Last Resort(8)

“What about us?” Marcus asked.

“Stand over there and look gorgeous…and flirt with all the single ladies.” She smiled.

“Can do.” He saluted her and then turned to his brothers. “Pure torture.” They laughed as they walked over to the bar area and immediately started flirting with Wendy.

Cassey walked to the front doors, closed her eyes for just a moment, and took a deep breath.

A memory flashed in her mind. Her stepmother hovered over her as she screamed, “You will never amount to anything. You hear me girl? You are worthless.”

Opening her eyes, she straightened her shoulders and flipped the lock on the doors. The sunlight hit her face and she smiled as she saw the long line of customers waiting outside.





Chapter Two




Two years later…



Cassey watched customers come and go. She knew what her financial books said and wondered why things weren’t clicking. It had been two wonderful years, and she’d paid off half her loan in that short time, faster than she had imagined. But now something was wrong. Customers weren’t coming as frequently. She had Sam change up the menus a little to reflect the changing styles. People always said how great the food and atmosphere were, but then she wouldn’t see them again.

They had their regulars at the bar, and the weekends during the season were still good. However, in the last few weeks, she had seen a change and customers just weren’t coming.

She stood out on the pier and frowned. There just weren’t enough people walking by anymore. Even the shops next to her had suffered. She’d talked to the owners and all of them were baffled. Some buildings now sat empty with “for sale” signs in the front windows. Enough buildings sat empty that it was a great concern to the other business owners. Some of the business that had disappeared had been bought out, but there were still enough businesses and owners that were determined to stick it out, no matter what.

She’d been visited a few times by some of the larger resorts down the beach. Several had given her very appealing offers to sell out. But this was her family’s place, not just hers, and she wasn’t going to sell, period. She hadn’t even mentioned the offers to the Graytons, knowing what they would say. The place had been in their family for generations and they were determined to keep it that way.

She leaned against the railing and watched as couples and children played on the beach. It was chilly today, with a cold wind coming in off the Gulf, so everyone was bundled up in jeans and light jackets. Fall was, in her opinion, the best season. The cool air rushed in off the ocean, cooling everything down.

This time of year always made her think of her family. Maybe because she’d always enjoyed taking the long drive across the Dolphin Bay Bridge back to Spring Haven and the old house on the hill that overlooked her small hometown. Even though the weather was usually nice, she could feel the changes and knew that even cooler weather was on its way.

Taking a deep breath, she went back to her office to work on a new business plan that would get the boardwalk and her bar and grill busy again. Walking into the main dining area, she looked around and noticed there were only four tables being served. For lunch, this was tragic.

Walking past the bar area and waving at Wendy, she went up the narrow stairs quickly. When she pushed open her office door, she was shocked to see a gorgeous man sitting behind her desk, fast asleep with his feet up. It took her a second to regain her composure as she looked at him.

His light brown hair was cut stylishly, with the top raised up and the sides shorter. Side burns ran to the middle of his ears. His long dark eyelashes lay on his checks. His jaw was square and one of the best features on his face. His lips. She couldn’t take her eyes from them. They were full and looked like they would be fun to kiss.

He wore a blue, collared shirt, the top button open, with no tie. He wore a light tan leather bomber jacket and dark gray jeans. His black boots rested on the corner of her desk.

She’d never been one to deny herself physical pleasures with a good-looking man. Men were easy to come by when you ran one of the largest bar and grills along the beach. They were easy enough to discard as well. She was always quick in her affairs, never letting the relationships fester into something that got out of hand. Usually they only lasted a few weeks before she would get bored and move on.

Shaking herself from her thoughts and from watching the sexy man sleep in her chair, she closed the door loudly, and his eyes slid open slowly. They were dark brown and she could have sworn he was laughing at her.

He smiled at her, keeping his feet on her desk and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh, there you are,” the man said in a rich voice. “I’ve been waiting for over an hour, you know.” He finished as his eyes ran up and down her, much like she’d done to him.