“I have an offer for you,” her dad said, as she switched her phone onto speaker. Autumn leaned back in her chair, staring out of her office window at the sapphire blue ocean.
“What kind of offer?” She frowned, tracing her finger around a knot in the wood of her desk.
“A monetary one, of course. We’ve found a buyer for you, and you’ll actually make money on it. Isn’t that great?”
“We?” Autumn repeated, her body tensing. “Who’s been helping you?”
“A friend. He located a buyer in California. He already owns three piers up and down the coast. I sent over the details and he stopped by to take a look.”
“When?” She pressed her lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know if he’d be interested. But he is.”
She didn’t like the thought of a stranger looking the pier over without her there. It felt invasive, like somebody rifling through her underwear drawer. “I told you before I’m not interested in selling. Not yet.”
“I know that. But that’s because you wanted to make it profitable first so you could get a better sale. But the buyer doesn’t need you to do that. In fact, it would be a waste. They have plans of their own, including ripping a portion of it apart and rebuilding it. Your efforts would be a waste of time.”
“They want to rebuild?” she repeated, ignoring the pulse thrumming in her neck. “What about the businesses here? That would affect their trade.”
“They’d be given notice. His plans for the pier don’t include them. He wants to build a casino there. It’s been lucrative for him in his other locations. Isn’t that a great idea?”
She sighed. A few months ago she would have agreed. From a pure business perspective, changing the use of the pier would be a savvy decision. Maybe one she might have made herself, if she hadn’t spent so much time here in Angel Sands.
“I don’t think a casino would work here,” she told him. “Angel Sands isn’t that kind of town.”
“Well he says it can. He thinks he can work out a deal with the resort there. It’ll be ideal for us, and that’s what counts.” His voice lowered. “I need you to think about it, okay?”
“I like the pier as it is.” Her voice was firm.
“Autumn, sweetheart. You’ll want to come home soon. It’ll be impossible to manage the pier from New York. And you said yourself it’s going to take years to make it profitable. You’re a real estate developer and agent. A businesswoman. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but it’s time to get back on the horse. Come home. Let me help you.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. The thought of getting on a plane to go back to her old life made her feel sick. “I’m staying here.”
“Is it something to do with the man Lydia was telling me about?”
She let out a mouthful of air. “Yes it is.”
“The whaleboat captain?” Her dad laughed. “Come on, sweetheart. You had a vacation fling. It happens. And maybe you needed it. But that isn’t real life. Real life is here in Manhattan. It’s making deals and feeling the rush as you walk into an expensive restaurant knowing you’re the top dog. It’s winning, not settling for some humdrum life in a California backwater town.”
Maybe she should have been surprised he knew all this information about Griff. But he was a lawyer, he dealt in information. It had always been his currency.
“I’m not settling for anything,” she told him.
“He’s a rebound, Autumn. Josh hurt you, I know that. And maybe this is what you needed to get over it. But this sailor guy? He’s not the one for you, sweetheart. He won’t challenge you. He won’t make you be the best businesswoman you can be. And I know you, whatever you do you always want to be the best. He won’t be able to keep up with you. And then he’ll resent you, the same way men always do when their wives are more successful than they are.”
“Maybe success isn’t always measured in dollars,” she told him. “Maybe it’s about loving somebody and being loved by them. Isn’t being happy more important than being successful?”
“I don’t think so, no. And you wouldn’t either, if you had no money.” His tone was short.
“I’m going to make the pier work. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He sighed. “Let me at least arrange a meeting with the buyer. Let him tell you what he has to say. And if you decide to not go ahead, then I’ll stop asking. Okay?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head, looking out of the dusty window to the pier beyond. “I’ll just be wasting his time.”
“Let him be the judge of that. Just do this for me, sweetheart.” His voice softened. “This way I’ll know that I’ve done everything I can. And if you make a decision with all of the choices in front of you, we’ll both know you’ve made the right one.”
“Okay.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to him. Give him my details and we’ll set something up.” Once the charity day was over, she’d call him, invite him over, then find a reason not to sell. It was simple, really.
She wanted to stay here. Of that she was certain.
“Thank you. That’s all I ask. And Autumn?”
“Yes?”
“I love you, sweetheart. I miss having you here.”
She parted her lips, a ghost of a smile curling at the edges. He was aggravating as hell, but he was still her dad. “I love you, too.”
Autumn looked up to the sky, closing her eyes as the sun warmed her face. It was the first time she’d been back to LAX since she’d arrived all those weeks ago. She felt like a different person. Lighter, even though all the walking and surfing had put some additional muscle on her lean body. And so much more relaxed than the uptight recent-divorcee who’d wheeled her luggage out into the Californian sunshine.
As she stepped into the crowded atrium, Griff’s arm slung casually around her shoulders, there was a huge smile on her face.
She was buzzing at the thought of seeing Lydia. Of introducing her to Griff and showing her around Angel Sands.
“Her flight arrived a little early,” Griff said, glancing up at the arrival screens. “Unless she has a lot of luggage, she should be here pretty fast.”
“Lydia always travels light. She hates waiting for anything, including the luggage carousel.”
The glass doors beneath the arrivals sign slid open and a group of travelers walked through, pulling cabin-sized suitcases. Autumn spotted Lydia almost immediately. She was dressed for the sun, a pretty flowered Bardot top exposing her smooth shoulders where her blonde hair cascaded over them. Her denim skirt had metal buttons down the front, the hem ending halfway down her slender thighs. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on Autumn and Griff, and a huge grin split her face. Abandoning her suitcase in the middle of the crowd, she squealed and ran to them, throwing herself into Autumn’s arms.
Autumn couldn’t help but laugh, though it came out a little strangled thanks to being winded by her sister’s onslaught. A man wheeled her suitcase over and passed it to Griff, before walking away, shaking his head.
“Oh my god, you look so different,” Lydia said when she finally released Autumn from her grasp. “Your hair, it’s down.” She ran her fingers through Autumn’s light brown tresses. “And you’re wearing shorts. Actual shorts. I hardly recognize you.”
“It’s so good to see you, too,” Autumn said with a grin. “And this is Griff.”
He held out his hand to Lydia, but she enveloped him in a bear hug. “Oh god, I want to climb you like a tree,” she told him, tipping her head up, her smile radiant. “Come here.” She pulled his head until her lips pressed against his. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
He hid any shock well. Autumn reminded herself to congratulate him later. Lydia was enough to surprise anybody.
“Are you okay now?” Lydia asked him. “Autumn told me about your accident.” She traced one of the cuts on his face. “Does it hurt?”
“Only if somebody touches it.” He grinned.
“Oops.” Lydia quickly pulled her hand away. “Sorry.”
“Let’s head to the car,” Autumn said. “Unless you need the bathroom?”
Lydia shook her head. “Nope. There was a cute flight attendant in my section, so I made it a point to go pee every five minutes.” She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, showing them a phone number. “We’re meeting up when I’m back in New York.”
Griff grabbed her bag as Lydia slid her arm through Autumn’s, and they followed him to the parking lot. “Oh my god, sun!” Lydia said as they emerged from the building. “It was raining in New York. You should have seen all the looks I got wearing this at the airport. Who’s the loser now?”
Autumn could see Griff’s shoulders shaking with laughter.
“How’s New York?” Autumn asked her.
“Same as when you left it. Boring. Stuffy. Cold.” Lydia wrinkled her nose. “I’ve stayed there for too long. I’m planning on flying to Hawaii when I leave here.”
“What about your date with the flight attendant?” Griff asked.
She shrugged. “I’ll contact him the next time I’m back.”
And he’d come running. Autumn was certain of it. Her sister was different, that was for sure, and that allure seemed to hook men like bait hooked a fish. They wanted to tame her, but she’d never be tamed.
Didn’t stop them from trying.
When they reached the truck, Griff slid Lydia’s case into the flatbed and opened the passenger door. Lydia clambered onto the backseat, her bare legs squashed as she tried to get comfortable.
“You want me to sit in the back instead?” Autumn asked her.
“Nope. You sit next to your man.” Lydia grinned. “I can interrogate him from back here.”
Griff raised an eyebrow as he started the engine. “I’m an open book.”
Lydia clapped her hands together. “Oh good. I can’t wait to ask you all the questions.”
Autumn bit down a smile and let the sun warm her face through the windshield, the same way her sister and Griff were warming her on the inside. She was surrounded by people she loved and it felt so right.
“This view of the ocean is wow,” Lydia said, pressing her nose against the glass doors that led to Griff’s balcony. “I’d sleep out here every night so I could hear the waves. So much better than listening to traffic.”
Griff poured a glass of wine for Autumn and her sister, then grabbed a beer for himself. “Autumn’s view is better. Her cottage opens onto the beach. You can hear the Pacific from her bed.”
Lydia turned her head to give him a cheeky grin. “I bet that’s not all you can hear.”
Autumn shook her head. “Lydia.”
“What?” She shrugged. “I’m just telling it how it is.” Griff passed them the wine, winking at Autumn as she rolled her eyes at him.
“Sorry,” she mouthed.
He leaned forward to press his lips against her brow. Her love for her sister shone out of her. It was in her smile, her amused exasperation, and most of all in her eyes. “She’s right, babe,” he told her with a grin.
“See. I knew it. I only had to take one look at him to know he’s good in bed. And after your ex, that’s a good thing. Am I right?”
“We should think about dinner,” Autumn said, ignoring her sister. “Do you want to get take out?”
“No, I want to go out and explore. We should go to that place on the pier.”
“Delmonico’s?” Autumn’s eyes met Griff’s again. “I don’t know…”
“It’s okay.” Griff told her. “We can go there. It’ll be fine.” He knew she was thinking about Carla and her reaction to them. But Carla would have to get used to it. He wasn’t planning on hiding his relationship with Autumn, not anymore. Wasn’t sure he could if he tried.
Not that he wanted to try.
An hour later, the three of them walked through the painted blue glass doors into the Italian restaurant, where most of the red-and-white checked covered tables were occupied, couples, friends and families leaning forward to talk to each other, the hum of their conversation filling the air.
“Griff. And beautiful Autumn.” Pietro held his arms out as he walked to the desk. “Welcome. A table for three?”
“I’m Lydia, Autumn’s sister.” Lydia reached forward to shake Pietro’s hand. “I love this place already. I bet you have the best baked ziti.”
Pietro smiled. “Yes, we do. And it’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t realize Autumn had a sister.”
“I’m visiting for a few days, and this is the first place I had to try. I’ve heard so much about your food. Autumn tells me your cannolis are to die for.” She leaned forward. “I don’t suppose you have a table for us on the terrace, do you? I really want to dine overlooking the Pacific. I’ve never seen the ocean before.”
Autumn’s mouth dropped open at her sister’s blatant lie. Griff tried to swallow down a laugh. Pietro didn’t notice, though, he was too busy smiling at Lydia and calling the waiters over to free up a table. Within a couple of minutes, they were seated around a square table with warm, fragrant bread in a wicker basket that was making Griff’s mouth water.
“So this is the pier,” Lydia said, looking around, then smiling at Autumn. “I can’t believe you own this.”
“Some days neither can I,” Autumn admitted.
“So tell me about the charity day this weekend,” Lydia said as the waiter filled their glasses with a cool Sauvignon Blanc.
Autumn tore off a hunk of bread and dipped it in the herby olive oil, closing her eyes as she savored the taste on her tongue. “We’re raising money for the local animal shelter,” she told her sister. “One of my friends, Brooke, volunteers there. It’s for a really good cause. We’ve got old fashioned fair rides and food vendors and a series of bands playing at the end of the pier, but more than anything it’s about the community. I want this pier to be the center of Angel Sands, like it was when it was built. Somewhere people come to sit and look out at the water, or to walk along with a sweetheart when the sun is just about to go down. I want the kids to feel welcome here, because god knows there aren’t enough places around here for them to hang around.” She shook her head. “Maybe I’m reaching too far.”
Griff was smiling at her, his eyes soft and warm.
“I’ve never heard you talk about somewhere like that,” Lydia said, grinning. “Whenever you bought in Manhattan it was all about yields and profitability. You didn’t mention money once when you talked about the pier.”
She hadn’t? Autumn ran a finger along her lip. “Money will help, too,” she said.
Griff leaned over and pressed his lips against Autumn’s. “It sounds fantastic. And exactly what this place needs. Frank Megassey’s gonna have a fit. In the best way.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Let’s hope so.”
He slid his hand around to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her long hair as he kissed her deeper. God, it felt good. Better than all the bread in Delmonico’s. When he broke away, she felt dazed.
“Hey, who’s that woman looking at you guys like she wants to throw you in the ocean?” Lydia asked, sipping at her wine.
“Which woman?” Autumn turned to look over her shoulder. When she saw Carla standing at the window, she felt her stomach drop. Poor Carla. She’d feel the same if she saw Griff kissing somebody else.
He wasn’t the kind of guy you got over easily.
Before she could tell her sister who it was, Carla was walking out of the restaurant and over toward their table, her face dark and serious.
Dear lord. It looked like things were about to get a whole lot trickier around here.