Chapter Eight
Abe couldn’t sleep. The slashing rain and howling wind didn’t help, but it was his constant thoughts of Rachel and the memories of her in his arms, their lips connecting that had him stirred up. He wanted to be with her and not have to say goodbye. Would it be wrong to walk over and simply … hold her through the night? Protect her from the storm?
He’d changed into a t-shirt and comfortable cotton shorts, drank a bottle of water, and now paced his bungalow watching the storm grow in intensity. He’d spoken with each of his employees earlier and they were all doing fine. Would Rachel be afraid with the winds and the rain getting vicious? He’d closed all of his windows and the rain was now slamming against them.
He knelt down and said a prayer for Rachel and everyone on the island to be protected from the storm and then he checked in with all his employees again. They were all settled in their bungalows for the night. He knelt back down and said a prayer for Rachel to be protected from him. He knew if he went over to her bungalow his intentions would not be pure. He was far too attracted to her and wanted to kiss her and more, much more.
A pounding on his door startled him and he leapt to his feet. Rushing to the door, he flung it open and saw a drenched and very upset-looking Rachel. Her dark hair streamed around her beautiful face, her summery outfit clung to her appealing curves, but her blue eyes were stormier than the raging winds and slashing rain and her lips were pressed into a thin line.
“Are you okay?” He reached out and tugged her inside. She didn’t come willingly.
“Don’t manhandle me,” she spat at him, tugging her arm free and stomping around him into the bungalow.
Abe’s neck tightened. What had happened? How had he left his perfect woman with kisses twenty minutes ago and a spitfire with angry eyes had returned? She looked much more inclined to punch him in the gut than kiss him again.
He shut the door and turned to her. She folded her arms across her chest but her entire body trembled slightly. Abe didn’t think she was cold despite being wet. The trembling was from anger and the look in her eyes was betrayal. He knew that look. He’d felt it when he learned what Angel had done to him. Angel. Betrayal. Prison. Thinking his life had been ruined.
Comprehension came quickly and his heart sunk. He should’ve told Rachel about prison, the events that led up to it, and all that had happened since, but it wasn’t as if they’d had the time to talk through everything in their lives. She would understand they were still getting to know each other. Would Angel’s betrayal never stop haunting him? If it ruined his relationship with Rachel, he might hire private investigators and hunt the woman down so she could serve prison time and he could finally have justice.
“You Googled me,” he said simply.
She nodded, clenching her arms tighter around herself. “Actually, Luke Googled you and told me. I acted like the trusting dupe and thought there was no way my perfect Abe could be hiding anything from me.” She gave a harsh laugh.
“Look.” He held up his hands. He loved that she hadn’t Googled him, that her brother had brought it to her attention. She’d trusted him, and with his issues that meant a lot. Now he needed to regain that trust. “I should’ve told you, I get that, going to prison is a big deal. But you have to admit that we’ve only had the past two days together. It’s not the easiest thing to bring into a conversation.”
She tilted her head and her long, dark hair spilled over her firm arm. The scarring on her skin glistened with wet rain on it. He loved every bit of her, including the scars. He thought she was incredible inside and out. Could they work through this? Would she forgive him hiding something ugly in his past? Angel. So perfect on the outside, so horrifically rotten and putrid on the inside.
“Did you read all of the articles?” he asked evenly.
She nodded. “Most of them.”
“So you know I was set up and betrayed.”
“By your fiancée. Some sources thought you were in league with her. You took the fall so she could get more money and then escape.”
His jaw clenched, not only because of the unjust accusations but that she would lump him in with Angel. “But you wouldn’t believe that.”
She raised her shoulders, but her eyes told the truth. He’d lost her trust because he hadn’t shared. “I’m not sure what to believe,” she said. “An innocent person would’ve come clean.”
Abe tried not to react to that. “Ask me anything you want,” he said quietly.
“Hmm.” She harrumphed. “A little late for that, isn’t it?”
A branch broke off a tree with a sound like a whip cracking and slammed into the window. Rachel jumped and it was all Abe could do to not rush to her and hold her close. He wanted to protect her and be there for her, but she definitely didn’t look like she felt the same.
“Just a branch,” he muttered.
“Yeah.” She nodded and blew out a breath. “I do have a question for you though.”
“Ask anything,” he said, hope filling him. If she’d talk with him maybe they could work this out. He had nothing to hide, but if Rachel didn’t trust him anymore he doubted there was any chance for a relationship between them. That thought sat heavy in his gut like one too many pieces of his grandma’s pecan pie. He and Rachel’s relationship had been more delicious than pie and he’d devoured it without abandon or thoughts of the consequences of not splaying all his dirty secrets to her. Now he was paying the price and it was heavy and made him feel sick to his stomach.
“Are you in league with Preston to cheat my brother?”
“Excuse me?” Abe was offended and confused now. Instead of talking things out she accused him of more. Abe would never cheat anyone and Preston would never cheat her brother. Preston was a stand-up employee and had been managing this island for years. Preston was an opportunist for sure but he wouldn’t be so stupid as to risk embezzling from Luke Jewel.
“You heard me. Luke suspects Preston is embezzling from the employee funds and has been for years. Nothing significant, not enough for anybody to notice, just enough to build up a nice off-shore account, and I overheard Preston and some blonde woman talking the first night I was here about taking money from somebody.”
Some blonde woman? A sinister thought rolled through his mind, but Abe dismissed the idea offhand. No way would Preston be harboring Angel. No way. Yet, the two had been close friends. In college, Preston had fallen for her just like Abe had. Even though Preston had stepped back and let Abe and Angel be together, Abe had often caught Preston gazing longingly at her. That hadn’t surprised him though, Preston had not only cared for her, Angel’s looks had fit her name. If only her black heart had been a match for that sweet-looking face of hers.