Hideaway Cove (A Windfall Island Novel) (22 page)

T
wenty-four hours had passed and she hadn’t fallen apart, Jessi thought, mostly because she’d buried herself in work. Aside from the hours she’d spent with Benji for dinner and schoolwork, she’d made sure to keep herself occupied late into the night, until she’d been too exhausted to toss and turn.

She didn’t have to notice how empty her bed was, to feel the ache of loneliness, to think about Hold’s parting comment. They’d talk when he got back, he’d said, and she tried not to wonder what he wanted to talk about.

“When is Maggie getting back from Portland?”

She looked up, wondering how long Dex had been standing there in the office doorway watching her. Long enough to see her mooning, long enough to get that sympathetic look on his face, she decided, although she didn’t feel even slightly embarrassed, since he was looking a little moony himself.

“That’ll be her now,” Jessi said, as the whir of the Twinstar’s rotors floated in from the tarmac.

He came around Jessi’s desk so they could wait for Maggie together. “I wonder how the contract talks went?”

“Maybe she should have taken you,” Jessi said to him.

“You know the business end of Solomon Charters better than she does. She should have taken you.”

“I’m sure she did fine by herself.”

Dex jerked a shoulder; Jessi wondered if he realized he’d picked that up from Maggie. Wasn’t that one of the things that made them a couple, she thought, adopting each other’s habits? Maggie had toned down her sometimes abrasive attitude; she tended to pause and think now before she spoke. She’d gotten that from Dex.

But she was still Maggie, confident to a fault as she strode in and dropped her clipboard on Jessi’s desk. “You’re looking at the newest subcontractor to the biggest charter service on the east coast,” she said. “I’ll be making a regular circuit for them, twice a month, year-round. And they want to make Windfall a regular stopover, four to six hours, so more business for the island. If it works out, they’re already talking about expanding. We’ll see after the first twelve months.”

“They want a probationary period?”

“I do.” Maggie paced as she talked. “Don’t want to be swallowed up.”

“The bump in business means you’ll be able to replace the Piper right away,” Dex said, “maybe take on a new pilot part-time.” His phone rang and he excused himself to the little office.

“You’d never let anyone swallow you up,” Jessi said.

“Us,” Maggie corrected her. “You’re part owner of this outfit, and the bump in business means more work for both of us. You should think about hiring an assistant.”

“I don’t want an assistant. I like things the way they are.”

“Things change, Jess. A smart girl changes with them.”

“Is Hold is one of the things you’re talking about?”

“I’m talking about the charter business. But I’d be interested to know why Hold is the first
thing
that popped into your mind.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You want to talk about everything.”

“I’m learning the art of self-editing,” Jessi muttered, and was saved when Dex came out of Hold’s office.

“That was Alec. There’s a charity ball this weekend in Boston. The Stanhopes are patrons so they’ll all be there. Alec says he can wrangle us tickets.”

“Whoa.” Maggie held up both hands. “Ball? As in dancing? Dancing in one of those long dresses, and those stilts some fashion sadist thinks are necessary when you wear the long dress?”

“Ball as in we can meet the Stanhopes. All of us. Imagine what will happen when they meet you, Maggie, after one of them tried to have you killed.”

“Maybe it’s not a good idea to stir the pot that much.”

“You have to go,” Jessi put in. “I can’t. There’s no one I feel safe leaving Benji with.”

“Benji comes with us,” Dex said, “especially in light of the latest revelation. He can stay with my family.”

“He should be safe in a cop’s house,” Maggie said.

Dex laughed. “My dad may be a cop, but it’s my mom they’ll have to get by.”

“Great,” Maggie said. “You make her sound like some kind of dragon, guarding the gate.”

Dex sent her a smile. “You remind me a lot of her.”

“And you actually fly,” Jessi added, and when she and Dex laughed, Maggie joined in reluctantly. “You know we’ll have to shop for dresses, Maggie. This charity ball sounds like a pretty big deal. We can’t show up in something we got down at the Emporium,” she said, referring to the closest thing they had to a department store on the island. The Emporium stocked everything from work boots to lingerie, but the only current fashion to be found was between the covers of magazines. “We don’t have much time, and I have no idea where to start. We’re going to need an expert.”

“Over my dead body.”

“Well,” Jessi observed, “at least then you wouldn’t need a dress.”

Barely fifteen minutes after Jessi called her, Paige breezed into the airport office and settled a hip on the edge of Jessi’s desk. Not a perfectly dyed blond hair was out of place, and she was decked out in the kind of outfit that made Jessi sigh with envy: slim black wool pants that were likely lined with silk, fur-lined boots and a fur-trimmed coat that looked warm enough to keep out an arctic blast while still showing every line and curve of Paige’s perfect figure.

“Jesus, did you fly?” Maggie wanted to know.

“You asked for my help.”

“Jessi asked for your help.”

Paige ignored the distinction. “I wanted to meet the man who’s willing to take you on for the rest of his life.”

“You could have met him at the Horizon. We eat dinner there almost every night.”

“But I’m so terrible at waiting. And I gave you an hour for your reunion. That should be enough time to rediscover such limited, and rarely visited, territory.”

“Some men prefer the road less traveled to the beaten path.”

Paige hissed out a breath.

“If you’re going to dish it out, you have to be able to take it,” Maggie said.

Jessi caught the look Dex sent her way, did a palms up. “I’m not stepping between them and getting clawed.”

“I only bring my claws out for special occasions.” Paige crossed to Dex. “You must be the brave man I’ve been hearing about.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Dex took the hand she held out, grinning when Maggie scorched him with a look.

“Don’t fall at her feet or anything,” Maggie said crankily. “You’ll only embarrass yourself.”

“I used to enjoy men falling at my feet,” Paige said casually, “until I realized that the ones who do are only down there to look up your dress.” When Dex laughed, Paige honed in on him again. “How’s your balance, cutie?”

“Perfectly fine.” His eyes shifted to Maggie and simply lit up. “I’ve done all the falling I’m going to do in this lifetime.”

“Oh, and romantic, too. How did you manage to snag him, Maggie?”

“Be nice,” Jessi said before Maggie could take the bait. “And you”—she pointed at Paige—“don’t make me sorry I called you.”

“I told you she’d be like this,” Maggie said.

“You’re right,” Jessi said carefully. “I guess we’ll have to buy our own dresses for the Winter Giving ball.”

“What? Wait.” Paige all but pounced on her. “The Winter Giving Ball? Nearly every attendee has a personal fortune in the millions, or billions. You can’t go in there looking like country bumpkins.”

Maggie bumped up a shoulder. “Then we’ll go shopping on the mainland, Jess.”

This time Paige laughed outright. “You’ll buy pants, Maggie, and Jessi—”

“I’m on a budget,” Jessi said defensively.

“Not while I’m around, you’re not.”

“You’re not buying me a dress.”

“No, but there are thrift shops that carry vintage gowns for reasonable prices. And if we can’t find anything suitable there, I can get someone to loan you something. From one of the new designers. You can’t rub elbows with the Boston elite in something from a run-of-the-mill department store.”

“You’re right,” Jessi said. “You’re coming with us.”

“Sure. Why don’t you invite Maisie and Helen while you’re at it? It’s just my plane.”

“And I’m sure it’s a very nice plane.”

“Bet your ass, I do all the maintenance myself.”

“You…” Paige gulped, the condescension draining out of her face along with every drop of blood. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

Maggie crossed her arms and grinned. “Afraid?”

“Yes,” Paige mimicked her pose, “but I’m made of pretty stern stuff. Wait. How did you get tickets to the Winter Giving Ball?”

“A friend of Dex’s.”

Paige crossed her arms, gave Dex a long, dubious look. “Uh-uh. This has something to do with all the secrecy.”

Jessi looked over at Dex.

“She’s of an age,” Dex said.

“No.” Maggie tried to stare Dex down, and when that didn’t work she shifted her efforts to Jessi.

But Jessi had made her decision. There’d been too many secrets already. “Dex is right, Mags. We should tell her.”

“Tell me what?”

Maggie threw up her hands. “Fine, but don’t blame me when she shoots her mouth off and this whole thing blows up in our faces.”

“If there’s one thing Hollywood has taught me,” Paige said, “it’s how to keep my personal business personal.”

“Suppose you fill Paige in, Dex,” Jessi said before Maggie could call Paige on that apparent hypocrisy. A woman who’d supposedly made the sex tape currently burning up the Internet could hardly claim to be keeping her business private. Even if Paige was ready to tell Maggie the truth, though, she wouldn’t do it in front of Dex.

In any case, Jessi didn’t figure she could do Eugenia’s story justice, and Maggie didn’t want to share, so they let Dex lay it out for Paige. Her reaction was no surprise.

“You don’t really expect me to believe I’m the long, lost Stanhope heir,” she said with a laugh, “although it would make quite the story. In fact, I’ll bet the press would completely forget—”

“See, I told you she’d blab,” Maggie said.

“My lips are sealed,” Paige retorted with an edge that told Jessi she meant it.

Even Maggie seemed to relent. “Flight leaves first thing in the morning,” she said to Paige, her tone firm but not cutting. “With or without you.”

“I’ll be here with bells on.”

“Then I’ll be sure to bring my earplugs.”

Laughing, Dex followed Maggie out the door.

“Well,” Paige murmured, “I see they’re made for each other.”

Jessi sighed wistfully. “They really are.”

The waitress, wearing ripped jeans, a wife-beater, and a black apron crusted with something disgusting, came over to the table. “Whatcha want,” she said, not even looking at them.

“Cheeseburger, loaded, and fries,” Maggie said.

“Beer with that?”

“Coke. I’m flying.”

That brought the waitress’s eyes up, but all she said was, “Right,” and sent Paige an expectant look.

Paige dropped her voice half an octave and added just a shade of southern to it as she, too, ordered a burger and fries, and a diet soda. It wasn’t like she had much choice in a place where the menu was written in chalk over the bar.

Since she hadn’t trusted Maggie not to leave her behind, she’d been at the airport at the crack of dawn. They’d flown out of Windfall Airport barely an hour later, and Maggie didn’t run the kind of airline that served peanuts, let alone breakfast. Dex and Benji had gone to his parents’ house on the South side. George Boatwright, who’d begged a ride with them, had gone off to see to his own business.

Paige had insisted the three women go straight to work, shopping. For once, Maggie hadn’t argued with her.

Afraid to meet the parents, Paige had realized, although Maggie’s fear hadn’t amused her like it should have. She’d been too busy with envy.

“Cheer up,” Maggie said. “This place has the best pub food in Boston.”

Pub food
, Paige thought morosely, picturing her thighs and backside dimpling instantly after the first bite.

“It’s also quiet and filled with locals minding their own business, so there’s less chance you’ll be recognized,” Maggie added, her wide grin taking the sting out of her next observation. “Maybe if you got off your high horse, you could appreciate the—what is it?—ambience. Not to mention the anonymity.”

Paige looked around at the old, highly polished bar with its brass rails and fittings, the long, age-spotted mirror behind it, lined with backlit bottles. The old wooden booths along the opposite wall may have seen better days, but she’d have bet there’d been a lot of history in here, too. A man of about sixty, white-haired and ruddy, manned the taps, and when he caught her watching him, he winked and smiled, bright blue eyes shining in the dim light.

She couldn’t help but smile back—before she remembered she was trying to remain incognito.
God knows
, she thought,
it wouldn’t do to let Maggie figure out I actually like the place
.

“The only time I get on a horse is for a role,” she said in a languid tone designed to irritate Maggie, “and I wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this in California.”

Maggie snorted. “The Paige I remember would have gotten a kick out of this place.”

“The Paige you remember was sixteen and green as grass.”

“Emeralds more your version of green these days?”

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake. Would you two stop sniping at each other?”

Paige sat back. When she turned to Jessi to apologize, she saw the unhappiness on her face. “What’s wrong?”

Jessi and Maggie traded a look. Neither spoke.

“Ranks still closed?”

“No, Paige, it’s just…You were gone a long time.” Jessi spoke carefully, trying not to hurt her.

Jessi didn’t know it was too late, Paige thought. It hurt Paige every time she realized that while Jessi and Maggie understood why she’d left, they weren’t exactly forgetting that she’d turned her back on them ten years ago. Knowing it was her own fault didn’t take the sting out of it.

“And Maggie’s right,” Jessi continued. “You’re not the girl we knew anymore.”