Chapter 8 #4
“It’ll probably take at least a year to complete.
..at least. Maybe much longer to finish the entire compound.
We have no idea what we’ll find once we get in there.
” Charli loaded the finished lasagna into the oven.
“I’ve worked nonstop for a decade to get through school and make partner and I was almost there.
I don’t know why you think I should just give up my career to stay down here. ”
Annette threw up her hands. “Then start a practice down here. This isn’t complicated, Charli.”
Charli rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure there’s a huge demand for corporate lawyers in Key West.”
Jack cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him. “Actually, there is. Charli, you’d have a horde of clients in a day if you really wanted to.” He tried to keep the urgency from his voice. “I’m sure Art would be more than happy to help you get started.”
“Yes!” Annette quipped, smacking Jack on the arm.
“See, Charli? Jack knows what he’s talking about.
” She shrugged. “Besides, once you’ve finished the restoration, you’ll have to be down here to help run the place.
” She grinned and glanced between the two of them.
“Then you can hire me to manage it. From what I can tell, you’re gonna need me because once Paradise West is done, it’ll be hot.
It’s gonna need someone with serious skills! ”
“Oh! Me too! I’ll work for you,” Amy piped in, raising her hand.
Jack nearly laughed out loud when Charli’s eyes bulged and he pressed his lips together to keep from setting her off.
It was as if she’d never considered that once the resort was completed, the town would expect it be reopened for guests.
But Jack had. He knew the resort would be in high demand, considering its historic reputation and the quality of the restoration he was planning to do.
Charli didn’t say a word, just opened and closed her mouth several times.
Annette smirked and pointed at Charli. “You look like a fish when you do that, dork.”
“God, you’re a brat!” Charli snarked, throwing a cherry tomato at her tormentor. She huffed and turned toward the oven. “Dinner will be ready in about forty minutes.” She glanced over her shoulder at Annette. “What time do you two have be back on the boat?”
“Before nine,” Amy chimed it. “We have plenty of time.” She turned to Jack. “So Jack, you said Amelia died of a broken heart. What does that mean exactly?”
Jack cleared his throat. “Well, according to the legend, after she learned that her lover had died in a shipwreck, she jumped from the Widow’s Walk.”
Amy’s face scrunched up. “Widow’s Walk—you mentioned that before. What exactly is a Widow’s Walk?”
“It’s the square balcony on top of the house.
It was called that because of the tradition for sailors’ wives to go up there to await their husbands’ return home.
Many times the sailors never returned, like Amelia’s lover, and the women became widows.
That’s where Amelia kept the lantern lit for her sailor. ”
Amy clutched her hands to her heart and her lip quivered. “That’s so sad.” She looked at Charli. “How does restoring the resort help Amelia?”
Charli shrugged. “We really don’t know, but my aunt was insistent about it.” She met Jack’s gaze and his pulse sped up. “I guess we’ll find out when we get started on the old house.”
Amy blinked. “When do you start?”
“Actually. we start tomorrow,” Jack replied, grinning at Charli’s look of shock. He shrugged. “You heard Gus—we finished the gardens today. Placing the palm trees was the final piece, so they started inspecting the foundations to see what we’re working with.”
Charli cleared her throat. “Amy, did we hit all the tourist spots on the island you wanted to see today?”
Amy’s eyes brightened. “Yes! The Southernmost Point wasn’t as much of a hit as I thought it would be, but it was cool. And I really liked Mallory Square.” She sighed and looked down at the table. “We didn’t get to the Hemingway House, but that’s okay. That line was insane.”
Charli smiled, her purple eyes sparkling with warmth. “Yeah, there’s so much more here you haven’t seen. I hope you and Annette will come back down here again.”
“Well, since you’re a local now and all...” Annette added in a sly tone. “We’ll have someone to visit and a place to stay.”
Charli’s brows lifted. “You will, even if I’m not here. I’m not going to sell this place, so it’ll always be open to you two.”
Jack frowned, not liking the sudden change in direction. For a brief moment, it had seemed that Charli was seriously considering Annette’s argument about staying, but now she was back to returning to Boston eventually.
He mentally sighed...Charli had initially committed to staying as long as she could, and he’d been determined to convince her to stay.
But he saw now that it was going to take more work, much more work.
He took a deep breath. His gut told him that she was the one, so there was no way he was going to give up.
Maybe it was time to switch gears...but how?