A movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention. I turn my head and the bottom of my stomach falls. This is bad. Hidden behind the entrance door is Kimberly. Her eyes meet mine and they are filled with such disappointment that I take a step towards her. She shakes her head and I pause. Before my eyes, I watch her transform into a woman ready to take on a town full of crazies. She pushes her shoulders back and tips her chin upward as she steps from behind the door and slowly walks down the aisle to the front of the room.
As she’s noticed, a wave of quietness follows in her wake. Then she speaks in clear concise words, barely holding on to her temper. “Mayor Young, did I hear correctly? Was the Inn contest a ruse to get women to move here? To get me to move here?”
Hershel’s face is an embarrassing shade of pink. He scratches his head and looks down the line of committee members for help. None are offering. “Wellll…”
Kimberly hits him with another question. “Did you really pick a winner based on looks?”
Clearing his throat, he nervously replies, “Not entirely. We took other things into consideration.”
Homer chuckles and calls out, “Yeah, like if she could cook.”
Kimberly cuts her eyes to Homer and any humor on his face drains away from her angry glare. She looks out over the townspeople sitting silently in their seats. “Why? Why did you do this?”
Olivia tries to explain. “Our town is dying, Kimberly. We had to take drastic measures to keep those that live here from moving to the mainland and to attract new residents.”
“There’s no opportunities for our young anymore. Even our school closed down and now our children have to travel by ferry to school in Wilmington,” Agatha says.
Listening to what everyone is saying, Kimberly shakes her head. “There has to be another way. What you’ve done is wrong. It’s not fair to me or to this town to falsely advertise the reason for these contests. Besides, do you really think that a few women moving here is going to be a solution to your problem?”
Frank opens his arms wide and implores, “Well, tell us what is. We’ve tried to come up with something for the last decade.”
The crowd rumbles in agreement. Kimberly holds up her hand for quiet. “I don’t know, but there has to be something you can do. Legally and morally. This island is rich in history, maybe that’s the answer. Give me a few weeks to think about it, but in the meantime, no more contests.”
Homer stands while running his hand through his hair to tidy it up and asks with a hopeful grin, “What about you? Want to go out Saturday night?”
I start to speak up, but Kimberly shuts him down. “No, thank you, Homer. I am off-limits for dating.” Then she turns to the council members and asks, “Is the Inn really mine?”
Agatha reassures her, “Yes, dear. You have the stamped deed and it’s been recorded. The Inn is rightfully yours.”
With a nod, Kimberly suggests, “Fine. Let’s meet back here in two weeks.”
She doesn’t stick around to chat after the meeting. I’m so proud of Kimberly. I follow her outside, but don’t get a friendly reaction. What did I expect? She thinks I’m one of them.
“Don’t, Bode,” she warns.
The sadness in her eyes is there because of me and that makes me feel like an asshole. I’m not sure if anything I say at this point will matter, but I have to try. “I never went along with their plan.”
Her defiant yet adorable chin tips upward. “But you also didn’t tell me about it.”
I give a nod in agreement. That is all on me. “And I apologize for that. I just didn’t feel as if it were mine to tell, Kim.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s not the first time you’ve called me that. My name is Kimberly.”
I bite my lip to keep from grinning at her. “Sorry, Kimberly. You just don’t seem like a Kimberly. There’s something else I’d like to be honest with you about. I am attracted to you and I’m pretty sure you feel the same way about me.”
“No, I don’t,” she denies much too quickly.
My brow rises, calling her out, and she regretfully admits, “Fine. Okay. I may feel a slight attraction to you, but I’m here to start a business. I don’t have time for whatever this is between us.”
I can appreciate that. “Excellent, because I’m not in the market for a relationship either. I’m not going anywhere. I just want you to tell me you aren’t going to date any of these other Bozos.”
She fights a grin gallantly, but I do get a nod in the affirmative. That’s all I need.
“And are you going to forgive me?”
She huffs and looks away. When she turns back, I can see in her eyes that she isn’t through with whatever is happening between us. “You’re asking a lot of me, Murphy.” She sighs. “I don’t think I’m finished being upset with you.”
The tenseness I’ve been holding begins to ease. “So noted. I will commence with groveling.”
That gets me a genuine grin just before she realizes what she’s doing and turns on her heels, walks down the sidewalk, and gets into her golf cart. I smile, watching her peel out of the parking space and race down Main Street at five miles an hour. I know she’s hurt finding out what the town did. I’ll give her time and then we’ll explore this non-relationship attraction we have.
My brother chuckles beside me. “Isn’t she something? I thought fire was going to spew from her eyes, she was so mad. With all that emotion, I bet she’s a firecracker in bed.”
I growl and glare at my brother. “You will never find out.”
Case laughs and holds up his hands in surrender. “I get it, Bode. My hands are off; she’s all yours. Everybody could see she’d made her choice when we all showed up to help fix up the Inn. That’s probably why the meeting was called, sore losers and all that.”
My brows pull together. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She didn’t look at me any differently than she did anyone else.”
Case snorts and then follows my gaze to Kimberly’s dramatic exit. “Do you think she can come up with something to save the town?”
I shrug. “She’s smart and she’s invested. If anyone can do it, Kimberly can. Give her a chance. What have we got to lose?”
Chapter 10
Kimberly
“I can’t believe they did that,” Lili says in commiseration with my anger.
Thankfully, Agatha taught me how to use the landline when she came over to help with the Inn. Was that entire day fake? Did they really care about helping me or were they just hoping for a chance at a walk down the church aisle?
“It’s a crazy plan they hatched to save the town. I understand their desperation; they just went about finding a solution the wrong way.”
“I knew those questions were unethical.”
I have to agree. “They really were. I can understand the reason for their actions, but I can’t condone the way they went about it. Honestly, I don’t care how they got me here. I own an Inn on a beautiful island.”
Of course, my best friend has to see the glass half empty by adding, “I hate to point out that if the island has no visitors, you won’t have customers.”
I slump back on the bar stool I’d pulled up to the landline phone. Which I find very confining. How did a phone with a cord plugged into the wall make sense? Another thought occurs to me. I remember the look Brandy, Suzie, and Melissa gave each other when we were discussing the Inn. They knew the whole time and never said a word. Maybe they aren’t going to be such good friends. That makes me sad. “Yeah, there is that. It’s in my own best interest to come up with a plan.”
“Tell me about the island,” Lili asks, and I’m excited to tell her.
“It’s beautiful, Lili. I can’t wait for you to see the Inn. After everything the town did to help me fix it up, I’m so much further along than I hoped to be. But I still have a lot of things I want to do before I set an opening day. And the town…I can see how it must have once looked when it was thriving. A lot of businesses have gone under, le
aving empty stores. They’ve lost so much.” I go on to tell Lili about the pirate history of the island and I describe some of the characters I’ve met. I even tell her about Henrietta and our first encounter.
“So what I’m hearing is you are in love with your new home, your Inn, and the town. The only negative I’ve heard you say is about the phone system and lack of cell service.”
Something she says makes me pause. The only negative… “Yeah.”
“And I also heard you mention Bode several times. Like eight, because I counted, and your voice got all soft and mushy when you said his name.”
I’d made a grave error and Lili grabbed on. “You’re imagining things.”
Lili chuckles and I know the discussion is far from over. I don’t understand why I’m reluctant to tell her about Bode. We share everything. And I do mean everything. “Even if I didn’t know you so well, I am a woman in love with her man and I recognize the symptoms.”
I sigh, knowing I need to rip the bandage off. “Okay, fine. I am mildly attracted to Bode.”
“You fucked him!” Lili squeals and begins to cheer.
I get why she comes to that conclusion. “No, I haven’t.”
Lili’s cheering stops. “What? But you…”
“No, Lili. I want something different. I want something special like you and Milo have. That’s not going to happen if I jump in bed before I even know his last name. Besides, I’m here to start a business and prove myself.”
“Prove yourself? Is that what all of this is about?”
Lili is hitting too close to home. “What are you talking about? I told you I wanted something of my own.”
“I do believe that, but I think the underlying reason is because you think you have to prove that you are worthy of the Westmoreland name.”
“I…” I may not have realized that myself, but I can’t tell Lili she’s wrong. That is very materialistic of me. My four brothers all work for our father in some capacity in the Westmoreland Hotel business. My oldest brother, Tanner, will one day step into my father’s shoes. Derrick, Tate, and Cord each have an important place in the family business. I’ve never had any desire to join them and I’ve never been the least bit envious.
“It’s okay if you are, Kimmie,” Lili says softly.
“I guess I never looked at it that way. Our non-profit was so successful, but I never felt an ownership of that accomplishment.”
“We were partners. You are half of the reason for our success,” Lili says softly.
Why can’t she understand that I need to make my own way? “But it was your idea and you got it up and running. I just did what you told me to do. The Inn is all mine. Whether I succeed or fail, it will be by my hands.”
Lili doesn’t say anything for a few moments, but then she asks, “What can I do to help you?”
Tears well in my eyes and my hand goes to my chest, covering my heart. “You’re the best, Lili. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too. Now tell me what you need.”
It’s more than an hour later when we hang up and I feel much better. I pour myself a glass of wine and Henrietta and I go to sit on the back deck to watch the ocean waves. I have a lot of thinking to do. The most pressing issue is the lack of customers when I open. Without paying guests, I won’t be able to sustain the business. I don’t need a degree to tell me that. And I do have a business and marketing degree, so I need to put it to use and come up with a solution. Then there’s Bode. My heart flutters at the memory of our kiss, but I’m still conflicted. He’d lied to me and I don’t know if I can get over that. That doesn’t stop me from missing him, though.
I lean my head back on the wooden chair and let the sound of the waves and the warm salty air clear my mind.
Something about my conversation with Lili sparks a part of my brain. Like when something’s on the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t form the thought. The only negative thing about the island is the phone service or lack thereof. What if it wasn’t? That could be a game changer in many ways. But I haven’t a clue how to even go about that. How hard would it be to get a cell tower and high-speed internet access on the island?
Technology is one of the hottest and most lucrative businesses. Would it be easier to get people to move here if they had access to technology? I need to research and talk to people in the know, which means I need to go to the mainland.
A shiver of excitement runs through my body. I wasn’t even this excited when I found out I won the Inn. If I can make it happen, this could be the answer to saving Faire Island.
On the island, traveling anywhere isn’t as easy as jumping in your car and driving there. Leaving the island meant preparation. I head back inside and pick up the phonebook Agatha left for me. She said everyone’s number is inside. A novel idea, but what a waste of paper and time. I’ve never even seen a phonebook. I open the thin paper book and find the names in alphabetical order. I run my finger along the F section until I come to Ferry.
I dial the number and wait until a cheery voice says, “Good afternoon, how may I help you?”
“Hi, could you tell me when the next ferry out is scheduled?”
“Hey, is this Kimberly? I didn’t get to meet you the other day. My name is Barbara and I’m Rod’s sister.”
I pull the phone away from my head and stare at it. To my knowledge, FaceTime isn’t an option on a landline. Rod? Oh, the guy that runs the ferry. “Yes. Hi, Barbara. How did you know it was me?”
With a loud chortle, she explains, “Oh, honey, I know everyone else’s voice. I knew it had to be you. Now, the next ferry out is tomorrow at nine in the morning.”
My spirits fall. “There isn’t one today?”
“Sorry, you missed the last one; it just left.”
I’m not giving up. “Is there a boat I could rent to take me over?”
“Well, I suppose you can call Patrick to fly you over. I think it’s his day to fly.”
I perk up at the mention of a plane. “There’s an airport here?”
“There a float plane service. They land and take off from the water.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’ve booked a seat on the plane leaving in one hour. I run upstairs and pack an overnight bag. I take time to collect Henrietta’s eggs and put them in her roosting box in the kitchen. She’s happier with all her eggs in one basket. I laugh out loud at my pun. I leave her some food and refill her water dish.
I put my case in the back of the golf cart and start making plans on the trip to town. I’ll get a hotel for the night. Hey, I think there’s a Westmoreland Hotel in Wilmington. I never stay at the family hotels, but this once I might. A night of pampering myself won’t hurt. Oh, my God. I can get real food.
A very nice and attractive man, Patrick, whom I hadn’t met yet, helps me to board the float plane and straps me in. I don’t feel even a ripple of excitement when he brushes my hand with his as he snaps the buckle.
“Okay, you’re all set. The pilot will be here in just a few minutes,” he says with a grin.
“Oh. You aren’t the pilot?”
“I am, but today isn’t my day to fly. You can set up a return flight with the pilot. We’re pretty laidback here.” He puts a set of earphones over my ears and pulls a microphone down to my lips.
I must have misunderstood Barbara. “Thanks, Patrick.”
He gives me a thumbs up. I glance around the cockpit at all the gauges and dials. I’ve never sat up front on a plane before. Even when I take the family jet. This plane is small, smaller than I’ve even been in before. I swallow nervously. I hope the pilot is competent. I’ve never been a nervous flyer, but suddenly my hands are sweaty and my stomach is feeling queasy.
The pilot’s door opens and I pull my lips into a smile, which quickly turns into a frown. “Bode? What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Kimberly,” he says while putting on his headset and then flipping switches and doing whatever pilots do. The propeller in front starts with a loud engine noise. I grip the
armrests when the plane moves away from the dock.
He speaks into the microphone on his headset and I can hear him clearly through my headphones. I just can’t understand what he’s saying or to whom he is talking. He moves us to open water and then increases speed. The tiny plane starts to bump over the water and shake. My fingers tighten on the armrests and I close my eyes.
I feel the moment we’re airborne because everything calms. Bode chuckles and I open my eyes and find him staring at me. I cross my arms, unsure if I am actually speaking to Bode. But I can’t stand the silence more than five minutes. “So…you’re a pilot, fishing guide, and a landscaper?”
The grin on his face falls. “About that. I owe you another apology. You assumed I was a landscaper and I didn’t correct you.”
I assumed…“But you had a truck full of plants and flowers.”
He nods in agreement. “Yes, I did. I was chartering them to Wilmington.”
I move my gaze to look out over the ocean. What does it even matter? “You know, Bode, I should be upset about that, but what’s one more lie to add? Should I even ask if there is anything else I don’t know?”
He quickly shakes his head and says, “Nope. Well, I was married for like a minute years ago. I think that’s it.”
I turn my head and stare at his profile as he does whatever it is pilots do to keep us alive. “You were married?”
He glances my way and shrugs with a nod. “We married in college and divorced on the island almost two years later.”
There’s something in his tone. I don’t buy his nonchalance. His loss goes deeper. I wish his eyes weren’t covered by aviators. “What happened?”
“We were young and realized we wanted different things out of life. I should also tell you that I pretended to be a landscaper so I could spend time with you.”
I don’t miss how he skipped over any information about his marriage. “You did it to spend time with me?” Well, now that was just cute.
“I did, but maybe also because I didn’t want anyone else to help you, and possibly because I hoped you’d pay me in kisses.”
Going All Inn (Faire Island Bride Series Book 1) Page 8
