Sunshine Beach

by Wendy Wax

  Nikki grimaced. “What does it say that I envy the fact that you have a plan?”

  “Good grief,” Maddie said. “I think we need to dig down deep to try to tap into our inner optimists. Surely things can’t get any worse.”

  No one argued. But no one seemed inclined to do any internal digging, either.

  “Want to flip a coin to see who shares their news first?” Troy asked. “Or should I go ahead since I’m the guest?”

  “You left off ‘unwelcome’ and ‘uninvited,’” Kyra pointed out. “You showed up under questionable circumstances and disappeared the same way.”

  “No, I came here and worked for you for free,” Troy said. “Then I left to try to find you a new gig. I came back when I found one.”

  “A new gig?” Avery said. “Okay, Troy goes first.”

  Kyra swallowed her objections and sat back, arms crossed.

  “Bottom line, HGTV wants you,” Troy said. “They don’t care what the show is called and they don’t need it to be reality TV. Their whole channel is design and construction and they’d be a much better fit. They’ve been watching your numbers and they seem to think you can resolve the threat of a lawsuit.”

  “People know about the lawsuit?” Nikki asked.

  Troy nodded. “I think that’s still part of the plan. They’re doing everything they can to make you as unattractive as possible to other networks. But I think HGTV will be willing to wait until things are settled and you’re free.”

  “I don’t know,” Avery said. “I’ve already done a show for HGTV and it didn’t end well. I was treated every bit as badly by the program head there as we have been at Lifetime. I’d still rather do our own thing.”

  “But you need a whole lot of money for that. And a project,” Troy countered. “Last I heard you didn’t have either.” He spoke directly to Kyra, his voice challenging while his eyes seemed to be sending all kinds of contradictory signals that she was too irritated to want to try to decipher.

  “Yeah, well things have changed a bit since you left on your ‘mission to save us.’” Kyra air quoted. “We now have access to one and a half million dollars.” She paused to let this sink in. “If we can bring the reno in at a million, we’ll have enough left to fight the network’s lawsuit if we need to.”

  “What did you do? Run to your ‘boyfriend’?” Troy aimed air quotes back at her. “Or should we just call him your sugar daddy?” Troy’s face was tight with anger. “He doesn’t even need those movie star looks to hold on to you, does he? Not as long as he’s got all that money.”

  “Troy,” her mother admonished. “That’s not fair.”

  “You can believe whatever you want to,” Kyra shot back. “You are the biggest . . . oh never mind.” She turned her back on him. “Does it really matter where the money came from?”

  “Yes, of course it does,” Avery said. “We wouldn’t want anyone put at risk. But I don’t see anything wrong with Daniel wanting to help. He is the father of your child, and it’s not like he’ll be out on the street if something goes wrong.”

  Kyra was careful not to flinch at the thought of being out on the street, since it would be them and not Daniel who would be there. Nor did she correct Avery’s assumption.

  Nikki did flinch at the “father of your child” comment, but said only, “As long as you’re not taking on anything you don’t think you can handle?”

  “No,” Kyra said, relieved it was only a half-truth and not a full-fledged lie.

  “You’re not committing yourself to something you might come to . . . regret?” her mother asked softly.

  Kyra forced herself to meet her mother’s eyes and realized that Maddie was worried that she had somehow obligated herself to Daniel in ways she otherwise might not have. It was with relief that she was able to say, “No, absolutely not.” Because that, at least, was true. She was committed to trying to save Do Over and no matter what happened, she would not regret that decision.

  “I’m feeling some actual hope here, but I’d feel even better if we had a project,” Avery said. “Or knew where to find one.”

  “That’s the best part,” Kyra said. “I saw Annelise and Renée. And Annelise is, I don’t know, something’s different. The bulldozers are already on the property and they’re set to begin demo on Monday.”

  “That’s the best part?” Avery frowned.

  “No. The best part is that they agreed to hear us out. I think if we come up with something they can get excited about, we might have a shot at finishing the Sunshine Hotel.”

  “Oh, my God.” Avery jumped up and threw her arms around Kyra. “I feel like one of those death row inmates who’s being led to the gas chamber when the last-minute call from the governor comes in.” There was another bone-crushing hug. Then she hugged Maddie. “For giving birth to Kyra!”

  There were celebratory hugs all round. Only Troy kept his arms to himself.

  “I’m going to call Chase and Ray right now,” Avery said. “What do you say we have that picnic at the hotel? We’ll need as much time as possible there before sunset so we can figure this out without having to do it by flashlight.”

  Daniel and Dustin pulled up in front of Bella Flora just before five P.M. They arrived in the longest, most pimped-out white limousine Kyra had ever seen. All it lacked was a flashing neon sign that read, Here I am! Look at me!

  Kyra gritted her teeth. “What in the world is he doing?”

  “He’s obviously not planning to sneak in under the radar,” Troy said tartly.

  She ignored the cameraman, not quite able to believe what she was seeing. Just when she was getting ready to go out and remove Dustin from the car, the driver, dressed in a fancy uniform with brass buttons and a matching cap, got out and hurried around to open the door.

  Neither Daniel nor Dustin wore a disguise of any kind. For a man who had been so gleefully inventive and had wardrobe and makeup people at his command, it was decidedly odd to see the two of them so . . . them. They strolled up to the front door chatting animatedly, Dustin moving and looking like a mini version of his famous father. Each step was a money shot if ever she’d seen one, assuming there’d been a photographer there to capture it. The only thing that might have been more adorable would have been if Dustin were riding on his father’s shoulders. They were at the front garden gate when Daniel swept Dustin up into that very position. They sort of chortled at each other before ambling up to the front door. Just your everyday A-list movie star and his illegitimate child.

  “What’s going on?” Kyra asked as she met them out on the front loggia.

  “Just enjoying the day.” Daniel slid an arm around her shoulders and gave her a long, lingering kiss. It was the sort of public display of affection that they’d been careful not to give in to even when they were actually seeing each other.

  “Have you lost your mind?” she asked, pushing him away, eager to get back inside before someone saw the three of them together.

  “Not that I’m aware of,” he replied amiably, still standing too close and showing no inclination to go inside. He leaned down so that she could take Dustin from his shoulders. Dustin looped his arms around her neck and started kissing her.

  “Bliss!” she exclaimed as he gave her a butterfly kiss with the thick dark eyelashes that were so like his father’s. Lifting his shirt she blew a very loud raspberry on his belly. Daniel reached out and tickled him. For at least those few moments they might have been a real family, the kind that had the right to be seen together in public, to tease and to tickle. All three of them were laughing by the time they went inside and closed the door behind them.

  “Quite a show you put on out there.” Troy stood in the foyer, a one-man unwelcoming committee. “Too bad there were no paparazzi there to see it.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Daniel said, not at all perturbed.

  Her mother came out of the kitch
en smiling, her arms open wide. Her father wasn’t far behind. Dustin clambered down and raced to them. When the kissing and hugging died down, Maddie walked over to greet Daniel. “It looks like Dustin had a great time. Would you like to stay for dinner? We’re having a picnic on the beach behind the Sunshine Hotel.”

  “I’m sure Daniel needs to get going,” Kyra said.

  “Actually, I’m not going anywhere,” Daniel said. “I’d be glad to stay for dinner. I’ve been wanting to see the hotel. After that I’m checking into the Don CeSar. The Don’s a big enough hotel that word should get out. I plan to stay there until someone notices.”

  “Running low on adoration?” Troy asked.

  Daniel shrugged. “I have it on good authority that the Do Over cast can’t afford to be forgotten right now. So I thought I’d hang around. At least until word gets out that I’m here.”

  Nikki told herself it wasn’t running away since she was headed in the general direction of the Sunshine Hotel. But the truth was, she’d had to leave Bella Flora because she couldn’t bear watching Daniel Deranian and his obvious affection and attachment for his son. Every time she looked at him, all she could see was Joe Giraldi, he of the angry tic in his cheek and the righteous indignation.

  He’d had the nerve to ask if he was the father and basically called her a liar and a cheat. After he’d known that Malcolm was trying to use her and was not in danger, had known that she was being watched.

  Her bare feet pounded the sand, splashed through the too-warm shallow water. Zinc oxide ran down her nose. The oversized straw hat flopped as she walked. All around her, people seemed to be enjoying themselves. She took every smile, every laugh as a personal affront. How could they be so happy when she was so miserable? How could they go on about their lives when her body and her entire life had been hijacked? With each step the litany of losses rang louder. Her company, Heart Inc., was ancient history, Do Over was in the toilet, and the one time she’d let herself fall all the way in love, what had happened? She’d driven Joe away. She had babies growing inside her for Christ’s sake. And their father was off somewhere trying to convince himself they weren’t his.

  She stomped along, not exactly walking but definitely not running. The doctor had said she could jog if she wanted to. Ha! She’d probably never have the time or energy to ever run again. If she managed to carry these babies to term, which still seemed grossly unlikely, she’d have two babies and no job or money. She’d undoubtedly get fat and ugly. And by the time the babies went to school she’d be . . . oh, God, she’d be ancient! People would think she was their grandmother! She walked on, her thoughts churning. Here she was worrying about herself when the people she should be feeling sorry for were her babies, her children, who wouldn’t exactly be hitting the mother jackpot. She was selfish and self-absorbed, and her mothering of Malcolm had produced a conscienceless monster. What if she screwed up her children? What if she was such an awful mother that . . .

  “Hold on!”

  It took her a minute to realize someone was talking to her. Her sunglasses had fogged up due to the warm tears that seemed to form at the least provocation. She swiped at them with her forearm before turning. She blinked and removed the foggy glasses certain she was seeing or—in her mental state—imagining things. But no. There he was. Dark glasses. Determined chin. Bare chest. Unfairly attractive. Joe Giraldi.

  She turned back around and walked faster. She had nothing to say to this man.

  “Nikki! Stop!”

  “Or what?” She threw the words over her shoulder. If he hadn’t arrested her by now, chances were it wasn’t going to happen. Anger coursed through her, hot and powerful. She’d like to see him try to arrest her. She’d chew him up and spit him out. She’d . . .

  “Nikki.” His voice sounded next to her ear. His hand grasped her shoulder. “Nikki,” he said again. “Please stop. Or at least slow down. I’m afraid you’re going to collapse or hyperventilate.” His eyes went to her stomach and came back to her face.

  She kept her chin up and she didn’t exactly acknowledge him. But since she was feeling slightly light-headed, she did slow down. She would not give him the satisfaction of fainting in front of him.

  “Nikki, seriously. You’ve got to . . .”

  She stopped abruptly and turned. If he’d had lesser reflexes he would have plowed into her. “I don’t have to do anything. Especially not for someone who called me a cheater. If you don’t want to have anything to do with me or my children, go right ahead and believe whatever you want. And then, then you can just get the hell out of my life.”

  She blinked back tears. Thank God for the foggy sunglasses.

  “Nikki,” he said. “Stop it. Please. I came to apologize.”

  “Well, go ahead then and be done with it,” she said and hoped to hell her lip hadn’t just quivered.

  “I’m sorry. I know I overreacted. I just . . . I’ve never been quite that angry. Or hurt.”

  She managed to remain silent. And she was pretty sure her lip had stopped quivering.

  “First I kept waiting for you to tell me that Malcolm had contacted you. Then I waited for you to tell me that you were going to see him. Then I waited for you to tell me that he threatened you. But you never did.”

  When she didn’t respond, he continued. “And then I accidentally found out that you’d been to the doctor and could be pregnant.”

  “You were tracing me and my credit card. I don’t think that qualifies as an ‘accident,’” she bit out. “And none of this would have happened if you’d told me about the investigation.”

  “Nikki, I couldn’t do that.”

  “Because deep down you didn’t trust me not to tell Malcolm.” Her glasses fogged again. She ripped them off.

  He sighed. “Because I’m not allowed to share the details of an ongoing investigation. Period.”

  She did not want to accept this. Didn’t care if it was the truth.

  “I am sorry, though,” he said.

  “You accused me of cheating on you.” The tears fell then, which really pissed her off. Her lips weren’t the only thing quivering.

  “I know. That was completely out of line. I just lost control. Part of me wanted to make sure you felt as bad as I did.” He wiped the tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “But can you please tell me why you didn’t let me know you were pregnant? Don’t you want to have children? Or is it just me you don’t want?”

  Oh, God. She tried to hold on to her anger, but it was seeping out of her like a lifeboat that had sprung a leak in the middle of shark-infested waters. She did want him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. The realization struck her with the force of a blow to the gut. She loved this man. She was incredibly lucky that he loved her. Lucky to be carrying his children. He’d been honest with her; she owed him the same in return. Please God, she prayed silently. Please don’t let me screw this up.

  She reached out and removed his sunglasses so that she could see his eyes.

  “I got pregnant twice before,” she said finally. “When I was married. And I had miscarriages both times.” She drew a deep breath, surprised that the long-ago pain was still there. “It was . . . well, it was awful.”

  His eyes were dark and stormy with emotion. His hands fisted at his sides. But he didn’t interrupt.

  “Then the doctor told me that I’d never carry full term. I don’t think I even listened to the reasons why.” She swallowed around the lump that rose in her throat, forced herself to continue. “But I was told it would be better if I didn’t get pregnant. And I never did.”

  Joe’s eyes held hers. “Yeah, I noticed you were a little fanatical about taking your birth control pills.”

  “Well, I had a reason. And then when my period got so erratic . . .” She shook her head. “Well, I guess I’m not going through menopause after all.”

 
He gave a bark of laughter. It loosened the knot of anxiety that she’d carried inside her. It was crowded in there with the babies.

  “And honestly, you know I practically raised Malcolm. And look how he turned out. He doesn’t care about anyone or anything but himself. Even though I keep forgetting that. I’m not exactly mother of the year material.”

  “Ah, Nikki.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and without discussion they turned back toward Bella Flora. “Malcolm’s lack of moral fiber and conscience aren’t on you,” he said. “I’ve been in law enforcement long enough to know there are simply some people who have neither. The really dangerous ones are able to cover it up with an overabundance of charm.”

  “He’s got that, all right. I’ve known him his whole life and I still keep falling for it.”

  “You want to believe. That makes it easier for him. He doesn’t even have to win you over.”

  She took a deep breath and scrubbed at her eyes. She felt limp with relief, barely resisting the urge to lean her head against his shoulder.

  “Are we okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  “Can I kiss you?” he asked, bringing them to a stop and turning her to face him.

  She nodded again.

  “Good. Because as mad as I was at you on our little road trip I could barely keep my hands off you.”

  “You could have fooled me. You were a complete and utter maniac.”

  He tilted her chin up and brought his lips down on hers. The kiss was long and thorough, but achingly gentle.

  “Well, I’m going to be a father. I may be feeling a little overprotective.” His lips hovered over hers as he spoke. Then he kissed her again.

  It occurred to her that this could be the moment that he’d ask her to marry him again. She was shocked at how much she wouldn’t mind if he did.

  But though he kept his arm around her the whole way back and then left her at Bella Flora with one last extremely enthusiastic kiss, the word “marriage” never crossed his lips.