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Ready to show her her new life.
“Here,” I tell her, thumbing open the image file for the penthouse above my office.
I kept the photos from when I bought the place, and I’m glad I did now.
“It’s got better furniture in it nowadays, but you get the…”
Her eyes widen and her mouth drops at the sight of the images.
It’s a whole floor of the building, with a 360 degree view of the city and sea, all in one.
“There’s enough room for twenty people,” I explain, but then wonder if she’d even want to live in the city.
“Or we can stay right here, in Cherry,” I say, shrugging, explaining that whatever she wants we can do it.
She looks overwhelmed again and I peck her forehead, telling her to relax.
“We don’t have to do everything in one afternoon either,” I remind us both.
But my mind is racing now, wanting to show her all the other properties I have.
Hell. She could live in a different house every week for a year if she wanted to.
“Maybe we could just…” she starts but trails off when her phone chimes. Just the sound of the phone ringing changes her expression. Reminding me more of the old Jacinta than the new and improved version I’ve grown to love even more.
“I should get that,” she mutters, and I move so she can find her phone.
Her face lights up with renewed enthusiasm once she sees who's calling.
Not her mom, I can tell that much.
And with a look that explains everything, I let her take her call from her best friend Mel.
Me?
I’ve got a ton of calls myself to reply to.
Right after I order us some dinner, I’m thinking.
But there’s one number that keeps popping up.
One I don’t recognize.
Left a fuck ton of messages too…
I figure I may as well at least see who it is.
None of the first voice messages I check make much sense until the guy drops the reason for his call.
“I sold most of what’s good in Cherry to the Figaro group for a song… Now I see you’re buying it. I want in…”
Holy shit. Could it really be?
I listen to his other messages, read the email he’s sent.
Michael Matthews.
Yep.
The story matches the name. Matches the history of the town.
It’s the one person I never thought either Jacinta or I especially would ever hear from.
It’s her dad.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jacinta
“You sound different.” Mel’s quick to observe.
At first, I figure it’s only because I’m trying to contain my excitement and not sound like such a little girl as I try to stop from blurting out the good news to my best friend.
About me being a woman now. No longer a virgin.
But Kyle’s right here and it’s not very ladylike to just start detailing how he deflowered me, fucked me senseless, and made me come like a river the whole afternoon.
Or is it?
Anywhere else, I dunno. Maybe I would gush the good news to my bestie as much as I did on the sheets.
But this thing between Kyle and me? It feels more serious than something I can gossip about.
Sacred is the word.
Like something so good, so close to my heart I’m not even sure yet how much I actually wanna disclose to Mel.
Not that she’d tell anyone, she’s in Italy for god’s sake. But Kyle’s the most amazing thing to ever happen to me, and he’s not just all talk and a checkbook.
The pictures on his phone aren’t just for show. And something tells me he has a truckload more where that came from.
All the secrecy when he got here before he ran into me? It was him scoping out his next investment. I get that now.
But I also get how that’s shifted somewhat.
He’s my biggest investment so far in this life, and I know just from the way he looks at me now that I’m his too.
My hands tremble at the thought.
This is actually happening.
Something good… No.
Something freaking amazing is actually happening to me for once.
“It must just be the connection,” I tell Mel, but nothing gets past her.
“Aw, c’mon now Jacinta. What happened?” she asks in a mocking dramatic tone, but I can tell she senses something is up.
“You sound like you’ve won the lottery or something and you’re keeping it all to yourself,” she says with a knowing laugh.
But I mean it. Kyle and me, it’s holy ground now. And I won’t just say whatever pops into my head. No matter how amazing the tale is.
Maybe I’ll write it down someday. Make it into a story anyone could read.
“I’m just happy is all,” I tell her honestly, thanking her again for the credit she sent, offering to call her back.
“It's fine, sweetie,” Mel chirps. “I just hate the thought of you there all alone in Cherry. Something good is going to happen for you soon, I know it,” she promises.
