Juelle's Legacy

by Carol Henry

  True to Sheila’s words, they had Eugenia loaded up in the ambulance and at the hospital, where a room was already assigned. Juelle gave the necessary information to the registration receptionist, and then rushed to Eugenia’s side, leaving Mr. Jordan and him waiting outside. Juelle filled them in when she joined them in the waiting room.

  “The nurse gave her an Aspirin, while someone else took blood. A team from the Cardiac Catherization Lab took over, and the same cardiology specialist who had worked on Hunt, started assessing Eugenia’s condition. They gave her 4000 units of Heparin and did another EKG.”

  “How is she?” Mr. Jordan enquired.

  “It’s too early to tell, but she was awake when I left.”

  “That’s a good sign.” Hunter hoped he sounded positive. “We might just as well have a seat. Can I get anyone a coffee?”

  “I’ll go.” Günter headed out of the small room. “Love Caters All has their truck in the parking lot today. What can I get for you?”

  They gave him their orders, and then found a place to sit on the other side of the room. Juelle closed her eyes and tilted her head back against the seat.

  ****

  Later that evening, after all the commotion at the lawyers and rushing Eugenia McClintock to the hospital, Hunter sat in the Adirondack chair outside his room at the end of the motel, and took out the letter from his father. He held it in his hand, and stared out at the receding tide as it began its journey out to sea. In the distance, white sails dotted the horizon and fishing trawlers were heading in for the evening. A mild drizzle pulled in the mist, and within a few minutes turned to a downpour. The harbor was obliterated. He shut his eyes and shot back in his chair. Did he want to read what his father had to say? Would it make any difference now? He’d had a happy childhood growing up with his mother and her family. He ran a successful travel company with her. He’d had a couple of relationships, but nothing serious enough to want to settle down and raise a family. He loved children and even wanted a few of his own—someday. He pictured Makenzie, an ideal little tyke who had stolen a piece of his heart. As had her mother. Had he become too fond of Juelle? Hell yes, he was way more than fond of her already. But she didn’t need him or his baggage—the woman had enough of her own to deal with. And, thank God, that cheating S.O.B. was not his half-brother. That was one thing he didn’t have to regret and was glad he’d come to Lobster Cove to discover.

  He looked down at the folded envelope and shoved it back in his pocket without opening it. It didn’t matter what his father had to say. It was too late. His mother was right. If nothing else, he had come to Lobster Cove to face his demons. It was time to let go of the past. He could go back to Oahu with a lighter spirit.

  Being made partner with Sebastian said it all—at least his father openly acknowledged him. Like Juelle, he was beginning to feel sorry for Eugenia.

  He wondered how Juelle was taking the news of the two of them being part owners of McClintock and McClintock Lobster Company, now that Sebastian was dead.

  ****

  Juelle pulled up at Katelyn’s drive and turned the ignition off. Drained from the afternoon’s shocking events, and Eugenia’s near heart attack, she sat in the car for a few minutes before going inside. So much had transpired, she had a hard time grasping the impact it was going to have on her and Makenzie’s life. A positive impact, for the most part.

  “Oh. My. God. Girl, you look white as a ghost.” Katelyn met her at the front door. “What the hell happened today? Come on in and sit down. Tell me everything. Your daughter is sleeping.”

  Katelyn led her to the living room where they both sat on the sofa.

  “Don’t you dare tell me Eugenia walked away with everything? That woman…”

  “No. She got the house and a substantial financial settlement to keep her in the manner in which she has become accustomed, as they say. But I just got back from the hospital. She passed out at the lawyer’s office and had to be rushed to the hospital. They suspect she had a heart attack and are keeping her overnight to run tests just to make sure.”

  “Heart attack! Holy crap! What happened at that meeting this afternoon?”

  “Apparently, Sebastian isn’t Hunt’s son. Eugenia was pregnant with another man’s baby when they got married, or very soon after. Hunt suspected as much, but kept it to himself all these years.”

  “Why did he spill the beans now?”

  “Because Eugenia contested the will. Called Hunter a fraud. Hunt must have anticipated she would if Hunter showed up and inherited along with Sebastian. Mr. Jordan made an attempt to talk her out of it, but you know Eugenia, she persisted. He had no recourse but to honor Hunt’s wishes and read the letter out loud. It was quite a shock.”

  “I imagine it was. How is she doing?”

  “Doing okay when I left. Mr. Jordan is with her now. I think he’s sweet on her.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “They have been friends for a long time. I wouldn’t be at all surprised.”

  “Oh, my God. Do you think Sebastian is Mr. Jordan’s son?

  “No. I don’t think he would have read that letter if he was.”

  “I don’t know. If he’s sweet on her, maybe he was ready for her to acknowledge his paternity.”

  “I didn’t get the feeling they were hiding anything.”

  “Well, at least you won’t have to face Eugenia tonight. What about Hunter? How did he take the news that he doesn’t have a half-brother after all?”

  “He was real cool about it all, even drove to the hospital with us. Mr. Jordan handed him a sealed envelope from his father before Eugenia’s attack.”

  “OMG. How mysteriously old world. Wonder what it said? Did he read it aloud?”

  “No. He wasn’t instructed to open it in front of everyone.”

  “What about you? Did you inherit anything?”

  “Let’s just say I’ll have the finances to make a solid purchase offer on the house on Aspen Avenue. I hope Jessica hasn’t accepted anyone else’s offer yet. I’ll contact her first thing in the morning. “

  “How exciting. I’m so happy for you.” Katelyn leaned over and hugged her. “We’re going to have to do some furniture shopping.”

  “I’m not finished. Ready for this? Hunter and I are now the proud joint owners of McClintock and McClintock Lobster Company.”

  “Okay, now that’s a shocker. No wonder Eugenia had a heart attack. Besides being found out about Sebastian, she is about to lose her prominent standing in the community. This calls for a celebration. I think I have some wine in the kitchen somewhere.”

  “I’d love to indulge, but I have to drive Makenzie home.”

  “Makenzie is sound asleep for the night. Leave her here. You’ve had enough to deal with for one day. Go home. Relax.”

  “When are you and Sven going to get married and have children of your own? You’ve practically adopted my daughter as it is. You’d make a fantastic mother.”

  “You know we aren’t officially engaged, so of course we haven’t set a date yet. I think he’s dragging his feet.” Katelyn jumped from the sofa and headed for the kitchen. “One glass of wine. It will relax you enough so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

  Juelle followed her friend to the kitchen. She sat at the table while Katelyn poured the wine, then handed her a glass.

  “To a new lease on life. May you have nothing but happy days ahead.”

  They tapped glasses, sipped, and looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

  “I know it’s not funny, but I have a bunch of fluttering butterflies tickling my insides.”

  “You so deserve this.”

  “I’m not sure. And I’m not sure I’m going to keep my portion of the business. Hunter and I will have to put our heads together and work it out.”

  “Do you think he’ll stay in Lobster Cove and run the company?”

  “He has his own business to manage back in Hawaii. I can’t see him giving all that up to live in
Maine. Who would want to give up all that tropical paradise? If it was me, and I lived in Oahu all my life, I’d be hard pressed to give it all up.”

  Two glasses of celebratory wine later, Juelle eased her car into the garage and was about to lower the door, when a car pulled up behind her. Hunter got out and walked toward her. His short sleeved, royal-blue golf shirt showed off his muscular biceps and hugged his waistline. His snug tan slacks accentuated his assets, his dark hair was tousled, and his expression hard to read as he ambled her way. He was definitely one desirable man who had kissing down to an art. And if she didn’t get those thoughts out of her head right this minute, she was going to be in big trouble.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way to get something to eat and decided to stop by to make sure you were all right. See if there was anything I could do for you.”

  There were a few things she could think of, but none of them were appropriate, considering she hadn’t known him long and had just buried her husband.

  “I’m fine, thanks. But ready to call it a night. Would you like to come in for coffee?”

  “Do you need help carrying Makenzie in the house?”

  “She’s spending the night at Katelyn’s. She was already asleep and Katelyn offered.”

  “Have you had dinner? Would you care to join me? I was heading to The Cliffside.”

  It might be the wine talking, but she didn’t want to be alone. And she and Hunter had business to discuss.

  “Give me a minute to freshen up.” She walked up to the front door and invited Hunter in.

  “I’ll wait outside, if you don’t mind. Somehow I don’t think Eugenia would appreciate knowing I’ve been inside her home. Especially after the reading of Hunt’s will.”

  “It’s my home as well.”

  “Still, I prefer to wait out here.”

  “I’ll just be a moment.”

  When they arrived at The Cliffside, an upscale restaurant perched on the cliff overlooking Frenchman Bay, they were ushered to a secluded corner table next to a window overlooking the lights on the harbor. Soft dinner music played in the background and a candle flickered in the center of the table. The romantic ambiance not lost on Juelle. The two glasses of wine she’d consumed at Katelyn’s had gone straight to her head, not to mention she was sitting across from the very appealing Hunter McClintock, without feeling one bit guilty.

  Hunter ordered wine, and a full lobster dinner special for two. Once the wine was poured, Hunter lifted his glass and held it out across the table. She lifted her glass and clicked the edge against his in a salute.

  “To our potential joint adventure.”

  Juelle pulled back, and locked eyes with him. “I told you I’m not sure I want any part of the company.”

  “Be patient. We’ll work it out. After the run-in with Eugenia that first day at the hospital, I decided I needed to prove her wrong and made up my mind to have a DNA test in anticipation of there being a problem with the McClintock family. I mentioned it to Mr. Jordan and he suggested I also request DNA from Sebastian. No doubt he suspected what was in Hunt’s letter to Eugenia, should she contest the will. We had the test performed the day I stopped at the hospital to see Sebastian. I hope this will put an end to Eugenia’s claim that I’m not Hunt’s son and prove I’m not a fake. As soon as the results come in, they are to be sent to Mr. Jordan.”

  “Anyone would have to be blind not to look at you and think you aren’t Hunt’s son. You’re the spitting image of your father when he was younger. You don’t have to do any of this for my sake, or to feel legitimate in order to take over the helm at McClintock and McClintock.”

  “Thank you. It’s encouraging to hear you believe me.”

  “Of course, I believe you. And now that Mr. Jordan read the letter from Hunt, it isn’t hard for me to believe Sebastian wasn’t his son.”

  “Your mother-in-law kept it from her husband. It had to be a shock for her to discover he was aware of her secret all along. As for the company, I talked to Mr. Jordan while we were at the hospital. He is expediting the contents of Hunt’s will, as well as waiting on results of the DNA tests. We should have confirmation one way or another in a couple days.”

  He looked at her with those sexy sable eyes—her insides melted. She took another sip of wine and wished their main course would arrive soon. The wine was going to her head and she was starting to have serious feelings for Hunter—feelings she had no business feeling.

  Saved by the waitress arriving at that exact moment, she put her glass down and sat back while the steaming platter was placed in front of her—a whole lobster placed on top of a bowl filled with scallops, clams, potatoes, and corn on the cob. Juelle didn’t hesitate, she dug into the lobster tail, swirled a forkful of the sweet white meat into a dish of melted butter and brought it to her lips. The silence from across the table made her nervous. She looked up to find Hunter McClintock staring at her lips. She flicked her tongue over them and wiped the butter off with her napkin. He shifted in his seat and shadowed her movements of a second ago, and dunked his lobster in the butter, and then brought it to his mouth. Butter dribbled down his chin. Juelle’s hand shot out to wipe it off, but she caught herself just in time, and put them in her lap. His eyes followed her hands, and then looked up in to her eyes as he took his own napkin and swiped at the butter. Her insides moaned. Having dinner with Hunter was too erotic by far, not to mention a big mistake. At least they were in a public place. If they weren’t, she was sure she’d be making a complete fool of herself over him. There was no way she was getting involved with Hunter McClintock. No way.

  He cleared his throat, chewed another piece of lobster, and washed it down with wine.

  “We need to go check out the business—see if it’s something we might want to consider. How about tomorrow?”

  The man was full of surprises tonight. “Do you know anything about the lobster business?”

  “No. But I do know how to run a business. How hard can it be? Do you think Katelyn will watch Makenzie a little longer tomorrow morning so we can meet with Coleman Baker? I understand he’s the acting manager.”

  “I’m…”

  “You are part owner—at least for now. I’ll pick you up at ten.”

  “I’ll give her a call in the morning. It’s getting late, I should be going.”

  “No dessert?”

  “No room. The meal was delicious. Thank you.”

  Hunter paid the bill, and ushered her out the door into the balmy evening. When they were buckled into their seats, he started the car and drove past the McClintock Estate.

  “Wait a minute. You just passed the drive to the estate.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought we’d go watch the sunset up on Cadillac Mountain. I hear it’s spectacular, and it’s such a lovely night. If you’d rather not, just say so. I’m so used to planning and arranging trips and events I wasn’t thinking—it’s the travel agent in me.”

  Juelle settled back in her seat. What would it hurt if they drove back up to the top of the mountain? Hunter was right. It was a spectacular evening to watch the sunset.

  “Thanks. I’d love to.”

  When they reached the summit, they climbed out of the car and walked out to the center of the of granite rock, turned and watched the evening colors of pink, purple, with a few puffy clouds melding into the sunset. The sun’s decent put on a spectacular evening performance for those assembled. Hunter put his arm around her and pulled her close. She didn’t resist. Being in his arms was like coming home—safe, secure. Her heart raced, his scent filled her with desire. She tried to step away, he held on. Heat ignited at his touch. She gave in and remained in his arms while the sun dipped over the horizon and the air cooled.

  He walked her to the car, and before she knew it his hands cupped her face and his lips laid claim to her willing mouth. Their breaths mingled, and she clung to him, not able to get close enough—her emotions on fire. Juelle didn’t know what she had ever do
ne in her lifetime to deserve someone like Hunter McClintock to show up on her doorstep in her time of need. Sure, she had Katelyn, whose shoulder she’d cried on, divulged all her deepest, darkest secrets, and who had been there since day one—her first friend in Lobster Cove. But Katelyn was no substitute for being held in warm, secure, protective male arms—like Hunter’s. His kisses had melted her frozen heart and warmed her insides like no one else had—including Sebastian. His closeness raised her blood pressure to fever pitch and ignited dormant emotions she’d repressed over the past year. Could he feel what he did to her? Did he think she was easy? Needy?

  Hopeless?

  “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered against her lips, his breath sending exotic quivers to her center.

  She could only agree.

  ****

  In what seemed like hours, but was the shortest ride down the mountain ever, Hunter had his car pulled up next to the Frenchman Bay Motel. She was in his arms as soon as he turned off the motor. His kiss was meant to assure her he was still interested. Her response answered his call.

  Hunter had Juelle out of the car, down the veranda, and inside his hotel room before she could change her mind. He’d been going crazy since he’d met her, and he didn’t think he could keep his hands off her another minute. He unlocked the door, kicked it behind them, and frog-marched her directly to the bed, his lips locked on hers the entire time.

  Her arms clung to him in a hold destined to tie them together forever. The way her body moved his, there was no way he could hold back. The passion in her embrace was his undoing. He slipped his hands up under her top, felt her heart beat quicken as his hand molded her breasts. Good God, they fit his hand so perfectly. And Lord, was that her leg that just wrapped around his leg pulling him closer.

  He stopped long enough to unbutton her blouse and slide it down around her sexy body. He lowered his face and snuggled into her neck, kissing his way down to the cleavage he’d explored moments before. Her arms yanked on his shirt, he helped her remove it, and thank God, they were both naked and laying on the bed so he could make love to her.