He nodded.
“One of the reasons had to do with my then boyfriend, Devon,” she said his name like it was a dirty word. “He was a piece of work. I have no idea how long he planned what he did, but he weaseled his way into my life, and unbeknownst to me, he represented our biggest competitor on the same property I was working to negotiate.”
He cringed on the inside, knowing exactly where this story was heading. He hurt for the humiliation written on Piper’s face.
“I talked shop with him all the time, running things by him to get his opinion. He knew so much about the inner workings of Hunt Enterprises that he slaughtered us when the bids were presented. What hurt the most was that he never cared about me. He only used me as a means to an end. He wasn’t even apologetic.” She shrugged. “Now you know.”
He reached over and cradled her hand. “I’m so sorry that creep did that.”
She blinked. “You mean you don’t think I should have known better? My dad chewed me out like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve been trying to prove myself ever since. As if my normal perfectionism wasn’t enough already.” She laughed drily.
“Sweetheart, what he did to you was rotten. How long ago did that happen?”
“About a year.” She sniffed as a tear slid down her face. He leaned over and pulled her close in the awkward space. Jeeps were not designed for cuddling.
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You know, I’m not an attorney, or in the development business, or even the hospitality business. So you can relax where I’m concerned. I only want what’s best for you.”
She wrapped an arm across his waist. “I know. I’m sorry for being paranoid and not trusting you.” She looked at him sheepishly. “I actually had you checked out to make sure you were on the up and up before I hired you.”
He chuckled. “I should probably be offended, but I would expect no less from you.”
She gazed at him with trust in her beautiful brown eyes. She touched his chin and rubbed her thumb along his scar. “How’d you get this?”
“I slipped and fell in the shower.”
She snickered.
“Not nice to laugh.”
She sobered. “I’m sorry. You’re serious?”
“Unfortunately I am. I was five when it happened.”
“Oh wow. That must have been awful.”
“It wasn’t fun having my chin stitched up, but at least it’s not that noticeable.”
“And here I thought you’d have some spectacular story about how you came to have a scar on your chin.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. I could make one up if you’d like.”
“Not necessary,” she said softly.
It felt right sitting here holding her in his arms. He only needed to tilt his head slightly, and he’d be in the perfect position to kiss her soundly. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and lowered his head. Her pliant lips melted into his. He pulled back slightly.
“Wow.” She looked at him with glazed eyes.
“Wow good, I hope.”
“Yes, but you took me by surprise.”
He had a difficult time believing that kiss was a surprise, but he’d let her pretend. “I’ve wanted to do that since the day I met you.”
Her eyes widened. “I had no idea. I thought you didn’t like me.” She sat back, still facing him, and leaned against her door.
“I never had anything against you, only what you wanted to do here, but as you can see I came around to your way of thinking.” He grinned. “A resort on this island will be kind of fun.”
“Really? How so?” She raised a brow.
“Well, I happen to like the owner of the resort very much, and I am hoping to spend many hours enjoying her company. If said resort were not here…” He’d let her fill in the blanks.
Piper’s heart beat a rapid staccato. She licked her lips as his words settled over her. Chase had not only kissed her, but he really liked her and wanted to spend time with her! Why did that surprise her so much? She thought she was a likable person, but they’d butted heads more often than not since she’d arrived.
It seemed that might be about to change though, since it was clear now that Chase supported the resort, and he would do everything he could to make it a beautiful place where people would want to come visit year after year.
“Thank you.”
He quirked a brow. “For what?”
“For stopping.”
He chuckled. “Thanks for letting me in.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat his words had caused. She’d let him in in more ways than one. She’d opened the door to her heart, now she prayed he wouldn’t trample it.
“I should go.”
“Okay. Where’re you heading?”
“Thought I’d go kayaking. If you’re not busy, you are welcome to join me.”
“I’d like that a lot, but I don’t kayak.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” He winked. “I’m a pretty good teacher, if you care to learn.”
“I don’t know.”
He reached out and took her hand. “I could rent a two person kayak if that would make you more comfortable.”
She blinked. “It would. Thanks.” The timing of Chase knocking on her window and her prayer couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. Clearly the Lord was answering her prayer as she prayed and healing her heart in the process. She’d never seen Him work so quickly, but then again, this had been a long time in coming.
He released her hand. “How about you make a U-turn and head back to the B&B? We can go together in my truck from there.”
She nodded and waited for him to cross the road before doing as he suggested. What a difference a couple of hours made. If someone had told her earlier today that she would kiss Chase and not only enjoy it, but wish it hadn’t ended, they would have been able to knock her over with a mere breath.
She sensed change in the air and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
Chapter Nineteen
Piper stood at her bedroom window looking down on Zoe, who stood in the garden wringing her hands. September had rolled into October, and it appeared Zoe’s wedding jitters had hit her much like the anticipation of serving a brand new recipe to a VIP—the promise of something fabulous, but the scariness of the unknown. Zoe had actually burned breakfast—a first since Piper had been here. Piper needed to do something to help her friend, and she had the perfect solution, but she’d need Nick’s help and maybe even Chase’s. She made two phone calls, then grabbed her purse and headed down the stairs in search of her host.
Nick sat at the reception desk working on his laptop. He looked up as she stepped off the last stair with a little extra bounce. “You’re in a good mood.”
She nodded. “I’d like to kidnap your fiancé for the rest of the afternoon. Is that okay?”
He frowned. “I don’t know, Piper. She’s pretty stressed with the wedding stuff.”
“That’s exactly why I want to take her away. She needs to be pampered. I have it all worked out. Chase is on his way over to take over whatever she is doing, and she and I are heading to my favorite spa in Tacoma. I’m taking her to dinner afterward, so we’ll be late.”
His lips tipped up. “She’d probably like that a lot. She’s been stressed about finding time to do a pedi and a mani, as she calls them. Go for it. I’ll support you and help you convince her to take the rest of the day off. In fact, I’ll arrange for extra help the next couple of days so she doesn’t have to work.”
“Seriously? That’s nice of you.”
“She’s going to be my wife in three days. I want her happy.”
“She’s a lucky woman. How are you doing?”
“Me? I’m fine. My brother and nephew arrive tomorrow, as well as Zoe’s foster parents. This house will be full.”
“Good. You both should be surrounded by people who love you, and I’m sure Zoe will appreciate having Michelle here. She’s been talking all week about how she can’t wait for
them to arrive.”
He chuckled. “I’ve noticed that.” He stood. “Let’s go find Zoe.”
Piper followed him, and they found her in the kitchen poring over a checklist of things to do before the wedding. It looked like she’d recently come in from outside since she still wore her sunglasses.
Nick gently slipped the shades from her face and placed them on the counter. “Honey, Piper is going to whisk you away for an afternoon and evening of pampering.”
Zoe turned startled eyes toward her. “I can’t. I have too much to do.”
“I won’t take no for an answer. Chase is on his way over as we speak. He’s had a hand in this from the start, and he and Nick will take care of whatever you need.”
Zoe’s expression of panic softened. “Really, Nick? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with all of this.”
He strode to her and pulled her into his arms.
Piper had no idea what he said, but a minute later she left his arms with a dreamy look on her face and vanished into her suite.
“She’ll be out shortly.”
“What did you say to her?”
“I want my future wife to be well rested and not worn out on our wedding night.”
“Oh.” She snapped her mouth shut and felt her cheeks burn. She shouldn’t have asked.
A few minutes later Zoe sauntered out wearing a flowing black skirt, red top and strappy sandals. She held a black sweater over her arm. “Ready!”
Piper chuckled.
The kitchen door swung open and Chase walked in. “Piper sent out an S.O.S. I’m here to save the day.”
Piper grinned and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thanks. Zoe was working on a to-do list. We’re out of here.”
“Wait. I need to show him a few things first.” Zoe snagged the list from the counter then quickly explained what she needed done. “Now I’m ready. Let’s go, Piper.”
Zoe giggled as the woman working on her feet scrubbed the bottom. She had all she could do not to yank her foot away.
Piper chuckled. “If you had pedicures more often they wouldn’t bother you so much. I come here once a month, and sometimes more in the summer.”
“I don’t think I could do this all the time,” Zoe said as the nail technician scrubbed an especially ticklish spot. She yanked her foot away. “Sorry. Reflex.”
She had to concentrate on something besides her feet. She glanced toward Piper who looked at home in the black leather chair. “What’s going on with you and Chase?”
“I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?”
“He’s fun to be with, and I really like him. A lot! But I don’t know. He’s sweet, and a good kisser, but…”
“You kissed him?”
“Technically he kissed me. But yes.”
“Then there must be something between the two of you.” She didn’t think Piper was the kind of woman to give kisses away to just any guy, and she doubted she was wrong.
“Now that we’ve come to an agreement about the resort, we get along great, but we are taking things slow and getting to know each other. We’ve both been burned in the past and don’t want to rush into anything.”
Zoe had noticed the two had a way of butting heads, but she had also noted that when they weren’t irritating one another, they couldn’t drag their eyes off of each other. They definitely had chemistry. “So no wedding bells in your future?”
Piper whipped her head toward Zoe. “Slow. Remember? Just because you and Nick are getting married five months after you met…”
“In all fairness we are living under the same roof and spend copious amounts of time together. It’s like dating on steroids.”
Piper laughed. “Good one, Zoe. Are you excited about your wedding?”
“You have no idea.” She’d gone through the gamut of emotions, and now she couldn’t wait for the day to arrive. Everything would be perfect if the weather held. Rain was forecast for Friday and possibly Saturday. They should have gotten married last weekend. Nick sure wouldn’t have minded.
“What’s that little smile about?” Piper asked.
“Hmm. Thinking about Nick.”
Piper sighed. “True love.”
“You know it. It’s funny when I think about you and Chase, it reminds me of Nick and me. Things with us got off to a not-so-great start too, but look at us now. We’ll be married in three days, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Getting married is the furthest thing from my mind. I need to focus on work right now. But I’m happy for you and Nick.”
“Work can’t warm your bed at night.”
“You got me there. Although my laptop has been known to overheat.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
Piper chuckled. “Let’s talk about something else. Like where you’d like to have dinner. My treat.”
“Anyplace is fine. There’s a new place not far from here. We probably need reservations, but it’s worth a try. Oh, and before we completely change the subject, you should know that Chase is a stand-up guy. You can trust him with your heart, Piper.”
She’d sensed the Lord telling her the same thing. She tucked her friend’s words away to ponder another time.
Chapter Twenty
Mid-morning Piper pulled open the door to her office on the site of her future resort and stepped inside. The mobile trailer wasn’t fancy, but with the small kitchenette and open office space, it served its purpose.
A vase filled with purple wildflowers and daisies sat on her desk. “Where did the flowers come from?”
“Morning, boss.” Tom stood at the coffee machine pouring the brew into a metal thermos. “They were delivered shortly after I got here this morning.”
“Hmm. How are things looking today?” She strode to her desk and saw a card in the flowers.
“We’re actually ahead of schedule. Good thing too. Rain’s on the way.” He ducked his head and looked out the window. “I see thunder clouds. We may cut out early today if I’m right.”
“Good call. Those clouds look like they are going to dump a lot of rain, but the weather report predicted intermittent showers, so hopefully they won’t be as bad as they appear or slow anything down.” She was most concerned for Zoe and Nick’s wedding tomorrow. Zoe didn’t have a backup plan and fifty guests would not fit inside the B&B. She prayed the weather would hold.
He pointed to her desk. “There are several things I need you to deal with, otherwise you’re good to go as far as I’m concerned.”
She nodded and sat at her desk. Tom was exceptional, which made her job easier. But there was a lot more to what she did than Tom realized. She had plenty to keep her busy at the office, which was good, because she felt like an intruder at the B&B with Zoe and Nick’s family all there for the wedding.
Tom sauntered outside, leaving her alone with her work and the flowers. Who were they from? Her mind flitted to the kiss she’d shared with Chase and wondered if maybe he’d followed up with flowers. She pulled the card from the envelope—not from Chase, but just as good. She grinned as she reached for her phone. “Hey, Dad. Thanks for the flowers.”
“You’re welcome and happy birthday! Sorry your mom and I couldn’t be there with you.”
She’d forgotten today was her special day.
“I’m hearing only good things about the project. You are doing a great job. Your mom and I are very proud of you.”
Finally. She’d waited so long to hear those words. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. “Thanks.” She cleared her throat. “I think you’re going to love living here when you and Mom retire.”
“I imagine you’re right. But in the meantime work is waiting. Mom wants to know what you’re doing to celebrate, or if per usual you forgot it’s your birthday.”
“I forgot.” She chuckled. “You know how I feel about birthdays. I’d rather ignore the fact I’m getting older.”
“You’re too young to think that way. Take the day off and have some fun. As I recall the isla
nd has lots of hiking trails and plenty of beach. Oh, I almost forgot. Your mother said to tell you there’s a gift card in your name at your favorite spa.”
His voice became muffled as if he’d turned his head away to speak with someone else. “Sorry about that. I need to go.”
“Okay. Bye, and thanks.” If she hadn’t already been sitting, that conversation would have knocked her off her feet. She grinned. Too bad she hadn’t had the gift when she’d been at the spa with Zoe two days ago.
Piper laid the phone aside. She’d deal with the stuff Tom had left for her, then she’d take her dad’s advice and relax the rest of the day. An hour later she reached the bottom of the pile where a simple white envelope addressed to her sat, but with no return address. “Odd.” She slid her finger under the corner flap and ripped the envelope down the side.
“Your presence is requested at Trader Park.” She read and re-read the card, looking for a clue as to who sent it. She walked to the door. Tom stood only a few feet away talking with someone. “Tom, where’d this come from?”
“It was taped to the door when I got here this morning. There a problem?”
“No. Thanks.” She turned around and sat back at her desk. What should she do? Whoever had sent it, wanted to meet her for lunch at a park not far from here. It sounded sketchy, and if this had happened in Tacoma she wouldn’t give it a second thought, but Wildflower Island was a different kind of place. Maybe she could get someone to go with her. Chase.
She sent him a text.
You busy at noon?
Kind of. What’s up?
Nothing. Never mind.
You sure?
Yes.
Now what would she do? Common sense said to ignore the card, but curiosity and a sense of mystery made her want to at least see who was there. She’d taken self-defense and felt confident she could protect herself if necessary, but to be safe she scratched out a note to Tom letting him know where she’d be and to call the police if she wasn’t back by one-thirty.
Island Dreams (Wildflower B&B Romance Book 2) Page 12
