Page 12 of Blue Hawaiian
“Just show up for some of the activities. Mostly the big events, like the sunset cruise and the luau. And…I know you’re on the outs with your dad, but…”
“But what? Don’t stir up any shit?” Connor couldn’t help the edge that slipped into his voice. He was starting to wish he hadn’t joined Marc on his morning run.
“Sorry. I sounded like a dick, didn’t I?”
Connor immediately regretted his tone. Marc had enough on his plate, what with Gabi being so high-maintenance. “I get it. This is supposed to be a nice family get-together. The last thing you need is me getting into a shouting match with Dad. Or telling Darren what I think of him. Don’t worry. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Thanks. Gabi already took a lot of heat from her family for having her wedding here. Some of the Blackwoods weren’t too happy about it either.”
“We’re in Maui. What’s not to like?” Considering how wealthy his family was, they could all afford the flight and the hotel costs.
“There’s Great-Aunt Nina, who refuses to fly. And the Sacramento cousins, who didn’t want to travel thousands of miles to attend a destination wedding. I got an earful from them.”
Connor could only imagine. The Sacramento bunch were entitled as hell. “Then it’s a good thing my sister’s having her giant wedding extravaganza at the Blackwood Estate in five months. That way the entire family can participate.”
“Speaking of which—we had lunch with Victoria yesterday. All she could do was brag about her Christmas wedding, as if ours pales in comparison.”
As much as Connor loved his little sister, she was so obsessed with her upcoming wedding to a senator’s son she was veering close to Bridezilla territory. “The way she tells it, everything on the planet will pale in comparison.”
They ran past an older couple, out for a morning walk along the beach. The woman cradled a small, yappy dog that barked at them maniacally. Connor nearly stumbled as he attempted to give them a wide berth.
“After Victoria’s wedding, I’m guessing Brody will be next,” Marc said. “That leaves only you.”
“Don’t hold your breath. Once I turn my back on Blackwood Cellars, I won’t be such a prize.” Connor tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he was still stung by the way his ex had left him, back in December.
Up until he’d shared his plans for the future with her, his girlfriend Natasha had been all in. But after he confessed he wanted to leave the family business and start his own winery? She was done. Without his money and his connections, he wasn’t worth her time.
“Screw Natasha,” Marc said. “All she cared about was your money.”
He’d heard as much from everyone in his family. But their words hadn’t lessened the blow. If anything, they made him feel like an idiot for trusting Natasha. “Victoria pegged her as a gold-digger. Then again, she thinks everyone’s after our money.”
“No kidding,” Marc said. “She even made a few digs about Gabi until I told her to shut up.”
Connor stopped short again. “Has she forgotten you’ve been in love with Gabi since you were ten?”
Marc skidded to a stop beside him. “Let’s head back. I told Gabi I wouldn’t be gone long. And for the record, I wasn’tten.”
“Bull. She beat you in that swimming race, and from then on, you were whipped.” The memory still made Connor smile.
“I let her beat me. I felt sorry for her.”
“She kicked your ass, fair and square. It was hilarious.”
Every summer, as far back as Connor could remember, his family and Marc’s had spent two weeks at Blackwood Lodge, located on Big Bear Lake. Connor always relished the time with Marc and Brody—his two closest cousins—but the year he turned twelve, the Chavez girls showed up and changed everything.
The three boys had gone down to their private dock to swim, only to see two girls playing on the Blackwoods’ Aqua Trampoline. When Marc ordered them to leave, Jessica Chavez—a spunky, pigtailed eight-year-old—stood up to him and issued a challenge. If her big sister, Gabi, could beat him in a swimming race, then they could stay. If not, they’d leave. Marc took the bet, and Gabi trounced him. After that first day, they became fast friends and spent the next two weeks together running wild.
From then on, the girls showed up every summer. Like the Blackwoods, they always came right around Independence Day and stayed for two weeks. Some of Connor’s best memories were made during those summers. But the last time he and Jess were there together, he’d made a terrible judgment call.
Somehow, he suspected he wasn’t done paying for it yet.
Chapter 5
The sound of someone pounding on the door roused Jess from her slumber. She stretched out her arms, slowly coming into full consciousness. For the first time in months, she’d slept a full eight hours without waking. A welcome change from the restless nights she’d spent on her friend’s lumpy couch in Chicago. She got up, shambled over to the door, and checked the peephole. Gabi.
As she opened the door, she braced herself, unsure as to whether she’d be facing accusatory Gabi or welcoming Gabi. Her sister stood in the hallway, dressed in khaki shorts and a purple Hawaiian shirt. Her sleek black hair was cut in a stylish, short do that accentuated her cheekbones. In her hand was a large shopping bag and a sheaf of papers.
Gabi strode forward and embraced her. “You’re here! After yesterday, I was worried your plane was going to end up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.”
