“It’s okay.” Beck reassured Alyssa with a smile and a nod. He tilted his head to the side and focused on Granny. “I manage real estate and charitable foundations.”
Granny pursed her lips. “So you’re basically independently wealthy. I knew it.”
Beck shifted uncomfortably and looked at his menu.
“Do you realize, young man, that you have never told us your full name?”
Beck’s gaze lifted again. Alyssa felt bad for him and wished she knew how to call Granny off without embarrassing him more. He obviously didn’t want people to know who he was and she’d known all along because of Maryn, and Granny was going to rip it out of him whether he wanted to share or not.
“Why is that?” Granny asked. “You one of those who wants women to like him for who he is before they find out he’s wealthy? I can promise you we aren’t gold miners.”
Alyssa groaned and Beck’s true smile came out. “You know what, Ellie? I believe neither of you are after me for my money. My full name is Beckham Taylor.”
How did he believe they weren’t after him for his money? Alyssa wanted him to keep believing that because she really wasn’t, but she knew that wouldn’t be the case if he ever connected the dots that she had sold both of their souls years ago for money.
Granny’s mouth twisted. “I don’t keep up on the celebrity rags. Why are you famous?”
“I’m not famous. I had a decent career in the NHL and now I manage my family’s businesses.”
“Why didn’t you tell us your last name when we first met?”
“Some people recognize it and you’re right, I’d rather avoid those who are after me for my family money.”
Alyssa felt bad for him. Her dad had money but she’d distanced herself at eighteen and fought through life on her own, no matter how many times her dad tried to reenter her world. With Beck’s parents’ deaths, that wasn’t an option for him. She shuddered at the thought of being involved in her father’s businesses. Hopefully there was a world of difference between the underhanded deals her father made and Beck’s real estate and charitable foundations. She’d place money on it.
“So you’re rich, but you stay at a cheap bed and breakfast and drive a piece of shmack Hyundai to remain humble?”
Beck laughed. “Something like that.”
“So you’re telling me to order the market fish?”
“Order whatever you like.”
The waiter arrived with their waters and Granny did order whatever she liked. Alyssa exchanged a secret smile with Beck. She’d met few men who could deal so well with her Granny. Even though he was affluent, Beck didn’t try to flaunt it or control others because of it and from what Maryn had told her, he was managing the family business because of his family’s need of his business sense and level head. Once again, she was impressed.
Dinner passed quickly and even Granny had to admit the mahi-mahi was worth the price, which finally brought a discreet smile to their waiter’s face.
They stood to walk out and Granny declared, “I love walking by the water at night. Will you two walk with me?”
“Sure,” Beck said.
Alyssa wondered what Granny was up to, but she also loved to walk by the water at night and rarely dared to do it alone. She caught Beck’s gaze over Granny’s head and smiled. “That sounds great.”
They walked casually down to the beach, passing a huge Tongan man. Granny batted her eyelashes and called out, “Hello, Handsome.”
He grinned back at her. “Hello, Beautiful Lady.”
Granny sighed and turned to watch him go. “Makes me miss my Hubba Bubba.”
Alyssa smiled. She missed Hubba Bubba too, he was the closest thing to a grandfather she’d ever had and always had a huge smile on his face.
Beck didn’t question Granny checking out men half her age and they continued along the sand. The sun had set but a half moon reflected off the water and the light from the restaurants and businesses improved visibility. The mild weather and soothing crash of waves made it a perfect night for a walk.
Granny released Beck’s arm and came around to the other side of Alyssa. “I want to be closer to the water,” she said. She kept tugging Alyssa until their shoes were getting wet. Suddenly, she screeched and fell toward the water. Alyssa released her grip on Beck and reached for Granny to try to pull her back. Granny shifted her weight and pushed Alyssa. Alyssa stumbled into the water with a gasp.
“Help her,” Granny demanded of Beck.
Beck rushed to Alyssa’s aid, but must’ve tripped on something. He sprawled on top of Alyssa and knocked her farther into the sand and the surf. Granny edged up the beach toward the sidewalk.
Beck’s weight pressed against Alyssa for half a second and even though he was heavy, she liked being close to him.
He quickly lifted himself off of Alyssa and pulled her to her feet. A wave came in and pushed her off-balance and against his chest. His arms wrapped around her. Alyssa knew it was probably just instinct that made him hug her, but it felt wonderful and she naturally looked up into his blue eyes reflected from the half-moon.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice huskier than usual.
“Wet, but I’ll survive.”
His deep chuckle reverberated against her chest. She pressed herself closer and darn if those lips weren’t tugging at her. His arms and chest felt so strong, so comforting. It was the comfort of home and the overwhelming excitement of an amazing and handsome man being close. Had anyone’s touch felt like this? Was it just because it had been so long since she’d allowed a man close?
A wave came again. Alyssa stutter-stepped and came back to her senses. She forced her focus away from his lips and glanced up the beach for Granny.
“Where did she go?”
Granny had disappeared.
“I don’t know,” Beck said, “but I’m pretty sure she tripped me.”
Alyssa stepped out of the circle of his arms, regretting every movement that took her away from him, but grateful that he let her go. That alone told her he was different from the men who’d tried to take advantage of her. She slogged her way up the beach. Beck stayed close with his hand on her elbow. Even that small touch had her quivering.
“I think she pushed me,” Alyssa admitted. “Scheming old woman.”
“She definitely knows what she wants,” Beck said.
Alyssa swallowed, not responding to that comment. Granny obviously wanted to see the two of them together and Maryn’s plotting was adding to that. What would Granny do if she knew about Maryn’s scheme? She’d tell Alyssa to be honest, but how could she tell Beck what Maryn had asked her to do? What she’d done for her friend in the past? He obviously liked his privacy and she didn’t want to ruin the mood of the night or destroy his entire opinion of her. Even getting one of her favorite dresses wet and sandy was worth the time she’d spent in Beck’s arms.
They found Granny waiting by the car. “How was the swim?” she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
“Refreshing,” Alyssa muttered. “Why did you leave?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”
Alyssa blushed. She glanced at Beck, who smiled, shook his head, and hurried to open the door for Granny.
“Nothing to interrupt,” Alyssa said.
“Dang, girl,” Granny shook her head in disappointment. “Have I taught you nothing about capitalizing on opportunities?”
Beck laughed and then coughed. He helped Granny into the car then opened the door for Alyssa.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“The only thing you should be sorry about is the missed opportunity.” He winked and helped her into the car.
Alyssa tingled from his look and his wink.
Alyssa didn’t see Beck the next morning at breakfast. It was odd that she missed him. They’d only met two days ago yet she already looked for him and wanted to hear what he would say about Granny’s antics or feel the tingly sensation of his touch.
She and Granny
spent the morning shopping in the little boutique stores in Lahaina. Granny hit it off with the employees at Maui Built. They looked a little rough around the edges, but Granny had them all laughing and promising to say their prayers before she and Alyssa made their purchases.
After a light lunch at Cool Cat Café, Alyssa changed into a pale blue suit with a short-sleeved jacket and knee-length skirt for her showing that afternoon. She usually loved meeting fans and talking to people about her photography, but knowing that Beck’s itinerary said he was planning to come to the gallery had her tied in knots. Maybe Maryn was wrong and he wouldn’t really show up. He hadn’t stayed at the Marriott like Maryn thought he would so maybe his agenda regarding A.A. had changed also.
Alyssa wanted to see him again, but she didn’t want him to think she’d been trying to hide anything, even though she was. Aargh. This was a mess. They’d had a great time yesterday, but really hadn’t gotten into careers with the exception of Granny pinning Beck down about what he did. Should she have told him who she was? Should she have spilled the whole story of Maryn knowing so much about him and asking Alyssa to get a date? She didn’t want to know if he would be more disappointed or angry when he found out because even though she had a hard time trusting men in general there was something about Beck. He was the stuff of her innocent self’s daydreams. Those dreams had been shattered, but there were still pieces of her who wanted a man like Beck to come to her rescue.
She rapped on Granny’s door then swung it open to find her lying on the bed. “I’m off to the gallery. Do you want to come?”
“That’s a long time to sit and you wore me out shopping. Do you mind if I rest then we’ll do something fun tonight?”
“No, that sounds great.” Alyssa chewed on her cheek, forgetting her own worries as she stewed over whether Granny was simply tired or if something more serious was going on. Granny had never missed an opportunity to see Alyssa shine before and her showings were few and far between. No, she was overanalyzing. Granny had been to plenty of her art shows and she had every right to be worn out. Older people just tired more easily. Yet there was a frailty to Granny that Alyssa hadn’t seen since her bout with cancer years ago. Please don’t let her get cancer again, Alyssa prayed.
“Have fun, love.”
Alyssa blew her a kiss and shut the door, saddened by how fragile and tired she looked. Granny Ellie had always been so vibrant and such a huge part of her life. Since Alyssa had shut herself out of her parents’ messed-up relationship years ago, Granny was the only family she had. But love and her granddaughter’s fear of loneliness couldn’t stop the aging process. It broke Alyssa’s heart.
She arrived at the gallery early and enjoyed meeting the owners, a fun Hawaiian couple who introduced themselves as Mama Rue and Pa. They had a huge display of her photography. She traced a finger down the photo of her friend, Nikki. She’d taken some photographs of Nikki and her new husband at the wedding in September. Alyssa was thrilled for her friend’s happiness—nobody deserved it more than Nikki, but sometimes the jealousy clenched her insides. As a teenager she used to dream of a husband and beautiful children of her own. Two days ago she would’ve thought that was an impossible dream, but Beck was breaking down her barriers.
Pa offered her a chair and a bottle of water. Before long she was on her feet answering questions for fans, who’d come specifically to meet her and rave about how much they loved her work, and tourists, who had no clue who she was or why her photography was so expensive. She explained quite a few times that all of her pieces were originals, and she never made prints which increased value and resale. It wasn’t unheard of for her photographs to be resold online for many times their original cost. Also, a good portion of the proceeds were donated to orphanages throughout the world. Some of the tourists got excited about her vision and the beautiful pictures and bought their own autographed one. Her loyal fans bought up numerous photographs. She was grateful the gallery had extras on hand. She didn’t put any personal information on her website so her fans were always excited to meet her.
“A.A. is really here,” a woman shrieked.
Alyssa smiled and stood to greet her. The woman skirted the table next to Alyssa and pulled her into a bone-crunching hug. Alyssa laughed at her exuberance and started signing the pictures the woman thrust at her. “I’ve bought almost a dozen. I need more. What do you have available today?”
“There are quite a few left,” Alyssa said. She glanced over the photographs the woman had already purchased and said, “You’ll love the pictures of the children from Hana.”
“Oooh! Perfect.” The woman handed off the photography she’d brought from home for Alyssa to sign and started perusing the stock on hand. The door creaked open and Alyssa’s head jerked up when a broad-shouldered, dark-haired man walked in. Her breath caught. He turned to face her and she deflated. Not Beck. It was okay. She was okay.
A couple of hours flew by and the worry over Beck coming, and then over him not coming, was always there at the corner of her mind. If he never showed up, she wouldn’t have to explain everything, but her chest tightened at the thought of not seeing him. She’d become addicted to his grin pretty quick.
While signing an eight by eight photograph and handing it to the smiling woman, and her not-so-smiling husband, who’d paid over two grand for a relatively small picture, Alyssa heard a familiar voice behind her, “So, the famous A.A. is actually my friend, Alyssa Armsworth.”
She spun around and sighed his name, “Beck. You came.”
He looked good in a short-sleeved button-down shirt and slacks with his dark hair styled perfectly. Okay, better than good, he was “drool-worthy” as Maryn would say.
He cocked his head to the side and his brow furrowed. “Were you expecting me?”
“Um, no. I just kind of hoped you would.” She fiddled with some business cards on the table.
“I had no clue A.A. was you.” He folded his arms across his chest and she caught a breath at the solidness of his biceps. “Why didn’t you tell me? The ‘what do you do for work’ question usually comes up before the scheming grandmother pushes me into the ocean with a woman.”
His smile told her he was teasing, but she still wasn’t feeling very comfortable hiding what she knew about him. She bit at her lip and shrugged. “It’s not something I tell many people.”
He walked a few steps closer. She could smell his intoxicating woodsy cologne. “I kind of hoped I was a bit closer to you than ‘many people’. We swam in the ocean together, twice because of Granny Ellie body checking us in last night.”
Alyssa let loose the tension she’d held with a laugh. This was Beck. He was so easygoing, nothing seemed to upset him. She’d tell him about Maryn and the tabloid pictures, when the time was right. “Definitely makes us closer. Sorry. There just wasn’t a good time to tell you.”
He took her hand. “It’s okay. Crazy that the reason I came to Maui was to meet you.”
“Really?” Her heartbeat quickened at the look in his eyes. He came to Maui just for me? Alyssa all but melted at his feet. Was Beck the dream she’d had all those years ago? Before other men ruined her innocent hopes.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re A.A.” That warmed her all over until he continued, “I have a business proposition for you.”
“Huh?” The dreams fragmented again. He hadn’t come to fulfill her destiny, he’d come for a “business proposition”. Oh, how she hated those words, her dad’s favorite phrase, before he manipulated and used her and everybody else he met.
“Are you almost done here?”
Pa gave them a thumbs up. “She’s sold almost everything I have in stock. Take her, buddy.”
“Take her?” Alyssa mouthed to Beck.
He laughed and wrapped his fingers around her elbow. “You up for an early dinner?”
“Let me just check in with Granny.”
“Great.”
She placed the call while still staring at Beck. She’d hat
ed the words “business proposition” because of her dad, but she had also learned to be concerned when she heard them because of her talent. She never knew if someone was interested in her for her or for her artwork. That was probably how Beck felt about his wealth. Hmm.
“Hello,” Granny Ellie answered.
“Grans, Beck just came to the gallery and wants to take me to dinner. Do you want us to come get you?”
“Heavens, no. I’m going on a nice walk and then I’ll eat my leftovers from lunch and watch a chick flick. You two enjoy yourselves.”
Granny hung up before she could respond.
“Granny turned me down flat. Guess it’s just us.” She shivered at the thought of being alone with him, not only was he strong but she was drawn to him like she’d never been to another man. She could easily let her guard down and he could hurt her physically or emotionally, and as much as she liked him, she might never heal.
It’s Beck, she kept repeating. He’d never hurt me.
But really, did she know that? Did she really know him? He’d flown all the way to Hawaii to find A.A. Maybe he’d known all along who she was. Maybe he had someone like Maryn on his staff who could dig through people’s dirt and find out what they wanted. Maybe he was here to proposition her for more than just business. Oh, my heavens, that was silly. He was exquisitely handsome, wealthy, and great to be around. He didn’t need to be stalking women.
Dinner alone with him would be fine. They’d be at a crowded restaurant and then if she didn’t feel comfortable with him driving her home, she could walk to the bed and breakfast from there.
“Perfect,” he said.
Beck offered her a smile and his arm. They walked out into a windy afternoon, but she hardly noticed her hair knotting as she studied Beck. He was extremely handsome in that pale blue color and the soft material of his shirt did nothing to hide the musculature underneath, but for some horrid reason she kept waiting for him to unzip his perfect costume and allow the creep to crawl out. Why did she have to be so untrusting?
The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Page 5
