Up to the Challenge (An Anchor Island Novel) (2 page)

“How long is that?”

“Another month.”

Patty nodded. “Sid?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not letting Tom out of my sight, and that puts us two people down instead of one,” she said. “Could you help cover for me?”

“If Joe recruits one of the high school kids to run the charters with him.” Sid looked to Joe for his reaction and got a nod of approval. “Then I’m there. But I just need to be available for mechanic work if a call comes in.”

“I’m sure we can work around that,” Patty said. “It’s all settled then. Beth can work with Joe to cover nights, and Sid will help Lucas during the day.”

With Lucas? Sid hadn’t thought that far ahead. She’d never experienced seasickness in her life, but the thought of working side by side with the guy for whom she’d secretly pined for more than ten years made her queasy. Or not so secretly, since Joe knew. And thanks to Sid’s brother, Randy, Beth did, too.

Sid made eye contact with Beth, reading the unspoken question in her eyes.

This is good, right?

Then she turned to Lucas to catch his reaction. He looked like someone had just shit in his shoe.

Not from where I’m standing
, she thought.

Life was about to become a living hell. Or rather, even more of a living hell than it had been since his fiancée had fallen in love with his brother. Lucas didn’t regret having been the one to convince Beth and Joe not to become martyrs for his sake. Lucas had loved Beth, or thought he had the night he’d proposed. And he loved his brother for all they understood each other, which wasn’t much.

Something had happened to Beth back in May when he’d left her on Anchor with his family to head back to Richmond for a case. The change could have been caused by Joe, or the island, or maybe the distance from Lucas and the law firm where they’d worked together. Whatever the reason, the Beth he’d left behind was not the woman waiting when he returned.

In fact, she’d been Elizabeth to him. He still struggled to call her Beth. Back in Richmond, he didn’t have to call her anything. The gossip in the office had been a pain in the ass, but faded into ancient history as soon as Van Dyke got caught boffing his assistant in the janitor’s closet.

Beth claimed she’d never set out to hurt him. She’d been living a lie for a long time, pretending to be someone else to make people happy, and somehow he’d become part of that lie. One more person she’d set out to please. The truth was, whether he’d brought her to Anchor or not, their life together never would have worked out.

Which drove him nuts, but he wasn’t about to let Beth know that. Or anyone else. So she’d picked his brother over him. Nothing new there.

Through no effort of his own, and exuding no discernible charm Lucas could see, Joe had always come out on top. People
loved
him. More importantly, they respected him. They listened when he talked, cleared a path when he crossed a room.

Being Joe Dempsey’s little brother was like playing second fiddle to a set of spoons, which was why Lucas preferred to live elsewhere. In Richmond, he was the star attorney. The up-and-coming counselor. Or he had been until Beth dumped him for Joe.

“Hey there,” came a soft voice from behind him. Speak of the devil. “This is a really nice thing you’re doing.”

Lucas kept his eyes on the vending machine before him. “Yeah. Well. Mom and Dad need me. I’m here for them.”

Beth leaned on the corner of the machine. “And you’re sure this won’t be a problem? Getting away from the firm?”

He should have known she’d wonder about that. “Not a problem.” Lucas pushed the number-letter combination for barbeque chips, then watched the steel rod turn. The chips stayed put. “Damn it.”

Beth ignored the expletive. “Leaving in the middle of a case isn’t going to cause issues? No one wants you to jeopardize your career.”

Lucas smacked the glass between him and the chips. Nothing. “I’m not in the middle of a case.” Another smack. The chips didn’t budge.

“Oh,” Beth said. “Then you just wrapped one up? Did you win?”

Meeting her eyes for the first time, he blurted, “I’m on leave. I lost three cases in a month and Holcomb
suggested
I take a leave of absence until I’ve ‘regained my focus,’ as he put it.” Lucas turned back to the machine to stare at the unattainable bag of chips. There was a metaphor in there somewhere.

His former fiancée stayed quiet, indicating she might hopefully be ready to drop the subject. No such luck. “I’m sorry. How long have you been off?”

“Two weeks.”

“And you didn’t tell us?” she asked. “Were you going to come down here?”

He shook his head, filtering through the possible replies. He picked honesty. “If what I need is focus, Anchor is the last place I’m likely to find it.” Then before he could stop the words, he said, “That’s more like returning to the scene of the crime.”

Beth inhaled sharply and his gut churned. He’d sworn he wouldn’t do this. “Look. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

Beth shook her head. “No, it’s all right. We knew this was going to be a transition.” She blushed. “That’s not the right word. I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” he interrupted. No reason to make this more difficult than it had to be. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll make this work.” He tried a grin but his heart wasn’t in it. “Six weeks. We can handle six weeks, right?”

Beth seemed to spot someone coming up behind him and straightened. “Right. Six weeks. I’d better get back in the room.”

Lucas turned to see Sid Navarro coming down the hall. The pint-sized boat mechanic had been on the fringe of his
reality since high school, but he wouldn’t say they were friends. Not like she and Joe were. In fact, Lucas couldn’t remember ever having a real conversation with the woman.

Every time he saw her, she was either snarling at someone, or covered in grease and cursing a blue streak. She had to be the least ladylike chick he’d ever met.

“How’s it going?” Sid said, joining him at the machine. He expected an assault of diesel fumes but instead caught the scent of … watermelon?

“Hi.”

Chocolate brown eyes met his for a brief moment, then turned to the display of junk food. “You getting something?”

“Trying to.” He pulled his eyes from the smooth patch of olive skin exposed under her ponytail. “The machine is holding my chips for ransom, and I’m not paying. Guess I’ll go without.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Sid stepped forward and pressed her ear to the side of the worthless box of bolts.

As she moved to listen at another spot, Lucas asked, “What are you—” but she shushed him with one finger in front of his nose. His mouth clamped shut.

Pulling back, Sid smacked the side of the machine with the butt of her hand, causing his chips to drop into the tray. He’d smacked the damn thing twice and gotten nothing.

“How did you do that?”

Sid shrugged. “I’ve got a way with machines. Are those the right chips?”

“Yeah.” Lucas pushed the door to retrieve the snack as Sid pulled a wallet from her back pocket. “You don’t carry a purse?”

She looked at him as if he’d asked if she had meth for sale. “Do I look like a purse carrier to you?”

He took in the hoodie, cargo pants, and work boots. “Guess not.”

“You good with this working together thing?” she asked, falling into step beside him, after retrieving her candy bar from the drawer. Which fell on the first try.

“Fine with me. You probably know the staff better than I do. That should help until I get my bearings and the staff realizes I’m in charge.”

Sid stopped. “
You’re
in charge?”

Lucas crossed his arms, nearly smashing his chips. “It
is
my family’s business.”

She crossed her arms, mimicking his stance. Her head didn’t reach his shoulder but she still managed to look like a badass. Must have been the boots. “I’m covering for Patty, who is as much in charge, if not
more
so, than your dad. So you may be in charge of everyone else, but you’re not in charge of me.”

Lucas debated how to handle the situation. He was used to being in charge, leading the team. Having a coleader would be something new. Running a restaurant wasn’t the same as running a legal team, and deep down, he knew he needed her. He could always take the upper hand later if necessary.

“Equals?”

“That’s right.”

“We’ll see.” Not the strongest comeback, but for a tiny woman, Sid had a steady gaze.

“For a lawyer, you suck at this.” Sid started walking again, then turned back to face him. “I hope you tend bar
better than you argue, or I’m going to have to cover the whole damn place.”

With that she disappeared into the hospital room, leaving Lucas in the hall with a bag of crushed chips and a bruised ego. Six weeks in hell had officially begun.

CHAPTER TWO

T
hirty minutes later, the floor nurse announced visiting hours were over. After a brief round of good-byes, Lucas left his keys with Patty so she could use his car, then the younger generation headed for the parking garage. No one spoke until the elevator opened to Joe and Beth’s floor.

“Do you guys mind if I ride with Sid?” Lucas asked, drawing blank stares all around. “It’s a long drive and she shouldn’t have to make it alone.”

Sid tried to remain nonchalant about riding with Lucas. Alone. Her teenage self would have had a mental breakdown had this situation arisen all those years ago. But she was no longer a teenager, and this man had no idea he’d been the star of her fantasies for more than a decade.

She tried to be offended at the assumption she couldn’t drive an hour in the dark alone, but Lucas’s true motivation shone through loud and clear on his face. This had everything to do with his own mental preservation and nothing at all to do with Sid’s safety.

She hoped the man didn’t fancy himself a poker player.

“We don’t mind,” Beth said, giving Joe a
just agree with me
look.

“No,” Joe said, catching on quicker than Sid would have expected. “No problem.”

Beth dragged Joe away from the elevator and the doors slid closed. Sid waited until they’d stepped out at the next level before speaking. “If you think you can avoid them for the next six weeks, you’ve forgotten Anchor is the size of a postage stamp.”

“I haven’t forgotten anything. I’m just not in the mood tonight.”

“So long as you wallow in silence, I’m good with it.” Sid wasn’t sure why she was provoking him, but it seemed a good enough way to keep a sort of distance between them.

Lucas stopped. “I’m not wallowing.”

Sid kept moving. “Yes, you are.”

“What do you know?” he said. Hard to believe this man argued legal cases in front of a jury. Good thing he was pretty.

“I know a man stuck in a pout when I see one.” Distance shmistance, Sid had no intention of contributing to Lucas’s pity party, especially not over another woman. She was more the snap-out-of-it type than the huggie type. Sid didn’t hug as a rule. “Truck’s over here.”

“You like this with everyone or am I just special?” Lucas joined her next to the Chevy, looking like he might change his mind and run off to catch Joe and Beth.

Sid unlocked the passenger door, then turned to face her long-time crush.
Don’t let it show.
“If we’re going to spend our days together, we need to get something straight right now. I’m not a coddler. I’m not going to nurse that damaged ego of yours, and I’m sure as hell not going to tiptoe
around trying not to say something that might make you feel bad.”

His full lips flattened. “I hope you’re not on the island welcoming committee.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know. That maybe your attitude would send a shark racing in the other direction.” Lucas leaned on the truck bed, looking proud of himself for that one.

Sid gave him her best
fuck you
look and headed around the front of the truck.

“And another thing,” Lucas said, following her. “You can drop that chip on your shoulder at the door.”

“Screw you.”

“You might be the first woman I’ve ever met with a Napoleon complex.”

Sid stopped. No one made fun of her height. She counted to ten as she turned. The man was hurting, but he’d crossed a line.

“Unless you want to walk your scrawny ass back to Anchor, I suggest you shut your mouth and get in the truck. And walk around the back because I’m already tempted to run over you.”

She opened the door and climbed up, struggling to control her temper. For fourteen years she’d longed to gain this man’s attention. Talk about a case of careful what you wish for.

Sid tapped a thumb on the base of the wheel, waiting for Lucas to reach the other side. If she started the truck with him standing outside, the acoustics of the parking garage might damage his eardrums.

When he finally opened the passenger door, he said quietly, “I need to get my stuff out of my car.” The temper he’d displayed seconds before had vanished.

“Didn’t you give your key to your mom?”

“The lock is a combination. I don’t need the key to get my bag.”

Sid sighed. “Where’s your car?”

Lucas looked around. “I’m not sure. What level is this?”