Page 14 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

What in the world?

I felt numb. Something deep inside whispered that I was missing something, that Bennie knew something I didn’t but really should.

I didn’t eat much of my sundae. Bridget talked nearly the entire time, but I barely heard her. Finally, I told her I was going to the restroom but rounded toward the kitchen instead, where Bennie was tying off a garbage bag.

“What did you mean by that?” I asked quietly. “That I should be with my dad.”

He guffawed and turned away. “I’m beginning to wonder about you, kid. You work hard, but is this really the time to be eating ice cream with friends? If there were ever a time your dad needed you, it’s now.”

I thought about that glimpse of Dad this morning, groaning in pain. Mom closing the door quickly so I wouldn’t see.

Her fumbling words that had to be lies. The guilt in her eyes.

I was such an idiot.

“Tell me what you’ve heard,” I demanded.

Bennie stared at me with a dark expression. He must have seen the truth in my eyes, because he sighed. “If your parents haven’t told you, that’s something you need to hear from them.”

A very diplomatic answer.

I’d have to put the clues together myself. Mom’s excuses, refusing to let me into their room because of germs, Dad’s hat. More pale every day. Some kind of surgery . . .

“I’ve got to go,” I told him, hurrying toward the door.

“Yeah, you gotta. Don’t come back to work till everything’s sorted, you hear? I can give you another week if you need.”

SEVEN

Walkinghome from the kayaking tour, I picked my way along the path and admired the jungle-like plants around me. Birds I’d never seen before sang in the trees, and the sky overhead remained a gray-blue as the clouds cleared and prepared for night to descend on the scene.

This island was positively stunning. Now I just had to figure out how to get Kamia to go through with her wedding so I wouldn’t have to leave it within days of my arrival. Maybe if I got the bride and groom together, they could work things out. A reservation at the hotel restaurant perhaps? Another gift basket? I couldn’t think of a single thing other than physically following Kamia around to keep her away from her handsome new crush. She and Afonso had said goodbye shortly after the kayaking expedition, but it hadn’t been agoodbye forevergoodbye. It had been aI’ll see you soongoodbye. Whatever Kamia had planned, it could not be good for Chase’s bottom line.

Bride-sitting had definitelynotbeen in my job description.

“Hey, wedding planner!”

I turned to find the pool guy from the other day hurrying toward me, the one who’d argued with Chase. He pulled up and grinned. The guy wore a hat to cover his balding head today, and his khaki collared shirt lay open to reveal a hairy, deeply tanned chest.

I returned his smile. “Hello again.”

“I heard you had to share a kayak with the big guy. How did that go?” There was an amused twinkle in his dark eyes.

I snorted. “About as well as you can imagine.”

“Hey, if you managed not to get fired for wearing the wrong color shirt, you’re ahead of most of us.”

I gave him a long look. The Chase I’d seen, the one who argued with this man, had been the same gruff boss who’d sent me to this island. But the Chase I’d just spent three hours with seemed different, like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. “He does seem worried about the business, but I would be too.”

“Querida muchacha,” he said, putting a hand on his chest as if I’d hurt him. “I assure you, he’s far worse than you think. Once you’re on Chase Everett’s radar, you’re only one billionaire-tantrum away from utter poverty.”

Four days before, I’d been in near poverty, but Chase’s offer had pulled me out of it. Thanks to his signing bonus, I’d been able to pay one of my two months’ late rent. The next paycheck would take care of the rest. In fact, if I weren’t planning to steal a groom, this promotion could have lifted me to a far better apartment by this time next year.

If only.

But that didn’t mean the pool guy had had the same experience with Chase. “Did he fire someone you know?” I asked.

The man scowled. “He hired six of us a few months ago before . . . what is the word, downsizing? I’m the only one left, but not because he likes me. Hard to work when he’s hovering and glaring at you every two seconds, you know?”

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