See You at Sunset (15 page)

Holly sagged against the register counter in relief. “That would be perfect. And God bless you, Brendan. You’re the best. I owe you one.”

“None of that, now,” he said in a gruff voice, clearly embarrassed. “When can we discuss the plans in detail?”

“Any time you’ve got available.”

“Meet you at the store around six today?”

“Perfect.”

“See you then.”

She let out a ghost of a laugh, hardly believing her luck. For once, something was going right. But that was the way things worked on the island. Friendships and loyalties ran deep, and people made sacrifices for neighbors in need. People like Brendan were stark reminders of how different Seashell Bay was from Boston or New York. Holly didn’t even know the names of most of the people who lived in her small condo building.

She poured herself another cup of coffee and punched in Jackson’s office number. She rarely called him at work because he never picked up. Today, she would be more than happy to just leave a message.

To her shock, he answered on the second ring. “Hols,” he said, using the nickname she’d never much liked. “What’s up? You back from the boonies?”

As usual, he sounded like he was listening with only half an ear. She could picture him checking the stock market on his phone or tablet as he paced around his thirtieth-floor office in the Madison Avenue skyscraper that housed his family’s wealth management firm.

Holly grimaced. He was always ragging her about her attachment to
that backwater island
, though he usually managed to say it in a rather jesting voice. Jackson just couldn’t comprehend how anybody could even vacation in a place like Seashell Bay, much less live there. She doubted he would stay anywhere that didn’t have a luxury hotel or rental property—bedsheets with at least an eight hundred thread count—and certainly nowhere that didn’t have reliable high-speed broadband.

“I’m still at home in Maine.” She emphasized
home
. “That’s what I’m calling about, Jackson. To tell you I’m not going to be able to make that party next weekend. I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.”

One of Jackson’s billionaire clients had invited them to a blowout birthday party for his wife at their summer estate in Newport. Jackson’s company helicopter was going to ferry them up there in the morning and return them to New York late in the evening. Holly hadn’t been that keen to go, but he’d insisted. Since it was only for the day, she’d agreed.

“Ah, shit. Why not?” he said, irritation lacing his voice.

“Hey, thanks for asking about my aunt,” she said sarcastically. “She’s doing better.”

His sigh filtered over the phone. “Sorry, babe. I’m a jerk. But I did listen to your messages about it.”

He paused for a second. “So, if she’s feeling better, why can’t you come with me to Newport?” His tone had switched back to annoyed.

“I’m working on some critical renovations to my aunts’ store, and I’m under terrible time pressure,” Holly said, trying to keep her voice level. “You know I have to be in New York to meet my new partners as soon as I can. I’m hoping to be far enough along here in a week or so to be able to leave, at least for a few days.”

“You can’t even spare one day?” Jackson said. “Hell, I could bring the chopper up there and pick you up. We could stay the night in Newport, and I could fly you back up first thing Monday morning. Easy.”

She frowned. Why was he being so persistent? Did he really want to see her, or was he just giving her a hard time for standing him up? “I’m afraid I can’t even spare a day.”

“Come on, Hols, we hardly ever see each other. You’re not going to make me go to the party alone, are you?” he said in a cajoling voice.

“It’s just a party after all, Jackson.”

She had no doubt that he could—and would—pull up his contact list and find half a dozen willing beauties who’d be thrilled to party with him in Newport. The fact that such a prospect bothered her not at all emphasized once again their lack of emotional investment in the relationship.

Which was pathetic on both their parts.

“Honestly, Hols, I miss you.” He heaved a dramatic sigh. “You’re the only woman who doesn’t want more from me than I can give.”

That wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Then again, he’d never told her before that he missed her. She didn’t know what to say.

“Besides,” he added, “I’m sure you could use a little fun right now. You’re stuck up there on that rock with all sorts of stress weighing you down. It comes through loud and clear in your voice. If you come with me to Newport, I’m sure I’ll be able to get you relaxed and, uh, thoroughly satisfied. When have I ever let you down on that score?”

She couldn’t deny that some hot and heavy sex might indeed be what the doctor ordered, and she and Jackson had always been physically compatible. But now the idea of getting naked and sweaty with him was definitely more of a turn-off than a turn-on.

Holly knew exactly whom to blame for that and had no intention of going there. She forced away the all-too-arousing picture of her naked body plastered on top of Micah’s.

“Oh, you’re just fishing for compliments,” she said in a breezy tone. “But as much as I hate to miss Newport and spending time with you, I’m afraid I just can’t leave my aunts right now. Not even for a day.”

He snorted. “And that’s your final answer?”

How many times do I have to say it?

“I’m sorry, Jackson. I’ll probably see you in ten days or so.”

“We’ll see,” he said after a moment’s pause. “Anyway, I gotta take this other call now. Bye.”

Holly stared at her phone for a moment before putting it down beside the cash register.
We’ll see?
What the hell did that mean?

There was no point in speculating. She had too many problems to deal with to start tying herself in knots about Jackson. And her next phone call was going to be even more trying.

She dialed David Kramer’s cell number.

“You’re still in Maine?” he said in lieu of a greeting.

“Yes, David, and we need to talk.”

“Shit, I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to be here a bit longer than I thought.”

When he groaned, Holly could envision David rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. “Jesus, Holly, we’ve got a schedule, and we’re starting to run out of time. We can’t keep this thing under wraps much longer—not when we’re approaching our key clients every day. Once we make the announcement, all three of us are going to have to be on the phones and meeting with those clients nonstop.”

Holly had been staring grimly at the floor through his minitirade, but she looked up when she heard the door open. Micah strode into the store, his eyes narrowing as he took off his sunglasses. He stopped halfway and pointed back toward the door, silently asking if she wanted privacy.

She waved him to come in.

“It just can’t be helped, David. My first responsibility is to my aunts. It always will be, for as long as they need me.”

“Define
a bit longer
, please.”

“A week or ten days. But I can’t give you an ironclad guarantee. Look, I’m still totally committed to our partnership,” she said, hating that she sounded almost desperate. “I just need a little time, okay?”

“Yeah, family is family. I get it. But don’t forget that one of the reasons we made you the offer was because you weren’t tied down and said you didn’t intend to be—just like Cory and me. We all agreed that we’d give the business a hundred percent, remember? And that makes this a bad start, Holly.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She hadn’t felt bad at all at not seeing Jackson. But this… she just hoped David and Cory didn’t get so frustrated that they gave up on her. “I’ll make it up to you guys, I promise.”

Kramer didn’t speak for what felt like a full minute. “I’ll talk to Cory. I’m not sure he’ll be as understanding as I am.”

“I’ll get there as soon as I possibly can,” Holly said.

“Make that
very
soon,” he said before hanging up.

Holly set her phone down on the counter, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a couple of cleansing breaths.

“That sounded pretty grim,” Micah said quietly. “They’re putting the screws to you?”

Holly opened her eyes to take in the sympathetic expression in his dark gaze. She forced a smile. “Let’s just say they’re making me feel more than a little guilty.”

“For taking care of family? That sucks, if you ask me.”

Micah would be the last person to put business before people.
Welcome to my world, dude.

So many of the people Holly worked with paid lip service to the importance of family but invariably opted for work and career whenever pushed. She adored her creative job but hated that aspect of corporate culture, although she understood it. But having lost her parents at an early age and then having been saved by her aunts, she could never take the attitude that work should come before family. She was as invested in her work as anyone, but family mattered more than anything.

“I can’t really blame my partners for thinking that I’m not pulling my weight. There’s an awful lot at stake for all of us, both financially and in terms of our reputations.”

Micah looked skeptical but didn’t argue. “Just let me know if I can help with anything, okay?”

She smiled at him, and this time the smile was genuine. “I will. Now, what can I get you, Deputy?”

“Actually, I just dropped by to ask you about Lily’s party tomorrow night. Why don’t I pick you up and we go together? It’d be great to show up with the sweetest girl in Maine on my arm.” His mouth curled up in a playful and confident grin. “Besides, that way you can drink as much as you want and not have to worry about some dumb cop pulling you over on the way home.”

Holly had planned on driving herself to the party to celebrate Aiden’s promotion to head coach of the University of Southern Maine baseball team. But it seemed silly to refuse Micah, even if he did make it sound a bit like a date. Then again, Micah was about the only person in her life right now who made her feel like everything would be okay.

“Your logic is impeccable as always, Deputy Lancaster,” she said. “But just don’t get any ideas if I
do
get a little tipsy and out of control.”

The warmth in his gaze morphed into a smoldering heat. “I can make no promises—not when it comes to you.”

Whew.
She was suddenly feeling quite hot under the collar of her starched sleeveless blouse. There was no way she should be flirting with him, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself. Besides, given everything going on in her life, she did deserve a little fun.

Right now, a Seashell Bay summer party with her friends—and the sexiest cop on the planet—seemed just the ticket to take her mind off her troubles for a while.

Chapter 13

H
unkered down over Florence’s desk, Holly checked over her list of artisan contacts. She’d gotten through all of them because there’d been so little traffic in the store all day. For all the promises of support from locals, it didn’t seem to be translating into increased sales.

She knew she had to project confidence, but deep down she was scared. Her only comfort was the knowledge that doing nothing would likely mean the end of the store.

One positive note was that almost every artisan she’d talked to so far had been enthusiastic about her plan to sell their work. Holly was particular thrilled about a young woman from Stonington who created the most beautiful stained glass suncatchers, most of them with coastal Maine themes. Holly was convinced that tourists would eat them up. She just had to stay focused on the positive, for everyone’s sake.

When she heard the screen door open, she dropped her pen and pushed back from the desk.

“Holly? You here?”

What the hell?
“Jackson?”

She stumbled out of the office and slammed to a halt behind the counter. It really was her erstwhile boyfriend standing in front of her. If the pope had dropped in to pick up a quart of milk, she probably wouldn’t have been much more surprised. And she suspected she would have been way happier to see His Holiness.

Jackson raked a hand back through his longish black hair, carefully trimmed by a stylist who didn’t take out his scissors for less than four hundred bucks. He wore a bespoke dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, along with a dark blue silk tie. His suit jacket was slung over his shoulder, and the knot in his tie had been casually loosened.

He might be sweating a little, and his suit looked like it could use a pressing, but Jackson Leigh was still one of the handsomest men Holly had ever known. His dark, mischievous eyes and infectious grin had always been able to pull her back into his orbit, even when his sometimes-arrogant personality had turned her off. Physically, he was absolutely magnetic. It was the only way she could explain his appeal.

“Surprised?” he purred, like the cat that ate the canary. He flipped up the counter gate and swept her into his arms before she could move a muscle.

He kissed her hard as his hands slid down to grab her ass. “I told you I missed you, Hols. I bet you can feel how much, right?”

Yikes.
She could feel his erection all right, which was so not good. Anyone could walk in on them right now, including one of her aunts.

Holly wedged her hands against his chest and gently pushed him back. She was overwhelmed, but not in the way he’d obviously hoped. She simply didn’t need any more complications or high-maintenance people to manage.

And Jackson was
very
high maintenance.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, mentally wincing at the shrillness in her voice. “And how did you get here anyway? I wish you had called me first before just showing up.”

His dark brows narrowed. “That’s not exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for, Hols. I came a hell of a long way to see you, babe.” He made a ridiculous pouting face. “Had to, since you wouldn’t come see me.”

Holly brushed her damp palms down the legs of her capris. Now she was sweating even more than he was. “Did you walk over from the ferry?”