“Okay, I really think we should get out of here.” Ember hitched Arthur into the crook of her right arm and slid her left into Griff’s as they watched Autumn take her father, her ex-husband, and the other man into her office. Before she closed the door, Autumn shot Griff a look that he couldn’t quite translate.
Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. He gritted his teeth at the thought of her in that room with the father who always tried to railroad her, and the husband who’d hurt her. Gently pulling his arm from Ember’s, he turned to walk over to the office.
“Griff, don’t.” Lydia put her hand on his substantial chest, her eyebrows rising up as though she was surprised at the muscles there. “Ember’s right, you should go. Be cool and let Autumn handle this.”
“I’m not going anywhere until they leave. Who was that other guy with them?”
“I don’t know,” Lydia admitted. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“Then I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He started walking toward the office, his strides so long that Lydia had to break into a fast jog to keep up with him.
“Seriously, Griff, let Autumn manage this. She’ll be mortified if you go in there all guns blazing.”
“But what if she needs some support?” He slowed down to look at Lydia. Her cheeks were pink, her mouth open as she panted.
“I’ll tell you what,” Lydia said, sliding between Griff and the office door. “Let me go in. I’ll find out who that man is and what the hell Josh is doing here. Autumn’s had enough of guys thinking they know best for her. Let her sort this out herself.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I get that. I don’t like it much either.” Lydia gave him a worried smile. “Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
He looked through the grimy windows of the office. The sun was shining too bright for him to make out anything more than the shadows of the people inside. All he could see was himself, his jaw set straight, his arms hanging at his side, and his hands forming two formidable fists.
Lydia opened the door, and he tried to see past her, but she pulled it closed too fast. But he heard the raised voices, and they made him grit his teeth.
“What’s going on?” Carla asked, coming to a stop beside him. “I heard yelling.”
“Nothing,” Griff said through his clenched jaw. “Go back to the restaurant.”
“Why are you hanging around here staring at the office like you want to kill somebody?” Carla tried to peer around him.
“No reason.” He wanted to swat her off like a fly.
“Are you okay?” she asked him, laying a hand on his arm. The edge of concern in her voice made him feel like an asshole. “Is there a problem with Autumn?”
“No.” Would she just leave already? He could feel the fire burning inside him, heating up the fear and anger laying right below the surface.
The office door opened, and Lydia stepped out, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth the same way he’d seen Autumn do a hundred times. She looked at Carla with a wary expression, then sighed and walked toward them. “Okay, we should go,” Lydia said, inclining her head to the passage between the office and the restaurant.
“Is Autumn okay?” Griff turned his back on Carla.
“Um…”
“Have you found out who the other guy is?” he asked, nodding his head at the door.
“His name’s Carlsson. He’s a property developer from L.A.”
“What’s a property developer doing here?” Carla frowned.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Lydia asked her, though Griff was perfectly aware that she knew exactly who Carla was.
Carla squared her shoulders. “You know who I am. My dad owns this restaurant. So who’s the property developer? Why is he here? Are they talking about changes to the pier?”
The door opened again, and the three of them looked at it expectantly. But instead of Autumn walking out, it was Josh. He gave Lydia a huge grin. To Griff’s satisfaction, she gave him a scowl in return.
“You want me to point you to the airport?” she asked him.
“Hi, I’m Carla Delmonico.” Carla pushed past Griff and Lydia to offer Josh her hand. “A friend of Autumn’s. I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
Josh’s eyes lit up. “Hey Carla, it’s good to meet you.”
“And you are?” Carla prompted.
Griff looked at Lydia, and she lifted her shoulders back at him. It was like watching a train wreck. If two exes meet, does the universe implode?
“I’m Josh Garner. Autumn’s husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Lydia corrected him, and Josh turned to look at her.
“Sorry,” he said, that inane grin never wavering. “It’s been such a short time, I forget about that.”
“I didn’t know Autumn was married.” Carla’s gaze slid to Griff. “Did you know?” she asked him. He hated the way her expression was full of compassion.
“Yeah,” he said roughly. “I know all about the divorce.”
“You must be Gruff. The whaleboat captain. Autumn’s dad has told me all about you.”
“It’s Griffin,” He shook the man’s hand, trying not to smile as his grip made Josh wince.
“Of course it is. Though Gruff rhymes with rough, which kind of suits you, right?”
“Sorry, can we get back to the property developer that Autumn’s talking to?” Carla said. “I didn’t know she had plans to develop this place.”
“Oh, she doesn’t,” Josh said casually. “She wants to sell it to him.”
It felt like a punch in Griff’s gut. “She’s selling the pier?” he asked, frowning as he tried to take it in.
“His offer’s too good to refuse,” Josh carried on. “I should know, I’m the one who found him. She’s one lucky son of a gun to find someone willing to pay that much money. Especially since she was completely hammered when she clicked the buy button.”
“She was?” Carla’s mouth dropped open. “As in drunk?”
“To her eyeballs.” Josh grinned. “Didn’t she tell you the story? She woke up to the listing on her browser. Couldn’t even remember sending an offer in, but she did. If it had been me, I’d have rescinded right away, but you know Autumn.” He shook his head, chuckling. “She has this sense of duty and felt she had to do her best for the place.”
The way Josh was talking about Autumn, as though she was still his wife, made Griff’s teeth grind together.
“How do you know all of this?” Lydia asked Josh, her face even redder than when she’d run after Griff.
“Well from you, of course,” Josh said, shaking his head as if she’d just told the funniest joke. “Via your dad. He said you told him it was all a drunken mistake.”
“I didn’t say that,” Lydia muttered. “Not in those words, anyway. You’re twisting them.” She turned her head, her eyes catching Griff’s. “It wasn’t a mistake. It never has been. She wanted to come here.”
“She wanted to hurt her dad. And probably me, too. God knows I hurt her enough.” For the first time, the smile slid from Josh’s lips. “I’m just hoping I can make it up to her and get her to come home with her head held high.” He shrugged. “I can’t help but feel this is all my fault.”
“So that’s why you’re here? To make up for being such an asshole?” Lydia’s laugh was short. “When did you die and become Mother Teresa?”
“Isn’t Mother Teresa dead?” Carla asked, frowning.
Griff’s nails dug into the hard skin on his palms. Not that he felt it, not really. He was too damn confused for all that.
Autumn bought this place as a mistake? Though he’d never asked her outright why she’d purchased the pier and come to Angel Sands, it still felt like a lie. The kind of story she should have told him while they were curled up in bed together, their voices heavy with sated desire.
So why didn’t she tell him? He could understand her being a little embarrassed about it, but they’d been naked together so many times, for god’s sake. They were way beyond being embarrassed about things they’d done.
He swallowed hard, remembering something she’d said to him after the first time they’d kissed at the top of the cliff.
I’m making bad decisions left, right, and center at the moment.
She’d been talking about buying the pier, he was certain of it now. But not just about the pier. More than one decision. At least two.
The second one was kissing him.
You were a mistake. You always have been. The voice in his head sounded exactly like his mom’s.
It made him feel sick. Like the kid he’d been when he’d cried in the hospital, the only one in the pediatric ward not surrounded by adults who loved him when he’d been injured.
A mistake.
A bad decision.
It all added up to the same thing. He wasn’t wanted.
“I gotta go,” Griff said, shaking his head, though the messy thought refused to move.
Lydia reached out for his arm. “You should wait to talk to Autumn. She’ll be out soon.”
“I can’t.” He shrugged her off in the same gentle way he’d eluded Ember. When you’re as big as he was, you knew how to stop from hurting others inadvertently.
Funny how he couldn’t stop himself from hurting, though. Not when the word ‘mistake’ was battering around in his head like a pinball on speed. He heard it in his mom’s voice, a little bit screechy, and a whole lot of painful.
For all his life he’d gotten in the way of her plans. Was he getting in the way of Autumn’s, too?
Christ, he needed a drink. Or five.
“The pier isn’t for sale,” Autumn said, looking from her father to Mr. Carlsson and back again. “I’m sorry for your wasted journey.”
“Of course it’s for sale.” Her dad did that lying laugh again. It grated her nerves like cheese. “As I explained, Autumn has gotten attached to this place. Who wouldn’t? It’s a beautiful property in a beautiful town.” His steely eyes slid to Autumn’s. “Hence the agreed price.”
“Dad…”
“Actually, could you give us a minute?” her father quickly said, striding over to the door and pulling it open. He beckoned at Josh, who was standing with Lydia and Carla of all people. Autumn frowned, wondering where Griff was.
“Josh, can you take Mr. Carlsson on a tour of the pier?”
“Now?” Josh asked, frowning just a little.
“Yes. I want to talk to my daughter alone.”
“Oh, sure,” he smiled agreeably. “Let’s go.”
Autumn watched as they left, her arms folded tightly across her chest. All the adrenaline shooting through her veins seemed to evaporate, making her body feel leaden and achy. She collapsed into a chair, frowning as she tried to work out how the day had morphed from triumph into disaster.
She should have been up front with her dad about the pier not being for sale. It was her own stupid fault that this had happened.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Autumn asked him.
“Because I wanted to surprise you.”
She wasn’t going to hit something. Not even if her fists were aching to feel the wood of her desk. “You should have called. You’ve just wasted twenty-four hours for nothing. And I haven’t even gotten started on Josh being here. Why the hell have you involved him in this?”
“Because he has good contacts, and he wanted to help. He feels bad that you bought this place while you were drinking away your sorrows.” Her dad frowned. “You should have told me all about that from the start, by the way. I could have stopped the sale.”
“I didn’t want you to. I wanted to buy the pier.” She blew out a mouthful of air. “And I’m glad I did, because it brought me back to life again. Made me realize I can make it on my own. Without Josh and our business. And without your help.”
His face fell, and she winced. That hadn’t exactly come out right.
“If you don’t sell, it’s going to be impossible to manage this place from New York. Which means you’ll have to employ somebody to do it for you, and that’ll eat into your profits even more.” He leaned forward and cupped her face. “Think about what you could do with the money if you sell. I’ll help you set up a new business if you want.” He blinked at her expression, hastily pulling his hand away. “Or I can let you do it yourself,” he added quickly. “But it’ll give you the freedom to choose.”
She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I don’t know that I want to come back,” she said, not quite able to meet his eye. “I like it here.”
He didn’t respond for a full thirty seconds, and her nerves felt every one of them. She could hear the blood rushing through her ears, matching the beat of the music from the stage.
“Is it about that man?”
“Why does it have to be about a man?” She shook her head. “It’s about me. What I want. What makes me happy.”
“You left because of Josh. And now you want to stay here because of this captain. That doesn’t sound like you’re using your business sense to me.” He sat on the edge of the desk in front of her. “You’ve had a hard couple of years, sweetheart. I know how tough the divorce was on you. Plus losing the business. And I can see the lure of escaping somewhere new and leaving all your troubles behind. But if you stay here, you’ll wake up one day and realize what a huge mistake you made. You’re my daughter. I know you better than anybody does.” His voice quieted. “And I really want you to come home. I miss you.”
Her eyes welled up. “I miss you, too.”
“Then sell the pier. You could fly home with me tomorrow, and leave all this behind. Let me take care of this for you.”
Her stomach dropped at the hope she saw in his eyes, because to her the situation felt hopeless. No matter what she did, somebody was going to get hurt. Her dad, Griff, and even herself. She hated that thought.
“I can’t,” she whispered, giving him a watery half-smile.
“Why not?”
“Because I love Griff. I want to stay here with him.”
Her dad shook his head. “That’s not love. It’s infatuation.”
“How would you know? You haven’t even met him.”
“I don’t need to. I know you, sweetheart, and that’s enough. I know how ambitious you are. Or how ambitious you used to be, before you came over here and seemed to give up. I know how much you loved working in Manhattan, how much you enjoyed running a big business.” He leaned toward her, and touched her face again. “The Autumn I know would never be happy living here for the rest of her life.”
“Then maybe you don’t know me at all,” she said softly, a tear sliding down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and stood, looking at the door. “I need to get back out there and check that everything’s okay.” And she wanted to talk to Griff, too. “You can stay here if you want, or come and enjoy the charity day.”
“I’ll come.”
“Okay then.”
It was almost a surprise the pier was still full of people when she stepped outside. It felt like she’d been in the office for hours, long enough for the sun to go down and come up again. Lydia was leaning on the rail, her face serious as she caught Autumn’s glance.
“You okay?” she asked, looking warily from Autumn to their father.
“Yeah.” Autumn gave a quick nod. “Um, where did Griff go?”
Lydia took her arm and pulled her away from their dad. “It’s all my fault, she whispered, walking Autumn over to the side of the pier. “Well, it’s Dad’s fault really, for bringing Josh. He’s such an asshole. I never knew what you saw in him.”
“Did Josh say something to Griff?” Autumn felt her stomach churn.
“He was just being his usual self. Making things ten times worse than they already were.” She took a deep breath. “He told Griff you only bought the pier because you were drunk. That it had been a mistake.”
“How did he know that?” Autumn felt her breath catch in her throat.
Lydia bit her lip. “I told Dad, who must have told him. I’m so sorry, I should never have said anything. But Dad’s always talking about you as if you’re some kind of perfect daughter. I wanted him to know you’re human, but you’re also perfectly able to manage your own problems.” She sighed. “I know I’ve made things ten times worse.”
Autumn squeezed her eyes shut. “All right,” she said softly. “So that little sordid secret’s out. It’s okay, isn’t it? What else did Josh say?”
“Nothing. But Griff left looking pissed. That’s when Dad asked Josh to take the buyer on a tour of the pier.”
“He looked pissed? Why? Because I actually do stupid things when I’m drunk?” She didn’t understand. Not at all. Why was it even an issue?
“I don’t know. I asked him to wait for you.” Lydia’s voice was small. “I’m so sorry. I’m such an idiot. I should think before I speak.”
“No, you shouldn’t. I like you the way you are, loose lips and all.” Autumn hugged her. She’d fallen out with enough people already, there was no way she was going to let this come between her and Lydia.
“Thank you,” Lydia mumbled into her shoulder. “Now go and find Griff. The two of you have some talking to do.