Sunshine Beach (40 page)

“Oh, no! Will!” Maddie shouted. “Look out!”

Will turned to look at her just as Steve's fist connected with his cheek. William swayed slightly. After a few almost ballet-like steps, he crumpled to the ground at her feet.

“Out of my way, luv!” The voice was Nigel Bracken's. “Step aside. That was bloody brilliant!”

The potato-faced pap named Bill charged forward beside the Englishman. Their cameras fired in a cacophonous burst as they captured the tableau of Steve Singer glaring down at the prone form of William Hightower with Maddie standing in openmouthed shock behind them.

Maddie was no longer shocked several hours later as she left the hotel with Will's arm around her. But she was irritated.

“That was quite a show you all put on there.” John Franklin chuckled as he, Renée, and Annelise walked with them to their cars. “You definitely put the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club back on the map.”

“And hopefully the cast of the program formerly known as
Do Over
, too,” Troy said.

“I'm only sorry I missed it,” Renée said. “But I think it was
best that we had all the children gathered to watch the magician inside.”

“It was quite a show, all right,” Avery agreed with a yawn. Chase and Jeff had left earlier with Bitsy right behind them. A car waited nearby to take Will to join his bandmates for a flight to Nashville.

“That felt incredible,” Steve said, flexing his fingers. “I may have hurt my hand a little, though.” Dustin slept soundly on his shoulder.

“You'll forgive me if I don't feel too bad about that,” Will said drily, exploring the bruise on the side of his face with tentative fingers. “You may have won the toss but you were supposed to pull your punch. It's a good thing it didn't land a couple inches over. I happen to know from experience it's kind of hard to sing with a broken jaw.”

“Sorry.” Clearly Steve wasn't. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

Joe Giraldi snorted. “J. J. debated arresting both of you. He thought it might get more attention. It took a while to talk him out of it.”

“Am I the only person who didn't know what was going to happen?” Maddie asked tightly.

“No,” Kyra said. “Because if I'd known the paparazzi had been invited to witness that charade, I would have put a halt to it.”

“We were just trying to help, kitten,” Steve said, looking extremely pleased with himself.

“I've told you all along that you need them if you're going to have a successful program of any kind,” Troy said.

“It was actually Daniel who came up with the idea and reached out to Nigel,” Steve said.

“Yeah.” Troy sounded less than happy about this.

“I hate the hell out of it,” Will agreed. “But it's a sad fact of life.”

“Good night, all.” Joe walked Nikki to the Jag and leaned in to kiss her good-bye, then left in his own car.

“I'll miss you, Maddie-fan,” William whispered in her ear. His kiss was hot and sweet. She wished as she so often did that he didn't have to leave. “I would have liked a little warning,” she said, keeping her tone light. “But thanks for taking one for the team.”

When the car disappeared into the darkness, she climbed into the minivan and back into her real life, the one that included her grown daughter, her sleeping grandson, and her ex-husband at the wheel.

It was way beyond sunset. In fact midnight was long past when Maddie pulled a robe on over her nightgown and wandered outside. The moon was full and round and bright. Its light shimmered on the smooth surface of the bay and reflected itself in Bella Flora's back windows as if they were mirrors. The night was still, the air fresh and clean. The silence was broken only by the occasional jump of a fish or the croak of a frog.

She wrapped her robe more tightly around her and took a seat at the wrought-iron table, pulling her bare legs up beneath her. A door creaked and someone stepped outside. “Mom?” Kyra's voice asked tentatively.

“I'm over here,” Maddie whispered back. “Trouble sleeping?”

“Yeah.” Kyra came to sit beside her. She wore an ancient fuzzy pink robe and slippers that her brother had given her one long-ago Christmas. “You, too, huh?”

“I was thinking about opening a bottle of wine but I was too lazy.”

The door creaked open again. “Hey, who's out here?” Avery asked. “Oh, hold on.” She came and put an open bottle
of wine and a glass on the table. “I'll grab a couple more glasses.”

“What's on your mind?” Maddie asked when she and Kyra were alone.

“I was just thinking that we can't really afford to wait around and see what happens before the lawsuit is resolved. I was thinking we might already have enough footage to cut together a one-hour special on the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club's history and reinvention. It wouldn't be part of
Do Over
and we might be able to sell it to HGTV. I do have to pay back the money that I borrowed. And while tonight went well, we don't know how many people will join the club or purchase time-shares.”

“I thought that money came from Daniel,” Maddie said, searching Kyra's face.

“Mostly,” Kyra said, not meeting Maddie's eye, which was never a good thing. “Besides, I'll go crazy if I'm not shooting or editing something.”

“I know the feeling,” Avery said, returning with the glasses in time to hear Kyra's last comment. “We've only just finished part of the hotel and I feel like we need to find a new project.” She took a long sip of wine. “Did you know that Ray was a protégé of Deirdre's?”

“I may have known something of the kind.” It was Maddie's turn to shift uncomfortably in her seat. She had to force herself to meet Avery's eyes. “I just felt that he was the perfect choice and I was afraid you'd reject him if you knew. I'm sorry. Given how much I hated being left out of the loop about Will and Steve's faux fight, I wish I'd told you.”

“Nah, you were right,” Avery said. “I would have sent him packing. And he did a really great job.”

Maddie smiled to herself and took a sip of wine, savoring the warm fruitiness that trickled down her throat. Bella Flora hunkered almost protectively behind them, moonlight flattering her angles and curves.

They were drinking quietly and staring out over the pass when the door creaked open once more. Nikki came out yawning, a shawl pulled tight around her shoulders. “If I ever get through a night again without having to pee ten times, it'll be a miracle.”

“Well, you'll have a few other reasons to get up then,” Maddie said.

“Yeah,” Kyra agreed. “I'd get as much sleep as possible now. It's going to be in short supply for a while once those babies come.”

Nikki lowered herself into a chair and rested her arms on the slight bulge of her stomach. “I still can't quite believe this is happening. Or that everything will go all right and I'll actually become a mother.”

“You better start believing it,” Maddie said. “This is about as real as it gets.”

“Have you and Joe set a date?” Avery asked.

“Well. No, not exactly,” Nikki said. “In fact, all of the sudden he seems perfectly okay with just being co-parents but not getting married at all.”

“Joe said that?” Maddie asked. “Joe Giraldi? The man who's been asking you to marry him for a good year or more?”

“Yep,” Nikki said not at all happily. “That's the one.” She sighed. “In fact, he took one of the two-bedroom cottages and he's going to be working out of the Tampa headquarters. But, well.” She shrugged. “Marriage no longer seems to be an option.”

“Men,” Avery mused. “Can't live with 'em. Can't . . .”

Maddie sent her a cease and desist look. “On the bright side you'll have all the best parts of a relationship. You know, date nights and weekend getaways, and . . .”

“I don't think Nikki's going to have a lot of free time or energy for any of those things,” Kyra said, ignoring Maddie's warning look.

Maddie tried the look again, slightly worried she might
be losing her touch. “You know Joe and his family will be there for you and the babies,” she said. “Plus, we have Bella Flora and each other.”

“That's right,” Avery said, raising her glass. “To Bella Flora!”

“Bella Flora!” All of them toasted and drank except for Nikki, who had begun to brighten. “To us!”

“We'll raise the twins together,” Kyra said. “Dustin can be their big brother.”

“To Dustin!”

“And we will be your village,” Maddie said quietly. A solemn vow and promise.

The breeze was soft and cool, the night gentle. They had Bella Flora and each other to guard their backs.

“To my village!” Nikki raised her hand as if it held a glass.

They talked and toasted through the night and into the dawn. The blanket of their friendship wrapped snugly around them.

READERS GUIDE

SUNSHINE BEACH

by Wendy
Wax

1. In order to renovate the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club, Madeline, Avery, Nicole, and Kyra must help solve the mystery of what happened to Renée and Annelise's parents. What else do the characters learn as they renovate the club? Does each woman have to make peace with a certain part of her own past to move forward with changing her life?
   
2. Renée and Annelise suffered a brutal loss when they were children and have dealt with that loss very differently. Renée feels the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club, the place where the loss occurred, should be torn down while Annelise doesn't want it touched. How do these different approaches to the hotel reflect how each sister has dealt with her loss? Do you think that's a result of their ages at the time of the incident, their personalities, or both? How does solving the mystery of their parents' deaths help the two sisters? How do they each change as a result of what is discovered? How does that change their view of the hotel?
   
3. Avery has to come to terms with the unexpected death of her mother, Deirdre Morgan. Do you think that is made more complicated, since she had just reconciled with her mother? Do you think Avery regrets not allowing her mother back into her life sooner?
   
4. When Steve Singer comes to stay at Bella Flora it changes his relationship with his ex-wife, Madeline, and his daughter, Kyra. How does each relationship change? How do Kyra's feelings toward her father change the longer he lives in the house? What does she learn about him?
   
5. Maddie chooses to let Kyra reach her own conclusions about Steve. Why do you think Maddie handles it this way? Do you think it was the right strategy? How does Steve change during the course of the novel? Do you think he learns any lessons? How does Maddie and Steve's relationship transition throughout the book? What do they each learn about the other? As Kyra's view of Steve as a father changes, does it influence how Kyra feels about Daniel Deranian's parenting skills?
   
6. Do you think Kyra is still in love with Daniel? When she lets Dustin stay with his father on the movie set do you think she has any sympathy for Tonja? Why or why not?
   
7. At the end of the book Kyra takes a loan against Bella Flora to raise the money the women need to renovate the hotel and fight the network lawsuit. Her father and John Franklin are very concerned about the risk involved. Do you think Kyra is making a wise decision? Do you understand why she is willing to risk Bella Flora? Do you think she should have told Maddie, Nikki, and Avery the truth about where she got the money? Do you understand why she didn't, and
   why she didn't want to take a loan from Daniel? Have you ever taken a similar risk?
   
8. Nicole is struggling with how to tell Joe Giraldi that she is pregnant with his baby. Have you ever found yourself scared to reveal a secret that affected another person so closely? Do you agree with how Nicole handled the situation? Why do you think it was so hard for her to tell Joe? Why is Nicole so scared to trust Joe's love? Why is she reluctant to marry him? Do you think her feelings have changed by the end of the book?
   
9. Why do you think Nicole feels obligated to visit her brother Malcom Dyer in prison, after all he has put her through and after all the lies he's told her? Why do you think she wants to believe in him and trust him? In contrast, why is it so hard for her to trust Joe?
   
10. Daniel Deranian and William Hightower have both been celebrities for a long time and they both encourage Maddie, Nicole, Avery, and Kyra to keep the paparazzi like Nigel Bracken interested and reporting on the women's activities at Bella Flora. They feel that relationship will help the women to promote and protect their television show,
    Do Over
    , and that it's a mutually beneficial relationship. Do you think that's true? What do you think about reality television stars who are famous simply because they're willing to have their lives filmed? What role do the paparazzi play in their celebrity status?
    
11. Madeline feels like she'll never be able to compete with the young, gorgeous rock-star groupies who hang on William Hightower. Do you think her fears are reasonable? Do you think women are under an enormous amount of pressure
    to appear young, thin, and beautiful no matter their age? Why do you think William values his relationship with Maddie? Could you relate to Maddie's insecurities?
    
12. Maddie and Kyra are navigating complicated relationships with high-profile stars. Maddie is romantically involved with the rock star William Hightower, and Kyra's son, Dustin, was fathered by Daniel Deranian, a major movie star. What difficulties are presented for each woman because she's involved with a famous man? How are their challenges similar and different?
    
13. At the end of each day, Maddie asks everyone to share one good thing to toast at sunset. Why do you think Maddie feels that tradition is so important? Does it help each character? Does it help some of the women more than the others? Do you have a similar daily ritual?
    
14. Avery, Kyra, Maddie, and Nikki each faced different challenges. Which woman's story resonated the most with you? Why? What do you think each woman learns by the end of the novel? What causes the breakthrough for each of
    them?