Barefoot Bay: Hold On To Forever (Kindle Worlds Novella) (2 page)

Go away… Go away… Go away…

Felicity firmly believed in the power of a strong mantra. If she chanted it to herself enough, it could happen.

Lacey began typing into a computer. “So you’ll be staying the entire week with a late check out on Sunday?”

“That’s right.” She lowered her voice, although there was really no sense in doing it because from where he was standing, unless he was deaf, Jack could hear their entire conversation. “May I ask,
um
, exactly how much the rate is for the villa?”

Sensing her discomfort, Lacey wrote down a figure on a slip of paper and discreetly handed it to her.

Dear God
. This figure was equal to almost half a year’s rent on her apartment back in Orlando!

Felicity tried to keep her voice from squeaking. “I think there might be a mistake. It’s just me and my sister, so we probably don’t need anything as large as a villa.”

“Your sister said to expect an aunt, along with a few cousins? The villa has three bedrooms, as well as a kitchen and a private pool. So although it’s more expensive than separate hotel rooms, the amenities and all the extra room make it worth the expense.”

Of course, Aunt Cindy and the cousins would be coming in a couple of days. Felicity had forgotten about that.

“Yes, that all makes sense.” A trickle of sweat ran down her back. She pulled out her MasterCard, then quickly stuffed it back in her purse.
No way
was that card going to go through. Not for the amount Lacey had written. She had no choice. She was going to have to use the Virgin Visa, the card she kept hidden in the back compartment of her wallet to be used only in case of extreme and dire emergency.

This wasn’t exactly what she’d been saving it for, but a sudden vision of Jack witnessing her MasterCard get rejected popped into her head.
Extreme and dire didn’t begin to describe the situation.
She handed the never-used Visa over to Lacey.

“I’ll just run this for incidentals,” Lacey said.

“Incidentals?”

“The suite has already been paid for by the Martinez family,” Lacey clarified.

Felicity’s gaze flew to Jack’s. “Oh, I can’t have you do that.”

He shrugged. “My parents would insist.”

“No, really, please go ahead and charge the villa to that card,” she instructed Lacey.

Lacey hesitated. “I’ll have to void out the other card that was used and redo the account, but if that’s what you’d like…”

Jack reached over and plucked the card from Lacey’s hand. “Since my parents aren’t here at the moment, I’m afraid I’ll have to step in and insist on their behalf. Please charge any incidentals to the card already on file,” he said to Lacey. He handed the Visa back to Felicity. “You can duke it out with my parents if you like, but I hope you’ll be civil enough to accept their generosity. For everything.”

He hoped she’d be civil enough?

Jack Martinez had a way of making her feel like a bug beneath his two thousand dollar Italian leather shoes. A bug he could happily squash at any time. She was grateful that she didn’t have to pay for the villa, but…hold on. Did he say for
everything
? As in, the entire wedding?

“Thank you,” Felicity said tightly, because what other choice did she have at the moment? She wasn’t about to make a scene here in the middle of the lobby.

Lacey got all Jack’s information, then handed them each their room keys, along with an itinerary. “Willow Hershey, one of the wedding planners here at Barefoot Bay Brides, ask that I give each member of the family a detailed rundown of the week’s events. There’s a welcome dinner at Junonia in the next hour. That’s the restaurant here at the resort. They’ll also be catering the food for the wedding reception.”

Felicity quickly perused the itinerary. Tonight’s dinner was just the beginning. Tomorrow morning there was a fitting at a bridal shop in nearby Naples, followed later in the week by a beach excursion, manicures, pedicures, massages, a luau, and on and on. The week culminated, of course, with the wedding on Saturday evening. There was even a farewell brunch for Sunday morning.

“Looks like we’re on a cruise,” Jack muttered, which was exactly what Felicity had been thinking too.

Lacey smiled sympathetically. “As the best man and maid of honor, of course you’ll be expected to cheerfully participate in all the events together.”

“Right,” said Jack.

Felicity gritted her teeth and smiled. Dinner in an hour? Okay. That gave her plenty of time to have a serious one-on-one with her baby sister.

Everyone knew it was the bride’s family that paid for the wedding. Of course, times were changing and the Martinez family could probably afford a million weddings at Casa Blanca, but David Reed would have never let someone else pay for his daughter’s wedding, let alone their accommodations. When her father died, it had essentially left Felicity as head of the family. It was bad enough that she’d run her father’s business into the ground. Allowing someone else to pay for Nicki’s wedding would be like…letting her father down all over again.

Chapter Two

Felicity arrived at the villa with barely enough time to shower and get ready for dinner, let alone have the kind of talk she and Nicki needed to have.

Nicki looked radiant in an apricot linen shift and a simple pearl choker. She had their mother’s coloring—dark blonde hair with blue eyes and perfect bone structure. Felicity had inherited their father’s brown hair and brown eyes and not so perfect nose. She wasn’t unattractive, but compared to Nicki she was the plain sister. Not that she begrudged Nicki her classic good looks. She was proud of her baby sister. She was beautiful, smart, and accomplished, and Felicity couldn’t help but feel like she was responsible for some of that.

“Isn’t this place gorgeous?” Nicki gushed. “Mitch and I came out here a couple of weeks ago and I just knew this is where we had to get married. And wait till you meet the wedding planners! They’re all fabulous.”

“Well, yes, it’s all beautiful. But…did you already make all the wedding arrangements? Without me?”

“Sorry! I was just so excited. I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to get in on such short notice. We wouldn’t have, you know, except there was a last minute cancellation so we had to act fast.” She eyed Felicity’s shorts and flip-flops. “Hurry! We don’t want to be late for dinner!”

Felicity began unpacking her suitcase. “Who’s coming to this family dinner anyway?”

“Just us and Jack and Ellen and Luis. Oh, and Mitch’s grandmother, Lola. She’ll probably ask you to call her Abuela. She’s eighty-five and a hoot. The rest of the extended family will come up Friday.”

Extended family?

No time to delve into specifics now. But after dinner she was going to corner her sister and find out exactly how much all this was going to cost.

She quickly showered and changed into a black and white polka dot halter dress and a pair of strappy sandals. The night air was humid so she opted to pull her long brown hair up in a simple chignon.

The food was delicious and the company perfectly pleasant. Except for the fact that she had to sit across the table from Jack. Once again, he was deceptively charming. Jumping into the conversation when he had something witty to say and overly courteous to his mother and grandmother.

Was it Felicity’s imagination or had she caught him staring at her throughout dinner? It wasn’t creepy staring. It was more like…no. He wasn’t interested in her. He’d made that clear the night of Nicki and Mitch’s graduation. But every once in a while she’d glance over and be hit with those green eyes looking right at her and she couldn’t help but feel a little squirmy. He was probably the best looking man she’d ever encountered. And he knew it. He’d smiled at the waitress and the poor girl had almost dropped her tray.

The rest of the family was chatty—excited about the week’s events. After the meal, Luis and Ellen invited them all back to their villa for celebratory champagne. They were seated in the living room when Ellen raised her flute in the air for a toast. “To our youngest son and his beautiful bride-to-be!”

“Hear, hear!” Luis chimed in.

Unlike Jack, Luis and Ellen Martinez were easy to like. It was difficult to reconcile those aggressive billboards to this friendly, good looking couple in their late fifties who made a point of putting everyone around them at ease. Their story was well known throughout advertising circles.

Luis Martinez was a Cuban immigrant who had come to Miami at the young age of ten. His father had been an attorney in Cuba, and Luis had continued in his legal footsteps by graduating with his JD from the University of Florida, where he met his first wife Catherine, an ER nurse. She’d been working a late night shift when a drunk driver had taken a red light and killed her. Luckily, Jack, who’d been a baby at the time, had been home with Luis.

Heartbroken, Luis had taken his tragedy and channeled it into his professional life, forming his own firm and specializing in personal injury law. Eventually, he remarried, this time to a fellow attorney, Ellen Green, and the firm became Martinez and Martinez. A few years after that, Mitch had come along.

In a little over thirty years the firm had grown from just Luis, to Ellen and Luis, and then to over two hundred attorneys and three dozen offices statewide. They were everywhere. Television, print, billboards. Luis and Ellen were frequent guests on all the legal talk shows. There were other big personal injury law firms in the state, but none as colorful as Martinez and Martinez. They were every advertising company’s dream client.

Felicity didn’t have anything against them. Personal injury attorneys always got a bum rap. But she did have a lot against the hit-the-client-over-the-head-mentality portrayed by those billboards. If she was in charge of their account the first thing she’d do was put forth a classier image, but Jack hadn’t even given her a chance to present her case. Which, under the circumstances was probably just as well. Mixing business with family could be tricky. Still…

She drained her champagne and Lola immediately filled her glass back up.

“Thank you, Lola.”

“Please! Call me Abuela. Everyone in the family does, even my own son. Fe-li-city,” she pronounced slowly. “What an interesting name. I have never heard it before.”

Felicity smiled at the way her name sounded with the thick Cuban accent. Lola might be eighty-five, but she was spry, with a keen set of eyes that seemed to take in everything. Eyes that looked remarkably like her eldest grandson’s. Felicity suppressed a shiver. She imagined that a young Luis had probably never gotten away with a childhood lie with this woman.

“Were you named after someone special?”

“I was named after a family member,” Felicity said, hoping Abuela would leave it at that.

“Oh? That is good. Family traditions are important.” She took a sip of her champagne. “Who exactly were you named after?”

Felicity noticed the way Nicki kept crossing and uncrossing her leg, like she couldn’t hold still. Was she as uncomfortable as Felicity by this line of questioning?

“I was named after my grandmother.”

Abuela clapped her hands together. “
Perfecto
!” She winked at Nicki and Mitch. “I expect a little Lola very soon.”

“But not until you two graduate from law school,” Luis said. “It’s hard enough being married those first few years. But a baby
and
law school? Not a good mix.”

Nicki smiled but it was her nervous smile. Felicity noticed the way Mitch took Nicki’s hand and gently squeezed it in support. He was tall like Jack, but his hair was a lighter brown and his eyes were a soft amber color. Not nearly as good looking, but definitely a kinder, gentler version of his older half-brother.

Felicity tried to imagine Mitch in one of those billboards. Nope. She just couldn’t see it. She hadn’t talked to Nicki about her plans after law school, but she’d thought that both Nicki and Mitch would probably be expected to join the family firm.

Joining a prominent family like the Martinez clan had both its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, they seemed like really nice people (well, she was still on the fence about Jack). They were rich (which never hurt anything) and had tons of legal connections throughout the southeast. But on the other hand, joining that same rich and powerful family would come with expectations. Was Nicki worried about being bulldozed into a law career she didn’t want?

Nicki had graduated undergrad summa cum laude. She was smart and savvy and had been dreaming of law school ever since Felicity could remember. She should be able to practice whatever kind of law she wanted.

“So, this was your father’s mother you were named after?” Abuela persisted. “I was sorry to hear that he passed a few years ago. How sad that he will not be able to see his daughter get married.”

“No,” Felicity said, careful to keep her voice neutral, “I’m named after my maternal grandmother.”

“Ah, yes, your mother. When will she be arriving?”

Never
.

Mitch jumped up from the couch. “Who wants coffee?”

“That’s a great idea!” Nicki chimed in. “There’s leftover dessert as well. Cheesecake, Felicity? It’s your favorite.”

Poor Nicki. She always babbled when she wanted to change the subject. Even after all these years, talking about their mother still made her emotional. Not that Felicity blamed her. The Martinez clan were obviously a tight knit bunch. It might be hard for them to understand someone like their mother. From the suddenly confused look on Abuela’s face it was obvious she hadn’t been made aware of their family history. Might as well get this over with now.

“Our mother left our father when Nicki was six,” Felicity explained. “We don’t really keep in touch with her anymore.”

Ellen and Luis shifted uncomfortably in their seats. “Abuela, I think I mentioned that Nicki’s parents had divorced?” Ellen said carefully.

“Yes, dear, I remember. I do not have the Alzheimer’s. But what has that to do with anything? Surely she is coming to the wedding! Who misses their own daughter’s wedding?”

“It’s…complicated,” Mitch said.

Jack, who up until now had been quiet, stood from his chair near the window. “I think cheesecake is an excellent idea. Abuela, would you like to help me in the kitchen?”

Abuela looked as if she wanted to revisit the subject of their mother, but Jack guided her toward the kitchen while Luis refilled everyone’s champagne flutes. Abuela might be a “hoot” but she either couldn’t take a hint or was just plain nosy. Or maybe now that they were going to be related she thought she had a right to all the skeletons in the Reed family closet. Whatever her intentions, Felicity was grateful to Jack for his quick intervention.

The mood in the room lifted and soon they were all eating cheesecake and talking about the wedding again. Felicity ate her entire slice, but Nicki barely touched hers. She kept tossing glances toward Mitch. Was this still about their mother? Felicity hoped not. The woman wasn’t worth a second of Nicki’s time, let alone any anxiety on her part.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Abuela Act Two to begin. “So, Felicity, do you have a boyfriend?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack’s gaze on her. “Not presently,” she said. “I find my job keeps me too busy for that sort of thing.”

“Too busy for a boyfriend?” Abuela shook her head. “In my day, you would have been considered a
soltera.
I believe in English the expression is
an old maid.”

“Lola!” Ellen said, laughing to hide her discomfort. “I think Felicity should be commended. She’s single handedly running her father’s advertising agency. Plus, how old are you?” she asked Felicity. “Twenty-eight?” Before Felicity could answer, Ellen turned back to address her mother-in-law. “She’s practically a baby! I didn’t marry Luis until I was in my early thirties.”

“True, but that is because you had not met my son until then,” Abuela said, justifying her reasoning. “I am sorry, but I do not understand young people of today. Take my handsome grandson here.” She motioned toward Jack. “He will be thirty-four soon and he has never even brought a girl home! All work and no play, that one.” She sighed heavily. “I am afraid it will be up to Mitch and his lovely Nicole to provide me with great-grandchildren.”

Ellen gave Felicity a look that said
I love her, but what can I do
? “Felicity, please tell us more about your family’s PR firm,” she urged in an obvious effort to change the subject.

Felicity gingerly laid down her empty plate on the coffee table. Maybe this was a good time to bring up the subject of who was paying for this wedding. “Reed Advertising was started by my father twenty years ago. I went to work for him after college. When he died, he left the business to me and Nicki. We’re a small firm, but we specialize in giving our clients the utmost attention.”

“And you run this company by yourself?” Luis asked.

“I have a partner, and she’s a big help.”

“I’m sure your father would be proud to know that you’ve kept the business going after his passing,” Ellen said.

Maybe. Maybe not.

“Speaking of my father… I don’t want to be indelicate here, and please, let me thank you for everything you’ve already done, but I do hope you realize that we’ll be taking care of all the wedding expenses.”

“Oh, but we’re more than happy to pay for the wedding,” Luis said. “We already love Nicki like she’s our own daughter and nothing would make us happier.”

“Besides,” Ellen said, “It’s already a done deal.”

Jack gave her a look that said
I told you so
. But just because the Martinez family wanted something, didn’t mean they were going to get it.

“Then you must allow me to repay you. Really, I
insist
. I know that’s how my father would have wanted things.”

Luis seemed torn. “Well, if you put it that way—”

“Good! Then it’s all settled,” Felicity said with what she hoped was a strong note of finality on her part.

Luis refilled her champagne flute. Was that her second or third glass? “So, the ad agency must be doing pretty well then.”

It wasn’t exactly a question, but it still required some sort of response. Before Felicity could say anything, Nicki interjected, “Of course the firm is doing great. My sister is a creative genius.”