Page 78 of Visions of You

“Not enough to renovate ten cottages.”

“No. You’re right.” I eyed him steadily. “How would you feel if I took a portion of Dad’s share of the resort? I’m thinking about investing some of my own money.”

Dad was fifty-one percent owner of the island and resort. Us five kids plus Nona split the other forty-nine percent evenly. Years ago,all of us had stopped taking profit shares to help the bottom line for the resort. But I had plans to improve profit and change that.

Evan shrugged. “I don’t mind. If you’re risking your money, you ought to get more shares.”

I picked up the old baseball Evan kept on a wooden stand on his desk, rolling it between my hands. “It’s not just me I have to think about. Every move I make affects Hailey too. I’m thinking about asking Dad to stake me twenty percent out of his shares. We need to upgrade this place, Evan.” My mind flashed back to the drab lobby and nondescript cottages. “My God, presidents have stayed here!”

“Not since the early twentieth century.”

I gripped the baseball, wanting to throw it against the wall. Though Evan would kill me if I did that. “That’s exactly my point! This resort goes back over 150 years,yet right now it looks like a low budget, mid-century mom-and-pop resort.It’s time to stop trying to compete with Sunset Siesta and rememberno onecan compete with us.”

Evan smiled. “If you pitch it like that, Dad might give you thirty percent.”

Smiling, I put the baseball back on its stand. “It’s just hard to ask him. He feels terrible about how the place has slipped financially, and it’s hard for me to watch.”

“Me too.”

I shrugged. “All of us. But Calypso Key has to move in a new direction, or we won’t make it. And that’s going to take some cash.”

“Good thing you’re Daddy Warbucks.”

I shot him a look from under my brows. “Not exactly, but I can funnel most of the profits from my Miami business into the resort. Jake and I talked recently, and the company is doing fine. I think it could make a big difference.”

“Sounds like a great idea. You told anyone else?”

“I’ll mention it to Maia, but in general terms. She hates the money stuff as much as you do.”

“At least she can get out of hearingabout it.”

“Yeah, cry me a river, Mr. General Manager. I’ll call Stella and Hunter later. I’m sure they won’t mind.” Stella was two years younger than me and a rising chef at Blue Nirvana, one of Key West’s most storied restaurants. She’d only dropped by once in the months since Hailey and I had returned, which I wasn’t happy about.

“Then it’s only Dad you’ll need to convince.”

“Yeah. That should be fun. He’s guiding today, so I’ll catch up with him tomorrow or the next day.”

I went to the Barn and lost myself to the soothing, familiar motions of creating something lasting from my own two hands. The headboards I’d been making were constructed from solid mahogany, and all with live edges along the top. They were the essence of the modern, beachy design I had in mind. As I ran my belt sander over the rough wood, my troubles with finances and the resort gradually faded away. Occasionally, April’s face flashed before me, and a small smile would come over my face. I might not believe in love, but as long as she was near me, she made it easier for me to do whatever I had to.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gabe

It wasseveral days before my schedule and Dad’s meshed to discuss my idea. I waited for him in his office, sitting in his leather executive chair. I’d gone back and forth on whether to take a folding chair and let him have the big one. But in the end, I decided if I was going to present an offer to become a prominent stakeholder, I ought to look the part and project confidence.

But it made me feel like an asshole, even though this was how we usually sat when going over numbers.

He was still my dad.

I sat back and let my head rest against the leather. I placed my elbows on the armrests, tenting my fingers and letting my mind wander. April had come over again last evening after dinner. We’d sat around the table and played Monopoly, quickly settling into a game of friendly competition. Hailey and April ganged up against me, but I still won. When it was Hailey’s bedtime, we’d both sat in her room, and she’d asked April to read her bedtime story. I sat there watchingthe two of them, and the sheerhappinessof the evening had brought a lump to my throat.

Hailey fell asleep quickly, so we left her room, and I made sure the seahorse nightlight was glowing softly. I opened a bottle of red wine, and April and I sat on my back porch. A meteor shower streaked over the sky as I held her wrapped in my arms. We didn’t even need to talk. She stroked my arm, and I rested my chin on top of her head. We finished the bottle, and I pulled her to her feet. A powerful wave of desire rose in me when we kissed. Her mouth was wet, and her lips were soft and welcoming. The wave strengthened when she grabbed my hand and led me to my bedroom. After sex that had left me breathless and utterly sated, I cocooned myself around her and we both fell asleep.

When I woke at 3:00 a.m., April was gone, her side of the bed empty and cold. A hollowness twisted in my stomach as I brushed my hand over the cool sheet.

A deep, soft laugh made me look up as Dad entered the room and sat next to me. “That was quite a succession of expressions on your face. And if I know anything, I’d bet you were thinking about April.”

I blinked, not realizing I’d been so transparent. “Guess that dad radar is still going strong. I hope some of that wears off on me when Hailey’s a few years older.”

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