Page 17 of Hibiscus Heights (Crown Island #4)

M inutes later, Deb pulled into the exclusive Crown Island Country Club. Nodding to an attendant she knew, she left her car at the curb. By now, her father and three of her brothers would have finished their regular Wednesday afternoon golf game.

She took a shortcut through the side entrance past throngs of members chatting. Quickly, she spied her family members sitting at a table having drinks in their golf attire. She strode toward the table and stopped, her hands on her hips.

Her father looked up, startled to see her. “Deb, has something happened?”

She was so angry she spat out her words. “Which one of you talked to Grant Emerson—and didn’t give me his messages?”

Randy held up his hands, deflecting her anger. “Whoa, who’s Grant Emerson?”

A guilty look crossed David’s face. “The summer guy Deb fell for a long time ago. You remember.”

“That’s been years ago,” her father said, looking perplexed. “Why bring it up now?”

“Grant is back,” Deb said. “After he had to leave so suddenly, he tried to call me at least ten times. Grant said he talked to you—” she swatted David on the shoulder, “and you,” she finished, grabbing Randy by the collar. He was the largest of her brothers, but he didn’t scare her.

“Hey, hey,” Randy said, shrinking away from her. “I probably forgot. Geez, what does it matter now?”

David glared at his brother. “You didn’t forget anything. You threatened me if I ever told her. This is all on you, big brother.”

She whipped back to David. “What are you, a wimp? You’re not getting out of this either. Why would you do everything Randy told you to do?”

“I don’t,” David replied, sputtering. “Not anymore.”

“Listen to yourselves,” their father said with disgust. “Bickering like you’re still kids.”

Deb wasn’t backing down; she wouldn’t give her brothers any leeway. “I didn’t start this, Dad. They cost me the love of my life, and for what, a joke? It wasn’t funny.”

“Now, Deb, don’t be so dramatic,” Randy began, but she cut him off.

“Don’t you start with me,” she said, shaking her finger at him.

“I missed so many chances with other nice guys for years because you thought sabotaging my relationships was a sport, and you were all keeping score. No one stood a chance against a pack of wild animals. Every guy married another woman, and half of them are members of this club, so I have to see them every week.”

Two men at an adjacent table nodded. “She’s right about that,” one of them said. “Remember Seth?”

Their father quieted the two men with a stern glance before turning a withering glare on his sons. “Deb has a point. Your mother and I warned you about your behavior many, many times.”

Infuriated, Deb flung out her arms. “Every time someone asks me why I’m not married, it’s because of all of you. Well, I’m not playing this game anymore.”

“Hey, what about this new guy—” Randy snapped his fingers. “Matteo, right? We’ll call him and make it right with him.”

Deb smacked her forehead. “Oh, you didn’t.”

“We just ran into him,” Randy said.

“Here at the club for lunch,” David finished. “It was business. He’s trying to sell his wine here.”

Their father nodded. “But your sister’s name came up, right?”

Randy blew out a breath. “I’ll talk to him and set him straight.”

Deb jabbed a finger at Randy’s chest. “You. Will. Not. You’re a big, inconsiderate oaf.” She sliced the air with her hands. “I’m finished with all of you.”

She turned on her heel and stormed out, disregarding the curious looks of other club members.

Besides, they all knew her brothers.

A man near the entry called out to her. “I should’ve tried harder,” he began, his voice a quiet apology. “Your brothers just ganged up on me.”

“Too late, Seth.” Deb kept marching. The man was married with three children.

Still furious, she swung into her car. More than ever, she needed that run with Duke, but she also needed to vent. She punched April’s number.

“Can you meet me now?” she asked when her friend answered. “It’s important.”

“Of course, I’m just leaving the Historical Society,” April replied, concern evident in her voice. “You sound upset.”

“Oh, it’s way beyond that,” Deb said in a tight voice. “I’ll meet you on the sand at the end of Beach View Lane in twenty minutes. I need to get Duke first.”

She drove home in a haze of rage, resentment, and disappointment, her mind spinning with long-buried memories and thoughts of what might have been.

By the time Deb pulled into her driveway, Duke was frantically pacing and whining at the fence as if sensing her distress. She rushed to open the gate and gathered him in her arms.

“I’m upset, but not with you, buddy. We’ll run this off.”

With his tail wagging, he licked her face, and Deb buried her head in his fur to hide her angry tears. His loyalty and uncomplicated joy were exactly what she needed.

Quickly, she changed into her running gear, clipped on his leash, and headed toward the beach.

The late afternoon breeze was cool against her flushed skin as she and Duke made their way toward the beach. April wasn’t there yet, so she ran some sprints on the wet, hard-packed sand with Duke to let off steam. The tide was coming in with waves crashing against the shore, matching her turmoil.

Suddenly, Duke stopped, looked back, and tugged his lead. April had arrived. They trotted toward her.

“My gosh, what’s happened?” April asked.

Deb unclipped Duke’s leash to let him play in the water. “You remember that woman I told you I met in the ladies’ room today?”

“Kitty,” April said, falling into step beside her. “Did you meet her in the Library Bar?”

Deb nodded. “You’ll never believe who she is. Do you remember that glamorous couple from years ago, Jock and Kitty Emerson?”

“Do you mean Grant’s parents?” April’s eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh. Did you talk about him?”

“Worse. He’s here. I didn’t recognize him at first behind the dark sunglasses. It’s been more than thirty years.”

“And how does he look? Paunchy, bald, and poorly dressed, I hope.”

“Unfortunately, no. Full head of hair, slightly gray at the temples, and looks like he works out. Probably still sails, and he’d look good in whatever he wore.”

April shook her head. “That’s truly terrible.”

“But there’s more. Remember Mason and Teddy?”

When April nodded, Deb went on to tell her about the encounter, explaining that the boys were his sons and that her brothers were at fault for the breakup, which dredged up a fresh round of rage.

Wiping hot tears of anger from her face, Deb added, “My brothers broke my heart for their amusement. I don’t know how I can ever look at them again.”

April smoothed a hand over Deb’s arm. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have dreamed your brothers would do that.”

“Well, they did. This changes everything.”

After a moment, April slid a glance toward her. “Besides that, how did it feel to see Grant again?”

A flood of conflicting emotions filled her. “It was an emotional rollercoaster, but the young man I’d loved was still behind those mesmerizing hazel eyes. When I looked at him again, it all rushed back—not that I let him know. But the sound of his voice and his touch of his hand…he’s still got it.”

“Would you go there again?”

Deb sliced the air with her hand. “Never.”

“Do you think Kitty knew you were here?”

“She mentioned that she’d just read the magazine interview I gave. The way she approached me in the bathroom, asking about my work, inviting me for a drink—it was too much of a coincidence. She remembered me. And then she tried to stick me with Grant.”

“To what end, I wonder?”

Deb kicked the sand. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

April tried again. “Let’s think about this. I know you were utterly devastated at the time, but in hindsight, what do you think would have happened between you two?”

Deb drew a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “He was the one. If he’d returned to Crown Island, we probably would have become engaged, gone to the university together, married, and had a family. Instead, he chose someone else.”

“All these years, you wondered what happened to him, why he left so suddenly.”

“His father had a family situation,” Deb said, explaining. As she spoke, she regained a measure of control. “In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have said those things about his parenting.”

April chuckled. “Speaking your mind has always been your superpower. People know where they stand with you.”

Before Deb could answer, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen. “Perfect timing. It’s Matteo.”

April raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Argentina?”

“The perfect distraction.” Deb’s finger hovered over the answer button.

“Are you sure?” April asked. “Do you want to see where things go with Grant?”

“That’s going nowhere because he’ll leave, just like before. This time, I’m rewriting the story.”

With renewed determination, she answered the call, forcing a cheerful tone. After listening to what he had to say, she said, “Tomorrow would be perfect. You know where I live.”

As Deb made plans to meet Matteo right after work the next day, Duke returned to her side, pressing against her leg as if sensing her need for comfort. She stroked his head while talking.

When she ended the call, April gave her a questioning look. “Don’t use Matteo to avoid dealing with Grant.”

Deb pushed that from her mind. “I’m not avoiding him, and we dealt with whatever we had years ago. I’m moving forward, just as I always have.”

April lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “Grant is here now. Sounds like there might be some warm embers.”

“Whatever fire we had is stone cold, and that only happens in fairy tales. He moved on a long time ago.”

“You loved each other once,” April said. “Could it be time for a fresh start?”

While April had a point, Deb was too wise to court a potential rejection. She shook her head.

“Even though my brothers blocked Grant’s calls, he could have returned if he cared enough. It’s not as if I’d fallen into the sea. But I built a great life for myself. As for dating, I’m starting fresh, just not with him.”

She bumped April’s shoulder. “Just wait until you meet Matteo.”