He would not have it.
Wade opened his mouth to give Priscilla his regrets when he felt a gentle shove to his back.
“You have all the time in the world to deal with business,” Meg said. “But right now is the time for dancing! Get out there.”
Priscilla’s hand slipped into his, warm and insistent. A Michael Buble-style crooner had just begun singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”
His hand molded to her waist and he began to relax. She tipped her chin up, eyes sparkling. “As I mentioned when we first spoke, the improvements at the inn are magnificent. And I understand you are responsible for so many of them.”
“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.”
“No? Meg tells me that you lit a fire under Jackson with your unique ideas and gentle persuasion.” She appeared to hold back a laugh on those last words.
An honest smile welled up, probably for the first time in days. “Meg flatters me. Jackson has plenty of ideas of his own. I only provided the outline and financing ideas to get him there.”
“And your considerable business experience.”
Her expression was open, kind. He had no reason to believe she was employing any kind of flattery herself. “Tell me about you,” Wade said, regarding her. “I recall you mentioning something about meeting Meg in Italy.”
“You were listening?”
He stilled. “Of course. Did you think I had not heard you?”
Priscilla nudged him along, her mouth smiling, her eyes unwavering. “You seemed very distracted this morning. Not that anyone would blame you for that. I thought, well, I thought it likely that you did not hear one thing I said to you out there on that lawn.”
“Is that really what you thought?”
“But you have proved me wrong.”
He worked to make his mind catch up with this conversation. “So,” he finally said, “it sounds as if you and Meg have been friends for a long while.”
“We met at a restaurant in Italy when we were each traveling alone. We kept up a little, and then I came out here last year for a ... change of scenery.”
“From?”
“Virginia. I thought it was time to give the west coast a try for a time.”
“And how are you liking it here?”
She nodded as she spoke. “It’s a step in the right direction. I apologize if that sounds like a cliché.”
He smiled at her again. “Not at all.”
They moved around the dance floor with a fluidity Wade hadn’t expected. Her meeting with Meg intrigued him. If his memory served him, Meg had gone to Italy to escape her feelings for Jackson—or, at least, that’s the way Jackson had explained it. Much more had happened during that trip. And here Priscilla was now, living all the way across the country.
His gaze washed over his dance partner, who was looking over his shoulder at someone—or something, her face pensive. “You have an adventurous spirit.”
She flicked a look up at him. “Have you ever paddle boarded?”
“Is this in response to my comment about your adventurous spirit?”
She laughed lightly and gestured briefly toward the sea. “I’ve been watching paddle boarders all afternoon and I think I would like to try it. You?”
“I don’t enjoy the thought of being prey.”
“Oh, please.”
“I prefer my vessels to have sides—even a kayak would be better than a paddle board, in my opinion.”
“I assumed that, but I thought I would ask anyway.”
“What do you mean you assumed so? Surely I don’t look like someone who could not handle a paddle board.”
When she did not answer him right away, he leaned in closer, his eyes connecting with hers. “Right?”
She gave him that dazzling smile of hers. “I’m sure you could handle one just fine. You are always so formal, though. Even your summer clothes look impossibly starched.”
He sputtered, shrinking back slightly. “I wasn’t aware that my wardrobe was being studied. But let me correct a misperception—I have never used starch on my shorts and T-shirts.”
“You wear shorts and tees?”
His mouth dropped open. “Come on now.”
She laughed again, not an ounce of shame in her expression. She was enjoying this.
He cracked a smile. “I haven’t much time for water sports these days, but if I were—”
“If you ... were?”
He tilted his head down closer to her face again, taking in her eyes. He spoke loudly, over the music. “As I was saying, if I were to ... partake, then my vessel of choice would have sides all around and ample room for movement.”
“Is that your final say on the matter, Mr. Prince?”
“It is.”
She laughed harder than before, truly enjoying this. If he were honest, Wade would admit that he, too, was enjoying the dance and his partner. He hadn’t planned on staying much past the first toast, but somehow, this woman whom he had only met—though she seemed to know him—changed all that.
A dark thought hovered over him. Wade tilted his chin. “You said something earlier that I wanted to ask you about.”
“Anything.”
“What did you mean when you said that you knew that ... well, you believed that Sophia broke my heart?”
“Well, darling, I was there when you proposed.”
“You were there?”
Priscilla’s bright smile diminished and she searched his face. “We all were. And then after she broke it off, while the others were comforting Sophia, I looked for you.” She gave him a little shrug. “You had already fled.”
Wade allowed Priscilla’s words to penetrate his mind. He had not realized that when he proposed, and subsequently had been dumped, that a crew had witnessed both occurrences.
Priscilla watched him, her expression open, her eyes wide, as if anticipating his response. His mind, usually so pinpoint accurate, felt more like it was stuffed with cotton, myriad ideas and thoughts stuck inside.
Wade’s jaw tensed. He should not have come. Should have given his regrets and tended to the other issues that drew at him today. If he had, he might have made some progress there—and he certainly would not be caught in this situation now.
He listened for a break in the music, a point when he could tactfully extricate himself from the dance floor. But another song had already started.
Priscilla intrigued him, but in the few minutes they had spent together on this dance floor, she had managed to twist a key and unlock a part of him that he would rather keep shut. Wade had already blown it twice when it came to romantic entanglements and he wasn’t a third-times-a-charm kind of guy.
It was only a dance, he reminded himself. He wasn’t looking for anything more. Thankfully so. As his assistant, Laura, constantly reminded him, his calendar was packed. He would not have time for love if it commandeered his Outlook calendar and penciled itself in.
Before the music ended, Wade bowed, uttered a hasty “thank you,” and stepped off the dance floor, hoping Priscilla understood.
Priscilla watched Wade walk off the dance floor and out of view. He didn’t look back.
The band continued playing as if nothing had occurred, as if she hadn’t just been unceremoniously dumped on the dance floor.
Meg showed up, standing where Wade had stood, her arms in the two and nine positions. “Hey, babe. Wanna dance with me?”
Thankfully, the ballad ended.
Meg laughed. She dropped her arms. “You planned that.”
“Hardly!” Priscilla shouted, not allowing the smile on her face to falter. Why would it anyway? They had simply been dancing. Never meant to be anything more than just that—despite Meg’s sudden need to rescue her.
She loved her friend for that.
The drummer cued the band and they began to play “A Hard Day’s Night.” Partner or not, Priscilla began to dance, fast this time, until a sheen of perspiration made her arms glow.
Meg grabbed her hands and did
a little swing around thing, like they were middle school girls on the dance floor.
“Sorry Wade left you stranded,” Meg said, rolling her eyes. That reminded her of middle school too.
“I think I went too far,” Priscilla shouted back.
Meg shook her head. “He’s just having a hard time today. It’s not you.”
“I told him that I was there when he proposed to Sophia.”
Meg gave her a surprised laugh. “You did?”
Priscilla twisted her lips into a rueful smile. She leaned in. “Did I ever tell you about Leo’s new beloved?”
Meg winced at the mention of Priscilla’s ex-husband’s name. “Don’t call Leo’s other woman that.”
Priscilla batted the air as if it were no longer a big deal to her. “Anyway, she used to follow me around, even after he had left me for her.”
“Wait. She did? I don’t think you’ve ever told me that.”
“It’s true. Marnie—that’s his new wife’s name—was our neighbor and my friend. I used to give her clippings from my garden and we’d sit outside and drink tea and talk about our hopes, our dreams. She wanted to travel the world. Anyway, once they were married she kept contacting me, even going so far as to make an appointment with me at my salon.”
“No way.”
Priscilla kept her smile as bright as possible. “She seemed to think that I could easily look past husband stealing.” She looked away for a moment, a couple of paddle boarders drawing her attention as they rode the surf.
“Are you okay?”
She blinked several times. “Yes, yes. I’m fine. Anyway, this has been a beautiful wedding. I’m only sorry it conjured up things from the past. Not sure why.”
“Completely understandable.”
Priscilla quirked her chin to the side. “You know that ‘seventy-seven times seven’ thing in the Bible?”
“The one about forgiving someone that many times?”
“Yes. Well, the thing is—it might have been easier to follow through with that if getting a divorce wasn’t as easy as picking up a drive-through latte!”
“I’m sorry.”
Priscilla slowed considerably, along with the music. She set her gaze at the sea again. “Perhaps mentioning Wade’s old wound to him wasn’t quite the best idea.”
Meg gave her a sympathetic look. “Oh, I don’t know. He’s obviously over her or he wouldn’t have come to the wedding. At least, he ought to be over her by now.”
“Maybe.”
Meg put her arm around Pricilla. “If anyone would know about broken hearts, it’s you. You’ve been able to move on after your husband’s rejection.”
Priscilla raised both eyebrows. “Thank you for putting it that way.”
“I’m sorry. You know what I mean.”
“In other words, c’est la vie. Am I right?”
“There’s the woman I met in Cinque Terre,” Meg said with a laugh. Another song started, but the sound had been turned down a few levels. Meg flicked her chin toward the three-tiered cake. The bride and groom were approaching it now. “Cake?” she said.
Pricilla grinned. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
The sun hovered over the water like a decadent morsel. Priscilla and Meg stepped to the edge of the path, out of the way of the photographer, the waitstaff ready to pounce once the formality of hand feeding cake to each other had been completed. Small children watched the entire event with hungry eyes.
Meg signaled to Jackson, who seemed to be walking aimlessly with Jax in his arms.
When he approached, Meg held out her arms. “I’ll take him.”
Jackson cooed at his son, who was now safely tucked into his mother’s arms. He glanced at them both. “I had to hold Jax back. He wanted to join you on the dance floor, but I convinced him to let you have some girl time out there.”
“Yeah, right,” Meg said. “You didn’t want to dance, so you were grateful to have this little guy as an excuse.”
Jackson kissed her temple. “Guilty.” One of the staff called his name. He turned back to Meg before leaving. “Tell Priscilla about the press trip.”
When he’d gone, Meg bit her lip, a guilty smile on her face. “With everything else going on, namely this wedding, I completely forgot to tell you about a press trip that we’ve pulled together quite quickly.”
“What kind of press trip?”
“We’ve booked a cruise out to the islands and have invited travel writers from all over the state to join us.” She eyed Priscilla. “Actually, it was one of Wade’s ideas. He lobbed it toward me in passing one day and I ran with it. He’s got a million ideas, really.”
“Buying the press? Is that like fake news?”
“Ouch. You wound me.”
“Kidding, of course. It sounds wonderful.”
“It’s going to be. This isn’t just for our inn—that would be a little self-serving. Actually, I pitched the idea to the visitors bureau and they, along with several other hotels, are all on board.”
Priscilla raised one brow. “No pun intended.”
Meg laughed. “Chef will provide box lunches and we’ll give the press a complete tour of the waters between here and the islands. Then take a spin around Anacapa Island. They won’t have to lift a finger.”
“Wow. You really have thought of everything. I’m impressed, Meg.” Priscilla sighed.
“What?”
“I was just wondering if you’ll see any mermaids while you’re out there.” She gave Meg a deadpan look. “Or mermen, for that matter.”
Meg rubbed her lips together, her brown eyes staring at Priscilla.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not at all. It’s just, well, I need a favor,” Meg said. “Would you ... would you be interested in taking my place on the cruise?”
Priscilla straightened, confused.
Jax fussed and Meg began bouncing him, her forehead bunched. She looked straight at Priscilla. “I have a confession. It seems that I haven’t quite gotten my sea legs after giving birth.”
Priscilla gasped. “What? I don’t understand.”
“Apparently, seasickness in women who have recently given birth is a thing.” She sighed, her gaze traveling out toward inky blue sea. “I hopped aboard a simple harbor cruise last week and, well, lost my lunch. I was mortified.”
Priscilla reached forward and rubbed Meg’s back. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry! How awful for you.”
“I could take something, of course, but I’m still nursing this little guy ...”
“And you wouldn’t want to pass motion sickness medicine on to him. Oh, I understand.”
Meg peered around, lowering her voice. “There are others I could ask, but you have become such a great encourager to me and a cheerleader for the inn, so I hoped you wouldn’t mind stepping in and representing us.”
Priscilla thought about that. She loved being a hairstylist and had embraced her new role at the inn, but adventure nipped at her heels. There was no reason she couldn’t switch roles for a day, especially to help a friend. “Why not? I’m sure Manuel and Katrina can handle the salon.”
“There is one thing, though,” Meg said. “And please don’t think this is any kind of weird set up—it’s truly coincidental. Wade will be there too.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry—he’ll be with a client, so you won’t even have to talk to him. Besides, we already have a full roster so you’ll have plenty of other people to talk to and encourage to visit the inn.”
Priscilla nodded. “I’ll be fine. And I’m happy to help out the inn. Always.”
Meg hugged her, snuggling Jax between them. “You’re the best. Thank you so much!”
After Meg had gone, Priscilla drifted away from the dance floor and onto the path where she could stand and watch the sunset. Several boats were rolling in, signaling the ending of a day on the water. A tiny rush of excitement met her as she watched them bob along, as if no other care in the world.
&nb
sp; That rush tempered some as she thought about Wade Prince. Something about him drew her and had since the moment she watched him propose to the beautiful Sophia. And when she broke his heart? Priscilla felt another overwhelming emotion for him: compassion.
A tinge of regret moored itself to her heart. Priscilla hoped that Wade had not mistaken her attention for anything more than the compassion she’d had for him since she stepped into his story at Sea Glass Inn. She, too, knew what it was like to be hurt by someone she loved, and in her case, by someone who had made a vow to love her forever—only to change his mind and break that vow.
As the glowing orb sizzled into the sea, Priscilla promised herself to never, ever allow that to happen to her again.
Chapter 3
She wanted to cry.
A sharp wedge of tears pressed against the base of Priscilla’s neck. Another dolphin broke the surface of the water and the crowd of seagoers roared again. Four more dolphins leaped out of the water and back in again, their outer layers in shade of gray and black shiny and glistening. Flags whipped in the wind as Priscilla stood gripping the deck rail, unable to take her eyes from such elegant, yet playful creatures.
A tear dripped down the side of her cheek.
A man with a full head of hair peeking out beneath a baseball cap stood next to her. He, too, stared out to sea. “Magnificent beings, aren’t they?”
She wiped away her tear and smiled. “Yes, they truly are. I’m overwhelmed.”
He smiled at her. “I can see that.”
The voice of their captain spoke through a loudspeaker. “Everyone look toward the stern. They are really putting on a show now!”
Sure enough, dozens of dolphins arced and dove through air and water, over and over again. She crossed her arms on the top of the railing and leaned against them, unable to stop smiling. Despite the floppy hat tied beneath her chin, sea spray misted her skin and deposited salt on her lips.
LeeAnne from the visitors bureau joined her at the rail. She was curvy in pink athleisure, and her feet were shod with Adidas. She leaned toward Pricilla, her voice as low as possible, yet loud enough to be heard above the rippling wind and churning waves. “Meg hit this one out of the park again. You’ll let her know, won’t you?”
Beneath a Billion Stars Page 2
