Restless Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  He couldn’t wait to see her and he was mighty glad he’d memorized the offer for Pearson’s, because she was on his mind so much that concentrating on anything else was proving to be nearly impossible.

  Luckily Mr. Pearson didn’t appear to notice, so happy was he to have the weight of his business lifted.

  Chapter Twelve

  The group had been great, loving their sail around the bays which peppered the coast, and full of questions about everything. This was what Macy loved about her job—sharing her knowledge and passion for sailing.

  When she brought them back in to Heaven Bay, the family of five—mom, dad, and three sons—had been effusive in their praise. They’d been good sports after a sail had ended up in the water due to a frayed line snapping, and it had taken all six of them to haul it back aboard. They said it added to the fun.

  “Best family day we’ve had in forever.” The father slipped her a folded note, and later when she was on her own she found he’d given her two hundred-dollar bills, not the fifty it had appeared to be. If only that happened more often.

  She cleaned Maggie thoroughly, then, tired but happy, made her way to the kiosk. Her father was in his usual seat, and he kept looking at her, then away, a sure sign that he was agitated.

  “Dad? Did something happen while I was at work?”

  He fussed with repairs on a small fishing net. “Not today. A while back. I hear Evan’s arrived back in town.”

  Her heart thumped in her chest. “Is he? That’s great.”

  “It’s not great.”

  “You like him.”

  “I did. He wants to buy our business.”

  She tried not to laugh at his confusion. “No Dad, he came last month. He wants to buy into Pearson’s.”

  “Macy, I may be a bit doddery but I’m not senile.”

  Her eyebrows raised at his censure. “No one said you were senile.”

  “I do some silly things. I know it. But I tell you Evan came to see me before he left. He wants Heaven Marina.”

  Macy put down her checklist. Her father’s eyes were clear. He believed what he was saying.

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him we weren’t looking for a buyer or a partner. He said he’d talked to you about it.”

  “You know he didn’t, or I would have said something. A partner?”

  “We don’t need him. Do we?”

  Her father suddenly seemed so unsure of himself, so lost, that she hugged him. “We have each other.”

  “We do.”

  They sat this way for a minute, then her dad kissed her cheek. “What’s for dinner?”

  She opened the cooler she’d hauled out from Maggie and pulled out a cod. It was a decent size and the family had left it since they’d caught more than they could eat or cook on their camp stove.

  “Lovely. Let’s get home and I’ll fillet it.”

  Macy locked up the marina. All the owners had a code for the gate and there was a buzzer which went up to the house should anyone need her. They climbed the hill together as they so often did, and for the first time in a while Macy appreciated where they lived.

  This was a beautiful piece of the world. Not that she’d seen much of it. Heaven Bay, the town, and the ocean gave color to the world which was dazzling on a sunny day and romantic on a calm night.

  Even winter couldn’t detract from it. The wind might whistle through the cabin, but the marina and bay with the protection of the cliffs on either side, were often more like a millpond, the sea was so calm.

  Wanting to see more of the world didn’t mean she could ever love this place less. And she would fight tooth and nail before she let a rich boy, or anyone else for that matter, come in and take control.

  Macy kept an eye out for Evan, and when she saw him climbing the path, she slipped outside, leaving her father to his filleting at the kitchen table.

  Evan wore a suit. It was the first time she’d seen him dressed like this and no matter the connotation, she had to admit, if only to herself, that he looked spectacular.

  He tried to kiss her cheek. “Macy. It’s so good to see you.”

  She stepped back and crossed her arms. “I wish I could say the same.”

  “Your father told you about my offer?”

  “He did. You upset him.”

  “I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention. I meant to speak to you both together. I really think I can help. When I saw him, it seemed like good timing. I guess I was wrong.”

  “You guess right. We don’t want your heavy-handed, big business around here. Thank you very much.”

  “I obviously didn’t make myself clear. The offer won’t be from Knight Industries. It’s from me. Evan Knight. The three of us would own the marina. No one else.”

  That gave her a small pause, but she was still furious. “That’s just it, though. Heaven Marina is a family-owned business, and you are not family.”

  He frowned. “Family can mean more than blood. Don’t you consider the town part of your family?”

  “I do, but they don’t get to own some of this.” Her hand spread out below them. “This is ours, and we don’t want outsiders telling us what to do with it.”

  “I get that it’s hard to accept help, but be realistic, the business is struggling and you only have so many boats to sell.”

  “I told you in confidence. I can’t believe you would use that against me.”

  “Macy, please don’t look at it like that. If you let me help, you will get back some of the life you want. You can sail more.”

  “Stop it. I don’t want to listen to any more of this propaganda, and I don’t want to see you again. Goodbye Evan.” Her voice had a hitch, which she was annoyed with, but otherwise she was pleased with her level of self-control. Even furious with him, her traitorous body wanted to wrap itself around his. She remembered too vividly how that felt. His lips on hers. She needed to hold it together until he left.

  “Macy. . .?”

  “No.”

  He studied his highly polished boots for a minute, then gave her a sorrowful look before heading back to his car.

  She held onto the door frame as she watched him drive off. It had to be like this, because he was a liar. A charlatan. He was trouble for her and trouble for the business. She would find a way. She always had.

  Perhaps it was time to ring Chantelle. She hated asking her for a cent, but Chantelle had money. She couldn’t hide out in Laguna Beach and pretend she didn’t know how desperate the family was.

  When she went back inside, her father stared at her, but she didn’t offer any comment. If he’d heard, then he knew her stance. If not, then she wasn’t about to upset him further. He frowned as if he was fighting an inner war, then took some papers from his pocket and held them out to her.

  “The mail came while you were out.”

  She screwed her nose up as she took the fish-tainted envelopes from his sticky fingers, and handed him a damp cloth in return.

  “I’ll put the fish in the fridge while you go get cleaned up for supper.”

  “You don’t want to look at the mail?” he asked.

  “It’s not going anywhere.”

  As her father went through to the bathroom, Macy cleaned down the table and began to prepare a salad. She didn’t need to read the mail—she could clearly see the top one was from a collection agency.

  A sickening feeling rose inside her. All her bravado might amount to nothing. Just like the marina.

  Chapter Thirteen

  This was always the awkward part. He was in Mr. Pearson’s office and the man was feeling reflective of how he came to be in his current position.

  “I have no sons or daughters.”

  Evan nodded at the photo on Mr. Pearson’s desk. “But you have a lovely wife.”

  “She is indeed. We are as in love as we always were, but she’s often a little sad about it. I had the business, so it’s only now, when I think about not having to come in here every day, that I feel t
he hole a child or two might have filled.”

  Evan searched for something to say to ease his worry. “There are no guarantees that a child would want to follow in their parent’s footsteps. Not these days.”

  “You may be right. What about you? Are you moving out here?”

  “Yes. At least for the near future. I’m going to look at leasing or buying a place close to the business.”

  “There’s a small apartment in town which my wife and I own. We used it if we didn’t want to drive home after dinner or a party. You’re welcome to use it while you decide which option would suit you best.”

  Evan was overwhelmed. He knew Mr. Pearson was struggling with the merger, yet here he was being open to helping Evan settle in.

  “I was going to take a room at the pub.”

  “I wouldn’t advise it for more than a night or two. The place might be fun, but if it’s sleep you’re after you won’t find it there, especially on a weekend.”

  “In that case, I will take you up on your offer. Thank you.”

  Mr. Pearson opened a drawer and dropped a set of keys on the desk, then wrote an address on a business card and handed them both to Evan. “You’ll be doing us a favor. I imagine the place needs a bit of airing. I couldn’t even tell you the last time it was used.”

  “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”

  He waved Evan’s thanks away. “Let’s get down to the paperwork, shall we?”

  “If you’re ready?”

  Mr. Pearson called out to the receptionist, and she soon brought through an elderly gentleman.

  “This is my attorney, and good friend, Basil French.”

  They shook hands and sat around the desk with pens.

  “Everybody should read it through and understand what the ramifications are,” Evan said.

  “We have and we do.” Mr. French nodded. “You have not made any extra stipulations?”

  “Nothing new from us. If you have any amendments, I’m sure that we can iron them out amicably. We all want the same thing.”

  “Told you he was a charmer.” Mr. Pearson winked at Mr. French.

  “Charming can sometimes work against you,” Mr. French warned.

  “We’ll see.” With a flourish Mr. Pearson began initialing and signing. “I’m so glad you’ll be staying to make this work and not sending in a stranger, Evan.”

  “I’ll stay for as long as you need me. After that, we can work something out and I’ll back off and just keep an eye on things.”

  When everything was signed and witnessed, the men shook hands. Mr. Pearson’s relief was obvious, and even Mr. French seemed happier.

  “I’ll leave you to discuss this with your staff, and if it’s okay I’ll come back in tomorrow to begin discussions on what we should tackle first.”

  “Thanks, Evan, for making this easier than it might have been.”

  “You’re welcome. I chatted with some of your team the last time I was in, and they think a lot of you. I hope they’ll come to view me in a similar light.”

  “I’m sure they will.” Mr. Pearson shook his hand once more.

  Evan felt mixed emotions as he drove to the apartment. He’d told himself that Pearson’s would be enough. That if it didn’t work out with Macy he’d be fine. Macy had said he was a liar, and he was. Only he’d been lying to himself. Now here he was stuck in a town where the woman he wanted hated him.

  The apartment was situated over a couple of shops and had parking at the back. He carried his bag up the external stairs and entered a compact, open plan living/dining area. The bedroom was at the end of the room and had a decent-sized bathroom with a spa bath. Not bad at all, if he was staying.

  He could have kicked himself. If only he hadn’t been in such a rush. If only he hadn’t handled it so badly. If only there was a way to make her see the truth.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Macy’s heart was threatening to jump right out of her chest. Evan was in the bar, in pretty much the same place they’d sat . . . was it a month ago?

  He looked unchanged, and yet she felt so different. He wanted to own part of the business and she didn’t want to sell. It grated that she now had no choice.

  It was Evan or strangers, and she couldn’t do that to her father or Heaven Cove. The marina was the focal point, and if it went under or was bought by people who didn’t care about it, then Heaven Bay would be the loser, not only Macy and her father.

  She’d phoned Chantelle, but her sister had cut her short. She had no money to spare. Work had dried up, and she was living cheaply.

  Macy wasn’t sure how much she believed her, but that had been her last lifeline. Now it was up to Evan. If he was still interested. No use in being a baby about this. He was a businessman.

  She pushed through the crowd and stood before him. His face lit up when he saw her, and her heart threw in an extra beat to its staccato.

  “Hello,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

  “Hi, Evan.”

  The men who stood around him faded into the background, their open interest not her concern. She only had eyes for Evan. Why did he have to look so hot?

  “You look upset,” he said quietly.

  “Could we talk privately?”

  “Sure.”

  He didn’t offer her his hand and she was glad. If she was going to negotiate with a rich man, who’d brokered deals that would have far more benefits, she’d better have her wits about her.

  She followed him out the door and to the end of the block. They walked down a driveway.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To my apartment.”

  She came to a halt. “Your what?”

  “Actually, it’s Mr. Pearson’s apartment. He’s letting me have it for a while.”

  “Oh. The deal went through?”

  “It did. He seems to trust me.”

  She let the barb go, but if she was honest, it did indeed help that Mr. Pearson trusted Evan. It made it easier for her to try to do the same. Mr. Pearson was a good man who’d run a profitable business for thirty years, until recently (just like her father), and who’d hired a lot of Heaven Cove’s residents.

  Evan had tried to trick her. To make her fall in love with him to get his way. He didn’t deserve her trust. Not yet. She wished there wasn’t this attraction. It was stronger than any desire to be annoyed with him. After all, he was a businessman. He did this sort of thing all the time. It wasn’t personal.

  Except to her, it was.

  They climbed the stairwell and Evan opened the door, allowing her to go through first. She was surprised it was so modern, but then again, Mrs. Pearson was a woman who loved nice things, and they had no children to make a mess.

  Since they would hopefully be talking business, Macy took a seat at the dining table and Evan sat opposite her. She glanced at him. His face was open and questioning, but he remained silent. Clasping her shaking hands under the table, she coughed nervously.

  “Dad and I were wondering if the proposal to buy into the marina still stands.”

  “It does.”

  “Could I see it?”

  Evan walked over to the coffee table and returned with a file. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and laid them in front of her.

  Without looking at him, she began to read. She wasn’t fully aware of when Evan left her, but she started a little when he placed a coffee by her hand.

  She took a sip and carried on reading. It was a fair proposal, more than fair, and as he’d said, it wasn’t anything to do with Knight Industries.

  “You, personally, want to be a partner? Not your family business?”

  “That’s right. I did try to explain.”

  “I’m just making sure. You’ll fix the place up and pay the debts?”

  “That’s part of it. You and your father will receive a cash sum for the rest of my share. Less those costs.”

  She could feel the shock on her face. “We could hire some staff?”

  “Definitel
y.”

  “There would be rosters of work and I could take time off?”

  “Macy. You’ll be part owner. You can work as little or as much as you like. I’ll be bringing my own sailboat from San Francisco, and we’ll buy a couple more to build the business back up.”

  “I could give lessons on a regular basis.” Enthusiasm seemed to be breaking down her fear. And anger.

  “If that’s something you’d like to do.”

  “I’d like to travel. To see other places.”

  “Me too. Maybe we could do it together.”

  “You and me?”

  “I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than be alone with you on a boat. I tried to tell you that this idea came well after Pearson’s. It was all about us. Helping you save the marina is a small part of that.”

  “It’s not small to me.”

  “Which is why I wanted to do it.”

  She saw the truth and the last of her anger melted under the heat of his gaze. She gulped. “Wouldn’t it be wrong to work in the business and be involved?”

  He laughed happily. “We are involved as far as I’m concerned. We have been since the night I saw you dance.”

  She blushed. She had a few memories about that night. The main one was around him tucking her into bed. He could have taken advantage of her drunken state, but he hadn’t. He could have had his family take the marina from her. But he hadn’t.

  “Still, it might make things awkward.”

  “I don’t see why. Your mother and father managed. Why couldn’t we?”

  Macy shrugged, because she couldn’t answer his question. They weren’t married, and a man like Evan would surely have a dozen women around the country, since he travelled so much. To think that he would be happy to live in a small town like Heaven Cove for any length of time just didn’t seem plausible.

  She shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. Business before pleasure. And if both were taken care of for now, she would deal with the fallout down the track. She needed to stop worrying about every little thing.