Finding Family Page 12

  “No need to rush into anything,” Brian said. “You can handle the work at the development just fine.”

  “But I have a lot more to do than that,” Regan said. “I’m overseeing the renovation of the hotel. We’re about to start completing the top-floor rooms in the Egret Building, and as soon as Sheena and Tony move into their house, we’ll begin completely redoing the eight suites. And we’re doing work on the spaces for Gavin’s people, and ...”

  Brian’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s an awful lot of work. Are you sure you want to tackle it alone?”

  Worried about it herself, Regan frowned. “You don’t think I can do it?”

  “I didn’t say that,” said Brian, shaking his head.

  Regan slumped in her chair. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. I thought I was over being upset about Mo leaving, but I’m obviously not.”

  “It’ll all work out. You’re better than you think you are,” said Brian.

  Regan got to her feet and leaned over to kiss him. “Thanks for being here for me. It means so much to have your support.”

  When their lips met, Regan felt her earlier tension disappear. She’d do the best she could, and maybe, as Brian said, she was better than she thought.

  ###

  After dinner, Regan unpacked a few more of her things in their bedroom and then turned to Brian. “Ready for a swim?”

  “Mo and Kenton are gone for the night?” Brian asked, arching his eyebrows at her.

  Regan grinned. “We have the pool to ourselves.”

  “Great. I’ll grab the towels.” He took off his shirt, jeans, and undershorts and grabbed his bathing suit.

  Regan watched Brian walk naked into the adjoining bathroom. The scars on his hip and his arms were less noticeable now. His hip seemed normal though they were still careful of it. An image of how he’d looked right after the accident flashed through her mind, and she thought, as she had before, how lucky they both were.

  Brian returned with the towels. “Well?”

  Regan changed out of her clothes into a bikini, and wrapping a towel around her, followed him out the door.

  The moon was rising in the sky, shedding enough light to add a glow to the scenery around her, forming swaying shapes of the palm trees among shadows. The dimly-lit, heated pool sat in the darkness, luring her on. After working with him in the hotel pool, Regan was delighted Brian now shared her love of swimming.

  He was already in the water when she lowered her towel onto a chair and dove in. She rose to the surface gasping at the water’s coolness. She began swimming laps, her muscles lengthening with the exercise. Brian soon caught up with her, and a spontaneous race broke out.

  Well aware of Brian’s competitiveness, Regan sprang forward to reach the far end first.

  Brian swam up to her and, laughing, wrapped his arms around her. “You little mermaid! Someday, I’ll beat you.”

  She turned to him and lifted her face to his. Their lips met, warm among the skin that was chilling in the onshore breeze.

  As Brian’s kiss deepened, Regan clasped her legs around his waist and hugged him tightly. She loved him so much words were not enough.

  He caressed her back and shifted her, so she felt his excitement.

  “Race you back to the house,” she whispered in his ear.

  He laughed. “Looking for a little playtime?”

  “Could be,” she murmured, giving him a playful smile. He’d taught her what fun, how wonderful, making love could be.

  They hurried out of the pool, grabbed their towels, and ran to the cottage.

  Still shivering, Regan hurried inside and heard Brian’s cell ringing.

  Behind her, Brian shut the door, picked up his phone, and studied it.

  She waited while he punched in a number. He said, “Hi, Mom! You called?”

  Regan gave him a questioning look. Holly’s calls usually meant she wanted something.

  Brian shrugged.

  Disappointed the sexy moment was gone, Regan went into the bedroom, towel-dried her body, and slipped on her pajamas. She still hadn’t come to terms with Brian’s devotion to his mother. She liked Holly, even loved her, but Holly sometimes demanded a lot of attention.

  Brian walked into the bedroom. “Strange call from Mom. She’s asked us to come to Blackie’s house on Friday for dinner. And she told me to dress nicely, that it’s a special occasion.”

  “Is it her birthday?”

  Brian shook his head. “Not until next week.”

  “Want to watch T.V. or something?” Regan asked.

  Brian grinned at her. “Or something.”

  She patted the bed beside her.

  Brian dropped his towel and joined her.

  “Better than T.V. any day,” he said, putting his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  DARCY

  Darcy sat with her sisters at the kitchen table in Sheena’s suite going over plans for the further renovation of the hotel. Sheena had been dealing with Blackie’s business partner and lawyer, Greg Ryan, to set up Salty Key Enterprises as a Limited Liability Corporation or LLC. With their funds under the control of the LLC, they could draw upon them as needed and, more importantly, as agreed upon and budgeted.

  “I’ve drawn up a list of projects in our budget and allocated funds to each,” Sheena said, handing them each a spreadsheet. She turned to Regan. “We need you to approve these numbers and then keep the costs down.”

  “Nicole and I have worked on advertising for weddings,” said Darcy. “We’ve taken photos of the small, private room upstairs in Gavin’s as a place for changing and pre-wedding celebrations for the bride and her bridal party. However, we need to complete the Bridal Suite in the Egret Building right away so we can show that as well. Can you do that, Regan?”

  Regan gave her a big smile. “Yes. Remember, we have a couple of extra couches we’ll move into the sitting area. I’ve got photographs to show you of the chairs I want to add to the room, along with end tables, lamps, and a special, three-way, full-length mirror. The bridal party will want to be able to check themselves out. And we’ve already discussed the king-sized bed I’ve ordered for the suite.”

  “Sounds good,” said Sheena. “Let’s look at the pictures.”

  Darcy pointed out the items she liked, and, surprisingly, Sheena quietly went along with her choices.

  “As you can see, any of the selections go well with the simple beach theme we have in the décor. But they dress up the room quite a bit,” said Regan. “I’d like to add high-end bedding and towels not only to that room, but to all the rooms on both floors.”

  Sheena frowned and looked at the spreadsheet she’d handed them. “How much do you estimate for doing that? I know it seems as if we have a lot of money, and we do, but it will go fast as we work on completing the renovations.”

  Darcy and Regan exchanged knowing looks. This was more like the Sheena they knew.

  “I’ll get back to you on that. In the meantime, do I have your permission to go ahead and order the items we liked for the Bridal Suite?” said Regan.

  Darcy looked at Sheena and nodded her assent. Though the room would retain a casual look, it would have an upscale feeling to it that wasn’t there before. She knew from putting together things for Austin’s condo how important nice bedding was, and she wanted that for their guests.

  Sheena sat back in her chair. “Any questions on the spreadsheet?”

  “What does the timetable look like?” Darcy said. “I’m sorry I’ll be away for three weeks while some of this is still going on.”

  “Go ahead and enjoy your honeymoon,” said Sheena. “We’ll do what we can as fast as we can.”

  “Yes, don’t worry about us. We’re so excited for you,” Regan said, beaming at her.

  The breath Darcy had been holding escaped her in a sigh of relief. They were under pressure to get things done, and she didn’t want to be considered a slacker.

  As if hearing Darcy’s
thoughts, Sheena said, “Our goal is to have everything done by June 1st before my baby comes, but you’re doing your share, Darcy. I’ll be working with Tony and Brian to get crews in here at the appropriate times.”

  “I saw someone working on the gazebo this morning,” said Darcy. “That will be great for weddings—both for the ceremony and for photographs.”

  “I agree,” said Sheena. “As soon as that’s done, they’re going to work on the main building to convert a large, ground-floor storage room into a sitting and recreation area with a private, outdoor patio for Gavin’s people.” She checked her watch. “What do you say we get a cup of coffee or something at Gracie’s before it closes?”

  Darcy shook her head. “I think I’ll head back to the condo. I’m working on an idea for signage for the hotel grounds.”

  “No!” said Regan. “I mean, let’s take advantage of some time together while we can. Right?”

  Darcy paused at the way Sheena and Regan were staring at her. She lifted her shoulders and let them drop. “Okay, I guess I can take a few extra minutes with you.”

  They walked across the hotel grounds to Gracie’s, stopping to talk about the bohio hut they were going to build near the pool—a place where people could get refreshments during the day.

  “We can ask Gracie about providing some food for it,” said Darcy. “Better now than never.”

  Neither Sheena nor Regan responded, but kept on walking.

  Darcy ran to catch up to them. “What’s up with you two?”

  “I’m ready for a break,” said Regan. “That’s all.”

  Darcy followed her sisters to the restaurant.

  Sheena held the door, and Darcy walked inside.

  “Surprise!”

  Darcy rocked back on her heels.

  “Go on, Darcy,” prompted Regan, giving her a gentle push.

  In shock, Darcy blinked as Gracie, Bebe, Sally, Maggie, Lynn, and Clyde smiled at her. Beside them, Meaghan, Holly, and Nicole greeted her with more smiles. Sam and Rocky stood aside and bobbed their heads at her in greeting.

  “It’s a surprise,” said Clyde proudly. “It’s for you. See?”

  A cake sat on a nearby table, surrounded by gaily covered packages.

  “Thank you,” said Darcy, fighting tears. “I certainly didn’t expect anything like this.”

  “A family wedding is something to celebrate,” said Sheena, giving her a hug.

  As Darcy looked around the room, that’s all she saw. Family.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  REGAN

  Friday evening, Brian drove Regan’s new, white Jeep Summit into the front circle of Blackie’s luxurious home and parked behind a BMW convertible.

  The tan-stucco, one-story home overlooked the bay and had been used as a show house for a charitable group when it was built four years ago. It was still awe inspiring, thought Regan, as Brian helped her out of the Jeep. Standing a moment, she studied every detail she could, including the stunning pots beside the front entrance and the lush landscaping.

  Blackie opened the front door to them. “Welcome. We’re so glad you’re here.” He kissed Regan’s cheek and shook hands with Brian. “Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Regan checked her watch. “We’re not late, are we?”

  “No,” said Blackie, giving her a mysterious smile. “You’re right on time.”

  Regan followed him inside. The tall ceiling in the marble-tiled entrance made the space seem enormous. Her gaze shifted to the large living room ahead of her. A grand piano sat in a corner of the room. Two Oriental carpets lay atop the soft-gold marble tile, softening the sound of conversation between Holly and a man Regan didn’t know. Greg Ryan stood by with a woman Regan assumed was his wife.

  Blackie led them over to Holly. “Our special guests are here, sweetheart.”

  Holly smiled at Regan, kissed her, and threw her arms around Brian. “So glad you’re here. I want you to meet Father Joe. Father, this is my son Brian and his fiancée, Regan Sullivan.”

  Father Joe bobbed his head, smiled at Regan, and shook hands with Brian. “So nice you could join us.”

  Regan and Brian exchanged looks of confusion.

  Blackie put his arm around Holly’s shoulder and turned to them. “Rather than simply elope, like we talked about, Holly and I wanted to share this moment with you.”

  “Elope?” said Brian, his eyes widening. “You’re kidding!”

  “No, we’re not,” said Holly. “With Darcy’s wedding coming up and your engagement, we decided to make our wedding as simple as possible, so it wouldn’t take away from anything you might plan.”

  “I would’ve asked for your blessing,” said Blackie, “but that would’ve given our plans away.”

  “I see,” said Brian.

  Regan slipped her hand into his and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “Thanks for including us. I’m so happy for the two of you.”

  “Yes,” said Brian, nodding. “Me too. You sure you want to do this, Mom?”

  She let out a girlish chuckle and sent an adoring look to Blackie. “I never dreamed I could be so happy. I love this man of mine.”

  Blackie’s tan cheeks turned pink. “I love her, son. More than she’ll ever know.”

  “Well, then, let’s get going,” said Brian, kissing his mother on the cheek.

  “Thank you, Brian,” she said, blinking back tears.

  Greg Ryan joined them. “Brian, Regan, I want you to meet my wife, Beth.”

  A pretty woman with sparkling, hazel eyes, Beth shook hands with both of them. “Such a nice occasion. I’ve never seen Blackie so happy. All because of Holly.”

  “By the way,” said Greg to Brian. “After things settle down, I’ll need to meet with you. Holly is turning the bar over to you.”

  Brian turned to his mother. “You’re giving me the bar?”

  She laughed. “Yes, I am. It’s yours to do with what you want. Blackie wants me available for travel and whatever else we decide.”

  Regan observed the way Blackie smiled at Holly and felt a thread of happiness weave through her. Every woman deserved to be treated the way Blackie was treating Holly, the way Brian treated her.

  Standing on tiptoes, she kissed Brian. “Let’s go to a wedding.”

  He grinned. “Guess we already are.”

  ###

  The wedding ceremony was simple, quick, and meaningful. Holly’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she recited the words that bound her to Blackie. And Blackie, tough-talking businessman he sometimes was, couldn’t stop tears of his own as he vowed to honor and protect her.

  Beside her, Regan could sense emotion well inside Brian. She squeezed his arm and watched as Blackie and Holly shared an embrace as man and wife.

  After the short ceremony, Blackie announced, “Thank you for attending our special moment. My wife has ordered a celebration dinner. Please join us.”

  Holly led the way into the dining room. Dim lighting from two chandeliers spread a warm glow below. A long, glass and metal table was set with seven places—seven islands of seafoam green matching colors in what Regan knew was a handwoven rug below. Place cards indicated where they were to sit. Regan sat opposite Holly and next to Blackie, who sat at the head of the table.

  Blackie stood and removed a bottle of champagne from a silver ice bucket that had been placed near him. He removed the foil cover, loosened and pulled off the wire cage and slid the cork out of the bottle with a soft, satisfying hiss. Then he poured a tiny bit of the wine into a tulip glass and tasted it.

  “Good enough to share,” he said with a smile. He filled the other glasses and then his own. Raising his glass, he said, “To my lovely wife, Holly. Thank you for marrying me. I’m the luckiest man alive.”

  “No, sir,” said Brian. “I am. Here’s to Regan.” He gazed at her with such love, the sip of champagne Regan had started to swallow stayed bubbling in her mouth. Trying desperately not to cough, Regan braced herself and swallowed.

  “A
re you all right?” Brian asked her.

  She nodded and took a sip of water. “Lots of bubbles.”

  They all laughed.

  ###

  Later, lying in bed beside Brian, she turned to him. “Are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

  He faced her and traced a finger down her face. “I’m fine. I’m just surprised by all that’s happened. What in the hell am I going to do with a bar? I’m busy working with Tony on our development.”

  “It’s a great gift, really. I’m sure your mother wanted you to have some options, in case you could never work on construction as you wanted.”

  “No matter what, I’m not giving up on my construction company. I’ll have to find someone to run the bar.”

  “How about Casey? He’s busy with Gavin’s at night, but he could hire a manager and oversee it for you. He knows the business.”

  Brian grinned. “Anyone ever tell you how smart you are?”

  His words were as sweet as the wedding cake she’d shared with him.

  ###

  The next morning, Regan joined Darcy and Sheena for coffee at Gracie’s and filled them in with the details of Holly and Blackie’s surprise wedding.

  “How did Brian take it?” said Sheena. “He’s very protective of his mother.”

  “He was as surprised as I, but he’s happy for them. Holly is giving him The Key Hole bar, and he’s not sure what to do about it. I suggested having Casey oversee it for him. Casey can hire a manager and keep tabs on it.”

  “Whoa! Would he ever consider making it part of the hotel?” said Sheena. “We were planning on sharing the waterfront with The Key Hole. Now, maybe we can work out a deal to pull it all together by making it some kind of affiliate, so it appears to be seamless to guests.”

  Darcy sat quietly, but Regan could see her mind working.

  “Do you mean making it part of Salty Key Enterprises?” Darcy asked.

  “Yes,” said Sheena. “We’d have to have Greg Ryan work things out, so Brian maintains ownership of the bar itself, but by managing it, we could provide purchasing power and share in the profits with it. We could also set up a separate waterfront operation under our corporate umbrella.”