How far I’ve come .
The last part didn’t quite make it.
Taking a deep breath, Carter stood up. Silent within, feeling a sense of stillness all around him, he bowed his head. “I miss your smile,” he whispered.
The beautiful vision of her face haunted his memory as he exited the cemetery. After closing the gate he headed toward town. He descended the old stone steps wedged into the hillside and his shadow spread before him with the setting sun.
Guilt drenched him for not visiting her grave sooner. Were she still alive, she wouldn’t agree with his purpose for returning to the island. She’d tell him to cut the line and let the big fish he had to fry swim away into the deep waters of the past. But he hadn’t made it this far in life to let such a perfect opportunity slip by.
Whenever he and his mother had walked the beaches when he was young, she would pause and gaze at the Montgomery Hotel like a small-town actress dreaming of Hollywood fame.
Since he couldn’t make her wish come true then, he would buy the Montgomery Hotel in her honor. And for his own damn satisfaction.
In less than a week he would own the ruins of a rich man’s former passion. Then, Carter would redesign the hotel according to his personal tastes. At last he would achieve a level of success internally that matched his external accomplishments. Frank Montgomery would turn over in his grave if he knew Carter’s intentions. The thought made him smile.
Approaching the ritzy café that used to be a family restaurant when his mother worked there as a waitress, he looked forward to a low-key evening of dinner and a few glasses of scotch. No relationship problems. No business issues. Plenty of time to appreciate the luxuries he’d only fantasized about while growing up here.
When he walked through the door, the cute redheaded bartender flashed him a smile. The night was looking better already.
“What can I do for you?” the girl asked when he approached the counter.
“Give me a double Johnny Walker on the rocks. Blue Label, if you’ve got it.” She raised her auburn eyebrows at his expensive request. “And your phone number, so I can call you when you finish your shift.”
Her green eyes glittered at the proposition. “How long are you planning to stay on the island?” She made small talk, leaning over the bar to give him a nice view of her cleavage.
“Long enough.” He winked.
A snort interrupted their flirting.
Carter turned to the source. Ellie sat at a corner table pretending to ignore him. Her dark hair was still swept back in a ponytail, a few loose strands framing her face. The red cashmere sweater she wore contrasted with the pale orange sunset beyond the window, defining her silhouette. She flipped through a hospitality magazine, sipping a glass of white wine.
“Put her on my tab.” When pointed at Ellie, the redhead frowned. Once she finished pouring his drink, Carter said, “Keep ‘em coming.” He exhaled a longsuffering sigh. “Depending how this goes, I might need as much alcohol as I can get.”
The bartender giggled. Carter set his black American Express card on the counter.
When she reached for it, he slid his fingertips across the back of her hand. “I’ll make tonight worth your while.” The bartender’s smile brightened. Clearing his throat, Carter stepped away and approached Ellie’s table. “Care for some company?”
“Not really.”
“Great. I’ll pull up a chair.”
As he sat down Ellie rolled her eyes. She angled her seat to face the windows instead of him.
“What brings you out of your comfort zone?” He took a sip of his scotch. The liquid slid down his throat, leaving a satisfying tingle in its wake.
“I do have a life beyond the hotel.” She flipped a page in her magazine.
He glanced around at the empty chairs. “I see.”
“I came here to be alone.”
“Me, too.” He swirled the ice in his glass and leaned closer, peering at the ads on the page. “Checking out career opportunities?”
She slapped the magazine shut. “I have a job.”
“For now.”
Her eyes sparked. “What does that mean?”
Shrugging, he pointed out, “It all depends on who buys the hotel.”
Her cheeks turned as red as her sweater. She stared mutely at the napkin holder on the table.
An unpleasant twinge of compassion afflicted him, like that afternoon when Russert had come down hard on her. “Look, you have a lot to offer the industry. No matter what happens you’ve got the experience to make a new start.”
“That’s what my uncle keeps telling me.” She sipped her wine. “But I can’t leave the island.”
“I may not agree with your uncle’s approach, but he’s right.” Carter gestured toward the view through the window. “There are bigger opportunities out there. You should be managing a hotel chain. Your talents are wasted on this place.”