The Promise of Paradise - By Allie Boniface Page 0,55

the bartender. “I can call you a cab.”

Cass wound her arm through Eddie’s and tugged him toward the door. “The motel’ll be fine,” she said over her shoulder. “We can walk.”

Outside, the air felt good as Eddie drew it into his lungs. Fresh. Clean. Forgiving. Everything he wasn’t. The rain had stopped, though puddles still dotted the pavement. He lifted the two helmets off the back of Frank’s bike.

“I gotta text Frank, tell him I’ll get the Harley back tomorrow.”

Cass pressed her hand against his. “You already did. About an hour ago.”

“Really?” Eddie rubbed his forehead and tried to remember. He pulled out his cell phone and checked. “Oh. Yeah.”

“There’s the motel.” Cass pointed across the street.

A few hundred yards away, Eddie could make out the blur of a neon sign. “Vacancy,” he read. “We’ll get two rooms.”

The redhead put one hand on a hip. “Like hell we will.” She snuggled herself under his arm. “You need some comforting, Eddie West. I don’t know who broke your heart, or how she did it, but tonight you need some grade-A ex-girlfriend lovin’, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna give you.” She slipped a hand inside his back pocket.

Eddie didn’t answer, just started to walk. What he really needed was a soft bed and about a thousand hours of sleep. Then, in the morning, he’d let some greasy home fries ease his hangover while he went about shoveling the pieces of his heart under the carpet. He glanced over. But hey, if a woman like Cassandra Perkins wanted to keep herself warm beside him in the meantime, he wasn’t sure he had any objections.

Not tonight, anyway.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Consciousness came slowly, working its way into Ash’s bedroom on leaden feet.

I’m still in Paradise, she thought after a minute of staring at the ceiling. For now, anyway. A blink at the clock and a long swig of water reminded her of last night’s decision. She’d give Blues and Booze two more weeks. But no more.

She swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Though nearly nine, no light came through her blinds. She padded across the room and peered outside. Rain spit against her windows, not heavy, just steady.

“Great. Another stupid, gray day.” Just what she needed to match her mood. Ash headed for the bathroom, glad she’d taken a lunch shift to fill up the empty afternoon. I’ll tell Marty when I get there. She eased her way under the shower’s hot spray. No reason to call him earlier. He’d throw enough of a fit as it was.

She felt more than a little guilty about leaving Blues and Booze, especially since she’d been running the place a couple nights a week, but what was she supposed to do?

This place has nothing to offer you…

“Dad’s right,” she said aloud. The sooner she went back to Boston and faced down her demons, the better. She had a degree from one of the top law schools in the country. She knew of a half-dozen firms in the city who’d give their eyeteeth to hire a Harvard grad, especially one with the last name Kirk. She’d have no problem working herself back into that way of life. And if her father and her family needed her, then it was about time she stopped acting like a spoiled child with her heart broken. She was twenty-six, not sixteen. She needed to get it together and go to Martha’s Vineyard. What’s the worst that can happen?

Ash turned off the shower in time to hear her phone ring.

Eddie. The thought that it might be him shot adrenaline straight into her soul. He’s calling to talk. He wants to make up. It wasn't too late after all. She wrapped a towel around her head and grabbed her robe. All thoughts of Boston and her father and the Vineyard fled. Still wet, she skated into the living room.

But her voicemail picked up before she could answer, and as soon as hope had lifted inside her heart, it was gone again. She pressed the button to listen to the message, but one look at the screen told her who had called.

“Ash? Marty here.”

She sank onto the loveseat and rested her head on one palm. Of course it wasn’t Eddie. Look what she’d done by lying to him. Look at everything she’d ruined.

“Got something to ask you.” Marty hacked up phlegm for a few seconds before continuing. “And, ah, I know you’re coming in to work lunch today, but I’ve got a meeting down