Bungalow by the Bay Read online

  “We have. And quite a few catering gigs too. The Montgomerys actually asked me to cater one of their parties in a couple of weeks. I really wanted to say no after last time.”

  “You mean when they accused you of stealing from them?” Susan rolled her eyes.

  “Exactly.” Julie shrugged. “But I do usually get more business from their parties, so it was hard to turn it down.”

  “Well, Cindy seems to think Camille is softening.” Susan leaned forward. “Ever since Cindy went to work at The Hamilton in Sarasota after marrying my Jamie, she’s run into Camille quite a lot. They seem to have found some kind of common footing… or at least a truce.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Julie’s eyebrows rose.

  Their conversation turned to the Lighthouse festival at the end of the month. Tally sat and listened to her friends chatter about who was doing what for the festival this year. She loved times like this with them. Talking about everything and nothing.

  Her life was so full these days. Good friends. A second chance with her wonderful husband… and a family. Courtney and Bobby. Life didn’t get much better than this.

  AJ was thankful he and Courtney hadn’t really firmed up any plans to go out again. The last thing he wanted was to date a woman with a kid. Maybe that made him shallow and callous, but he was who he was.

  Now he was going to have to find a new place to go eat his meals if he didn’t want to run into Courtney again. Though, he’d miss Magic Cafe’s grouper and hushpuppies…

  He walked down from his upper-level room where he’d been resting—okay, hiding out for the afternoon—and into the great room on the main level. His grandmother sat on an overstuffed chair, reading the paper. A real paper. He didn’t know anyone who still did that except her.

  She looked up and smiled at him. “Hi, dear. There’s some tea in the fridge if you’d like some.”

  AJ walked into the kitchen. For a moment, he debated on getting a beer instead but decided his grandmother would prefer he drink the tea. He searched for the cabinet with the glasses and poured himself a tall glass of tea. Clutching the cold glass, he went back in and sat on a chair across from his grandmother. He’d been feeling guilty he hadn’t spent much time with her.

  “Do you have any plans for later today?” She folded her paper and set it on an end table beside her.

  “I thought I might go to the beach. I want to go see the lighthouse.”

  “I’ve heard it’s very pretty.”

  “The town has a silly legend about it. If you go to Lighthouse Point, make a wish, and toss a shell into the sea, your wish will come true.”

  “Do you think there’s any truth to it?” Granice tossed him an amused look.

  “Not one bit.” He took a swallow of his tea.

  “Well, it’s a nice legend anyway.”

  “I guess. If a person believes in that kind of nonsense.”

  “Will you be here for dinner tonight?”

  “I think I’ll eat in town if that’s okay with you.”

  “You can come and go as you please, Ashton. You’re not in prison.”

  “If you say so.” He quickly corrected himself. “Not that I mind spending time with you, of course.”

  “Of course. You always were a sweet talker.” Her eyes twinkled. “Oh, but I did make plans for us for tomorrow night. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure, what plans?”

  “Delbert and his girlfriend, Camille, are going to meet us for dinner.”

  He hadn’t seen his cousin Delbert in a while. It might be nice to catch up with him, and Camille was always entertaining in her own way.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Great. We’re meeting them at a place called Magic Cafe. Seven o’clock.”

  He set his glass down with a clatter.

  Perfect. Just perfect.

  Chapter 5

  AJ walked along the beach until the lighthouse grew larger and larger as he approached. A mother stood at the water’s edge, watching her little girl splashing in the waves. A lone runner ran up to him and nodded as he passed in the curious ritual strangers have when they pass each other on the beach.

  As he walked along, he carried on a running conversation in his mind with his father. Listing his grievances and telling the man how outrageous he was. It didn’t seem to help. He noticed he was walking with clenched fists. Weren’t beach walks supposed to relax a person? He slowly and deliberately opened his hands.

  In the distance, he saw two women walking a small dog. A young boy chased around them, racing to the water’s edge and back.

  As they got closer, AJ frowned. That looked a lot like Courtney’s boy, but that would be too much of a coincidence. It was a small island, but not that small.

  He considered turning around, just in case, but he’d set his sights on getting to the lighthouse. But he could be flexible, the lighthouse would be there tomorrow. He paused.

  “Hey, Mr. Hamilton.” The boy raced up to him. “Hi there. Remember me? I’m Bobby. You like to play on the beach, too? I’m here with Grams and Miss Mary. We’re taking Stormy for a walk.”

  The two older women approached with the dog.

  “Grams, this is Mr. Hamilton.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The woman greeted him with a genuine smile that filled her eyes with warmth.

  “And this is Miss Mary.” The boy dropped to his knees by the dog. “And this is Stormy. Isn’t he great? I want a dog, but Momma says I can’t have one. Not until I’m older and more ’sponsible.”

  The other woman, Miss Mary, smiled.

  “Nice to meet both of you.”

  “I met Mr. Hamilton at Magic Cafe when Pops took me there this morning. Momma introduced me to him. Magic Cafe is Grams’ restaurant.”

  AJ reeled from all the information being thrown at him.

  The first woman reached out her hand. “I’m Tally. As Bobby said, I own Magic Cafe where Courtney works.”

  He shook her hand, feeling a bit dazed.

  “And Miss Mary’s son married Miss Susan and Miss Susan owns Belle Island Inn.” Bobby leapt up.

  Tally laughed. “He’s a wealth of information, isn’t he?”

  “He is.” AJ glanced around, seeking a place to escape.

  Nothing but open beach.

  “Well, we should keep going on our walk.” Tally took Bobby’s hand. “It appears neither Stormy nor Bobby are tired out yet.”

  The trio headed down the beach, and he continued toward the lighthouse, trying to sort out all the information Bobby had thrown at him. But what did it matter? He’d probably not see Courtney again. She’d been working day shifts before when he’d seen her at Magic Cafe. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be working tomorrow evening. Holding onto that hope firmly, he continued down the beach.

  When he got to the point, he stood by the lighthouse, staring out at the sea. A lazy breeze cooled him, and birds darted along the water’s edge. He took a deep breath of the clean air, pushing thoughts of his father firmly away from conscious thought. He dropped to the sand and sat staring at the waves. Gradually, a peace settled over him. He stretched out his legs and let the afternoon sun warm his skin. In a slow, lazy motion, he picked up a handful of sand and watched while it shifted through his fingers until his hand was empty and he was staring down at the lifelines creasing his palms. He wondered what they said about his life. A blue heron landed awkwardly at the water’s edge. It gave him a solemn look for a moment before wandering on down the beach.

  He watched while one rogue wave rushed toward him, almost hitting his feet. A lone shell tumbled in the water then rested right in front of him, glistening with drops of seawater. He ignored it.

  Standing, he brushed the sand from his shorts. He started to leave but then turned around. He reached down, scooped up the shell, and tossed it in a perfect arc into the water.

  Without making a wish, of course.

  After their walk, Tally followed Bobby up the steps to Magic Cafe and over to w
here Courtney was setting things up for the evening crowd.

  “Momma, I had the bestest walk with Grams and Miss Mary. They let me have the leash some, too. Grams thinks I’m ’sponsible.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time.” Courtney hugged Bobby.

  “And guess what? We saw your friend Mr. Hamilton.”

  “He’s… ah… he’s not my friend. He’s just a… customer.”

  A blush crept over Courtney’s cheeks. Tally watched her carefully. Was this Hamilton the man who she’d gone out with?

  “Eddie is inside waiting for you. He said you two were going for burgers and ice cream tonight.” Courtney deftly changed the subject.

  “Yep. It’s guys’ night out.” Bobby puffed out his chest. “I’m a guy, you know. A ’sponsible one. I’m probably ’sponsible enough for my own dog.”

  “Bobby, we’ve talked about it. Things are a little too crazy in our lives now for a dog.”

  He let out a long sigh. “But I’d take care of him. I’d do everything.”

  “Go find Eddie. I need to get back to work. Have fun on your guys’ night out.”

  “I will,” Bobby called back over his shoulder as he hurried off to find Eddie.

  “That walk didn’t wear him down a bit.” Tally shook her head. “He has boundless energy.”

  “Always,” Courtney agreed.

  “So, do you know much about this Hamilton guy? I wonder if he’s related to Delbert Hamilton?”

  Courtney frowned. “Do you think so? He didn’t say anything about that.”

  “When you went out with him?” Tally slipped it in as casually as she could.

  Courtney looked at her and shook her head. “Nothing is secret here on Belle Island, is it?”

  “I don’t know why you thought it had to be a secret.”

  “Oh, I didn’t really. I just… I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. It was more like I was just showing him around town.”

  “I see. So, are you showing him around town again?”

  Courtney shook her head. “Nope. He asked me out… but did a fancy backtrack when he found out about Bobby. I don’t have time for dating anyway. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy with Magic Cafe and Bobby.”

  “Never hurts to take some time for yourself.” She was one to talk. Eddie had been begging her to go away with him if only for a long weekend, but she kept saying she needed to be here to run Magic Cafe.

  “Well, if I did want to go out with someone again, it certainly wouldn’t be Mr. Hamilton.”

  Tally thought Courtney protested a little too vehemently, but then if the man had been scared off by one small boy, he definitely wouldn’t be a good match for Courtney.

  So, if Courtney was ready to date again… Tally wondered who she could set her up with.

  Chapter 6

  AJ drove his grandmother to Magic Cafe. They arrived precisely at six o’clock. His grandmother hated being late, while he’d developed the habit of being fashionably late. It’s just what was done in the circles he ran in these days. But Granice would never allow them to be late. He opened the door for her, and they walked inside. His glance darted around, hoping he wouldn’t find Courtney here.

  So far, so good.

  Tereza came up to them. “Hello. Table for two?”

  “No, we’re meeting two more.” AJ searched the cafe for his cousin.

  Just then, the door to the restaurant popped open, and Delbert and Camille entered.

  “Ashton, so nice to see you.” Camille grabbed his hands and kissed first one cheek and then the other. “I was so surprised to hear from Delbert that you were staying here on Belle Island. And he said you were here for a month. Whatever for?”

  “Camille, darlin’, let the man be.” His cousin reached out his hand. “Nice to see you, AJ.”

  Finally, someone in the family who called him by his preferred nickname. Delbert was actually the only one in his family who did. “Delbert. It’s been a while.”

  “I think we last saw him in New York City. Remember, we went out to all those parties? I do love it when you take me to New York to check on The Hamilton there.” Camille smoothed her skirt. “We should do it again, soon, shouldn’t we? Ashton, you’d like to do that again, wouldn’t you?”

  He didn’t think she was really waiting for an answer. It was more a statement than a question.

  His cousin walked over and kissed their grandmother. “Granice, it’s great to see you. I’m glad you decided to come vacation on the island.”

  “I’m glad you suggested it. I love it here. It’s a cute little town.”

  “Would you like to sit inside or out?” Tereza stood with menus in hand, but he didn’t miss the slightly disapproving look she was trying to hide from him.

  “Outside would be nice, dear,” Granice answered for all of them.

  A quick look of displeasure crossed Camille’s face. “It’s awfully muggy out.”

  “Oh, I think it will be fine. See, they have ceiling fans out there.” Granice followed Tereza.

  AJ had kind of hoped they’d eat inside, too, on the off chance Courtney was working. It seemed like she usually worked the outside tables, so inside would be… safer.

  He followed his group to a nice table with a wonderful view of the beach. Though, he was more interested in looking around to make sure Courtney wasn’t there.

  Tereza watched him for a moment. “She’s in the kitchen.”

  “What? I…”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be your waitress.”

  He didn’t know whether he was grateful or disappointed Tereza would be their waitress. He didn’t really want to run into Courtney, did he?

  Then he saw her. She pushed her way out of the kitchen with a full tray and cheerful smile as she headed for a nearby table. She froze as she saw him, and the tray shook slightly in her hands. She recovered quickly, steadied the tray, and turned her back on him to serve the food to her customers.

  He slid into a chair beside his grandmother but still watched Courtney from the corner of his eye.

  “So, shall we get a bottle of wine? Tally has a small but good wine list.” Delbert opened the menu.

  “Very small.” Camille set the wine list down dismissively.

  “That sounds wonderful, Delbert.” Granice put her napkin in her lap. “You choose for us.”

  “I think I’ll stick with beer.” He wondered how many beers he could have before Granice gave him one of her famous disapproving looks.

  Delbert ordered the wine, and AJ ordered his beer. Courtney was noticeably gone from the floor of the restaurant… not that he actually, well, noticed.

  “Ashton, you must come into Sarasota for the evening. As you’ve probably found out, there is really nothing to do on Belle Island and very limited places to go out to eat. There’s a new club that opened in Sarasota. Do say you’ll come into town and go to it. I’d love to have someone interesting to go with.”

  “Hey, what about me?” Delbert smiled indulgently at Camille.

  “Oh, honey, you know what I mean.” Camille turned back to AJ. “We’re staying at The Hamilton in Sarasota this week. We have a marvelous suite there. You heard Delbert bought a hotel there and converted it to a Hamilton Hotel, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “It’s very… well, he had a new woman working on the remodel, and it’s not quite like the other Hamilton Hotels.”

  “It’s better.” Delbert flashed a self-confident smile. “Not quite as stuffy. Fits in well with the more casual atmosphere in Florida.”

  “I still say your daddy isn’t going to be pleased when he comes and sees it.”

  “But I’m pleased with it.”

  Camille shook her head. “Anyway, you must come to town. Say you will.”

  “I’ll check my schedule.” Not that he had anything on his schedule, and a trip to town and a night out at a trendy club was just what he was used to doing with his evenings. So, why didn’t it sound that appealing to him?


  “In a few weeks, we’re going to be staying at my family’s house on the island. Mama is coming down from Comfort Crossing. We’ve been renting out the family house here, which I’m not pleased with. Strangers in our home. But we didn’t use it much. It just seemed… practical… to rent it out.”

  He was pretty sure practical was the last word he’d use to describe Camille.

  “Anyway, I’m planning a party there. You’ll come, won’t you? It will be so much fun.” As almost an afterthought, she turned to Granice. “Oh, you should come, too.”

  “We’d love to, dear.”

  And just like that Granice had decided his schedule. Okay, then.

  He took a grateful swig of his beer when Tereza handed it to him and then pretended not to search the restaurant for signs of Courtney.

  Courtney hid out in the kitchen as much as possible. Tereza delivered food to some of her tables for her. She just wanted to avoid AJ. That wasn’t too much to ask.

  Tally walked into the kitchen. “What’s up with Tereza serving your table? You feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just… an idiot.” She shrugged. “I’m trying to avoid AJ, but it’s really not fair of me to have Tereza serve my tables.” She dried her hands on her apron. “I’m going out there right now. You’re right. I shouldn’t be hiding.”

  Tally didn’t say a word but watched as Courtney picked up a pitcher of water.

  Courtney marched out into the restaurant and over to one of her tables, filling their glasses with ice water and chatting with them. She deliberately avoided looking over at AJ. Pretty much. She did sneak a quick glance or two.

  He seemed to be having a fabulous time. Laughing with Camille Montgomery and Delbert Hamilton, and she assumed the older lady must be his grandmother who he was staying with. She hadn’t quite figured it all out, but if AJ’s last name was Hamilton and Delbert’s last name was Hamilton, they must be related in some way.

  She looked over and saw Tereza was swamped by an eight-top table Tally had just seated. Mr. Hamilton was trying to get Tereza’s attention. Courtney took a deep breath and walked over to see what Mr. Hamilton needed.