Page 155 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
She nodded and said, “I promise.”
Relief flooded over me as I gave her a hug and then rushed up the steps. Emma and Vera were already at center stage when I returned. Vera egged the crowd on as Emma and I stood next to her, holding hands.
“Now that’s what we call a showstopper,” Vera said once the crowd quieted. “I didn’t know you two had it in you.”
“Twin power,” someone yelled from the crowd.
Vera laughed and then held up a finger. “I have an announcement that might top Blake and Emma’s number.” She pointed toward our table. “Dana, can I have you join us on stage?”
I shot a glance at Robyn. Her face was impassive as Dana trotted up the steps.
Once Dana joined us, we stepped back and let Vera continue. “Um, some of you might have noticed that Blissful Breeze…um…could use some TLC.” A ripple of laughter spread through thecrowd. “It’s okay, you can laugh. I know there are parts that have seen their better days. Oh, hell, who am I kidding? There are parts that are plain old, dilapidated, and falling apart. That’s why I’m pleased to make this announcement.”
Vera turned around and motioned to me. “Blake, would you join me for this?”
Emma smiled and patted my back as I moved up beside Vera.
“Yesterday afternoon, I got a call from New York,” Vera said. “From my friend. Our friend Blake. Can you share what you said?”
Shit.Vera hadn’t told me she was going to do this. I stepped up to the mic and smiled. “Uh, yeah. I was in New York to sign a contract with an equity firm in New York City, but my mind, um…more importantly, my heart, wasn’t in it.” I avoided looking in Robyn’s direction. “I called Vera and asked if she’d be willing to sell Blissful Breeze to me.”
Murmurs filled the room. Still, I didn’t look at Robyn or anyone from our villa.
“I’ll be damned,” I heard Annie’s voice call out.
I couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be damned is right. After Vera said yes, I went to my meeting with Ironclad, thanked them for their interest in me, and declined the position.” I motioned behind me. “And my friend Dana was gracious enough to drive here from Chicago. She’s a lawyer, and she’s worked up a contract for the sale. We’ve got a few things yet to hammer out, but I suspect we’ll be able to close the deal fast.”
“Amen,” Vera said. “And Blake has offered me a position here for life should I want it. And I do!”
The crowd let out a collective roar.
“We’ll be releasing more details soon,” Vera said. “But we wanted to share the news with you first.”
I finally glanced at Robyn, who had an unreadable expression on her face. I took a chance and gave her a half smile. Shereturned the gesture. Even though I’d hoped for a full smile, I’d take it.
“One other thing,” I said, raising my hand. “Em, I have something for you.” When she stepped up beside me, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a crumpled paper, and handed it to her.
She narrowed her eyes at me since I hadn’t told her about this before. “What is it?”
I turned to the crowd and rolled my eyes. “Maybe you should just open it.”
The crowd laughed as Emma opened the paper and stared down at it. Her expression held confusion.
I smiled. “The last Friday of the month has always been our sister night. It’ll be difficult with you in New York and me here, so before I left LaGuardia, I booked my flights for the entire year, so I won’t miss a single sister night.”
Emma threw her arms around me. “You’re such an idiot,” she said into my ear. “But I love you.”
“I can’t leave everything to serendipity, you know.”
She laughed and hugged me tighter.
CHAPTER 42
It had taken almostan hour to wade through the well-wishers and the curiosity seekers, but Robyn, true to her word, had patiently waited. I’d spent another twenty minutes saying goodbye to my friends, promising to stay in touch. Finally, Robyn and I were able to slip out of the lodge.
I held Robyn’s hand as we walked across the parking lot. Neither of us spoke until we reached my truck.
“Uh, should we talk here, or would you rather go back to the villa?” I asked.
