Chapter 5
THE FINAL STAGE OF THE TRIP included a helicopter ride. Shelby hated helicopters. As it did a little up-drop thing that left her stomach in her throat, she clung to her seatbelt.
“You okay?” Wade’s seat faced hers this time, and he watched her with concern.
“I will be, when we land.” She tried to distract herself with the view. The island reminded her of a flower with four petals. Kind of quirky, but probably large enough to be seen from space. No surprise there for her father’s legacy project. From the air, the varying levels of construction that Alan had mentioned became apparent.
“It’s a pretty cool idea for a resort.” Wade leaned closer to their common window, his hair brushing softly against hers.
A little tingle ran through her, and she caught her breath. A few unwanted memories broke free from where she’d kept them hidden—except when she dreamed—of times when they’d sat side by side studying. While their majors had been different, there had still been enough similarities that they’d found each other to be good sounding boards. Wade’s creativity helped to pull together better ideas than she’d have come up with on her own. Surprisingly, her more practical view of things had done the same for him.
“It’s kind of a thrill, you know,” he said, “seeing from the air something that I helped design. And now to help bring it to life.”
“I’ll bet it is.” Shelby remembered the many times he’d talked about someday doing just this. She pointed to the center of the flower that looked a little like a small mountain, covered in rich foliage. “That middle section is the original island, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Wade leaned over again. “I guess during World War II they had watchers stationed there in case of a Japanese invasion. We’ve utilized the existing terrain and plants for hiking trails of varying difficulties,” he said. “They’re not too far from the staff area, so guests and workers can both use them.”
Shelby knew from other Grantham projects that her father didn’t play stingy with his employees. In fact, he had a reputation for being quite progressive with perks, like providing day care centers in close proximity to his offices and factories, and workout rooms. She tried not to think much about the care Charles Grantham gave his employees. It made her resentful. Why did they get that kind of concern from him, but he wouldn’t even meet her? Not even to talk to her on the phone?
“I haven’t thought much about how the staff would be housed.” She straightened and looked at Wade. Except for her initial blow up—she cringed inside to remember how unprofessional she’d behaved—their conversations since had flowed organically. Like old times. “How long a ride is it on the ferry?”
“Fifteen or twenty minutes on a fast ferry, I hear, so it’s comparable to getting to Catalina.”
Shelby’s mind went in several directions, trying to imagine the responsibility of staffing four separate island resorts. It made her head spin. “I’m glad I didn’t train in hospitality.
He chuckled.
The helicopter began its approach, and her stomach twisted a little. She leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.
“You look just like you used to on a roller coaster,” Wade said, his tone teasing. “I never could figure out what the point was in riding one since you kept your eyes closed the entire time.”
“Oh, shut up.” The corner of Shelby’s mouth gave an involuntary twitch, but she refused to open her eyes. She hadn’t expected being around him to seem so ... natural. But why not? They’d always had a connection. She’d missed that, having someone so close who “got” her. Traveling so much between jobs, she’d had few opportunities to make friends. Loneliness had turned her into a workaholic. There’d been no point in going home except to sleep.
“We’re safely on the ground, Shel,” Wade whispered.
She sighed in relief and opened her eyes. Their gazes met and something intense flashed between them, making her heart do a sudden gymnastic routine. It only lasted a second before Wade bent over to pick up his bag.
While the others got off, Shelby stayed in her seat, taking some time to calm herself. What hadthatbeen? She refused to allow herself to still have feelings for Wade Masters. She was so over him, just like Alan had reminded her.
“You coming?” Wade asked from the door, holding out a hand.
“Yeah.” She handed him her bag. “Just gathering my thoughts for the upcoming faceoff,” she lied.
“What’s that?” He frowned as he took the bag and handed it off to Martinez. He offered Shelby his hand again.
She hesitated. It would be the first time they’d touched since she’d left. His mouth quirked as though he’d read her thoughts, his expression taking on a challenging gleam. Was she so obvious?
“You don’t think Alan means to keep the current project manager, do you?” Shelby accepted his hand. In spite of her determination, her body remembered the familiar warmth of his skin, the strength of his grasp. Once upon a time, when he’d help her from a car, he’d pull her close and steal a kiss. She gritted her teeth at the memory but let him assist her off the helicopter.
“Faceoff.” Wade paused, still holding her hand. “He’s making you do the firing?” They stood close for a second, and she caught a whiff of his cologne again. More memories she didn’t want to revisit.
“It’s not the first time.” She shrugged and gently pulled her hand from his.
“Oh, sorry.” He stepped back. “I think that’s a raw deal.”
“Sometimes we have to do hard things, Wade.”
“Shel, I—” he began, moving closer again.
