Swept Away for Christmas Read online

  Avery looked at him and saw the familiar expression that had made her wonder if he was psychic when she’d been a kid unable to get away with anything. “What?”

  He arched an eyebrow.

  She sighed and leaned her forearms against the table. “The magazine closed down last week.”

  “For the holidays?” her grandma asked.

  Avery shook her head. “I’m in the market for a new job, new place to live.”

  Alice placed her hand atop Avery’s. “You stay here as long as you want. We love having you home.”

  Avery gave her grandma a small smile. “It’ll be a nice visit, but unless a magazine has sprouted in Starfish Shores since I left, I’ll be relocating as soon as I can land a position.”

  “You could freelance,” Jerry said. “You can do that from anywhere.”

  “Maybe.” She’d already thought of that possibility, but freelance jobs were sporadic at best and didn’t come with nifty things like health insurance and retirement funds.

  She saw a glance pass between her grandparents, but she didn’t ask the meaning. She was afraid she knew. They’d never held her back from what she wanted to do, but they missed her. She sometimes wondered if her living away from Starfish Shores made them miss her mom more, too. But the possibilities here were limited. Maybe if she’d felt called to be a teacher, a nurse, something she could do anywhere, she would have stayed. But she hadn’t.

  As she cleared the dishes from the table, Jerry stood and headed for the door. “Got to run to Gulf Shores and get a new printer for the office.”

  He sounded a bit more tired than Avery liked. “No, you go relax on the deck with Grandma. I’ll get the printer.”

  “You’ve already been in the car all day.”

  Avery waved away his concern. “It’s not like it’s a long drive to Gulf Shores.”

  She expected him to argue more, but when he didn’t she knew she’d made the right call. If she knew her grandpa, he’d been up since the first light was teasing the eastern horizon. “Go watch the sunset. Looks like it’s going to be a pretty one.”

  That was one thing she’d missed living in Atlanta, watching the sun slip below the horizon and painting the world striking shades of orange, yellow and pink.

  The trip to the store took a little longer than she anticipated, not because of traffic but rather shoppers pushing carts full of toys, wrapping paper and gift boxes of things like bath supplies or cheese and sausage. By the time she got back to the motel, the last hint of daylight was waving goodbye. Instead of one of the employees at the front desk, however, she found her grandmother.

  “What are you doing over here?”

  “Tina called in sick. Her little girl had the flu last week, and now Tina has it.”

  Avery carried the printer box around the counter and set it on the desk. “Go on back to the house. I’ll cover the shift.”

  Honestly, it was the last thing she wanted to do. In fact, she’d been imagining taking a shower and crawling into bed early. She hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep since learning about the magazine folding. Unemployment tended to have that effect.

  “No, you just got home. Go spend some time with your grandfather.”

  “I can do that tomorrow. I have to set this printer up anyway.”

  When her grandmother opened her mouth to protest again, Avery held up her hand. “There’s no use arguing. You won’t win.”

  Alice shook her head. “I think I stopped being able to win arguments with you about the time you got your driver’s license.”

  “Ha! That’s not how I remember it.”

  Alice gave her a questioning look.

  “I seem to remember not winning the argument about going out with Teddy Stone.”

  “And he’s in jail now.”

  “Good point.”

  Avery finally got Alice to agree to leave then set to work on setting up the new printer. The fact that she got through the entire setup without anyone coming into the office and only answering one phone call told her that her earlier assessment of how business was going was spot on. A quick look at the last few months’ financials confirmed it. Business was significantly down in the past year. Considering income had been edging downward for several years, she suddenly found herself afraid that the Pelic-Inn’s days were numbered.

  No, she couldn’t let that happen. Her grandparents had lost too much already. She wouldn’t let them lose their life’s work, too.

  Chapter Two

  Avery hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours unless you counted the times she’d nodded off at the desk last night watching a marathon of Design on a Dime. Even so, she was excited to hand over the front desk reins to Jenni. One of those episodes had given her an idea to help save the Pelic-Inn.

  She hurried into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. After grabbing the plate of scrambled eggs and bacon Alice had just prepared for her, she took her place at the table. She picked up her fork and gestured toward her grandfather.

  “I have an idea.”

  “Okay.”

  “I know you don’t want me to worry, but I know business has been going down at the motel.”

  “It’s a condo culture now, sweetie, especially in the off-season.”

  “Maybe for the snowbirds, but I think you can still draw in tourists year-round if you offer them something they can’t get anywhere else.”

  “There are tons of hotels up and down the coast, too,” Alice said as she slid onto her chair between her husband and Avery.

  “But they’re not destination hotels.” Avery, growing excited, leaned forward. “You’ve got the basis of a theme already there. The motel has that classic ‘50s and ‘60s feel to it. We spruce the place up, add a few vintage items of décor, maybe even add a soda fountain. That could get some cash flow coming in from the locals, too.”

  “That sounds great, dear, but improvements cost money.”

  “You could keep it within your budget, but sometimes you have to invest a little bit to reap the rewards. I’ve seen it dozens of times in places I’ve written about for the magazine. There was a place in North Carolina that was going under until they started building luxury treehouses on their property and installed some zip lines. Now they’re booked more than a year in advance.”

  She saw the hesitance in her grandparents’ expressions and realized maybe they weren’t up for a remodel at their ages. Still, she hated the idea of the Pelic-Inn fading away until it could no longer sustain itself.

  “I can at least get a few estimates, see if it’s possible. Sometimes even a fresh coat of paint helps.” She knew the motel needed more than a new paint job, but she needed to ease her grandparents into the idea of change.

  “I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask,” Alice said, a hint of a question in her voice as she looked at her husband.

  “Do you not think it’s just time to let it go?”

  Avery and her grandmother responded simultaneously with an emphatic “No!”

  Jerry laughed. “Well, tell me how you really feel.”

  “You don’t actually want to sell or close, do you?” Avery asked.

  “No, but at some point it doesn’t become a choice.”

  “I won’t let it get to that point.”

  Her grandfather opened his mouth to speak then appeared to think better of it. Instead, he nodded. “You run with your idea, and we’ll see where it takes us.”

  Avery would do exactly that, just as soon as she got some sleep. After eating her breakfast, she crashed in her old room and slept until mid-afternoon. With her hair still looking like she’d walked through a tornado, she sat cross-legged on her bed with the phone book and started calling contractors to set up times for estimates. By the time she was done, she had half a dozen appointments set up for the next morning.

  As she lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, a sort of buzzy excitement filled her. The more she thought about remodeling, the more ideas she got. Her list already filled half the
lines on a legal pad. Of course, they weren’t all feasible, either monetarily or given the amount of time she’d likely be in Starfish Shores, but she didn’t let that stop her from imagining all the cool things she could do to turn the Pelic-Inn’s fate around.

  Because she would save it. Somehow, some way, she was going to make sure the motel kept on welcoming guests just like it had since her mom had been a little girl.

  * * *

  Avery’s excitement dimmed more with each contractor she met. The figures they were quoting her, for even the minimum amount of updates, made her stomach twist in knots. But she refused to admit defeat yet. Heck, she’d paint the place herself if she had to. Building a soda fountain might prove to be beyond her skill level, but she’d figure something out. Maybe the shop class at the high school needed a project.

  She looked at the estimates and discarded two of them as way, way beyond the realm of possibility. The rest of them weren’t exactly cheap, but they weren’t immediate rejections either.

  If the last contractor didn’t present her with a more reasonable figure, she’d start all over tomorrow. Surely there was someone out there who’d be grateful enough for work this time of year to cut her a nice deal.

  When the door opened, she glanced up expecting to see another middle-aged guy who’d gone a little soft around the middle. At a glance, she was going to guess there wasn’t anything soft about the man staring back at her. Tall, lean, dark blond hair and light eyes. It wasn’t until he shot her a hint of a grin that she remembered it wasn’t nice to stare at hot strangers.

  Way to go, Phillips.

  She resisted the urge to check her mouth for drool.

  “You called about an estimate,” he said as he sauntered up to the front counter.

  Hoping her legs supported her, Avery stood. “Yeah. We want to give the place a new but vintage look.” She broke eye contact and took her time rounding the counter so she could try to corral her suddenly raging hormones.

  She led him to the area they used for continental breakfasts and told him about her idea for a soda fountain, black-and-white checked floor tiles and a pressed tin ceiling.

  “I know all that might not be possible, but I’m just looking to get ballpark figures now.”

  “I think we can work something out.”

  Something about his voice seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She allowed her gaze to stay focused on him a little too long as he wrote in a small notepad. He smiled, more fully this time, when he lifted his eyes to catch her watching.

  “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  She was supposed to know him? Surely she would have remembered someone that good looking. Not only remembered but had wild, steamy dreams about him.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She expected him to give her his name, but he didn’t. No, he left her dangling on the hook, desperately searching her brain for the names of every man with whom she’d ever crossed paths. He looked about her age. A classmate? He acted like he had some sway with whether his company took the project or not, so maybe he was the owner? The names of all the companies she’d called the day before floated through her head until one clicked. Taylor Construction.

  Surely not. It couldn’t be.

  “Luke?”

  “Bingo.”

  This definitely wasn’t the Luke Taylor she remembered. The one she knew had been more on the nerdy end of the scale than the make-me-pant end. He hadn’t been ugly, but he’d rarely looked up from his books. And he’d lived behind glasses and worn clothes that were either forgettable or further proclaimed his geekitude. She’d expected him to grow up to be a medical researcher or rocket scientist, not a construction worker.

  “You look confused,” he said.

  “I...Sorry. It’s been a while.”

  He nodded. “It has. Was surprised to get your call.”

  “Yeah. Just thought I’d try to give the place a little pick-me-up.”

  Luke leaned back against the countertop next to the waffle irons and crossed his arms and ankles. “What’s your goal for the work?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “People don’t decide to sink money into renovations without an end goal.”

  Damn, he looked sexy leaning there in worn jeans, work boots and a dark blue T-shirt that gave her a pretty good idea of the physique he was hiding under that shirt. Suddenly, she wished they lived in Chicago, Detroit, Barrow freaking Alaska — anywhere that would require him to bundle up, to hide that body of his.

  “Avery?”

  She mentally shook herself and pretended like she hadn’t fallen into a stupor of male appreciation. “Business is slow. Especially this time of year, it’s going to all the new condo complexes in Gulf Shores and what seems like every other town along the coast.

  “So the goal is to lure more guests?”

  She nodded. “If we can make the motel stand out, make it a cute destination itself, maybe things will turn around.”

  The little bell on the front door rang, and it was all Avery could do not to curse whomever was requiring her to move away from Luke. Man, she still couldn’t believe the totally lickable guy in front of her was Luke Taylor. Some things really did get better with age. Wine, cheese and teenage bookworms.

  “Sorry. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He motioned toward the lobby. “Take your time. I’ll just take some measurements and run some figures.”

  After checking an older couple into their room and directing them to The Half Shell down the road for a fresh seafood dinner, Avery took a deep breath and headed back to the breakfast area. She found Luke with a pen in his mouth using a tape measure along a stretch of the floor. When he saw her, he retracted the metal tape and took the pen out of his mouth.

  “How’s it look?” she asked.

  “By the way you’re asking that, I’m guessing the previous estimates were a bit higher than you were expecting.”

  “You could say that.”

  He used the pen to write a few things down on his notepad, then ripped out the sheet and extended it to her. “How does this look?”

  She couldn’t believe her eyes when she looked at the figures he’d quoted, significantly lower than any of the other estimates. “Like you’re my new best friend.”

  She wondered how he felt about friends with benefits.

  Good grief, she needed to get this project done, find a job, and get out of town before she made a fool of herself.

  Luke chuckled. “Does that mean I’m hired?”

  “I’ll have to check with my grandparents, but I’m going to tentatively say yes. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.”

  “Find out what?”

  Avery turned at the sound of her grandmother’s voice. Hoping all her lusting thoughts toward Luke weren’t written across her face, Avery extended the estimate to Alice. “Luke’s estimate for the reno is the lowest.”

  Alice pulled the reading glasses off her head and set them on her nose. After a brief glance at the figures, she nodded and handed the paper back to Avery. “Looks reasonable to me. You know our budget, but this is your project, dear. You do whatever you feel is necessary.” Alice glanced across the room. “Good to see you, Luke. Tell your parents I said hello.”

  “Will do.”

  With that, Alice headed out the back door that led to the walkway to the beach.

  Avery shifted her gaze back to Luke. “Looks like you’re hired. When can you start?”

  “How’s tomorrow morning sound?”

  “Like you’re just sucking up now.”

  Luke grinned. “Who knows? Maybe I am.”

  Avery’s nerves were still dancing an Irish jig well after Luke walked out the door.

  This was not what she’d expected when she’d rolled into Starfish Shores, and was the last thing she needed. Her brain might know that, but parts of her that required shopping at Victoria’s Secret were not getting the message.

  * * *

  L
uke slid into his truck and glanced back at the motel that had been a part of Starfish Shores his entire life. He couldn’t see Avery from this vantage point, but he didn’t have to. One look at her and she was etched in his memory. So was the expression of appreciation she’d given him when he’d walked through the front door. How many times had he wanted her to look at him that way when they’d been teenagers? Too many to count. And she never had.

  She’d never been rude or mean, but she’d also never looked at him as more than a casual friend, the lab partner she’d been paired with in biology class. Even then, when they were freshmen, she’d already been set on leaving Starfish Shores and making a big, exciting life for herself. And she had left, almost before the ink was dry on her diploma.

  But she was back now, for at least long enough to oversee the remodel.

  With a smile, he started the truck and headed home. As soon as he walked through the door, Tiny, his gray Great Dane, came running. The dog jumped up, placing his paws on Luke’s shoulders and giving his face a big lick.

  Luke laughed. “Miss me, did ya?” After giving Tiny some loving pats and attention, he went to refill the dog’s bowl. “So what did you do with your day, boy?”

  Tiny looked up from where he was drinking and tilted his head to the side as if he didn’t understand the question. The dog was probably thinking, “Silly human, he should get another human to talk to, or learn to speak dog.”

  Luke’s thoughts shifted back to Avery. He wouldn’t mind having her here to talk to, maybe more than talk. His physical reaction to her had been immediate. Luckily, she’d not noticed. If he’d thought she was beautiful in high school, the time since had been nothing but kind.

  He walked to the window that overlooked the Intracoastal Waterway. Did he really want to pursue a woman who’d shown no interest in him until he’d worked to put his past behind him and become the person he wanted to be? Or was he any different, reacting solely to her physical beauty?

  No, he’d liked Avery for more than her looks. She’d been funny, smart, so different from the kids at the school in Miami. Someone like her at his first high school wouldn’t have even acknowledged his existence. Or if she had, it would have been to tear him down and then laugh about it.