Meant to Be (15 page)

Beth paced the Dempseys’ kitchen as she waited for Lucas to pick up on the other end. She’d tried to call three times the night before with no answer. Knowing Lucas, he’d turned off his cell phone ringer during a late meeting and never turned it back on. The fact he had yet to return her calls meant the ringer was probably still off. It also meant he hadn’t thought about calling her on his own.

She tried not to be bothered by the fact her fiancé hadn’t talked to her in days and showed no sign of missing her. But trying not to be bothered and not being bothered were two different things. Back in Richmond she could drop into his office when he didn’t return her calls. Being ignored from two hundred fifty miles away left more of a sting.

“Hello?” said Lucas, finally answering his office phone.

“Hi, it’s me.” Beth struggled to sound happy instead of annoyed.

“Is everything all right?” Lucas asked.

Beth didn’t realize something had to be wrong to give them a reason to talk. “I was about to ask you the same question. Haven’t heard from you in a while, and you didn’t pick up when I called last night.”

Lucas sighed. She could picture him running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Sorry about that. This case is kicking my ass. The whole team worked through the weekend.”

Beth reminded herself again how important this case was to Lucas’s career, but her patience was wearing thin. Lola’s words played on a loop in her mind, poking at her conscience. Was Lucas really the one? The once-in-a-lifetime guy? Her brain gave one answer while her heart gave another.

“I know you’re busy. I just miss you.” She leaned on the counter, twirling the tea towel in a circle. “You haven’t forgotten about me, have you?”

“Of course not. Why would you say that?” At least now she had his attention.

“Oh, I don’t know. Because I’m more than two hundred miles away, spending our vacation by myself?”

“You’re not supposed to be by yourself.”

“I know. You’re supposed to be here.”

The sound of papers shuffling traveled through the phone, and Beth felt a twinge of irritation that he couldn’t stop working long enough to talk to her.

“No, I mean my family is there with you. They aren’t leaving you to fend for yourself, are they? Is Joe giving you a hard time?”

Beth bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to talk about Joe with Lucas. “No, no. They’re being very sweet and I’m making my way around the island. Like I said,” she sighed, “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, but you know these—”

“Kinds of cases are important for your career,” Beth finished for him. “Yes, I know.” She heard the papers shuffle again and knew he’d end the call soon. “Speaking of your career, you’re not working on the Wheeler account, are you?”

The line fell silent for half a beat. “Why do you ask?”

She didn’t appreciate the classic answer-a-question-with-a-question, but chose not to call him on it. “I saw Cassandra Wheeler coming out of your office a couple times recently,” she said, letting the words drop like live grenades into the conversation.

“I didn’t realize you knew Cassandra Wheeler.” Still not answering the question. There was a reason Lucas was so good in court.

“I didn’t until a couple days ago. She’s here on the island.”

More silence. She could almost hear his wheels turning, and her chest tightened.

“Has anyone told you Cassandra was once engaged to my brother?”

“Yes, they have.”

“If she’s there, it’s because of Joe. You should stay out of it.”

“Out of what, Lucas? You never answered my question.” Pushing for answers wasn’t Beth’s usual way, but she wanted to know what Cassandra Wheeler wanted with Joe.

“I told you, Cassandra was engaged to Joe. She stopped in to see me as an old friend.”

“So you’re friends with your brother’s ex-fiancée? Does Joe know about this?” Beth twisted the tea towel into a knot.

“I wouldn’t call her a friend, and there’s nothing for Joe to know.” Lucas still hadn’t answered the question, and he had the nerve to sound put out. “Look, I have another meeting in two minutes. It would be best if you avoided Cassandra and stayed out of Joe’s business.”

“Do you know she’s here trying to talk people into selling their land to her father?”

“She’s what?” A muffled voice sounded in the background, and Lucas said, “I’ll be there in a minute, Pamela.” Then back to Beth. “They’re trying to buy up Anchor?”

“You didn’t know? Cassandra didn’t mention it during her friendly visits?” Beth felt her temper rise. The feeling was new and unfamiliar. “Tad Wheeler wants this island, and we’re trying to stop him.”

“What do you mean ‘we’? As an employee of this law firm, you cannot work against the interests of one of our clients.” Lucas’s words came out in a rush, indicating he was rattled. “Maybe you should come home.”

A voice inside declared,
I am home!
Beth rubbed her temple, unable to deal with that revelation. “Are you saying you don’t care about this island and the people on it?”

“Of course I care,” Lucas said, frustration in his voice. “But people have been on that island for three centuries, and I have no doubt they’ve faced bigger challenges than…” His voice lowered as if he was afraid to be overheard. “Tad Wheeler. Hell, Joe would man the torpedoes before he’d let anyone take that island. You need to stay out of it.”

Beth disliked Lucas in that moment. “I’m helping the locals get organized. As of now, Cassandra Wheeler doesn’t know who I am or where I work. My goal is to keep it that way.” Unable to help herself, she asked, “Do you know what happened between her and Joe?”

An uncharacteristic snort came through the line. “No idea. The only thing Joe ever said was that he couldn’t give Cassie what she wanted. He never told me what that meant, and I didn’t push the issue.”

“How well do you know her?” For reasons Beth couldn’t explain, this answer mattered more than the others.

“Not well. The two times she came to see me in the last month were my first encounters with her since they broke up. The first time she said she was in the building and decided to stop by. I think we might have chatted about the weather. Mundane stuff. The second time she asked how often I went home—back to Anchor. After I said almost never, she remembered another appointment and left.” Beth heard what sounded like a door opening, and Lucas said, “I really have to go. Just stay away from Cassie, okay?”

“I will,” Beth said, since avoiding Cruella de Vil was the one thing they could agree on. “Call me when you get a chance. And good luck with the case.”

“Thanks. I’m still trying to get back down there, but it’s not looking good.”

Beth sighed. “Just do what you can.”

“And hey.” His voice dropped again. “Try to keep Joe away from Cassie, too.”

He wasn’t telling her everything, but at least Lucas did care about his brother. “I’ll see what I can do.”

B
eth expected the Power Center to look like every other Anchor business she’d encountered so far. Small, unassuming, laid-back. A machine or two hovering near a mirror and maybe an exercise ball for the ambitious. The dumbbells would be anchored by coconuts instead of actual weights.

She should have known better than to make assumptions.

Behind the large, ground-to-gutter window, a line of treadmills and elliptical machines stood in rows like soldiers prepared for a siege. Metal and chrome ready to take on the battle of the bulge. Crossing the threshold, Beth looked up as a bell jingled overhead. Maybe there was a “chimes on door” ordinance in place on the island.

“Welcome to the Power Center,” said a perky redhead from behind the front desk. The turquoise color of her shirt matched the paint covering every surface within sight.

“I’m here to see Randy Navarro,” Beth replied. “He’s expecting me.”

“Your name?”

“Elizabeth Chandler.” Raising her sunglasses to the top of her head, Beth added, “I’m a little early, so I can wait if necessary.”
Joe had told her to be at the gym at eleven thirty to catch Randy on his lunch hour, but waiting around at the house was making her nervous, so she’d left earlier than she should have.

“I’ve got it, Abby,” said a giant of a man who’d come around the end of the wall behind Abby’s head. A white towel rested around a neck the size of Beth’s thigh, while the massive breadth of his chest and shoulders made one wonder how he fit through doorways. Damp hair, dark as night, curled over his ears with one wayward curl settled on his forehead.

His brown eyes looked oddly gentle, and his smile, a perfect row of white teeth behind full lips, softened the menacing effect of his overwhelming stature. The resemblance to Sid was obvious, if one didn’t count the noticeable difference in attitude. Where Sid was harsh and confrontational, this bear of a man looked welcoming and friendly.

Staring at him felt like getting an extra shot of estrogen in her latte. The man belonged on the cover of a romance novel.

“You must be the Beth Joe told me about,” Randy said, extending a hand. She obliged, managing not to sigh when he brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “No wonder Joe warned me you’re off-limits.”

“I am?” Beth asked, an estrogen fog hampering her brain function. “Oh yes, I am. Engaged. Of course I am.”

“Engaged?” Randy’s brows drew together, and Beth forced herself to pull her hand from his.

“Yes. To Lucas Dempsey, Joe’s brother.”

“Lucas? Huh. That explains it.” Beth was still processing that response when Randy said, “We can talk in my office. This way.”

Her trek through the gym revealed two things. One, Anchor sported more than one Hulk-size individual if the two men lifting weights in the far corner were any indication. Each looked as if he could bench-press a bus without breaking a sweat.

And two, feeling like a bug that could be squashed at any moment was a nerve-racking experience. Not that she feared Randy Navarro, but his size and height, more than a foot taller than her five foot five, were flat-out intimidating. The fleeting thought as to what kind of woman would be attracted to this kind of man brought two words to mind.

Size matters
.

Beth shut down that train before it left the station.

“Thank you for taking the time to see me. I know you’re busy running two businesses here on the island.”

Randy stopped before an open door, stepped to the side, and motioned her in. “When Joe mentioned the name Wheeler, I was happy to make the time. Having this chat with a beautiful woman instead of Joe’s ugly mug is a bonus.”

Beth took in the spacious office as she settled into the chair Randy indicated. The walls were covered with pictures of what looked to be a man hell-bent on killing himself. Glancing to a shot on her left, she realized that man was Randy himself.

Whether trailing a wilted parachute behind him, riding a giant wave on a surfboard, or standing atop a snowy mountain looking like the abominable snowman, the common denominator in every picture was joy.

Randy Navarro didn’t just live, he attacked life with something between sheer joy and a death wish. Which
begged the question: What was an adrenaline junkie doing on a tiny island known more for its history and laid-back lifestyle than heart-racing attractions?

“Would you like a drink? We have water, vitamin water, and a variety of sport drinks.”

“No, thank you, I’m fine.” Beth remembered what Randy had said before they moved to the office. “When you said ‘That explains it,’ what did you mean?”

“Why Sid doesn’t like you,” he said, pulling a red bottle from a small fridge behind his desk. “You’re engaged to Lucas, so that explains it.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Why would that matter to Sid?”

“Sid’s been half in love with Lucas since high school. Joe should have told you so you’d be prepared. I know my sister can be a bit…abrasive at times.”

Abrasive? Feral cats were abrasive. Sid the boat mechanic was downright mean. And she had a thing for Lucas. No wonder the pint-size playmate looked ready to kill her.

“Joe never mentioned it. Does Lucas know how Sid feels about him?”

“I doubt it. Lucas always had a one-track mind, and that was getting off this island as soon as possible.” Randy took a drink and then continued. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how ambitious he is. Ambition gave him tunnel vision, and Sidney Ann was never able to find her way into his line of sight.”

“Did you say Sidney Ann?” The feminine middle name warred with the image of the tomboyish, hard-nosed woman Beth had met in the pool room.

“That’s what we call her in the family. Needless to say, she hates it.” Randy flashed a conspiratorial smile, giving a glimpse of an agitating big brother.

“Maybe it’s good Lucas is back in Richmond, then,” Beth said, struggling to imagine how any man could overlook a woman built like Sid Navarro. “But we should move on to the reason I’m here. I’m assuming Wheeler Development has been contacting you about negotiating a buyout?”

“They have, and it’s damned annoying. Excuse my language. I’ve told the man no in writing, on the phone, and now in person to that little suit he sent down here.” Randy pulled a stack of envelopes from his top drawer. “The offer gets bigger with each new contact. If he’s doing this same thing with others, I won’t be surprised if a few give in.”

“That’s what we want to prevent.” Beth scooted to the edge of her chair. “By organizing the merchants to stand together as a solid no, we make sure Wheeler doesn’t get a single business. If the weaker ones see a united front, they’ll hold their ground.”

Randy sat back, tapping a finger against the plastic bottle. “Sounds like a solid approach. Our Merchants Society is informal at best, but I’m positive no one wants to see this island turned into a money-sucking resort.”

“We’re having a meeting at Dempsey’s Restaurant Thursday night to discuss how to present the idea to the rest of the merchants at the meeting on Friday. Will you join us?”

“I’ll be there. Who else have you talked to?”

Beth pulled the list of names from her purse. “Lola LeBlanc and Floyd Lewinski. Floyd is bringing in Helga Stepanovich, and I’ll be talking to Eddie and Robin Travers tomorrow to sign them up as well.”