by Kay Correll
“That would be a good idea, sir. You can call him from the station.”
Susan watched in awe as they handcuffed Russell and two of the men led him away. Detective Simons turned to her and smiled. “Lucky coincidence I was here when the warrants came through. Made my day to be part of his arrest. You take care, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Detective.” The man left with a bit of spry spring in his steps.
“Mom, I think you have some explaining to do.” Jamie titled his head to one side as he watched the last of the men leave.
“And I need to talk to you, Susan.” Adam came up to her and touched her elbow. “I have some good news. I think I have a way to save the inn. Two ways, actually.”
Jamie and Susan laughed, and Adam looked at them strangely.
Susan hugged Adam quickly. “It seems to be the day for good news.”
* * *
That night Adam and Susan sat on the deck. Clouds covered most of the sky, but every once in a while the moon would peek out from behind the clouds and throw a shaft of light across the water.
He held her hand while they sat. He knew their days together were numbered, and he cherished every last moment he had here with her.
“I can’t believe you found those old stock certificates. I had no idea they even existed.” Susan smiled. “It’s been quite the day.”
“And my buddy at the company assures me they are valid certificates. Looks like you’re coming into some good money.”
“I’m not sure I’ll know how to act if we’re not scraping by, day by day.” Susan grinned.
“I bet you can get used to it.”
“And you really think we can have the inn declared a historical landmark?” Susan looked a bit dazed with all the surprises the day had sprung on her.
“I do. I have someone checking into it, but if you want to pursue that, you can. It would keep the inn from ever being torn down.”
“I just can’t believe this day.” Susan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “So much good news. And it looks like Russell will finally be out of my life”
“Out of everyone’s life, it looks like.” Adam trailed his thumb across the back of her hand.
Susan looked at him and her expression saddened. “But, you’ll be leaving soon now, won’t you? You’ve helped save the inn, just like you said you would.”
“I do have to leave. I can stay another day or so. Mom is having such a good time here, I hate to take her away. But I do need to find work. There really aren’t the kinds of jobs I’m good at here on Belle Island.”
“I know that.” Susan sighed.
The sound tore at his heart. They’d known going into this that he’d have to leave, but it didn’t make it any easier.
Susan got up and slipped into his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and rested his head against hers.
“I’m going to miss you so much when you’re gone,” Susan whispered against his cheek, her warm breath heating a fire inside him.
He kissed her then, long and thoroughly. A small whimper escaped her.
“I will miss you too.” He whispered back.
Chapter 27
Adam couldn’t put off leaving much longer. He decided to take Susan out to eat at Magic Cafe, followed by a long after-dinner beach walk. He had a few leads on jobs, one back in Atlanta and one in Chicago. He’d been stalling for days, not wanting to leave. He’d worked with the company in Chicago before, and they’d all but promised him the job. They had great benefits and the pay was a raise from what he’d been making. They’d even offered a signing bonus. All the things he needed in a job. Except for the fact it was miles and miles away from Susan.
“You look lost in thought.” Susan stood before him in a simple dress and sandals. He couldn’t imagine anyone looking so beautiful.
“You look amazing.”
Susan blushed. “You’re so good for my ego.”
He stood and took her hand. “I’m ready if you are.”
They walked outside and he stopped her. “Go stand by the railing. I want to get your picture.”
“I… okay.” Susan walked over to the railing and self-consciously tugged on a curl.
He grabbed his cell phone and captured a few quick photos. At least he’d have a picture of her to replace the boring generic one his phone sported now. He smiled at her. “Thanks.”
They headed down the beach to Magic Cafe. Tally had a table by the edge of the deck waiting for them.
“You two have fun.” Tally left a menu for Adam and walked away to seat some other people.
They ordered, and silence descended upon them. Adam didn’t know what to say. A heaviness wrapped around his heart, squeezing tightly. He hated being forced to choose between staying with Susan or taking a job where he could support his mother and take care of her. And, there really was no decision to be made, because his mother wouldn’t be able to take care of herself for very much longer.
Rock, meet hard place.
“It’s difficult, isn’t it?” Susan’s words interrupted his thoughts
“What?” He looked at her.
“It’s tough being with you, knowing that it’s ending soon.”
“I was going to tell you after dinner, but since you brought it up, I’m going to leave tomorrow. I’m almost one hundred percent sure I’m going to take a job in Chicago. I’ll need to get packed and moved and get Mom settled. I’ll need to find someone to drop in and check on her. I can’t keep putting it off.”
“I know.” Susan’s voice was low. “We knew it was coming. I’ve had such a good time spending these last few days with you.”
His heart thundered in his chest like a runaway boulder crashing down a mountain. He wasn’t sure he could breath. One look at Susan’s face told him all he needed to know. She was feeling the exact same way.
And he was the one putting that look on her face.
* * *
Susan was certain if you looked up the definition of broken heart, there would be a picture of her. She could barely draw a breath and just played with the food on her plate. Her world was crumbling around her. Well, not the owning the inn part of her world, but Adam had become so important to her in such a short time. She was going to miss Mary, too.
Things would be so different with both of them gone. It’s not like they could do a long distance relationship, because Adam wouldn’t want to leave Mary alone in Chicago, and Susan had to run the inn, and Mary didn’t need the constant confusion of traveling back and forth with Adam.
They had to do what was right for Mary.
“Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to go to the ladies’ room.” Susan set down her napkin and got up from the table. She was so close to tears that she needed a moment to pull herself together. She didn’t want Adam to see her cry.
Tally stopped her as she went inside. “Are you okay?”
“I’m… not. Adam is leaving tomorrow. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Ah, I’m so sorry.” Tally gave her a hug.
“I’m going to miss him so much. But it’s my own fault. I knew going into this that he needed to leave.”
“So ask him to stay.” Tally gave her a listen-to-my-advice look.
“I can’t ask him that. He needs to go. He already has a job offer in Chicago that will work out great for him. Great benefits. He’ll be able to take care of his mom.”
Tally shook her head. “You always were the stubborn one, always putting everyone else first. Maybe you should ask him to stay. Hire him at the inn if nothing else. Marry him. But for Pete’s sake tell him you love him.”
Susan stood in shock at Tally’s forthright words. “Marry him?”
“You love him, don’t you?” Tally cocked her head to one side.
“I do love him.” She finally admitted it to herself and to Tally.
“Then you should tell him.”
“I think it will only make it that much harder. I can’t ask him to choose between me and hi
s mother.”
“Throwing away love is a foolish move.” Tally shook her head and walked away.
Susan was more confused than ever. She couldn’t ask Adam to marry her and stay in Belle Island.
She didn’t even know if he loved her.
Chapter 28
Susan sat at the table in the cottage the next morning, having a quick breakfast with Jamie and Cindy.
“You’re sure quiet this morning.” Jamie eyed his mother.
“I’m sorry. I know I’m not very good company.”
“You don’t have to be any certain way with us.” Cindy reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Jamie loved the way his wife was so kind to his mother. He smiled to himself. He loved everything about his wife.
Susan looked at him. “It’s just that Adam and Mary are leaving this afternoon.”
Jamie shot her a piercing glance. “He’s leaving? I almost figured he’d stay. Mom, it’s obvious that you care about him and he cares about you.”
“Well, he got a job offer in Chicago. Good pay and benefits. He’ll be able to take care of Mary.”
“But what about you and him?” Jamie set down his mug. “You should work something out.”
Cindy jumped up from the table. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”
“Now?” Jamie frowned, it wasn’t like her to put business over family, and this was obviously a hard time for his mom.
“Right now… it’s something… it’s important. I just remembered. I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.” Cindy hurried into the other room.
Jamie turned back to his mother. “Did you ask him to stay?”
“Now you sound like Tally.”
“Tally is a wise woman. I could do worse than give the same advice she gave.”
“She said I should ask him to stay…” His mother looked up and a hint of blush flushed her cheeks. “She said I should ask him to marry me…”
“Told you she was wise.”
“I don’t even know… I don’t know if he loves me or not.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
His mother sighed a long sigh that seemed to come from deep inside of her. “I do love him.”
“Did you tell him?”
Susan eyed him suspiciously. “Have you been talking to Tally?”
“No, but it appears that she and I are on the same page with this.”
Cindy came back into the kitchen with a smile firmly tucked across her face. Before he had a chance to ask what was going on, he heard a knock at the cottage door and got up to answer. Dorothy walked in. “Adam was looking for you, Susan. I think he and Mary are about ready to leave. I’m going to miss Mary. It’s been great having someone here that likes to knit and do the crosswords with me. I think she really enjoyed helping around the inn, too.”
“You need to stall him,” Cindy insisted.
“What?” Jamie looked at his wife like she’d lost her mind.
“Stall him. He has to stay for another thirty minutes or so.” Cindy touched his arm. “Trust me.”
Of course he trusted her, he just didn’t know what she was up to.
“I need to talk to Adam anyway.” Susan put down her napkin and got up from the table.
“You’ll make sure he stays for half an hour?”
Susan frowned slightly. “I will.”
* * *
Susan found Adam standing on the deck, staring at the ocean. She watched him for a minute, memorizing every detail. His broad shoulders that were so easy to lean on. His brown hair ruffled in the breeze. His strong hands resting on the railing. She let the image imprint on her mind.
He turned then, as if he had felt her watching him. A sad smile crossed his face. She walked over and stood beside him at the railing, leaning slightly against him.
“A beautiful view, isn’t it?”
He looked at her. “I’ll miss it.”
She wasn’t sure if he was talking about the ocean view or her. She couldn’t bear to think of him leaving and the huge hole it would leave in her life.
A bird swooped by, and she followed its flight until it disappeared in the distance, gone forever.
She spun to face Adam full of resolve. “Adam, there’s something I want… I need to tell you.”
“What’s that?” He lifted her face up to look directly into her eyes.
“Adam, I love you.” There she said it. Her heart knew she’d done the right thing.
His sad expression when he heard her words caused her heart to tumble.
He didn’t feel the same way.
He reached out and touched her check. “Ah, Susan. I love you, too. I think I have from that first day we were out at Lighthouse Point.”
“You love me?” She needed him to say it again.
He grinned. “I do love you.”
She sighed. “That’s good.”
“It is?”
“Yes, because it’s going to make it easier to ask the next question.”
A lazy grin crossed his face. “And what would that be?”
“I want to ask you if you’d stay here… and marry me.”
His eyes flew open wide. “You’re asking me to marry you?”
For a moment she wanted to step back and pull back the words. But Tally was right. You need to take a chance with love. She’d never forgive herself if she didn’t at least ask him.
“I love you. I do. I would love to stay here and marry you… though, to be honest, I wish I had thought to ask you to marry me. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have no job here. No way to take care of my mom.”
“We could work that out.” Susan stood before him, holding her breath, waiting for an answer.
“We have worked out a lot of problems in our time, haven’t we?”
“We have.”
Adam smiled and dropped to one knee. “Susan, will you marry me?”
She threw back her head and laughed. “I will.” She leaned down and kissed him.
He stood and wrapped his arms around her. “Didn’t want you to be the only one proposing today.”
They turned at the sound of people approaching. Jamie, Cindy, and Delbert Hamilton crossed the deck.
“Adam, glad I caught you before you left. I need to talk to you.” Mr. Hamilton reached into a folder he was carrying and handed Adam a paper. “Cindy here says you’re out of a job right now… well you found one with Sunderland and Steadman in Chicago. You don’t want to accept that offer. You want to accept mine. If you could manage the opening of The Hamilton in Sarasota, then I’d like for you to handle negotiations on buying The Beverly in Tampa. I know you’ve managed hotel transitions before and I know you’ve outsmarted me in negotiations. We can iron out the details, but the main points are listed there. Oh, and we have great benefits. I’d love to have you join us.”
Adam glanced at the paper and a wide grin spread across his face. “Looks like a fair offer to me.”
He turned, swooped Susan up, and spun around with her. “Looks like everything is going to work out.”
Adam turned to Jamie. “Oh, and I’m hoping you’ll be my best man when I marry your mother.”
Cindy let out a little squeal and hugged Susan. Jamie came over, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, “I’m so very happy for you.”
Dorothy and Mary came walking across the deck. “What’s all the commotion over here?” Mary asked.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet my future bride.”
Mary clapped her hands. “You’re going to marry Susan? I always knew you were a smart boy.”
“Congratulations.” Dorothy grinned. “I knew it. Just knew it.”
“I’m going to call Tally and Julie and tell them to come over. Let’s celebrate with Champagne.” Jamie offered.
“That sounds like a lovely idea, son.” Susan’s heart soared as Adam wrapped an arm around her waist and led her inside to celebrate, surrounded by the people they loved most.
Chapter 29
Susan stood in front of the
full-length mirror in a suite at the inn. Julie fussed with Susan’s hair, trying to tame it into submission. Tally handed her a bouquet of simple white hydrangeas.
“Do I look okay?” Susan stared in the mirror at the simple off-white suit she’d chosen to wear.
“You look lovely.” Tally patted her arm. “And the weather cooperated, too. I thought for sure we’d have to move the wedding inside, but look at this warm November day.”
“It sure didn’t take you long to pick a date and get married.” Julie laughed. “I have our wedding date, but still don’t have everything planned. Reed said he was jealous of Adam for getting his wedding so quickly.”
“There didn’t seem to be much reason to wait. I love him. I want to be his wife.” Her heart danced around in her chest with the excitement of the day, and she could feel the flush on her cheeks.
“So you and Adam and Mary will all live in the cottage?” Tally asked.
“Yes, but we’re going to build a mother-in-law suite off the cottage to give all of us our space. We want Mary with us, though.” Susan turned to catch her reflection in the mirror again. “And Jamie and Cindy are living in a suite at the hotel this winter, until Julie marries Reed this spring. Then they are going to rent her cottage.”
“It sounds like everything turned out exactly how it needed to. See, I told you that you should listen to Tally’s advice. Always.” Julie grinned.
“Well, I give good advice.” Tally said the words as if it should be obvious to everyone. “Are you ready?”
Susan took a deep breath. “I am.”
Julie hugged her, and the three friends walked downstairs to where Adam was waiting outside under the wedding arch to marry her.
The music started. Tally and Julie walked down the aisle and stood to one side of the arch.
Jamie came and took his mother’s arm. “I’m doing double-duty walking you down the aisle and being the best man.”
She tucked her hand on his arm. She couldn’t imagine a better person to walk her down the aisle to her future with Adam.
