“C’mon, babe.” Darren moved close and slid his arms around her. “I’ll show you a good time.”
She was about to give him a knee in the groin when suddenly a long, powerful arm slid past her and gripped the man by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the floor.
What the...
She turned and saw Shawn glowering at her harasser. He wore a Ralph Lauren polo shirt in solid red.
“Get your hands off her…”
Darren began to shout colorful curses and swing his fists wildly, but Shawn, having long arms and the advantage of being sober, easily blocked every blow.
Things were happening so fast, Lisa barely got out of the way.
A crowd began to form around the incident, some cheering on the altercation, others trying to break it up.
Shawn shoved Darren away. “Stay away from her or I’ll—”
“She came on to me! She’s mine!” Darren tried to level a punch to Shawn’s face, but Shawn smacked it away.
“Break it up, people. Move aside!” Duane Hall, the police officer on duty tonight—and Nigel’s cousin on his mother’s side—elbowed his way through the crowd and pulled the men apart. He glared at the drunk. “Ah-ha, so it’s you again. I warned you about fighting last night and da night before. Now I’m going to lock you up. You’re under arrest.”
Darren’s face turned red and he began to spit obscenities.
Nigel slipped his phone into the front pocket of his orange flowered shirt. “Duane, how did you get here so fast?”
The husky, island-born cop slapped his cuffs on the drunken man. “I was sitting in my cruiser in da parking lot, waiting for da trouble to start.” He shook his finger at Nigel. “You gotta get better customers in dis place. It’s a disgrace!”
As an age-old argument between Nigel and Duane ensued, Shawn grabbed Lisa by the hand, pulling her through the barroom and out the back door into the moonless night. Outside, the police cruiser’s red and blue lights flashed brightly, looking like a UFO in the parking lot.
“Where are we going,” she shouted, running to keep up.
He sounded angry. “Away from here!”
“Wait a minute.” She jerked on his hand to make him halt. “Are you City Boy or is your red shirt and your appearance in the bar at eight o’clock simply a coincidence?”
He spun around. “What do you think?”
She gasped and snatched her hand away. “Well, if you are, why didn’t you tell me this when we first met?”
“I didn’t know it myself until I walked into Nigel’s and saw the red ribbon in your hair. I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw you getting mauled by a drunken tourist. Whatever possessed you to talk to that jerk?”
“He had a red shirt on,” she argued in her own defense. “At first, I thought he was the person who had been emailing me.”
“He’s a weasel!” Shawn towered over her. “I doubt he’s ever read a poem in his life, much less written something that rhymes. You should have seen right through him.”
“I did! He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I can see why.” He grabbed her hand and started walking toward the beach. The loud, systematic roar of the waves rushing toward shore and back out to sea should have calmed her, but Shawn’s reply made her angrier than before.
“What do you mean by that?”
He stopped next to a row of tall palms, their trunks wound with strings of clear lights. “You’re beautiful and sexy in that dress. Every guy in the bar couldn’t stop looking at you.”
She rolled her eyes. “They all know me, Shawn.”
“Yeah, and they all want to know you better!”
“What. Is. Your. Problem!?”
He grabbed her by the forearms and drew her close. She tried to pull away by stepping backward, but instead slammed her back against a palm tree.
“You want to know what my problem is?” He drew his face close to hers. “It’s simple. I’ve never been a jealous man, but when I saw you in the bar with that guy and he was trying to put his hands all over you, I had all I could do to keep from ripping his head off.” His eyes pierced hers with hurt and confusion. “Look, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I don’t want to be friends anymore. Do you understand? I want to be the one.”
She glared at him. “What’s the point? It’ll only be for a couple of months. Once your work is finished, you’ll leave the island. Shawn, I won’t accept you as a part-time boyfriend. I’ve already done that once and I’m not going through it again.”
His gaze intensified. “Do you think I haven’t thought about that? I’ve got some major decisions to make regarding my future and I promise, when the time comes you’ll be with me every step of the way.” He pulled the red ribbon out of her hair and let it fly away in the wind. Her silken mane whipped around them like a halo. “Give me a chance, Lisa.”
Without waiting for her answer, he crushed his mouth against hers, his arms enveloping her possessively, as though he never wanted to let her go again. The heat of his kiss sent a tremor through her, making her heart race. Wanting more, she slid her hands up his chest and locked them around his neck as she pressed her lips to his, melting into him.
Taking her by surprise, he lifted her off her feet and swung her around, lightening the mood and making her laugh. When he set her down, he drew her close again and buried his face in her hair. “Look, I realize it’s ridiculous to think I could fall for someone so fast. I don’t understand how it happened, but I know what I feel is real. I think about you all the time. I love being with you.” He cradled her head in his hands and tipped it upward until their faces were but a breath apart. “I love you, Lisa, and I know you love me, too. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it every time I touch you. There’s a connection between us that I’ve never had with anyone before. I know you’re the one for me.”
She gazed into his eyes, her heart overflowing with happiness. “I thought I knew what love was until I met you, but now I realize it is so much more than I’ve ever dreamed it could be.” She slid her hands over his. “You are the one for me, too, Shawn.”
“Hey, Island Girl,” he whispered, “finding that message in a bottle was like winning the lottery. The odds are a hundred million to one, but sooner or later someone gets the winning combo.” He smiled and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “This time it was me.”
****
Late Friday afternoon, Shawn shut down his computer and cleared off his desk. He’d had a busy day and could have put in more time on the job, but he’d invited Lisa to dinner in the hotel steakhouse and he didn’t want to be late. He’d thought about her all day as he sat in staff meetings, dealt with suppliers on the phone and interviewed candidates who’d made the final round for a housekeeping managerial position. No matter what he did, he never let her sweet face stray far from his thoughts.
He’d never been in love before. In the past, he thought he’d experienced it, but his feelings for Brittany—or any woman, for that matter—had never come close to what he had with Lisa. Brittany had done him an immense favor by breaking off their engagement. At the time, he’d taken it hard. He’d come to Enchanted Island angry over the way she’d walked out on him and feeling sorry for himself, but now he knew it had been a great blessing in disguise. Marriage to her would have been a disaster.
His phone rang. The caller ID read P. LaMaur.
“Yeah, Pete. What’s up?”
“You ready? You hungry? It’s ten minutes to five. The girls said they’d meet us in the bar.”
Shawn glanced at his sport watch. “Just closing up.”
“I’m on my way to your office. Be there in a sec. Bye.”
Shawn discontinued the call and looked down, checking his phone for messages. The door to his office opened and shut.
“You must be hungry, LaMaur. That was fast—”
He looked up to find Wyn standing in front of his desk in a navy suit. The surprise rendered him speechless at first, his good mood swiftly
plummeting.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” The curt tone in his voice revealed his disappointment. “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?”
The creases in Wyn’s face had turned to hard lines. “This isn’t a social call.”
At that moment, Pete burst in the door. His mouth gaped open so wide his chin nearly bounced off the floor at the site of Wyn’s grim, intimidating stance. His gaze nervously bounced from Wyn to Shawn and back to Wyn again. “Did somebody die, er...”
“Close the door, LaMaur. This concerns you, too.”
Pete swallowed hard and shut the door.
Shawn sat like a stone, waiting to find out what unpardonable sin he’d committed this time.
Win’s jaw clenched. “You’re both off this job as of now.”
The news hit Shawn like a blow to the chest. He’d never been pulled off a job before.
“Why?” He sprang from his chair. “Everything is rolling along fine. We sent out a new request for proposals a couple of days ago.”
Wyn’s icy blue eyes glittered with an unexplainable anger that always seemed to simmer just below the surface. “Withdraw it. The council has denied our application to build on the Regis property. The project is cancelled.” Though he didn’t come right out and say it, the sharp edge in his voice clearly insinuated, “You failed.”
Pete looked confused. “What happened? Why did the council change their mind?”
Wyn flicked a glance at Pete, but didn’t make eye contact. He excelled in letting a person know they were insignificant without saying a single word. “Some old lady who owns a bed and breakfast talked them out of it in a closed-door session on Monday. She got them to agree to revive that slum they call Main Street instead. They didn’t formally announce their decision until yesterday or I’d have been here sooner.”
So that’s where Elsie went on Monday morning, Shawn thought. He remembered her attitude toward him when she returned home. She’d given him a dirty look then offered him her house specialty. An interesting woman. Certainly, a tough one.
Pete’s blue eyes widened with alarm. “Wh-what about us?”
“You’re going to Juneau. You leave tonight.”
“WHAT?” They both replied at the same time.
Wyn almost smiled and Shawn instinctively knew his father had retaliated with this assignment to Alaska to punish them. “Ian and I flew up there last week and bought a new property,” he said sounding extremely satisfied with his accomplishment. “You two need to get it in shape so it’s open for business by next spring.”
Open for business by next spring?
Shawn exchanged stunned glances with Pete. Then his resolve hardened. This was exactly what he needed to force himself to take the leap and land on his own two feet—where he wanted to land.
“I’m not going to Juneau, Dad. Neither is Pete.” He’d disagreed with his father many times, but never had he rejected an order outright. The moment caused his nerves to jangle. The exhilaration of breaking free, however, made him wonder why he’d waited so long.
Wyn’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll go if I say so.”
Shawn shook his head. “I quit. I’m through working for you and Ian. Pete and I both are. It’s time we started our own corporation.”
Wyn let out a mirthless laugh. “You’ll fall flat on your face.”
“If we do, Mr. Wells,” Pete said gravely, “we’ll pick ourselves up and start again.”
“I’ve heard enough of this nonsense,” Wyn said and walked to the door. “Get your bags packed. We’re leaving tonight. You’ll catch the red-eye from Miami to Seattle and then a flight tomorrow to Juneau. Your replacement is checking into his room right now.” He stopped with his hand on the door. “There’s someone waiting for you down in the lounge. I have no doubt she can talk some sense into you.”
There’s no way Lisa will talk me into moving to Alaska...
Wyn slammed the door shut, leaving Pete and Shawn speechless. Shawn soberly stared at Pete for a moment, letting the enormity of their commitment sink in.
Then they smacked palms together in a high five and cheered.
Chapter Seven
Lisa drove Shakara to the Amaryllis in Elsie’s car. The winds of the coming tropical storm had already started to pick up and the water had become somewhat choppy. The taxi was still running, but Lisa and Shakara wanted their hair and makeup to stay fresh for the evening. If any water sprayed into the boat, their clothes would be a mess, too. No taxi for them tonight!
Lisa wore a new dress, a short, stretchy black knit with a round neckline and lacy, elbow-length sleeves. Her gold bib necklace and matching earrings, an exclusive “Shakara” creation, sparkled under the lights.
“I’ll meet you in the lounge in a few minutes,” Shakara said as they entered the lobby. “Mavis has a check for me.” Mavis, the gift shop proprietor, sold an array of Shakara’s jewelry on consignment and always made payouts on Friday.
Lisa waved at Shakara and headed for the lounge. She walked in and stared at the special weather report broadcasting on the flat screen TVs mounted behind the bar. “BREAKING NEWS” crawled across the bottom of the screen. TROPICAL STORM MILANA HAS STRENGTHENED INTO A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE.
Mesmerized, Lisa stood with her arms folded and viewed the newscast. She’d been through tropical storms before, but this was the first time one had turned into a hurricane. If Milana traveled the way the weatherman predicted, Enchanted Island sat right in the middle of its path. She wondered if their house could handle the winds. Aunt Elsie’s place had obviously been through this before but…
Something caught her eye and her gaze shifted to a beautiful young blonde in a teal designer dress with matching shoes. The young woman walked into the room with the air of a queen and took a high table near the windows overlooking Azure Bay. Not wanting to appear rude, Lisa pulled out a chair at the bar and tried to get interested in the weather report again, but couldn’t help studying her. Something about her seemed out of place.
She looks absolutely perfect, but not perfectly happy. I wonder why.
The bartender, a short, balding man, walked over to the woman’s table and placed a cocktail napkin in front of her along with a small carafe of snack mix. “Good evening,” he said, greeting the blonde in a cordial manner. “What would you like to drink?”
She placed her patent leather Gucci clutch on the table and draped her hand across it, displaying French-manicured nails. “I’ll have a glass of sparkling wine.”
The bartender served her a mini-bottle containing one glass and poured half of it in the accompanying flute for her. “Shall I put this on a tab or charge it to your room?”
“You may charge it to the house,” she replied arrogantly. “My fiancé is the general manager here. I shouldn’t have to pay for anything.”
Lisa froze, her mind swirling at the blonde’s words. Did she just say her fiancé is the general manager of this hotel?
Lisa’s gaze dove to the blonde’s left hand, the one draped over her flat purse. The woman wore an enormous diamond.
But she’s so young. She can’t be a day over twenty-five.
Her heart began to pound. Her mind became a jumble of confusion. Did Shawn have a fiancée or did the young woman mean Pete LaMaur—the same Pete LaMaur that had been pillow talkin’ with her best friend Shakara? She only knew of one way to find out.
“Excuse me,” Lisa said to her. “I couldn’t help but overhear you say you’re waiting for your fiancé. Would that, by any chance, be Pete LaMaur?”
The blonde gave Lisa the once over, letting Lisa know she found the intrusion of her privacy bothersome and offensive. “Excuse me?” she replied with thinly veiled disdain. “My fiancé is Shawn Wells. His family owns this hotel.”
“Oh...” Lisa barely spoke the word. The shock had caused everything in her mind to blur.
“Is that so,” the bartender said, clearly baffled that he hadn’t heard of her before. “May I ask your name?”
Lisa picked up her purse and started for the door.
He’s not the only one who is surprised...
“Miss... Oh, miss,” the bartender called after her. “Can I get you something?”
She shook her head as she stumbled out of the lounge, her mind spinning with a sense of déjà vu.
He pursued me. He lied to me. He told me how much he loved me, but he’s actually in love with a beautiful young girl...
It sounded like Rob Mancuso all over again—lies upon lies upon lies. Only this time she didn’t intend to hide in the bathroom and let him simply walk away unscathed. She’d had months to think about that night and what she could have done—what she should have done.
She intended to find Shawn immediately. With any luck, she’d catch him with Brittany Stone. By the time she’d finished with him, he’d wish they’d never met.
****
Shawn walked into the lounge in a terrific mood. He’d just made the most important decision of his life and he couldn’t wait to tell Lisa about it. On their way down the stairs to the main level, he and Pete had come up with a crazy idea for their first development project and he wanted to get her opinion.
They encountered Shakara first. Her tall, willowy frame stood out in the crowd in a short, off the shoulder dress in red spandex. Her spike-heeled sandals click-clacked on the floor as she approached them. “Have you seen Lisa?”
“No,” Shawn said. “Isn’t she with you?”
Shakara shook her long corkscrew curls. “I told her I’d meet her here.”
“Hey, babe,” Pete said and wrapped his arm around her. “Can we go somewhere quiet?”
“If you see Lisa, tell her I’m waiting for her,” Shawn said as Pete and Shakara left the noisy lounge to take a walk.
A young blonde sitting at a high table next to the windows turned at the sound of his voice and he found himself staring into the face of Brittany Stone. He couldn’t believe it. She’d cut her hair short so she looked different, but the same immature, inflated sense of self-importance still reflected in her eyes. He quickly glanced around to make sure Lisa hadn’t picked that moment to arrive. He’d never be able to talk his way out of this disaster. “What are you doing here?”
Lisa (Beach Brides Book 6) Page 8