Tawny had been able to get her and Tyler both a spot at the table, if only she would bring her famous macaroni salad and make four pumpkin pies.
Tawny hated pumpkin pie with a passion, but in order to celebrate the holiday with her friends—and Tyler—she’d deal with the dreaded squash. It was easier working in Stacey’s big kitchen at the B&B, that was for sure.
She only wore the diamond ring when she went out with Tyler, and she still hadn’t gotten used to the look or weight of it on her hand. She’d shown it to all the girls in the Women’s Beach Club, as they all knew about her history with Omar and could understand why she’d made up the engagement.
She’d sworn them to secrecy, and she didn’t worry about them talking to anyone. Anyone she might’ve been worried about had left the island a couple of weeks ago, even the dark-haired man Tawny was sure would stick around until she or Tyler slipped up.
Omar had not left the island, and he was really starting to annoy Tawny. So she mixed mayonnaise and noodles, with slivered carrots and salt, to make the best macaroni salad on the island. Stacey had told her once that she should package it and sell it, but Tawny couldn’t imagine a worse life. In fact, she couldn’t wash her hands fast enough after putting the gallons and gallons of salad in the fridge.
Stacey came through the door of her kitchen. “Oh, Tawny. Thank goodness.”
Tawny dried her hands. “Thank goodness?” She checked on the pie shells in the oven. They seemed a little blonde still, so she set the timer for another minute and faced her friend.
Stacey glanced around, an almost guilty glint on her face. “I just wasn’t sure if you were here and started on the salad yet.”
“All finished.” She gestured to the industrial sized fridge. “Chilling. I’m about to start on the pie filling.”
A broad smile swept across her friend’s face. “Great. And Sasha is almost here with the stuff to make the drinks.” She looked around the kitchen. “I’ll have her put them over here.” She indicated a stainless steel table that was mostly clear.
“Is she bringing the syrups and flavored creams?”
“Sure is.”
Sasha, another member of the Women’s Beach Club, owned The Straw. The only reason Tawny bought drinks from Two Coconuts and not The Straw was the location. Sasha’s stand served the other curve in the bay, and she did great over there, just like Mo did fine over on this more southern side.
Tawny’s mouth watered just thinking about the specialty drinks that would be served with the meal. She measured spices and pumpkin before adding a few eggs.
“Oh, and Tyler’s here.”
She slopped some of the pie filling out of the bowl. “Smooth, Stacey.”
“He’s early.” Her friend wore a look that said she wanted details. And it just so happened that Tawny had been getting less and less sleep as she spent hours thinking about Tyler, and what to do, and how to act, and what might happen in a few weeks when his parents came.
“How are things going with him?” Stacey pressed.
“We’re not together.”
“You’re wearing his diamond ring.”
Tawny glanced down at it. “Because we’ll be in public today.” So maybe her voice had strayed into the high range. Maybe she didn’t even believe herself.
“You like him.” Stacey came up beside her and stilled the hand she whisked with.
“Of course I like him.” Tawny was tired of denying it, and she still had weeks to go. “I like him a lot. I like holding his hand. And kissing him…wow.” She shook her head and went back to the pie filling. “But we haven’t kissed in a while. He brushes his lips against my temple, stuff like that.”
“Why doesn’t he?”
Tawny gave Stacey a sour look. “No reason to now that the reporters are gone, right?”
Stacey took a few steps away. “So this has become real for you.”
“No,” Tawny said quickly.
“Tawny.”
“No, all right?” Tawny hated lying to Stacey, and even worse, she didn’t like that she might be lying to herself. She didn’t really know how she felt about Tyler, because she couldn’t separate what was real from what wasn’t.
Thankfully, the door opened and Sasha came in carrying a case of flavored syrups. “More in the car,” she said.
“I’ll help.” Tawny abandoned the pie filling and left Stacey standing in the kitchen. All the soda supplies got brought in, and the pies finished, and a few hours later, the tables which had been set up in the garden were laden with food and people.
The centerpiece of the meal came out of the imo, an underground oven Stacey had right on her property. Tawny kept busy setting out the food and making sure guests got the drinks and desserts they wanted.
Only then did she turn her attention toward where the sexy, bashful billionaire stood near the trees. She approached him, feeling quite shy herself. “You wanna eat?” She threaded the fingers of both hands through his.
He grinned lazily down at her, and if they’d been dating for real, she imagined they’d share a slow kiss and then go get their Thanksgiving turkey. As it was, he said, “Yeah,” and walked over to the table to get a plate.
The atmosphere was lively, with laughter and lots of talking. Tawny let herself get swept up in it, and she drank more grape lime soda than any one person should. As the pie started to disappear and Tawny sensed some guests would start to leave, Stacey jumped up and pulled out her phone and started filming.
“I want to get everyone,” she said. “Wave, oh, yes, hold up a bite of pie.” She laughed and moved around the table, and the crowd really got a rise out of a couple who was on the island celebrating their first anniversary as they kissed.
“Oh, and this next couple is engaged,” Stacey said as she pointed the camera at Tawny and Tyler, her voice too loud, and the guests whooped. “You guys should kiss too.”
Tawny’s emotions went bananas. She desperately wanted to kiss him, but not like this. She tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a squawk.
Tyler chuckled, then he faced Tawny, a definite devilish glint in his eye. He smiled and pressed his lips to hers in a chaste peck.
“Boo,” Stacey said, peeking out from behind the camera. “Try again.”
“Stacey,” Tawny warned. Her lips still tingled from the quick union with Tyler’s, and he’d definitely stoked a fire inside her with the simple touch.
“Come on, come on.”
Tawny wasn’t sure if Stacey was trying to do her a favor or not.
“It’s all right,” Tyler whispered, his mouth too close to her ear. A shiver passed down her spine, especially when his hand came up to caress her bare shoulder. She’d never been happier for the mustard yellow tank top so their skin could touch.
She faced him, finding him so close, so close, too close. “It is?”
He gave a tiny shrug and then kissed her. Tawny was aware of the cheering around them, and a smile zinged through her whole body.
She wasn’t sure if she was still pretending, and if Tyler was, he was very, very good at it. But she suddenly had a lot more to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving Day.
Chapter Eleven
Tyler pored over the email Jason had sent about Omar. Again. It was a couple of weeks old, and he had the information memorized.
Omar didn’t just deal with avocados, though the crop was his main source of income. Jason’s report didn’t come right out and say Omar grew and distributed marijuana, but Tyler could read between the lines.
And he didn’t want the man anywhere near Tawny.
He’d told her that Omar had left the island, but that wasn’t true. He’d just disappeared into a mansion set behind a gate and up a long road. Jasper lived on the same side of the hill, and Tyler had asked him about the house in question.
Jasper didn’t know much about it, because well, the man worked odd hours, sleeping most of the day and working with his diamond companies and mines overseas in different time zones.
/> Tyler kept his eye on Tawny’s classes from afar, not wanting her to think he was stalking her, and he hadn’t seen anyone suspicious hanging around. He probably had nothing to worry about. But why Omar was still in Getaway Bay after almost two months when he’d said he’d only be there for a couple of weeks was concerning to Tyler.
The only reason he could fathom why Omar hadn’t gone back to his operations in Mexico was Tawny. According to her, the relationship was long over—years ago—but Tyler had seen the possessive edge in Omar’s eyes, and he wasn’t convinced a wedding ring mattered much to the man.
He finally closed the email, glad he’d gone along with the engagement. His heart pumped out an extra beat, but he ignored it. He’d been doing that a lot lately, because he didn’t want to acknowledge that his family would be here in twelve days, and after their two weeks in the tropics, he’d have to really decide what to do about Tawny.
As he dressed to surf, zipping his wetsuit and sorting through his boards for the one he wanted, he could recognize that he liked the woman. A lot. A whole lot. She was tan, trim, and toned, and he’d allowed himself to hold her hand, hold her close, and kiss her even when there weren’t cameras or witnesses.
She hadn’t said anything, and he’d spent way too many nights wondering if she could possibly like him as more than just a buffer between her and Omar.
Of course she does, Tyler thought. She hadn’t asked about him since Tyler had fibbed about him leaving the island. But there was still that niggling doubt in the back of his mind, because she resisted things like kissing him for her friend’s video at Thanksgiving and coming over to help him decorate his Christmas tree.
Because she’d declined that activity, he still hadn’t done it.
I will today, he told himself as he crossed the sand. He didn’t need to impress his family, but he wanted them to have a traditional Hawaiian Christmas, and that meant a tree, stockings for everyone, and gifts. He’d hang lights on his house too, and in the back yard leading to the beach.
He let his troubles and worries and doubts wash away in the ocean, grateful for his life here. When he’d first decided to sell his half of the company, he hadn’t thought he’d leave New York. But it became obvious to him after the deal had closed that he’d need to.
Get far away from anyone who knew much about him. He’d considered Alaska, but just because it was remote didn’t mean it was easy to hide. In Getaway Bay, he could easily blend in as there were thousands and thousands of tourists in and out every week.
His surfing complete and after he showered, he set to work on decorating the house. He even turned on some Hawaiian Christmas music as he trimmed the tree and wrapped the few things he’d already bought for his family. Tawny had been with him and given him great advice on the pearls for his mother, the more souvenier-like shirts and flip flops for his nephews, and the loud Hawaiian shirt for his father.
He didn’t have anything for Wayne or his wife, Gina, but there was still plenty of time to shop. Truth was, he’d only met Gina once, when she and Wayne had gotten married seven years ago. He’d moved to Hawaii soon after that, and while he kept in touch with his brother on a regular basis, he didn’t talk to Gina all that much.
By mid-afternoon, he had the most Christmasy house on the block, and he stood on the street in front of his house and admired his handiwork.
He turned as movement caught in his peripheral vision to find Tawny riding toward him on her bicycle. A smile sprang to his face at the sight of her, and his heart did that extra bump thing, reminding him that maybe the only fake thing about their relationship was the diamond she wore.
“There you are.” She dismounted and leaned her bike against one of the trees he’d just spent thirty minutes covering in lights. “I’ve called you a couple of times.”
He couldn’t help the way his whole soul felt uplifted by those simple words. “Miss me that much?” He grinned and took her into his arms. She smelled like tanning lotion, and sand, and sunshine, and he loved the way her scent filled his nose.
“Very funny.”
“What’s funny about it?” He’d already said a few things that she could’ve interpreted as hey, I really like you, and maybe we should keep seeing each other after Christmas. But she hadn’t said anything, and Tyler hadn’t figured out how to either.
“You were supposed to meet me at Sweet Breeze for their tree lighting festival.”
Tyler jumped back from her. “That was today?” No, he couldn’t miss that. He’d told Fisher he’d be there, not only to support a good friend, but to do a few card tricks as part of the festivities.
“Yes, that was today.” Tawny looked up at him with concern. “What’s going on with you?’
“Nothing,” he said. “I got it into my head to decorate the house today, and I just forgot.” He gestured to her bike. “You want to leave this here and we’ll take my car over?”
She softened, and Tyler wanted nothing more than to kiss her. But there was no one around, not even the breeze was whispering at the moment.
The perfect time then, he thought just before leaning down and touching his lips to hers. Exploring, seeking, asking. Confessing.
She kissed him back, and Tyler wondered if he could tell her how he really felt. He’d just put his hands on her back to knead her closer, kiss her deeper, when she pulled away.
“What was that for?” she asked, cinching her arms across her chest.
“Maybe I was the one missing you,” he said. That wasn’t even close to what he wanted to say, but the conflicted, confused look on Tawny’s face kept the rest silent.
“I don’t think you should do that.” She turned and walked toward the car. “And yes, I’d love a ride.”
Do what? he wondered. Miss her? Or kiss her? Both, probably. He’d promised her a night at the gala, no strings attached, and that was what she obviously wanted.
His chest stung like someone had attached his heart to a set of jumper cables, but he pushed the hurt feelings away. He joined her in the car and said, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
She didn’t speak until he left his neighborhood, and then she said, “I know you hired Jason Barnes to look into Omar.”
His muscles froze and he almost drove right off the road. Straightening out the car, he said, “I just wanted to know what I was dealing with.”
“You don’t need to deal with anything.”
He glanced at her. “You’re joking, right?”
“I am not.”
“You made up a fake engagement because of him. A five-minute conversation with him.” Tyler clenched his fingers around the steering wheel. “I have my family coming into town, and I’m trying to…make sure the holiday is special for them, and keep you safe, and….”
Stop myself from falling in love with you.
Oh, couldn’t say that. He wanted to, but he bit the words back until they slithered down his throat where they belonged.
“And what?” she pressed, really striking for the bullseye whether she knew it or not.
“And now I’ve forgotten about Fisher’s celebration,” he said lamely. “I only asked Jason to look into Omar so I would have a better and bigger picture of him.”
“You should’ve asked me.”
He nodded as he turned onto the main road that ran in front of Fisher’s hotel. “You’re right. But I’m guessing you don’t know everything Jason was able to find out.”
“Why would you think I don’t know?”
“You’re too nice, Tawny. You trust everyone, and you’re…happy.”
“I’m happy?”
This wasn’t going well, and Tyler sighed. “You know what I mean.”
“I have no idea what you mean.”
He pulled into the drive that led to the front doors of the hotel and put the car in park. “I just mean that you’re wonderful. Kind.” He brushed her hair off the side of her face, another indication that he had soft feelings for her that went beyond the falseness of their re
lationship. “He probably didn’t tell you everything he did, and you didn’t ask. Because you don’t even think to ask. You assume everyone is good, like you are.”
She gazed at him, her eyes halfway between blazing with anger and appreciation for the compliments he was trying to give her. “I also think it’s weird you hired the reporter we’ve been trying to con to find out about Omar’s shady business dealings.”
Tyler shrugged. “Jason’s not a bad guy. He writes for a poker magazine now, but he’s been a cop and a private detective before. He’s good at finding out what no one else can.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Exactly. So giving him extra access to you—to me—you thought that was a good idea?”
“Did he talk to you?” Obviously, he had. How else would she have found out about Tyler’s interest in Omar?
“He sent us both an email. It had Omar’s travel itinerary in it. I emailed him back to find out why he was sending me that information, and he said he assumed you’d kept me up-to-date on Omar and his ‘situation’.”
Tyler took her hand in his. “Did he tell you he’s still on the island?”
“I gathered that from the itinerary.”
“And that’s when you hopped on your bike and rode to my place.”
“No, then I came here, because I thought we were meeting here, and I didn’t want to miss the tree lighting.”
Another shot of guilt hit Tyler in the gut. He didn’t know what to say, though words streamed through his mind.
She exhaled and said, “I’m not mad. But can we be honest with each other?”
Tyler looked at her, really searched her eyes. “There’s nothing I want more,” he said, the truth bubbling and boiling beneath his vocal chords. You’re beautiful came to mind. I want to kiss you even when no one’s watching.
“Great.” She gave him a soft smile and leaned back against the headrest. “Because I don’t think you’re dressed appropriately for even card tricks.”