by Judith Keim
Sheena’s laugh came from deep inside her. She loved that Tony still found her so desirable.
Darcy approached them holding Austin Blakely’s hand. Engaged now, they were, Sheena thought, a darling couple. And well suited. Darcy tended to be a bit impetuous, and Austin, though not the least bit boring, was a calming influence.
“What’s up?” Darcy asked.
“We’re talking about the future,” said Sheena. “The kids will be gone before we know it.”
Tony grinned. “It’s going to be really nice to be alone. What’s going on with you two?”
“Looking around at all the preparations for this party, I’m starting to get a little nervous about my wedding,” said Darcy. “I hope I can get everything done the way I want.”
“All I care about is saying ‘I do.’ I don’t need all the fancy stuff associated with it,” Austin said in his usual, good-natured way.
“Whoa!” said Sheena. “We’re counting on you two to set the standard for weddings here at the hotel. It’s a big reason why we’re going after the wedding business.”
“What about Regan’s wedding?” Darcy said to her. “Are she and Brian going to get married here? I’ve asked her, but she says she doesn’t know.”
Sheena laughed. “She’ll figure it out. I think her engagement to Brian is still a surprise to her.”
At the sight of the manager of a nearby hotel, Sheena excused herself and went to greet him. They needed as many friends as possible to help pull off the restaurant’s success. In truth, they probably should have waited to build Gavin’s. Now, all she could do was hope it would prove to be a risk worth taking.
CHAPTER TWO
REGAN
Regan mingled with the crowd, telling herself it would be good practice for when she’d begin filming as spokeswoman for Arthur Weatherman’s restaurant chain. After her accident with Brian, she’d been certain Arthur would rescind his offer, but he and his wife, Margretta, had surprised her by keeping to their agreement. She’d always be grateful to them for helping her realize her beauty was perceived by her actions and how she felt about herself as a person. Growing up, she’d been considered the “looker” in the family—and the dumb one.
Being here in Florida, working on the hotel, had been the beginning of a whole new life for her, one she’d vowed never to leave. Her gaze searched for Brian Harwood. He was across the room leaning on his cane while he talked easily with a group of people. Even with his injuries, he still looked like a poster boy for Florida tourism with his sun-bleached brown hair and buff, tanned body. Love for him surged through her. Of all the good things that had happened to her, finding love with him was the best.
As if he knew what she was thinking, he looked over at her and smiled, making her feel warm inside.
“I heard you two got engaged. Congratulations!” said a voice behind her.
Regan whirled around. “Nicole! I’m so glad you made the trip!” She gave Darcy’s old roommate, Nicole Coleman, a quick hug. She looked fabulous in a red sheath that offset her blond hair. “Have you seen Darcy yet?”
“No. I just walked in.” Nicole’s blue eyes lit. “Where is she?”
Regan pointed her out in the crowd. “She’ll be so glad to see you.”
“I was sorry to hear about the accident, but you look great, Regan.” Nicole lifted Regan’s hand and studied the diamond ring winking on her finger. “I’m so happy for you. And for Brian too. I had the chance to talk to him when I visited in September. He’s a nice guy, and you two are great together.”
“Thanks. I think so too,” said Regan. She was still surprised sometimes when people told her how good she and Brian were together. For a long time, she’d been sure Brian would be nothing but trouble for her.
As Nicole left to find Darcy, Regan watched her walk away. Life sometimes seemed to be one surprise after another. In this case, she was glad Nicole had suddenly decided to leave her job in Boston, sell her new condo, and move to Florida. She suspected it had everything to do with Graham Howard. It was a good thing for Gavin’s because Nicole had promised to help them with publicity for the restaurant, and they needed all the help they could get.
“Hello, Regan,” came a smooth, low voice.
Regan turned to find Arthur and Margretta Weatherman standing near her. She felt a smile, still crooked from injuries she’d endured in the accident, spread across her face.
“Hello, Arthur! Margretta! I’m so glad you could come to our opening.” She held out her hand, and they each shook it.
“Glad to be here,” said Arthur. He glanced around. “I like what you’ve done here. You and Mo do good work together.”
“We can’t wait to have you and your business partner get started on our restaurants,” said Margretta.
“Thanks,” said Regan. She and Mo had bid on redoing six of the Weathermans’ family restaurants in their Florida’s Finest Restaurants chain. The smile left Regan’s face as she suddenly fought tears. “I want to thank you both again for allowing me to be your spokesperson. As you can see, the scar under my chin and onto my jawline is now a part of me, along with a lip that may or may not completely recover from nerve damage.”
Margretta, a tall, beautiful brunette, gripped Regan’s hand. “We talked about it a lot before deciding, and we’re very happy you’ll represent us. You’re a beautiful woman as you are. It’s important for young girls to realize they don’t have to be perfect. None of us is.”
“That’s why I agreed to do it,” said Regan. “It was a scary thought at first, but I’m comfortable with it now.”
“We’ll be in touch about the filming schedule. Probably next week. We need you to start the New Year off right for us,” said Margretta.
“I hear congratulations are in order on your engagement,” said Arthur. “I’ve known Brian for some time. He’s a good man. I’m happy for both of you.” He glanced around the room. “Ah, I see Blackie. I’d better go say hello.”
“Thanks again,” said Regan. “Be sure to enjoy the refreshments. Graham has done a wonderful job with them.”
After they left her side, Regan decided to check the food displays. As she was walking through the main dining room, she saw Mo talking to a gentleman who looked vaguely familiar. She hurried over to them.
“Mo! I’m so glad you came!” She hugged him and turned to his companion. “I almost didn’t recognize you, Kenton! Glad you could join us too.” Kenton Standish, a robust man with sandy-colored hair and fine features, was wearing tinted, thick-rimmed glasses that disguised his blue eyes. His ordinary blue blazer and green turtleneck hid the muscular, bare chest women were used to sighing over on his television show. On screen, he played a heroic Scottish fighter. In reality, he was a kind, soft-spoken person who was Mo’s partner. Ordinarily, they took great care not to be noticed, so Regan knew it was a tribute to her and her sisters for them to be here in this crowd.
“You look fabulous,” Mo said. His brown face softened with affection, and his dark eyes shone with admiration. “Love that dress on you!”
“Thanks. You look pretty dapper yourself,” Regan said, admiring the subtly checked gray blazer and the bold, red holiday tie he wore. “Have you spoken to Arthur and Margretta?”
“Yes,” said Mo. “They’re very excited about what we’ve designed. I can’t wait for us to set our work in motion.” He smiled at Kenton. “And then, we’ll begin work on Kenton’s house.”
Regan smiled at them both. “It’s going to be so much fun to do that. I’ve already got some ideas in mind.”
Mo smiled. “Me too. Black and white ... like Kenton and me ...”
“... with bold colors,” said Regan.
Mo laughed. “Exactly.”
Regan loved how closely their minds worked. Since meeting Mo and working with him on a few projects, her whole world had come alive with color and texture, drawing out her artistic side.
“I understand you and Brian are engaged,” said Kenton. “Congratulations.”
<
br /> They all turned as Brian approached.
“Here he is now,” said Regan, beaming at the man who’d finally won her trust along with her heart.
Brian smiled and put an arm around her. “Hi, Mo! Good to see you. Thanks for the books you sent to me. It’s frustrating to be laid up, so it was nice to have them to read.”
“Brian, I want you to meet Kenton,” Mo said. “Kenton, this is Brian Harwood.”
Brian and Kenton shook hands.
“I understand you’re in construction,” said Kenton. “I’m wondering if I could talk to you sometime about doing some work on my house. I want to upgrade the kitchen and do a few extra things with it.”
“Thanks. Tony Morelli, my new partner, and I would be pleased to meet with you.” He handed Kenton a business card. “Give either one of us a call, and we’ll set up a time. Now, if you two don’t mind, I’m going to whisk Regan away to meet some of my old friends.”
“We don’t mind at all,” said Mo. “In fact, we’re here just to congratulate you, and then we’re driving to Cyndi and Tom’s house for a holiday event.”
“Have fun, and say hi to them for all of us here,” said Regan. Kenton’s sister, Cyndi Jackson, and her husband, Tom, were the hotel’s first official guests, who’d taken advantage of the hotel’s special, military discount plan. Since then, they’d been instrumental in steering new guests their way.
As Brian led her through the crowd, Regan gazed at her friends and family, wondering what the coming weeks would bring. The last few had been full of surprises, including her own engagement.
CHAPTER THREE
DARCY
Darcy looked around the crowded restaurant seeing more than just people—she saw faces behind which lay stories. Writing a newspaper column for several months had prompted her to view people in a whole new way. Everyone had stories—some good, some bad. With Austin’s encouragement, she was even putting them together for a book. She hadn’t told him or anyone else she was planning to submit her idea to a New York publisher. Secretly, she hoped to present her success to Austin as a special Christmas gift.
“There you are!” said a voice behind her.
Darcy turned to see Nicole heading her way. She opened her arms to her old roommate and hugged her tightly. “I’m glad you decided to ditch Boston and come to Florida after all.”
Nicole smiled at her. “As soon as I discovered my so-called promotion at work was fake, and Rick was seeing someone else on the side, I decided to pull up roots like you did.”
“And?” Darcy said, knowing the answer.
A smile broke out on Nicole’s face. “And Graham encouraged me to come. After our two dates in September, I decided he was worth getting to know better. And, Darcy, I want to help you and your sisters with marketing or in any other way.”
Darcy grinned at her earnestness. “Thanks. Just a few more weeks until we learn if we’ve met my uncle’s challenge. And then I’ve got my wedding.”
Nicole gazed around and turned to her. “There are a lot of nice things about this restaurant that we can easily publicize. You’ve advertised having holiday celebrations here, haven’t you?”
“Yes, but because we’re so new, it’s been difficult to get people signed up.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Nicole assured her. “I need to go back to the kitchen to say hello to Graham, and then I’ll probably need to get out of his way.”
Darcy laughed with her. Graham was an excellent young chef who was serious about his work.
As Nicole left, Austin came over to her. “Hi, honey. How are you doing?”
“Good, but, Austin, I hope my sisters and I have done the right thing by borrowing money to open this restaurant. I realize how gutsy that was. We have just a few weeks to make a go of it.”
Austin put his arm around her. “The restaurant is beautiful, and the food is delicious. What more do you want?”
“Reservations,” Darcy said promptly.
“That’s my girl. Right to the point,” he said, laughing. “Well, let’s mingle and see what we can do to help them along.”
With Austin at her side, Darcy felt as if she could do anything.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHEENA
When Sheena saw Archibald Wilson cross the threshold, her knees went weak. Blackie had mentioned a special guest, but Sheena had no idea it would be Archibald. As a courtesy, they’d invited Gavin’s lawyer in Boston to the grand opening, but they’d never suspected he’d attend it.
She hurried over to him. “Welcome, Mr. Wilson! We’re so glad to have you here.” It was a lie. If he didn’t like what he saw, they were doomed. Not only would they fail the challenge, they’d also have to pay back the two hundred fifty thousand dollars they’d borrowed.
A tall, distinguished-looking man with white hair, he bobbed his head courteously. “I was so pleased to be invited. Now, how about showing me just what you three Sullivan sisters have been up to with this restaurant.” His blue eyes twinkled. “Gavin would love what you named it.”
“We wanted to do something to honor him,” Sheena said.
As they passed through the crowd, Sheena caught Darcy’s eye. At the sight of Archibald, Darcy’s face blanched. She hurried over to them.
“Mr. Wilson, how are you? We didn’t expect you to make the trip, but I’m so glad you came,” she ended on an upbeat note.
“Why don’t you show him around while I get Regan?” Sheena said, giving Darcy a smile that hid her fear.
She desperately needed to find the restroom and put a cold compress on her forehead, where a headache was quickly forming. In her role as the financial person of the group, she’d pressed her sisters to accept the idea that if they wanted to open the restaurant before Christmas, they had to borrow the money. Now, it seemed a dangerous decision.
On her way, she waved Regan over. “Go find Darcy. She’s with Archibald Wilson. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Regan’s eyes rounded. “Archibald Wilson here? Oh my God! What are we going to do?”
Sheena laid a hand on Regan’s shoulder. “We’re going to show him a good time. Be sure he gets a drink and lots of delicious food.”
Regan hurried on her way.
As Sheena entered the restroom, she absently thought Tony had done a great job of finding interesting plumbing fixtures at a good price. The fancy, fish-shaped faucets suited the room with its cream marble countertops and dark-blue tile floor.
After wetting one of the terry handcloths, Sheena squeezed the cold water out and pressed the cloth to her head, reminding herself to calm down. Lately, she’d been so tired, so emotional. She knew come mid-January the challenge would end, but that was no reason, she told herself, to lose the drive that had brought them this far.
She drew a deep breath and straightened. Time to act the calm, cool character she wished she was.
###
Sheena found her sisters sitting at a table with Archibald, deep in conversation with him. As she approached, he looked up and smiled at her.
“Have a seat,” he said, indicating the empty chair next to him.
He studied her. “I’m not here to judge what you’re doing. That won’t happen until I see all the figures in January. I’ll let them speak for themselves; I’m here to have a good time. Your uncle would like that.”
“Where are you staying?” Sheena asked. “We might be able to move one of our reservations to another location.” To draw people in, they’d given away free rooms to some of the more prominent VIPs.
Archibald waved his hand in dismissal. “That won’t be necessary. I’m staying with Blackie.”
Sheena pressed her lips together. Blackie could have told her, had said he wanted to, but then he’d left her side without giving her this very important piece of information.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?” Darcy asked her, getting to her feet.
Sheena’s stomach curled at the thought. “No, thanks.”
“I’ll have another drink,
” said Archibald. He held up an empty plate. “And more of whatever is being served. The food is delicious.”
Darcy smiled. “Glad to do that. I’ll be right back.”
After Darcy returned to the table and Archibald had another drink and sampled more of Graham’s food, he entertained them with stories of Boston.
When Sheena couldn’t avoid it any longer, she got to her feet. “Thank you for coming, Archibald. I have to see to our other guests. But don’t leave without saying goodbye.”
Sheena immediately went to find Blackie.
He smiled at her when she approached.
“Blackie, may I speak to you for a moment?” she asked, receiving frowns from the three women who surrounded him.
“Excuse me, ladies,” he said.
Sheena led him to a quiet corner and faced him. “Blackie, our special guest was Archibald Wilson? You should have told me.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. He’s here to have a good time.”
“He seems to be doing so, but what is it going to mean to our challenge?”
“Nothing,” said Blackie firmly. “He’s a nice guy, but a bit of a stickler. You’ll have to wait until January to find out. His having fun here won’t affect the result at all.”
Sheena’s shoulders slumped. “Okay. Guess it’s just a wait-and-see game.”
He shrugged noncommittally. “Wish I could help you, but I can’t. We’re not to discuss it at all during his stay with me. That’s an agreement we made before he arrived.”
Fighting an urge to cry in frustration, Sheena simply nodded.
###
The next morning, Sheena sat with her sisters in the kitchen of the suite she and her family were using temporarily. Temporarily, that is, unless they failed to meet her uncle’s challenge. Then, they’d either be living here or out on the street. She and Tony had taken all the money they had set aside for a new house and had invested it into Brian’s business securing a partnership for him.
