by Rebecca York
The woman behind the counter smiled. “I like you. You’ve got spunk.” She handed Eliana the receipt. “If you change your mind on the cookie exchange, just let Levi know.”
“Will do.” Eliana pushed her cart to the car and loaded up the items. During the drive back to Castaways, she went over in her mind last night’s conversation with Levi—not just the proposal, but the fact that he said he wanted to kiss her but didn’t. Not even after they’d returned from a leisurely moonlit boat ride down the Intracoastal.
What disturbed Eliana the most was that she would have let him, and she would have participated.
Hell, she might have considered going home with the man, and that would have been a bad idea.
“Shit,” she muttered, noting Stephanie’s car in the parking lot of Castaways. She supposed she had to respect the woman’s persistence.
“Hello.” Stephanie stepped from the main entryway wearing white high heels and a white mini skirt with a black spaghetti-strap top. Her large, most definitely fake, breasts pushed out of the top of the fabric. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to wait too long for you.”
“What do you want? I’ve got a ton of work to do.” She snagged her bags and waltzed right past Stephanie. Eliana didn’t owe the woman anything, not even the time of day.
“I thought maybe we could have a drink and get to know one another.” Stephanie held up a bottle of wine. “I even brought two glasses since I figured you wouldn’t have any yet and some chocolate treats from Turtle Pie. They have the best fudge ever.”
Eliana didn’t feel like breaking bread, so to speak, with Stephanie. “I’m sorry, but I’m super busy.”
“Everyone needs to take a break. Come on. Let’s have a nice little girl party.”
Girl party? Who said that? Eliana opened her mouth to tell Stephanie to take a hike when she realized it might be wise to take the time and ask some probing questions. Eliana’s heart raced as if she were running the Boston Marathon.
A thick lump formed in Eliana’s throat. Stephanie reminded her of a tiger on the hunt, waiting patiently to pounce on her prey. Eliana had met women like Stephanie at the country club with her ex-husband. They always looked fabulous with their manicured nails, designer clothes, and perfectly styled hair. They were the kind of women that would toss their own mother under the bus if it meant getting what they wanted.
“One glass.” Eliana held up a shaky finger. “And then I really need to get back to work.” This had to go under the category of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Hell, she’d moved so far away from her cozy world that she’d need a spaceship to find her way back.
Stephanie smiled sweetly, though behind it loomed a vulture waiting to swoop down and attack.
“What brought you to Jupiter?” Stephanie asked.
Wonderful. Small talk. “This place.”
“That’s it?” Stephanie asked as she brought her plastic glass to her lips, sticking her pinky out like a total snob. “No family? What about a boyfriend? I bet you have one of those.”
“Nope.”
Stephanie leaned in. “Are you interested in Levi, because if you are, I need to warn you to back off.”
“Excuse me?” Eliana set her glass down. She didn’t handle confrontation well, but she didn’t take too kindly to threats, and that certainly sounded menacing.
“Levi has been through a lot, and while he seems like a sweet man with a big heart, he’s got some serious issues, but we’re working on them, and I don’t need you prancing around distracting him.”
Eliana relaxed a little in her seat. Dealing with jealous women had been par for the course when she’d been dating Gino. Things changed when they’d gotten married, since she’d been the one to become jealous, and later scorned. “Do you have feelings for him?” she asked.
Stephanie sipped her wine as if she were royalty. “We have a complicated relationship.”
Relationship? Was this woman being serious?
“But he’s not the main reason I came to speak to you. We need to discuss the future of Castaways.”
Eliana arched a brow. “I’m not sure there is anything to discuss there. This is my restaurant, and I will do what I think is best.”
Stephanie tipped her glass, finishing the last drop before taking a napkin and wiping it out, then placing it back in her little designer wine bag. “My client wants to make you another offer. One you really need to entertain.”
“I’m not interested.” Eliana’s heart thumped in her throat.
“You might be after you hear what I have to say,” Stephanie said with a sweet smile.
Eliana doubted it. She stared at the lighthouse, focusing on the current tour milling about at the top. “I’m not selling, so you can tell your client to look elsewhere.”
“My father works for the town, and he told me just this morning that the town will be taking control of the property on the first of the year because of back taxes and fines.”
Eliana’s pulse kicked up a notch. “That’s not an issue.”
“You paid the bill? Including all the fines? Because I heard that number came close to sixty thousand dollars, and that’s the number my client is willing to pay you for the land.”
Eliana had seen that number and panicked, but the town assured her that was only if she didn’t pay on or before the tenth of December and if she failed to comply with all the town ordinates by the end of the year. “My financial situation is none of your business. Tell your client I’m still not interested.”
“That’s not going to work for my client.” Stephanie gathered all her things and stood. “He’s a very powerful man, and he’s going to have this property. You can either try to fight it and walk away with nothing, or you can do the smart thing.”
“Who is your client?” As much as Eliana wanted to avoid spending any time with this woman, the smart thing would be to find out as much as she could about the client and his motivations. If she learned anything from her ex-husband and his business, it was to never dismiss anyone, even if you thought you’d never do a deal with them, simply because you never knew how underhanded they might be.
Of course, Gino had been the underhanded one in almost everything he did.
“Craig Williams. He’s got great vision and will bring money into Jupiter, which is what the town and the residents want. Castaways has never made it because it doesn’t bring anything of value to the community. It’s always been a run-down bar that attracts the wrong kind of clientele.”
“My Castaways on the Inlet is going to be a huge success. I have big plans and that includes giving back to the community, and I won’t tolerate bad behavior in my establishment.” Eliana stood and smoothed down the front of her shorts, hoping her shaking hands didn’t give away her nerves.
“Not if you keep it like every other restaurant owner did before, which it looks like that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
Eliana bit down on the inside of her cheek. “You have no idea what I’m going to do with this place, and I resent you even implying that.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you, but it doesn’t look like you’re making any changes. But that’s not even the bigger point. My client goes to the town this week with their proposal for the waterfront, and the concept will be approved. From there, we can push you out, so it’s best to sell at this price; otherwise, you might not get anything. Trust me, this is a generous offer.”
It was an insult. “I’ll take my chances,” Eliana said. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got a lot of work to do today.” She nearly swallowed her tongue. If she had ever tried to dismiss Gino, or anyone in his family, she would have been scolded like a small child.
“Suit yourself.” Stephanie tossed her purse over her shoulder. “You have until the end of the week and then the offer goes away.”
“Have a good day.” Eliana waited for Stephanie to leave before she plopped herself down on a stool and let out a much-needed breath. She shook out her hands. Standing her ground had never
been her strong suit. She had allowed Gino to take her voice away and telling Stephanie to take a hike had made her heart beat so fast she thought it might pop right out of her chest.
“I’m not giving up,” she whispered.
But she wasn’t sure what to do next. Should she go it alone and hope the sharks like Stephanie and her client didn’t swallow her whole? Or did she take Levi’s offer?
She pulled out her cell phone, tapped the internet browser, and Googled his name once again.
Nothing.
It was like the man was a ghost, and that gave her pause. She should know more about him before signing on the dotted line.
She’d at least spend the rest of the day contemplating that thought.
***
The military had taught Levi many lessons in life, and patience had been one of them, but he found himself constantly glancing at his watch ever since he’d dropped off his morning charter. He’d expected Eliana to give him an answer when he’d seen her before the charter left, but nope, she told him she still needed to mull it over.
When he’d returned from sea, she’d given him the same answer. He’d spent the rest of the afternoon helping her clean out the kitchen, preparing for the new appliances, if she ordered them.
He couldn’t hide his annoyance as he stomped about the main bar area. He slammed the hammer on the counter before jumping up on the stool. It wobbled, and it took a second for him to stable himself.
“How’s it coming?” She peeked her head out of the kitchen and smiled at him as she adjusted her ponytail high on her head.
“It might be faster if I had an answer so I knew exactly what I should be focusing on,” he mumbled.
“Someone is in a bad mood.”
He didn’t mind busting his ass to get the job done, even if she turned him down, but if that were the case, there was no longer any sense of urgency, yet she moved about the property as if it all had to be done yesterday.
“You’ve had all day; so what’s it going to be?” He fiddled with the metal rolling door. He would need to get some power tools to take this sucker down. Of course, they couldn’t order the new one and have it installed until Eliana made a decision on whether or not she’d take him on as a partner.
“I’m leaning in one direction, but I’m still mulling it over.”
He hopped off the stool and stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. “What’s the problem?”
“You,” she said.
“Huh?” He blinked. How the hell could he be the problem? He was the one offering her the solution.
“You’re waffling between a small child who was told he couldn’t have a cookie and a demanding asshole like my ex-husband, and I’m not sure I want to be partners with a man like that. Not to mention, I barely know anything about you.”
“What do you want to know?” He tossed his hands wide. “My credit score?”
She turned on her heels and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Levi mentally kicked himself in the ass. He should have been more sensitive to how she might feel about him pressuring her, though asking if she’d made a decision wasn’t really pressure, but he could see how she would take it that way.
Next time she popped her head out, he’d have to apologize.
Again.
Seemed he had to do a lot of that around Eliana.
“Uncle Levi!” Cloe’s voice rang out.
Levi bent down on one knee and stretched out his arms as little Cloe ran across the sandy pavement with her arms flapping in the wind like a wild animal. “How’s my little munchkin?”
Cloe jumped, wrapping her pudgy arms around his shoulders. Her fat little fingers clasped behind his neck, and her lips smacked against his cheek. “Did you hear I got a puppy? His name is Harley. Like Daddy’s bike.”
“I heard Harley ate your mom’s favorite Jimmy Choos.” He adjusted Cloe on his good hip and waved toward her parents who were unloading the supplies Leslie had decided to donate to Castaways.
Cloe pursed her lips. “Mommy wasn’t happy about that.”
Levi chuckled. “I’m sure she wasn’t.”
“Daddy said you have a new friend and that you’re smitten with her. What does smitten mean?”
Levi choked on his laugh just as Eliana stepped from the kitchen.
“Is that her?” Cloe kicked her legs. “Put me down!”
“Say please,” Levi said, finding his voice, hoping Cloe would manage to stop being her normal inquisitive, precarious self, but he suspected that would be too much to ask of a four-year-old.
Cloe rolled her eyes. “Please.”
“Cloe, this is my new friend Eliana.”
Eliana smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“My daddy said he thinks you’re the perfect woman to get Levi off the pot. He said Uncle Levi is smitten with you. What does smitten mean?”
Eliana arched a brow as she glanced at Levi.
He shrugged. If there was a doghouse, he’d be in it.
“It just means he likes me, though you wouldn’t know it by the way he’s been acting today,” Eliana said as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “But he’s so much more smitten with you. He’s told me all about what awesome cartwheels you can do.”
Cloe nodded like a wild woman. “Want to see?”
“Of course I do,” Eliana said, taking a step back.
“Do you mind watching her for a second? I’m going to get the dolly and help Liam and Leslie with all the kitchen supplies, and I’ll put them all away for you.”
Eliana nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Levi patted Cloe on the head. “You be a good girl, okay?”
“I will, Uncle Levi. I promise.”
The temptation to lean in and plant a kiss on Eliana’s cheek tickled his mind. Hell, he needed to feel her skin on his lips. “I’m sorry about earlier. I was being a jerk. Take all the time you need,” he whispered against her ear.
“You’ll know in an hour,” she said with a slight smile.
“I look forward to hearing your answer, one way or the other.” He didn’t wait for an invitation, or worse, for her to push him away. He pressed his mouth on her cheek and inhaled her sweet fruity smell. It mixed with the salty ocean breeze that lingered in the air, making his knees go weak.
“You’re kissing!” Cloe smacked her hand to her forehead. “I think that’s what Daddy really meant by smitten.”
“I think that’s a word we’re going to be hearing a lot.” Levi shook his head as he made his way toward the parking lot, glancing once over his shoulder. His mouth fell open as he watched Eliana do a cartwheel with Cloe.
Damn.
He was in big trouble.
“She’s pretty,” Leslie said, handing him a box. He set it on the dolly and pulled her in for a hug. “That she is, but where the hell does Cloe learn a word like smitten, and why would you tell her that I was enamored with Eliana?”
“Isn’t Cloe just adorable,” Liam said. “And I taught her that because it’s true.”
“No, it’s not,” Levi mumbled.
“Well, you are, and it’s obvious by the way you kissed her cheek just now.” Leslie pushed another box at his chest. “And it’s about time you let a real woman in your life. Not all women run when the going gets tough.”
“Maria didn’t run when I couldn’t walk, just when I couldn’t give her what she really wanted, which wasn’t me, but a child,” he said, swallowing the bitter taste that had formed in his throat. Maria not only bolted the second the doctor told him that the accident had taken away his ability to father any children, but she let him know he wasn’t much of a man. It didn’t matter that he knew she was wrong; the words cut deep. “And now she has one with her new husband.” Levi honestly wished his ex-wife and her family well, but it only served as a constant reminder that his life had taken an unexpected turn down dead-end alley.
The sound of Cloe’s laughter filled his heart. No matter how hard he tried, he kn
ew, deep down, he still wanted what Liam had.
But it would never happen for Levi.
Ever.
So, why the hell was he doing his best to make sure Eliana stuck around?
“Don’t be an asshole,” Leslie said. “You can still have a family if you would stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
“I’m too old.”
“Tell that to my husband, because I’m pregnant again.” Leslie dropped a box at Levi’s feet. “I love you like a brother. I really do. But every time you start with this crap about not being able to physically father children, I want to grab you by the neck and shake you. There are lots of ways to have a family.”
“That’s easy for the person who is about to bring another person into this world to say. Besides, I know that, and I don’t feel sorry for myself, but I don’t need the two of you to go using your daughter to play matchmaker. I’m working on a business deal with Eliana, and I don’t need to muddy the waters.”
“Then why did you kiss her?”
That was a good fucking question, to which he couldn’t answer. His emotions ran hot and all over the place. One second he wanted to scoop Eliana off her feet and the next he wanted to do whatever it took to make sure he could forget he knew her name. He hadn’t been this torn up about a woman since the tenth grade.
“I barely grazed her cheek when I reminded her that I still needed an answer about my proposition.”
“Likely story. Now help me get all these pots, pans, and dishes into the kitchen,” Leslie said with a huff.
“Yes, ma’am,” both Levi and Liam said in unison.
“Pregnancy hormones,” Liam whispered.
“I heard that.” Leslie glanced over her shoulder. “Get a move on.”
Levi pushed the dolly across the pavement, eyeing Eliana and Leslie as they acted as if they were old friends. He ducked into the kitchen and stacked the boxes into the pantry where they’d be safe since the galley still needed a fair amount of work. “Before I forget, congratulations. Another baby, that’s awesome.”
“Thank you,” Liam said with a slight strain to his voice. “Leslie had to have a bunch of tests, so we’re both a little on edge.”
