Read Barefoot Bay: The Billionaire's Convenient Secret (Kindle Worlds Novella) for Free Online

admire fragrant floral bouquets the staff had arranged in every room. Beyond glass doors, the calm gulf water sparkled in the late afternoon sun. Throughout the villa, warm colors and thoughtful touches turned the house on the north end of the property into a cozy hideaway. Her cares melted away as she inhaled the scent of Casa Blanca’s signature line of soaps and lotions, and she slipped off her shoes, eager to check out the resort’s private beach.
    Her thoughts drifted as she dug her toes into the pristine white sand. As much as she planned to enjoy her stay at Casa Blanca, she couldn’t ignore the hollow spot in the center of her chest. The one that had warmed when she first saw Josh. She looked forward to seeing him again more than she should. She longed to lean into his broad shoulders. To have his steady hands at her waist while they gazed out over the horizon and waited for sundown. If only for a little while, she wanted to pretend their lives were headed in the same direction and enjoy herself. After all, what was the harm in having a little fun as long as they both knew it couldn’t last?
    At the water’s edge, tiny waves lapped at her toes, and she laughed.
    * * *
    Josh punched his aunt’s number into his cell phone and, at the voice prompt, left a message.
    “Josh here, Aunt Charity. Give me a call when you have a chance.” His grin slipped to one side. He’d already spoken with his mom who said she’d relayed his message. He’d heard nothing in return. “Don’t worry—the Super Min is still standing. I just have a couple of questions.”
    Like why his aunt would even consider selling the business that had been in the family for as far back as he could remember. His smile fading, he pressed the disconnect button while he scanned the shelves and coolers he’d stocked each of the long summers he’d spent on Mimosa Key. The Super Min was as much his home, as much a part of his history, as sandy beaches and grapes.
    Why then would Charity agree to sell the store?
    His aunt was as savvy a businesswoman as they came, but it didn’t take a marketing genius to figure out that even smart people faced the occasional cash-flow problem. She was especially vulnerable now when she was in the middle of plans to open a second Super Min on the other side of Mimosa Key. With the economy the way it was, even a slight downturn could have wiped out a modest reserve fund. It had happened to practically every successful business owner he knew. To be honest, it had even happened to him. Before The Grape spread from one end of the continent to the other, he’d learned the hard way that expansion always required more capital than the original estimates. Combine that with an investment that didn’t pay off or a bad loan to a friend, and—bam!—there you were, sweating blood over next week’s payroll. His willingness to knuckle down and work—an ethic instilled in him by his aunt—had gotten him through the lean times. That, and the ability to ask for help when he needed it, had grown his business to the point where he could easily lend Charity a hand.
    So why hadn’t she come to him? The fact that he had more money than he could spend in several lifetimes wasn’t exactly a secret. Not with Forbes blasting his net worth in the media. Heck, he’d do more than invest in her property, he’d buy it outright in order to keep the business in the family.
    He studied the cruise-line itinerary his travel agent had provided. According to the schedule, the ship his family was on would arrive in Cozumel by first light tomorrow. Knowing Charity as well as he did, he imagined she’d be one of the hundreds of cell phone users who’d line the ship’s prow, eagerly waiting for enough signal strength to make a call the moment the ship entered the port. He hoped his would be the first number she dialed, because if they missed each other during her stop in Mexico, they wouldn’t have another chance to speak until she docked in