“I have to work.”
“Oh, come on, Liam. You probably get off around seven or eight?”
“Around then.”
“The party won’t start until later,” she said, her voice pleading. “You can even bring a friend.”
“A friend, huh?”
Liam could practically envision her smiling, thinking she had him. “Totally. The more the merrier. Pilar is single now. She broke up with Tyler a week ago. Maybe you can set her up.” Victoria must have thought he’d bring one of his high school buddies to the party.
“Good to know.” He spotted Evelyn giving him the evil eye from the lobby window. “I gotta go. Boss lady doesn’t like me talking on my cell phone.”
“Okay.” Victoria quickly added, “It’s at my house on Sunset Key. You remember where it is.”
“I remember,” he said dryly. “I really gotta go.”
“Okay, come after your shift is over and don’t forget to bring your friend.” Then she hung up.
Liam pressed the end call button and slid the phone back into his pocket. He pushed the skimmer into the water and scooped out some leaves. He knocked the net against the fence and went back to retrieve more leaves. That’s when he saw Inez’s face sneering at him. He cried out and stumbled backward, right into Autumn.
She caught him and spun him around. “Whoa, Liam. You okay?”
Liam shook his head, as if waking himself up from a dream, or in this case, a nightmare. “I’m fine.” He took a long pause before asking, “Hey, do you want to go to a party?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Autumn leaned against the railing of the ferry and stared at the warm water, lit up by a stream of white moonlight. Liam was right about one thing. She didn’t have this in Jersey. The ferry moved quicker now, traveling from the cruise port to the pier at Sunset Key.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” she said.
Autumn’s mother had not been pleased her daughter was going out. “What about movie night?” she had asked.
“It’s Friday,” Autumn replied, as if she always went out on Friday evenings, rather than watching old black-and-white movies on Turner Classics with her mom and aunt.
“Evelyn, let the dear girl go on a date,” Aunt Glenda had said.
“It’s not a date,” Evelyn and Autumn said together. Autumn gave her mom a questioning look. What was it about Liam she didn’t like?
“I mean,” Autumn had said. “He didn’t make it sound like a date.”
Glenda smiled and tapped Autumn’s bare shoulder. “Right dear. That’s why you’re wearing such a pretty dress. Because it’s not a date?”
You know, for a kooky old woman, she sure was shrewd.
In the end, Evelyn allowed her daughter to go out. Although, she instituted a brand new curfew. Midnight. And the strict instructions that Autumn was not to touch one ounce of alcohol.
Liam glanced over at Autumn’s sour face. “Come on, it will be fun?”
“Did you just make that a question?” she asked.
“No?”
Autumn laughed. “Victoria is going to hate this.” Her eyes widened with a thought. “Is that why you brought me? Because you knew it would her piss off?”
Liam glanced down at the churning water and grinned sheepishly. “No. Maybe.”
Autumn nudged him with her shoulder. But then her voice took on a more serious tone. “Do you want her back?”
Liam jerked his head up. “No.”
“She is beautiful,” Autumn said, as if that detail alone justified his feelings.
“She is beautiful,” he repeated. “And she knows it. Victoria comes from a very wealthy family. A family used to getting what they want all the time. People like the Cantons make it hard to say no.”
Autumn nodded along as if she understood, but her dealings with the wealthy Cantons were only through Victoria, who mostly needed Autumn’s English notes to pass her exams. Autumn knew Victoria struggled with her studies and wondered what kind of ridiculous expectations were placed on the girl. For a moment, she felt a twinge of sympathy, but as the ferry docked at Sunset Key and the mansions came into focus, Autumn found it easy to brush aside any sorry feelings.
Liam clasped Autumn’s hand to help her off the boat. “Ready?”
“No,” she said, brushing her dress down. But she was smiling.
#
Autumn stood outside Victoria Canton’s Sunset Key home and stared with her mouth agape. To say it was a large house would be an understatement. It wasn’t so much that the house was tall, as most homes in Florida weren’t known for height, but that it was expansive. Liam watched Autumn twist her neck to see from one end of the house to another. Unlike Key West, Sunset Key had new and rich construction. Here, homes sat on larger pieces of land with Olympic-size pools and water slides. The Canton home was bathed in a warm orange glow from the lights embedded in the well-manicured landscaping.
Autumn’s voice came out high-pitched. “This is where Victoria lives?”
“Yup,” Liam said. “This is Canton wealth right here.”
“She could buy and sell me without thinking.” Autumn inhaled a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have agreed to let you bring me here. She’s going to know why you did it, and she’s going to make me pay for it.”
Liam chuckled. “Just be Jersey strong.” Then without thinking about, he found Autumn’s hand and intertwined his fingers. His pulse quickened when she didn’t pull away. “Come on.”
The two approached the ornate teak front door. A young girl in a bikini top and denim skirt flanked one of the columns like a soldier on guard. Probably one of Vicky’s freshman minions. She clutched a glass fishbowl. But instead of fish, cash swam inside.
The girl smacked her gum. “Twenty dollars. Each.” She gave Autumn a pointed look.
Autumn blanched. “You’re charging us to go to the party?”
Liam slipped his hand inside his back pocket and removed his wallet. He slipped two twenty-dollar bills from his wallet and folded them inside the bowl. “It’s for a good cause.” The freshman nodded and the two went inside.
Autumn said nothing, and Liam hoped he hadn’t embarrassed her. He leaned into her and whispered, “Victoria’s sister is probably running for Conch Queen for Fantasy Fest. She’s raising money for AIDS research. She’s been fundraising all year.”
Autumn nodded and relaxed her shoulders. Although she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the interior decor of the house. Liam could only imagine what she was thinking.
For Liam, the house hadn’t changed much. Sure the entranceway had a new piece of modern art, probably some priceless collectible worth more than Pops made in his entire life. When they entered the grand foyer, Liam wasn’t surprised to see a woman in a black vest bearing a tray of tiny quiches.
“What is this place?” Autumn whispered. “It’s like we stumbled into a ritzy Bar Mitzvah.”
Liam inhaled a quiche. “Victoria’s parties start out this way. Catered food. Soda. Open pool. But then when her parents and grandfather head out on their boat for the night, things become less innocent.” Autumn examined Liam’s face, and he quickly added, “Or so I’ve heard.”
“Right,” she said.
Just then, Liam heard someone call his name. Victoria came bounding down the stairs in a strapless yellow dress that barely covered her butt, a colorful green drink in hand. She skidded to a halt when she saw Autumn, the green liquid swirling and threatening to slosh out of the martini glass.
Liam grinned. “You said to bring a friend.”
Victoria didn’t so much as flinch. “I did. Hi, Autumn. Didn’t think you were allowed out before sundown.”
Autumn didn’t miss a beat. “I live with ghosts, not vampires.”
Victoria sidled up to Liam. “Food is in the kitchen. Booze is in the pool house.” She whispered seductively, “Please take advantage of my hospitality.” She removed a maraschino cherry out of her drink and popped it into her mouth. She placed the s
tem into Liam’s palm. Heat rose to his cheeks as she sauntered away. Victoria’s mission to make Autumn uncomfortable made Liam feel equally itchy. Why in the world did he think it was a good idea to come here? Part of him thought that if Victoria saw him with Autumn, she’d back off. Now, he realized that seeing Autumn only strengthened her resolve. Vicky did like a challenge.
Liam led Autumn to the kitchen. At one point, Liam thought he recognized the song playing on the stereo until he realized a boy band was performing live outside by the pool. He rubbed his hands together. “One thing about Victoria’s parties is the food is outstanding.” He bit a grilled shrimp. He smiled as he chewed and picked another shrimp off the platter and put it in Autumn’s mouth. Her eyes closed for a second. Warmth radiated from his chest.
“You’re right.” Autumn grabbed another shrimp. “These are delicious.” She laughed for a second. “Parties back home were nothing more than some bowls of pretzels and a keg in the backyard.”
“How high class.” Victoria popped her blonde head in between Autumn and Liam. She linked her arm through Liam’s. “Grandfather wants to see you. I told him all about your business model and he wants to hear about it.”
Liam’s eyes widened. “Who told you about our business model?” His eyes closed. “Randall. I’m gonna kill him when I see him.” He sighed. “Vicky, your grandfather isn’t going to be happy when he hears I’m trying to start up a small tour company.”
“Don’t be stupid. You think he cares about a little competition?” She pointed to a close door at the end of a hallway. “He’s in his study, waiting for you.” She smiled at Autumn. “Did Liam tell you that our grandfathers were navy buddies?”
Autumn nodded, but said nothing. Liam imagined Autumn thinking of all the things she’d like to tell Victoria about her grandpa and a young Cuban girl he knew once.
“They were great friends back in the day,” said Victoria, her voice sickly saccharine. “I’ll keep Autumn busy while you and Grandfather have a chat.”
Liam reminded himself to tear into Randall the next time he saw him. That kid could not keep his big mouth shut. Liam didn’t want Mick Canton’s help. He just wanted to make something of himself without anyone interfering. But it was too late. Vicky was pushing him toward the study door. All he could hear was squealing as the boy band finished another song.
#
Liam’s apologetic face was no consolation for leaving Autumn alone with Victoria Canton and her bitchy friends.
Jenna Anderson and Pilar Rubio suddenly flanked Victoria’s side, their Amazonian statuettes casting shadows against Autumn’s slight frame. Their stares could cut glass. Autumn held out her hands in mock surrender. “Look, Victoria. I didn’t come here to start a war. Liam and I aren’t a thing, okay?”
Victoria laughed. “I don’t think of you as a threat, silly.”
Autumn wanted to drop her guard, but something told her not to. She suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. “Um, where’s the ladies’ room?”
“The ladies’ room?” Victoria asked. “This isn’t the Olive Garden. The guest bathroom is down the hall.” She pointed her perfectly polished pink nail toward a narrow hallway with several doors on either side.
Autumn mumbled a thanks before practically running in that direction. She opened the bathroom door and went inside to hide. For a guest bathroom it was pretty spacious. A large Jacuzzi tub sat under a wide picture window. Blue green glass tiled the shower. Two square sinks rested atop the marble vanity. Autumn nodded to herself in approval. She could hide out here all night if she had to. She didn’t have to actually use the bathroom, but she figured if she stayed put, Victoria and her friends would get bored and forget about her.
Sure enough, when she poked her head out the door a few minutes later, the girls were gone. Autumn exhaled. She started heading toward the kitchen where she last saw Liam, but an open door, directly across the hall, caught her attention. She spotted a glimpse of lavender.
Autumn’s attic bedroom in New Jersey had light lavender walls. She wondered if her stepmother, Jennifer, had repainted them when she converted Autumn’s bedroom into a craft space. Curious, Autumn walked across the hall and gently pushed open the door, revealing a beautiful room with white wainscoting and a four-poster bed in deep mahogany. A soft purple shade covered the walls and satin drapes adorned the windows, which were really French doors. Someone had clustered pillows on a large ottoman covered in purple paisley fabric. So many pillows. A black plush letter V leaned against the headboard. Autumn’s breath caught. This was Victoria’s room. Autumn knew she should have gotten out of there as fast as she could, but she couldn’t help but admire the luxuriousness. She’d never seen anything like it. If rooms at the Cayo Hueso looked half as beautiful as this, Evelyn wouldn’t have to grovel to the Mrs. Paulsons of the world for a decent review on Vacation Raters.
Tall bookshelves lined one wall and held decorative items like glass vases and crystal animals. Autumn tilted her head to the side and read the titles of a stack of books. Passing the SATs. Physics for Dummies. Realizing Your Potential. Overcoming Dyslexia. How to Survive College with a Learning Disability. Wow. Victoria wasn’t lazy about her studies. She was struggling and too embarrassed to ask for help.
“See something interesting?” came a voice from behind.
Autumn whipped around. Victoria glared at her. The Amazonian agents stood next to her like pillars.
Autumn’s stomach dropped. She hadn’t meant to snoop. “I’m sorry. I saw the lavender walls and the door was open and your room is just so pretty. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Victoria’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “You know what Autumn, you haven’t seen the backyard yet, have you?”
“Huh?” Autumn’s gut churned.
“The backyard,” said Victoria. “Everyone is outside dancing and hanging out with the boys.” She went over to Autumn and pushed her toward Jenna and Pilar, who each took Autumn’s arms, practically dragging her away.
“Listen, girls,” Autumn said as they escorted her down the hallway. “Let’s not do anything crazy.”
“We’re just showing you the patio,” Pilar said in her usual bored tone.
Autumn began to sweat as the girls forcefully walked her through the house. Maybe they just want me outside with the rest of the party. I can understand that. They pulled her through the French doors that led from the large living room to the pool area. Kids from the charter school—a few girls from American Lit, the Italian foreign exchange student from her calculus class—stopped to stare at her. And Autumn had to admit, she was starstruck by the band. Natasha would never believe that she got to see a live performance from the boys of—but Autumn didn’t have a moment to finish that thought.
Victoria suddenly flanked her, gripped Autumn tightly by the shoulder, and gave her a hard push backward into the pool.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Liam could smell the cigar smoke before he set foot inside the room.
“Come in, boy,” Mick called out to him. “Don’t be lurking in the shadows. It’s rude.”
Liam straightened. “Yes, sir.”
Mick Canton laid his cigar on the edge of a crystal ashtray. When he stood up from his desk, Liam realized just how imposing a figure Mick was. He had a Papa Hemingway way about him. Broad and tall and dressed in a Havana-style white button down shirt. Mick had to be at least six foot three, if not taller. Liam thought he saw an old anchor tattoo on his right forearm. Just like Pops. Always a sailor.
Mick clapped him on the back. “I meant to ask you at Louie’s, how’s your grandpa doing these days?”
Liam was surprised by this question and Mick’s friendly demeanor. In all that time he had dated Vicky, Mick never seemed interested in what Pops was up to. “He’s fine. Retired now.”
When Liam had been dating Victoria, Pops hinted that men like Mick Canton were powerful and rich for a reason and didn’t want their pristine granddaughters messing around with poor Conch boys.
“So.” Mick picked up his cigar and took a few puffs. “Did Louie give you a fair price for the ring?”
“Very fair,” Liam lied.
Mick blew smoke in Liam’s direction. “Good. I guess you’ll be using the money for your start-up.”
Liam shifted nervously in the chair. Stupid Randall. There was no way Mick would let a couple of punk high school dropouts infringe on his business.
“Relax,” said Mick, reading Liam’s thoughts. “There’s plenty of tourist dollars to go around.”
Liam tried to shake off the tension in his shoulders.
“Besides,” Mick said, “I’ve been in the business long enough to know that customers are willing to pay for quality, not some hokey rip-off.” He chuckled to himself. “That’s why they come to my tours and only my tours.”
Liam didn’t respond. He didn’t see the point. Mick would never admit that someone else could create something of value, especially if it competed against Canton Corp.
“Come.” Mick gestured for Liam to stand up. “Let me show you something.”
Mick draped his beefy arm around Liam’s shoulders, forcing Liam to slouch under the weight. He steered him along to the stone fireplace, an odd thing for a Floridian home. Above the mantel hung a swordfish, and below a photo of Mick next to the giant fish. Mick scanned the mantel, which also held trophies and many other family photos. His finger landed on a small black-and-white picture in a sterling silver frame, which had tarnished over time. He plucked the frame from the mantel and presented it to Liam.
Liam studied the photograph. A group of four men, not much older than Liam, all dressed in dark blue Navy uniforms. Two female figures stood to the side of the photo, their faces cut off. Liam recognized the tallest man as Mick. Liam smiled when he saw Pops. It was the same smile.
“You look just like your old man,” Mick said softly.
Liam ran his finger over the photo. In the background, Liam noticed the familiar house. “Was this taken at the Cayo?”
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