Chapter 11
eleven
SKYLER
“What did you say to him?” Jesse asks, as we walk out into the expansive grounds of the hotel, Hudson glaring after us. A huge, perfectly tended lawn stretches out into the distance, eventually ending at the cliffs that border the Atlantic Ocean. Because it’s a kid’s party, a huge fence has been erected to stop any children from running too close to the edge.
“Nothing,” I reply, because I’m pretty sure Jesse would think I’m an idiot for taunting Hudson Fitzgerald. Heck, I think I’m an idiot. I don’t know what it is about the man that makes me behave like this.
Like a brat.
I’m not usually so mocking. I like to think of myself as a nice person. But with him I feel… I don’t know. Judged, I guess. And like an errant child, I play into it to make him more annoyed.
Jesse gives me an interested look, but says nothing more because we’re both too busy looking around the grounds, our mouths opened in awe. There are stalls serving cotton candy and sugar-fragrant funnel cakes, along with non-alcoholic punches and ciders for the kids. Servers are carrying around harder drinks for the adults – champagne and mimosas – plus there’s a bar in the corner serving beer, and presumably later, liquor for the adult party.
But it’s the entertainment that’s breathtaking. Not just the band, or the pretty princesses and princes who are mingling with the children, hugging them, having photos taken, but also the carousel at the center of the party. Like a real, full-size one you’d see at a fairground.
It’s painted in pastels, with horses who look haughty and gold-plated carriages that little girls and boys are squeezed into, looking delighted as the carousel turns.
“I’m going on that later,” I tell Jesse and he grins.
“You want a drink first?” he asks as a server approaches us.
“Sure.”
He grabs a glass of champagne for me and a mimosa for him, and we clink our glasses together. “Listen, there’s something…”
“Here you are!” Autumn walks up to us, interrupting his flow. His brows knit and for a second I wonder if he was about to ask me out.
“Hi,” I say to her, grateful for the interruption. Next to her is a pretty woman dressed as Belle.
“This is Francie, my bestie. Francie, this is Skyler. I told you all about her.”
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Francie says, leaning forward to hug me. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All good I hope.”
“Absolutely.” Francie grins. “And Autumn is a great judge of character.”
“Francie is here for a few days,” Autumn adds. “We were wondering if you’re up for that girls’ night before she leaves. Maybe on Monday? We can drink, eat, and trash talk men.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I reply back.
“That sounds like my cue to leave,” Jesse says and we all laugh because we kind of forgot he was still here.
“You don’t count as men,” Autumn says.
“Thanks. Not .” He wrinkles his nose.
“Seriously. You’re one of us,” she says, her eyes crinkling as she smiles at him. “I bet you can trash talk like the rest of us.”
“Not at a kid’s party,” he says.
“Speaking of kids, where’s Ayda?” I ask, looking around. Because I have a huge soft spot for that little girl. I put her gift on the table at the other end of the lawn when we arrived, but I’d still like to say hi to her.
“Over there.” Autumn points, and I see her on the dance floor with some other kids. They’re all moving to the sound of “Circle of Life” and they look so sweet it makes my heart clench.
“Are they her friends?” I ask, as one little girl grabs Ayda’s hand to dance.
“They are now,” Autumn says. “I miss being able to make friends like that.”
Ayda looks up, her lips curling into a smile when she sees me. She runs over and throws her arms around my hips.
“Ooh, she likes you,” Francie murmurs. “She’s never hugged me like that.”
“Me either,” Jesse adds.
But I’m too busy hunkering down and looking at Ayda’s pretty dress to acknowledge them.
“Look at you! You look exactly like Elsa. I love your braid.” I run my hand over it and she grins. “Are you having a good birthday party?” I ask.
She nods, then she looks up at Autumn before back at me.
“What is it, sweetie?” Autumn asks. “She has the look on her face when she wants something.”
Ayda bites her lip then takes my hand in her tiny fingers, using her other hand to point at the dance floor, where her new friends are now dancing to ”I Just Can’t Wait to be King”.
“You want to dance?” I ask her.
She nods, then pokes my stomach and points at the dance floor again.
“You want me to dance with you?” I clarify.
This time her nod is emphatic. I look up at Jesse, Autumn, and Francie. “I guess I’m going dancing,” I tell them.
“Have fun,” Autumn says, though I can tell by the way her eyes crinkle she’s pleased.
“I’ll find you later,” I tell them all, as Ayda drags me away.
“Don’t forget about our girls’ night,” Francie calls after me.
“I won’t,” I promise, practically running to keep up with Ayda. When we get to the dance floor, the music has changed again. This time it’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, and I love the song so much that I start singing, taking Ayda’s hands in mine as we both dance our little hearts out.
Then I sweep her into my arms and swing her around and she giggles out loud, enough to make my eyes widen.
She curls her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly as we dance. And my skin prickles, as though somebody is watching us.
* * *
HUDSON
“Who’s that?” West asks as he looks over at the dance floor we had erected in the center of the lawn.
I swallow hard, watching as Ayda smiles up at the woman I can’t stop fucking thinking about, the two of them swinging around. She takes Ayda’s hand and twirls her and my girl cracks up as she almost ends up on the floor.
For a fleeting second, Skyler’s eyes meet mine and her mouth parts.
“Skyler Brown,” I grunt.
He blinks. “Who is she?”
“She’s Wayne’s kid. He left her The Salty Dog when he died.”
His eyes widen. “Oh that’s where I recognize the name. You didn’t say she was hot as fuck.” He watches her lift her arms up and roll her hips in time to the music. Ayda does the same.
“Because I didn’t notice,” I lie.
He laughs. “You’re a dad, you’re not fucking dead. Of course you noticed. Every hot blooded male around here is staring at her right now.”
I frown, taking a look at the men milling around the party. Business acquaintances, locals, a few investors that wanted to come here and experience the island and hotel for themselves.
They’re all watching her. A shot of hot jealousy rushes through me.
“She’s not my type,” I remind him. And that’s not a lie. “Anyway, apparently you’re in charge of my love life at the moment.” Yeah, I’m still pissed at that. Twice I’ve caught Sylvie staring at me. I’m going to have to let her down gently. Especially since I do business with her father.
“Have you persuaded her to sell the bar?” West asks, smoothly changing the subject.
My jaw hardens. “No. She has this idea that she wants to run it herself. She’s applied for a liquor licence.”
He starts to laugh. “Oh shit, she’s pretty and she plays hardball.” He looks over at the dance floor again. “She has the most magnificent tits.”
“And she’s completely off limits.”
He looks amused at my warning. And yeah, it does sound like a warning. “You sound very interested for a man who says she’s not his type.”
“I want her to sell me the bar and get the hell off the island,” I tell him. “I don’t need complications.”
I can’t keep being distracted this way.
“You should probably get in a better mood,” West murmurs. “I spy old man Harrison walking this way.”
Stanley Harrison. A legend on Wall Street. One of our biggest investors.
I paint a smile on my face and pull my gaze away from Xena fucking Warrior Princess.
“Stanley,” I say, holding my hand out for the older man to shake. “Thank you for coming. And I love your outfit. Let me guess, Good King Wenceslas?”
And as I talk to him, my eyes are on her the whole time. She’s fucking mesmerizing.