Seaside Secrets (29 page)

“It’s just…All I can do is be honest with you, Duke. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, and I really don’t want to give up this job, but my circumstances have changed. Now that Tony and I are getting married, I’m thinking about having children and starting a family, and I want to do that here. At the Cape. With my friends.” There. She’d gotten it all out in the open without passing out.

Duke didn’t say a word.

Crap
. Fearing she’d ruined their friendship and given up the job, she tried to explain further.

“I’m sorry. I am not normally the type of person to back out of a commitment.”
Yes, I am. I broke up with Tony all those years ago.

I had to.
Didn’t I?

Duke leaned forward, hands steepled beneath his chin. “Well, that puts an interesting spin on this situation, doesn’t it?”

His words pulled her back to the present.
Interesting spin?
She didn’t know how to respond to that, and she was still thinking about how she’d broken up with Tony so long ago. She’d done it to save him, yes, but she’d also done it to save herself. It had been too difficult to see Tony’s caring eyes looking at her with so much sadness that she’d nearly drowned in them. She’d barely been able to make it through each day, and she’d been at risk of failing her classes if she didn’t pull her head together.  She’d been a kid making a decision based on fear.

What was she doing now? What or who was she saving?

Her relationship with Tony? No. He’d said he’d go wherever she wanted.

Now she was making a decision as an adult. She was saving her own damn self again, coveting the time she had to be at the Cape with her girlfriends. Was that so wrong?

Duke was looking at her with a question in his eyes.

No
. It wasn’t wrong. She’d waited a lifetime to marry Tony.

I’ve also waited a lifetime for a job like this.

“Is this an all-or-nothing decision?” Duke asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Amy, I didn’t offer you the job because we’re friends. I offered you the job because you’re the best person for the position.” He paused long enough for the weight of his words to sink in.

The best person for the job
. What a nice ego stroke. Duke’s eyes were dead serious. She’d been so busy worrying about saving their friendship that she hadn’t considered
why
he’d hired her.

“You have the professionalism and skill set to make this conference center a success, and you have the vision to drive it into the future. Not to mention that you know how to finesse clients.” Duke sat up straighter, and Amy suddenly felt as though she weren’t talking to her friend Duke Ryder but to the real-estate-tycoon Duke Gerald Ryder.

And the real-estate tycoon wanted
her
for the job.

Amy sat up taller. It had been such an emotional few weeks that she’d lost sight of the fact that she was Amy Maples, President of Maples Logistical & Conference Consulting.

Her personal life was heading in the direction of her dreams, all because she’d taken a chance the night before Jamie and Jessica’s wedding. She glanced at her engagement ring. Even if she’d failed miserably at being a seductress, she must have done something right, because she’d gotten Tony’s attention. She’d had no idea what she was doing as a temptress, but she knew
exactly
what she was doing in her professional life.

She reveled in her realization and used that renewed confidence as she would with any client—to get what she wanted.

“Perhaps we should discuss our options.”

An hour later Amy was back in her car. She drove to the end of the Wellfleet Pier and parked by the boathouse. With her cell phone in hand, she walked down to the docks, where her father used to take her to watch the fishermen take their boats out in the mornings. She sat with her back against one of the wooden pilings and called her father.

“Princess.”

She heard the smile in his voice and her determination faltered. “Hi, Dad.”

“How are you, sweetie? Are you ready to discuss the business plan for next year? I’ve been thinking—”

“Dad!” She cut him off before she lost her courage.

“What’s wrong, honey? Do you need a few minutes to get your files in order before we go over them?”

“No, Dad. I need to get my life in order. By myself.”

“I…I’m sorry, princess. I’m not sure I understand.” His voice grew serious.

“I know you don’t, and neither did I until recently. Dad, I appreciate all of the guidance and support you’ve given me.”

“I know you do. That’s what your old man is for. To make sure you don’t go down the wrong path.”

Amy closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She drew her shoulders back and stared out over the boats. “Dad, remember when you used to take me to the marina?”

“Sure. Those were good times.”

“Yeah, they were.” She smiled with the warm memories; then her smile faded as she finished her thought. “Remember when you told me that story about you and Uncle Sal when you went on that fishing trip? The one about Grandpa not letting Uncle Sal reel in the fish because he thought he’d lose it, and how you felt bad for Uncle Sal because you knew he could do it himself?”

Her father laughed. “I can’t believe
you
remembered that.”

Amy wasn’t laughing. She was holding her breath because what she had to say next was second only to talking about the past with Tony when it came to things that were hard to do. She swallowed her fear and blurted it out.

“I need to reel in my own fish, Dad. You taught me well, and I can manage my business and create my marketing plans on my own.” She closed her eyes tightly, hoping he wouldn’t get mad.

“Why, I know you can, princess. Why are you telling me this?”

How could he not understand? Did she really need to spell it out for him? His silence told her she did. She pushed to her feet and paced the dock. “I’m telling you because, you know, Dad, you kind of hover over everything I do. You asked about every test I ever took, talked to me about studying on a weekly basis, and when I started my business, you were there with me when I met with my attorney. I appreciate it all, but now it’s time to cut the line. I can swim on my own, and if I sink, I sink. But I need to do it on my own, Dad.”

“But you are doing it on your own, Amy. You built your business, not me. You do the work, not me. I’m only here to guide you.”

Amy let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m glad you recognize that I am doing the work, but I really don’t need your guidance with my business plan, Dad. Or with my contracts. I can do this.”

She listened to his breathing, wishing he’d say something.

Anything.

“Dad?”

“I’m here. I’m sorry.”

Guilt threatened to strangle her. “Dad…”

“No. You’re right, Amy. One reason your mother left was because I was too overbearing.
In her face,
she used to say.” His voice was full of regret.

“Dad, you’re not in my face. I know you mean well, but—”

“But I put too much pressure on you, and I don’t let you make your own decisions. I know this, Amy, and it’s not because I don’t trust your decisions or your abilities. You’re brilliant and capable, like your mother.”

“Then why do you do it?” This was news to her. Her mother had never told her that she felt her father was overbearing. Then again, Amy had always been careful not to complain to her mother about her father’s being so overprotective. She’d always skated a fine line between the two of them. Now she wished she hadn’t waited so long to talk to him.

He sighed. “I don’t know. It’s who I am, I guess. I just want the best for you. But you have to give me credit. I bit my tongue a lot when you were younger. Like when you used to sneak out to go swimming with the girls at the pool. And that summer when you dated Tony Black. And, boy, did I want to say something. Not that I don’t like Tony, but I was afraid you’d get married and follow him around the country instead of going to college. But I bit my tongue then, and you had a great summer. I figured you needed a good time before you hit the books.”

Amy’s breath left her lungs in a rush. She sank down to the dock, her jaw agape. “You…you…knew?”

He laughed. “Honey, how could anyone not know? You two could barely stand to be away from each other that summer.”

“You knew.” She said it more to herself than to him. Tears welled in her eyes. “You never said anything. That summer…you just kept harping about how I would need to
hunker down
in the fall and I’d have no time for boys and dating.”

“Exactly. That’s why when you two had your little fling, I didn’t say anything. It seemed harmless enough. I never even saw you two kiss. I figured a little infatuation was okay before you hit the books and every minute would matter.”

“A little infatuation.” She shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. Would things have been different if she’d known that he saw what was between them? She mulled that over as he rattled on about how he and the other parents thought their crush was cute and how they were surprised that Jamie and one of the other girls didn’t experience the same thing.

She wanted to yell at him, to tell him that it wasn’t just a crush, that she’d loved Tony with all her heart and that she still did. She wanted to tell him that she’d gone through a miscarriage alone because she was so afraid of disappointing him that she couldn’t stand to tell anyone. But in the end, as she sat alone on the dock with the sun shining down on her and the soothing sounds of water splashing against the boats in the gentle breeze, she didn’t say any of that. That was her business. Tony’s business. It was their private heartache, and her father knowing about it wouldn’t change what they’d experienced.

She drew in another deep breath, feeling as though she were living on them lately, and said what she’d been determined to say all along.

“Dad, I love you, but from here on out we need to move forward without discussing the intricacies of my business, okay?”

“Okay, princess. I promise to try, but I’m an old dog, and you know…learning new tricks and all that.”

She smiled. “Yeah. I know. I’ll cut you some slack. A tiny amount.”

“Okay. Fair enough. I admire the courage it took for you to call me.”

“Thank you. It did take courage.” She didn’t realize how much until now. “Dad. One more thing. I’m marrying Tony.”

“You’re…”

“Marrying Tony Black. I love him. I’ve always loved him. And if you have anything negative to say about it, don’t. Because it doesn’t matter to me if you don’t think he’s good enough or if you think I should be with some—”

“Amy, stop.”

She silenced at the paternal tone he rarely took with her.

“I love Tony like I love the other kids. Uh, the other men and women. Not kids anymore, I suppose. I have nothing against him. He’s always been a nice, respectable person.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, he is.”

“I just didn’t want you to follow him at eighteen. I wanted you to get your degree and become self-reliant.”

“That’s funny, considering how much you hover over every decision I make.” She couldn’t believe she’d said it out loud, and she had no idea how the words escaped without her brain stopping them first.

“Wow. How long have you been holding that in, princess?”

She was relieved to hear a smile in his voice. “Um, probably for more years than I want to admit.” She felt like a giant weight had fallen from her shoulders, and she couldn’t wait to see what walking around without it would feel like.

“Right. Okay, that’s fair, too. You are self-reliant, Amy. As I said, I was there for guidance, but you have built your own business. You’re capable, and I realize I need to back off. What matters now is this. Are you happy?”

“Very.”

“That’s all I ever wanted for you. So I guess it wasn’t an infatuation.”

“Not even close,” she admitted.

“I didn’t even know you were dating. How long have you been seeing each other? Or I guess how long have you been in love is a better question.”

Amy thought long and hard about how to respond. Seeing each other?
Every day and night in my dreams
. In love?

“Forever.”

TONY CHECKED HIS cell phone for what felt like the hundredth time. Still no message from Amy.

“Dude.” Pete shook his head. “She’ll call when she’s got something to tell you. Sit down, have a drink, and chill.” Pete patted the wooden dock.

They’d spent the morning out on the schooner that Pete had refinished two summers ago, and they’d been back at the marina for about twenty minutes. Tony lowered himself to the dock beside Pete and accepted the beer he handed him. “I’m just worried about Amy. What if things didn’t go well with Duke? You know her. She’s sensitive. She’ll feel bad about letting him down for weeks.”

“She does have that whole heart-of-gold thing going on.” Caden sat on Pete’s other side and waved off the beer Pete offered. “Someone’s got to uphold the law. I’m the designated driver.”

Pete shook his head. “Always the cop.”

“I’m drinking one beer, that’s it.” Tony held up his beer bottle.

“You guys all cool with this whole group-wedding thing?” Caden asked.

“
Pfft
. Why not?” Pete tipped his bottle back and took a long swig. “If it makes the girls happy.”

“Hey, you guys and the girls are my family as much as my mom is. I’m all for it.” Tony set his beer down on the dock. “Besides, weren’t Bella and Jenna waiting for Amy to get engaged before they got married? Oh, and Leanna, of course.”

“Yup.” Caden ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. “Call me backward, but I want to get married sooner rather than later. I haven’t told Evan yet, but Bella and I would like to try to have a child together.”

Tony smiled. “I think Amy’s biological clock is ticking pretty loud, too.”

“Jenna’s, too.” Pete held his beer between both hands. His eyes grew serious. “Tony, um, I don’t know if this is out of line or not, but Jenna told me what you guys went through.”

A sharp pain cut through Tony’s chest. “Yeah? That’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, man.” Pete gave him a brotherly pat on the back. “That must have been rough.”