Chapter 36
BERNADETTE
Iwasn’t an idiot. I knew the brothers had put me with Sebastian. They weren’t subtle.
I didn’t argue. There was no time for that, and the truth was, I kind of liked having him with me.
He gave me strength in a way I hadn’t expected.
His presence grounded me. And technically he’d thrown a punch for me.
Which wasn’t exactly a quality I’d been looking for in a partner, but it meant something, nonetheless.
Not many people in my life would do that. Would risk anything for me.
My father certainly wouldn’t.
Really, there was no one. No one was going to lift a finger to protect me. Except Sebastian.
And that was a shocker. He didn’t even know me.
Not really. But what he did know he seemed to like.
He sacrificed his hand and put his whole project at risk just to defend me.
That was the kind of thing women craved.
I had it and I got mad at him for it. Maybe that wasn’t cool.
Maybe I should just appreciate what he did and accept it as an act of kindness.
“You think it’ll hit us?” Sebastian asked.
“I don’t know. I hope not but I’m like a dark cloud. A living, breathing dark cloud.”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“If something is going to happen, it’ll happen to me. Spilled hot coffee on a white outfit—me. Fall down the steps—me. Up the stairs—me. I think I must have bad juju and now I’ve brought my juju to a tropical island in storm season. Sorry about that.”
He laughed. “Everyone trips and spills shit. I don’t think that’s a you thing.”
“Feels like it,” I muttered.
We went from bungalow to bungalow, knocking on doors, handing out care packages, and explaining the situation.
I did most of the talking, keeping my tone calm.
I made sure everyone understood the safety protocols and emergency procedures in case the storm did hit.
Sebastian added reassurance and used that innate charm that made people feel seen and cared for.
“We’ll update you when we hear more,” I told each crew member. “No surprises. We’re monitoring the situation closely. Everyone stays safe. That’s the priority.”
People thanked us. Some hugged Sebastian. A few even hugged me, which felt strange and nice at the same time.
We were halfway through our rounds when my phone buzzed with an email notification. I didn’t have to guess who it was. I could try and convince myself he heard about the storm and he was checking in on me.
But he wasn’t.
He didn’t care.
I stopped walking and pulled out my phone.
“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked.
I shook my head and opened the email.
Bernadette,
Since you asked, I’ll explain the financial realities you seem determined to ignore.
If we void the Blackwell policy based on your misconduct, they’ll have to pay a substantial cancellation fee.
I won’t bore you with the details—I know you find the riveting world of voidable contracts tedious.
Bottom line: the company stands to make a significant amount of money. And daddy needs a new beach house.
So be a good girl and make it happen. Find me a legitimate reason to void this policy. For once in your life, be useful.
I read it again. Then a third time.
Daddy needs a new beach house.
For once in your life, be useful.
He never talked to me like that. He was never going to be father of the year, but holy shit. That was just mean. And cold.
“Bernadette?” Sebastian had put his hand on my shoulder. “You’re shaking. What’s wrong? The storm? Is it coming at us?”
My father would never have a career writing Hallmark cards. I blinked away tears. I was not going to cry. My hands were trembling. Shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone.
All my life, I’d done what my father wanted.
I busted my ass for his company instead of pursuing my own dreams. I wore the clothes he approved of.
Made myself smaller, quieter, and more acceptable.
I tried desperately to be the daughter he wanted instead of the person I was.
I rarely dated because I knew there were few men he would ever approve of.
And it would mean my time and attention would be pulled away from the company.
And this was what I got. Casual dismissal. Emotional manipulation. Being told to commit fraud so he could buy a beach house. He didn’t care about me. He didn’t care if it went against my morals.
He simply did not care.
Something inside me snapped. I hit the reply and started typing, my thumbs flying across the screen.
Dad,
If you attempt to void the Blackwell policy through fraudulent means, I will immediately hand over every email, every recording, and every directive you’ve given me to the Blackwells’ attorneys.
I will not participate in insurance fraud.
Not for you. Not for anyone. Not for a beach house or anything else.
How’s that for useful, you ungrateful prick?
I read it over once to check punctuation and my grammar. Fuck that. It wasn’t formal. A fuck you didn’t have to be formal. In fact, it was better if it wasn’t formal. I wanted it raw and gritty. Maybe I’d go back and add a couple of F-bombs just to get my point across.
Nah. It wasn’t worth my time or energy. I hit send. Boom.
For a moment, I just stood there, phone in hand, processing what I had just done.
I’d just committed an act of rebellion that could end my family ties forever.
I was certain that little outburst cost me my job, which in turn would cost me my apartment.
My health insurance. Everything I had worked for.
One email and it was gone.
And I felt free.
Terrifyingly, exhilaratingly free.
“Bernadette.” Sebastian was watching me with concern. “What just happened?”
“I just told my father to go fuck himself.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You what?”
“He wanted me to help him commit fraud. To screw over you and your family. And I told him no. Actually, I called him an ungrateful prick and threatened to expose him to your lawyers.”
A slow smile spread across Sebastian’s face. “That’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “You have a weird definition of sexy.”
“Standing up to your asshole father? Choosing integrity over job security? Yeah, that’s extremely hot.”
“Well, it’s not punching someone out, but that’s how you fight back without violence.”
He chuckled. “So, does that mean you’re not our insurance rep anymore?”
“Not officially. For now, let’s say I am.”
He nodded and sighed. “If you insist.”
“Let’s get the rest of these delivered. It looks like it’s going to start raining any minute.”
We continued our deliveries, but something had shifted in me. I’d burned a bridge I’d been too afraid to cross for years, and instead of feeling terrified, I felt light as a feather.
“What happens now?” Sebastian asked as we handed out the last care package. “With your father, I mean.”
“I have no idea. He’ll probably fire me. Disown me. Cut me off from everything.”
“And?”
“And I’ll figure it out. I’m a damn good insurance professional. I can find another job. One where I don’t have to compromise my ethics for beach houses.”
We knocked on the last stop, Clarissa’s room. She opened the door naked.
Okay, not naked, but she had on a bra and panties and what I supposed was a robe, but it was sheer. Kind of defeated the purpose of a robe.
I’d seen her in bikinis the last week, but wow. Was I supposed to compete with that? The woman was gorgeous. I glanced up at Sebastian to see how he was responding to the little vixen.
He looked like he was talking to a light pole. There was zero attention being paid to her naked body. I gave my little spiel while Clarissa rummaged through the goody bag.
And then it was done. We had fulfilled our duties.
The rain started then. Not heavy yet, just a light drizzle that promised more to come.
“Shit,” he said.
“What?”
“We didn’t pack supplies for us.”
“Oh. We would fail if this was a plane going down.”
“What?”
I rolled my eyes. “No one ever listens to the preflight instructions.”
“Flight attendants on private flights don’t do that.” He shrugged. “Now who looks silly?”
I snorted. “My bad. Forgot about you rich bitches.”
That made him laugh again. “Okay, what about planes crashing?”
“You’re supposed to save yourself first so you can save others. The oxygen mask. You put it on before you put it on your kids.”
“That sounds selfish.”
“No, because who’s going to save the kids if you’re dead? Everyone is going to be busy taking care of themselves.”
He stared at me. “Wow. Dark. Why are we talking about this?”
“Sorry. Safety girl.”
“Alright, so we need to get ourselves some supplies, right?” he asked, grinning. “That was the point of your story about kids who can’t breathe?”
“Yes, essentially. I don’t need candles, but I am hungry.”
“Let’s see what’s left in the food tent after Prego got her hands on it.”
“Cookie’s pregnant?” I asked with a combination of shock and horror. “Seriously?”
Sebastian laughed. “No. I’m pretty sure that would qualify as a medical miracle. Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth is pregnant?!”
“Yes. It’s kind of a secret. She just told the family at dinner the other night.”
“That explains the pickles and pudding,” I said.
“Oh God. The what?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Yeah, I happened to pop into the tent to get some water, and she was dipping pickles in chocolate pudding.”
“That’s a brave choice,” Sebastian said. “I dare you to try it.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “If that’s all that’s left, we’re both trying it.”
We ran to the food tent, laughing as the drizzle turned into actual rain. By the time we ducked under the canvas, we were both soaked.
“Okay, grab what you can,” Sebastian said, already pulling open coolers and rummaging through bins.
I grabbed a canvas tote bag from one of the supply shelves and started loading up.
Water bottles. Protein bars. A bag of chips.
Some fruit that looked like it would survive without refrigeration.
Sebastian was doing the same, filling his arms with supplies like we were preparing for the apocalypse instead of a tropical storm.
“Is this overkill?” I asked, looking at our haul.
“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” he said, echoing my own safety-first philosophy back at me.
“Did you just quote me?”
“Maybe.” He grinned. “You’re rubbing off on me.”
The rain was coming down harder now, drumming against the tent canvas. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
“We should get inside,” I said.
“Your place or mine?”
I looked out at the deluge. “Yours is closer.”
We made a run for it, both of us clutching our supplies as rain pelted down. The wind had picked up, whipping palm fronds and sending spray sideways. By the time we reached his bungalow, we were completely drenched.
Sebastian fumbled with his key, finally getting the door open. We stumbled inside, dripping water all over the floor.
“Damn,” he muttered, setting down his armload of supplies. “That came on fast.”
I was shivering, my wet clothes clinging to my skin. My hair was plastered to my face, and I could feel mascara running down my cheeks. So much for looking professional.
“Here.” Sebastian disappeared into the bathroom and came back with towels. He tossed one at me. I started drying off as best I could.
“You can borrow some of my clothes if you want,” he offered. “Get out of those wet things.”
I should have said no. But I was freezing, and the idea of standing around in soaked business casual while a storm raged outside seemed ridiculous.
“Thanks,” I said.
He went to his room and came back with a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. “These will be huge on you, but at least they’re dry.”
I took them and went into the bathroom to change. The shirt hung to my mid-thigh, and I had to roll the waistband of the sweatpants several times to keep them from falling off. I caught sight of myself in the mirror—makeup smeared, hair a disaster, drowning in Sebastian’s clothes.
I looked like a mess. Again.
When I came out, Sebastian had changed too. He was wearing joggers and a hoodie, his hair still damp and sticking up in every direction.
And of course he’d never been more handsome.
He’d been so in charge today. Making everyone feel safe and calm. Stepping up in the face of an emergency in a way that proved every doubt about him wrong.
He looked beautiful. And capable. And exactly like someone I could fall completely in love with.
Actually, scratch that. I had already fallen completely in love with him.
I realized there was a second storm forming.
In my pants.
Inappropriate timing? Absolutely. But my body apparently didn’t care about being appropriate.