Page 12 of Love is Grand

Of course. Tony. I didn’t say anything, though, because why breathe life into that jerk’s name?

“This is more authentic, anyway. Happy holidays, Jack,” I said, slipping him a few hundred-dollar bills as a holiday bonus, along with securing his continued discretion.

“Thanks.” He grinned at me as he tucked the bills into his shirt pocket. “I’m saving up to get my girl some jewelry.”

“Oh, you’re at that point?”

“That’s what she says.”

We both laughed, and I wondered again how all these men settled for a lifetime with one woman. I’d never thought of myself as the type, but the peaceful feeling a certain island girl brought me made me wonder.

“Where to first?” Jack asked. “The hotel or your brother’s?”

“I’m having Christmas Eve dinner at his house tonight, so the hotel. I do want to make a stop later before my brother’s.”

Jack nodded, knowing where I would want to stop.

We wound through some cruise traffic on the way to the resort where I’d reserved a villa through the thirtieth. If I stayed for New Year’s by my lonesome, it was sure to send up some red flags. Everyone would be asking why I wasn’t hitting up the New York club scene with a gorgeous woman on my arm for the ball drop at midnight.

When Jack pulled up in front of the valet stand, I told him I’d get my stuff and text him around four for my next stop.

Yanking my suitcase out of the back, I thought about the Lego set inside. Bribery was all it was. I’d never met Weezie, and I didn’t plan on it. But I figured she’d be around for the holidays, and if I wanted to make nice with her mom, I’d have to pay the guard.

Laughing under my breath as I walked toward reception, I caught sight of Tony and Rylan out of the corner of my eye. She sent a wave my way, her watch reflecting the twinkly lights strung along the rafters. Bing Crosby floated in the air, and it felt wrong to be hearing “Little Drummer Boy” with no fresh snow outside.

For a moment, I missed home. Michigan, that is, where I’d grown up with my brother, and with my sister who was no longer with us. We didn’t celebrate Christmas growing up. My mom would make us potato pancakes and give us candy coins for Hanukkah, but every year she’d take us to the mall to meet Santa. A result of us losing our father when we were little tykes, she wanted us to have someone to tell our wishes to.

“Hey, you made it,” Rylan said, coming to stand next to me while I waited to check in.

Nodding, I said, “How’s your friend? Is he behaving?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, even your brother has put the Tony thing to bed. What’s it to you?”

“I’m the evil brother, I guess. If that dude wasn’t nice to my flesh and blood, then I’m not sure about him. That’s my job.”

Although that’s what I said, I was really asking because the ass had made a play for Shell. No way I was getting into that with Rylan, though.

Rylan nudged my elbow with hers. “Give it a rest, okay? So, dinner’s at around seven. Adam was meeting with your client today over Zoom, and then he needed to run by Sam’s to check on the holiday roast numbers.”

“He’s my hero, that guy of yours.”

Rylan ran her hand through her blond waves and stared me down. As of tomorrow, she’d be my sister-in-law-to-be. She didn’t know it yet, but I did. Adam had me look at twelve rings on FaceTime with him.

The whole process was nauseating, yet here I was to celebrate her holiday with the two of them. My brother said they had a menorah on the mantel, and Rylan was happily incorporating everything Jewish into her Christmas. Whatever that meant.

Luckily, the desk attendant waved me over.

“I’ll be there. With bells on,” I told Rylan and moved up.

She didn’t bother to ask me to stay with them. I’d made it clear over the phone that I wouldn’t. Nope, I don’t want to hear my brother banging you, I’d told her, and she’d shut up.

Rylan was so easy to spook. She tried to be a hard-ass, but she was a romantic at heart. She was perfect in her new role as event planner at the Grand, coordinating weddings and engagement dinners when the sky was the limit at Grand Cayman’s most exclusive property.

“Be nice, Cal,” my brother’s woman warned me as she walked away, and I knew why I was keeping this Shell thing from her.

I wasn’t sure how much longer Adam would go along with it, but he had his secrets too.

“Stern for one,” the receptionist said to me. “We have you in a two-bedroom villa with a direct ocean view.”

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