Summer With The Billionaire (Blue Bay Beach Reads Book 3)

by Ellie Hall

  He propped his elbow on the ledge of the window and the edge of his hand rested against his mouth as though he was deep in thought. “What I need, is you, Billie.”

  Ripples raced through her belly. “I’m not the kind of woman you’re used to.”

  “And what kind is that?”

  “Like Samantha and all the others. Fancy, proper, well-heeled. I like laughing with my mouth open, I’ve hiccupped in public, and have been known to cry at commercials with adorable puppies.”

  The edge of a smirk peeked out from under his hand. “Sounds like my kind of woman.”

  “I own a restaurant that’s barely scraping by. I work long hours. My house is falling apart. I’m not the refined, glamorous, tall woman you’re looking for.”

  “Who said I was looking.”

  Something inside of her fell, like a shingle off a roof. Her expression in the half-light from the moon and the streetlamps must have revealed as much.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Sometimes, when we’re not looking, we’re pleasantly surprised by what shows up in our lives. Sometimes you don’t realize you were missing something until it appears.”

  “I’m not a fanciful flavor of the week.”

  “No, you most certainly are not.”

  “Your reputation, your lifestyle, your height. I just don’t fit, Rhodes. Sometimes I’m sarcastic. I give people free meals if it looks like they haven’t had a warm one in a while. And if I’m not working, I rarely wear shoes.”

  “It sounds like you’re telling me all the reasons we’re wrong for each other. How about I share my list of why I think we’re right.”

  Her breath caught. That was not what she expected to hear.

  “You do lead a different life, but it’s one I might want to ease into. I like the Café, that you work hard, and have a big heart.” His eyes raked over her. “I also like your pretty eyes, your pretty nose, and your pretty lips.”

  His fingers grazed the skin on her cheek. If she weren’t feeling so vulnerable, she would’ve kissed him.

  “And you can’t help that you’re short.” He flashed a cocky grin.

  “Average height,” she corrected.

  “I’m kidding, but there might even be some things that I love about you, Billie.”

  A pleasant warmth filled her chest, but at the same time, her mouth went dry. “I’m not looking for love.” He had so much going on, not to mention letting things between them go farther was the ultimate betrayal to everything her parents had built and to her town. Yet the yearning did not go away.

  “You make it sound like a hardship.”

  “Love can lead to...”

  “Loss. You’ve mentioned. But we can’t think that love only has to be difficult.”

  “Do you know that for sure? First hand?” she asked.

  “Second hand. Memaw and Papaw.”

  A giggle escaped.

  “What? You still can’t get over what we call our grandparents? I told you that Scarlett started it. I just followed along. I’m glad you got to meet her.”

  “Me too. But you don’t seem like the kind of guy who follows along. You seem to make up the rules or break them.”

  His mouth dropped open as though aghast. “Name a rule I’ve broken.”

  “Associating with me. The enemy.”

  “Tell me more about this so-called enemy.” Amusement played on his lips. “For instance, is the name Billie short for something? What’s your full name?”

  “No, you’ll laugh at me.”

  “Like how you laughed at me calling my grandmother Memaw.”

  “You have to admit it sounds hilarious coming out of your mouth.”

  “My mouth? What kind of mouth is that?”

  Heat lit up her cheeks. “A demanding one. A commanding one. A perfect one. Also, a big one. You’ll laugh louder at me than I did at you.”

  “Try me. I can be nice.”

  That was true. The last weeks with him were nice at times, if she tried to ignore what he stood for, which she couldn’t. At least not entirely.

  “Come on.”

  “Fine. Billie is short for Wilhelmina. My full name is Wilhelmina Joanna Fisher or just Billie.”

  To his credit, he didn’t make a peep. “The kids used to always tease me because my name was Rhodes. I won’t even revive the things they’d say.”

  “I doubt anyone ever teased you.

  “I was scrawny until I was about 13 so yeah.” He scratched the scruff on his angular jawline. “I wonder who my real father is. My life just got turned upside down, but you’re the only thing about it that’s still right side up. I’m not looking forward to talking to my mother, but Papaw used to say ‘You catch more flies with honey.’ I think of myself as being pretty good at getting what I want.” His gaze lingered on Billie.

  “Are you saying I’m a fly?” She wrinkled her nose.

  He laughed a deep, rich laugh. “No, quite the opposite, but I didn’t earn my way to billions by accident.”

  “So you’re using your business strategies with me.” That was exactly what she was afraid of, what she feared to be true.

  He got out of the car and opened her door, lifting her to her feet. “No, Billie, I needed to learn a new skill set.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “How not to mix business with pleasure.”

  He led her over to the rickety porch. She hoped he didn’t fall through because the slats were rotten.

  “I was saying about how love can be easy. It’s hang-ups and expectations and dishonesty that can make relationships hard. I think it’s a matter of getting out of your own way and telling the ego to take the back seat.”

  “Do you now? Is this firsthand experience or second?”

  “It’s observation. I’ve never been in love. Not really. With you, I don’t feel any of the negatives that I mentioned. I feel something wonderful. It’s just us. I saw how love is easy—second hand with my grandparents. They’d dance on the porch together to their song every night.” He flipped on his phone and tapped the screen a few times.

  The old classic Unchained Melody by the Everly Brothers came on. Rhodes gripped Billie’s hand then drew her right up against him before positioning his palm on her waist. He held the other up and she twined her fingers with his. He started swaying side to side before they moved in a slow circle.

  “But I feel it, I feel love, firsthand with you.” His words were a risk, a whisper.

  She wasn’t sure she could accept them, let them in. She was afraid to return them even though her heart beat out a demand that she speak the truth and allow him into her life.

  As the song played in the background, she melted against him, unable to resist, at least at that moment.

  Her knees felt weak, but he held her up, held her close. She gripped him tightly in return. It was like they were both supporting the other, but soon it was like they were weightless, floating on the front porch. She felt a lift in her heart of possibility, promise. However, she knew all the reasons that things wouldn’t work between them were waiting for her on the other end of the song, in the silence. They swayed together, moving slowly. Billie wanted to extend that moment so she didn’t have to face the reality of their differences.

  When the song ended, Rhodes didn’t let her go. He just held her close as though feeling the same way.

  “When Papaw got sick, they’d sit together in their rocking chairs on the front porch, holding hands, rocking back and forth.”

  “But then it ended.” Billie wiped her eyes.

  “Love can be easy,” he said, holding her arms and meeting her eyes. “Being with you has been a special kind of lesson. Being here with you is paradise.”

  She shook her head. The word paradise brought back the argument in her head. “What about Blue Bay Beach?”

  “What about us?” he asked.

  She wanted to say yes, but couldn’t turn her back on all that she fought to uphold: the town built by local families. The coast’s
best-kept secret. Community. Her home and connection to her parents. She’d have to move. She’d have to say goodbye. If he went forward with the resort.

  “Let me adore you, lavish you with nice things, a nice life, Billie.”

  “Don’t you see?” she asked. “My life is nice. I like it here. You should go. We just have different views on things. I don’t think this is going to work.” It was too complicated and came with too many uncertainties.

  Rhodes flinched then recovered, straightening his tie. “Is that really how you feel?”

  She could do little more than nod because her chin was trembling and tears were rushing toward her eyes.

  His jaw tensed. “You’re probably right. I’ll probably just end up like my father—or the guy who I thought was my father.”

  “I have to go,” she said when he didn’t move to leave.

  At that, she fled into the house. Closing the door behind her, she slid down until she was seated on the floor. She held back her sadness until the slats on the porch creaked as Rhodes walked away.

  Chapter 12

  Rhodes

  Rhodes drove to the cottage on Cormorant that he’d rented, but before he cut the engine, he continued on, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts. His phone beeped and showed another message from Samantha and a couple from a woman named Liz. He didn’t have to be alone, but the only person he wanted was Billie.

  He fought to empty his mind, but couldn’t. It raced with thoughts about his family, Billie, and his future. He sped through town, trying to outrun them, but when he reached the beach near the proposed site for the resort, he got out and rushed to the water’s edge. Rhodes kicked off his shoes and let the water wash his feet.

  Did Billie really think there was no way for them to be together? To make it work? He’d struggled with it but believed the connection they shared, one he’d never felt with a woman before, was stronger than their objections.

  Even though he wasn’t Martin Bishop’s son, perhaps he was just as bad—throwing away towns and eventually marriages.

  He plunked down in the sand and hung his head in his hands. Shame led to misery, misery led to anger, anger led to sadness. How had things gone so wrong so quickly?

  One minute he was on top of his game, taking over the world. Then he met Billie. She changed him, brought him back down to earth. Then he was parading around with her, the woman of his dreams, and then everything came crashing down, leaving him lower than ever.

  His father didn’t want him. She didn’t want him. What did he have left?

  As the waves lapped to shore, he recalled the events at the gala. The enormous screen illustrated he was indeed French and German, but not his father’s son. For so many years he wanted to prove himself to Martin. To earn his love. To show that he could be as powerful and wealthy. To be just like his father. Only, he wasn’t. Not at all.

  For a while by then, but especially at that moment, Rhodes didn’t want to turn out like Martin, not only because he lacked love in his life, but also heart. He did not want a massive bank portfolio but eight failed marriages. That was not his future. Martin Bishop may not have been alone, but surely, he was lonely and always wanting the next best thing: the better property, the bigger yacht, the younger wife. Martin had everything he could buy but not what was most important.

  Rhodes wasn’t his son, but he was still Scarlett’s brother and Memaw’s grandson.

  He rushed from the beach to Mansion Mile.

  When he got to the house, his grandmother and sister were in the living room. The TV was on in the background, but they weren’t watching it. Instead, they were seated close together, both wearing pajamas, and passing a carton of Coco’s Cones chocolate ice cream back and forth and talking in hushed tones. Scarlett clutched the stuffed animal bunny she’d had since she was a little girl.

  “Rhodes,” Scarlett said when she spotted him. She rushed over and gave him a hug. “I was worried about you.”

  “Thanks, sis.”

  “I’m still your sister?” she asked.

  She was smart, very smart, but he realized that she might have a tough time understanding what had gone on.

  “Of course, you are, always. You’re my Jelly Bean,” he said, using his nickname for her and ruffling her hair.

  She beamed a smile. “Want some ice cream?”

  “I would love some.” He took off his tie and settled on the sofa.

  “Big night,” Memaw said.

  “I’ll say. First Martin then...”

  “Did Billie break up with you?” Memaw asked.

  His eyebrows shot up as he realized something that fueled him with hope. She still had the ring. But what he couldn’t say was that he wasn’t entirely sure they were together to begin with. She’d probably have Betty or someone else from work return it. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. Not who I am or what’s going to happen.”

  Memaw passed him the carton of ice cream and placed her hands on her knees. “I’ve had to do a few hard things in my life and I’ll tell you what, with each one of them, I learned a lot about myself and grew as a person.”

  The ice cream was cold in his hands. Scarlett helped herself to it as Memaw went on. “I know you came to Blue Bay Beach to build a resort. I also knew you were avoiding visiting me because, well, because I think even then you were conflicted. Yes, you created jobs to help people to pay their bills and put their kids through school and save for retirement, but you also took something away from them: community, a livelihood, history. I understand that you want to build, expand, and grow, but try to see how this lesson might help you grow as a person.”

  He took a deep breath while also taking in her message.

  “If you build the resort, there will be a pool, but there won’t be Coco’s Cones, Beach Waves Salon—Memaw and I got our nails done for the gala there. The souvenir shop will be gone and that candy store. Also, Memaw’s favorite, Coconut Cove Café. We had lunch there yesterday.” Scarlett passed the ice cream back to him. “Plus this ice cream is really, really good.”

  Rhodes’s lips lifted into a smile, but inside he felt like he was dissolving, breaking apart—shrinking, not growing.

  Memaw placed her hand on his shoulder. “Rhodes, what you wanted to create—the

  idea of an idyllic paradise with all the quaint touches already exists.”

  Blue Bay Beach was better than a resort. It was special and it was real. So was Billie. “You’re right, but if I don’t build resorts, what will I do?” Different parts of himself—ones he’d rarely had contact with—went to war.

  “Just remember, everything has a way of working out.” Memaw kissed the top of his head and excused herself to bed.

  Scarlett soon followed, leaving him with an empty carton of ice cream and an emptiness inside he wasn’t sure how to fill.

  Days turned into weeks as Rhodes hid out at the mansion. He hadn’t taken much more than a day off since he’d started building his empire, but it seemed to have washed away when he learned the truth about his father—still no word from his mother on who his actual dad was—and lost Billie. If he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want any of it.

  At that moment, he realized, the most valuable real estate he had was his heart and it belonged to her.

  But if he couldn’t build things or have her, what did that leave him with?

  Then it came to him. If he couldn’t build. He’d save, he’d preserve.

  He’d already looked into what his limitations were in terms of the historical properties in Blue Bay Beach. He’d start there. He made a few phone calls and over the course of the morning, he assured several people he was no longer interested in leveling the town, but protecting it from guys like himself. It took some convincing and a few more tense conversations, but he was sure he was making the right decision to invest much of the money he would’ve spent on the resort, and instead see to it that no one could interfere with the quaint town again.

  After a particularly difficult t
alk with his primary investors, he escaped to the patio outside his bedroom on the second floor of Memaw’s house. He had a view of the ocean and took a deep breath, relieved that his grandmother, Billie, Betty, and everyone else would be able to enjoy its shores for decades to come.

  He sat down on the chair and voices filtered from the porch below.

  “You are too sweet. Thank you, Billie,” Memaw said.

  A thrill raced through Rhodes at the same time as his heart caught in his throat. She was there to return the ring.

  “I remember you saying you have Bimini bread with your breakfast so I thought you’d enjoy a fresh loaf.” Billie’s voice was like a summer song, a melody that made him feel the sunshine even though it was cloudy.

  “It’s still warm. This is lovely.”

  “I also brought a few photos I thought you’d like. They’re from my parents’ collection. My mother was an avid photographer.”

  “I saw some photos of her in the Café. She was as talented behind the lens as she was beautiful in front of it. Just like you, dear.”

  Rhodes imagined a blush warming Billie’s cheeks.

  The two spent a few minutes talking about the photos as Memaw looked through them.

  “I noticed the temporary office for the resort is gone. We’re relieved but wary. Any word from Rhodes? I wasn’t sure if I should call or—”

  He stiffened at the sound of his name, feeling like a sneak listening, but he wasn’t sure she’d want to see him.

  “I have had word from him. In fact, I’ve never seen him so—” Memaw paused as though searching for the right words. “Determined yet distressed. He’s a big, powerful man like his grandfather, but dealing with emotions is different than doing business.”

  “I want to give you the ring back,” Billie said.

  Rhodes’s chest shattered. He knew it was coming but didn’t expect it to cause so much pain. He gripped the arm of the chair to steel himself from the wave of feelings engulfing him.

  “You know, when we came here that night, we weren’t really a couple.” At last Billie confessed the truth.

  “Oh no?” Memaw’s voice was sly like she knew that they’d told a big fib. “Perhaps not officially, but I saw a spark. A promise.”