Her Forbidden Love (Indigo Island Book 2) (19 page)

“Hop in,” Jack said as they debarked, pointing to a four-seat custom golf cart parked at the ferry landing.

“Nice,” Dorsey said. “Finally, riding around here in the style to which I’m supposed to become accustomed.”

“I’m glad you like it. Check out the glove compartment,” Jack said as they zipped through the wilderness of the backside of the island.

She knew he hoped to keep the mood light during her first trip back. Dorsey was trying, too. Her hand barely shook as she pushed the button and the small compartment’s door flopped open.

“Oh, very nice box.”

“Jeez. Do I have to do everything for you? Take the box out and open it, please,” Jack said, feigning impatience, his eyes sparkling.

“Jack?” she said. Now her hands shook. The golf cart hummed. The island beyond the cart was a blur as she fumbled with the white ribbon tied around the signature blue box.

“Tiffany’s,” she said. “What in the world. Jack, it’s beautiful.” The platinum band glimmered as two dark blue sapphires hugged the sides of the emerald-cut diamond perched on top of it.

“Now those two blue stones are for protection. Barbara told me to get those. And the diamond, well, that’s forever. Will you marry me?” Jack asked, stopping the cart just before the entrance to the plantation, hopping out and bending down on one knee.

“It’s gorgeous. I love it,” Dorsey said. “And you.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jack said, standing and climbing back into the cart, leaning over to kiss her gently.

Dorsey slipped the sparkling ring onto her left ring finger, and it fit perfectly. She held it up to show Jack and he smiled, as excited as a child. As they cruised into the plantation, Jack asked, “How are you feeling? Scared? OK? Upset?”

“It’s nice knowing Steve’s not here, that hopefully, he’ll be in prison for a long time. I feel safe with you,” Dorsey said. “The ocean looks beautiful. My ring is perfect. I’m doing OK.”

“Summer is almost over and after that, we’ll have this place to ourselves,” Jack said.

“That’s true. I’ll be busy, though. With the trials,” Dorsey said, reality washing over her, clouding her face. “I still can’t believe Uncle Rob killed my dad for money. My dad would’ve split the practice, I’m sure of it.”

“Are you sure you’ll be up to testifying, against him and Steve?”

“Of course, I’m testifying. I finally know. I saw it. I can do it. I’ll help make sure both of them get what they deserve. For Dad.”

“You’re beautiful when you’re passionate,” Jack said, turning the cart into the inn driveway. “If you’ll bear with me, I have one more surprise for you.”

Dorsey got the chills as he stopped the cart in front of the inn. Jack noticed, pulling her close.

“This was a bad idea,” he said, worry lines crossing his forehead.

Dorsey touched his cheek. “No, I can handle it for a little while,” she said as she slowly walked up the steps to the front porch. The last time she had been here she had been attacked. Before that, she had been willing to leave Jack forever to save his future. She could handle anything for Jack, anything for a little while.

“Ah, Dorsey?” Jack said, reaching for her and turning her to face him. “Wait a minute. It’s more than a little while, you see, this is what I was thinking. See, Top Club pulled out of Indigo Island. They were planning a big sale, you know, to unload a stigmatized property from their portfolio, and I heard about it. They priced the inn...well, it was a steal, especially if I agreed not to name them in the lawsuit against Steve. I met with the head of Putnam Industries, Richard Putnam and his son, James. You know the people who own that big house at Bloody Point? They love the island as much as I do. And they agreed to buy the plantation – all of it! – if I would run it. I get some equity, too. It’s perfect, really.”

“You didn’t.” Her face had drained of all color, she knew. She felt faint, sweaty and looked around for somewhere to sit.

“Honey, it’s contingent on you,” Jack said, grabbing both of her hands with his, steadying her, calming her thundering heart. “I told them you’d have to agree or the deal was off. First, let’s just go inside. Then you can consider it. It’s a deal, Dorsey. We could do this for a couple years and then sell our portion. Or, just keep it and live here forever, raise our babies.”

Jack leaned forward and kissed Dorsey gently on the lips.

“OK. For you, I’ll think about it,” Dorsey said quietly, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. She was shocked how many emotions had hit her standing on this porch. Some so wonderful, some awful. She took Jack’s hand, took a deep breath and followed him in the front door of the inn.

“Surprise!” a crowd yelled as they walked into the lobby.

“Hi, Dorsey, welcome home,” said Sam. “I’m gonna be your front-desk manager. Cool, huh?”

Paula reached out and handed Dorsey a shiny red apple, with a smile.
What was happening
, she thought, in shock.

“Dorsey, it’s a wonderful place. You all will have so much fun with this. I’m Jack’s mother, Phyllis, so good to meet you, dear,” Jack’s mom said, giving Dorsey a squeeze. Now Dorsey knew where Jack got his dimples and his warm smile.

“Contingent?” she said to Jack once his mom left their side to go get a wine.

“I promise. Our moms planned the party, not me,” Jack said. “People are really excited about this, but if you aren’t, I won’t do it. It can just be our engagement party and then we’ll head back to the mainland.”

“Hi, honey. Surprised?” Dorsey couldn’t believe it. It was her mom. “Oh, look at that ring. It’s beautiful. Nice choice, Jack.” Dorsey’s mom looked relaxed and happy, something she hadn’t seen in a long time, if ever, since her dad’s murder. Maybe they were both healing.

“Mom, you look amazing,” Dorsey said, hugging her tight as her mom’s green eyes misted.

“Kentucky has been good for me. The horses, the change. It seems you’ve found the perfect place for you to heal, too,” her mom said. “And the perfect guy to help you. He reminds me of your father.”

Dorsey smiled and held her mom tighter.

Dorsey saw Barbara and Tade then, together, laughing and smiling in the corner of the lobby. Someone had set up a rocking chair for Barbara.

“Excuse me, Mom,” Dorsey said, and ran over to Barbara and Tade, embracing them both in one big hug.

“I’ve missed you, but now that you guys run this place my parents said we can come back for all the holidays. All the time. And they can golf and I can hang with you,” Tade said.

“That’d be great. I’d love it,” Dorsey said, and glanced over her shoulder at Jack, chatting excitedly with their moms. He smiled at her. She knew he hoped she would go along with his plan. She looked around at all of the love in the room, and thought of the future, of starting over here with the best man she’d ever met. A man who would love her and protect her. And, who would let her be herself, a man who had already helped her heal.

Barbara reached out and pulled Dorsey close. She whispered, “Must take care of the root for the tree to heal. Keep your love close. Welcome home.”

When the party was over and everyone had headed back to their rooms or cottages, Jack walked over to Dorsey and grabbed her hand. “Come here, I want to show you one more thing,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve been saving the best surprise for last!”

As the sunset glowed orange and purple out the windows, they held hands and climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor of the inn. Dorsey thought about that night, so long ago, when they’d had their first deep talk sitting on the floor of the private dining room, in the dark. But now, they’d be in charge of the place? It was almost too much.

Jack stopped in front of an impressive set of double doors. “Welcome home,” he said, pulling on the doors. “This is all ours now. If you want it to be.”

Dorsey walked inside a living room with cream-colored furniture, pale yellow walls, a large fireplace and a direct view across the blooming rose garden, the white gazebo and the sparkling ocean sound beyond. Jack excitedly showed her their full kitchen, the guest bedroom and bath, and then the master suite.

“Oh my goodness, this is beautiful,” Dorsey said, overwhelmed and happy, sitting down on the fluffy king bed. The room was painted a pale peach and the bedspread was an exact match, in pale cool silk. The area rug was a thick, white wool. “It’s almost too much, too good to be true.”

Jack sat down on the bed next to Dorsey. His gaze met hers as he brushed her hair away from her face. As they sat side-by-side at the end of the bed, they faced the ocean a view framed by sliding glass doors that opened to their own private porch. It was the most beautiful bedroom Dorsey had ever seen.

“Dorsey, I know we can make a happy life together. Here, or anywhere we choose. I know you’ve been through a lot, but it wasn’t because of Indigo Island. We found each other here. Steve’s gone and can never hurt you again. For that matter, neither can your uncle.”

Dorsey looked into Jack’s eyes, the happiness she saw there, the pride. She wanted this man, she wanted to have his children, to create an even more successful hotel with him, to create the future of her dreams. Everything was possible now, she realized.

“Yes,” Dorsey said, climbing onto Jack, pushing him onto his back on the bed. “Yes, I want you, this life. I love this island.”

Jack gently rolled Dorsey onto her back. She knew he was afraid she was too bruised, too hurt to make love. But she wanted him. Needed him. She was healing, would continue to heal. The bruises on her body were nothing as deep as the wounds left from her father’s murder, but even that was becoming better now that her memory was restored. Anything was possible now, with Jack by her side.

“Make love to me, please, Jack. It’ll be okay. He didn’t touch me, not like that, you know that. You saved me, just in time.”

Jack let out a deep breath. Dorsey knew it had been hard for him, too, to imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t gotten to her in time. What Steve would have done, what he was capable of doing.

He pressed a warm gentle kiss on her lips. His fingertips traced the shape of her face, skimming lightly over the bruises on her cheek and jaw where Steve had clamped his hand over her mouth. Dorsey sighed.

“OK?” he asked.

“Yes, your touch feels so good,” Dorsey said, arching her back, pulling at the buttons on her shirt. Jack helped her, and then removed her bra, his fingers traced the edges of her breast, skimmed across her nipples, tracing down to her bruised ribs and abdomen.

“Bastard,” he said, his voice deep and angry as he saw her injuries again.

Dorsey grabbed his strong biceps, rubbing his shoulder, assuring him, calming him down. “Jack, it’s okay. We’ll be okay.”

Jack smiled, love and desire and true happiness sparkling in his handsome eyes, he said, “Yes, we will.”

Dorsey wrapped her arms around him and knew she was home.

The End

An Excerpt from The Trouble with Christmas

Continue reading the Indigo Island series with Cole and Lily’s story...

L
ily Edmonds gently pulled another soft petal from the white daisy she held in her hand. Only one petal remained, and she looked down at the pile accumulating on the green picnic table on the back deck of her apartment. It was a brisk December day, deceptively cold in Atlanta, but Lily didn’t feel the chill.

He loves me not.
She tossed the stem to the ground. It had been a week since Bob’s phone call shattered her world and undermined all of the confidence Lily had built up in her thirty years on earth. She glanced down at the three-carat, emerald-cut diamond, sparkling on her left finger and again felt a spurt of tears.

“Keep the ring, Lily,” Bob had said at the end of the call. “We did have a great time together, and I’ll always care about you. I am sorry.”

Sorry.

He was sorry
?

After spending almost five years together, building a relationship, planning their future, talking about the children they would have, the life they would live, he was, simply,
sorry
.

Once she found out the reason he was dumping her, Lily had been furious. She still was. She had no idea how she would ever get over the betrayal. Her best friend, Avery Putnam, was expecting Lily and Bob to stay with her and her family for the holidays on Indigo Island. Lily knew she should call Avery and tell her, but she couldn’t make herself pick up the telephone. Denial was a powerful coping technique, and Lily was guilty of pretending if she didn’t tell anyone Bob had broken off their engagement, it might not be real. Pretending had become her life and how she’d been able to go to work at the restaurant each evening, a forced smile painted on her face.

Her routine had saved her. For the past week, at Alfredo’s Italian Restaurant in Buckhead, she had focused on her work as a pastry chef, and she continued to be especially proud of her ricotta cheesecake and Tiramisu she’d learned to create during culinary school. She added her own twists to make her confections uniquely hers and a patron favorite at Alfredo’s.

Lily swallowed and pushed back tears when she thought about other plans she and Bob had planned after their wedding—buying a building downtown and turning it into a bakery. Gone, she thought in despair. All her dreams were gone, erased by one phone call, and Bob no longer took her calls. Instead, he texted,
What’s the point
?
It’s over
.