by Zoe Chant
“Hypocrite!” Breck exclaimed in outrage. “All the grief you give us for damaging your precious flower gardens and you’re off rolling in the strawberry beds! Flowers are one thing, but we eat those.”
Everyone stared in wonder at Graham, and it took him a long moment to realize that it was because he was laughing.
Chapter 25
Alice spent a long moment after she woke with her eyes closed, too comfortable to move, clinging to sweet, peaceful sleep.
Graham had an arm draped over her, and one foot hooked around her ankle. A single sheet was more than enough warmth for the morning; already the temperature was rising as the sun came up over the island.
Despite a shower, Alice could still smell strawberries, and it filled her with unexpected contentment.
This was where she belonged, she thought, and the idea was so unexpected that her eyes flew open in alarm and her peace shattered.
Graham stirred as she sat up, and in a smooth, practiced way, rolled out of bed and began getting dressed as if on autopilot. Alice was watching him as he woke up enough to realize what was different, turning back to look at her in amazement and confusion.
She gave him a crooked smile as he stood there, frozen with one leg in his pants.
“Morning,” she said wryly.
He scowled at her; clearly this was his reaction to any surprise. “Good morning,” he growled, stuffing the other leg into his khakis.
Alice pushed off the sheet and was delighted to watch Graham nearly fall over staring at her. “So... ah... I told the girls I’d work on the bachelorette party with them today.”
Graham managed to save his balance, and, still shirtless, he walked around the bed as she stood up. “Alice...” he started.
Guessing his train of thought, Alice was swift to say, “I don’t know what this all means long term, okay? I have a job I love, and problems I can’t solve living here at Shifting Sands.” Damn his chest... even with her body humming and satiated, Alice wanted nothing more than to lay her hands over those gorgeous muscles and push him back down on the bed. Instead, she reached for her clothing and began to get dressed.
Did he look hurt? Alice couldn’t guess behind the frown on his face or his stony silence, but just the idea of it made her stomach clench. “It’s not that I don’t...” she wasn’t going to say that she loved him again. That would only make it harder to leave. “I’m really... I don’t want you to think...”
She didn’t want to leave.
Graham and his naked chest closed the distance between them and he put his hand gently on either side of her face. This made it very challenging to continue getting dressed and Alice stopped trying.
“You don’t have to know,” Graham said softly. “We can take it a day at a time.”
Alice surprised herself with a rush of warmth and desire. “Yeah,” she agreed breathlessly. And that was as long as she could resist his shirtless self, slipping her arms up around his broad shoulders to kiss him. In short order, they had peeled each other out of the clothing they’d just put on and he was showing her how to make the most of those days that they were taking one at a time.
Hours later, freshly showered and still somehow smelling of strawberries, Alice found herself at the buffet.
She took a second baked chicken leg from the buffet, considered putting it back, and then took a third one out of spite.
Spite, or appetite, she thought; she’d skipped breakfast to shamelessly make Graham late for work.
She considered a fourth chicken leg and decided that she should save room for dessert instead. Graham had mentioned a fresh crop of strawberries...
Mary and Amber had their heads together with Laura and Jenny at one of the larger tables and Alice thought they were waving her over until she realized they were trying to catch the attention of the woman behind her.
“Magnolia,” Laura called. “Could we talk to you a moment?”
Magnolia looked like she had never turned down a fourth chicken leg in her life. Or possibly a tenth.
They sat down opposite from each other at the table, Magnolia with a tray heaping with fine cheeses and fruit and fluffy sweetbread, Alice with her pile of chicken legs and a four-inch-high sandwich. Jenny had her laptop open in front of her and was busily typing.
“I’m Alice.” Alice was never sure how long to wait for someone else to introduce her, and generally did so herself.
“Magnolia,” the other woman greeted with a gracious smile and an elegant fingershake. “You’re Graham’s mate.”
Alice blinked at her, momentarily speechless. No one else had said as much aloud after the first terrible day, and it felt weird to hear it. “Yeah,” she agreed. Mate was as good a classification as anything, she decided. She didn’t feel like a girlfriend.
Magnolia smiled at her, and Alice thought dazedly that she’d never been at the receiving end of a smile that lovely and sincere before. “I’m delighted to meet you,” the woman said. “Graham needs a little goodness in his life like you.”
No one had ever called Alice ‘a little goodness’ before, but she supposed that if anyone could, it was Magnolia, who probably outweighed her by two hundred pounds.
“What did you need, darling?” Magnolia asked Jenny.
Jenny lowered her voice and they all leaned into the table when she did. “It’s a bit of a delicate question,” she confessed. “But we’re trying to raise money to buy the island. We’ve recently found out that Graham is Grant Lyons, and he gets first refusal of a sale by contract. If we can get enough people together, we’d be able to buy it outright and we’d never have to worry about Beehag breaking the lease or selling it out from under us.”
She went on hastily. “I’m drawing up contracts that would give investors a stake in the resort, and we can talk about terms and such, but... is that something you’d be interested in? Something you could help with?”
Magnolia looked thoughtful, but not entirely happy.
“Is there are reason that it isn’t Scarlet herself telling me this?” she asked suspiciously.
“She doesn’t know,” Laura admitted. “It’s a long shot, but we’re trying to surprise her.”
Magnolia laughed in delight. “I love a good surprise,” she said eagerly. Then she sobered. “But I’m afraid there’s very little I can pledge. My money comes from a trust that I have limited access to. I don’t have any savings I can reach, and my lease payment here is almost my entire monthly payout.”
Everyone at the table gave a sigh of regret. “I understand,” Jenny said. “We’ll keep looking.”
Magnolia inspected a be-ringed hand thoughtfully. “I have some jewelry. It won’t be much compared to the asking price of the island, but it’s yours, no contract needed. Scarlet should own the island.”
“Saina’s offered to fence anything we can get together,” Laura said gratefully. “Bastian’s got her looking for buyers for part of his hoard. We’ll put our insurance settlement in, if we can ever get it litigated. Fred managed to get a fancy law firm in New York to defend his estate, so there have been problems.”
“We’re also writing to all the survivors of Beehag’s zoo,” Mary explained. “They all owe Scarlet for her hospitality, and this would be a great way to repay it.”
“Tony is taking a bit of a risk giving us their contact information, but I don’t think any of them will mind. It’s not likely that any of them are sitting on millions of dollars,” Amber said wryly, “but there’s always some hope.”
“And little pledges will add up,” Jenny added optimistically.
Fifty million would add a lot, too, Alice thought wryly. But she didn’t like to think about that, or the fact that Graham knew... or the fact that even if she knew, she wasn’t sure she could betray Scarlet’s secret.
Even for fifty million dollars.
Even to save her brother and her parents.
Her chicken legs were suddenly looking a lot less appealing.
Alice thought about the pa
thetic scrap book she’d tried to use as a cover for asking Scarlet questions. “Scarlet’s pretty private and proud. She’s probably not going to be really happy that you’re sending her business failures to everyone she’s ever helped.”
The others looked at her with expressions of mixed guilt, skepticism, and curiosity and Alice wished she hadn’t said anything at all. She took a fierce bite of chicken leg.
“I mean... not that I know her well,” she said uncomfortably around her food. “But I guess I’d be pretty embarrassed.”
“That’s why she wouldn’t do it herself,” Jenny said thoughtfully. “But if we can buy the island, it would be worth it. I think she’d understand.”
Alice nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Besides,” Laura added, “it’s not like this is actually a failure of Scarlet’s. She was kind enough to take all those shifters in, knowing that it was her bottom line that would pay for it. It was... a failure of kindness, not business.”
“Oo,” Jenny said. “Failure of kindness. I like that. I’m stealing it.” She typed feverishly into her laptop.
“This is a lovely thing you’re doing,” Magnolia said, eating gracefully. “I’ll help out any way I can.”
Alice finished her meal as quickly as she could, wishing she had an ounce of the other woman’s grace.
Chapter 26
Graham politely averted his eyes when Gizelle opened her door naked.
“Is Conall here?” he asked gruffly.
Gizelle cocked her head at him. “He’s always somewhere,” she said, not offering to get him, or put on clothing.
“Can I talk to him? I might need your help.”
A smile bloomed over Gizelle’s face. “I like to help.”
She scampered away into the bedroom, leaving the cottage door open behind her.
Graham hung at the doorway for a moment, not sure if it was an invitation to enter or not, and finally went in and gingerly took a seat in one of the plush chairs.
When Gizelle reappeared, Graham was relieved to see that she was dressed. He stood as Conall came into the little living room, and they briefly shook hands before sitting opposite each other. Gizelle curled up beside the Irish elk shifter, a hand casually resting on his bare arm so that he could hear and didn’t have to rely on lip reading.
“Is there a problem?” Conall asked, eyeing the folder that Graham was holding.
“I hope this is actually a solution,” Graham said. He leaned forward to hand Conall the folder over the sturdy wooden coffee table. “Jenny is working out the finer details, but we’re hoping you’re interested in buying an interest in the island and saving Shifting Sands Resort.”
Conall took the folder and opened it with a frown. “I’m surprised that Scarlet isn’t approaching me with this herself.”
Graham grimaced. “Scarlet doesn’t know. We’re only in the early stages of trying to figure out if this is even feasible.”
“You look like you drew the short straw,” Conall observed, glancing up from the paperwork in the folder with a hint of a smile.
Graham chuckled. He and Conall had quietly become good friends. Others joked that it was because Conall, deaf, didn’t have to worry about lip reading Graham because he never said anything.
Graham had volunteered to come talk to the Irish elk shifter, mostly because he wanted to confess who he was personally, rather than letting the information get to Conall by the grapevine.
“My real name is Grant Lyons,” he admitted. “I am the blood heir of Aaric Lyons, the man who started the resort forty years ago. It’s in the lease contract that I get first right of refusal on a purchase of the island. If we can raise the funds, we can buy the island at their public asking price, even if there are other buyers.”
Conall looked at him quizzically, but didn’t question the revelation of Graham’s true identity.
Gizelle, on the other hand, was nodding sagely. “You’re from the lion who came before,” she said, as if it made perfect sense. Then she added, “I will still call you Graham.”
“I would like that,” Graham told her gravely.
Conall nodded thoughtfully as he flipped through the paperwork that Jenny had sent with Graham. “I’ll have to consult with my financial advisor, of course. I’m quite interested, but... this is the asking price? Three hundred and fifty million?”
Graham nodded. It was a stunning amount of money. “The sale is for the entire island as a package, almost twenty thousand acres, including Beehag’s compound, the dock, the airstrip, and the resort. That’s the price set by an independent auditor. On top of that, Darla’s mother has filed the lawsuit we were expecting. More than a million.”
Conall closed the folder. “I am only a paper billionaire,” he said frankly. “I have some assets I could liquidate, but most of my wealth is tied up in my business, which is still on the market. We’ve had two buyers now who seemed interested, got as far as earnest money, and then bailed out under mysterious circumstances. If I were a superstitious man, I might suspect a conspiracy.”
“But you’re interested,” Graham said in relief.
Conall looked at Gizelle, who had her legs up the back of the couch, leaning her head backwards off the seat staring upside down at Graham, hand still carefully on Conall so that he could hear.
“We belong here,” he said soberly. “I don’t relish the idea of anyone else getting their hands on the resort with the ability to throw us out or disrupt our peace. I’ve seen some of the prospective buyers that Beehag has brought through, and it’s clear that he’s working to uproot Scarlet from the island. He’s involved with someone subtle and clever, who is willing to use unorthodox methods. My interest in the resort is selfish and personal, but no less sincere. I’ll make some phone calls and get you a concrete pledge. If I could do the full amount, I would, and I genuinely hope you are able to raise the rest.”
Graham bowed his head. “Thank you,” he said, rising and shaking Conall’s hand. “I appreciate it.”
Gizelle let go of Conall as he stood to shake Graham’s hand and Graham caught the brief flinch when she did. “Wait!” she said suddenly, and she vaulted over the couch and disappeared into the bedroom.
“Has she seen Neal yet?” Graham thought to ask, making sure Conall was watching him.
Conall shook his head. “She does things in her own time,” he said patiently. “I’ve had a chance to talk with him a little, though. Good man.”
Gizelle came back out of the bedroom. She was holding a tablet and a pair of earphones. “Can these save Scarlet?” she asked shyly.
Graham exchanged a look with Conall, not sure how to answer. She hadn’t been touching him, and had been facing Graham, so she had to turn and repeat herself to her mate, adding, “It’s my fault.”
“What’s your fault, sweetheart?” Conall asked, concerned.
“When it rains,” Gizelle answered calmly. “And the cage breaks.”
Conall frowned, and shook his head. “You don’t need to give up your tablet,” he assured her, ignoring the rest of her nonsense. “It is kind of you to offer, but you can help me talk with my accountant—that will be a big help.”
“You could help us distract Scarlet,” Graham suggested, inspiration striking. “It’s a secret, that we’re trying to raise the money. Could you help keep her from finding out?”
Gizelle smiled like the moon. “I’m good at keeping secrets!” she said enthusiastically. “Oh! Secrets! We haven’t finished reading The Secret Garden! I will ask her to!”
“She’d like that,” Graham said sincerely to her back as she fled from the house, still clutching her tablet.
Conall smiled fondly after her, then scowled self-consciously when he caught Graham watching him.
“I didn’t mean this exact moment,” Graham said, with an apologetic shrug.
“Like I said, she does things in her own time,” Conall said briefly.
They shook hands again, and Graham went to take the news
to the rest of the staff.
Chapter 27
“Hey, handsome!” Alice called as she approached.
Graham stopped raking and leaned on the handle like a Greek statue, his mane of hair golden in the sunlight.
“I keep making you late for work, so I brought you lunch from the buffet,” she said cheerfully.
Graham smiled slowly. “Thanks,” he said gratefully. “Scarlet read us the riot act at the staff meeting today. She had a lot to say about how romance and weddings shouldn’t be keeping us from doing our jobs, and how she can’t run a business if we insist on treating it like a summer camp.”
Alice gave a laughing groan as she handed Graham the plates with the sandwich she’d put together. “She’s probably in a terrible mood.”
“Everyone who can is avoiding her,” Graham agreed.
It wasn’t only the upcoming wedding that was distracting everyone, of course... everyone was doing what they could to get money towards the purchase of the resort, and if the outstanding balance was still intimidating, it was encouraging to watch the total slowly rising as they got in touch with more of Scarlet’s previous guests. Alice had been flabbergasted when Jenny gleefully announced that the Empress of Atlantis had dropped a cool five million into the pot. She wasn’t sure which part of the statement astonished her the most: Empress, Atlantis, or five million.
“Next you’re going to tell me a royal unicorn family is making a donation,” Alice had scoffed in disbelief, trying to think of anything more unbelievable.
“Already did,” Jenny had laughed, pointing to a respectable pledge in the ledger. “Not royalty, quite, but English nobility.”
In ten days, they had raised more than half of the impossible goal.
She and Graham sat together on the bench overlooking the cliffs, the ocean crawling beneath them and beating on the rocks.
There were moments when Alice thought her life was in a perfect, fragile balance.
She was... when she was honest with herself... absolutely head-over-heels in love with a sexy, tenderhearted man with madly talented fingers and fabulous hair.