Page 54 of Caught Up In You (Indigo Royal Resort)
“And here I had just gotten that visual out of my brain. Thanks, Uncle Vaughn.”
“Anytime, kiddo!”
She glanced around at the groups of guests who were out lounging, taking them each in as Vaughn busied himself with the latch on the towel hut. People watching had always been something she’d enjoyed, especially at the resort. It never ceased to amaze her some of the items that people would wear while on vacation, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they wore these things back home. She knew that plenty of people were willing to be a little extra bold on vacation—after all, they were never g
oing to see these people again. But how that translated to swimsuits that didn’t fit properly and patterns that were offensive to the eye, she still wasn’t sure.
Her eyes quickly landed on a tattooed set of arms pushing a well-sculpted body out of the pool. Even from here she could see the beautiful script across the right forearm that read “Luisa” surrounded by roses. Above the elbow was the profile image of a “Liver Bird”—or so she was told it was called—underneath the words “You’ll never walk alone.” Reaching for the towel he’d laid on the lounger across from where he’d gotten out of the pool, she could see the Latin written vertically down the backside of his arm, reading “deus nobis haec otia fecit”, the original motto for Liverpool, meaning “God hath granted us this ease.” She smiled to herself, loving that she knew that ink so well at this point that she would know it anywhere.
Memories of last night slipped to the forefront of her mind. She thought of how she’d kissed the stars above his heart, traced the geometric designs on his left arm, and even at one point tried to nuzzle noses with the tiger. The whole day had been something out of a dream, and waking up this morning to the reminder she had to get out of bed and leave him there had been gut-wrenching. He’d tried to cheer her up by telling her that since he didn’t have camp, he was going to try and spend some time outside La Isla Bonita, so she’d at least get to see him around the resort before the bonfire tonight, but it hadn’t helped. Until this moment.
That was, until a group of women appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding Cullen. She could tell that some were only there for a selfie, so they could post it online that they were “vacationing with celebrities,” but there were one or two who seemed to think that they had more to offer him and that maybe he’d take them up on that offer. Hands off bitches, he’s mine…
“Earth to Leona,” Vaughn’s voice called to her, breaking into her thoughts and stealing her attention away from the fuss.
“Huh?”
“The hinges on the door to the towel hut are a little rusty. Can you please make a note to have maintenance look at them?” he asked, gesturing to the clipboard in her hands.
She nodded, making the note in the appropriate section of the form that had been created for these walks. Sneaking another glance over toward the growing crowd, she tried to tell herself she wasn’t jealous. That it didn’t matter that there were pretty women, and one rather feisty looking grandmother, trying to flirt with Cullen. It wasn’t like she was his girlfriend. He could flirt with whomever he wanted.
“You two seem to be getting along better,” Vaughn commented, having moved on to some loose rocks in the knee-high wall that acted as a barrier between the concrete and the sand leading to the waterfront.
Leona wasn’t sure how to respond to that comment, or if it even required a response. She knew that Vaughn was aware they’d been spending more time together, a good deal of time, since Cullen kept asking for her to accompany him on things. It had also been no secret to anyone who knew her, even remotely, that prior to this trip, she hadn’t wanted to be within fifty feet of the man.
“Errr…mmmhmmm,” she mumbled.
“Well, I’m glad to hear it. Took long enough.”
“Pardon?” She snapped around quickly, forgetting all about the scene behind her. Looking at Vaughn, who was still wobbling the same loose stone, she tried to figure out what he had actually said. Because it certainly was not what she heard.
“I am not blind, nor am I stupid, Lee. Although I can understand why recent history might lead you to believe otherwise,” he remarked. She couldn’t help but smile at the comment. Though she hadn’t been there for the actual event, she’d helped Drea sort through the aftermath of Vaughn’s reaction to finding out about her and Kyle. It hadn’t been pretty, but they’d gotten through it.
“If you ask me—not that you did, but I’m the boss so you’re gonna listen anyway—but if you ask me, it’s been a long time coming.”
“I….I don’t follow, Uncle Vaughn,” she told him.
“Look, Lee, you’ve been running around here since you were five. And I know that by now you have figured out that I am a little bit…” he trailed off, looking for the right word.
“Uptight? Of a control freak?”
He scowled at her. “I was going to go with overprotective. And that urge extends to you too. I remember how enamored you were when he was here that first year. And then how you wanted nothing to do with him the next. I’ve been here for all the special requests, the insistence that you were the only one to take care of his rooms. At first, I just thought it was the celebrity thing, wanting to make sure he knew and trusted the person who was dealing with his stuff, which I get. But then I watched you two, and there was something there.”
“There’s nothing there, Uncle Vaughn.”
“I realize you’re going to deny it because it’s against policy, but I’m not going to fire you over it, Lee. I’ve learned my lesson in that department.”
“Really, Uncle Vaughn, there was never anything going on, he always—” She was cut off.
“He always had all those women with him. Yes, I remember them too. Was very happy to hear he was traveling alone this year,” he answered. “They were such nightmares. Always expecting something simply because they were here with a VIP guest.”
Leona nodded. She remembered the women clearly. The thought of them made her stomach churn.
“Anyway, all this to say, I realize that he is a big deal and that he’s charming and attractive and famous, yadda yadda yadda. And he’s a good guy—he is. I have always respected him and in the last couple of years have come to count him as a friend in ways.” He paused. “And, I know you girls are now adults and can make your own choices, but I’m not a very good uncle if I don’t tell you to be careful. You deserve someone who is going to act like you walk on water. Our grandfather used to tell us to ‘treat a woman like she was the only thing on this planet that mattered.’ And if he’s not going to do that, if he’s just going to treat you like all the other flavors of the month, then he doesn’t deserve the time of day.”
Leona didn’t know what to say to everything Vaughn had just told her. So she did the only thing she could think of. Walking over to where he stood on the sand, she threw her arms around him in a great big bear hug.
“Thanks, Uncle Vaughn.”
