Meant to Be (13 page)

Shit.

Green eyes wide, Beth stared at Joe in stunned silence as a pretty shade of pink traveled up her long, slender neck. “I…uh…well…You really think I’m hotter?” she asked.

Where the fuck did he go from here?

“Not that I think Sid is hot to begin with, but…” The look on her face told him this was not the right response. “I mean, you dress more like a girl and…” Her eyes narrowed. Where was a shovel when he needed one?

“What are you guys doing?” asked Patty from behind the bar.

“Nothing,” they said in unison, both turning back to face her. Joe kept his eyes on his drink, resisting the urge to press the cold glass to his forehead.

“Am I interrupting something?” Patty asked.

“No,” Beth said, clicking the pen like a hyper squirrel with a nervous tic. “Maybe you could help us.”

Holy shit, if she asked Patty to clear up the “Who is hotter?” question, he was making a break for the door.

“Help with what?” Patty said. Then she tapped the legal pad. “Are we making a guest list for the wedding?”

Nothing like a subtle reminder from the universe. A quick glance to his right revealed Beth gnawing on her bottom lip. Was that a look of guilt on her face?

“No, I guess I haven’t thought that far yet.”

“Oh.” Patty’s shoulders dropped along with her instant enthusiasm. “Then what do you need?”

“Beth wants to organize the merchants to save the island,” he said, going with the safer topic.

“Yes.” Beth sat up straighter, pulling the thin shirt tight across her chest. Joe went back to staring at his soda. “So far we have Lola and Sid. Then Joe mentioned Sid has a brother.”

“Randy Navarro,” Joe said.

“Wha…um…who?”

“Sid’s brother. He owns the water sports setup on the harbor, and the fitness center off Ocean Road.” He glanced over in time to watch a drop of condensation drop from her glass and disappear between her breasts. His palms went damp.

She belongs to Lucas, douche bag.

Writing down Randy’s name, she asked, “There’s a fitness center on this island?”

“We have lots of little businesses you wouldn’t expect,” Patty responded. “Like the day care center. That’s Helga Stepanovich. She lives for the kids, so I can’t imagine her selling out.”

“That’s good.” Beth started writing, then hesitated.

Patty tapped a finger on the page. “Stepanovich. Just like it sounds.”

Beth smiled. “Thanks. Who else?”

“Eddie Travers runs the coffee shop, and his wife, Robin, runs the pottery place,” Joe said. “Good people who’ve been here a long time.”

“Is that the pottery shop with all the wind chimes on the porch?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. You’ve been there?” Other than where he’d taken her today, Joe had no idea where Beth had visited.

“I walk by it on my way to Lola’s. The chimes echoing together make me think of a fairy garden.”

“I have some of those chimes hanging on my back porch,” Joe said, affronted. “Let’s not throw around the term
fairy garden
. What about Floyd Lewinski?”

“I’d put him on there.” Patty filled herself a glass of iced tea. “His wife is buried on this island. He’d stand in front of a bulldozer before he’d let Wheeler have the place.”

“What does Floyd run?” Beth asked.

“The Trading Company. It’s on Back Road, not far from Lola’s place.”

“I saw that the first day, too. Okay, looks like we have a good list to start with.”

“What do we do now?” Joe asked. “In fact, why are we listing the people we know will hold out instead of the ones in danger of caving?”

“That’s simple,” Beth said. “We’re recruiting.”

“Recruiting?”

“Recruiting for what?” asked Patty.

“Supporters to the cause.”

Joe glanced at Patty, who looked as confused as he felt.

Beth tapped the pen against the bar. “Wheeler sent Cruella and that fancy suit guy to talk up the deal, right?”

“Right,” Joe and Patty said together.

“That’s two against the whole island. We already have seven. Add you three and that’s ten. They’re outnumbered, and we’re just getting started.” Beth beamed, hugging the notepad to her chest.

“We have ten people,” Joe said. “Wheeler has millions of dollars. I’m not following.”

“Don’t you see? Cruella and her lackey won’t stand a chance. It’s like a blockade of willpower.”

“Blockade of willpower? Did you just make that up?”

“I did. Sounds cheesy, I guess, but it makes sense.”

“We recruit these others to help spread the word and batten down the hatches, so to speak,” Patty said, her enthusiasm returning, “and Wheeler won’t have a choice but to give up. This could work.”

“What could work?” Tom asked, sliding up next to his wife.

Patty turned and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Our future daughter-in-law has come up with a plan to get rid of Wheeler.”

Tom winked at Beth. “So she’s as smart as she is pretty. What’s the plan?”

“You two decide what you want to eat and I’ll explain the plan to Tom in the kitchen.” Patty slid two menus across the bar. “Nice to see you two getting along.” Turning to Beth, she said, “You’re good for him. He’s never this nice for this long.”

T
om threw Joe a look over Patty’s head, which Joe pretended not to notice. By the time Joe had buried his nose in the menu, Patty had hauled Tom into the kitchen.

“Great,” Beth said, leaning from side to side trying to tug down her skirt. Which didn’t need tugging down at all. “I can talk to Lola this afternoon. She might have some ideas about who needs the most convincing.” Turning to Joe, she asked, “Could you drive me over there?”

“Sure. We can drop Dozer at the house and I’ll come with you.”

“No, no!” Beth said, as if he’d suggested they take off their clothes. Not a bad idea if the situation weren’t so fucked up. “I mean, you need to start with one of the others.” She glanced at the notepad. “You can start with Floyd, since he’s right there by Lola.”

If Beth’s life ever depended on her telling a convincing lie, she’d be in serious trouble. “Why don’t you want me coming to Lola’s with you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want you with me,” she said, wringing her hands. “I just know Lola is going to want to sit and
chat and have tea, and you don’t strike me as the tea-and-chat kind of guy.”

She was lying, but he let it go. “You’re right, I’m not. I’ll talk to Floyd.”

“You said the next meeting of this Merchants Society is Friday?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That doesn’t leave much time to talk to everyone on this list and get them all in one room before the meeting.”

“Why all in one room?” Joe asked. “You just said we would talk to them separately.”

“Sure, but we can’t go into that meeting thinking we have a unified front without everyone sitting down together so we know the strategy. A lawyer would never present a case without making sure everyone on the team was on the same page.”

For the first time since they’d met, Beth sounded like the lawyer she was. Joe couldn’t help but find the take-charge tone sexy. What was it with him and bossy women? That weakness was how he got the island in this mess to begin with.

“Is this what you’re like when you present a case?” Watching her work a courtroom might be worth committing a crime.

Beth shook her head. “I don’t work in the courtroom. I told you, I do research.”

Sounded like a waste of law school tuition. “I don’t know much about being a lawyer, but I thought working cases was the whole point.”

She studied the menu as if she’d never seen it before. “I do the research to back up the cases other lawyers present. I’m better behind the scenes.”

A pinched mouth and the eyes darting from burgers to seafood to side dishes said she wanted to drop the subject. Something made him push. “I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you want,” Beth said, ending the conversation by yelling toward the kitchen. “We’re going, Patty. If Lucas calls, tell him I’ll call him later tonight from the house.”

Before they reached the door Patty yelled, “But you haven’t eaten!” through the service window.

Without missing a step, Beth replied, “We’ll get something later.”

Joe ignored the growl from his stomach as he followed her through the door.

On the thankfully short drive to Island Arts & Crafts, Beth held her breath to keep from screaming, “Shut up!” at the voice in her head. The voice that kept repeating,
Joe thinks we’re hot, Joe thinks we’re hot, Joe thinks we’re hot
. She hoped her mad dash from the moving vehicle came off as excitement to see Lola and not the panicked flight of a woman trying to outrun her traitorous hormones.

“Heavens, woman. What has your sails all aflutter?” Lola asked as Beth dropped into a chair behind the counter. “Nothing but a man can put that look on a woman’s
face.” The accuracy of Lola’s observation did little to calm Beth’s nerves. “Would this have anything to do with how you hopped out of Joe’s Jeep and ran through this door like the hounds of Hell were on your heels?”

Beth clearly sucked at acting nonchalant. “I’m more comfortable talking about the real reason I’m here.”

“You mean something besides my sparkling personality brought you my way?” Lola’s smile assured Beth the words were meant to be a joke.

She laughed, feeling in control again. Mostly. “Your sparkling personality is going to be the hardest thing to leave behind when this vacation is over.”

“Good,” Lola said. “That means you’ll come back.”

“And we’re back to why I’m here. Making sure there’s an island to come back to.” She waited for Lola to take the seat opposite her. As the only person who knew Beth’s law firm represented the Wheelers, she needed to ensure Lola kept the information to herself. “Before I get to that, I have to ask a favor.”

“Anything for you, honey.”

Beth blurted the words before guilt could stop her. “No one can know I work for the law firm that represents Wheeler Development. Can you keep that to yourself?”

Lola’s eyebrows shot up. “Sure, but why the secret?”

“Not a secret, necessarily.” The word
secret
made keeping the information quiet feel that much worse. “It’s just that I’m afraid if the people on the island know, they won’t trust me. And if Cassandra Wheeler finds out I’m helping throw up roadblocks to this project, I have no doubt she’d get me fired with one phone call.”

“That does put you in a tough position.” The older woman tapped her chin then leaned forward. “Are you sure you want to do this? Put your career on the line for people you don’t even know?”

“I know you. And the Dempseys. But even if I didn’t, this island is worth saving.” Beth bounded from her chair to pace the narrow space. “I’ve been on Anchor less than a week and already see why people leave their lives behind to start new ones here.” Though she hadn’t consciously realized what was happening, the words were true. Life was different on Anchor Island. A smaller world, in a good way.

“This place does have a way of growing on a person, I’ll give you that. I came here on vacation and never left.” Lola’s laugh matched the chimes that filled the air whenever the front door opened. The entire shop was a really just a reflection of the vibrant, colorful woman who gave it life.

No wonder Beth liked it so much.

“Then you see what I mean. We can’t stand by and do nothing while Wheeler destroys the island,” Beth said, getting back to her mission. “That’s why we’ve come up with a plan.”

“A plan. I like the sound of that.” Lola waved a fist in the air, prepared to do battle. “Where do we start?”

“The people,” Beth said. “I don’t know if you’ve talked to your neighbors, but as far as we can tell, Wheeler is increasing his offer to most of the merchants. Maybe all.”

“I haven’t asked anyone else, but it would be silly for Mr. Big Man to send his fancy suit down here just for me. He’s certainly offering more than this place is worth if you go by
property value alone, but this store is more than a piece of property. It’s my life.”

Lola’s words strengthened Beth’s resolve. “That’s how the Dempseys feel as well. If we make it clear nothing is for sale, no matter how much he offers, Wheeler will have to give up.”

“Well, honey, if you’re here to recruit me, consider it done, but tourism isn’t what it used to be. This year is looking good so far, but later in the season when it warms up, the kids want amusement parks and water slides. Makes it hard to compete. I know several on the island are struggling. Makes the kind of money Wheeler’s offering hard to resist.”

Beth scooted to the edge of her chair. “That’s why we’re starting with the Merchants Society. One or two businesses alone are worthless to Wheeler. He needs the majority of them, as well as the cabins, to clear the way for the kind of resort he wants to build.” She raised the legal pad from her lap.

“What do you have there?” Lola asked, leaning closer.

“These are the names the Dempseys gave me of merchants they were sure would stand against Wheeler. The plan is to start with these and gather others as we go.” Turning the paper to face Lola, Beth asked, “Is there anyone you’d add? Someone you know for certain wants nothing to do with selling?”