Beachfront Embrace Read online

  Beachfront Embrace

  Solomons Island Book 3

  Michele Gilcrest

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Also by Michele Gilcrest

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  Chapter 1

  Clara opened the front door to the sight of her sister, Agnes, standing on the other side of the threshold. She had a duffle bag on the ground beside her and wore sunglasses which appeared to cover up a black and blue shiner on her face. She hadn’t seen her since the day she left New York. It was the same day she left Keith, her ex-husband, and the day she left the weight of a tumultuous marriage behind her. Now, here she was, almost ten years later, standing at the doorstep of her Beachfront mansion.

  “Agnes?”

  “Hi, Clara.”

  She stood with a stoic expression before picking up her designer bag.

  “Mind if I come in?”

  Holly, Clara’s dog, danced around Agnes’ feet, rapidly wagging her tail and barking.

  Feeling surprised, Clara continued to stare.

  “Wasn’t expecting to see you here. How did you find me?” Clara asked.

  “It’s easy finding people nowadays. Your information was just a click away. I think they call it the World Wide Web. Do you mind?” she asked, walking closer to enter in.

  Clara held her arm out, motioning for her to walk in.

  This has to be a bad dream. Either that or someone is playing a sick prank on me.

  “Make yourself at home,” she said sarcastically.

  Agnes checked out her surroundings while making her way to the back and pulling up a seat in the kitchen, as if she were in familiar territory.

  “I always imagined we’d cross paths again. But, I have to say… you definitely caught me off guard with this one, Agnes. I was minutes away from leaving the house. Do you mind explaining what’s going on?”

  Clara’s voice was low as she tried to maintain her cool and make sense of things.

  “I will, but you might want to grab a drink. This might take a while. You might even want to cancel your plans, which I apologize for in advance, but I had no other option,” she said.

  “You had no other option? What does that mean, exactly?”

  Agnes removed her sunglasses, revealing what Clara suspected… a shiner on her upper cheek bone, covered with make-up.

  “I don’t have anywhere to stay, and I don’t have a lot of money left in my account. I’m down to a quarter tank of gas… which is pretty pathetic, I know. But all I planned to do was make it from New York to your driveway, and well, here I am,” she said.

  Clara folded her arms, pacing by the sliding doors, noticing Agnes as she continued checking out the place.

  “Who put the shiner on your face?” she asked.

  “There’s no sense getting into it now. He’s in my past, where he belongs. Look, I know my showing up here was rather sudden and unannounced. I promise to come up with a plan to get out of your hair as quickly as possible, but for now, I need a place to stay, if it’s all right with you.”

  Clara’s phone buzzed several times as she continued staring at Agnes in disbelief.

  “You want to stay here?” she asked.

  “Yes, or at least I was hoping to. I couldn’t think of anyone else who would take me in.”

  Again, the phone buzzed. This time she glanced over and noticed Mike’s name flashing across the screen.

  “Hold on a second,” Clara said, while answering.

  “Hello. Hi, Mike. Mm hmm, I know. I’m so sorry, I was pre-occupied. I’m actually in a bit of a bind. My sister from New York just showed up. Is there any way I can take a raincheck for tonight? I promise to make it up to you soon.”

  She continued talking.

  “No, I’m okay. Really.” She kept the call short and sweet, limiting herself from saying everything she was thinking in front of Agnes.

  “Okay, babe. I’ll call you before I head to bed.”

  Clara tapped the screen, ending the call, and stepped out of her heels.

  “That explains why you’re all dressed up. I’m really sorry. I screwed up your date night, didn’t I?” she asked.

  “Yes. But, more importantly, I need to get to the bottom of understanding what brought you here today. We haven’t seen each other in ages, and this isn’t quite the reunion I had in mind.”

  “I know. I never envisioned myself showing up at your front door, begging for a place to lay my head, either. The truth is, I wasn’t even sure you and I would ever speak again. Not because I didn’t want to, but because so much time had passed since mom and dad… passed away. Once they were gone, it seemed like everything went downhill from there,” Agnes said.

  Clara didn’t disagree but continued listening.

  “Why am I here, you ask? I guess after making a series of poor choices, I’m finally down on my luck. I’m probably getting everything I deserve in life. How’s the saying go? What goes around comes around…” She chuckled sarcastically.

  “Nobody deserves to be abused, Agnes. No matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t give anyone the right to hit you.”

  “That’s what you think this is? Signs of abuse?” she asked, pointing to her bruise.

  “He wasn’t abusive. At least, not physically. This is the result of a last-minute scuffle on the way out the door. A scuffle with his new lady friend. She had the audacity to lunge toward me once she realized we were in a relationship. It always amazes me when I come across women who’d rather beat each other down instead of crucifying the real one at fault.” She continued.

  “Oh man, that’s crazy.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve never been much of a fighter, so you can only imagine what that entire scene looked like. It’s all right. I’m fine and the shiner will heal. I just need to focus on getting my life back on track as expeditiously as possible, with minimal interruption to yours,” she said.

  Clara laughed slowly at first, then picked up the tempo, feeling trapped in the middle of a bad dream.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “This is insane. I’m laughing just to keep from losing it. Just moments ago, I was preparing for a night out on the town. Agnes, you don’t know how many times I contemplated picking up the phone to rekindle my relationship with you. I figured mom and dad would’ve wanted us to do better. We’re family. But, somehow I always struggled, never quite feeling comfortable reaching out to you when I was at my lowest. I always thought it should’ve been under better circumstances,” Clara said.

  “But, you could’ve called.”

  “I chose not to, but I find it ironic how things worked out in the end. Earlier this year I was out of work and hopelessly trying to find my way. I was on the verge of having no place to go. It crossed my mind to reach out. But, I couldn’t. Not after the way we ended things. You, on the other hand, show up at my doorstep just like its nothing,” Clara said.

  Agnes walked over to the windows overlooking the boat slip. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that she didn’t respond, but Cl
ara decided not to press the issue.

  “You have yourself a nice place here. Looks like your worries of being unemployed and homeless are a thing of the past. You’ve come a long way from how we used to live growing up as little girls in New York,” she said.

  “Thank you. Although, it’s nothing like you’re probably thinking. I didn’t gain all this on my own. But, enough about me… we have a lot of catching up to do before I can rest easy with you under my roof tonight. Does this loser you were with know where you are? Do you think he’ll try to come after you?”

  Agnes grunted in disgust, searching for the right words to convey her aggravation.

  “We’re fine. You don’t have to worry about him. I didn’t tell him where I was going, but I can confidently say he’s harmless. More talk than anything else,” she responded.

  “Where did you meet this guy, anyway? Were you together long?”

  “Long enough,” she responded.

  “I’m just curious. I promise, you’ll get no judgement out of me. I’ve been with my share of losers and cheaters in my day. Take my ex, Keith, for example. You remember him. Man, I could tell you stories for days about how things ended with him. None of it was good,” Clara said.

  Agnes tossed her keys on the table, looking Clara straight in the eyes, captivating her attention.

  “Clara, I guess there’s no time like the present to share this with you. Might as well get it out of the way.”

  “Get what out of the way?” she asked.

  Agnes was silent for what seemed like an eternity, creating an added level of awkwardness between the two.

  “Well? What is it, already?” she asked.

  Agnes took a deep breath.

  “I just broke up with Keith. He’s the reason I have this shiner on my face to begin with,” she said.

  “That’s funny. You were dating a guy named Keith? What are the odds?” Clara chuckled, totally misunderstanding what Agnes was trying to convey.

  Agnes said nothing further. Instead, she stood waiting for her words to settle in.

  “Isn’t it odd?” Clara repeated, this time with a look of concern.

  A moment passed before Clara’s facial expression shifted completely.

  “Agnes… how could you? Are you seriously standing before me, admitting that you were dating my ex-husband?”

  Just like that, Clara’s sister, whom she hadn’t spoken to in years, was back in her life, ready to wreak havoc. The last time they spoke wasn’t on good terms, and ten years later, they were right back where they started.

  Chapter 2

  “Welcome to Lighthouse Tours. How can I help you?” Mike said, welcoming his customers.

  “Good morning, we’re here to book an appointment for the fall lighthouse tour. I believe the flier said there’s a special promotion running for the month of September.”

  “Yes, you’ve found the right place. Let me connect you with Ms. Mae. She’s filling in for our office manager, Clara, today. She’d be more than happy to set you up with exactly what you’re looking for.”

  Mae came from around the counter and greeted the new clients with a handshake, gladly willing to take them in.

  In the back, Mike sat down with Brody, his employee and friend in charge of all things mechanical.

  “Brody, my man. Please, have a seat. I hope you have good news for me today. I’ve got one boat down for the count here at the southern location, and another boat on its last leg over in North Beach. Our fall tours are selling like hotcakes, and folks are expecting me to deliver,” he said.

  The gentlemen settled in Mike’s office with their usual legal pads, pencils tucked behind their ears, and coffee mugs.

  “Have I ever let you down before? The boat over in North Beach is being repaired as we speak. As for the boat here, all it needs is a fine tune up and a few minor adjustments, and she’ll be good to go. Just as good as new,” Brody said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’m positive. Are you all right, Mike? I’m happy to answer anything you want to know, but it’s unlike you to be so concerned.” Brody continued.

  Mike placed his pencil down and propped his feet up on the desk.

  “I know, Brody. I’m sorry, man. I guess I’m off my A-game this morning,” he replied.

  “Does this have anything to do with Clara? I know you planned on popping the question last night. How did it go?”

  “It didn’t go, at all. She cancelled on me, which is so unlike Clara. In her defense, she said that her sister from New York showed up. I know they haven’t seen each other in forever. I thought I’d give them some space, but talk about bad timing,” Mike said.

  “I’m sorry, man. That would put me in a mood, too. Have you talked to her today at all?”

  “No. She said she would call me back last night before bed, but I haven’t heard anything, other than Ms. Mae telling me she called in to take a personal day. I just have a strange feeling about this. I planned on giving her a couple of hours this morning, and if I don’t hear from her, I’m going to call her by lunchtime.”

  Mike tossed his miniature basketball in the hoop, an activity he regularly engaged in when he was in a creative frame of mind. Today, it was more of a stress reliever.

  “Listen, I’m sure whatever this is will blow over pretty quickly, and you can get back to your plans. Everything has been perfect with you two. There’s nothing like knowing for certain when you’ve met the one.” He claimed, making quotation marks with his fingers, emphasizing the one.

  “You’re right. Things have been pretty sweet between us. We met under the most unusual circumstances but look how far we’ve come in such a short period. We fit like a hand and glove, she’s a constant cheerleader, and she helps run the southern office like a charm… as if it were her very own. What more could a guy ask for, right?” Mike asked.

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m just going to talk to her, make sure everything’s okay. After that, I’ll put the proposal back in motion and pop the question as originally planned. Once that is behind me, my nerves can finally be at ease,” he said.

  “There he is. Now you’re talking like the Mike Sanders I know.”

  They let out a little laugh, but for Mike it was more like a sigh of relief.

  “Thanks, Brody. I don’t know where I’d be without you, brother. Whether it be on the business side of things or simply as a friend, you’ve always been there.”

  “Hey, I can say the same about you any day of the week. But, enough with all the sappy conversation. We’ve got work to do. If you have a few more minutes, I’d like to go over plans for the new mechanic at North Beach,” Brody said.

  “Not a problem. What did you have in mind?”

  Brody shared a couple of ideas on the training schedule he arranged for the new guy. Since Brody had been the only one in charge of the mechanics since the onset, it was only fitting that he would show him the ropes.

  “I figured he could shadow me for a couple of weeks. I’ll walk him through the procedures we have in place here and then bring him to North Beach as well. Ideally, I’d love to get him to a place where he can mainly oversee North Beach, and I stay here in Solomons. I wanted to check in with you and see if you had any additional thoughts on the matter,” Brody said.

  “Yeah, I think it sounds like a good idea, with one exception. Maybe as our newly promoted head manager of mechanics in charge of overseeing both locations, you can still pencil yourself in to come and visit North Beach… perhaps a couple of times a month?”

  “Are you serious? Is this your way of saying I’m officially being promoted?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir, not just in title, but the promotion comes along with a raise. I told you I was working on making this a reality. I’m just glad to finally be able to deliver.”

  “Mike, this is awesome. I promise, you won’t be sorry.”

  “Oh, I know it. You’re skilled at what you do, and you’ve earned it. I just want you to train the new g
uy to do just as good of a job. I want Lighthouse Tours to have the best reputation in all of Northern and Southern Maryland, known for giving our clients a taste of nautical paradise. If we deliver on a five-star level, they’ll refer us to their friends and keep coming back for more.”

  “Spoken like a true business owner.” Brody smiled.

  Mike peeked through the shades, noticing Jonathan outside, hosing down his boat, and Tommy pulling out with his first tour of the day.

  “I’m going to check with Ms. Mae to see if she’d be interested in grabbing some brunch from the café for takeout. Do you want anything? This afternoon’s schedule is jam-packed with tours, and I doubt I’ll have time to grab anything to eat,” Mike said.

  “Count me in for my usual order. I’ll leave a few dollars up at the front desk.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Brody pushed in his chair and almost made it out before he paused, leaning on the door frame.

  “Hey, Mike.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Thank you, again. This promotion couldn’t have come at a better time. You know it was always my dream to have a business of my own. But, when things fell through with that, you took me in and treated me like family. I’m invested in this place and forever grateful for all you’ve ever done for me. I mean it…” he said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  When Brody closed the door behind him, Mike nodded, feeling good about his decision. He then checked the clock, figuring he’d given Clara enough time, and anxiously dialed her telephone number.

  Come on, Clara. Pick up, he muttered quietly to himself.

  The morning rush quieted down at the cafe, leaving time for Ms. Mae to sit at the front counter to catch up with Mackenzie. Josh busied himself cleaning tables and Chloe, their part-time help, was out front receiving a shipment.