Page 101 of Booked for Summer

He raised his head to look at her. ‘You can probably guess.’

Her eyes searched his. ‘He was part of the gang that Adam was in, the gang at boarding school?’

‘He was the unofficial leader, yes.’

‘But that doesn’t explain why he hates you. It can’t just be because you were poor.’

He’d told Jade so much already, it seemed petty not to tell her everything. Starting from tomorrow, he’d shore up his defences again. ‘His father slept with my mother.’

‘Oh…oh. You’re half-brothers.’

‘We share some DNA,’ he corrected. ‘Henry’s father has never acknowledged me as his son. He paid my mother off and then washed his hands of both of us. I’m the reminder to Henry that his family isn’t perfect. I’m also the reason his parents split up.’

She fell quiet, but her hand was still wrapped tight around his and between that, and the gentle sway of the boat, some of the bitterness began to recede.

‘You’re not the reason,’ she said finally. ‘His father being a cheating bastard is the reason.’

He let out a humourless laugh. ‘Not the way Henry sees it.’

‘So that’s why you’re so driven to make money. Not just to stick two fingers up at rich bullies, but to let Chase senior see what he’d missed out on. To make your resort bigger and better than his,’ she added.

He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she pieced all these jagged parts of him together.

‘I needed them all to see I was somebody. Not just a person they could ignore, walk away from. Reject.’ As his voice choked on the last word, he wondered if it sounded as pathetic to her as he feared. ‘This guy you’ve been seeing, the successful businessman who has his life together? It’s a fucking illusion. Inside I’m an angry kid with a giant chip on my shoulder.’

‘No.’ She clasped his hands with both of hers and squeezed tight. ‘You might be a man people have tried to ignore, to put down, but you’re resilient. You didn’t crumble under what they did to you, you became a winner, not a victim. A man who built a frigging company from nothing, using only his wit, his drive, his strength. Flipping heck, can’t you see how bloody awesome you are?’

The words soothed, his wounds feeling less raw. Grateful, he bent to kiss the top of her head.

The buzz of her phone cut through the moment and she sighed, diving into her fluffy, pink candyfloss of a handbag. ‘That will be the groom, wanting an update.’ She tapped the screen and read out the message.

Have you found him? Please tell me you have and he’s not thrown himself off the wharf. FYI: we strong-armed Henry out of the resort. For ‘we’, read Leroy. I provided encouragement and a piece of my mind.

Despite his gloom, he managed a smile.

‘Oh, wait, there’s another one.’ Jade’s eyes scanned the screen.

PS. Philip says Liam’s revised plans are for affordable housing on the waterfront. I told this to Mary. Expect news to have filtered round the island by tomorrow lunchtime. Ditto the fact Henry was out of date and the resort wharf can be used for general mooring. Oh and I found out Haven Resorts is funding a library for the school. The boss tried to keep it anonymous but it’s time island gossip was Haven positive. If he isn’t happy, tough. I’m a boss too now.

She looked up at him. ‘I’m going to have to reply. If I don’t he’ll continue to blow up the phone.’

‘It’s his wedding day. Surely he’s got better things to do.’

Her phone buzzed again. ‘Want to bet?’ She glanced down at it.

If you’ve found him and are currently bumping uglies, tough. I’ll keep interrupting until you reply.

‘Christ.’ It was embarrassing how touched he was. ‘Put him out of his misery.’

Jade smiled and typed something into her phone before jamming it back into her handbag. When she met his eyes again, the affection he saw there nearly flattened him. ‘Affordable-housing, donations to the school. You did good, Liam Haven.’

‘A wise person once told me I was turning into a rich arrogant prick. Thought it was about time I did something to reverse it.’

Her expression softened, eyes shining with something that looked an awful lot like pride. ‘So, what now?’

You go home and I get on with my shallow life and try, hopelessly, to forget you.

‘Do you want to head back to the wedding,’ Jade continued, watching him carefully, or?—’

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