Love the One You Hate

“So does that mean we’ll miss you at lunch as well?”

“Don’t pout. I’ve made it in time for your ball. You should be grateful.”

“Grateful! To see my own grandson?”

She looks to Collins for help, but he pretends to inspect the menu in his hand.

“Hurry off then,” she says, swatting me with one of her gardening gloves. “Go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll return. I expect you to be on time tonight. No carousing with Rhett at the club.”

I smirk before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek in farewell. “No promises.”

She throws up her hands in despair, but we both know I’ll be there, with my hair cut and dressed to the nines, just as she’s asked. I’ve always had a soft spot for my grandmother, and she takes advantage of it every chance she gets.* * *The marina at the yacht club is filled with sailboats coming out of shipyard storage for the summer. I called yesterday morning and let the staff know of my arrival, so I’m not surprised to see Carina’s red and blue striped hull glistening in the sunlight out on the water. I’ve brought extra gear with me—a jacket and hat—knowing once I’m out on the water, the wind will pick up even more. Though we’re creeping into May, the summer heat hasn’t completely taken over. The sun is shining overhead, though, and that’s enough to tempt me out onto the water.

Rhett is waiting for me on the dock. He spots me as I walk down the hill toward him, waving his hand up and over his head in a goofy gesture. As if I can’t spot his ridiculous orange jacket from a mile away. He’s worn it since college.

“You’re late!” he shouts.

“I had to stop and grab a sandwich at Harvest Market.”

“Chef kick you out of the kitchen?” He laughs.

“They’re in full swing for tonight. Apparently, they couldn’t spare a thing.”

He rubs his hands together, creating friction. “Good—that’ll mean more for me later. You know I haven’t eaten for two days leading up to tonight? I’ve missed the food at your grandmother’s house.”

I laugh and toss him a disbelieving glare.

The moment I reach him on the dock, we both get to work preparing Carina for a trip through Brenton Cove and down to Pirate Cave. It’s a short journey by our standards, but I promised my grandmother I’d be on time tonight, and it’ll take us a while to rig the boat.

We talk as we work. He and I have been sailing together since middle school, for fun and for sport, so at this point, we’re two minds working together as one.

I ask him about his work in Boston, knowing full well he’s as busy as I am, though he’s in finance, not law.

He’s considering striking out on his own, starting his own hedge fund.

“You’ll help me set it up, won’t you?”

I laugh. “You and I both know that’s not my specialty.”

“Aw c’mon, all that legalese…” He groans. “You know I’m only good with numbers.”

I also know he has more than enough money in his trust fund to hire a good team of lawyers, so no, I don’t let his moaning persuade me.

“How did everything shake out with Michael Lewis, by the way? Last time we talked, it had started to blow over.”

“It has, largely, though my main focus is the new employee my grandmother hired.”

“The girl?”

I pause mid-knot and glance up at him. “What do you mean ‘the girl’?”

“The girl your grandmother has been parading around town—everyone’s confused about who she is. My mom swears she’s one of your grandmother’s employees, but there are rumors she’s some long-lost relative too. I was going to ask you about it.”

I curse under my breath.

“I heard she’s going tonight. My mom mentioned it.”

“Going tonight? To the ball? Why on earth would she do that?”

He shrugs. “Hell if I know. I’m just the messenger—don’t shoot me.”

What a mess.

I’d hoped my grandmother would use common sense. I’d hoped Maren would be long gone by now. I did exactly as I promised. As soon as I got off the phone with my grandmother two weeks ago, I checked into Maren like my grandmother should have done before hiring her. First, I called her last employer, Holly Home, for a reference.

Her manager there had quite a lot to say about her.

“I hate to bring it up. Sure, she was a nice enough girl, but I think you should know…one of our residents had their wedding ring stolen recently. I had two employees confirm that they saw Maren with the ring, though Maren denies taking it. Police were involved. An investigation was being prepared, but then our resident insisted on dropping the case. I think she was worried she’d get Maren in trouble, but if you ask me, she deserves to face the consequences of her actions. Can you imagine someone cruel enough to target the elderly?”