Chapter Two

      “SEASIDE ON THE BLUFF, eh?” Joseph, the white-haired cab driver, asked. They’d just left the airport, and Jessica was still in the midst of a silent battle between ethics, duty and career. “It used to be a small hotel, nothing like the fancy resort it is now. Back then Temptation Bay was just a small village of fishermen that had sprung up in the 1800s. They caught and sold fish from one generation to the next, that’s it. Until two brothers—Angus and I forget the other one’s name—they hated fishing and got tired of seeing so many tourists bypass the village to go to other seaside towns like the Cape, so they built the hotel sometime in the 1920s.”

      She sighed. It was clear the taxi driver had a spiel he always gave, probably had one for each of the key destinations along the Rhode Island coast. It was clever, though, a way to entertain the tourists for extra tips. Of course she could recite the entire story of her town and then some. In fact, she knew the second brother’s name was John. But frankly, she preferred to let the driver gab for the next ten miles, so she didn’t have to talk.

      “Some folks thought the brothers were crazy, but I think they were smart.” Joseph touched a finger to his head. “Temptation Bay has everything Cape Cod has and more. Like the sunken pirate treasure off the shores south of the village. Some people don’t believe there were any pirate ships that sailed up this far but no one knows for sure. Anyway, the brothers built their little hotel on the bluff and suddenly tourists started coming to Temptation Bay.”

      Well, Joseph had gotten most of that right. At least that was the story she’d heard from Ronny and the fishing families. As for the treasure, that had been causing arguments since she was a little kid. Everyone seemed to have a great-uncle or cousin who had found booty washed up on shore.

      “Eventually, some big-shot investor bought the hotel and turned it into a five-star resort and the village expanded with lots of fancy shops and seafood restaurants. A few are rated five-star, too. Some people come here just to eat. How about that?”

      “Huh.” Jessica made the appropriate noise, not surprised he’d left out the part that all wasn’t smooth sailing in Temptation Bay. The village had also transformed into a thriving art colony, with pricey cafés and upscale shops. Not everyone wanted to share their slice of paradise with outsiders, and the beautiful beach town quickly became divided into the old and new. And while a few more hotels and B&Bs had sprung up, thankfully, the shoreline remained mostly pristine.

      The cab stopped in front of the towering resort where a uniformed attendant was quick to open Jessica’s door. “Good afternoon,” he said with a friendly smile. “Welcome to Seaside on the Bluff.”

      “Thank you.” She paid Joseph with an extra ten for the tale, and grabbed her small carry-on and leather garment bag before climbing out.

      The young man looked alarmed when the cab pulled away from the curb. “Don’t you have more luggage?”

      Shaking her head, she inhaled the familiar scent of the ocean, felt the salty breeze stir her hair. “Just these.”

      Another employee hurried over with a large cart and she let him take both bags from her. She could’ve easily carried them herself, but she didn’t like denying them the tip. On the other hand, maybe she wasn’t doing them any favors.

      Tourist season was in full swing. Three cabs had lined up at the curb and most of the other carts were loaded down with luggage. She’d been lucky to get a room at the last minute. It was a pricey suite she wouldn’t necessarily have booked, but she had to admit, the idea of getting a massage and soaking in a jetted tub sounded like heaven.

      “I’m Hector,” the husky young man told her and started pushing the cart toward the glass doors. “Are you here for the reunion?”

      “Yes, I am.” She glanced around at the busy port cache and dug into her purse. “Look, my bags are light, and I see you’re busy. I’ll probably end up bumping into people and—”

      Ignoring the five-dollar bill she tried to give him, Hector shook his head. “For you, I have all the time in the world,” he said, his grin growing wider as he gestured for her to lead the way through the open glass doors.

      She didn’t know what he meant by that, but she preceded him into the stunning, open lobby with a killer view of the ocean. It had been updated since she’d last seen it, although the same beautiful hardwood floors were polished to a shine, and the stark white reception desk with the old-fashioned wooden pigeonhole room slots was still there. The furniture was more elegant—suede chairs and couches, all variant colors of the sand and rock of the landscape, were placed in perfect groupings with convenient, antique tables and plenty of room to maneuver. Stunning bouquets led the eyes from one gorgeous view to the next.

      Most of the chairs were occupied with people sipping cocktails and chatting away. She assumed a number of them were here for the reunion, though she hadn’t recognized anyone yet.

      Luckily, only two guests were waiting at the front desk. Jessica’s gaze returned to the blue sky and even bluer water, and she had the sudden urge to kick off her flats, make a dash to the shoreline and dig her toes into the warm sand. Soak up enough sunshine to get her through a Chicago winter. More than once Ronny had told her the ocean flowed through her veins. And that she’d be back sooner than she’d thought...that she’d always come back.

      By the time she turned to Hector he’d passed the cart to another bell attendant and was holding her things in his large, tanned hands.

      “So I’m guessing you’re from Temptation Bay,” he said. “Went to school here.” It was a statement, not a question. “Your family, did they live at Waverly Hills?”

      Jessica laughed, unsure if she should be insulted. But in truth her bloodline extended to both sides of the track. Her dad’s clan were townies, less charitably known as the fish people. Ronny came from a long line of fishermen who’d settled on the coast generations ago. The hill people were newbies, relatively speaking, and consisted primarily of wealthy tourists who’d bought prime land atop the bluffs and built second homes.

      Ultimately,