HOOKED ON YOU (Paradise Cove) Read Free Page B

but she and his sister, Chrissy, were two peas in a pod. Both of them driven by money instead of love. They owned a real estate office in Miami and lived in a penthouse apartment overlooking Biscayne Bay. They both drove new modeled Mercedes, kept their bodies and faces primed by Botox and expensive gyms, but their hearts were cold and empty.
    “Yeah. I checked in on her.” He shook his head. “She hasn’t had any customers yet. Not a one. Poor kid.” He knew Taylor was only a few years younger than himself, but out of necessity he’d had to grow up fast. Taylor seemed incredibly innocent, untouched by the tawdry side of life. He’d like to see her stay that way.
    Anna made a sympathetic clicking noise. “Oh, dear. That is awful. But it’s early yet. Half past eight, and in the summer people don’t rush around like crazy. They will get there when they’re good and ready.”
    “That’s true.” The Keys had its own rhythm, with tranquil days and breezy nights. “Still, quite a few cars went by—but nobody stopped. Even after I tried to wave them down.”
    He jostled the baby in his arms as she played patty-cake with his face. “It’ll work out, but I know how disappointed she was. She’s been talking about this opening for weeks.”
    “And dreaming about it for years,” Anna added with a concerned frown. Then she shook the sad look off and asked, “So, what time do the boys get done with baseball camp?”
    “Noon, then I figured we’d all go fishing.” He’d taken Raul under his wing this summer while his daddy built Taylor’s Cafe. Juanita had been busy with the baby and working as a housekeeper for the cottages. Raul was a good kid and Jamie liked him fine. Which was surprising as hell. His son had been getting into fights with a few of his former friends at school. Last spring, Colt had been called in a few times to the principal’s office. The separation, and all the ugliness it entailed, had been hard. The divorce was worse. He understood Jamie acting out, but couldn’t condone bad behavior.
    “Good idea, but before that you could take them to the cafe, couldn’t you? For lunch?” Anna wiped a strawberry seed from Merica’s cheek.
    “Of course. They’ll be starving after practice and Raul will want to check in with his mom.” He put the baby in a mobile swing and lined up another two strawberries for her to eat. Merica immediately banged her binkie down on the tray. “I can hang here for an hour or so, if you want to run down and see the girls.”
    “You are too sweet, but that’s not necessary. I’ve got to run the new ads for the resort. If I get bored I can close up for fifteen minutes and take Merica for a quick stroll.” The cafe was within sight of the office, just a few hundred feet down the dirt road.
    “Okay.” He bent over to give the toddler a kiss and got a sloppy one back. “Bye, baby.” Her little face puckered and he could see she was getting ready to let one loose. He backed away quickly. “I’m outta here.”
    “Chicken,” Anna called as he rushed out the door.
    The sound of the girl’s cries followed him down the road. Merica was a cutie, but he was glad that Jamie was too old for tantrums.
    Colt checked his watch. He still had a couple of hours left before getting the boys and he wanted to catch some yellowtail snapper for the local market. Although being a licensed fisherman didn’t make the kind of money that charters did, it helped put food on the table in off-peak season.
    A half-day’s charter brought in four hundred, plus tips. Out of that he’d pay one or two mates, depending on how many anglers were fishing. The mates were local boys who worked for him and other bigger boats. It was a decent enough living, and took care of his creature comforts.
    That was one of the things he and his ex-wife had fought about. He’d had an opportunity to take a private job for a guy who owned his own company. The pay was lucrative, with plenty of perks, but it