SEALed and Delivered

by Monroe, Jill

  Fate.

  Her stomach clenched and all the warm feelings of just a moment ago vanished. “I love you, too,” she said over the lump in her throat. Amy closed the phone and returned it to her purse. Something else was tucked there. The stupid Fate Delivery Card she’d been forced to take. The thing she’d been avoiding but had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

  After the excitement of Hailey’s kiss on the beach with the hot Navy SEAL everyone had forgotten that she’d drawn a card. It wasn’t until she stopped off to get a soft drink at the drive thru that she’d found the Fate Delivery Card she’d stuffed in her purse.

  With a smile, she remembered the hilarious things Tori and Hailey had to complete. What did fate have in store for her? In excited anticipation she’d turned the card over and read.

  Amy wasn’t smiling now. Her fingers crumpled the plastic coated card as she yanked the hated thing once more from her purse. She would read it again. Not that the last seven times she’d read it had changed the very clear message.

  Set something you love free.

  Its challenge was clear. Jake. Amy was supposed to set Jake free.

  And that’s why she was going to set that sucker on fire—pretending the card had never happened hadn’t worked. She’d practically taken a second job at The Sutherland to avoid going home. Amy knew it seemed irrational, but it made some weird kind of sense that if she could just remove any trace that the card had ever existed, everything would go back to normal. No harm, no foul.

  Except she couldn’t find anything to use as a lighter. Jake was allergic to scented candles, there wasn’t a fireplace in the new home and the stove was electric, not gas.

  She was screwed.

  Or maybe fate was telling her something. She slumped to the floor with her back against the stainless steel of the refrigerator door. She loved Jake, she really did…but something wasn’t right. It had niggled her for weeks, months, and now, when she couldn’t destroy the one thing that was trying to shed light on the problem she’d been hoping to ignore, Amy had to face it. All thanks to that stupid, stupid card. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, but no tears would come.

  Only resolve.

  Amy stood up, kicked off her pretty strappy sandals, and padded barefoot on the travertine flooring she and Jake had installed together not long ago. In the bedroom, one of her suitcases lay on its side. She’d only unpacked it two days ago. Quickly tossing it on the bed. She unzipped the top, and in a daze began to pack.

  Where would she go? Her reasoning was too stupid to try and explain it to her grandparents. Besides, her grandma would be the last person to understand. Her old roommate already had someone moved into Amy’s old bedroom.

  But as she zipped her suitcase shut, she knew here was only one place to go.

  “I CHECKED THE DOORS and set the alarm. The Sutherland is officially closed for the night,” Hailey said, as she slumped next to Rachel on one of the rosewood couches in the lobby, newly reupholstered in a deep burgundy. The sisters had completed the work themselves, tackling one a week so the lobby wouldn’t be bare for their guests. The sitting area could still use a bit of refreshing to its Victorian décor, but they could look at the condition of their childhood home with some pride.

  “We keep having nights like tonight, we can buy some new silk lampshades and fund the electrical wiring for that wall sconce idea you had.” This area had originally been illuminated by candles along the perimeter, but when the house was wired for electricity, that charming Victorian detail had been lost. Faux electrical candle lights would do the trick.

  But Hailey’s stomach tensed at the mention of money. She hated the idea of disappointing her sister. Or Nate.

  “Although we should probably hire someone to help with the serving,” Rachel continued, “we won’t be able to count on Amy, especially after she gets married.”

  Hailey nodded. “Yeah, I’m surprised she even showed up and stayed that long. Although I’ve never actually been a bride I’ve seen those to do lists in bridal magazines. It’s brutal.”

  “Which is why I think something is going on with her and Jake.” Her sister sat up, fully alert. “Speaking of relationships, what happened between you and the SEAL? I can’t believe I forgot to ask.”

  “Right. I’m surprised you didn’t pounce on me earlier.”

  “I’m going to blame it on the mojito.” Rachel closed her eyes once more. “And don’t think you’re going to misdirect my attention so you don’t have to answer the question. You can’t fool me like you once did.”

  The good old days for sure. As the youngest, Rachel had always been so gullible and easy to manage.

  “He came to talk to me about watching the SEALs.”

  Rachel’s eyes snapped open a second time. “That’s great. Maybe on your date you can fish around for when the SEALs will be training again. We could put actual times on our flyers.”

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the party. He didn’t like it.”

  Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me. He convinced you to stop our SEAL watch party.”

  Hailey began to squirm. “I didn’t exactly tell him we wouldn’t do the parties again, but he did raise some good points.”

  “Which means we’re not having the parties. I’d actually be impressed by his negotiation skills if I weren’t irritated that we’ll be out all that green. How’d he do it?”

  “He appealed to my sense of duty, and how the women are distracting to the men while they were training.”

  “Sucker.”

  Probably. For the man. His argument and his grey eyes. Her lips still tingled. “Don’t worry, I thought of another idea. Don’t you have a friend who works at the San Diego Visitors’ Bureau? Well, I’m going to need that number.”

  “This sound intriguing. I thi—” The rusty sound of the doorbell cut off Rachel’s idea.

  “We’ve got to get that fixed. Who’d be ringing now? All the guests are accounted for.”

  The bell sounded again.

  “Whoever it is, they don’t seem to be leaving. Better see who it is.” Hailey quickly made her way to the large wooden front door that had welcomed hundreds of guests through the decades.

  Hailey peered through the peephole. “It’s Amy.”

  “Weird. Maybe she left something.”

  “We should probably just give you a key,” Rachel said.

  Their friend and happy bride appeared to be anything but. Her cheeks were blotchy, but a firmness lay across her chin.

  “Oh, Amy, what happened?” Hailey asked.

  “That stupid card of yours, that’s what happened.” Amy thrust the card at Hailey, then reached for a large suitcase which she rolled into the foyer.

  “What are you doing?” Rachel asked.

  Hailey was already turning over the card, a tight knot of dread growing in her chest. “Set something you love free,” she read aloud. Damn, it was worse than she could have imagined.

  Rachel gasped, then jumped up and curved her arm around Amy’s shoulder. “Sweetie, it was just silly game. It didn’t mean anything.”

  “I said that to myself the whole drive home. Then every day since. You want to know what happened today? Nothing. I tried to burn the stupid card but I couldn’t find one thing to catch it on fire. I can’t believe I let Jake talk me out of gas burners for the new range.”

  The two sisters looked at each other. Clearly they had a case of wedding jitters gone bad on their hands. It might not be in the job description of B&B owner, but surely friends could talk one overwrought bride into calming down. Rachel made a slight nod toward the kitchen.

  “Follow me and we’ll get you some warm tea and figure this out,” Hailey said, as she touched Amy’s elbow to direct her. A cup of chamomile tea had always been their mother’s remedy, and Hailey fell back on it now. The soft warm brew soothed as well as encouraged talking.

  Amy allowed herself to be led a few feet. “I don’t even have a lighter in my
car. Just an outlet to plug in electronics. Is that insane or what?”

  Rachel opened the kitchen door. “Well, listen, if burning is the problem, don’t worry about it. Plenty of matches in this place, and our range has eight burners. Each one of them gas.”

  Amy slumped into one of the chairs at the country style butcher-block table. “I appreciate it, but not being able to burn the card was just the tip-off. Maybe fate has been trying to clue me in all along. There’s something fundamentally wrong in my relationship with Jake, and maybe taking seven days away from the wedding planning and the new place will be good for me.”

  Hailey had been down this road before. She’d aim for soothing tones. “Take it from a woman who has been engaged three times. Once you start thinking a break’s a good idea, it soon becomes a reality. Jake probably doesn’t even realize you’re gone. You can head over there now.”

  Amy flashed her a tight smile, her face determined. “Oh, I’m not going. The card said set him free, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m staying here.”

  Both sisters began talking at once.

  “Oh, but—”

  “We don’t—”

  “I’ll pay you,” Amy said.

  Ahhh, those sweet, magic words.

  “Welcome to The Sutherland,” Rachel told her.

  Hailey shot her sister a fierce look. “She’s kidding. We don’t want your money.” The kettle began to whistle. “You drink your tea while I look at the register for an open room.” She fled to the check-in area, and ran her finger down the computer screen. Having the party that afternoon, they’d skipped cleaning their newly-vacated rooms in order to take care of decorating the terrace and making sure it was in tiptop shape. It had saved time, but now it severely limited which spaces were available. They had one room left. The bridal suite.

  Hailey placed an “X” next to the room number and grabbed the key.

  Fate did indeed have an ironic sense of humor.

  6

  NATE HAD NEVER BEEN a dinner and movie kind of guy, but he suspected that’s the kind of date Hailey was used to. He avoided his natural inclination toward the water fun of San Diego. Although he would have loved to explore the tidepools at Point Loma or even surf, none of those seemed romantic. And that was his goal here today, lots and lots of romance.

  He’d told Hailey to dress casually, and to wear good walking shoes. He could tell by the long pause on the phone she was surprised, but he didn’t believe in retreat. He’d see these plans through, and once he’d had more of an opportunity to observe Hailey, he’d choose something better suited to her interests next time.

  She opened the door for him quickly, not making him wait. He liked that. Dressed in jeans to her knees, white tennis shoes, casual pink polo shirt and her wavy hair in a high ponytail at the top of her head, Nate didn’t regret the casual approach. Hailey looked sexy as hell, and when she flashed him a welcoming smile he couldn’t help smiling back.

  “I’m ready,” she said. She held up a white sack with pink polka dots. “I even made some peanut butter cookies.”

  “You know how to keep a man coming around, don’t you? But why don’t you show me your place before we leave.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “You sure?”

  “We’re not on any kind of schedule.”

  “You weren’t kidding when you said casual.”

  “My whole life is a schedule, so when I’m off it, I don’t even want to see a clock.”

  “Duly noted.” She reached around and closed the door behind him. The air current caught her perfume, sweet and flowery.

  “Okay, well, you’ve been here, this is the foyer. Unlike many bed and breakfasts that have been converted, my family built this home specifically to be a guesthouse in 1889. We have photos of the opening in the Tea Room. It must have been something. Anyway, the income paid the bills and allowed generations of Sutherlands to avoid being nine-to-fivers.”

  “I can understand that sentiment,” Nate told her. “I would suffocate in an office building. So you were born into the business.”

  Hailey made a scoffing sound. “Not that I wanted to be. In fact, that’s how I got engaged the first time.”

  Nate almost tripped. The first time?

  “Fiancé Failure Number One was a dreamer. Not so much of a planner. Or a money saver. Anyway, my grandmother firmly believed the first thing any guest should see when they stepped inside The Sutherland was beauty.”

  It was an extreme effort to keep his eyes off of Hailey as she spoke. Now that was beauty. She spoke of her home with such passion he wanted to see what she saw, so he tore his gaze away from her smiling face. Waves of yellow sunlight poured from the double transoms, warm and welcoming. Just like Hailey.

  “But now you’re back, and clearly happy to be here,” he said.

  “The Sutherland needed me, and it’s funny, but I found I needed it, too. I feel connected to my past now. See the staircase?” she asked.

  Nate nodded. True to his prediction, he’d wanted to kick himself for not following his first instinct and explore where that staircase led with the woman beside him.

  “At seventeen, it was my job to polish that sucker. I hated it, but now, when I see it gleam, I think about how my mother would let us slide down it when our father wasn’t around.”

  He laughed at the image of this utterly feminine woman sliding down the banister like a tomboy.

  “As you can see, we began by concentrating on the kitchen, Tea Room and terrace. The lobby is where we want to concentrate next. There are a dozen little Victorian touches we want to add to this room, like brocade or maybe some porcelain.”

  Nate had endured near freezing night swims and bunked under the stars in the desert and woken up with a mouthful of sand, but until a few days ago, he might have preferred a tent on the beach if presented with the idea of sleeping in a Victorian B&B. And if Hailey invited him up to her room…he might just endure Hell Week again for that. Hell, he was already getting hard.

  “What else?” he asked in an effort to distract his mind from his body. And hers.

  “Wireless Internet. All over.” Hailey waved her hands dramatically. “You don’t want to know,” she said.

  But he wanted to know. Know about her job, those cards, what she liked…anything she wanted to tell him.

  The service door from the Tea Room to the kitchen opened and Amy walked in, looking rumpled and a cell phone to her ear.

  “Jake, I don’t want to talk about it. No, this is the way it has to be. I’m sorry. Okay, I’m at The Sutherland.”

  With a sad expression, she closed her phone, disconnecting the call. She looked up, jolted. Her hand flew to her neck. “Oh, you scared me. I didn’t realize you two were in here.”

  “How’s everything with Jake?” Hailey asked.

  Amy’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “He’s still caught up that it’s the card thing. I’m just going to go up to my room.”

  “What was that all about?” Jake couldn’t help but ask after she’d gone.

  “Those dumb Fate Delivery Cards.” Hailey gave a theatrical shudder.

  “Those cards seem to have something to answer for,” he told her.

  “Tell me about it,” she said, her tone rueful. “Okay, let me put on my professional voice. ‘Our hallmarks here at The Sutherland are our friendly and personal service, desserts and easy access to the beach. Whether you’re on a business trip, looking for a romantic escape or a fun weekend away, we’ll have the mojitos waiting.’ Or at least that’s how we’re hoping it will be. As you can see, it’s a work in progress.”

  “I can see that,” he said and she laughed. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Sure, what do you have planned?” she asked.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “I hate surprises,” Hailey said as she wrinkled her nose, and he fought the urge to kiss the tip of it. Then to move down to her lips and keep kissing.

  “That’s what I was counting on.”
/>   “As long as you brought the card I’ll endure the surprise. Just be prepared to pay up on that one.”

  HAILEY HADN’T EXACTLY TOLD Nate the truth. She actually liked surprises, but only if she were the one giving the surprise. Now she was eaten up with curiosity by two things—what his card had instructed and what were they doing. Nate escorted her to a car that could only be described as a hotrod. Black, sleek and with its top down. “Bought it when I first joined the Navy and had that first flush of cash. Thought it was cool and the chicks would dig it. Didn’t realize it would mainly sit in storage because I was always overseas. I’ve toyed with the idea of having it sent to Missouri for my brother to use.”

  “How’d a boy from Missouri wind up in the Navy?”

  “It’s funny, but a good portion of our ranks come from the land-locked states. Probably because we yearn to see the ocean.”

  He helped her inside the car and she was engulfed by the plush gray leather. The color matched his eyes, but she doubted he’d appreciate her pointing that out. He may think the car kind of silly now, but it suited him. Streamlined and amazing to look at. The car smelled like him, too—ocean breezes with a hint of wood and sea salt. She took a deep breath, and dragged in the scent of him.

  “How long are you home?” she asked, as he joined her inside the car.

  “Not much longer, I hope. Right now I’m instructing Land Nav for SEAL SQT.”

  She tried not to appear clueless.

  “It’s the last training the men have before becoming a SEAL,” he explained.

  Apparently she hadn’t done such a good job in not seeming clueless.

  “After BUD/S.” A slow grin spread across his face, and his eyes twinkled. “None of this is ringing a bell, is it? I thought you grew up in San Diego.”

  “Yes, but my mom didn’t let me hang around sailors.”

  “Smart mom,” he said, laughter in his voice.

  Tell me about it. With his tight military-trained body, easy good looks and on the lookout for a fun time, he was like her kryptonite. “Sorry I’m so unfamiliar.”