His dad drained the rest of his glass and shot him a curious stare.
“You know I’m not one to go meddling in your business…” he began.
“No,” Brent said a tad more defensively than he intended. “That’s Grandmother’s job.”
His dad frowned. “She seems to think this hasty marriage has something to do with your taking over Albright Enterprises. Any truth to that?” he asked, tilting his tumbler with the question.
Though Grandpa Chad had made it clear he’d be more comfortable ceding control of his luxury hotel corporation to a married grandchild, he hadn’t specifically made this a condition of Brent assuming the reins.
Still, it had been obvious that Grandpa Chad viewed Brent’s older brother, William, as his next top choice should Brent continue what his grandfather had deemed his “reckless bachelor lifestyle.” William had always been more focused and settled, and it had been tough walking in his perfect shadow. Brent had taken longer to get his feet on the ground.
He’d run through various jobs in green energy and banking before scoring this Albright Enterprises slot. And, once he took over the family business, his new position wasn’t something he could bail on easily. Yet he was confident that he could handle it.
After he’d become engaged to Jackie, Grandpa Chad had shared that confidence, too.
“I’d hate to see you rushing into anything,” his dad said when Brent didn’t answer. “On account of professional ambition.”
“It’s not that at all,” Brent said firmly. “Jackie and I make a great team.”
Love would come later.
He hoped.
“What ever happened to that girl you dated right after college?”
“Amanda?” Brent asked, thrown. His dad hadn’t asked about his old girlfriend in years. Amanda Robbins had been the first—and only—woman to break Brent’s heart. Afterward, he’d promised himself he’d never let that happen again.
Brent was proud of the fact that he’d been successful so far.
“I have no idea. I’m guessing she’s married by now.”
“And that other gal… Sheryl, was it? Sheryl Bryce? The attorney in New York?” His dad thoughtfully tapped his chin. “Then there was Wesley, the extremely talkative one.”
Brent frowned. “What are you getting at?”
“Just that life is long, son. When you’re choosing a life partner, it’s important to choose carefully.”
“I have chosen carefully.”
His dad’s forehead rose. “After three months?”
“You told me yourself that three minutes was all you needed to know that Mom was the one for you.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” His dad chuckled. “The moment I looked into those pretty brown eyes, I was a goner.”
Brent had heard this tale a billion times, but he indulged his dad in the memory.
“We were in a creative writing class together,” his dad went on, “and Elsa sat beside me. I’ll never forget the way she smiled. Just as beautifully as she does today.”
He finished his drink and set the glass on a table beside his chair. “I don’t recall a lick of that first lecture,” he reported with a grin, “but I did ask for her number. It took me nearly the entire semester to work up the nerve to call her…”
“Then, she asked you out first,” Brent finished.
His parents had a ton in common, and both had set their sights on New York. His dad now ran his own literary agency, and his mom was the managing editor of a home and garden magazine. They still lived in the same upscale Brooklyn neighborhood where Brent and his siblings had grown up, but Brent’s childhood summers had been spent right here in Blue Hill.
His dad gave him a thoughtful look. “It’s pretty awesome stuff, marriage with the right person. I just hope that Jackie’s the right person for you.”
“She is, Dad,” Brent said, but way deep in his heart there was a shadow of doubt. He couldn’t compare his situation to what his parents had, though. These were different times, and he was his own man. Besides that, he was thirty-two, not some kid, so old enough to make up his own mind.
His dad shared a warm smile. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Chapter Two
The voice on the GPS commanded Hope to turn left in fifty feet onto a gravel country road. For the past several miles, she’d driven across one-lane bridges, over inlets, and beside the stunning banks of Blue Hill Bay. Across the slow-rolling waves, she could just make out the hazy outline of Cadillac Mountain. Lobster boats trolled the glistening waters, and sailboats glided along, billowing winds caught in their colorful spinnakers.
When she’d lived here as a teen, Hope had never really appreciated the beauty of Blue Hill. Then again, she and her family had lived in the more…modest part of town near the coffee shop where her mom had worked. Basically, nowhere near this ritzy stretch of private homes on secluded waterfront acreage.
The audio directions announced that she was approaching her destination in another twenty feet. She searched the left-hand side of the road, but there were so many blueberry bushes between her and whatever lay on the other side.
There. Up ahead. An ivory flag covered in four-leaf clovers hung proudly from the mailbox at the end of a driveway, sporting the name “Albright” in gold-bordered green letters.
That was…fancy.
She slowed to a stop and glanced down at her white slacks and sleeveless top, worried that she’d underdressed. She wasn’t exactly used to hanging with high society, but at least her outfit was coordinated. Her navy sandals matched her clutch purse, and her gold hoop earrings went with the small heart necklace that she always wore on a chain around her neck.
Her hair, though…that was a mess. She’d straightened her dark waves with a flat iron before her flight, but the whipping winds in the convertible Jackie had rented had undone her effort.
She twisted her hair up in a clip and frowned at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Still disheveled, but passable. She’d run a brush through it later when no one was looking.
More blueberry bushes bordered the drive as Hope rounded a bend, tiny fruit clusters weighing down spindly branches. She’d always loved the color of ripe blueberries, but the season wouldn’t peak until later in the summer. Some of the small orbs were already deep blue, while others held a reddish tinge, bordering on purple—
A figure appeared in front of her in the drive, and Hope slammed on her brakes. Tires squealed and rocks scattered as the convertible skidded to a halt.