or mine with a lot of idle chatter. I know you set Desiree up at The Port, but why is she really there?”
For a moment she frowned in confusion. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“She lost everything in the fire.”
“I gathered as much. But that still doesn’t explain why she came to Sag Harbor.”
She went on to tell him about her stay in the hospital and how depressed and lethargic she’d been. “Desiree has a show that she’s contracted for coming up in late September. Her very first one. But with everything gone and Desi unable or unwilling to work…” Her sentence trailed off. “I just thought that a major change in atmosphere and environment would help her.”
He shook his head. “Still, after all this time, she wouldn’t come to me except by mistake.” He looked at Rachel. “I’m glad she has you as a friend. Fate is something else,” he added wryly. “Tragedy separated us and now it’s brought us back together.”
Rachel arched a brow. “Very true.” She paused. “So now that you know all of it, what are you going to do?”
“There’s not much I can do if Desiree won’t let me.”
Rachel looked him square in the eye. “Do you still love her?”
“Always.”
“Then there’s plenty you can do. Desi is stubborn and single-minded. But,” her tone softened, “I know she still loves you, Lincoln, although she won’t admit it to you. She’s just too afraid to say it. And you know she won’t let on that she’s afraid of anything.”
“I’ve been down that road with her before. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“So she says. I know better and so do you.” She smiled. “The trick is convincing her of that.”
They talked some more and they agreed to keep each other posted.
“If she ever finds out we are in cahoots, she’d strangle us both,” Rachel said.
Lincoln chuckled. “Don’t I know it?” He checked his watch. “Well, I guess I’ll be heading back. Thanks for talking to me.”
“I would have a long time ago if I’d known where to find you.”
“Well, you do now.” He smiled. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.” She came from behind her desk. “I’ll walk you out. Speaking of finding people, how did you find me?”
“Your credit card information.” He got to the front door. “By the way, your card didn’t clear,” he whispered.
For an instant she looked perplexed, then mortified. “I’ll take care of it. I am so sorry. I must have used the wrong card.”
“Don’t worry about it. Between you and me, Desi’s stay is on the house.”
“Lincoln, you don’t—”
“I want to and it’s settled. I can be stubborn, too.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be in touch.”
Rachel watched him from the doorway until his vehicle was out of sight, which she now recognized as the one she nearly ran off the road. Fate. Thoughtfully, she closed the door. She’d intentionally left out any information about Carl, and she wondered how long it would take the very resourceful Lincoln Davenport to find out about him.
Chapter 12
B y the time Lincoln returned to The Port the sun was beginning to set over the water, tossing brilliant ripples of orange and gold light. A warm breeze blew off the ocean, teasing the profusion of trees that surrounded the property. From his open window he inhaled the pungent scent of salt water, rich dark earth and lush green.
He could see from the road several of his guests departing from the main house to take strolls, return to their cabins, or perhaps go into town for a late movie or an early drink.
On many nights like these he and Desiree used to lie naked in bed, holding hands and whispering to each other their dreams for the future.
“I know that one way to financial security is to own land,” Lincoln had said. “I want to replicate what many blacks did in Sag Harbor, buy cheap, improve it and reap the benefits of the escalating market value.”
“But what would you
For a moment she frowned in confusion. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“She lost everything in the fire.”
“I gathered as much. But that still doesn’t explain why she came to Sag Harbor.”
She went on to tell him about her stay in the hospital and how depressed and lethargic she’d been. “Desiree has a show that she’s contracted for coming up in late September. Her very first one. But with everything gone and Desi unable or unwilling to work…” Her sentence trailed off. “I just thought that a major change in atmosphere and environment would help her.”
He shook his head. “Still, after all this time, she wouldn’t come to me except by mistake.” He looked at Rachel. “I’m glad she has you as a friend. Fate is something else,” he added wryly. “Tragedy separated us and now it’s brought us back together.”
Rachel arched a brow. “Very true.” She paused. “So now that you know all of it, what are you going to do?”
“There’s not much I can do if Desiree won’t let me.”
Rachel looked him square in the eye. “Do you still love her?”
“Always.”
“Then there’s plenty you can do. Desi is stubborn and single-minded. But,” her tone softened, “I know she still loves you, Lincoln, although she won’t admit it to you. She’s just too afraid to say it. And you know she won’t let on that she’s afraid of anything.”
“I’ve been down that road with her before. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“So she says. I know better and so do you.” She smiled. “The trick is convincing her of that.”
They talked some more and they agreed to keep each other posted.
“If she ever finds out we are in cahoots, she’d strangle us both,” Rachel said.
Lincoln chuckled. “Don’t I know it?” He checked his watch. “Well, I guess I’ll be heading back. Thanks for talking to me.”
“I would have a long time ago if I’d known where to find you.”
“Well, you do now.” He smiled. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.” She came from behind her desk. “I’ll walk you out. Speaking of finding people, how did you find me?”
“Your credit card information.” He got to the front door. “By the way, your card didn’t clear,” he whispered.
For an instant she looked perplexed, then mortified. “I’ll take care of it. I am so sorry. I must have used the wrong card.”
“Don’t worry about it. Between you and me, Desi’s stay is on the house.”
“Lincoln, you don’t—”
“I want to and it’s settled. I can be stubborn, too.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be in touch.”
Rachel watched him from the doorway until his vehicle was out of sight, which she now recognized as the one she nearly ran off the road. Fate. Thoughtfully, she closed the door. She’d intentionally left out any information about Carl, and she wondered how long it would take the very resourceful Lincoln Davenport to find out about him.
Chapter 12
B y the time Lincoln returned to The Port the sun was beginning to set over the water, tossing brilliant ripples of orange and gold light. A warm breeze blew off the ocean, teasing the profusion of trees that surrounded the property. From his open window he inhaled the pungent scent of salt water, rich dark earth and lush green.
He could see from the road several of his guests departing from the main house to take strolls, return to their cabins, or perhaps go into town for a late movie or an early drink.
On many nights like these he and Desiree used to lie naked in bed, holding hands and whispering to each other their dreams for the future.
“I know that one way to financial security is to own land,” Lincoln had said. “I want to replicate what many blacks did in Sag Harbor, buy cheap, improve it and reap the benefits of the escalating market value.”
“But what would you
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