Chapter 11
DARIUS
Darius Wayne stood on the wet sand watching Linda and the children walk away with the golden retriever trotting happily beside them.
The morning sun caught her hair as she turned to say something to her granddaughter, and for a moment the light made her look almost luminous.
He felt a small, unexpected pull in his chest that he immediately pushed down. He was here for business. Nothing more.
“I’m glad we came for a walk,” Emma said. “I have a friend for the summer.”
“Yes, they seem like a wonderful family,” Isabel said.
Darius smiled down at his great-niece. “I’m glad you made a new friend so quickly.” She linked her hand to his. “Now you won’t get so bored.”
“I wouldn’t be bored without one,” Emma assured him. “I have my iPad and phone.”
“You can’t be playing on that all the time,” Isabel warned her. “You need to go outside and get some sun as well.”
“Well, now I will be in the sun more,” Emma told them with a big smile. “I have a friend who lives just down the road.”
“Darius, do you really think it’s such a good idea for us to be going to the festival with complete strangers?” Isabel asked, her eyes filled with concern as she glanced at him sideways while adjusting her wide-brimmed hat.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Darius assured her. “Linda seems harmless, and she’s a local. I could get her checked out if you want me to.”
“Like a background check?” Isabel looked at him in astonishment. “No, that’s intrusive, and I’d never be able to look her in the eyes.” Her brow crinkled in annoyance. “You used to do that to all my dates, and it was horrible.”
“I was just looking out for my kid sister,” Darius pointed out. “And checking her out might put your mind at ease,” Darius told her.
“You mean it will put your mind at ease?” Isabel lobbed back at him. “No. Linda seems lovely, warm, and kind. She comes across as the type of person who makes you feel welcome the moment you meet her.”
“She does,” Darius agreed, keeping his voice casual. “Small towns have that effect on people.” He watched her. “But that doesn’t mean we still can’t run a background check on her just to make sure.”
“No,” Isabel was adamant. “Most certainly not.”
“Okay,” Darius relented, but he made a mental note to find out what he could on Linda… He frowned. It struck him that he didn’t get her last name. But he knew where she was staying, so it couldn’t be too hard to find out.
They turned and began walking back toward the Bay View Beach House, the wet sand cool beneath their feet.
Emma skipped ahead, collecting shells and chattering about the summer festival Sophia had mentioned.
Darius listened with half an ear, his mind still lingering on the woman he had met twice now in less than twenty-four hours.
Yes, he most definitely needed to find out who she was for his sister and great-niece’s sake.
And yours, an irritating voice at the back of his mind whispered.
But Darius shut it down before he could give it any more thought.
“She said she’s staying at Hearts Hotel for the summer,” Isabel remarked, as if reading his thoughts. “With her grandchildren. I wonder where their parents are?” Her brows shot up. “I hope her story is not the same as ours.” Grief darkened her eyes again.
Darius nodded. “I’m not sure. Maybe you can find out tomorrow.”
“I think it would be rude to ask something so personal,” Isabel told him.
“Not if you talk about your grandchildren,” Darius pointed out. And it will be really good for you to finally talk to someone properly about your own grief. He didn’t dare voice that part.
Then his sister would know that he’d been keeping an eye on her at her grief counseling session.
He knew that while Isabel said it was really helping her, the person who ran the group reported to him that Isabel never talked.
Other than sharing a brief summary of her story when she first joined, she hadn’t said anything else.
“I guess,” Isabel nodded.
“And, having a new friend for the summer might just be good for you, too,” Darius pointed out.
Isabel gave him a long, thoughtful look but said nothing more. They continued along the beach in a comfortable silence until they reached the private path leading up to the house. Emma spotted Penny waiting on the porch with a reusable shopping bag over her shoulder.
“Penny!” Emma called, running ahead. “Are we going into town now?”
Penny smiled at the girl. “I thought we could go grab some groceries and explore a little. I’ve been waiting for you to come back, as I know I promised we would go together last night.”
Emma’s eyes lit up. She turned to Isabel. “Do you mind, Gran?”
Isabel’s eyes warmed as she looked at Emma. “Of course, sweetheart. Stay close to Penny and be good.”
Penny turned to Darius. “I have to take your car if that’s all right. Is there anything specific you need?”
Darius shook his head. “No, everything we need is already on the list we made together. Have fun, you two.”
Emma gave him and Isabel a quick hug before dashing off with Penny. Darius and Isabel watched them go, then walked up the porch steps and into the cool, airy interior of the beach house.
The moment the door closed behind them, Isabel turned to face him, arms crossed.
“Darius,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “You said this was a vacation. You promised no work. But on the beach, you mentioned having things to do tomorrow. Tell me straight. Are you up to something? Is this really another one of your business trips disguised as a family vacation?”
Darius met her eyes and gave her the practiced, reassuring smile he had perfected over decades of deals. “No, of course not. But since you and Emma were going to be out, I thought I’d just ensure nothing was falling behind at the company. A few quick calls, that’s all.”
Isabel studied him for a long moment, suspicion clear in her gaze. “You could come with us, you know. You and Penny.”
“That’s a good idea. Ask Penny,” Darius said smoothly. “I think it will be good for both of you to go and have some fun. Linda seems like a wonderful person.”
“Mmm,” Isabel replied, clearly not convinced. “I will ask Penny.”
“Good.” Darius gave her a charming smile. “If Penny goes with you, you’ll also feel more at ease as no matter how nice and friendly Linda is, she is still a stranger to us.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Isabel said. “I’ll speak to her when she’s back.”
“I’m glad.” Darius glanced at his wristwatch. “I’m going to make a few phone calls.” He held up his hand before she could protest. “Just to ensure all the emails and meetings that needed to be moved around were handled.”
“Okay, Darius,” Isabel said with a sigh. “But this time, I’m not going to try and beg you to join in the fun. If you’re going to be nose-deep in work, then that’s your loss, and I’m not going to feel guilty about you missing out.”
“Deal,” Darius told her with a charming smile. “I want you, Emma, and even Penny to relax and enjoy yourselves here in Sweet Blossom Bay. Now that we have this house, we may just be coming back here a lot more.”
“That sounds like a very good idea,” Isabel told him. “I used to love this house when we came to the bay as kids. But I didn’t know just how breathtaking it was until we stepped inside. Now I’m totally in love with it and so is Emma. I think even Penny is taken with the place.”
Guilt hit Darius in the chest at his sister’s words.
He, too, had taken to the house the moment he’d stepped through the door.
It had felt oddly like he’d just come home.
But he squashed the feeling and refused to think about it again as he hadn’t bought the property to keep it as a summer vacation house.
It was part of a bigger plan, and he couldn’t afford to get attached to it.
He also never thought his sister, great-niece, or Penny would get attached to it like this, and it was only their first day here.
He let out a breath. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all, as when the time came, there were going to be three very angry ladies.
Well, two as Penny knew what he’d bought this place for, even if he saw the disapproval on her face every time they spoke about the project.
“I’m going to find Marlene and go over the menus for the next week,” Isabel told him, pulling off her big hat and walking away.
Darius watched his sister disappear down the hallway, then headed upstairs to the loft study he had claimed the moment he saw it that morning.
The room was perfect. It had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bay, soft morning light pouring in, and a large desk facing the water.
He had known instantly this would be his favorite workspace in the house.
He closed the door, sat down, and pulled out his phone. There were several messages from his cousin, Baxter, who worked at his company.
Baxter: Darius, I hope you’ll see the owner of the properties we need to acquire while you’re in Sweet Blossom Bay.
That has to be done by the end of summer, or we can’t move ahead with the project for another year.
The board is getting restless. Investors are asking questions. We need this locked in.
Darius’s jaw tightened. He had told his cousin to stay out of this particular deal.
Baxter had nearly chased away two interested investors already with his aggressive tactics.
The board was growing anxious about the timeline, and several major investors had begun making quiet inquiries about the Sanibel project.
The urgency was real. If they missed the summer window, the entire development would be pushed back a full year, costing millions in delays and lost momentum.