ChapterOne
Come join us in the Bahamas. Don’t spend Christmas alone.”
Rhys Lachlan stared out from his penthouse suite on the upper floors of the Lachlan Hotel and Resort in Carolina Cove, North Carolina, and watched as the moon cast a silvery line over the ocean below. “I’ll be fine, Mother.”
“But you’ll be alone.”
His lips twisted, but he couched his thoughts and said, “I’m never alone. You know that. And there was an issue here with the contractor at the hotel going up in Southport. I wanted to take care of it in person.”
His mother scoffed, and the sound carried over the phone.
“Bodyguards and hotel maids aren’t family, darling.”
They weren’t, but the reality of his life meant he’d spent more time with his employees since he’d left for college and then taken his place in the family business upon graduation, than his now-retired, world-traveling parents.
He’d left the hotel suite dark after he’d entered, preferring the shadowy interior to the brightly lit awareness that he was, indeed, going to be alone for the holidays. His grandfather planned to fly down and join his parents for Christmas before flying back home to New York, but Rhys was needed here for the duration.
Obtaining female company was an easy fix should he decide to pursue it, but the women so readily drawn to his money held no appeal. “I’ll consider it, but I’m sure Father will appreciate having you all to himself for once.” His family had friends the world over, friends who very much wanted to catch up after years and years of living too-busy lives. Like him, his parents were rarely alone.
“You’d really rather stay there?”
The party life of the Bahamas had fired his blood in his younger years, but ever since his engagement to Quinley Anders—an engagement she’d broken when she’d left him at the altar on their wedding day back in the spring—things hit differently. “I’m needed here until the contractor situation has been handled. Besides, I have a few events to attend.”
“Realevents or are you making excuses?”
He smiled at his mother’s obvious doubt. “Real,” he said, though whether or not he attended the dinners and galas he’d been invited to remained to be seen. “Consider this good PR for the Lachlan name.”
“Youdid nothing to taint the Lachlan name. I’m still amazed you’ve forgiven Quinley for how she treated you. And I’m sure you could’ve found someone else to handle the issues there so you didn’t have to go back. That place must bring back bad memories.”
He closed his eyes at the turn the conversation had taken and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not hung up on Quinley if that’s what’s worrying you. Mother, I told you the day of the wedding that I’d had some doubts myself. She did the right thing calling it off.”
“Shehumiliated us for all the world to see.”
“Quinley has profusely apologized since then on numerous occasions. You don’t have to be happy about what happened, but please accept the fact Quinley was right to do what she did and leave it at that. If I can forgive her, so can you. Let’s just move forward.”
He heard his mother inhale before releasing a slow breath.
“Fine. Your father told me that the restaurant is doing well, though how you wound upworkingwith Quinley and her new fiancé will forever remain a mystery to me. I’d think you’d hate the man, all things considered.”
Maybe he should. But Elias Blackwell hadn’t even met Quinley until she’d jumped into the limousine he’d driven the day of their nonwedding. While Rhys liked to prick the man’s jealousy when it came to Quinley just because he found it amusing, itwastruly over between them.
As to offering Elias a place to house Haven, Rhys promised himself long ago that he’d never miss a promising business opportunity because of an emotional stumbling block. When he’d heard the details of Elias Blackwell’s dream restaurant, Rhys knew it was viable, especially for areas like Carolina Cove and Wilmington that drew millions of tourists every year from all over the world.
The restaurant was innovative and unique, and he’d wanted to be a part of it because Haven set the resort apart from the other hotels in the area, which was an ongoing goal. That’s why he currently pondered whether or not it was too early to approach Elias about expanding Haven’s reach and opening other Haven locations within the hotel chain.
His grandfather and father might have started Lachlan hotels, but it was up to him to continue its legacy. “Like I said, you don’t have to understand. Just be glad it’s worked out so well. Haven has been a huge success and surpassed all our projections.” So much so that he felt he would be slacking as the CEO if he didn’t make new locations happen.
“I suppose that is a good thing.”
He grinned at her lack of enthusiasm.
“Before I forget, I plan to send a few decorators.”
His grin quickly faded. “What? Why?”
“Because if you’re going to stay there, you need a tree, as does the rest of the hotel.”
“How do you know I don’t already have one?”
