An Innocent In Paradise

by Kate Carlisle

  “That about covers it.”

  Logan nodded grimly. He knew Brandon had spent years in the NFL as a star quarterback, then worked in broadcasting before joining his brothers in their multimillion-dollar business. He defined the word successful. Besides that, he was smart, had a great sense of humor and loved his family. The guy was a virtual paragon.

  But he’d grown up thinking he was all screwed up?

  And now he was well-adjusted and secure enough to admit the mistakes he’d made? Logan was starting to view his cousin in a whole new light.

  Through gritted teeth, Logan said, “Our mom walked out on us when we were kids.”

  “Damn,” Brandon said, shaking his head. “Some people are just not meant to have children.”

  “No kidding.”

  “But look on the bright side.” Brandon chuckled. “At least she did you the favor of leaving you in the hands of a great father.”

  “That’s true.” Logan hadn’t thought about it from that angle. And now he couldn’t help but picture Brandon as the kid who’d been used as a punching bag by a vicious man who never should’ve been allowed to be a father. But he’d survived. No, he’d more than survived. Brandon had thrived. Logan couldn’t help but admire the man he’d become.

  He shook his head slowly as he realized he’d completely misjudged his cousins. He was also a little stunned to admit that because of his mother, he’d spent most of his life carrying a chip on his shoulder where women were concerned. Now, after talking to Brandon, he was almost glad she’d left them.

  “Damn,” he said. “I’ve been an idiot.”

  Brandon laughed and slapped his cousin’s shoulder companionably. “Welcome to my world, dude.”

  Nine

  “It takes less than two hours to circumnavigate the island,” Logan told his cousins after instructing their driver to take the main highway that looped around Alleria. “But that’s with no stopping.”

  “We’ll be making four stops, right?” Brandon said, paging through the detailed itinerary Logan’s assistant had typed up.

  “That’s right,” Aidan said. “Three possible hotel sites and the proposed sports-center site. Then we’ll stop for lunch in Tierra before heading back to our hotel.”

  Adam put his arm around his wife, who sat next to him in the spacious limousine. “Glad you ladies decided to come with us.”

  “Me, too,” Trish said, glancing around at the other wives. “We can get massages anytime, right? This is much more interesting.”

  “We like to think so,” Aidan said with a grin.

  “If you’re on the lookout,” Logan said, pointing out the window that faced the coast, “you’ll be able to see water most of the time.”

  “Sometimes the growth gets too heavy to see through,” Aidan said, “but we’re still only within a few hundred yards of the shore at all times.”

  “That’s so cool,” Kelly said.

  “It’s a really small island,” Aidan said. “But that’s part of its charm.”

  The first two stops were brief. Everyone agreed that neither of the locations were ideal for the type of hotel that the Dukes specialized in.

  “We’ve got one more spot to look at,” Logan said as they continued driving north.

  When the limo stopped a few miles later, everyone stared in hushed silence.

  “It’s perfect,” Trish whispered before they’d even climbed out of the limousine. The driver had maneuvered the car down a narrow dirt road and pulled to a stop at the bottom of a rugged hill, inches from the edge of the sandy beach. Tropical palm trees lined the shore and swayed in the soft breeze.

  Once they were out of the car and walking around, Kelly pointed in amazement at the hillside above them where flowering vines of every color, shade and variety cascaded down the fertile green surface.

  “It’s like a painting,” she cried, then turned to Brandon. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  “Fantastic,” he said, pulling her close to him.

  “It’s incredible,” Trish agreed.

  Logan had always enjoyed this tranquil cove with its flowering cliffs and wondered why he hadn’t brought Grace here before. Someday soon he would take her for a drive and show her the beauty of his island.

  As he listened to his cousins and their wives, Logan had every confidence that the Dukes would build the perfect small hotel here that would blend in with the beauty of the land and the sea. He wondered if Grace might come back to visit sometime and see the completed project.

  He quickly shook his head, wondering where that thought had come from. Once Grace left, she wouldn’t be coming back to visit the island unless she needed more spores. It would be smart for him to keep that in mind.

  Julia wandered closer to the water, then turned. “Can I live here?”

  Cameron laughed, then said to the others, “This beach is perfect.”

  “It’s on a slight inlet,” Aidan explained, pointing to the land that extended out on both sides of the water. “So you’re protected from the stronger trade winds. But you’ve still got more waves coming in than we have on the other side of the island. And there’s a nice breeze, so you’ll attract a good sailing crowd.”

  “As long as they bring their money along, we’re happy to have them,” Adam said with a laugh, always the businessman.

  They spent almost an hour exploring the area. They checked the shallow cliffs for erosion and found none. The twins had already commissioned an environmental-impact study and a geological-viability assessment of the land itself. Adam asked how fast and high the tide came in and Aidan had an answer for him.

  “But we don’t expect you to go by our word alone,” Aidan added. “We welcome your independent surveyors and inspection crews.”

  “Dude,” Brandon said, “first of all, you’re family, so we’re not worried. But, also, you’re part of our investment group, so you’ve got skin in the game, too.”

  Logan flashed a grin at his brother, then looked at his cousins. “The truth is, we would be building our own hotel here if you hadn’t been interested.”

  “We’re interested,” Adam said, then glanced at his brothers. “Am I right?”

  Cameron and Brandon answered with firm nods, then Cameron said, “Let’s have the bean counters work the numbers and we’ll draw up the papers.”

  After a brief stop at the proposed site of the sports center, they had lunch outside on the patio of a small, friendly French bistro that specialized in local fish and shellfish. A colorful market umbrella protected the entire party from the rays of the sun as they enjoyed the views of the lively harbor along with the exceptional food.

  “Oh, my God, I’m stuffed,” Trish said, pushing her dessert plate away. “All I’ll be capable of doing this afternoon is passing out on a chaise longue on the beach.”

  “Me, too,” Julia said, dabbing her lips with her napkin. “But this was lovely. I’ve never tasted a richer, more delicious sauce than the one on the Coquilles St. Jacques.” She squeezed her husband’s arm. “Sorry, sweetie, but I’m going to dream about it tonight.”

  Cameron chuckled, then took a bite of the tarte tatin they were sharing. “How in the world did a chef with so much talent for haute cuisine wind up in this tiny place?”

  “He’s the son of a local family,” Logan said. “Studied in France at several three-star-rated restaurants, then came home to marry his childhood sweetheart.”

  “She’s our waitress,” Aidan added with a grin.

  “That’s so romantic,” Kelly said, causing Brandon to smile as he took her hand and kissed it.

  As he watched his cousins flirt with their wives, Logan had the strangest urge to drive straight back to the hotel and find Grace. He missed her and wished, not for the first time, that he’d invited her along, knowing she would fit in perfectly with his family.

  “Guess there’s not much chance of stealing the guy away, is there?” Adam asked, as he finished the last bite of his chocolate mousse. “We could use someone this
talented at the new hotel.”

  “Not a chance,” Aidan said firmly.

  “We know,” Logan chimed in, chuckling. “Because we’ve tried.”

  “What other secrets does this fabulous island hide from the rest of the world?” Kelly asked, intrigued.

  “Well, since you’re family,” Aidan said, winking at her, “I guess it’ll be okay to disclose a few secrets. For one thing, we’ve got amazing hot springs up in the rain forest.”

  “I haven’t read anything about that,” Kelly said, frowning.

  “We’ve never put it in any of the brochures,” Logan admitted. “Don’t want anyone trampling on our own little piece of paradise.”

  “We won’t advertise it, either,” Brandon said.

  “It sounds so romantic,” Trish said.

  “Definitely,” Julia said, and gave Cameron a playful tap on his shoulder.

  Cameron returned her smile, then explained, “We’ve got a secluded pool and a grotto on the grounds of our resort in Monarch Bay. It’s pretty cool.”

  “And very romantic,” Julia said.

  “Well, our hot springs aren’t quite that accessible,” Aidan said, “but believe me, they’re off the scale in terms of providing a romantic setting. Lush foliage, waterfalls, completely secluded.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Logan said. “It takes some time and exercise to find them, but they’re totally worth the effort once you’re there.”

  Aidan continued describing the hike to the hot springs but Logan tuned him out. His mind had already returned instead to thoughts of Grace and the day they’d spent making love in the rain forest. He wished again that she were here with them enjoying the day and realized he hadn’t yet brought her into Tierra for lunch or dinner. She would love it here, and he vowed to bring her soon.

  Strange that his desire for her continued to grow instead of diminishing as he’d once thought it would. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever grow tired of her.

  Logan walked into the lounge at five o’clock and was greeted by Aidan, who grabbed his arm and said without preamble, “We need to talk.”

  “What’s up?” Logan said amiably. He was in a cheery mood, having spent the past two hours with Grace in her room. In her bed, to be more accurate. He followed Aidan to the far end of the bar, where Brandon was sitting alone, nursing a bottle of beer.

  “Sit down,” Aidan said to Logan, pointing to the stool next to Brandon. Then he nodded at Brandon. “Go ahead. Tell him.”

  Before Brandon could speak, Joey appeared in front of Logan. “What’re you drinking, boss?”

  “I’ll have what he’s having,” Logan said, pointing his thumb toward the bottle in front of Brandon. “Thanks, Joey.”

  Aidan grabbed his own beer and stood behind the two men. “I want you to listen to Brandon.”

  Logan turned and eyed his brother. “I will, as soon as he says something.”

  Brandon swiveled his stool around and faced Logan. “Aidan seems to think you might have a problem. So here’s the deal. I want you to look across the room, over by the windows, where my mother is sitting with your father.”

  Logan picked out the couple in the crowd, then smiled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed they’ve been hanging out with each other, practically since the first day we all got together. You think we’ll be hearing some kind of announcement pretty soon?”

  “That’s not the point,” Aidan said sharply.

  Logan whipped around. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Brandon grinned at the two of them. “It’s such a kick to see you guys together. How does anyone ever tell you apart?”

  “That’s not the point, either,” Aidan groused.

  Brandon laughed and turned back to Logan. “It’s about my mom. She likes to play matchmaker.”

  “Are you listening?” Aidan said pointedly.

  Logan ignored him. “Go on, Brandon.”

  Brandon nodded. “For the past half-hour, while Aidan and I have been talking here at the bar, Mom’s been chatting with that pretty redheaded cocktail waitress. She’s over there at the bar right now.”

  Logan didn’t have to look to know he was talking about Grace. “Yeah, I know her,” he said, his voice edged with suspicion.

  “When I mentioned to Aidan that Mom had this thing about making sure everyone in her life was happily married and having babies, he thought I should warn you.”

  Logan turned his stool slowly around until he was facing Aidan. “You’re kidding. That’s what the big emergency is?”

  To his credit, Aidan held up both hands in surrender. “I admit that hearing Brandon talk about it now makes it all sound a little far-fetched. But you didn’t see the way Sally was talking to Grace. They were tight and it looked serious. They were making plans, I’m telling you.”

  “You’ve lost your mind,” Logan muttered, shaking his head. Joey brought him his beer and Logan took a long, hard drink.

  Aidan scowled. “Okay, maybe I got a little carried away in the moment.”

  “Maybe?”

  Brandon jumped in. “Hey, I’m right there with you, Aidan. Believe me, I watched Sally take down both of my brothers and I was determined not to let it happen to me.”

  “But you’re happily married now,” Logan said in protest.

  “I know.” Brandon laughed. “I’ll be damned if Mom didn’t show up at my hotel in Napa one day, say a few words, and the next thing I knew I was walking down the aisle, happy as a clam.”

  “There she is,” Aidan whispered loudly. “Check it out.”

  Logan rolled his eyes again, but turned in time to see Grace walk over to Sally’s table and hand her a note. Sally stood and gave Grace a hug, then slipped the note into her small purse. Then Grace walked back to the drink station to place an order.

  “Okay, that was weird,” Brandon admitted.

  It was, Logan had to admit. Frowning to himself, his gaze locked on Grace, he wondered what the note was all about.

  “What the hell is she up to?” Logan wondered aloud.

  “Thank you,” Aidan said, gazing skyward, then back at his brother. “I feel slightly vindicated. I hope you’re going to get to the bottom of whatever’s going on.”

  Logan nodded, unsure of what to say or think about what he’d just seen. So, for now, he kept quiet and sipped his beer as he mulled over the possibilities and considered his next move.

  Hell, it wasn’t like Sally had magical powers or anything.

  Oh, for God’s sake. The fact that his mind had actually put those words together in a sentence meant that he had just stepped into the loony zone. Right next to his brother. The difference was, Aidan really belonged there; Logan didn’t.

  Contrary to Aidan’s opinion, there was nothing going on between Sally and Grace. Sally was a lovely lady who took a friendly interest in all the people around her, including Grace. That was all that was going on there. Who knows, maybe Grace gave Sally her phone number so they could keep in touch. Or maybe the note held the name of some store where she liked to shop. Who the hell knew? And who cared? Besides Aidan, of course.

  The real problem was that Aidan didn’t trust Grace. He thought she might be after Logan’s money. Logan knew it wasn’t true but he hadn’t done a good enough job convincing his brother. But what would be the point? This thing with Grace was temporary and he knew it. All too soon, she’d be leaving Alleria and Logan behind.

  But in the meantime, Aidan had glommed on to Brandon’s matchmaking conspiracy theory. Great. And Grace wasn’t helping matters much since it did look like she really was going to Sally for advice. And Sally seemed happy enough to help Grace. But help her with…what? Perform a voodoo marriage chant? Sprinkle his dinner plate with aphrodisiacs? He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Grace was too down-to-earth, too literal, to buy into anything so absurd. And damn it, Sally was, too. This was all Aidan’s crap and Logan needed to call him on it. Besides, the bottom line was, there was absolutely nothing that Grace-or Sally, for that matter-cou
ld do to coerce Logan into marrying her.

  He would just need to do a better job of convincing Aidan of that. And then he would get off Logan’s back about his relationship with Grace.

  And yet, Logan had to admit that seeing Grace slip Sally that note had struck him as a little odd. But he was sure it could be easily explained. All he had to do was ask Grace about it and she would tell him the whole story. He knew Grace had a hard time lying, so it wouldn’t be difficult getting the truth out of her.

  But not tonight. Tonight, all he wanted to do was make love with her. Tomorrow would be soon enough to question her about Sally and the note. It was probably something completely innocent, but he knew his brother would continue tormenting him until Logan found out the truth.

  Ten

  “I’m going to marry her.”

  As Aidan’s eyes widened in shock and dismay, Logan almost laughed himself silly.

  “You’re kidding,” Aidan whispered.

  “Why are you so surprised?” Logan asked. “Haven’t you noticed they’ve been in love practically from the first day they met?”

  “You noticed?” his father asked, his grin broader than Logan had ever seen it.

  Logan laughed and slapped Dad on the back. “We all noticed, Dad. Except Aidan, apparently.”

  “Sorry, Dad. I’ve had a lot on my mind.” Aidan scowled at Logan as he threw down the toast he’d been about to bite into. Shaking his head to rid himself of what seemed to be a pretty weird mood, Aidan pushed away from the table and walked over to Dad, who stood and wrapped him up in a bear hug.

  Logan jumped up and grabbed them both fiercely. “I’m thrilled for you and Sally, Dad. She’s the greatest.”

  “She is,” Aidan said quickly. “I guess I was shocked because I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Me, neither, son,” Dad said, and his eyes grew misty. “But she’s the woman for me. I’m in love with her and I want to be with her always. Took me long enough, but I got it right this time.”

  Logan felt his own eyes tear up and he willed himself to get a grip. “Where is Sally right now, Dad? I want to give her a big kiss.”