CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Tess
“Another, miss?” The poolside waiter picked up Tess’s empty pina colada glass.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Tess said with a tipsy smile.
“Coming right up.” He walked away with a salute.
“Drinking your lunch, Tess?”
“None of your business, Mrs. Schlesselman.”
The old woman laughed. Tess had met the lonely widow last night at the hotel bar. She’d plopped down next to Tess and peppered her with questions over dry martinis and nachos. She was brash, intrusive, and hilarious. Tess loved her.
“You still pining over that man?”
“Don’t make me regret confiding in you.” Tess had had one martini too many and (metaphorically) vomited all of her secrets and troubles right into Mrs. Schlesselman’s lap.
“We’re best friends now, Tessy,” she teased. “That’s what best friends do.”
Tess rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. In just a few hours, they’d fallen into an instant, easy friendship. She got up from her lounge chair and sat at the pool’s edge, letting her legs dangle in the water.
“Now this is a vacation,” she whispered to herself, tipping her head skyward to soak up the sun.
For the last five years, a “vacation” had been a hike into the mountains with half a dozen prima donnas, a weekend trip to New York City to visit Holly, or an overnight jaunt to Boston for a basketball game.
Pampering herself at an extravagant beachside spa had been rotting on her bucket list, and it was finally time she got around to it.
With her employment about to end, it was outrageously irresponsible to be spending money this way. She should be socking away for hard times or investing in a new business, not blowing cash recklessly on three-hundred-count sheets and gourmet meals.
But after meeting with her girls, and learning of Logan’s latest betrayal, escape seemed prudent. It was that, or risk a homicide charge. She’d driven to Boston, caught the first flight south, and arrived at the spa in the late evening.
Guilt over the indulgences might come later, but for now, she pushed that aside.
It was only her second day here, and though she was relaxed, boredom was creeping in.
Apparently, leisurely days of doing nothing wasn’t in her nature.
She’d slept in, gotten a massage, and planned to waste away the afternoon day drinking poolside.
But none of it was much fun all alone. Except for her new BFF, Mrs. Schlesselman, she hadn’t talked to anyone.
The waiter brought her drink, and Tess took a refreshing sip.
“Bring the girl some fries, please, Mitch,” Mrs. Schlesselman said to the waiter. Tess was about to tell her to butt out, but then decided fries did sound good.
“Are you following me?” When Tess turned to confront her new friend, she had to hide a smile. Mrs. Schlesselman lounged under a huge umbrella and was dressed head to toe in purple—a gauzy plum-colored sun dress and a wide-brimmed indigo straw hat.
“It’s a free country, Tess. I can sit by the pool if I want.” She fanned herself haughtily. “Plus, someone’s got to watch out for you.”
“You look like a grape.”
“Any news from your man?”
“Kinda.” Tess shrugged. She’d turned on her phone that morning to let her friends know where she was and been surprised by a text from Faith.
“My friend messaged to say she was wrong about the hidden family thing. It was Logan’s brother and his family.”
Tess hadn’t found the news all that surprising. Logan might be a liar, but a cheater? Even with evidence to the contrary, she’d thought that idea far-fetched from the moment Faith suggested it.
“Well, that’s something. Come eat some fries.”
Tess huffed. “And people think I’m bossy.” Still, she stood, picked up her drink, and joined her purple friend, digging into the plate of hot fries Mitch had left.
“You don’t seem like the type to run from confrontation.”
“I’m not running,” Tess said. “It’s always been my dream to come to Florida, sit in the sun, and bicker with an impertinent but lovable raisin.” She smiled and winked.
Mrs. Schlesselman smirked. “Quit hogging the fries. We’re sharing those.”
Tess pushed the plate across the table. “What about you? You ready to jump back on the horse?”
“I’m ninety years old!”
“Last night you said ninety years young ,” Tess said. “You still got your looks and your sweet personality. I bet you have men lined up out the door.”
“You’re trying to change the topic.” She pointed a fry at Tess. “I’ve lived a long time, and I can tell you, love is never easy.”
“Whoa,” Tess said. “Who said anything about love? I barely know the guy.”
“Lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.”
Tess ignored that. “Faith also said he had an excuse for not telling me about buying the business. She claimed it was a ‘good’ excuse, but Faith is sometimes flighty and overly optimistic.”
“Those are the best kinds of friends to have. Gimmie.” She held out her hand, and Tess passed her the drink.
She probably should have given Logan a chance to explain. Even if his reason sucked, at least she’d have all the facts. As it was, she could only speculate on his motives.
Was the whole relationship a ruse to get information? Did he ever really like her? Or could it be a combination of both? He came for the business but stayed for her?
“Can I get another drink, Mitch?” Tess called to the waiter, realizing her last one had been commandeered.
“You say you don’t love him,” Mrs. Schlesselman said. “What do you feel for him?”
Leave it to an elderly stranger to make her confront feelings she’d successfully procrastinated analyzing until now.
Tess wasn’t sure she’d ever had such strong feelings for a man before Logan.
He was handsome, generous, thoughtful, and funny.
Except for the lying, he seemed perfect.
There was also some kind of weird bond between them.
A connection that made her feel as though he was someone she’d been waiting for all her life.
She rubbed her forehead. Now she sounded like Faith.
Mitch stopped by with another pina colada, and Tess took a lengthy gulp.
“I mean, if he’s even real,” Mrs. Schlesselman said. “I understand most Canadian boyfriends are fake.”
“I’m from New Hampshire, not Canada.”
“Same thing.”
“I need a nap.” Tess got up and went back to her lounge chair. She was dozing, halfway to dreamland, when blaring music started up behind her.
Irritation flooded her as Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry” blasted impolitely, blatantly breaching poolside etiquette.
When she turned, ready to let the offender have it, she froze. Logan. He wore a long tan overcoat and stood, feet apart, hands in the air, holding a boom box high above his head, obviously reenacting the iconic scene from the movie Say Anything .
Tess closed her eyes and bowed her head to hide her smile. It was a nice gesture, but he wasn’t getting off the hook that easy.
Logan turned down the music and headed toward her.
“So, he is real,” Mrs. Schlesselman said from her perch under the umbrella. “And hot! You weren’t fibbing about that.” She let out a loud catcall.
Logan looked back and forth between the two women, brows furrowed in confusion.
Tess held up a hand. “Not now , Mrs. Schlesselman.”
“All right, all right. I’ll just listen quietly from over here.”
Logan raised an eyebrow, and Tess shook her head. “Long story.”
“May I?” He nodded to the chaise next to hers.
“I guess.”
He sat and wiped sweat from his brow.
“You can lose the coat,” Tess said. “Unless you want to die of heatstroke.”
“And the shirt,” Mrs. Schlesselman yelled. “Lose the shirt. It’s very hot. Better to be cautious.”
“That’s not ‘quiet,’” Tess said over her shoulder.
Logan chuckled nervously and removed the coat.
Two and a half pina coladas had left Tess a little muddled, but not enough to wonder how he’d ended up here.
“How did you find me?”
“Oh,” he said. “Faith texted me the moment she found out where you were.”
“That was like three hours ago,” Tess exclaimed. “How’d you get here so fast?”
“Flew.”
“Impossible.”
“On a private jet that was waiting on standby, ready to take off as soon as I had a location.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. I was desperate to find you. When I heard what Faith told you? Well, I couldn’t have you thinking I was married on top of everything else.”
“That was pretty shocking. But it’s not the only reason I’m upset.”
“I know.” He sighed. “I also needed a chance to explain about The Outpost debacle.”
She flapped a hand through the air between them. “Let’s hear it.”
“I’m here to apologize. The song’s not technically from the eighties, but it says what I want to say,” he said simply. “You’re mad I withheld information, and I totally understand. I should have told you about the deal the second you agreed to go out with me. Maybe even before that.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I came to Green Valley Falls to do due diligence on The Outpost. The campout was sort of half research, half vacation.” He put vacation in air quotes. “It was supposed to be a business trip like any other—strictly business. I never intended to get personally involved.”
“But then you decided to stay and help Max? And inadvertently got ‘involved’?”
“Yes. Once that happened, once we started dating, I didn’t want it to mess up what we had going.
Then, for a while, the deal was in limbo, and I didn’t know for sure we were going to buy it.
And I thought, if the point was moot, why invite trouble?
Once I finally decided I had to tell you, we kept getting interrupted.
I was about to bring it up in the hotel room when you kissed me—I wasn’t about to pause for conversation then. ”
At her withering stare, he cleared his throat and kept going.
“Then at the ice cream shop, I started to tell you just as Faith came in with news about your mom. It wasn’t something I could just blurt out with no time for explanation. It had to be more than a two-minute conversation.”
“There were so many chances, Logan.”
“I know. I know. I’m an idiot. I couldn’t stand the idea of you breaking up with me over it. And the longer I put it off, the deeper the hole got. The harder it was to climb out and come clean.”
She paused, mulling over his excuses and apologies, deciding how to react to them. She wanted to forgive him so badly. Wanted to move past it and jump into his arms. Did that stem from budding love or naive stupidity? He noted her silence and pushed on.
“The second you mentioned wanting to buy it—I mean, literally, right after you left with Faith for the hospital—I called my brother and told him to get it taken out of the deal.” He ran a hand through his hair.
“But by then it was too late. Moody had signed the contract and taken off on a four-week honeymoon. I wish you’d said something before Monday. ”
“I know you are not implying this is my fault.”
“No. Of course not.” He shook his head. “I take full responsibility. I’m just saying that if I’d known sooner, I’d have nixed The Outpost from the deal right away.”
“Dishonesty killed my first marriage,” Tess said. “How can I trust you now?”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you,” he said, pulling a folded-in-half manila envelope from his back pocket. “Including giving you The Outpost. This is the paperwork to have the property signed over to you as soon as we get the deed. I want you to have it.”
Tess’s mouth fell open. Her initial surprise quickly turned to disgust. “You think I’m gonna just let you give me the store?”
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Schlesselman mumbled. “Danger, son. Danger.”
“I wanted to buy it,” Tess said, heating up. “I wanted to work for it. I’m not your charity case, and I’m not about to take a handout from you. Take your deed and shove it.”
A slow, broad smile spread across Logan’s lips, infuriating her further.
“What are you smiling at?” she barked.
“I thought you might say that.” He pulled a second envelope from his other pocket.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A purchase and sale agreement, selling you The Outpost. It’s a fair price. Only slightly less than what you would have paid Moody. I shaved off a little for your pain and suffering.” He winked. “I can’t avoid being the seller, but I know how much it means to you to do it on your own.”
The anger drained as quickly as it had risen. She took the envelope but didn’t open it.
“So, once we sign this paperwork, The Outpost is mine, and you’re out of it?”
“Yes. You can get your own financing, but if you have any problems or want a better rate, we can work out a payment schedule.”
Her face softened, and she stared at him. “You knew I wouldn’t just take it?” It was more statement than question.
“It’s one of the reasons I’m so in love with you, Tess,” he said. “Your independence. Your strong, sexy, spectacular independence.”
Tess blinked. “Did you just say you’re in love with me?”
He nodded emphatically. “I know it’s only been a month, and it might seem too soon, but it is what it is. I love you.” He took her hands in his and stared into her tear-filled eyes. “Please say we can try and make this work.”
“Just kiss him already,” Mrs. Schlesselman muttered from under her umbrella. “Man, youth is wasted on the young.”
“I’m gonna kill her.” Tess chuckled.
“I can’t wait to hear this story,” Logan said.
Tess leaned in and kissed him softly. “I love you too,” she whispered. “You wanna get out of here?”
“Are you kidding me? You in that bikini is killing me. Yes, let’s go.”
Tess wrapped a towel around her waist, and Logan picked up the boom box. Hand in hand, they walked over to Mrs. Schlesselman.
“Meet you at the bar for dinner at seven?” Tess asked.
“Well, if you insist.”
“I insist.” Tess smiled. “See you later.”
“I expect an invite to the wedding,” Mrs. Schlesselman called out after them.