The Secrets of Paradise Bay (19 page)

Stefani angled a thin brow. “Yes,” she told him candidly. “I broke up with my boyfriend a while ago. Just didn't work out.”

“Too bad.” Actually, Clyde considered that a good thing.

“How about you?”

“Single too,” he answered coolly, leaving it at that for now.

“Guess we're in the same boat then,” she said.

“Let's just hope the waters remain calm. Would not want to run into any sharks.”

Stefani laughed. “Neither would I.”

Clyde thought of Ivana and their brief tête-à-tête. It hardly qualified as dating. Then there was the reality that he'd been out of the dating scene for several years for reasons beyond his control. Would Stefani hold that against him?

“What made you want to start a jazz club?” she asked over her goblet of wine.

“Good question,” conceded Clyde. “The short answer is, the opportunity presented itself and I took it.”

“And the long answer?” She grinned. “Or is that best for another time?”

He flashed a half smile. “Another time,” he said simply, and wondered if the time would ever come where he would feel comfortable divulging some of his dark secrets.

“Well, I'd say it was a good move. Jazz is hot right now, and having a club in a good location like this can keep it that way.”

“I couldn't agree more.” Clyde tasted his wine, eyeing his lovely new singer. Things were definitely starting to look up with each passing moment.

“This is my brother, Trey,” Clyde introduced Stefani.

“Nice to meet you, Trey.”

Trey offered a smile. “You too.” He could see now why Clyde seemed so smitten with the young woman who he couldn't seem to stop talking about since she auditioned for him a week ago. Maybe his baby brother had finally found someone he could go after romantically, if Trey read the vibes correctly. “I hear that you have an amazing voice that's packing them in.”

Stefani blushed. “Not sure I'm packing them in just yet. But so far the reviews have been mostly positive.”

That was an understatement, Trey thought. Seemed like she had the golden touch when it came to singing jazz from everything he'd heard, which was plenty. Add to that the complete physical package one could envision of a stunning, shapely, sultry crooner, and it was obvious that Clyde had a winner in his jazz vocalist in more ways than one.

“Why don't you bring Stefani over for dinner tomorrow night?” Trey suggested. “I'm sure Ivana would love to meet her. Maybe they can even become friends.”

Clyde hesitated. “Sounds good, but I'm sure Stefani has other plans.”

Trey gazed at her, unwilling to give up so easily. “You'd be doing me a favor if you could come.” He didn't want to pressure her, yet hoped she would feel at ease with him and Ivana, as an employee of the club in which he was half owner.

“I'd love to come.” She looked up at Clyde tentatively. “If that's all right with you.”

“Why wouldn't it be?” he said hastily and faced Trey. “We'll be there.”

“Marvelous.” Trey smiled, though he sensed his brother's uneasiness for some reason. He assumed it had to do with fear of failure where it concerned a potential relationship, something Trey had never known Clyde to have with anyone. Maybe Stefani could provide the type of stability he needed in balancing his personal and professional life.

Clyde forced a grin at Trey, and then Stefani, as they stood in the club. He was nervous about having dinner at Trey's place for a damned good reason. He doubted Ivana would want to see him, and figured she probably wouldn't be too crazy about meeting Stefani and becoming her friend. But he couldn't exactly tell that to Trey. Not without admitting he had a one-night stand with Ivana and that she'd wanted it to go further. The fact that he passed on her offer wouldn't win him many brownie points with Trey, considering that he'd already slept with his brother's wife.

Clyde bit his tongue. He had no choice but to go along with the program and hope Ivana didn't do anything crazy, ruining things for both of them. Aside from damaging his relationship with Trey, the last thing Clyde wanted was to blow what had the potential to be something special with Stefani.

“Your brother seems nice,” Stefani said after Trey left.

“Don't let that smooth voice and calm demeanor fool you,” Clyde told her.

She frowned. “You mean he's not so nice?”

Clyde chuckled. “Just playing with you. Trey is a great guy and the best brother one could have. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today.”

“Then I guess we're both in his debt, as I'm here as a result.”

He smiled. “Good point. I'll have to thank Trey later for that.”

“Are you sure you're okay with having me as your unofficial date for dinner with Trey and his wife?”

“I'm more than okay with it,” Clyde assured her. “And, if it's all right with you, I'd like to make that an official date.”

Stefani showed her teeth. “I think I can handle that.”

Clyde grinned while wondering if Ivana would be half as gracious.

 

 

“I invited Clyde and Stefani over for dinner tomorrow,” Trey told Ivana that night.

“You might have told me beforehand,” she complained.

“Come on, it's no big deal. Stefani's the new singer at the club, so I thought it would be good if you got to know her.”

“Why on earth would I want to get to know her?” Ivana's lower lip hung open. “We have absolutely nothing in common.”

“How do you know that? You might have a lot in common.”

She doubted that. “Such as?”

“Well, Stefani's beautiful, for one, just like you; and Clyde is into her, even if he hasn't come right out and said they're dating.”

Ivana bristled at the thought. So Clyde had found someone else to share his bed with. Was she better at pleasing him?

“Good for him,” she said, trying to keep her voice blasé.

“I think its damned good for him,” Trey said.

“To tell you the truth, I'm flabbergasted that he's gone this long without any action that I'm aware of. Not that he'd share his sex-life details with me. We never really got that deep about it when we were younger. Why start now?”

Maybe because you'd hate your brother if he told you where he'd gotten some action
, Ivana thought.
And your wife, too
.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” she told him.

“Well, actions speak louder than words,” Trey stated thoughtfully. “For Clyde's sake, I hope Stefani is the real deal, and that he recognizes it before someone else snatches her.”

You mean like you?
Ivana grew angry at the thought of Trey lusting after this singer the way he did Helene. She could imagine him trying to pull one over on her again, while coming out on top where it concerned his brother.
Don't even think about it.
Ivana would sooner leave Trey—if not kill him—than be humiliated again by his wandering eye and overactive libido.

“You didn't tell me your brother was rich,” Stefani said, marveling at the size of the house before her.

Clyde downplayed it. “I don't really like to talk about much. It's no big deal.”

“I agree,” she said. “Just surprised, that's all.”

Now Clyde felt he was being overly defensive for some reason, as if he were competing with his brother. Maybe he was, in many respects. “Trey's always been the go-getter in the family. It's paid off for him. I'm only trying to hang in there without being left too far behind.”

Stefani grinned. “Do I detect a little brotherly competition?”

“Maybe a little,” Clyde conceded. “Comes with the territory. Trey is a tough act to follow, though. He's motivated me to at least go after my dreams and let the rest take care of itself.”

“Sounds like Trey has your best interests at heart.”

“That hasn't always been the case, but I think you're right.” Clyde thought back to protecting Trey's interests when Willie wanted them for himself, and the price he had paid. So maybe they were even now. For the moment, Clyde only wanted to get through this night without any major fireworks or embarrassment. “Ready to go in?” he asked his date.

Stefani smiled with a nod. “Yes, it should be fun.”

Clyde held his breath on that one.

“Ivana, this is Stefani McNeal,” Trey introduced. “The jazz vocalist Clyde hired to sing at the club.”

Ivana surveyed her.
She's lovely, just as Trey indicated, with a nice body to match.
Feeling a tad envious, Ivana couldn't help but wonder how she measured up to Stefani in Clyde's eyes, not to mention Trey's.

“Thanks for having me,” Stefani said.

“Thanks for coming,” Ivana responded nicely to keep up appearances. She met Clyde's face with a hard gaze and he averted his eyes.

“You have a beautiful home, Ivana,” Stefani told her.

“It's taken a lot of hard work, but we're happy with it.” Ivana glanced at Trey.

“Yes, we are,” he agreed. “But in the end, it's just bricks, wood, plaster, and a lot of expensive things to fill it. What's really important is that guests are as comfortable here as we are.”

“That's a great attitude to have,” Stefani said with a smile, eyeing Clyde.

“My brother has always had a great attitude about all the important things,” Clyde indicated.

Ivana begged to differ. Trey hadn't considered his marriage important enough to keep from falling into the arms of another woman. Not that Ivana was faultless, having done the same thing when at her weakest moment, only to find that Clyde had cast her aside and put his focus on the attractive singer.

Now Ivana was left to deal with the betrayal of both brothers, coupled with her own betrayal. She could only hope to make the best of her messed-up life, if it was possible.

So far, so good,
Clyde thought, having Ivana and Stefani under one roof without Ivana getting crazy on him.
Let's hope it stays that way
. He had mixed feelings in returning to the house. It was there that Trey had put him up after being released, giving him a chance to get back on his feet. Clyde couldn't thank him enough for that. But it was also where he had crossed the line, regretting it more than he could express. There was no turning back the clock, though. The damage had been done, and it was best to move on, which he was trying hard to do.

He wasn't convinced Ivana felt the same way, as she'd given him the evil eye ever since they'd arrived. Had Trey noticed? Stefani?

“If everyone's ready, then the food is served,” Francine said, entering the living room.

“Let's eat!” Trey voiced, leading the way. He put an arm around Clyde's shoulder. “Hope you brought your appetite with you, little brother.”

“Always,” Clyde said, smiling thinly. He glanced at the women taking up the rear. Stefani grinned at him, looking as lovely as ever. Ivana was unreadable, but she seemed to be adjusting to the idea that what they had was over and that even friendship was probably a bad idea at this point. Maybe now she would give her relationship with Trey a real chance to succeed, just as Clyde was interested in seeing if anything good could come out of his attraction to Stefani, which seemed very mutual.

 

 

“Did you have to stick it in my face?” Ivana asked Clyde bluntly. She had followed him into the huge downstairs bathroom while Trey showed off his vast collection of jazz CDs to Stefani.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know damned well,” she retorted. “Bringing another woman to my house to show off.”

“Wasn't my idea to come here,” he told her. “And even then, why would I want to stick anything in your face?”

Ivana wickedly cast her eyes down below his waist. “You tell me. You seemed to do a pretty good job of it before.”

“Give it a rest, Ivana.” A vein bulged in Clyde's temple. “What happened between us is over and done with. Let's not go there and stir up a hornet's nest.”

Ivana sneered. “So is she
really
all that?”

“We're not dating, if that's what you're asking. Not yet, anyway. But Stefani is all that when it comes to singing.”

Ivana gave him a dismissive look. If they weren't dating, it was only a matter of time before he got into Stefani's panties. She supposed it would have happened sooner or later that he'd find someone safe to be with. Didn't mean Ivana had to pretend there weren't still mixed emotions where it concerned Clyde and their hot night of passion. Even if her heart belonged to Trey.

“Go back to your singer,” she told Clyde through puckered lips. “Hope you don't break her heart. You Lancaster brothers seem to be very good at that.”

“Maybe you should look in the mirror at your own faults, Ivana, before jumping on us,” he suggested. “We all step off the wagon at some time or another in our lives. When it happens, you have to deal with it and not drown in the muddy water.”

“Spare me the philosophy crap, Clyde. It's not you.” Ivana peered at him. “Or are you becoming your brother without even realizing it, Mr. Jazz Club Co-owner?”

Clyde bristled. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“Question is, do you?—considering you've been
everywhere
he has and more.”

He jutted his chin, but offered no response as they joined Trey and Stefani. Ivana wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut and not been so brutal, since what they had was over and done with. Or had he got everything he deserved?

“Thought we'd head out now,” Clyde told Stefani.

Trey frowned. “But you practically just got here, and the night's still young.”

“Actually, we were thinking about catching a late movie,” Clyde said, gazing at Stefani.