Love in Catalina Cove Read online

  In her brand-new series, Brenda Jackson welcomes you to Catalina Cove, where even the biggest heartbreaks can be healed...

  In the wake of a devastating teen pregnancy that left her childless and heartbroken, Vashti Alcindor left Catalina Cove, Louisiana, with no plans to return. Now, over a decade later, Vashti reluctantly finds herself back in her hometown after inheriting her aunt’s B and B. Her homecoming gets off to a rocky start when the new sheriff, Sawyer Grisham, pulls her over for speeding, and things go downhill from there.

  The B and B, a place she’d always found refuge in when it seemed like the whole world was against her, has fallen into disrepair. When a surprising benefactor encourages Vashti to reopen the B and B, Vashti embraces a fresh start, and soon old hurts begin to fade as she makes new memories with the town—and its handsome sheriff...

  But some pasts are too big to escape, and when a bombshell of a secret changes everything she thought was true, Vashti is left reeling. With Sawyer and his teenage daughter determined to see her through the storm, though, she’s learning family isn’t always a matter of blood—sometimes it’s a matter of heart.

  Praise for

  New York Times bestselling author

  Brenda Jackson

  “The only flaw of this first-rate, satisfyingly sexy tale is that it ends.”

  —Publishers Weekly, starred review,

  on Forged in Desire

  “[Jackson’s] signature is to create full-sensory romances that deliver on the heat, and she duly delivers.... Sure to make any reader swoon.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Forged in Desire

  “Leave it to Jackson to take sizzle and honor, wrap it

  in romance and come up with a first-rate tale.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Temptation

  “Brenda Jackson is the queen of newly discovered love... If there’s one thing Jackson knows how to do, it’s how to pluck those heartstrings and stir up some seriously saucy drama.”

  —BookPage on Inseparable

  “This deliciously sensual romance ramps up the emotional stakes and the action.... Sexy and sizzling.”

  —Library Journal on Intimate Seduction

  “Jackson does not disappoint... First-class page-turner.”

  —RT Book Reviews on A Silken Thread, 4½ stars,

  Top Pick!

  “Jackson is a master at writing.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Sensual Confessions

  Also available from

  Brenda Jackson

  The Protectors

  FORGED IN DESIRE

  SEIZED BY SEDUCTION

  LOCKED IN TEMPTATION

  The Grangers

  A BROTHER’S HONOR

  A MAN’S PROMISE

  A LOVER’S VOW

  For additional books by

  New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson,

  visit her website, www.brendajackson.net.

  BRENDA JACKSON

  Love in Catalina Cove

  To the man who will always and forever be the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

  To my readers who are cruising with me to Aruba in 2019, this story is for you.

  To my sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon. You guys are the greatest and continue to make me and your dad proud.

  To Brenda Woodbury and Connie Moore. Thanks for all the things that you do in keeping my readers informed.

  Happy 65th birthday, Jackie Johnson! You are more sister than cousin, and I appreciate having you in my life.

  “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

  —Luke 8:17

  Contents

  PART 1

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  PART 2

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  EPILOGUE

  EXCERPT FROM HIS UNTIL MIDNIGHT BY REESE RYAN

  Part 1

  “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.”

  —Oliver Goldsmith

  CHAPTER ONE

  New York City

  VASHTI ALCINDOR SHOULD be celebrating. After all, the official letter she’d just read declared her divorce final, which meant her three-year marriage to Scott Zimmons was over. Definitely done with. As far as she was concerned the marriage had lasted two years too long. She wouldn’t count that first year since she’d been too in love to dwell on Scott’s imperfections. Truth be told there were many that she’d deliberately overlooked. She’d been so determined to have that happily-ever-after that she honestly believed she could put up with anything.

  But reality soon crept into the world of make-believe, and she discovered she truly couldn’t. Her husband was a compulsive liar who could look you right in the eyes and lie with a straight face. She didn’t want to count the number of times she’d caught him in the act. When she couldn’t take the deceptions any longer she had packed her things and left. When her Aunt Shelby died five months later, Scott felt entitled to half of the inheritance Vashti received in the will.

  It was then that Vashti had hired one of the best divorce attorneys in New York, and within six weeks his private investigator had uncovered Scott’s scandalous activities. Namely, his past and present affair with his boss’s wife. Vashti hadn’t wasted any time making Scott aware that she was not only privy to this information, but had photographs and videos to prove it.

  Knowing she wouldn’t hesitate to expose him as the lowlife that he was, Scott had agreed to an uncontested divorce and walked away with nothing. The letter she’d just read was documented proof that he would do just about anything to hold on to his cushy Wall Street job.

  Her cell phone ringing snagged her attention, the ringtone belonging to her childhood friend and present Realtor, Bryce Witherspoon. Vashti clicked on her phone as she sat down at her kitchen table with her evening cup of tea. “Hey, girl, I hope you’re calling with good news.”

  Bryce chuckled. “I am. Someone from the Barnes Group from California was here today and�
�”

  “California?”

  “Yes. They’re a group of developers that’s been trying to acquire land in the cove for years. They made you an unbelievably fantastic offer for Shelby by the Sea.”

  Vashti let out a loud shout of joy. She couldn’t believe she’d been lucky enough to get rid of both her ex-husband and her aunt’s property in the same day.

  “Don’t get excited yet. We might have problems,” Bryce said.

  Vashti frowned. “What kind of problems?”

  “The developers want to tear down your aunt’s bed-and-breakfast and—”

  “Tear it down?” Vashti felt a soft kick in her stomach. Selling her aunt’s bed-and-breakfast was one thing, having it demolished was another. “Why would they want to tear it down?”

  “They aren’t interested in the building, Vash. They want the eighty-five acres it sits on. Who wouldn’t with the Gulf of Mexico in its backyard? I told you it would be a quick sale.”

  Vashti had known someone would find Shelby by the Sea a lucrative investment but she’d hoped somehow the inn would survive. With repairs it could be good as new. “What do they want to build there instead?”

  “A luxury tennis resort.”

  Vashti nodded. “How much are they offering?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea.

  “Ten million.”

  Vashti nearly choked. “Ten million dollars? That’s nearly double what I was asking for.”

  “Yes, but the developers are eyeing the land next to it as well. I think they’re hoping that one day Reid Lacroix will cave and sell his property. When he does, the developers will pounce on the opportunity to get their hands on it and build that golf resort they’ve been trying to put there for years. Getting your land will put their foot in the door so to speak.”

  Vashti took another sip of her tea. “What other problems are there?”

  “This one is big. Mayor Proctor got wind of their offer and figured you might sell. He’s calling a meeting.”

  “A meeting?”

  “Yes, of the Catalina Cove Zoning Board. Although they can’t stop you from selling the inn, they plan to block the buyer from bringing a tennis resort in here. The city ordinance calls for the zoning board to approve all new construction. This won’t be the first time developers wanted to come into the cove and build something the city planners reject. Remember years ago when that developer wanted to buy land on the east end to build that huge shopping mall? The zoning board stopped it. They’re determined that nothing in Catalina Cove changes.”

  “Well, it should change.” As far as Vashti was concerned it was time for Mayor Procter to get voted out. He had been mayor for over thirty years. When Vashti had left Catalina Cove for college fourteen years ago, developers had been trying to buy up the land for a number of progressive projects. The people of Catalina Cove were the least open-minded group she knew.

  Vashti loved living in New York City where things were constantly changing, and people embraced those changes. At eighteen she had arrived in the city to attend New York University and remained after getting a job with a major hotel chain. She had worked her way up to her six-figure salary as a hotel executive. At thirty-two she considered it her dream job. That wasn’t bad for someone who started out working the concierge desk.

  “Unless the Barnes Group can build whatever they want without any restrictions, there won’t be a deal for us.”

  Vashti didn’t like the sound of that. Ten million was ten million no matter how you looked at it. “Although I wouldn’t want them to tear down Shelby, I think my aunt would understand my decision to do what’s best for me.” And the way Vashti saw it, ten million dollars was definitely what would be best for her.

  “Do you really think she would want you to tear down the inn? She loved that place.”

  Vashti knew more than anyone how much Shelby by the Sea had meant to her aunt. It had become her life. “Aunt Shelby knew there was no way I would ever move back to Catalina Cove after what happened. Mom and Dad even moved away. There’s no connection for me to Catalina Cove.”

  “Hey, wait a minute, Vash. I’m still here.”

  Vashti smiled, remembering how her childhood friend had stuck with her through thick and thin. “Yes, you’re still there, which makes me think you need your head examined for not moving away when you could have.”

  “I love Catalina Cove. It’s my home and need I remind you that for eighteen years it was yours, too.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “Look, I know why you feel that way, Vash, but are you going to let that one incident make you have ill feelings about the town forever?”

  “It was more than an incident, Bryce, and you know it.” For Vashti having a baby out of wedlock at sixteen had been a lot more than an incident. For her it had been a life changer. She had discovered who her real friends were during that time. Even now she would occasionally wonder how different things might have been had her child lived instead of died at birth.

  “Sorry, bad choice of words,” Bryce said, with regret in her voice.

  “No worries. That was sixteen years ago.” No need to tell Bryce that on occasion she allowed her mind to wander to that period of her life and often grieved for the child she’d lost. She had wanted children and Scott had promised they would start a family one day. That had been another lie.

  “Tell me what I need to do to beat the zoning board on this, Bryce,” Vashti said, her mind made up.

  “Unfortunately, to have any substantial input, you need to meet with the board in person. I think it will be beneficial if the developers make an appearance as well. According to their representative, they’re willing to throw in a few perks that the cove might find advantageous.”

  “What kind of perks?”

  “Free membership to the resort’s clubhouse for the first year, as well as free tennis lessons for the kids for a limited time. It will also bring a new employer to town, which means new jobs. Maybe if they were to get support from the townsfolk, the board would be more willing to listen.”

  “What do you think are our chances?”

  “To be honest, even with all that, it’s a long shot. Reid Lacroix is on the board and he still detests change. He’s still the wealthiest person in town, too, and has a lot of clout.”

  “Then why waste my and the potential buyer’s time?”

  “There’s a slim chance time won’t be wasted. K-Gee is on the zoning board and he always liked you in school. He’s one of the few progressive members on the board and the youngest. Maybe he’ll help sway the others.”

  Vashti smiled. Yes, K-Gee had liked her but he’d liked Bryce even more and they both knew it. His real name was Kaegan Chambray. He was part of the Pointe-au-Chien Native American tribe and his family’s ties to the cove and surrounding bayou went back generations, even before the first American settlers.

  Although K-Gee was two years older than Vashti and Bryce, they’d hung out together while growing up. When Vashti had returned to town after losing her baby, K-Gee would walk Vashti and Bryce home from school every day. Even though Bryce never said, Vashti suspected something had happened between Bryce and K-Gee during the time Vashti was away at that unwed home in Arkansas.

  “When did K-Gee move back to Catalina Cove, Bryce?”

  “Almost two years ago to help out his mom and to take over his family’s seafood supply business when his father died. His mother passed away last year. And before you ask why I didn’t tell you, Vash, you know why. You never wanted to hear any news regarding what was happening in Catalina Cove.”

  No, she hadn’t, but anything having to do with K-Gee wasn’t just town news. Bryce should have known that. “I’m sorry to hear about his parents. I really am. I’m surprised he’s on the zoning board.”

  For years the townsfolk of the cove had never recognized members of the Pointe-au-Chien
Native American tribe who lived on the east side of the bayou. Except for when it was time to pay city taxes. With K-Gee on the zoning board that meant change was possible in Catalina Cove after all.

  “I need to know what you want to do, Vash,” Bryce said, interrupting her thoughts. “The Barnes Group is giving us twenty days to finalize the deal or they will withdraw their offer.”

  Vashti stood up to cross the kitchen floor and put her teacup in the kitchen sink. “Okay, I’ll think about what you said. Ten million dollars is a lot of money.”

  “Yes, and just think what you could do with it.”

  Vashti was thinking and she loved all the possibilities. Although she loved her job, she could stop working and spend the rest of her life traveling to all those places her aunt always wanted to visit but hadn’t, because of putting Shelby by the Sea first. Vashti wouldn’t make the same mistake.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, for the first time in two years, Vashti woke up feeling like she was in control of her life and could finally see a light—a bright one at that—at the end of the road. Scott was out of her life, she had a great job, but more importantly, some developer group was interested in her inn.

  Her inn.

  It seemed odd to think of Shelby by the Sea as hers when it had belonged to her aunt for as long as she could remember. Definitely long before Vashti was born. Her parents’ home had been a mile away, and growing up she had spent a lot of her time at Shelby, especially during her teen years when she worked as her aunt’s personal assistant. That’s when she’d fallen in love with the inn and had thought it was the best place in the world.

  Until...

  Vashti pushed the “until” from her mind, refusing to go there and hoping Bryce was wrong about her having to return to Catalina Cove to face off with the zoning board. There had to be another way and she intended to find it. Barely eighteen, she had needed to escape the town that had always been her safe haven because it had become a living hell for her.

  An hour later Vashti had showered, dressed and was walking out her door ready to start her day at the Grand Nunes Luxury Hotel in Manhattan. But not before stopping at her favorite café on the corner to grab a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee. Catalina Cove was considered the blueberry capital in the country, and even she couldn’t resist this small indulgence from her hometown. She would be the first to admit that although this blueberry muffin was delicious, it was not as good as the ones Bryce’s mother made and sold at their family’s restaurant.

 
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