cost—”
Jocelyn slammed her hand over Ashley’s mouth. “Not important.”
“Jocelyn,” Lacey said, shaking her head. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Expediency is very valuable.”
“Expediency?” She must have wanted to avoid south Mimosa Key.
“I couldn’t wait to get to the beach. Where should we put this?”
“Let’s go down by the water.” Lacey took in their haul. “God, look at all this stuff. What, no blow-up tubes and rafts?”
“They’re in the car,” Zoe said on her way back up from testing the water. “Don’t worry; we didn’t forget sunscreen. Walgreens had everything the Ritz didn’t.”
Ashley ripped off her T-shirt to expose a minuscule lime green halter bikini with plenty of padding, and tore off for the gentle swells of the Gulf.
“My suit better be bigger than that,” Lacey said to Zoe.
“Not much,” Zoe replied. Then she leaned in to whisper, “How’d it go with the big stud? That’s an architectural term, you know.”
“Really good. We made so much progress.”
“Really?”
“He has all these amazing ideas, I mean you can’t believe his vision for this place. So, so much bigger than anything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
Tessa and Jocelyn came closer, carrying a cooler between them. “Really? Like what?”
“Like villas! Individual, adorable villas. And the style! So beautiful, all Moroccan and
Casablanca-
inspired.”
“Ooooh,” Jocelyn cooed. “Your favorite movie.”
“I know, right? We’re going to watch it tonight for more inspiration.”
Zoe choked softly. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days? Hah.” She turned to the water and reached out her arms. “Here I come, ocean!”
“It’s the Gulf!” Lacey called to her, getting a “whatever” wave in response.
Jocelyn looked skyward. “Ignore her. If you want to meet with him tonight…” She frowned at Lacey. “She’s right, isn’t she?”
Lacey couldn’t hide the smile. “I gotta say, there is some smokin’-hot chemistry between us.”
“That could complicate things,” Tessa said.
“It already has,” Lacey agreed. “But you know what else? He wants to do the work for free. So he can… What?”
“For free?” Jocelyn almost choked. “Why would he do that?”
“He needs the creds. And with his ideas, I need to savemoney. I can’t afford what he wants, but, oh, God, I want to. I’ll tell you all about it later. How’s Ashley been?”
“She’s fine,” Tessa said. “Just a little cell-phone-aholic.”
“She is that,” Lacey agreed. “Sorry. I’ll talk to her about it.”
“You might have to talk to her about more than that,” Jocelyn said as they walked across the sand.
“What do you mean?”
“She thinks you’re going to get back together with David.”
Jocelyn’s words brought Lacey to a dead stop. “
What?
”
“It’s true,” Tessa said. “I drove over here with her and she dropped enough hints that I am certain she thinks this storm is bringing him home.”
“Home?” Lacey had to laugh. “He’s been here one time, when she was a year old. Twice if you count meeting my parents when we were dating. Mimosa Key has never been his home. And you know that man couldn’t be less interested in being a father.” She heard her voice rise and didn’t care. “And just for the record, I couldn’t be less interested in ever seeing him again.”
“Shhh. Don’t let her hear you,” Jocelyn said, giving up the cooler to put her hands on Lacey’s shoulders.
“But doesn’t she know that he’s had every opportunity to visit and has done nothing but send money?” Little bits of anger and resentment, sharp as nails, pressed against the inside of her chest. How long had Ashley been harboring these ideas? “What started this, the hurricane? Having her home blown away? Facing death at a young age?”
“Maybe all of those things, but…” Jocelyn shook her head. “My guess is it’s a pretty natural thing for a fourteen-year-old
Jocelyn slammed her hand over Ashley’s mouth. “Not important.”
“Jocelyn,” Lacey said, shaking her head. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Expediency is very valuable.”
“Expediency?” She must have wanted to avoid south Mimosa Key.
“I couldn’t wait to get to the beach. Where should we put this?”
“Let’s go down by the water.” Lacey took in their haul. “God, look at all this stuff. What, no blow-up tubes and rafts?”
“They’re in the car,” Zoe said on her way back up from testing the water. “Don’t worry; we didn’t forget sunscreen. Walgreens had everything the Ritz didn’t.”
Ashley ripped off her T-shirt to expose a minuscule lime green halter bikini with plenty of padding, and tore off for the gentle swells of the Gulf.
“My suit better be bigger than that,” Lacey said to Zoe.
“Not much,” Zoe replied. Then she leaned in to whisper, “How’d it go with the big stud? That’s an architectural term, you know.”
“Really good. We made so much progress.”
“Really?”
“He has all these amazing ideas, I mean you can’t believe his vision for this place. So, so much bigger than anything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
Tessa and Jocelyn came closer, carrying a cooler between them. “Really? Like what?”
“Like villas! Individual, adorable villas. And the style! So beautiful, all Moroccan and
Casablanca-
inspired.”
“Ooooh,” Jocelyn cooed. “Your favorite movie.”
“I know, right? We’re going to watch it tonight for more inspiration.”
Zoe choked softly. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days? Hah.” She turned to the water and reached out her arms. “Here I come, ocean!”
“It’s the Gulf!” Lacey called to her, getting a “whatever” wave in response.
Jocelyn looked skyward. “Ignore her. If you want to meet with him tonight…” She frowned at Lacey. “She’s right, isn’t she?”
Lacey couldn’t hide the smile. “I gotta say, there is some smokin’-hot chemistry between us.”
“That could complicate things,” Tessa said.
“It already has,” Lacey agreed. “But you know what else? He wants to do the work for free. So he can… What?”
“For free?” Jocelyn almost choked. “Why would he do that?”
“He needs the creds. And with his ideas, I need to savemoney. I can’t afford what he wants, but, oh, God, I want to. I’ll tell you all about it later. How’s Ashley been?”
“She’s fine,” Tessa said. “Just a little cell-phone-aholic.”
“She is that,” Lacey agreed. “Sorry. I’ll talk to her about it.”
“You might have to talk to her about more than that,” Jocelyn said as they walked across the sand.
“What do you mean?”
“She thinks you’re going to get back together with David.”
Jocelyn’s words brought Lacey to a dead stop. “
What?
”
“It’s true,” Tessa said. “I drove over here with her and she dropped enough hints that I am certain she thinks this storm is bringing him home.”
“Home?” Lacey had to laugh. “He’s been here one time, when she was a year old. Twice if you count meeting my parents when we were dating. Mimosa Key has never been his home. And you know that man couldn’t be less interested in being a father.” She heard her voice rise and didn’t care. “And just for the record, I couldn’t be less interested in ever seeing him again.”
“Shhh. Don’t let her hear you,” Jocelyn said, giving up the cooler to put her hands on Lacey’s shoulders.
“But doesn’t she know that he’s had every opportunity to visit and has done nothing but send money?” Little bits of anger and resentment, sharp as nails, pressed against the inside of her chest. How long had Ashley been harboring these ideas? “What started this, the hurricane? Having her home blown away? Facing death at a young age?”
“Maybe all of those things, but…” Jocelyn shook her head. “My guess is it’s a pretty natural thing for a fourteen-year-old
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