Too Far To Sea (Hastings Legacy #2)

Chapter 1

1

There were a thousand better ways to use PTO than nursing a sprained ankle. Especially two days before starting vacation. Fortunately, Hastings Security gave compensation time for work-related injuries regardless of how silly the cause.

Abandoning her crutches, Dana stumbled and toppled onto the couch. She pressed an ice pack against her swollen ankle and winced.

Across the small living area of her apartment, her TV displayed a message from the streaming provider asking if she was still watching. It must not be used to her having the service on more than an hour. In the five hours since returning from the emergency room she’d watched more television than she’d seen in months, outside of children’s shows that is.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the end of school picnic at the park with her young charges. Which app should she order from tonight?

The doorbell buzzed. Who could be here? She glanced down at her clothes, a Hastings Security t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts, not exactly ready for company. She pulled up the Two Garden Tower app and saw Brit and Simone standing outside her door with a take-out bag from her favorite Italian restaurant.

Dana tapped the option on the app that unlocked the door. “Come on in.”

“How are you feeling? Tian said you sprained your ankle playing soccer with the kids.” Brit set a box marked “cannoli” on the coffee table.

“I thought Tian was flying to Boston. How did she know?” As soon as she asked the question, the obvious answer came. Tian’s husband Chris had been working the protection detail with her. “Never mind. The newlywed news network strikes again.”

“I think they have a way to communicate faster than a phone.” Simone held up the other takeout box. “The manicotti is warm. Do you want it now or in the fridge?”

“Now please.” Dana took the box, napkin, and bamboo fork from Simone.

Simone sat down at the other end of the couch. “What are you watching?”

“Nothing very interesting.”

“We could watch Persuasion . Maybe it would give you inspiration to find your own Captain Wentworth on your cruise.” Brit scrolled through the viewing options.

“ Persuasion is a second chance love story. Is there anyone in your past you are pining for?” asked Simone.

“Not even a kindergarten crush. And absolutely no one from the last four years. Either guys want to challenge me to wrestle them because I am a bodyguard or they think I am an uneducated airhead because I am a nanny.”

“There is always Javier,” said Simone with a wink. The head of building security had refined the art of flirting as if it were an Olympic sport.

“Not dating a coworker.” Dana slid the fork around the takeout box, gathering every last bit of cheese from the manicotti.

“I think you should have a vacation romance. Cruise ship plus Ireland, that adds up to a Love Boat connection. There could be some cute purser or there’s always the best man.”

Dana held up a finger. “One, cruise ship employees aren’t supposed to date passengers. Two, I’ve met my sister’s fiancé. Wealthy, snooty, and rude, and I assume the groomsmen are all the same.”

“You shouldn’t make assumptions,” said Brit.

Dana rolled her eyes. “As the half-sister of the bride, I won’t have time to myself. Plus, once Motherzilla-of-the-Bride sees this—” Dana pointed to her foot, “—she’ll exclude me from everything she hasn’t already. No chance to flirt if I wanted to.”

Simone opened the cannoli bag. “We got two for you and one for each of us. Your mom can be the worst.”

“Please don’t call her my ‘mom.’ Mom is a term of endearment. I’ve grown out of calling her my ‘Momster,’ so please use Sheila, mostly because she hates her first name. Or if you must, you can call her my mother in the most biological sense.” Dana so rarely mentioned her mother that she doubted either friend even knew her name.

“Have you told Cheyanne about the crutches yet?” asked Brit.

“She is so stressed. Between the wedding and moving to London and dealing with the Motherzilla, I’m trying to avoid the conversation until she can see I’m alright. The doctor said I should only have to stay off of my foot for the next three or four days. I’ll be fine by the end of the cruise and the wedding.”

“They’ll figure it out when you are in a wheelchair at the airport,” said Simone.

“No wheelchair.” Her sister would think her helpless and if a photo ever got back to her co-workers, she would never live it down. As it was, the teasing texts over the work app were multiplying. Somehow, ZoElle added a whack-a-mole image that randomly popped up on the conversation channel.

Brit shook her head. “I know you are a tough Hastings Security bodyguard, I mean personal protector, but O’Hare and crutches are not a good mix. Do you have an aisle seat?”

Before Dana could respond, a knock came at the door leading to the Ogilvie’s residence. Brit hopped up to answer it.

Chris Johnson, another bodyguard, entered with the largest ice cream sundae Dana had ever seen outside of a restaurant. “The kids made this themselves. They wanted to bring it over, but their mom wouldn’t let them.”

Three little faces appeared in the doorway. Knowing they would have jumped on her couch and Porter or Peter would have hit her unbooted ankle, she was thankful for Candace Ogilvie’s foresight.

The youngest boy leaned into the room. “It’s a smiley face!”

“To make you feel better!” shouted Porter the oldest of the

Ogilvie’s adopted children.

“It was my idea!” Polly pulled Peter back into the penthouse proper.

Chris set the bowl on the coffee table. Dana got a better look. The children topped Vanilla ice cream with two chocolate chips stuck in the center of marshmallow made eyes, a bright red cherry nose, and a long-sliced banana for the mouth. A copious amount of chocolate syrup and rainbow-colored sprinkles on top of the Sundae made up the hair under a whipping cream hat. “Thanks kiddos. This is a perfect dessert to help me heal.”

“You’re welcome Miss Dana. Get well soon!” Her little charges ran off.

Dana looked from the bowl to Chris. “Can you stay and help me with this?”

“Sorry, no.” He swiped the cherry nose. “Someone has to do your job. Ogilives are going out as soon as Mrs. Ogilive puts the kids to bed. I am on duty.”

Dana dipped a spoon in the hat. “Good luck keeping them in bed if they ate too much ice cream.”

“They didn’t.” Chris closed the door behind him.

“Grab a spoon, ladies. Before this melts. Cannoli can wait.”

“I found your flight reservation.” Brit stared at her phone and held up a finger. “Why are you in economy? The amount of flying you’ve done this year with Hastings I thought you would have enough points to upgrade.”

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you can look up a passenger’s reservation from your phone.” Dana ate a large bite, hoping the ice cream headache would dull the pain in her foot.

“Most employees can’t. I’m piloting a new Legacy Airlines app. Perk of being a founder’s grandchild. Why the nasty seat?”

“Motherzilla asked me to donate my miles so the bride can fly business.” Anything for her sister. Despite the rift with their mother, they had grown close since Cheyanne started college.

“Looks like Sheila and your stepfather are in business, too.” Brit rolled through the phone. “I hate to tell you this. They made a block of reservations. You are the only one in economy.”

Dana closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She knew better than to trust her mother with her reservation. “I was told I was sitting with the rest of the bridal party.”

Brit bit her lip. “I have some good news and some bad.”

“I’ll take the bad first.” Chocolate dripped onto Dana’s shirt. It was a bad news sort of day anyway.

“Bad. On your return flight, business and first class is full, but I can move you to premium so extra legroom. Good news. For your flight there, I have an open first-class seat and I can change you to it.”

“Is that ethical?” asked Dana.

“Was it right for Sheila and your stepdad to take your miles for your half-sister and put you in the worst seat in the plane?” asked Brit. “What is the point of having friends who work at Legacy if they can’t help you out? Besides, first-class seats make into a bed so you can keep your foot up. Your own private area.”

“Another reason to use a wheelchair. You’ll be on the plane first. Motherzilla will have no idea you got a better seat.” Simone dipped her spoon into the smile.

Brit tapped on her phone again. “There, your wheelchair request is in and your new seat assigned.”

Simone held up her phone. “Oh, and look at that. Your favorite flight attendant just traded her Paris flight for London. I promise you will have the best flight.”

Dana laughed. “I can’t believe you two. Well, if I am getting kicked out of the wedding party, at least I can do it in style.”

“If they do kick you out, you should go to Bath and see all the fun Jane Austen stuff.” Brit dug into the melting ice cream.

“Or go to Lyme Regis and walk the Cobb. So romantic.” Simone ate a marshmallow eye.

“I don’t think it will come to that.” Cheyanne would want her to stay even if she was in a wheelchair. Her mother didn’t want her there to begin with, but Chey would win.

“With all the stuff Sheila has done the last few months…” Brit shook her head. “I thought our family was messed up, but your mother has elevated pettiness to a new level.”

The ice cream or her friends were working, at least on her mood if nothing else. And bonus, she wasn’t thinking of how she’d injured herself when none of her principals were in danger. “Worst case, I will have to go explore Bath. Maybe I’ll find my Mr. Darcy.”

“Captain Wentworth is better. Just look at those eyes.” Brit fanned herself over the actor coming on the television screen.

Dana studied the man. It wasn’t his eyes. It was his almost smile. No wonder Louisa Musgrove jumped off the Cobb into his arms. If only he wasn’t fictional.