by Marta Perry
Luke closed in on the other side, grabbing for a handhold on the slippery body. The only thing he got for his trouble was a face full of water. He wiped his eyes and looked at Chloe. “Now what?”
“Let me try.” She leaned closer, crooning softly. The dolphin’s dark, liquid eye seemed to watch her. “There, now, beautiful. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re just going to get you back into the water, back where you belong. It’s all right.”
Maybe the creature was too exhausted to fight any longer. Or maybe it heard the love in Chloe’s voice. This time when she touched it, there was no struggle.
She slid the dolphin back an inch, then another. Luke had the sense that everyone watching held his breath. She paused, then nodded to Luke. He took hold gingerly, feeling smooth skin throbbing with life.
“Now,” Chloe whispered.
They pulled together. The dolphin slid, caught, then slid again into the water. For an instant it simply bobbed on the gentle current. Luke felt it tremble under his hands. Then, with a surge and a ripple that nearly knocked him off his feet, it was gone.
Chloe wiped water from her face. “We did it.” Her voice choked a little on the words, and her eyes filled with tears. “We did it.”
“You did it.”
You’re amazing. That was what he wanted to say, but he contented himself with brushing a strand of wet hair off her cheek. They stood waist-deep in the warm water, sharing their triumph, and he felt so close to Chloe that it terrified him.
In a haze of happiness, Chloe loaded the last of the kayaks and said goodbye to the tour group. All she could see was Luke’s face as they had watched the dolphin swim free. Surely that had been love in his eyes when he looked at her.
Sunlight glinted on the water, and in the distance she saw the silver crescents of the dolphins working their way toward the sea. They were back where they belonged.
Did she and Luke belong here, together? Her heart seemed to swell at the thought. A few days ago she wouldn’t have dared dream of that. Now, anything seemed possible. If a new Dalton Resort did become a reality somewhere in the area, Luke might decide he’d had enough of the pressure cooker that was corporate headquarters. They might—
Luke rounded the truck, a dark shadow with the sun behind him.
She lifted her hand to shield her eyes. “So, what did you think of your first dolphin tour?”
“I hope they’re not all that exciting.” He nodded toward the departing cars. “Carey’s still complaining that I ruined his picture. He’s lucky I didn’t ruin more than that.”
“The customer is always right, remember? You should hear some of the stories the twins tell about the groups they’ve taken out. It would turn your hair gray.”
He smiled, but it was almost mechanical, as if his mind worried away at something else. A chill seemed to settle on her, in spite of the heat of the day.
She tried to tell herself she was imagining things, but it didn’t quite work. Something was wrong—she knew Luke too well to be mistaken about that. “Is something wrong?”
“I need to talk with you.”
It was his office voice, the voice that gave orders and expected them to be obeyed. She felt herself tighten.
“You want to sign up to lead another tour?” She adjusted the cord on the kayaks, keeping her voice light, trying to hold off whatever was coming.
He moved impatiently, then planted his hand against the truck, leaning close to her. “This is business.”
She nodded, trying to assume her office self. But she seemed to have lost that person during the days they’d spent on the island.
“What is it?” Her voice didn’t sound natural, even to herself.
“I’ve made a decision about the site I’m recommending.”
He frowned, not looking at her, and that fact sent her tension level soaring. Whatever he’d decided, she wasn’t going to like it.
Then his gaze fixed on her, as if to compel her agreement. “I’ve decided on Angel Isle.”
Shock leached the sunlight from the day. “You can’t be serious.” This was a joke—it had to be.
Luke’s frown deepened. “I’m always serious about business, Chloe. If I get the go-ahead from the office, I plan to make your father an offer for the tract of land from the cottage down to the end of the island. Angel Isle is the perfect site. I’m sure you’ve thought that yourself.”
She could only shake her head, as if to shake off his words.
“No, I haven’t. You can’t.” Maybe she should have seen it coming, but it had completely blindsided her.
“Can’t?” He lifted his eyebrows in disbelief, probably because subordinates didn’t say “can’t” to Luke Hunter. “That’s why I’m here, remember?”
“I know, I know.” Her words tumbled over each other in her rush to make him understand. “But not Angel Isle. You’ve seen how much it means to us. To me.”
That was the crux of it. That was why her heart hurt so much that she pressed her hand against her chest. Luke had to know what Angel Isle meant to her. Yet his decision made one thing very clear. His career was far more important to him than she could ever be.
“I don’t understand you, Chloe.” Every line of his body spoke of his determination. “Angel Isle is perfect for the new hotel. Your father will find Dalton’s offer very appealing, and you can’t tell me he doesn’t need the money. This could mean a world of difference to your family financially.”
Fresh pain clutched her heart. This really was the old Luke speaking, the one who valued money and status above everything. He couldn’t see beyond that.
And what about Daddy? If Luke made the kind of offer he was talking about, would her father refuse? Or would he feel compelled to accept whether he wanted to or not, in order to secure his children’s futures? None of them would want to sacrifice their right to Angel Isle, no matter how much money was involved. But Daddy might not see it that way.
She could tell her family the truth—that there was no relationship with Luke. That this was all a lie, and Luke had come here for business purposes only. She cringed away from the hurt and disappointment she’d see in their faces.
Please, let there be another way. Please, Lord.
“Luke, please.” It was difficult to speak calmly about something so vital. “You have to understand what the island means to us. We can’t let it go.”
“You wouldn’t lose the cottage, Chloe. We can negotiate a deal that leaves it.”
“It wouldn’t be the same.”
His eyes darkened, and he looked at her as if from a great distance. “That’s up to your father to decide, isn’t it? You told me he owns it.”
“Please,” she said again, grasping for the words that would open his eyes.
The cleft in his chin seemed chiseled from stone. She put her hand on his arm, and it felt like iron. Why had she ever imagined he was softening toward her? Luke was moving into deal mode. She knew what that meant. If you didn’t go along with him, you could expect to be flattened. But she had to try.
“There are plenty of beautiful spots that are much more suitable. I’ve shown you a dozen or more.”
“Nothing as good as Angel Isle.”
“But without a bridge, every guest would have to be ferried across to the island. That’s got to add to the difficulty.”
“And to the appeal,” he shot back. “People like the idea of getting away from everything to a deserted isle.”
Her deserted isle. But that was a selfish way of looking at it. She had to concentrate instead on all the future generations of Caldwells who wouldn’t have the island as a haven if this deal went through.
She tightened her grasp on his arm, looking into his eyes. “Just do this for me. Give me a few days to find a site that will work as well. Please.”
She held her breath while Luke stared at her, frowning. The seconds ticked away, punctuated by the cry of a gull. It sounded as desolate as she felt.
Finally he nodded. “All right, Ch
loe. If it means that much to you, I’ll take a little more time. But I don’t understand.”
He didn’t understand. The dreams she’d harbored about their future dissolved like the ebbing tide spreading out on the sand. He didn’t understand, and he never would. If she’d been looking for something to illustrate the differences between them, she couldn’t have come up with anything clearer than this.
He’d been landed back in the real world with a painful thump. Luke snapped his cell phone closed and stalked to the window of his sunlit bedroom at the inn. Two hours ago, he’d told Chloe he’d give her time to find another site for the hotel. Now he didn’t have any time to give.
The sound of Dalton’s voice had been enough to remind him where he belonged. And Dalton’s message had been perfectly clear. He wasn’t interested in waiting. He didn’t want to consider other possibilities. Everything was a go on the Angel Isle site; wrap it up before the locals get wind of it and prices soar. The implication was clear. If Luke couldn’t close this, he wasn’t vice-presidential material.
Luke stared at the small boat nosing idly into the dock. A gull swooped down and perched on its rail, looking as if it welcomed the boat home.
Fantasy. Everything about this place had the air of a fantasy. It wasn’t for him. His world was back in Chicago, at corporate headquarters. He belonged there, in a plush new corner office.
And Chloe? Where did she belong?
The question came, unbidden. Even back in Chicago, Chloe had been somehow a little different. She’d always seemed to belong somewhere else.
His jaw clenched. The thought reminded him uncomfortably of the Rev’s favorite sermon topic. Always remember that this world isn’t really your home. God designed you to live forever with Him.
He’d been thinking far too much about the Rev and the mission since he’d been on the island. The mission had been its own little world, too. Maybe that was why.
Not my world, he told himself again. The future he’d envisioned all his life hinged on this deal, and he wouldn’t let it slip away.
Determination hardened inside him. He’d find Chloe, he’d tell her what he had to do, and he’d wind up the deal. In a month, these days and nights on Caldwell Island would be just a memory.
He walked quickly out of the room and down the steps, fueled by determination. See Chloe, make her understand. Then he’d approach her father.
But Chloe was nowhere to be found. And when Luke stepped out onto the porch in search of her, Clayton Caldwell was coming up the steps, limping a little.
“Luke.” Clayton greeted him with considerably less suspicion than he had that first day. “How did the kayak trip go? You lose any tourists?”
“No, we brought them all back. But there was one I wouldn’t have minded losing.”
Clayton smiled. “Guess there always is.” His smile faded. “I’ve been wanting to thank you. My boy told me what happened Saturday night. I’m grateful to you.”
“It was nothing.” Luke tried to shrug it off. “Lucky I was there, or Chloe might have started a riot. I’m glad Theo told you about it. He’s a good kid.”
“Guess he’s not such a kid as I thought. He went right back to the club the next day, faced down those boys. Told me a man doesn’t run away from trouble.”
Luke’s own words echoed back at him. “So he’s okay?”
Clayton nodded. “Even got a date for Saturday night out of it.” The lines in his face deepened, and Luke knew he was thinking about his own experience. “Guess maybe attitudes have changed a little, at least.”
Clayton put his hand on Luke’s shoulder, as he might with one of his own sons. “Anyway, I’m grateful to you,” he said, with such gravity that he might be making a solemn oath.
Luke cleared his throat. “You know, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”
“No time like the present.” Clayton leaned against the porch rail.
Chloe would think any other time better, but Chloe wasn’t here. And he had to get this wound up before his goal slipped from his grasp.
“Chloe and I were talking about the land you own on Angel Isle. I’m interested in making a deal for a piece of it. I—”
Clayton shoved himself away from the railing, beaming. “Is that what’s been on your mind? Boy, why didn’t you tell me that before?”
The response startled him. “Chloe thought I should wait.”
“No point in waiting, when a man knows what he wants.”
“There’ll have to be a survey. We’ll look at the market value, of course.”
Chloe’s father thrust out his hand. “We’ll do what’s fair. We both know that. My hand is my bond.”
Luke took his hand. Either he was dreaming, or this was the easiest negotiation he’d ever done. “I appreciate your confidence. Now, about the details—”
“Luke!”
He turned. Chloe stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock and hurt.
Chapter Fourteen
“Luke.” Chloe pressed her hand against the door frame. The worn wooden edge felt real. It was the only thing that did. “What’s going on?”
Say something, she demanded silently. Tell me that what I think is happening isn’t. Tell me I’m wrong, and that you didn’t just betray me.
Her father smiled. “Luke and I came to an arrangement, sugar. He’s buying a tract of land on Angel Isle.” He glanced at Luke. “Am I talkin’ out of turn? You didn’t say it was meant to be a secret.”
“No, it’s not a secret.” Luke’s voice flattened, giving nothing away. “Chloe knows about it.”
“I know that you promised me you’d wait.” She had to fight to keep the pain from her voice, and she probably wasn’t succeeding, because it throbbed along her veins and choked her throat. “You agreed to give me time to find an alternative site.”
His face froze into his competitive mask—edgy, determined. “The situation has changed.”
“What has changed?” She pushed herself away from the door and stalked toward them, trying to concentrate on her anger so she wouldn’t feel the pain. “What could possibly justify breaking your word to me?”
His jaw was clenched so hard it looked as if it might break. “This is business, Chloe. You know that. Mr. Dalton called. He wants the deal completed at once. I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for you to be ready.”
That business arrogance of his—she’d seen it turned against other people. She’d never expected to see it turned against her.
“Dalton?” Her father looked from her to Luke. “Who’s Dalton?”
“The head of Dalton Resorts,” Chloe said before Luke could answer. “The company we work for.”
“What’s he got to do with Luke buying land so he can build a home for the two of you?”
She had thought she couldn’t hurt any worse than she already did, but this stabbed her in the heart. Daddy thought Luke wanted a home with her. A life with her. That was why he’d agreed. This had happened because she’d lied to the people who mattered most in the world to her.
“You misunderstood.” To do him justice, Luke looked as appalled as she felt. “I wasn’t making the offer for myself, Mr. Caldwell. I was making it for Dalton Resorts. We want to build a hotel on Angel Isle.”
“A hotel,” her father echoed. He frowned at her. “Chloe, does any of this make sense to you?”
“Daddy—” She went to him then, clutching his hands in hers, trying to convey her regret through her touch. “I’m sorry. This shouldn’t have happened. None of this should have happened.” Shame burned deep inside. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Forgive me.
“Chloe, you don’t have to say anything.” Luke frowned at her, and his message was clear. She didn’t have to expose the charade she’d carried out.
But he was wrong. She did have to.
She took a deep breath, wondering how her heart could keep on beating when it hurt so much. “Daddy, this has all been a lie. Luke and I have never been involved with each ot
her. We’re not a couple.”
Her father shook his head slowly, as if her words didn’t make any sense. “Then, why did he come here?”
“I wanted to check out the area for a new Dalton Resort,” Luke said, apparently determined not to let her speak for him. “I’m sorry about the confusion, but that’s all I’m interested in.”
All he was interested in. Chloe bit down hard on her lip and tried not to think about those words.
Her father didn’t look at Luke, only at her. “Chloe? Child, why did you do this?”
There weren’t any reasons good enough. “I’m sorry, Daddy.” She blinked back hot tears. “Gran thought we were dating, and she invited him to her birthday. And he—”
“It was business,” Luke said. “Just business. I asked Chloe to play along, to give me an excuse for being here.”
He probably thought he was helping, but he wasn’t. Her father didn’t so much as glance at Luke. He just stared searchingly into her eyes, and she felt very small and very ashamed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again. “I shouldn’t have let it go this far.”
“No.” Her father’s level gaze told her just how disappointed in her he was. “No, you shouldn’t have.”
She tried to wrap her mind around a way to make things right. “At least you don’t have to go through with this. You don’t have to sell.”
He straightened. “I gave my hand, child, and I don’t back down when I’ve given my hand.” He looked at Luke then, and his expression was almost pitying. “You’ll tell me when you have the papers ready.”
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and disappeared into the house.
Luke tried not to let the relief he felt show on his face. For a moment he’d seen the whole deal dissolving, seen his future at Dalton dissolving right along with it. Dalton wouldn’t easily have forgiven his spending this much time and coming back empty-handed.
The deal was safe, but Chloe still had to be placated. “Chloe, I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry.” The face she turned on him was the face of a stranger. “Why should you be? You’re getting what you want.”