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“I knew this would happen,” her mother said, sounding resigned. “Didn’t I tell you this would happen, Marshall?”
Nealy silently counted to ten.
“Yes, you did,” her father said. “And I spoke to Dane about it.”
Nealy jerked upward and swung her bare feet onto the patio. “You discussed me with Dane?”
“Yes. Told him you were off-limits. It’s no secret you’re seeing Sam.”
She jumped up. “You did what?”
“You’re my daughter. I’m looking out for your best interests.”
“Again,” Anita chimed in. “You always were weak-kneed around him. We had to ensure your protection.”
Trying to control her exasperation Nealy said, “I appreciate the concern, but I can handle Dane.”
“Please,” her mother scoffed, brushing off Nealy’s concern. “You never were reasonable when it came to Dane. We couldn’t take the chance he might try to lure you into his lair again.”
“Lair?” Nealy spat. She would have laughed at her mother’s overactive imagination except this wasn’t funny. “Trust me, he hasn’t tried anything nefarious.”
Her mother drew up to her full height, although she was still shorter than Nealy. “You’ve got a good thing going with Sam. Please don’t blow it.”
“Don’t worry about my life.”
“Someone has to,” her mother countered.
“Are you kidding me? I can assure—”
Her grandmother interrupted as she broke through the crowd. “Time to say goodnight, everyone. Nealy, will you please drive me home?”
Nealy clamped her mouth shut, retrieved her shoes and went with her grandmother to collect her purse. She couldn’t decide if she should scream or cry. Her father had spoken to Dane? How embarrassing. And way over the line.
“They mean well,” Dorinda said and laid a calming hand on Nealy’s arm.
“There’s a reason why I stay clear of this family of buttinskies.”
“I know, dear.”
Nealy swallowed her bitterness. “I know I disappointed them. Do they have to throw it back in my face?”
“Despite their bluster, they love you, Nealy.”
“I just wish they’d back off.” She shook her head. “Let’s go, Grandmother.”
Needing to walk off her temper, Nealy headed to the lobby. The chilly marble floor under her bare feet did little to cool her down. Hopefully Dane had left for the night because she didn’t want to see him. Not after learning what her father had said to him. Her family might mean well, but it wasn’t their call to make. Her past mistake involved Dane. Her mistake and hers alone. She’d work with him for the sake of Juliet, then she was gone. As she’d told him, she had a life. A great job. A future.
None of which included Dane Peterson.
* * *
AS SOON AS she was back at her grandmother’s house, Nealy settled into the guest room. Her parents had downsized when all the kids moved out, leaving no room for her to bunk there, which suited her just fine. To be honest, she felt more at home here. Juliet had asked her to stay at her apartment, but Nealy declined. Being at Grandmother’s always kept her grounded and centered. She needed some peace with everything going on right now.
After changing into sleeping shorts and a tank top, Nealy sat cross-legged on one of the two twin beds, ready to flip through a scrapbook she’d set on her lap when her grandmother, having changed into her gown and robe, joined her.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
“Just peachy.”
“Are you really?”
Nealy laughed. “Yes. I am.”
“Despite talking to Dane?”
Leave it to her grandmother to get to the root of the problem. With Dorinda, no subject was too touchy or off-limits.
“Why is everyone so worried about me and Dane? There’s nothing between us.”
Dorinda held up her hands. “As long as you’re okay with the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room, who am I to argue?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Nealy twirled a lock of hair between her fingers.
“Of course you don’t,” Dorinda said in her I-don’t-believe-you-but-will-let-you-live-in-denial tone. “The next few days won’t be easy so I’ll let the topic of you and Dane slide for now.”
“Thank you.” She patted the bed, beckoning her grandmother to perch on the edge. “Now, tell me about what’s going on with you. How are things at Cuppa Joe?”
“Busy, as always. The place keeps me out of trouble.”
“Did you read the information I sent on the new coffee system?”
“I appreciate it, but I’m happy with my way of making coffee.”
“It’s the newest top-of-the-line system available. Upgrading will make your life so much easier.”
“Maybe, but I’m old-fashioned. I see no need to learn some newfangled thing. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, my pots work just fine.”
“You are stubborn.”
“No, just old.”
Nealy hugged her, comforted by her grandmother’s ever-present lilac scent. “Never.”
“Old enough to want some fun before I die,” she said with mischief laced in her voice.
Nealy pulled away. “So that explains your interest in a seniors’ cruise.”
“Some of my friends talked about going and it sounded like fun.”
“It will be. To be honest though, I’m worried about one thing.”
Dorinda laughed. “Only one?”
“Tell me about these businesspeople bugging you at the shop.”
“Ah. The evil Cypress Pointe Merchant’s Association.”
“What’s up with them?”
“They have all these rules and regulations about how the storefronts must look and are always after me to fix one thing or another. I have to admit, I’m thinking about selling.”
Nealy’s heart twisted “You would do that?”
“Dear, as much as I love the place, I’m ready to retire and you know no one in the family wants to run the shop. I can’t go on forever.”
She couldn’t imagine her grandmother ever slowing down. Or giving up the coffee shop she and her husband had opened before Nealy was born.
Dorinda patted Nealy’s hand. “The time is coming.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her grandmother frowned. “You always were bullheaded. I wonder where you get it from?”
Nealy eyed her grandmother suspiciously when Juliet breezed into the room carrying an overnight bag.
Dorinda rose and kissed Juliet’s cheek. “What are you doing here?”
“I asked Brandon to drop me off. I want to spend time with Nealy before she escapes again.”
“I thought you two had plans?”
Juliet tossed her purse on the other twin bed and reached behind to undo the zipper of her dress. “We rescheduled. Besides, I’ll have a lifetime to spend with him.” She threw Nealy a pointed look. “You, not so much.”
Dorinda chuckled. “You girls get a good night’s sleep. I’m making pancakes in the morning.”
Juliet closed the door behind their grandmother then went back to rummaging through her bag. “I’m sorry about tonight. I didn’t know Daddy had said anything to Dane.” Juliet changed into the pj’s she produced from the bag. “Just like old times, right? Parents interfering and Nealy taking off.”
The remnants of anger from her parents’ actions overshadowed the fatigue seeping into Nealy’s bones. “You’d think I would have been prepared. Would have thought ahead. Made a contingency plan.” She shot her sister a lopsided grin. “I’m losing my touch.”
“You’ve been gone a long time. Your shields have grown weak.”
Then again, they always were when it came to Dane.
Juliet climbed onto the bed beside her. “Anyway, I’m glad we’re together. Now we can catch up without interruption.”
Toying with the cloth cover of the scrapbook, Nealy cleared her throat. “I do wish you would have told me about Dane owning the place.”
“Like I said, I figured you’d make an excuse not to come home.”
“I would never do that to you.”
“I should have realized. It’s just, you’ve been gone for so long and I didn’t want anything to ruin your visit.” Juliet twisted the beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring around her finger.
A nervous habit? Nealy didn’t know. What she did know was Dane had never given her an engagement ring. She glanced at her own ringless finger. Neither had Sam. Truth was they barely had time to date, let alone make a formal commitment. Nealy was certain of one thing though, when she finally got a ring, she wanted it to be sparkly, dazzling and over-the-top.
“Besides,” Juliet continued, “how do you prepare to see an ex? Maybe it’s better this way.”
“The lesser of two evils?”
“C’mon. Dane isn’t evil.”
“Why are you defending him?”
Juliet laid back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not. I’m simply saying he’s not evil.”
Nealy grimaced. Tell that to her heart.
The adrenaline from the earlier anger subsided and she leaned back against the headboard. “What were you thinking by booking the Grand Cypress? Did you know Dane owned the hotel?”
“Not at first. I remember visiting when you worked there during summer break and always imagined it would be a beautiful place for a wedding. I know it was run-down back then, but something about it just grabbed me and I fell in love with it. It’s everything I dreamed of.”
Nealy knew the feeling well. Even at its run-down worst, Nealy always had a connection with the hotel.
“I dropped in to check it out after the renovation. The elegant Southern style is exactly what I wanted for a wedding venue. I met with the event coordinator and booked the place. It wasn’t until later I learned Dane owned the hotel.”
“Mom must have had a hissy when you told her.”
Juliet smiled, with a bit of added mischief thrown in. The first real sign of her old self. “To put it mildly.”
“I’m proud of you for sticking with what you want. Not easy in our family.”
“The entire process has been a tug-of-war.”
Nealy flipped a page in the album, then another, grinning over pictures from their youth. The three sisters playing dress up. Graduations. Birthdays. Weddings. Their parents’ anniversary. “So you’re handling interference from Mom?”
“I thought she’d be the biggest problem, but...” Juliet’s voice wavered.
“But what?”
Juliet stayed silent.
“Whatever it is, sis, you can tell me.”
Juliet burst into tears. Waving her hand in the air she sat up, managing a few words between shuddering breaths.
“Don’t mind me. It’s nothing.”
This was a whole lot of nothing.
