Chapter 8 #3
Gus held a hand over his heart. “I’ll count the minutes until your return.” He blew her an air kiss and turned on his heel, hustling to the workers.
Charli smirked. “You’ve still got it, Annette.”
Annette gave her a mischievous grin and wiggled her hips. “Of course I do.”
Jack cleared his throat and directed their attention to the compound as he turned and began walking toward the back gate. “Has Charli told you anything about this place?” he asked.
“Only that her aunt willed it to both of you to clean up and that it has a ghost,” Amy chimed in, her voice high with excitement.
Jack began to fill them in on the old resort’s history. By the time they reached the gate, he had made it up to the will reading that had only been a little over a week ago. “And now, Charli and I will be busy trying to restore Paradise West to its original splendor.”
“So the ghost is real?” Amy asked.
Jack chuckled. “Well, I have heard from several reliable sources that Amelia’s ghost still haunts the main building. I haven’t seen her personally, but I have seen her light.” He pointed toward the top of the large, weathered house. “Up there.”
“Her light?” Charli, Amy, and Annette chimed together, their eyes following his hands.
Jack pursed his lips and stared up at the rooftop. “According to the legend, Amelia kept a lantern lit in the Widow’s Walk for her lover’s safe return. On occasion, you can see that light up there.”
Amy’s eyes were as big as saucers as she leaned in. “And you’ve seen it?”
“Yes.” Jack paused. “Once, when I was eighteen. It was mid-October and I thought Dottie was playing a Halloween prank. But she always swore to me that she wasn’t behind the light—that it was Amelia mourning her sailor.”
“Oh my god!” Amy wailed and squeezed Jack’s arm. “That’s so sad, and yet awesome at the same time.”
Annette was more contemplative than her sister and studied the inn solemnly. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Jack. But why would Charli’s aunt make you both co-owners and not just give it to her?”
Charli cringed at Annette’s question, afraid Jack would be offended.
But instead, he took it in stride. “Well, my family built this house back in 1850 and Amelia was my many-times great aunt. My guess is that Dottie wanted our family to have some ownership again. Plus, I’m one of the few people on the island who can actually restore the building the way it was.”
He glanced over his shoulder and gave Charli another lascivious grin before he looked back at Annette. “But you know what I really think?”
Annette’s eyes were practically bulging and she leaned eagerly toward him, completely under his spell. “What?”
“I think Dottie planned all along for Charli and me to be together. Sort of playing matchmaker from the great beyond.”
“Wow,” Annette and Amy droned in unison, eyes wide and thoroughly entranced. Annette grabbed his arm with both hands.
“That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” she shrieked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Charli mentally rolled her eyes, knowing that Annette was about to go to the extreme, taking Jack’s teasing as the literal truth.
Her intuition was proven true a second later when Annette twirled and pointed at Charli.
“Kismet!” she practically shouted.
Amy clapped her hands. “Yes! Kismet!” she parroted.
Charli grimaced and pinned Jack with a disgusted look. “You literally have no idea what you’ve done.”
He gave her a cute lopsided grin, clearly immune to her baleful glare and replied with a singular dimple popping out. “Sure, I do.” He gave her a wink. “Ladies, let me show what we’ve done so far and what we’ve got planned.” He opened the gate and swept his arm gallantly for them to proceed.
* * * *
Annette took a long drink of her wine and smacked her lips with satisfaction. She glanced at Charli who was busy making dinner, giving her a coy look. “You do realize that this changes everything, right?”
Jack perked up at her comment but didn’t ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
Instead, he turned his gaze to Charli, who was assembling a rather large pan of lasagna from the components spread across the counter.
She chewed on her tongue as she concentrated on the various layers of noodles, cheese, and sauce—she was adorable and at that moment, Jack had a nearly insatiable urge to kiss her.
But he held back, not wanting to push his luck after their incident in the Dry Tortugas.
Charli flicked a glance at Annette, her brows raised and her lips twisted.
“Which this are you referring to? The fact that I was basically demoted a couple weeks ago and most likely fired, or that Jack and I have inherited Paradise West together and been given the ambitious task of restoring her to her former glory?”
“All of it, silly!” Annette chirped, positivity seeping from her pores as she bounced on her toes again. She reminded Jack of an energizer bunny with energy practically radiating from her.
Annette’s eyes gleamed as she pursed her lips thoughtfully, giving Charli a calculated glance.
“As for the firm, from what I hear, and this is from several reliable sources, they’re completely reorganizing, moving caseloads around, and fast-tracking some cases to get them out the door.
They even let a couple of junior attorneys go.
” Annette shrugged. “Plus, the board is micromanaging cases and making everything very political. I don’t know why you’re even considering going back. ”
Charli froze, holding a limp lasagna noodle in the air. “They’ve fired attorneys?” she asked incredulously.
Annette shrugged. “Well, not fired per se. The HR department phrased them as layoffs,” she replied, using air quotes on that last word. “Supposedly with referrals to other firms. But everyone knows what’s really going on and most of the administrative staff are already looking for other jobs.”
“Huh,” Charli replied, staring off into space. She shook her head and went back to the lasagna. “Evan didn’t mention any of that when he called the other day.”
Annette choked on her wine, her eyes bulging, and took a moment to swallow before spluttering, “Wait! Evan called you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Charli stopped again and peered at Annette curiously for a moment and then shrugged.
“Of course that idiot called me. He’s already screwed up the Parker case and demanded that I return to Boston immediately to work for him.” She barked out a bitter laugh. “Can you believe the balls on that guy?”
She waved her hands in the air, her purple eyes flashing with anger and annoyance. Jack nearly sighed...she was majestic in her fury.
“Rather than filing the summary judgement on the Parker case, that I had already prepared,” Charli continued, “he pushed it to court where there’s a significant risk of losing.
According to Evan, Alan is threatening to have him disbarred if he loses—and rightfully so.
” Charli huffed and looked backed down at the pan of lasagna. “The moron...”
As Jack followed the conversation, his eyes ping-ponging between the two women. He leaned forward, looking at Charli, and interjected, “Was this the other day when we heard you yelling on the balcony?”
Charli exhaled sharply, took a deep breath that strained the bodice of her dress, and chuckled. “Yes, that was why I was yelling on the balcony. Evan has a way of bringing out the worst in me. You have no idea how utterly sleazy and underhanded that incompetent asshole is.”
Annette snorted and turned toward Jack. “I bet that was entertaining,” she snarked and Jack grinned in response.
She looked back to Charli. “I knew he’d call you eventually, and we both knew he’d screw everything up.
He just wants you back so he can blame everything on you when it all goes up in flames.
” She pursed her lips. “Percival has called me a few times, but I’ve declined the calls.
Plus when we’re on the ship, there’s no cell service. ”
Annette shrugged with a grin, then continued. “Oh well.” She wagged her finger at Charli. “But I’ll tell you this, Charli, if you don’t go back, neither am I. I’m not working for any of those other idiots. They treat their teams like trash.”
Charli nodded. “I understand. And if it comes to that, I’ll make some calls for you and you’ll have a job in no time.”
“Well, I’m not worried about that. But back to my original point,” Annette started, her eyebrows rising slightly and eyes laser-focused on Charli’s. “You have something here, Charli.”
Jack felt a tingle go down his spine when Annette pointed toward him.
“The two of you have inherited something remarkable and been given a mission that can’t be finished in just a few months.
” She waved her hands around the room. “You have a beautiful home in one of the most eclectic and exotic cities in the US. Once Paradise West is complete, I’m assuming you’ll open it for business again.
” Annette gave Charli a crazed look. “Why would you even consider going back to Boston?”
Jack watched Annette in fascination—she was electric and making a very convincing case that Charli should stay. His heart pounded in his chest, hoping beyond hope that Annette was successful. He needed Charli here—not just for Paradise West, but for himself as well.
Do I dare to hope that she’ll stay? Is there a chance? Man, I’d give anything for that.
Charli scoffed. “And what exactly would I do for a job if I stayed here?”
Annette snorted again, not backing down. “Hello? Have you looked around? You’re finally in a position where you don’t need to work, Charli.” She gestured toward the resort. “Your focus should be on Paradise West and what it’s gonna take to get it up and running again.”