Resort to Love Read online

  “Look, I didn’t lie to you. Not exactly,” he amended when she sucked her teeth in derision.

  “You’re splitting hairs, and you know it.” She folded her arms across her chest, right hip cocked in a sassy jut that made the conservative, short-sleeved pencil dress she wore temptingly sexy. “I’ve told you before, a lie of omission is equally as bad.”

  Feisty, but moral, that was his Sofía.

  Only she wasn’t his.

  Squelching a spurt of disappointment, Nate forced his mind back to business. “There is a property down in Sarasota we’re interested in. If things don’t pan out here.”

  Her full lips tightened, like she was struggling to keep words from spilling out.

  “I didn’t say anything when we ran into each other the other day because I didn’t think it would matter,” Nate continued. “And, honestly, because it’s too early in the game.”

  “Right. ’Cuz this...” She opened her arms to encompass the open lobby area and expansive dining hall, gesturing toward the elevator bank that led to the standard rooms off to the right. “This is all a game to you. To Hamilton, Inc., it’s another property in a long string of them. But it’s not a game, Nate. This place means a lot to me. And to my tía.”

  “I know.”

  “Then don’t bid.”

  Indecision flashed across her face as soon as she said the words. If she could take them back, he’d bet she would.

  “You don’t mean that, Sof.” He shook his head, knowing her and her competitive streak. That chip on her shoulder, figuratively and literally thanks to her tattoo, drove her to succeed. “When it comes to your work, you wouldn’t roll over for someone else any more than you’d expect me to. As much as you want this place, I think you’d regret asking me to back out and you not fighting for it.”

  Sofía’s face scrunched in a grimace, but it did nothing to detract from her beauty.

  “Coño.” She grumbled the Spanish curse word under her breath, repeating the “damn” once more. “You’re probably right.”

  She spun away, striding a few steps toward the dining hall before quickly turning back to point at him. “But mark my words, I’m going to win this bid fair and square. The important question is can I count on Hamilton Inc.—can I count on you and your father—to do the same?”

  Nate’s chest tightened with a burning mix of anger and pain. How could she even ask him that question? Worse, how could she so easily group him in with his old man when she knew how much Nate detested his father’s strong-arm tactics?

  “Are you serious?” he ground out.

  Sofía’s determined expression was answer enough.

  “That’s a low blow,” he muttered.

  The disquiet simmering inside him lately heated to a slow boil. Nate stabbed his fingers through his hair in frustration.

  This past weekend, trying to avoid another argument with his father, Nate had canceled dinner plans with his parents. The next morning, his mom showed up at his place. Worry clouding her green eyes, she carried a white paper bag from his favorite bakery in one hand and a tray with two cups of coffee in the other.

  It didn’t matter that her conciliatory gesture should have come from her husband. Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. As usual, Nate had promised his mom that he’d toe the Hamilton line. Pacify his dad to keep the family peace.

  Of course, he hadn’t known at the time that handling the reacquisition of Paradise Key Resort meant he’d be battling Sofía for the bid. A promise to his mom was a promise he couldn’t break, but what if it meant hurting the only other woman he’d cared for as much as her?

  Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  “This isn’t personal, Sofía.” He couldn’t allow it to be.

  “It’s personal to me. And you didn’t answer my question,” she pressed.

  “Yes, you have my word. No back-door deals.” He could give her that at least. The promise he wouldn’t let his father play dirty.

  “Thank you.” She bobbed her head in a brisk nod.

  “In all honesty, you’re the one who’d have better access to the back doors of most Paradise Key residents. Not me.”

  “Maybe.” She hitched a shoulder in a blasé shrug. “But Tyson Braddock has wanted inside your circle for years. I’m sure he’s salivating at the chance to help you and your father so he can get in your good graces.”

  Nate waved off her argument. “The guy’s not all that bad. From what I can tell, he seems to want what’s best for the town.”

  “I sure hope so.” Sofía made a slow circle, taking in the interior’s shabby condition. As quickly as it had flashed, her ire slipped away. Nostalgia softened her expression when she faced him. “She deserves to be resurrected, doesn’t she?”

  “Yeah, she does, even if it’s only for the town’s sake.”

  Sofía’s gaze caught with his. A hushed silence fell between them, weighed down by thoughts of what was and what could have been.

  There were a lot of good memories here—his own with Sofía, but also those of countless guests who had vacationed here and the locals who’d been on the payroll during the resort’s heyday.

  It would be good to see the property up and running, flourishing again.

  His phone vibrated in his front pocket, breaking the delicate thread linking them.

  Sofía glanced away, and Nate reached for his cell to check the caller ID. His father’s name flashed across the screen, a glaring reminder of Nate’s duty to his family. He pressed the button to send the call directly to voicemail.

  “We should probably finish the tour and get out of here,” Nate said.

  Sofía twisted her wrist to check her watch. “Yes, I’ve got a phone call in a little over an hour.”

  Nate couldn’t help but wonder if the call was for business or pleasure.

  He should only be interested in the first, and how it might tie into her bid on the property. But the jealous whispers inside his head wondering about the second wouldn’t be silenced. Evie had told him Sofía had a good thing going now. Damn if he didn’t want to know with whom. And how serious it might be.

  Shaking off the distracting questions, Nate stepped toward the elevator bank.

  “You good with starting inside, then heading to check the grounds and cabanas after? I’ve heard some of them have a bit of hurricane damage.”

  “Sure.” Sofía fell into step beside him, and he caught the faint whiff of her spicy floral perfume.

  The scent infused his body like a hallucinogenic drug, eliciting a vivid image that flashed in his mind. Her dark hair fanning out on her pillow beside him, a silky contrast to the cream-colored sheets in the hotel room they’d shared in Key West the last time they’d been together.

  Damn, he’d lost track of the number of nights he’d lain awake in bed, reliving that weekend. With her, he felt rejuvenated, uplifted, capable of anything.

  It’d been a glorious weekend, right up until the moment he finally revealed his father’s latest edict: Put a ring on Melanie Brokaw’s finger and officially unite the two families, as expected.

  “Why is Hamilton, Inc., interested in the resort now?” Sofía’s question broke into Nate’s musings.

  “I don’t think we should have let it go to begin with,” he answered. “Remember, you and I were still in college when the decision was made to sell it and invest in another property.”

  The silver elevator door slid open, and he waited for Sofía to enter first.

  “Any preference?” She waved at the panel of circular numbered lights. He shook his head, so she pressed the number three. “It was Tía Mili’s floor when she worked here.”

  “How is she?” Nate asked, remembering with fondness the slender woman with a strong work ethic and friendly personality. Sofía and her tía shared the same golden hazel eyes, generous smile, and devotion to their family. Nate envied their close connection. Knowing someone was always in your corner, no matter what.

  For a while
, he’d had that with Sofía. Until he’d blown it.

  The elevator creaked its way upward. She leaned her right shoulder against the wall, her gaze trained on the circles as they lit up. “Tía Mili’s good, thanks for asking.”

  “She still making that killer roast pork and Puerto Rican rice?”

  Sofía chuckled as she patted her trim belly. “Better than ever. That’s why I’ve increased my run distance since I’ve been here.”

  There’d been a time when Nate would have teased her about another way they could work off a few calories together. Now he wisely kept that idea to himself.

  “I always liked hanging out at her house,” he said instead, remembering those summer evenings with fondness. The ease with which Tía Mili had welcomed him, participating in their conversations. Listening without judging. “It felt homey and comfortable. Accepting.”

  “That’s familia.”

  “Well, your familia maybe. Mine hasn’t quite grasped the ‘fun’ part of dysfunctional.”

  Sofía’s brows hitched lower and she started to respond, but the elevator slid to a stop.

  “Come on, let’s see what we’re buying,” he said, gesturing for her to go ahead again.

  “Correction, what I’m buying.”

  Nate shook his head at the smirk she tossed him on her way out. “Smart aleck,” he teased.

  She answered with a quirked brow he found entirely too sexy.

  Together, they wandered the hall, remarking on the stained carpeting, checking out a few rooms to survey the conditions, poking at the edges of peeling wallpaper in one. Sofía whipped out a small spiral notebook and pen from the brown satchel slung over her shoulder.

  He watched her take notes, barely curbing his curiosity’s desire for him to step closer and read over her shoulder. Not that she would have let him anyway.

  She was all business. Intently focused on achieving her goal. Just like he needed to be.

  “The pictures I’ve seen didn’t do the damage justice,” Nate said.

  Sofía shook her head as she jotted in her notebook. “Definitely not.”

  He snapped a few photos with his phone, then typed his own list into a document he’d email to himself once they were finished.

  Soon, they were going back down in the elevator, crossing the cracked tile floor toward the sliding glass doors leading outside.

  A humid ocean breeze greeted them. Palm trees and oleander bushes with dark pink buds dotted the overgrown grounds. Thick weeds choked the colorful foliage, clamoring for dominance until they reached the edge of the sandy beach. The Tiki Hut restaurant appeared ready for hurricane season, its windows battened down, the chairs and tables stacked and tied together with heavy rope. The drained freeform-shaped pool and circular jacuzzi sat like gaping wounds in an area that had once been the resort’s thriving, energetic heartbeat.

  “Wow,” Sofía whispered. “I haven’t tried to come back here in years. It’s...it’s so sad.”

  Her voice was thick with emotion, and Nate found himself unable to resist wading into the waters of their shared memories.

  “Remember that time you jumped in the pool to grab that toddler who’d fallen in?” he asked.

  Sofía clapped a hand to her forehead. “Dios mío, I’d forgotten about that. The Tiki Hut shift manager was not happy I had to go home and change.”

  “Hell, it would have been worse if you’d stuck around looking like the winner of a wet T-shirt contest. Not that I woulda minded.”

  She elbowed him in the ribs, but the smile curving her full lips made the jab feel more like a love tap.

  “That mom made sure the entire staff knew how grateful she was for your quick thinking,” he added.

  “It almost seems like yesterday,” Sofía said, her eyes taking on a faraway haze as she moved closer to the edge of the pool.

  Nate followed, surprised when she sank down to sit with her tanned legs dangling into what should have been the deep end. He joined her, tugging at his pant legs to sit comfortably at her side.

  “The girls made such a big deal about it,” she continued, lost in the memory as she stared into the cement shell. “Evie and Lauren hailed me a hero and queen for the rest of the day. Jenna wove a crown out of some twine, then glued on a bunch of shells from her grandmother’s shop. And when we got to Delightful Scoops after my shift, Lily talked them into—”

  Her voice hitched, and she broke off.

  He caught the tremble of her chin, the pain of losing her dear friend obviously overwhelming her.

  Eyes closed, Sofía hung her head. A curtain of her dark hair fell to shield her face from his view. Still, she couldn’t hide the shudder that shook her thin shoulders when she sucked in a breath.

  Nate could no more not offer her comfort than he could will his heart to stop beating. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her, guiding Sofía gently to his side.

  He half expected her to pull away, rebuffing him like she’d done over the past two years. Instead, she surprised him by sinking into him and burying her face in his neck. Warm tears wet his skin as she cried.

  “I’m so sorry about Lily,” he murmured. “I had no idea yesterday when I asked you to tell her hello for me.”

  “I fi-figured as much,” Sofía said in between another shuddering breath.

  “Tyson Braddock mentioned it in passing. I wanted to say something when we were at Scallywags...but you all looked so happy together. I didn’t want to interrupt with a reminder of bad news.”

  “It’s hard,” she whispered. “The only familia I’ve lost before was Tío David and my abuela. That was difficult enough. Yet, you don’t think someone as young as Lily could, could be gone so—”

  Her body shook with gut-wrenching sobs. Nate twisted, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Willing her pain to seep into him. God, he’d give anything to make it go away.

  “I’m so sorry, Sof,” he repeated, stroking a hand gently through her hair.

  Little by little, her sobs subsided, slowing to a hiccupping breath. Sofía leaned away slightly, and Nate let his arms slide to rest on her hips.

  She scrubbed at her eyes, leaving a trail of mascara on her fingers. “I shouldn’t have—”

  “Don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for.”

  Her red-rimmed, puffy eyes narrowed. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure I’d call us ‘friends’ anymore.”

  “I would. Or at least I’d like to.”

  Honestly, he didn’t know if he could be just friends with Sofía. They’d been more than that for years. An unlabeled, but important relationship in his life. Until she’d severed the tie saying they couldn’t see each other anymore if he was engaged to another woman.

  Could he be this close and not touch her? Was it possible for him to ignore the urge to kiss her senseless?

  He wasn’t sure, but friendship was a far better alternative than what he’d had with her over the last two years—complete silence.

  “I’m not sure your fiancée would approve of you hanging out with an ex-lover,” Sofía shot back, scrambling to her feet.

  “If I had a fiancée, she might not. Seeing as I don’t have one anymore, it’s a moot point.”

  Sofía stared down at him, surprise flashing across her features. He knew she wanted to ask what had happened, but she wouldn’t. Pride would keep her from doing so.

  Nate pushed himself to a stand, wiping off the seat of his pants as he spoke. “Suffice to say that my dad’s going to have to find another way to combine the Hamilton and Brokaw empires because a marriage between Melanie and me is not in the cards. It was a crazy stupid move to begin with.”

  “Well then, I guess my condolences or my congratulations are in order. Whichever you and Melanie prefer. That’s between the two of you. Not us. Or rather, there is no ‘us’ so it doesn’t really matter.” Sofía’s hands fluttered nervously in the air between them.

  Strange, because he’d rarely seen her nervous. Calm and collected, sure. Pissed or emotionally
charged, hell yeah. But nervous? Only when she’d really wanted that summer internship her first year of college. Maybe right before she’d gone for her interview with the small resort chain on South Beach after her graduation from the University of Florida.

  He hoped it was a sign that she cared, and maybe there was a chance, slim as it might be, that they could reconnect.

  Taking a step toward her, he held out a hand. “Look, isn’t it possible for us—”

  “I can’t do this, Nate. Not now.” Sofía backed away, shaking her head from side to side so hard her hair swished like a dark cape behind her. “I have a plan, and it’s a solid one. If I’m successful, when I’m successful, it will mean so much to me, and to my Tía Mili. It’ll bring me home to the familia I have here in Paradise Key. And I can’t let you, and certainly not your father and the unsavory methods he uses to deal with whatever or whomever is in his way, derail me.”

  Nate started at the vehemence in Sofía’s voice, shocked and confused about where it came from. As far as he knew, Sofía and his dad had only met in passing that last summer in Paradise Key. How could she know anything about the way his old man did business, except for what Nate had griped about over the years?

  “I have to go,” Sofía said, interrupting Nate’s mental debate.

  “Wait!” He reached out to stop her. Damn it, he didn’t want her to leave like this. Upset with him, hurting over Lily’s death, and seeming almost angry with his dad for whatever strange reason.

  Discouraged by the increasing distance between them, he sought to shorten it. “You know that if you need anything. Ever. Someone to talk to...”

  “I’ll call one of the girls.” Sofía filled in the blank he’d left by letting his sentence trail off. “In fact, we’re meeting at Jenna’s later for a girls’ night in, then tomorrow I’m heading down to St. Pete for an overnight with Lauren and Evie. We’re grieving, but I’ll be fine.”

  Of course she would. Because unlike him, she’d been okay with their breakup. If the end of a non-dating, occasional hookup relationship could be called a breakup.

  “See you around, Nate.” She raised a hand in a listless wave, giving him a wobbly smile that did nothing to hide the pain in her expressive eyes. “Take care.”