Heart Storms, page 18
Lottie let out the breath she’d been holding. “Oh, gracias. You really do look beautiful,” she said as she headed toward the linen room.
With Lottie’s reaction, Jade wondered if she made a mistake in her choice of dress. But she felt good, so what did it matter? She was allowed to dress up. Except she never had, not like this, in the time she worked there. Shrugging off any doubts, she got back to work but couldn’t wait to see Gabe’s reaction.
As her luck would have it, the next person through the front door was Rick. When he saw her, he whistled. “Wow. You look fabulous.”
Jade was glad he didn’t have a delayed weird reaction to their talk on the date and said, “Thank you, Rick. Nice of you to notice.”
He looked her up and down from shoes to hair. “How could I not notice?” His staring felt voyeuristic—he wouldn’t let himself have her but enjoyed looking as long as he wanted. Uncomfortable, Jade excused herself. “Oops. I just remembered I have to get over to the gallery before they open.”
“Before you run off for the day, can we talk later? I want to clear up how we left things the other night.”
Jade’s stomach dropped. She turned to him, her filmy skirt catching the breeze, swirling around her. “Really, Rick? Do we really need to rehash it? Let’s leave it, okay? I can’t deal with more drama. Please, let me get to work today…” She turned to walk out the front door, then looked back at him and added, “… and every day. I appreciate it. Thanks, Rick.” She left him standing in the middle of the foyer looking as if he were in the middle of a deep river, in a depth of emotion he couldn’t navigate. But she refused to feel sorry for him, rescue him or get sucked back into his issues. With no misgivings, she walked toward the gallery but stopped at the kitchen on her way.
Gabe’s eyes practically bugged out as she walked over to him. He was in the midst of breakfast service and preoccupied but took a second to scan her and whistled quietly. “My God, woman, did you have to come in today looking so ravishing after our night? I’m making eggs benedict and have to stir this hollandaise sauce, or it’ll be ruined.” While whisking the sauce furiously, he looked up at her and continued, “I have to keep my hands on this whisk, but I want to put them on you.” He stifled a laugh. “I’m about to faint over this hot stove with such a hot woman standing next to me.”
Jade giggled and whispered back, “Thank you, I’ll leave you alone so you don’t screw up those breakfast orders.” Her eyes and smile oozed sexual playfulness. “But when the workday is over, I won’t be able to leave you alone.”
As he put the finishing touches on the dish, Gabe shook his head, grinning, “Phew, woman, you are too much—taking advantage of me with my hands full of food. But tonight, I want my hands full of you.” He slid by her with the dish in his hands, holding it away from him while he looked around to make sure no one saw them. He leaned into her, brushing her lips with a light kiss, winked, and kept walking toward the breakfast area. He spoke in a hushed tone. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Muy bonita. So beautiful, mi amour. I am a lucky man.”
Jade loved when he spoke sexy Spanish to her and whispered back, “I’m the lucky one.”
***
Roy had come in early to do the bar’s inventory and was out of Gabe’s view when he heard what Gabe said. Next, he saw Jade walking out the door and realized Gabe had been talking to Jade as ‘his amour, his love.’ Anger brewed inside Roy until his face turned red. He assumed Jade was unapproachable being the manager and the boss’s girl, to boot. He’d have gone after her if he’d known she was available. And the Mexican beat me to her. Roy was not happy, and he’d bet ‘boss-man’ Rick might not be too pleased with this new development between his two managers.
***
Jade and Gabe kept their relationship secret and kept a low profile at work. But after hours, four nights a week they’d spend all night together. Those nights were heaven for her, but he wore her out for the next day. Gabe would make love all night if she could keep up, but she couldn’t. Gabe was pretty much his own boss, except for their weekly meetings, but Jade’s job was more demanding having to deal with Rick daily.
October had been fairly busy at the inn with golfers, which would taper off through mid- to late-December depending on the weather. Now, in early November business was slow. Jade was happy for the relief. She had a fairly normal life with not having to work twelve-hour days. She enjoyed having more free time because she spent it with Gabe. On their days off, they’d hit the tourist sites along the Grand Strand—rode the SkyWheel again, toured Brookgreen Gardens, attended concerts and local vineyards for wine-tastings. Once, they finagled a three-day weekend off together by Gabe telling Rick he needed to go out of town but had someone to cover for him, and with Jade saying she wanted to see her friend in Charleston. Both reasons were true, only Rick didn’t know Jade and Rick were doing them together. With as many extra hours and days they’d worked all season, they harbored no guilt about taking some much-deserved time off—together.
They visited Amy and Ben in Charleston and spent the day touring around the hot spots of the city. Amy and Ben loved Gabe and thought he seemed a perfect guy for Jade. While driving back up the coast they stopped to stay a night in Pawley’s Island in a condo on the ocean, did some shopping at local shops where they found amazing arts and crafts, and all kinds of local, homemade goods and food. Jade even bought a Pawley’s Island rope hammock to hang in her backyard.
Their last day, they hung out in Murrells Inlet on the marsh walk enjoying spectacular food and drinks at several establishments, all overlooking the marsh and inlet leading to the ocean. They rarely let go of each other, enjoying the touch of their lover as they listened to live music, danced, laughed, kissed, and sipped drinks while looking out over the marina admiring the dazzling sailboats, yachts, and happy people coming and going.
Gabe loved coastal South Carolina and the amazing woman by his side. But with the life he’d had before moving there, he couldn’t help but think it was still too amazing to be true. He constantly looked over his shoulder, watching for the devil to issue a warning, waiting for the dream to shatter and the nightmare to begin.
Chapter 22
In the weeks before and after Thanksgiving, the inn booked up and Gabe knew he and Jade would work long hours, but at least the end was in sight. Starting the first week of December there would be a lull, giving them another break until Christmas and New Year’s weeks.
One morning a guest sent back her eggs, saying they were too runny when they were perfectly cooked. Gabe asked the waitress to point out the guest. Everything about her said ‘rich’—clothes, hair, jewelry. Probably spoiled and demanding, Gabe guessed, and used to two- and three-star restaurants. He remade the eggs and hand-delivered them to her to ‘make nice,’ introducing himself as ‘Gabriel,’ the chef. The woman seemed impressed by the personal service, checked out the eggs and said, “These are perfect. Thank you, Gabriel.” She extended a hand and arm heavily clad with gold and jewels.” I’m Candace.” Gabe shook her hand and said he hoped she enjoyed her breakfast, then wished her a great day. All the while he spoke, though, a nagging voice told him he had heard of a ‘Candace.’
After thinking about it all morning, he mentioned it to Jade later after dinner. She dropped the dish she was washing and asked what this Candace looked like. As Gabe described her, he realized why the name sounded familiar—she might be the devil’s wife. From the look on Jade’s face, she thought so, too.
“It’s probably not her,” Jade said. “It’s unlikely the devil’s wife would be out here at this little inn, right?”
“Right. Forget I brought it up.”
Jade’s voice took on an inquisitive tone. “Would you mind, though, keeping an eye out for her tomorrow? See if there’s anything unusual about her?”
“Sure. But I don’t know what I’m looking for except the rich woman who sends back perfectly good eggs.”
Jade stared out the window while washing dishes, her mind tumbling possibilities around. “If she comes to breakfast note her behavior, her features—if she has someone with her, what they look like, any possible clues.”
“You want me to wear a wire and strike up a personal conversation?”
Jade snapped the dishtowel at him. “Yeah, you do that, James Bond.” They laughed together thinking they were probably making way too big a deal out of this Candace person.
***
The next day, Candace was not only seated at a table for breakfast, but a man sat with her and they acted rather cozy. He was tall with dark hair, beard, and eyes. Gabe reported to Jade, and she was relieved. “Oh, thank God it’s not the devil. He’s blonde and has green eyes.”
Still something nagged at Jade, a hunch, and she had to check Candace out in person the following morning. She knew what the devil’s Candace looked like from back in her dark, mid-divorce days when she had searched on the internet, social media, and scanned the newspaper to find photos of Candace at galas or big events at her family’s vineyard.
Later the same afternoon, Roy asked Jade to stop by the bar for a drink before she left for the day. She thought it unusual, but a friendly gesture. Gabe had already gone home to catch up on laundry and chores, preparing for the upcoming holiday week’s long hours.
While she sipped a glass of wine at the bar, Jade chatted with Roy about business. Soon the bar filled up with guests and Roy was busy with drink orders. He apologized for having to ignore her, but she understood. Before he left her, though, he said, “Stick around, I want to talk more; get to know you better.”
What an odd request. Jade knew she wouldn’t be hanging around to chat with him, though, not when Gabe waited for her at home. As she drank her wine, Jade heard an occasional high-pitched, melodic laugh floating in the air around the bar. By the time she was finishing her drink, the laugh got louder, probably with the person getting tipsier. But the voice also took on a flirtatious tone, with cooing words between giggles. Jade turned around to find the source of this inebriated woman and saw a couple snuggled up together in a corner booth. From that distance, the woman slightly resembled the devil’s Candace, but she couldn’t be sure. She walked closer, moving from table to table, asking guests if they needed anything, all the while glancing at the couple in the booth. The closer she got, the more she was sure it was the devil’s wife. But the man she was with was most definitely not Devlin. Candace and the guy had their hands all over each other, kissing like two teenagers.
Jade checked the guest reservations on the computer. The man must’ve paid for the room because there was nothing registered to Candace Gregson or Mrs. Donoghue. No credit card or personal information for her. Jade walked back to the bar and pretended to cozy up to Roy. “Hey, how about another glass of wine?”
“Sure,” Roy said, excited she’d be staying to chat with him.
Jade nodded toward the corner booth. “I think I know the couple down there, but I don’t want them to know it or see me, you know?”
Roy winked, glad to be a partner in her secret. “Gotcha.”
“I’ll take a few pictures with my phone, but I can’t let them see me. Would you provide a buffer, get their attention away from the bar and me next time you bring drinks to the table? Are they due for another round?”
Roy looked at them. “They’ve had two rounds already, must be getting sloshed, but if it’s like last night they’re due for another two rounds at least. Her glass is empty. I’d say it’s about time I made them a couple more.”
“Make them on the house. I’ll pay for them,” Jade said.
“Will do. Free drinks, that’ll warm them up to chatting with me. I’ll bring the fresh drinks and make small talk, divert their attention away from you. You can snap your pictures and they won’t have a clue.”
“You’re a doll, Roy. I owe you one.”
He beamed and Jade was immediately sorry she made such a promise. But he did exactly as she’d asked. Jade snapped pictures over the five minutes of them chatting with Roy. He must’ve asked them something personal to get them to embrace, because Candace planted a huge kiss, a juicy, sexy, lover’s kiss on the guy, then his hands were all over her. Obviously, Candace and this guy were much more than friends or business associates, and Jade caught it all on camera.
Looking at the photos later and comparing them to her internet searches for Candace Gregson, they were an exact match. Jade squealed with delight. Here was her revenge, at last. The devil’s new wife, who evidently had their baby a few months or more ago, was having an affair with a tall, dark, handsome man—right here in Golden Shores. Candace probably figured nobody would recognize her in this little seaside town at a quaint bed-and-breakfast when her style is more of a five-star hotel. Jade had her now, her and the devil.
When Gabriel arrived at her house, she’d made dinner—shrimp scampi with garlic buttered pasta—one of his favorites accompanied by a chilled bottle of chardonnay. When he walked in the door, the aroma of sumptuous food surrounded him. “Boy, I could get used to this. Thank you for this treat.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I made dinner so we wouldn’t have to go out. I need privacy to get your input.” She showed Gabe the pictures, told him the woman was Devlin’s Candace and she was obviously having an affair, “unless Candace and the devil got divorced, but I doubt it. It would’ve been all over the newspapers, and I did a thorough internet search on both her and Devlin.”
Gabe looked more closely at the internet photos of Candace and Devlin together for a minute, and said, “If anyone should be called a snake, it’s him. You can see the slick, deceptive look in his eyes—he’s a woman-eater.”
“Devour-er is more like it.”
Gabe took Jade in his arms. “My poor babe. I can’t stand knowing how much he hurt you, then he gets rich Candace and a baby as his reward after leaving you devastated with nothing.” Gabe looked closely again at the photo of Candace. “Her, too. Underneath all the glitz and glamour, she’s as much a snake as he is. They deserve each other. Now she’s cheating on him. Don’t you think their marriage will implode on its own without you getting involved?”
“No—he’s so egotistical he’d never guess she’d cheat on him. And she’s probably got so much invested in him and the marriage she won’t fool around in her own backyard. She won’t risk a scandal because of her family business; she wants to paint a picture of the perfect family for the society pages. She’ll be careful and he’ll never find out. All I have to do is send these pictures to Devlin anonymously.”
“What if he finds out it was you and comes out here, gets drunk and threatens you?” He stroked her hair. “Or God help him if he physically hurt you; I’d kill him.”
Jade threw her arms out. “See? You feel the same way I do! Now you understand why I want this one small act of revenge.”
Gabe opened the wine and poured them a generous glass. “Here, drink, relax and let’s think this through logically. What exactly are you planning to do with these pictures?”
“Email them to Devlin, anonymously.”
“He’ll know it’s you from your email address.”
“I could send them from the library computer. Or borrow someone’s laptop.”
“Then you get other people involved. Not a good idea.”
“Good point. I don’t want him snooping around all over town or with friends. I could print and snail-mail them with no return address. I’ll drive over the state line to North Carolina and mail them from a post office there so he won’t suspect.”
Gabe sighed and frowned. “I suppose. Seems a lot of trouble to go to.”
“Why? I’m finally getting back at him; mind you, this is not one one-millionth of the pain he caused me, but still, it’s something.”
“Remember how we talked about pain being relative? He’ll suffer as much as you did when he finds out his wife is publicly cheating on him.”
“Good. He’ll get his. He did so much more than this to me. Now he’ll know what it feels like being betrayed, deceived, and humiliated.”
“I don’t know. This seems conniving and diabolical. It’s not you, Jade.”
“Now you sound like my mother. I didn’t stalk him and Candace and chase them around the country. Who would guess this would drop in my lap, that Candace would land on my front door with her lover no less?” Jade’s voice rose higher. “This was meant-to-be.”
“Jeez, calm down. I only worry about the backlash.”
Jade moved close and looked into his eyes. “If you had this kind of opportunity to balance the scales of justice against your cheating ex, Consuela, would you do it?”
He cocked his head to one side and smirked. “I admit it would feel good but not as good as it would’ve a year ago.”
“Why a year ago?”
“Because now there’s you. I have goodness and love in my life. It’s tempered my need for revenge. It’s made me more compassionate, I guess. Especially since my daughter is involved. I’d do nothing to hurt her, and by hurting her mother, I’d hurt her.”
Jade kissed his cheek. “You’re so good, Gabe. I admire you. But I don’t have a child to hurt. There’s only Devlin.”
Gabe put down his glass and threw her a serious look. “But he has a child.”
At first a little sheepish, her head downcast and wincing, Jade said, “You’re right. The baby. Damn.” She took a sip of wine and glanced out the window, regrouping her former train of thoughts. “But the child isn’t mine, and not mine and his. Candace is being a shit. I’m doing Devlin, and ultimately the child, a favor by showing them the truth.”
Gabe twirled his glass around. “Maybe he already knows she’s cheating.”
Jade threw her hands in the air, angry. “Oh, no way. His ego couldn’t take it. If he knew, he’d be following them and out here in a flash wanting to beat the crap out of the guy.”
Gabe served up dinner. “Let’s eat. We both need to eat.”
“Will you be upset with me with if send these photos?”
