The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance (2 page)

“The magazine gave me a few leads and when I got the portfolio on this one, I knew, he was
your
guy.”

“
My
guy?” Sweat dripped down her back and Alyssa was afraid very little of it had to do with the physical exertion of a few minutes ago.

“Don’t interrupt. He loves photography, children, and charity. Ka-bam. He’s like your soul mate.”

“Ka-bam?” Alyssa exhaled slowly. “He’s probably lying that he loves those things to make himself look good for the press.” She lifted her long hair and fanned her neck.

“Stop stereotyping! Not everyone is like that cheesy politician you dated. What was his name, Joe?”

“Joel.” Okay, maybe she was being stereotypical but that was exactly what her father and his cronies used to do and probably still did. Joel and Hugh were some of the worst. Pretending to be charitable and really only caring about how to take advantage of others.

“Forget about Joel. The hottie Beckham is flying into Maui today. I’ve got his itinerary and one of his stops is your art show and another one is that children’s center you love to visit. He’ll be there for over a week. All you have to do is flirt a bit, get him to ask you out, and then tell me about it. You’re perfect—the classy and beautiful type that every rich guy would be drawn to, plus no man can resist your ethnic flare. Ooh, if I just had that olive skin!” Maryn paused for a breath but Alyssa didn’t feel the need to counter-compliment. Maryn was absolutely gorgeous with her petite frame, blonde hair, and blue eyes, and one of the many things Alyssa loved about her best friend was no matter what she claimed, she didn’t have a jealous bone in her body.

“It’s just a generic article so I won’t put names or pictures in it,” Maryn continued. “See, Easy-schmeasy-lemon-cheesy. You don’t even have to go on the date…” Her voice dropped. “
Unless
you want to.”

“I won’t want to,” Alyssa said too forcefully. She took a long breath, anxiety from the thought of picking up on some rich guy making her a bit light-headed. Why was the name
Beckham
familiar? This had disaster written all over it. “This seems too easy for one of your favors. Why would your editor be interested in a generic article about me getting asked on one date?”

“It’s part of a bigger plan. No worries. Will you do it? Please, please, please?”

“So I don’t have to go out with him, just get him to ask and give him the wrong number?”

“For sure. Great idea.”

Alyssa looked out at the water. She didn’t want to date some wealthy schmoozer. Someday she’d love to find someone who cared for children as much as she did and would be happy taking her on a hike instead of insisting she be his arm candy at some exclusive event. She didn’t need a man trying to buy her affection. Her father’s love language was all dollars, deposits, and dividends—and she used the term “father” in the loosest possible way.

“Hello? Are you still there?” Maryn called out. “Come on Ally. You love me and I need your help.”

How could she turn down one of the two people who had always been there for her? Maryn had been her friend their entire lives. Maryn’s mom had been a maid for Alyssa’s dad from the time Maryn was two. Alyssa’s dad had liked the feisty Maryn so he’d always treated her like a second daughter and paid for both of them to go to girl’s camp or whatever else they begged him for. When they hit teenage years it all changed and they both realized her dad was nothing more than a blackmailing predator, intent on using both of them in whatever way would make him money or make him look good to his friends.

The two girls had moved an hour north of Newport Beach to L.A. breaking away her dad’s influence, and pursuing their dreams with college and then with fledgling careers. A majority of the time, they’d only kept the utilities on because of Alyssa’s photography and Maryn’s nose for finding writing opportunities. If it hadn’t been for Alyssa’s Granny Ellie sneaking money to Maryn every chance she could, they would’ve been forced to the food pantry.

“Okay.” She heard herself concede and sighed.

“Yes! Oh, yeah, that’s my girl.” Maryn sang out. Alyssa knew the happy dance was in full swing. “I’ll send you his picture and all the information for how to snare him.”

“
Snare
him?”

“I mean the places he’ll be the next week in case you don’t get a date offer from the gallery meeting.”

“It’s getting heavy,” Alyssa sighed.

“No, no heaviness, all good things, light things, think cotton candy, pink cotton candy.” Now Maryn would be flinging her hands in lightening gestures. “Email me everything after you meet him and then you’re off the hook.”

“You owe me.”

“I know, but you never ask for repays so I just keep smiling all the way to success.”

“You do that.” Alyssa hit the end button and shoved the phone back in her pocket. She turned around and retraced her route toward Lahaina and the bed and breakfast where she had taken up semi-permanent residence. Alyssa had moved to Maui to escape her father over a month ago. Even though Alyssa would never consent to live with her parents in their Newport Beach mansion, her dad never quit trying to keep tabs on her. She didn’t know when or if she was going back to California and face that family nightmare.

Had she really just agreed to stalk a man until he asked her out? She’d done worse things for Maryn, but this one made her stomach pitch as if she was on a whale-watching tour on stormy seas. Every detail was like a whale’s blowhole spraying rank water at her. At least she didn’t really have to go on the date. Maybe he wouldn’t even be interested in her. She’d give it a try for Maryn—smile and act nice. If she got the offer, then she’d give him a wrong phone number, and make herself scarce the week he was here.

Her shoulders relaxed as the plan formulated and her running became rhythmic and comfortable. Everything would be fine. She could help Maryn out and stay away from rich men who always had an agenda that had nothing to do with what was best for anyone but them. Who cared that she’d never fulfill the pact she’d made with her friends at summer camp? Some things were better left in the past and the Billionaire Brides Pact was buried and dead as far as she was concerned.

Her phone chimed. She didn’t want to stop, but she couldn’t deny herself a quick glimpse at the picture of the man she was supposed to “snare”. She slowed to a walk and opened the email from Maryn and then stopped in her tracks for the second time that morning. Her hand flew to her mouth as her stomach dropped.

“Oh, no. Oh, Maryn. What have you got me into this time? This is never going to work.”

Beck kept his sunglasses on as he exited the plane and made his way toward baggage claim. His assistant, Linli, always laughed at him for flying commercial, but he felt guilty splurging on chartered flights. He picked up his rental car and was on his way to the west side of the island without any incident. Linli was convinced someone had hacked her computer and obtained his schedule, but based on the lack of paparazzi at the airport, it looked like she was being hyper-paranoid. As usual.

Beck’s shoulders relaxed as the tropical breeze blew through the window. Hopefully he could find the photographer, A. A., and talk him into working with Beck’s charity, Jordan’s Buds. Linli had tried every avenue to contact A.A. but the guy really liked his privacy. No contact information anywhere.

After Beck found A.A. he could relax and enjoy the island for the week. It had been much too long since he’d traveled and not had a full agenda. Most of his humanitarian trips had him scheduled every hour of daylight—meeting with officials, coaching and encouraging his charity supervisors, digging wells for clean water, building houses or schools, and visiting children. Time with the children made it all worth it, but he was exhausted. Lying by a beach sounded pretty nice right now.

Siri talked him around the south-western side of the island. The ocean view and the sound of waves crashing was exactly the tonic he needed. He drove through Lahaina and instead of stopping at his bed and breakfast to check in, he went to the first public parking lot he could find close to the beach.

Stepping out of the car, he stretched in the early morning sunlight and simply inhaled the salty tang as he listened to the waves. This was going to be a nice vacation. He studied the deep blue of the ocean, but a noisy family unloading their beach paraphernalia interrupted any relaxation for a minute.

Beck watched as the mother of two demanded her children stay close while she proceeded to stack chairs, umbrella, and a small cooler on her husband’s waiting arms. She climbed back into the car to retrieve more junk while the man stood patiently waiting to be loaded up. Beck couldn’t help but chuckle. The guy didn’t look like he was enjoying himself, but Beck still felt a twinge of jealousy. He wanted that… someday.

A movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. The tow-headed toddler had somehow escaped her parent’s notice as they unloaded their car. The little girl was through the parking lot, halfway across the sand, and headed straight for the water.

“Hey,” Beck yelled.

The dad looked at him in confusion. Beck pointed at the child but quickly realized that he was not only closer, he wasn’t loaded like a pack mule. Beck took off at a sprint toward the water. The little girl walked unsteadily through the sand as the water receded. A large wave surged up the beach headed straight for the child, sweeping her feet out from under her. She cried out in surprise as she fell on her rear. Twenty more yards. Beck increased his speed but the sand slowed his steps. The little girl sat crying in the sand, unaware of the danger as the water had receded and she didn’t see the huge wave rolling toward her. The undercurrent of this wave could take her and nobody would find her again.

“Oomph!” Beck ran straight into a jogger.

The ground came rushing up to meet him. Beck instinctively put his arms around the much smaller runner and curled to the side so he’d take the impact of the hit. The sand was soft and the person small enough, he didn’t feel much pain. He skidded to a stop and glanced into the face of the most beautiful woman he’d encountered in a long, long time. For a second he could only stare, unable to remember simple facts, like his own name.

She didn’t say anything, just stared at him, her dark eyes filled with shock.

Remembrance came rushing back like the wave that could take the little girl. He released his hold on the woman and rushed out the words, “I’m so sorry. The little girl.”

He looked up. The child was face down in the water and the wave was tugging her small frame back into its depths. Her parents were screaming and running for her, but Beck was still closer. He pushed off the ground, ran the final steps, and scooped the toddler up. Her face was covered with wet sand and she was coughing and sputtering for air.

The mother reached him first and snatched her little girl from his arms. The child sucked in a full breath and Beck breathed easier himself. He turned away to look for the woman he’d run into, but the father of the child came rushing up and pumped his hand, thumping him on the back. “Thanks, oh, man. Thanks. Sara. My little girl.”

The man continued thanking him and Beck said “you’re welcome” and “no problem” until he felt like a recording. He backed away smiling and acknowledging the thanks before spinning to try and glimpse the woman he’d literally ran into. Sadly, she had disappeared.

He debated trying to run after her, but knew he probably wouldn’t catch her as he wasn’t dressed to run and didn’t know if she’d continued along the shoreline or turned up one of the streets of Lahaina. He wandered the beach for a little bit, trying to trace her footprints but there were too many. Plowing into her had all happened so quickly, but the feel of her in his arms and the beauty of her dark eyes wouldn’t be something he’d soon forget. He had to see her again, even if just to know if she was as perfect as he remembered. Getting to know her or asking her out was too much to dream of at this point, but he’d do about anything for another glimpse at her face.

After a while, he returned to the spot where he’d seen her. Still no sign that she had ever been there. The little family was all happily playing in the sand, unaware of what Beck had missed out on. Beck climbed back into his car and drove the couple of blocks to the Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it looked clean and comfortable, just like he liked. The host, Jerry, greeted him by the breakfast buffet in the outdoor courtyard.

“Just in time for breakfast,” the fifty-something man with a large smile and balding head said. His skin was too pale to be a native, but he looked like he’d lived here long enough to be relaxed and always grinning. “Those redeye flights are awful. Let’s get you checked into your room and then you can come join us or get some sleep if you’re exhausted.”

“Thanks, breakfast sounds great.” Beck went inside Jerry’s office, signed in and verified that the correct credit card was on file then hefted his luggage and followed Jerry back outside and up several flights of exterior stairs.

The same woman from the beach descended the stairs toward them. Beck stuttered back a step. He didn’t think he’d ever see her again and this view hit him as hard as when he’d crashed into her on the beach.