Haven snapped on her seatbelt and then glanced over at him. “Now, will you tell me where we’re going?”
He saw no reason not to, at this point. “We’re landing in San Francisco and having dinner at my home. Afterwards, I’m taking you dancing at one of my nightclubs.”
Haven fell in love with Skylar’s home the moment she crossed the threshold. It had to be the most spacious and elegant house she had ever stepped into. But it was a little sad that he lived here alone. He mentioned that he had thought of selling it and buying a smaller place, but he wasn’t ready to let go of the memories that he and his father had created there together. His father had purchased the house the month he was born.
She understood, since that was the reason she had yet to sell her grandmother’s home. There were too many happy memories, and she wasn’t ready to relinquish them. She didn’t mind paying a housekeeper to come in periodically to dust and air out the place. Nor did she mind the expense of having someone look out for Gramma Dora’s flower garden, which she had loved. And several times a year, she would return to Tifton and stay in the house for a few weeks, just to feel her grandmother’s presence.
Skylar had shared some of his fondest memories as he gave her a tour of his home. There had been the room where he’d learned how to play pool, the room that still containedhis massive collection of Lego blocks, his small office next to his father’s large one, where Skylar had been included in all of his father’s business decisions since he’d been ten.
Along the walls, there were framed photographs of him and his father from the time he was a baby. He favored his father tremendously. She wasn’t surprised to see his father had worn his hair long, as well. And like his son, he had been a very handsome man. Since there were no women in the photos, she could only conclude that his father never remarried.
Skylar had said that his mother had left not long after he was born. She wondered how any woman could abandon her husband and child. But then, she recalled hearing that her cousin Jeremiah’s first wife had done exactly the same thing. She had walked away, leaving him with three small sons to raise on his own. She had taken Carrie, who had been a baby barely six weeks old at the time. But although Haven didn’t know the whole story, the little part her grandmother had shared with her made it clear Carrie would have been better off with her father and brothers.
She walked over to a picture of the day Skylar had been christened. A man who favored Dante and Ricco stood beside Skylar’s father, who held the baby. “I take it your father is the one holding you? And I recognize a younger Ricco. Is the guy who favors Dante, his father?” she asked.
“Yes. That’s Mario Avera. He and Ricco were my father’s best friends. Mario passed away ten years ago in a skiing accident,” Skylar said. “My father and Ricco took his death hard.”
After looking at the picture again, she now understood the nature of the three men’s friendship. Ricco was Skylar’s godfather, and Dante, Mario’s son, was Skylar’s godbrother. Haven figured that now that Skylar’s father was gone, the man’s trusted friends were looking out for Skylar.
She thought about what Skylar had told her about his father as they’d walked through the house. She could hear all the love he’d had for Silas Kingston in his voice.
She motioned to another photo. It was one showing an older couple, standing beside Silas Kingston, who held his son. Skylar appeared to be around a year old. “Are those your grandparents?”
“Yes. Savino and Ursula Kingston. They were the best. Savino died of a heart attack when I was sixteen, and my grandmother, Ursula, two years later. It was less than a month after I graduated from high school.”
He paused, then added, “It was as if, with me leaving for college, she felt her work was done and was ready to go join Grampa Savino, whom she loved deeply.”
“You named your hotels after her?” Haven asked.
“Dad did, and I agreed it was the best way to honor such a sophisticated and classy woman. She is the reason the Kingston Corporation supports so many charities. Her family had been dirt poor, and without the help of others, she said her family wouldn’t have made it. Some of the local charities fed them, clothed them and even helped to find her parents’ jobs. They also provided daycare services if Ursula got home from school before her parents got in from work. And when her parents were sick and couldn’t afford medicine, those charities came through for them again. She never forgot them and taught my father the importance of giving back to charities who helped others in a time of need.”
Now Haven understood why the Kingstons were so philanthropic. Some wealthy people only gave what they felt wasexpected of them, but the Kingstons went well beyond that. “How did she die?” she asked.
“A brain aneurism.” He stared at all the framed photos on the wall, then said, “As a kid, I’d get annoyed by how many photos my grandparents and father would take. Now I appreciate that they captured these special moments on film. I have a beautiful wall of memories.”
Haven had pictures of her parents, some taken together, others taken separately. They seemed so happy, and she often wondered what could have snapped in her father’s mind to make him think it was better to take his and his wife’s life than continue on. According to Gramma Dora, her mother had suspected him of drug use. When he began selling items in their home to support his habit, Barbara Jean had decided she’d had enough. Unfortunately, Lenny McGuire hadn’t wanted to let her go.
When Skylar had escorted Haven into the dining room, her breath had caught. On the table was a candlelight dinner for two. It looked so romantic. The food the chef had prepared had been delicious, and she had thanked him and the waiter who had seen to their every need. For dessert, they’d enjoyed peach pie. Skylar had obviously remembered that it was her favorite.
Over dinner, he’d shared his good news about the Napa Valley deal he had just closed, and then told her that he would be gone again for a few days next week. They set up a time for another date when he returned to Arizona.
During the meal, Haven had told him about her future plans. She intended to work at Marimar for only a couple of years before going to medical school and pursuing a combined MD-PhD program. Since she had alreadytaken a number of the prerequisites while getting her degree in medical research, she’d be able to complete her studies in half the time. That way, she could practice medicine while conducting research. Her lifetime goal was to help develop a cure for cancer.
Once dinner was over, he whisked her away for a night of dancing in one of the clubs he co-owned with one of his close friends from college, Armando Lockhart. She liked Armando and his wife, Navia, immediately. The leader of the live band, Curio, was also a college friend of his. For a guy who called himself a loner, Skylar sure had a lot of friends.
“Ready to start dancing?” Skylar asked, extending his hand to her.
She smiled at him, not believing he had flown them from Arizona for a night of dancing in California. This was what dreams were made of. “Oh, yeah!”
Taking her hand, Skylar led her to the dance floor.
One of the things Skylar loved about Haven was that she was outgoing and warm to everyone she met. She never acted as if she was above anyone. Dante had told him that she’d called him this week--not to complain about the hotel staff, but to compliment them on everything they were doing to make her stay at the Ursula Hotel enjoyable. She wanted him to know that several other medical researchers had mentioned the exemplary service they were receiving.
Skylar took an admiring look at Haven. That dress looked fantastic on her, but then, he’d thought she looked beautiful in everything he’d seen her wear. Because they would returnto the hotel rather late, he’d give her time to sleep in on Sunday and would arrange for her to have brunch with him after one o’clock. And because she’d mentioned that she hadn’t had a chance to see other parts of Sedona, he had arranged a tour for them.
“You and Armando own a really cool club, Skylar,” she said after they had danced a few times.
He smiled. “What’s cool about it?” he asked, taking a sip of his martini.
