by Judy Kentrus
“That would work for me, because I have a meeting in the morning to discuss the stadium project and a Skype meeting in the afternoon with my partners.”
“You do remember you’re on vacation,” Nancy said.
“Believe me, I get it, but some things can’t be helped. I’ll be free after two. Can I interest you in a game of two-on-one volleyball? I’ll have them set up a net on the beach by my villa.”
“I’m game if you two are. Sean, thanks for a really great evening,” Kaitlyn said. “I know you want to kiss my mother good night, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh, how the tables have turned,” Nancy said. “Are you issuing a curfew also?”
“No, you’re old enough to know when to come home. Have fun, kids,” Kaitlyn said and walked up the path to Nancy’s villa.
“I’m so happy she’s accepted that you are now an important part of my life.”
“She went easy and didn’t put me through the ringer as much as I anticipated. Since you’re not under any time constraint, and she’s given us the green light, can I interest you in a hot make-out session?”
“We don’t have an ugly couch, but I’m sure we can improvise.” Nancy stood on tippy-toe and whispered in his ear. “My thong is the same color as my dress.”
Sean slipped his arms around her waist and drew her flush against him. “You are a tease, Nancy Jean. Let’s get out of here before your keeper changes her mind.”
Two afternoons later, it was another beautiful day in paradise. Sean exited the surf, scattering a dozen or more gulls into the air. The cool gulf waters had felt good on his sunburned body, and he ran his fingers through his wet hair. He hot-footed over the sand and sat down on a beach towel next to the two lovely women stretched out on colorful beach throws. He was very appreciative of the white Speedo bathing suits that clung to their slender bodies as they absorbed the sun’s rays. The slight breeze off the water dried blond hair in various shades lying loose on their backs. One beach beauty he knew very intimately. The other he was getting to know.
Kaitlyn had joined them the past two nights for dinner. As a generous patron of the Naples Philharmonic, he was able to get tickets for Beautiful, the Carole King musical. He’d done everything possible to gain her acceptance. On the surface, she’d been cordial, but he sensed an underlying strain of mistrust. His time with Nancy was getting short, and they still hadn’t talked about what would happen when their vacations were over.
He reached into the small cooler that Nancy always filled before they spent time on the beach and pulled out a bottle of cold water. It felt refreshing going down. Nancy still hadn’t moved, and her eyes were closed. He decided to stir things up. He poured water on his hand and used his fingertips to sprinkle the ice-cold drops over the heated skin on her naked back. He laughed when she squealed.
“Stop! The water is cold!”
“It should feel good after our volleyball workout. You two are worthy opponents and gave me a run for my money.”
Nancy lifted her head and reached for the bottle in his hand. “Thanks for the water,” she said and emptied the bottle. “You lived up to your nickname, Splat. I am officially giving Kaitlyn my nickname, Happy Feet. She danced around and is faster than I ever was.”
“What about our standing side bet?”
“That is null and void unless you play with me,” she said and lowered her head to the towel.
“Ah, my favorite pastime,” he said and followed up with, “where shall we go for dinner? Last evening, we went to Junonia and had a wonderful meal. Tonight is your pick.”
“You two are making too much noise,” Kaitlyn said and pushed herself to a sitting position. “I’m tired of eating out. How about joining us at the Winter Iris? I’m a pretty good cook.”
She stood up and reached for her towel. “I’ll take my mother’s car and drive to the Shell mini-mart to get some supplies. That is, after I take a shower. You two can bake for the rest of the afternoon.”
“What are you going to make?” Nancy asked.
“I’ll decide when I get there. See you later.”
Sean took advantage of their time alone and reclined when Nancy Jean turned on her side in his direction. His arm went around her waist, and he pulled her close.
“Have I told you today how much I love you?” He enjoyed the gentle touch of her hand that swept the hair back on the side of his head.
“Just with your eyes when you joined Kaitlyn and me for our run this morning.”
“Did she know you snuck out last night?”
“I was very quiet when I got back from your place. The only thing she said was that if she’d done something like that, she would have been grounded for life. My daughter has become my shadow, and we haven’t had much time by ourselves to talk. We have to make some decisions before we go home three days from now. Sean, I lost you once and just found you.”
“I like that. Love lost, love found. Nancy, I have no intension of ever walking away from you again, and I was thinking the very same thing. There is another loose end that needs your attention. Have you spoken to Blue Steel to let him know your online romance has to end?”
“There is no need to be jealous. Our friendship is just that, friends.”
“I’m territorial when it comes to the woman I love. Just make sure there’s no way he can have your heart.”
“Not a chance,” she assured him and sealed her answer with a loving kiss.
Kaitlyn walked into the bedroom after taking a body-cooling shower, thinking about what she’d just walked away from. She felt like a third party hanging around her mother and Sean, but like a dog with a bone, she couldn’t let go of the cop instinct that said there was something else going on with Sean. There was no question that he loved her mother, but the entire scenario was too damn pat. Maybe she was overreacting.
She’d just put on a camisole and a pair of denim cutoffs when she thought she heard her mother’s cell phone ringing in the bedside table drawer. She retrieved the phone and recognized the caller ID for Adams Security.
Her mother had mentioned that she’d contacted them to do a deep search on the company that wanted to build a hotel and conference center bordering the main drag off the beach in Beacon Pointe. Thinking it might be important, she answered. It was Lincoln Adams, the owner of the security company
“Hi, Lincoln, this is Kaitlyn, Nancy’s daughter. How are you? How is your wife, Jessie?”
“We’re both doing well. Thanks for asking. I called to speak with your mother. We’ve been doing an in-depth investigation, and she wanted the results back as soon as possible. Is she available?”
“We’re both at the Casa Blanca resort in Florida, and she is currently relaxing on the beach. I know about her request, so I can pass along any information you deem important.”
“I had our best forensic accountant work on her request. I’m wondering how much she already knows about this company, or if she’s looking for anything specific. The main company is an umbrella for three other companies.”
“Is that legal?”
“Yes, they’re all legitimate and well run, but someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to cover up the major investors, specifically the mayor and two council members of Beacon Pointe. There is also a US senator. We’ve included all the names in our report that I’ll be emailing to her shortly.”
“Well, shit. I hate politics.” The uncomfortable vibes she’d been suffering about Sean exploded in her brain. Investment banker, his firm brokered deals. His father is a US senator… She remembered the business card Sean had given her the other night.
“Lincoln, would it be possible for you to do a quick background check on a man my mother knew in college and has suddenly turned up in her life after twenty-four years?”
“My first question is why.”
“He’s a great guy, but there is something about him I can’t get a handle on.”
“Is this an official police request?”
“No. She�
�ll hate me for doing this, but I don’t want her to be hurt again.”
“I’ll see what I can do without invading his privacy. Give me his name.”
“It’s Sean Harrigan.”
“You mean Sean Patrick Harrigan?”
“Yes, why?”
“He’s a major player in this deal, and actually, he’s the sole owner of the property they plan to utilize for the project.”
Chapter 12
“Son of a bitch! Excuse me, Lincoln, but shit! Shit!” Kaitlyn wedged her phone between her cheek and shoulder, picked up her damp towel from the floor, and threw it into the bathroom. She pictured doing the same thing to Sean Harrigan’s head.
“No worries, I’m familiar with the phrase. Remember, my wife is a kick-ass police lieutenant. Has this Harrigan guy hurt your mother in any way?”
“Physically, no, but he’s a lying two-timing snake who is going to mess her up emotionally. He’s made her fall in love with him again, and she envisions spending the rest of their lives together.”
“She told me that she plans to vote against this proposal and was looking for more firepower when she presents her objections to the city council. Do you think he found out she’s standing in their way and went to Florida to try to change her mind?”
“Can you think of any other reason for him to show up out of the blue?” Kaitlyn asked.
“No, because the scenario you’re suggesting makes too much sense. In the past week, he’s pulled a fast one and yanked the rug out from under their other investors. He must be very confident he’ll be able to get her to vote in his favor, because he’s purchased the property outright. Preston Reynolds, our top accountant, said it’s a very smart move. As the owner of the property, Harrigan can lease the land and charge any amount he wants. He literally has the building owners by the balls, in plain English. He’s cagey, smart and will be making a great deal of money. He owns the land and has invested in the project.”
“This is all legitimate—no funny business?”
“Absolutely. I’m familiar with Harrigan’s company. They were recommended to me by Scott Landis and Russell Long, two of my closest friends. The entire proposal is aboveboard. The only thing they did was bury the names of the investors deep. Is there anything else I can do?”
“Not really, since he hasn’t done anything illegal.”
“Do you want me to talk to your mother?”
“No, I need to do it myself. Thanks.”
“I’ve just sent the report. Kaitlyn, tell her to call me if she has any questions.”
“Thanks, Lincoln.”
She thought about their dinner plans, but that wasn’t about to happen. Sadness and deep hurt swamped her body, not for herself, but for her mother. It was against the law thinking what she wanted to do to Sean Harrigan right now. She was stalling because she dreaded telling her mother about the sack of shit who planned to use her for his own gain. The longer she put this off, the harder it would be.
She walked back to the beach and found them snuggled on a towel in a major lip-lock, like two teenagers. Better get your fill because that’s the last time you’ll be kissing my mother, you lying bastard.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mom, I need to speak to you in private.”
Nancy Jean was startled at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “Hold my place,” she whispered and reluctantly rolled away from Sean. She stood up and tugged down the bottom of her bathing suit, which had ridden up with the help of Sean’s clever fingers.
“That was a quick trip to the market,” Nancy said.
Sean also stood up and covered the obvious bulge in the front of his bathing suit with his hands. “Is there a problem?”
“I never went, and I think it’s best if we cancel our dinner plans for this evening.”
Nancy was alarmed by the serious inflection in her daughter’s voice and pressed the tips of her fingers to Kaitlyn’s arm. “Are you ill?”
“You could say that.”
“Why don’t you get Kaitlyn back to your villa?” Sean said. “I’ll take care of the towels and cooler.”
“Thank you, Sean. We’ll have to table our plans for this evening.”
“No problem,” he said and glanced toward Kaitlyn. “I hope you feel better.”
She gave him a frigid, direct stare. “Oh, I’m sure I will. Nothing like a good enema to cleanse the body of something rotten.”
Nancy was further dismayed at the sarcasm in her daughter’s voice when she spoke to Sean, and Kaitlyn rarely called her Mom. “I’ll call you later,” Nancy said, leaving him standing perplexed on the beach.
They returned to the Winter Iris without speaking, and Nancy headed straight for the bedroom. “Do I have five minutes to take a shower before you tell me what is really going on?”
“Take ten. While you’re doing that, I’ll check the email on your laptop. Lincoln Adams called earlier and said he was sending his report.”
“Did he give you any indication on their findings?”
“He did, but I’ll let you read it for yourself. I’ll meet you in the kitchen and pour us some wine.”
Nancy lifted a brow. “That bad?”
“Life-changing.”
While taking her shower, she wondered about the report from the security company. What had they uncovered that Kaitlyn deemed life-changing? Whose life? The citizens of Beacon Pointe? She also felt bad for leaving Sean. Canceling their dinner plans was the last thing she’d wanted to do, but she’d make it up to him tomorrow.
Kaitlyn sat at the kitchen table and was already nursing her glass of white zinfandel. “Let’s get this over with.” Nancy sipped some of the wine in her glass and called up the report from Lincoln Adams on her laptop. “Move closer so we can read it together.”
The security company had been very thorough and listed the names of the investors last.
“This is huge,” Kaitlyn said. “Why weren’t you provided with this information prior to their submission?”
“The initial request came through the mayor, so you know politics are involved. And what do we have here? Our illustrious mayor and two council members are investors,” Nancy said.
“Now we know why they wanted the names buried deep.”
Nancy scrolled to the end of the list and thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she read the last two names. Senator Lloyd Harrigan and Sean Harrigan. A nauseous feeling congealed in her stomach as tears of pain and betrayal flooded her eyes. Her heart suffered a direct blow, and she looked at the blurred features of her daughter.
“That’s what you meant was life-changing. Mine.”
“I’m sorry, Mother, so sorry.”
“I’ve been such a fool.”
Nancy leaned into the arms of her daughter as she gathered her in, and sobbed, just like she’d done all those years ago. Only then, she’d sobbed in her mother’s arms.
“My heart is breaking for you,” Kaitlyn said, “and I want to kill that son of a bitch for hurting you again. It’s been bothering me that this meeting at the resort was so coincidental. He’s a slick bastard and planned to use your newfound love so you would vote in his favor. He was so sure his plan would work that he recently purchased the property outright.”
“I’m also shocked to learn the mayor and two of our other council members are part of this deal. No wonder they’ve been pushing for this hotel. That is a definite conflict of interest. They’ll be sorely disappointed when I vote against them.”
“What are you going to do about Sean? You really love him?”
“I do, but I’ve never felt more used.” The pain around her heart had never been so great. “He used every trick in the book to make me fall in love with him again, including playing on my memories.”
“Do you want me to go over there and mess up his pretty face?” Kaitlyn teased.
“No, I’m going to act like a grown-up and do what needs to be done.”
Nancy wiped the wetness from her cheeks with the back of h
er hand and finished the wine in her glass. “I want you to call the airport to get us on the next flight out of here and start packing. While you’re doing that, I’m going over there to say goodbye.”
“That’s it? You’re not even going to ask him why?”
“I know why and what he wanted. It’s as simple as that, but this time it’s me who is going to walk away.”
“Mother, you’re scaring me. Are you okay?”
“No, not really. It’s going to take a long time for me to get over him, if that’s possible, but I learned a long time ago that life must go on.” She kissed Kaitlyn on the cheek. “I’ve got you, my wonderful daughter, and right now that’s the most comforting feeling in the world.”
She’d been as brave as humanly possible in front of Kaitlyn. Inside, she felt as devastated at his betrayal as that twenty-five-year-old girl. But she was no longer weak and unsure of herself. She’d proven that life did exist after Sean Patrick Harrigan, and history was about to repeat itself. Life would never be the same again, but it was something she would have to learn to live with. The pain in her heart doubled at the thought.
Her hand wasn’t quite steady when she knocked on the front door of his villa and clutched her hands in front of her waist.
“Hi, love,” he said with a big smile in greeting. “Is everything okay? Want to come in?”
“No, thanks, my visit will be short.” She kept the tone of her voice sharp and to the point. “I need you to answer a few questions for me.”
He frowned at her brusque request and folded his arms over his chest. “Are we playing lawyer and defendant?”
“You could call it that, only this time I’m the judge and jury.”
“Sounds serious.” Sean leaned against the door frame. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”
“No, and we’re wasting time.”
“Fire away.”
“Did you make your reservation at the Casa Blanca knowing I was going to be here?”
“Yes, in a roundabout way.”
“Are you part of the conglomerate that is proposing to build the hotel and conference center in Beacon Pointe?” When his features paled and his eyes turned a stormy hazel blue, she had her answer.
