the time she first saw him on the beach, she was drawn to him. Then when he kissed her at the beach, it was like fireworks being lit.
Remembering back to when she’d been and diffident through high school and college, Kinsley saw Logan as sophisticated and self-assured. Was it possible she was becoming infatuated with one guy after losing another? Kinsley shook her head and loathed the thought that she was substituting.
This time was different; Kinsley knew she needed to make a good impression with the advertising campaign. However, it would require a lot of trust and additional expenditure on Logan’s part, but she was sure spending the extra money was how he would be able to expand their business. Convincing his family to do this could be the difficult part.
“Coming,” Kinsley said and headed for the door after the bell rang. It was probably Megan. Kinsley stiffened and took in a breath upon opening the door. “Todd? What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” Todd gave her his famous troubled appearance, with his brows furrowed. “I really need to talk with you.”
Kinsley’s hand tightened on the door knob and her mind went back to when he was previously here. What could he possibly want to discuss? She was about to tell him to leave when Todd walked past her. “Hey! I didn’t say you could come in. I have a busy schedule today.”
Todd raised his eyebrow as though he’d heard this before. As though she couldn’t be busy or have her own life without him.
“I really am busy, Todd. What did you need?” Kinsley asked.
“Seriously? What could you be doing that would take up your time?” Todd crossed his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you on vacation? I wouldn’t think you’d want to take on any clients while you decide if you’re going to continue your advertising business. After all, it’s a big decision.”
She was quiet for a moment, and stared at him while she replayed his words in her head. While you decide if you’re going to continue your advertising business. She had considered closing her business and possibly heading to law school, but being with Logan changed that.
Even though her advertising company was only two years old, she made enough money to cover he
r expenses, but not much beyond that. But any decision she made about her business wasn’t one where she wanted Todd involved.
“What did you come here for?” Kinsley asked, ignoring his question. She saw his raised eyebrows as though he were contemplating giving unwarranted advice, and she stood with her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense stance.
“I’m hoping you can talk with Crystal for me.” Todd handed Kinsley a piece of paper with a number on it. “That’s her cell number, and I think she might listen if you can just have a little talk with her. How about you call her now? While I’m here?”
“You’ve got to be kidding, Todd. Why would I do that? What would I say?”
“I can coach you through it,” Todd answered. “No problem at all. I really want to stay married to her. She’s my wife and I really want to make our marriage work. If she could only hear from you.”
“That’s nuts. I barely know her.” Kinsley said. She didn’t trust Todd. Didn’t he tell her earlier that he had broken up with Crystal? What was he up too? She ripped the paper in half, tossed the pieces on a table, and walked over to the sliders. She pictured herself standing on the beach, with her hair blowing in the gentle breeze, and Logan’s arms wrapped around her. Then she looked back at Todd and scowled.
“Come on, Kinsley,” Todd pleaded. “We were a team. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Don’t I mean anything to you?”
“Do you mean anything to me? Really?” Kinsley took a step back and shook her head. She brought her hand to her heart. There was a time when she would have done anything for Todd. A time when she thought they were the ideal couple. Now he was married and it had torn at her heart when she first heard the news. “How could you ask that, Todd? Do you even know what I went through after you broke our engagement?”
“I’ve always thought of us as friends, Kinsley. I’ve never abandoned that part of our relationship. I certainly hoped you haven’t.”
“I… I don’t know what to say, Todd.” Kinsley’s mind began to race. How could he possibly ask her to interfere? She took a deep breath and tried to make sense out of what Todd said. Out of what he meant. Out of what he was asking her to do.
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