Swept Away By The Enigmatic Tycoon. Rosanna Battigelli
JUSTINE SURVEYED THE peaceful tableau lazily. The waters of Georgian Bay were calmer today, and she watched the gentle undulations with pleasure, letting her senses revel in the rugged beauty before her.
The clear blue water, shimmering with pinpoints of reflected sunlight, was dazzling—mesmerizing, really. The water lilies clustered along the water’s edge looked like they were straight out of a Monet painting, their crisp white petals and yellow centers resting among dozens of flat, round, overlapping green pads. Occasionally the seagulls announced their monopoly on the sky with their shrill, almost human-like cries as they swooped and glided, tail feathers outspread, but even that wasn’t enough to disrupt Justine from her contemplative mood.
She breathed in the fresh July air and congratulated herself again for exchanging the smog and humidity of the big city for this...this nature lover’s paradise on Georgian Bay. She had made the right decision in accepting her parents’ offer, Justine assured herself again as she rubbed sunscreen over her legs. Their proposal had come at the perfect time.
Working in the Toronto law office of attorney Robert Morrell had become too stressful—she’d had no choice but to resign. The memory of how she had trusted him in the first place still caused her pangs of remorse. Her mouth twisted cynically. How naive she had been, falling for a man who was going through a turbulent divorce.
After leaving her resignation notice on his desk she had immediately headed home to Winter’s Haven. As she’d pulled into the driveway, seeing her parents sitting together on the porch swing holding hands had made her burst into tears. Why couldn’t she have been so lucky? In all her years at home she had never doubted her parents’ trust, respect and devotion to each other. And to her. With such loving role models how could she settle for anything less?
Their love and support had cushioned her for the next four days, and then the morning she had thought herself ready to drive back to Toronto, eyes still puffy and shadowed, they’d made her an offer that took her breath away.
They had talked extensively, they’d said, and had decided that the time had come for them to retire from managing their cottage resort and to enjoy their golden years. They wanted to travel around the world while they still had their health and energy. If Justine were willing, they would sign Winter’s Haven over to her and move into the smallest of the twelve cottages there. Justine could enjoy her inheritance early, and they would be delighted that the business would stay in the family.
“Take your time to think it over, sweetheart,” her father had said, hugging her tightly. “But we have every confidence in your skills—business or otherwise.”
Her mother had nodded and joined in the embrace, her eyes misting, and after kissing them both Justine had left, her own eyes starting to well up.
A month later the lease on her apartment had been up and she’d headed home to Winter’s Haven for good.
The sting of Robert’s deceit had begun to subside, and although she still had down days, feeling alternately embarrassed and angry for letting herself be fooled, she had come to terms with the end of their relationship. Taking over from her parents would occupy her time and her energy, and Justine was looking forward to exploring new ideas for the business while enjoying the more relaxed pace of the area.
Now, two months after her return, Justine could flick away any thought involving Robert almost nonchalantly. Usually followed by any number of silent declarations.
I am so over it! I’m done being a bleeding heart! Done with men and their games!
Justine closed her eyes and listened to the gentle lapping of the waves. She allowed herself to be soothed by the rhythmic sounds, enjoying the touch of the sun over her body as she settled back on the chaise longue. Tilting her sunhat to protect her face, Justine felt the familiar magic of Winter’s Haven ease the stress out of her, and with a contented sigh she allowed herself to drift into a peaceful nap.
The sound of typewriter keys and a telephone ring jolted her awake. She fumbled for her cell phone, by her side on the chaise. Squinting, she read the text.
Good God, Justine! Where the heck are you? Did you forget the two o’clock appointment I arranged for you?
Justine sat up, her heart skipping a beat. It was one fifty-five. She’d never make it in time.
She leapt up and ran the short distance from the beach to her house, not stopping until she reached the washroom on the second floor. She usually enjoyed taking leisurely showers after a soak in the sun, but on this occasion she was in and out in less than five minutes. Her shoulder-length hair would have to dry on the way there. And there was no time for make-up.
She hastily put on a flowered wrap-around skirt and a white cotton eyelet top, and made a dash to her car. She usually walked to the main office, but she wanted to avoid any further delay.
She had managed this place efficiently since her parents had turned over the business to her two months earlier. “I’ll run this place as smoothly as you did,” she’d promised them before they left for their retirement travels, and she had done just that—except for today.
Justine had never been late for anything in her life. She’d have to make sure it didn’t happen again. It didn’t make her look very responsible. She should have never given in to Mandy, who had uncharacteristically scheduled an appointment on her day off.
The sight of a sleek silver-green Mustang convertible in the parking lot dashed her hopes that her visitor might be late.
She took the steps to the office two at a time and entered the building, taking deep breaths. Mandy Holliday, her friend since high school and her assistant and office receptionist, smirked at her from behind the wooden desk, cocking an eyebrow toward the double doors leading to the diner.
“He’s been waiting there thirty minutes. The last time I checked he was talking to the Elliots in Cottage Number One.”
“Of all the times to doze off on the beach...” Justine grimaced. “I wonder why this Forrest man has insisted on seeing me. If he wants to rent a cottage, you could have dealt with him. I wish you had been able to squeeze some information out of him.”
She adjusted the tie belt on her wrap-around skirt.
“I hope he’s not one of those pompous business types. You know—the punctuality nuts, the arrogant ‘you must be as perfect as I am’ professionals who—” She stopped at the sudden furrowing of Mandy’s eyebrows.
“Perhaps you should reserve your judgment until after our meeting,” a cool voice suggested directly behind her.
“I’ll be in the diner if you need me,” Mandy murmured, before retreating