Chapter 12
twelve
S helby was sitting on the dock, leaning against a piling with her feet dangling over the side, when Matt’s boat sped past. He slowed, turned around, and headed back her way. He called out to her as he grew closer. “Afternoon, Shelby. What’re you up to?”
She held up her grandfather’s camera. “Waiting for the golden hour to take more pics of the house.”
As he nosed the boat up to the dock, he asked, “Wanna go for a ride in the ocean? I’ve just come from there, and the water is as calm as glass. You could get some great photographs of the sun setting over the house.”
Shelby jumped to her feet. “That’d be awesome if you can spare the time.”
“I’m free as a bird,” he said with a laugh as he gave her a hand onto the boat and pushed off the dock.
Shelby stood at the leaning post beside him, his toned body pressed against hers. He smelled delicious, the outdoors clinging to him with the subtle hint of exertion that whispered of days spent under the sun. Was she crazy to go out in the ocean with a total stranger?
As though reading her mind, Matt said, “Will your boyfriend get mad if he finds out you went for a boat ride with a strange guy? Or is he back home in Texas? Out of sight, out of mind.”
Shelby bit down on her lower lip as she considered how much to tell him. Something in his kind smile and genuine demeanor told her she could trust him. “I lied earlier. Correction. I didn’t actually lie. I mentioned my boyfriend out of habit. We broke up over a year ago, but we’d been together since middle school, and I’m learning to live without him. It hasn’t been easy. My parents sent me here, hoping I’d get my life back on track. I just want . . .” Her voice thickened with emotion. “I want this all-consuming pain to end.”
He nodded. “I get it.”
Her head jerked up. “You too?”
“Yep,” he replied, keeping his eyes fixed ahead as he navigated the boat through the swells at the mouth of the inlet where the sound met the ocean. He waited until they reached calmer water before explaining. “Kayla and I had also been together for a long time. Then, out of the blue, she accepted a job in London.” He snapped his fingers. “And just like that, she was gone. It’s probably for the best though. We’d grown apart.”
Shelby could see the pain etched in his face. He was far from over Kayla. “How so?”
“Kayla is a wild child who loves to live on the edge. I’m sure she’s digging big-city living. I, on the other hand, prefer to stay home on Friday night and cook steaks on the grill. I’m ready to settle down with a wife and kids. She will likely never get married.”
Shelby had originally guessed Matt to be in his late twenties, but his comment made him sound at least thirty, which was way too old for her. She thought about her social life back home in Austin. She’d gone out every night, not because she enjoyed partying but because she’d been afraid of missing an opportunity to see Luke. Maybe her parents had done her a favor by sending her to the Lowcountry.
Matt slid onto the leaning post and crossed one foot over the opposite knee. “It’s a beautiful evening. Even though the sun doesn’t set for another hour, you should be able to get some nice photographs.”
Shelby stared up at the cloudless sky. “I agree. The sunlight is already much softer and warmer, almost golden.”
“I’ll get you as close to the beach as possible. Are you comfortable going up to the bow alone?”
“I’m fine. I have sea legs. I used to go out on my grandfather’s boat all the time when he was alive.”
Matt chuckled. “Which boat? He had a few.”
Shelby smiled. “Right? His fleet. My favorite was his old wooden-hull Chris Craft.”
Matt let out a low whistle. “She was a beauty, all right. Whatever happened to his fleet ?”
“Good question. Most are in storage, I think.”
Matt took the boat out of gear. “Let’s do it. Signal when you’re ready, and I’ll move inland.”
Shelby made her way to the v-seats at the bow of the boat, giving him a thumbs-up over her shoulder. The sprawling white house, partially hidden by an expanse of dunes and sea grass, stood out against the gorgeous pink sky, creating a stunning backdrop. After taking dozens of photographs, she reviewed them on her camera's viewfinder to ensure she had captured enough good shots before making her way back to the leaning post.
“Thanks, Matt. The images are excellent.”
“You’re welcome. Would you like to go for a ride, or do you need to get back to work right away?”
Shelby checked the time on her phone. “Most of our guests have gone to town for dinner. I should be okay for another hour.”
“Great.” Matt eyed her camera. “We should do something about that though.” Tugging his T-shirt over his head, he took the camera from her, wrapped it in his shirt, and tucked it behind the windshield. “That should keep it dry.”
His bronzed chest and tight abs made her shiver. Luke had certainly never made her break out in goosebumps.
The roar of the wind and hum of the outboard motor made conversation difficult. They rode in comfortable silence up the coast, looping around the uber-contemporary home occupying the northern end of the island and continuing back through Catawba Sound. Matt slowed the boat as they passed under the Merriweather Bridge and rode past the shops and restaurants lining the town’s waterfront commercial area.
When Matt returned Shelby to her grandmother’s dock, he asked, “What are your plans for the holiday tomorrow?”
“I’ll be working. What about you? Do you have big plans?”
“I’ll be doing chores most of the day, and then I have a family cookout at my sister’s tomorrow evening.” Unwrapping her camera from his T-shirt, he held it while she climbed out of the boat.
She took the camera from him. “Thanks for the boat ride.”
“Anytime. I’ll see you around.” He waved his T-shirt like the white flag of surrender as he drove away.
Shelby followed his progress until his boat was merely a dot on the horizon. She was disappointed he hadn’t asked her for a date when he found out she didn’t have a boyfriend. Was he no longer interested? Did she do something to turn him off? Was it the freckles?
She wondered where he kept his boat and what chores would occupy his day tomorrow. Did he live alone? What did he do for a living? Was he a lawyer or doctor or independently wealthy like so many of her friends back home? She imagined them getting married. He would buy them a waterfront home, and she would spend her days playing tennis at the Sandy Island club. Until she had children, and then she would be a stay-at-home mom. She chuckled to herself as she strolled up the dock. Her professionally driven sister would cringe at Shelby’s lack of ambition. She was getting way ahead of herself anyway. She and Matt hadn’t even been on a first date. But after so long, she was finally able to daydream again.
* * *
Pritchard took his father’s journal home to the daybed swing on the porch and didn’t move until he’d read the last word. Without turning on any lights, he went inside for a whiskey and returned to the swing. He found the setting romantic, with the moon’s rays shimmering off the water and the twinkling lights of the Merriweather Bridge in the distance.
He was still sitting there, plotting and daydreaming, when Savannah arrived home from work. She curled up beside him. “What’re you doing sitting alone in the dark?”
“Thinking.” He stroked the smooth leather cover of the journal in his lap. “Mother found one of Dad’s journals. It’s filled with ideas for Magnolia Shores. His vision was grander than any of us realized. He dreamed about building a separate hotel offering a host of different amenities. He calls this boutique hotel The Sanctuary at Magnolia Shores.”
“I love the name. It’s elegant and suits the property. What did Izzy say? She can’t handle a bed and breakfast, let alone what you describe.”
“I don’t know what to think about my mother,” he said, lifting the journal. One of her guests, a woman named Blossom, found this journal in Dad’s study. She thinks Blossom is an angel spy Dad sent down from heaven to keep tabs on her.”
Savannah’s olive eyes popped. “What?”
Pritchard gave her an incredulous nod. “Those were her exact words. I’m worried about her. The stress is getting to her.”
“Then why would you pressure her into expanding?” she asked, gesturing at the journal.
“I wouldn’t. I might take over running the resort.”
Savannah’s jaw went slack. “But you already have a career.”
“I’m ready for a change, Savannah. I’m burned out, and I hate spending so much time in Nashville.” He put an arm around her, drawing her in. “Now that I’ve got you back in my life, I can’t stand being away from you for even one minute.”
Savannah snuggled in close to him. “I don’t like it when you’re away either. But you’ve worked so hard to build your reputation, I’d hate for you to throw it away.”
“In hindsight, I became a talent agent because I wanted to represent you. I’ve enjoyed my career, but I can easily walk away.”
“But you know nothing about managing a resort?”
Pritchard shrugged. “Neither did Dad. But that didn’t stop him. I’ll figure it out as I go.” He shifted toward her. “I haven’t felt this passionate about anything since we were kids, Savannah. But I can’t do this alone. I need you by my side. Together, we’ll build a future for the next generations of the St. Clair family.”
Savannah jumped back as though scalded. “No offense, Pritchard. But there is no way I can work with your mother.”
He expected this initial reaction and decided not to pressure her. They were far from being ready to make this decision. However, given that Savannah thrived in the hospitality industry, he suspected she would eventually come around. “I thought you might say that. I’m getting ahead of myself anyway. First, I need to see what’s involved in designing and constructing a building of this magnitude.”
“Good thing we have an architect and a builder in the family,” she said about her sister and brother.
He flashed her a devilish grin. “I’ve already texted Ashton. We’re having coffee first thing on Tuesday morning.”