Redeeming Her SEAL (ASSIGNMENT Caribbean Nights #9) - Kat Cantrell Page 0,27

her eyes and almost asked if they had an international data plan, but they weren’t speaking to her. Let them figure out how to pay the astronomical phone bill then.

She’d forgotten how exclusionary they were, often ignoring everyone. It was why she and Isaac had gotten so close. But she still loved her sisters, no matter what, even if she had to grit her teeth to be around them sometimes.

Things went from bad to worse when they got to the resort they’d booked for their sisters’ retreat. Though Audra lived in Freeport, her apartment wouldn’t hold three people, and the girls had wanted to spend their vacation at the beach. With few acceptable public beaches in the area, she’d had to coax Jared’s admin, Trish, into a room at one of his resorts; otherwise, they’d never be able to afford it. Fortunately, she’d had the foresight to plan this well before she’d broken up with Jared.

The lady in the crisp maroon uniform at the front desk frowned and tapped far too long on her keyboard as they stood there with their suitcases.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have a reservation for Reed,” she said. “Could it be under another name?”

“Try Jared Anderson,” Audra suggested, hating to throw his name around, but Carly and Hannah were shifting from foot to foot and muttering under their breath to each other. This trip was supposed to be fun. She’d wanted to try again to bond with her sisters like she had with Isaac. Time was precious, and this was her family.

The clerk tapped some more and shook her head. “No, ma’am. But if you’re a guest of Mr. Anderson, we may be able to accommodate you. Just a moment.”

Carly and Hannah managed to look impressed with how dropping the owner’s name got three of the people behind the desk into a huddle. One of the new additions to the party made a call, spoke into the phone while glancing at Audra and her sisters, and then hung up. More furious whispering.

Another lady came over after a few minutes. “I do apologize, but we seem to have misplaced your reservations. Mr. Anderson’s administrative assistant has informed us that the fault is hers and also added her sincere apologies. However, we unfortunately have a convention in town this week and the entire hotel is full.”

“Great,” Hannah snapped as Carly sighed. Audra shushed them both, mortified.

It wasn’t this lady’s fault that Jared’s normally competent admin had screwed up. If that was indeed what had happened and this wasn’t actually the result of another attempt to manipulate her by the man who could teach Machiavelli a thing or two. She wouldn’t put it past Jared to have done this on purpose as a point to show how pissed off he still was at her for breaking up with him. Or for filing the report.

The lady typed rapidly on her keyboard and brightened. “Ah. We do have room at our sister property. The penthouse suite is available, and we’d like you to have it at Mr. Anderson’s expense. I’m putting it in your name now, Ms. Reed, and we’ll be happy to provide a water shuttle to the property.”

Sister property? Oh, God, no. Jared only owned one other resort within water shuttle distance to Freeport.

Dread bloomed in Audra’s stomach as the clerk printed the confirmation and handed it to her. Duchess Island Resort marched across the page in bold, black font. Yep. She was definitely going to throw up.

“The penthouse!” Carly clapped, and she and Hannah started chattering to each other about their fantastic luck.

Yeah. Some luck. What were the odds of being given the exact same room she’d stayed in with Charlie two years ago?

“Right this way.” The clerk beamed at them as a porter gathered their luggage and escorted them to the dock. The sea breeze blew Audra’s hair behind her as she glumly followed her sisters to the speedboat that would ferry them to the same island where Charlie now lived. And worked.

After a year of avoiding each other like pros, she was walking into his territory. For the first time in two years, she’d be voluntarily returning to the resort where they’d met. The way her day was going, he’d probably be the first person she saw upon reaching the dock at the resort.

But the fates smiled on her, and she didn’t run into Charlie. Thank God. She couldn’t have taken the real thing when his ghost was all over the penthouse suite. And the balcony—the