Forever and a Day (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 5)

by Belle Calhoune

  “Hello. I’m Lorelei James.” She stuck out her hand and shook all three of their hands before sitting down in a seat across the table from them. Daniel knew with a deep certainty he had never seen a woman so radiantly beautiful in his whole life.

  “You can’t be Rhiannon.” Daniel blurted out the words before he could stop himself.

  “I beg your pardon.” She looked at him with widened eyes, then swung her gaze toward Sharon and Guy. “I’m here to audition for that very role.”

  He shook his head. “You’re way too beautiful. We’re not looking for Sleeping Beauty. More like Lara Croft, tomb raider.”

  She let out a brittle laugh. “I’m a very experienced model and I have a wide range. I’m sort of a chameleon. I can change my look on a dime depending on the job.”

  “It’s not going to work.” He stood up from his chair. “Thanks for coming out today, but there’s no way I can give you the job.”

  Daniel felt a bit bad about the look on Miss James’s face, but it was better to be open and honest rather than drag the interview out. She slowly stood up from her chair. He held out his hand but she simply looked at it, then shook her head.

  She frowned at him. “Are you Micah’s brother?”

  Daniel stood up straighter. “Yes. He’s my younger brother.”

  Lorelei hoisted her purse over her shoulder. She looked at him with venom emanating from her eyes. “Good. Because I can’t wait to tell him how much of a jerk you are!”

  She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room without uttering another word.

  Daniel scratched his head. What in the world had just happened?

  **

  Lorelei James couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so royally steamed about a gig. For someone as experienced as she was in the modeling business it should have been an easier process. Not that she thought it had been in the bag, but never in a million years had she imagined that her interview would have been so disastrous. She’d gotten slammed before she had been able to show her range and ability. Daniel Donahue was an absolute fool and the polar opposite of his brother, Micah. While Micah was generous and sweet, Daniel seemed overbearing and downright rude.

  Humph. Rude to the bone! She couldn’t believe he was the same Daniel Donahue who was ridiculously smart and talented. He’d built a video game empire from the ground up, yet he had no manners whatsoever. Perhaps he was one of those creative types who were simply obnoxious and overbearing. He probably thought he was the boss of everyone and everything.

  Lorelei felt the tears trailing down her cheeks. It hurt to be dismissed. As a model she knew people judged her every single day of her life. She had worked incredibly hard for the last ten years to build a name for herself in the industry. She had sacrificed so many things to succeed in a cutthroat industry. Daniel had just reminded her that in the true scheme of things she was nobody. Unimportant. Dispensable. It played on every single insecurity she had in this world. She walked quickly toward her car and pressed the unlock key on her keychain. Without hesitation she stepped inside and turned the car on, pressing the button on her dashboard to turn on the A/C. As the cool air filled the car, Lorelei took deep breaths.

  “Just breathe,” she reminded herself, trying to ward off the feelings of panic. She had learned techniques to try to stave off the panic attacks. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. She had been dealing with these attacks ever since she was eleven years old. And sadly, there was no end in sight. They were unpredictable and impossible to control. She was at the mercy of her body!

  Her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen. It was her agent, Olga Winters. She had a feeling Olga was calling to check in on her interview with Daniel Donahue. Lorelei didn’t have the heart to pick up the call. It would only add to her feelings of anxiety and despair. A feeling of shame swept over her. She’d blown the audition. Daniel Donahue had made her feel worthless. And for someone who struggled with stress and anxious feelings, it had a tendency to mess with her mind.

  Her breathing was becoming shallow and her palms were slick with moisture. Why was it so difficult for her to control these feelings? Sometimes when the panic swept through her, Lorelei felt as if she couldn’t breathe or talk or function. Her heart beat at a crazy rhythm inside her chest.

  It felt as if she was dying.

  Please Lord, help me not spiral into a panic attack. I’ve tried so hard to be strong and to rid myself of this problem. Please let me get past these feelings!

  She reached for the knob for the radio and twisted it so that it began to play really loudly in the car. Lorelei closed her eyes and sang along to the music. It was one of her soothing mechanisms when the pressures got too much for her and the panic started to creep in. After a few moments her chest pains began to ease up along with her breathing. She began to take slow, calming breaths. The pounding in her head subsided. She no longer felt as if death was imminent.

  “You’re alive. You’re present. You’re in the here and now.” She repeated the words her therapist had taught her. They were words that were supposed to ground her in reality. At the moment they seemed to be working, along with the music.

  “Thank you, Lord,” she whispered, acknowledging His presence in these moments when she felt as if she had no control over a single thing in her world. He was always faithful and ever present. Despite her fears and anxiety, He would never forsake her.

  Feeling stronger, Lorelei began to drive away from the huge building with the initials DD sitting boldly at the top of the structure. Daniel Donahue. If she lived to be a hundred, Lorelei never wanted to see him again. And the next time she ran into Micah, she had every intention of telling him what a horrible person his brother was.

  **

  For the remainder of the day, Daniel sat in his office and reflected on his meeting with Lorelei James. Even though he had sat in on three model interviews prior to meeting with the red-haired beauty, none of them came even close to Lorelei’s appeal. Both Sharon and Guy had told him in plain terms how rude he’d been to Lorelei. It frustrated Daniel to hear such feedback because he hadn’t meant to be offensive at all. It was a character flaw he had been dealing with for most of his life. He could be impersonal at times. Abrupt. According to some folks it was rudeness. But in his heart he hadn’t meant to be obnoxious to Lorelei or hurt her feelings. Why would he? She was stunning in every way imaginable. Her soft, lilting voice had been alluring. It was the type of voice that could lull a baby into a deep and restful slumber.

  He bit his lip. She was friends with Micah! He could just picture the horrified look on Micah’s face when Lorelei told him about the dreadful interview. Micah wasn’t the type to hold back his feelings. He grinned at the thought of Micah and his fiancée, Faith. They were truly an inspiring couple. Their whirlwind courtship had ended in an engagement that the entire Donahue family had taken part in. Seeing Micah and Faith find true love with one another gave Daniel the slightest bit of hope it might happen for him as well.

  With their wedding coming up at the end of the summer, his entire family was in a flurry of activity. Faith didn’t have much in the way of family, so his parents—Penelope and Jude—had been all too happy to step in and help out with the details. Daniel had offered to host the reception—with the help of his sister, Shayla—at an elegant estate in Pelican Bay. Daniel wasn’t great with interpersonal skills, so Shayla was on board to work out the details with the club’s staff. Daniel was all too happy to pay for the event. At the moment he was making more money than he had ever dreamed possible. Aside from donating to charities and trying to help out his family members (who were incredibly resistant to taking his money), Daniel didn’t quite know what to do with so much money.

  When his cell phone rang and he saw Micah’s number pop up on the screen Daniel let out a huge groan. “Already?” he asked himself. It hadn’t taken Miss James long to run to his brother complaining about him.

  “Hey, Micah,” Daniel answered the phone with a cheerf
ul tone. “What’s up?” he asked, preparing himself to get blasted.

  “Hey there. I just wanted to check in with you regarding the reception venue. Faith was thinking about doing the flowers herself. We just wanted to make sure that was all right. She would need to get in there the night before to set things up.”

  “I’ll have Shayla check it out. Is she sure about the flowers? I don’t mind taking care of that for the two of you.”

  Micah let out a chuckle. “Daniel, you’ve been more than generous. Besides, Faith loves arranging flowers. She’s really excited about creating the centerpieces.”

  Daniel could totally picture Faith creating the centerpieces. She was a lovely and down to earth woman. She had been through a lot in her life—losing her parents in a terrible fire and dealing with severe burns as result of the tragedy. She and Micah were a perfect fit.

  “That’s great. I don’t imagine it being an issue with the venue. Is that the only reason you’re calling?”

  “Yeah. Should there be another reason?”

  Daniel could easily imagine Micah on the other end of the line frowning in confusion.

  He stumbled, uneasy about lying to his brother. “Umm…well no, not unless your friend Lorelei called you.”

  “Lorelei? Lorelei James? Why would she be calling me?”

  Daniel let out a sigh and told Micah all about the events of the interview.

  Micah began to grumble loudly. “Of all the people in the world to be snarky to. Lorelei is one of the sweetest and most supportive women I know.”

  “I didn’t say I was snarky,” Daniel protested. “You’re just assuming.”

  “After a lifetime of knowing you and from the way you described Lorelei’s reaction, it’s safe to say you were being snarky.”

  “I’m misunderstood,” Daniel said, hoping to make his brother laugh. It had been a running joke between him and his siblings for years.

  The line went silent. Clearly, Micah wasn’t amused.

  Finally, Micah spoke up. “So, how are you going to make things right? This is my friend you’ve mistreated. And before you say you didn’t, would you want someone to treat Shayla like that if she went for an interview?”

  Daniel’s heart sank. If someone treated his baby sister like that it would enrage Daniel. Suddenly he felt like the worst human being on the planet. In trying to be direct and to the point, he had insulted Lorelei.

  “I could call her to apologize,” he said, inwardly cringing at the idea of doing so.

  “That’s a start,” Micah said. “And by the way, you’re incredibly foolish to dismiss her as a contender for your warrior character. Lorelei is massively talented. She can do anything she puts her mind to. You’re incredibly fortunate she even agreed to try out for the role. Her schedule is usually packed a year in advance. If you remember, I shot a commercial with her a few months ago. It hasn’t aired yet but she’s brilliant. You’d be a fool to pass her up.”

  Feeling sheepish, Daniel promised to reach out to Lorelei. After he hung up the phone, Daniel couldn’t get Lorelei out of his mind. Had he been an idiot to dismiss her from consideration? As it was, she was the standout model from today. None of the others had been able to hold a candle to her.

  Daniel wasn’t good at admitting he’d made a mistake. It wasn’t the way he was wired, but as his mother often told him, he needed to be open to growth and change. He needed to know his flaws and be able to recognize them in an instant. He was tired of being alone if he was being honest with himself, especially now that his siblings were beginning to pair off with engagements and marriages and children. Recently he had been thinking a lot about those things. Would he make a good father? Could someone truly love him, flaws and all?

  His quirky ways and personality had made romance difficult. Although it had allowed him to thrive in the world of video games, it had stymied him in interpersonal relationships. It was frustrating to him. Sometimes he just shut down because of it. It didn’t feel good to be judged all the time. How did you change who you were? It wasn’t as if he was trying to act a certain way. He was pretty sure it was just his nature.

  And he wasn’t entirely sure a woman would ever fall head over heels in love with him. Daniel had never been in love although he’d been close on a few occasions. Most recently, he had dated a local restaurant owner named Patsy Simons. They had dated for six months, during which Daniel’s heart had felt as if it had expanded like never before. When he woke up in the morning his first thought had been about Patsy. And his last thought before going to bed had been about finding different ways to make her smile. He had sent her flowers just because and given her spa certificates and a beautiful charm bracelet. He had always gone out of his way to make sure she felt special. Or at least he’d tried. It had all come crashing down to earth when Patsy had broken up with him, telling him he couldn’t provide her with the emotional connection she was looking for. Daniel had been blindsided and hurt by the breakup. He’d gone right back to his life, throwing himself full tilt into his work and pretending as if he’d never allowed Patsy in to his heart. And his skin had grown a little thicker because of it. He knew that the next time he found someone special he would hold himself back a little bit so as not to get his heart stomped on.

  Daniel riffled through the papers on his desk. Lorelei James had given them a head shot and her resume. Daniel felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time when he gazed at the model’s photo. A deep and profound attraction. He wasn’t a man who was usually moved by beauty, so he knew it was something else that was pulling at him. There was a look in Lorelei’s eyes that reminded him of himself and the way he felt on the inside. Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, he thought it might be yearning.

  He needed to track Lorelei down and apologize to her for his blunt, overbearing attitude. Calling her on the phone wouldn’t convey his regret at his behavior. And it would be quite easy for her to refuse his call. Nope. Even though he had a lot on his plate, he needed to talk to Lorelei in person and somehow convince her that she needed to sign on for the role of Rhiannon, medieval warrior. Daniel needed to make amends!

  “I want all of my kids to find love. I want them to have the happy ending. Matter of fact, I want it for myself as well.”

  Jude Donahue

  Chapter Two

  Lorelei was feeling much calmer by the time she made her way to her house. Driving along the winding roads allowed the sea air to waft under her nose. A quick glance to her left allowed her to get a glimpse of the breathtaking ocean. One of these days she was going to spend the day at Pelican Bay beach and swim and play hooky from her life as a model. Of course she would have to wear SPF 100 in order to protect her delicate skin from the sun. She had a tendency to burn and it wasn’t acceptable for modeling shoots. She also had to make sure her skin aged well, especially since the shelf life of the average model ended in her late twenties. Lately she’d been thinking about life after modeling. A second act of sorts. She had made enough money in her career to retire very comfortably, but she knew she might go stir crazy if she didn’t have something to keep her occupied.

  Home sweet home! Buying this sleek, modern home had been Lorelei’s best decision ever. It had been a great investment in herself.

  Although her house wasn’t situated right by the water, she could still catch a glimpse of the ocean from her second floor. Her large property was surrounded on all sides by a high black iron fence. She had to put in a password in order for the gates to open and visitors to gain entry. It was a casualty of her fame as a high profile model. She had been stalked in the past by a crazed individual who had made her life a living nightmare. It had changed her entire world and the way she looked at life. Lorelei had done her best to build a life for herself where she felt safe and protected in her home. It wasn’t easy moving past certain situations in her life, but each and every day she reminded herself that she was still breathing, still living, still striving to live a happy balanced life.

  J
ust pulling up into the driveway made her smile with happiness. After parking her convertible, Lorelei walked along the flagstone path and paused to gaze at her flowers. They were looking spectacular. She loved to garden. Working with her flowers made her feel calm and serene. She needed it at the moment after the disastrous encounter with Daniel Donahue. Just thinking about him made her furious. Who did he think he was? A dictator? The king of the world? She let out a sigh. He was a very rich and successful man, one who clearly enjoyed throwing his weight around. Lorelei had known men like Daniel ever since she started modeling at the tender age of sixteen. She had achieved major success in the industry at twenty-one.

  Lorelei shook off all the bad thoughts and let herself into her home. Thank goodness for central air, she thought. Summer in Pelican Bay served up brutal temperatures. She liked the interior of her home to feel cool and airy. Lorelei headed to her kitchen and threw her purse down on the counter before opening up her fridge and rummaging around for lunch. A few minutes later she sat down in her great room with a tall glass of lemonade and a bowl of pasta with Bolognese sauce. It was her favorite meal and she usually made a big batch of it on the weekend and then ate it throughout the week. She was a creature of habit when it came to many things in her life. For someone who was constantly on the go, it felt nice to be relaxing a bit in the middle of the day rather than on set being photographed. She felt fortunate to have her career, but everyone needed a break once in a while.

  Just as she got up to put her plate in the dishwasher, the intercom linked to the front gate began to buzz. Who in the world was visiting unannounced? A slight panic gripped her for a second before she reminded herself she was safe. No one was going to hurt her. Perhaps it was a delivery. That wasn’t uncommon.

  Lorelei moved slowly toward the intercom, then pressed the button and said, “Hello. Who is it?”

  A deep voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Hi, Miss James. It’s Daniel Donahue. Could I speak to you for a moment?”