It’s time to get her life back
Lilah Bell isn’t asking for much—just a normal life. A future that’s different from her shadowed, traumatic past. Maybe even a chance to start over. Instead, all she gets is the suffocating attention of her overprotective sisters, who seem to be waiting for her to break again. They don’t get that helping save her family’s beautiful Virgin Islands resort is definitely a challenge she can handle. But what she can’t handle is a serious relationship with carefree visitor Justin Cales. After all, wanting a man who isn’t planning to stick around isn’t smart.
Problem is, falling for Justin is too easy. And now life is more complicated than ever. When the truth unravels, they’ll either be brought together in unexpected ways…or torn apart for good.
What was happening to him?
Justin couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so out of control with a woman.
“What’s going on back at the resort that you’d rather go there than spend time with me?” He tried sounding playful but even to his own ears he sounded defensive.
Lilah’s gaze sobered. “What happens if one of us gets more attached than the other? Someone is going to get hurt.”
Someone must have hurt her in the past. “I would never hurt you, gorgeous. I swear it.”
“I know that. I was talking about you.”
Justin stared. She was afraid he was going to be hurt? That he was going to get too attached? Ha. But as a quick denial bubbled to the surface, he realized, hot damn, she could see right through him.
Dear Reader,
Nowadays, it seems everyone can relate to a family member suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s or dementia. It is an intolerable cruelty to watch a loved one who is hale in form and body slowly succumb to the indignities of their deteriorating brain function. This Family in Paradise series has been particularly meaningful to me as my own paternal grandmother has been affected by this very affliction and although my heart is shattered at losing the woman I knew as strong, shrewd, smart and kind, I know I’m not alone as many have endured this pain.
As the final story in the series, I hope you have come to love the Bell family as much as I have. Throughout these books, you’ve been witness to their struggles, their triumphs and most important, their ability to persevere through the strength of their love for one another.
Lilah’s story has a very deep arc as she finds her true self through a journey of self-love and finally, the love of a good man. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Hearing from readers is a joy. If you’d like to send me a snail mail letter, send to: P.O. BOX 2210, Oakdale, CA 95361. If you’d like to send me an email, send to: [email protected].
And for updates about upcoming releases and other cool stuff, check out my website at www.kimberlyvanmeter.com.
Kimberly Van Meter
Something to Believe In
Kimberly Van Meter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberly Van Meter wrote her first book at sixteen and finally achieved publication in December 2006. She writes for the Harlequin Superromance and Harlequin Romantic Suspense lines. She and her husband of seventeen years have three children, three cats and always a houseful of friends, family and fun.
Books by Kimberly Van Meter
HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE
1391—THE TRUTH ABOUT FAMILY
1433—FATHER MATERIAL
1469—RETURN TO EMMETT’S MILL
1485—A KISS TO REMEMBER
1513—AN IMPERFECT MATCH
1577—KIDS ON THE DOORSTEP*
1600—A MAN WORTH LOVING *
1627—TRUSTING THE BODYGUARD*
1694—THE PAST BETWEEN US**
1700—A CHANCE IN THE NIGHT**
1706—SECRETS IN A SMALL TOWN**
1778—LIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY***
1802—PLAYING THE PART***
HARLEQUIN ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1622—TO CATCH A KILLER
1638—GUARDING THE SOCIALITE
1666—SWORN TO PROTECT†
1669—COLD CASE REUNION†
1696—A DAUGHTER’S PERFECT SECRET
*Home in Emmett’s Mill
**Mama Jo’s Boys
***Family in Paradise
†Native Country
Other titles by this author available in ebook format.
To anyone who has watched a loved one slowly succumb to Alzheimer’s or dementia and cried tears of grief at the ambiguous loss…I’m right there with you. The deepest sorrow is looking into the eyes of your loved one and realizing they are no longer there.
To my paternal grandmother…in my heart you will always remain the smart, shrewd, kind, generous, crafty woman you ever were. You taught me so much. My life was blessed to have you in it. I miss our chats, your laughter, the smell of your kitchen and your wealth of knowledge. All I have now are my memories.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chpater Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Epilogue
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
JUSTIN CALES FEARED his father was going to have a coronary event as he crumpled the gossip rag in his hand until it was a tight, ink-smeared ball of newsprint before throwing it in the wastebasket with far more force than required.
“Calm down before you hurt yourself, old man,” Justin muttered, failing to see what his father was losing his temper over. “It’s no big deal. You can barely make out my face anyway and it was a joke. Benny thought it would be funny if—”
At that Senator Vernon Cales growled, “Am I laughing? I fail to see what’s laughable about the fact that your fool head is stuck between Starr’s giant melon breasts.”
Justin chuckled at the memory but sobered immediately when he saw his father was really about to lose it. “It was Benny’s idea to go to that strip club but we were only there for maybe a half hour before this happened. It was a total joke but—”
“But a photographer managed to catch the shot because he sure as hell knew who y
ou were and who you were connected to. Damn it all to hell, Justin! What are you trying to do to this family?”
A familiar resentment rose in his chest that threatened his earlier decision to ride out the storm of his father’s anger with a humble attitude. Screw that. The old man could kiss his ass. He hadn’t done anything wrong—per se. It’s not as if he was out whoring and visiting strip clubs all the time. For God’s sake, it was one time and they’d been clowning around. “It’s always about the family. Let’s get real, Dad. It’s about your image, not mine.”
“I’ve built a solid political foundation on morals and family values and I’m not about to let you tear it all down with your irresponsible ways. Everyone is toeing the line, but you.”
Justin exhaled a short breath, quickly losing interest in the You’re-a-Screwup show his father loved to roll out. He’d seen this show before and he didn’t much care for the way it ended. “Is this what this meeting is about? If so, I’m going to bounce. I don’t need this. It was a bit of harmless fun. There were half a dozen guys doing the same exact thing as me.”
“But you’re my son.” Vernon’s tone lowered with finality and there was something in his eyes Justin had never seen before. Hell, maybe the old man was serious this time around. Vernon drew a deep breath as if needing calm to proceed, then returned to his high-back leather chair. “Things are going to change,” he announced, sliding paperwork to the forefront and steepling his hands over it. A sense of foreboding followed as Vernon continued. “You’re thirty-two years old. It’s time to start acting your age and take your responsibilities serious.”
Justin rolled his eyes in ill-disguised irritation. This again? “I have a college degree, even a master’s degree in business. I think I’ve fulfilled my debt to your expectations. You need to back off and let me live my life.”
His father ignored him and continued undeterred. “When I was your age I was already working my way up the political ladder. It’s time you start making your mark, too.”
“I’m not interested in politics,” Justin said flatly. He hated politics and his father knew it.
“I’ve decided not to run for my seat in the Senate,” Vernon said, shocking Justin and sending a trickle of unease into his gut. He didn’t like the general direction of the conversation. Vernon met his stare squarely. “I want you to run in my stead. I want you to be the next Cales New York senator.”
“No.” Justin sat straighter. “Dad...no. What are you doing? You can’t be serious.” As far as bad jokes went, this one sucked pretty hard. Justin excelled in doing nothing, being highly educated for zero purpose—and he liked it that way. He liked hanging out with his overprivileged friends who had trust accounts with more money than some small countries. He fully embraced his bacchanal lifestyle and a career in politics would definitely put an end to those types of shenanigans. He swallowed the spurt of raw panic but before he could launch a suitable protest, his father had begun again.
“I am serious. I’ve let you dick around too long and that—” he pointed to the ball of incriminating evidence in his wastebasket “—is proof. Your mother and I have come to a decision regarding your future. You’re going to take a monthlong vacation, someplace warm and sunny, where you can appropriately say goodbye to your wild ways. At the end of that month, you will return home where you will immediately clean up your act and start the campaign trail for my seat. Of course, you’ll have our full support and resources behind you. I’ve been assured your candidacy would be looked upon favorably.”
“How is that even possible?” he asked, sweat beading his upper lip. “It’s not as if I’ve been the model son, as you’ve enjoyed pointing out. Who the hell would put their resources behind me as a candidate?”
His father shot him a quelling glance. “Yes, who would? Well, let’s just say it helps to have friends in high places. Most times your antics never made it to the press if it could be helped. This time was unfortunate,” he said, referencing the stripper episode. “But with some creative handling, we should be able to maneuver around it. However, once your candidacy is announced it’s important to avoid any more of these types of incidents. Am I clear?”
Clear? Was his father joking? Not hardly. “I’m not doing this,” he said, shaking his head.
“You will.” It was the certainty of his father’s voice that deepened the chill chasing his spine. Justin felt the walls closing in on him, squeezing out the oxygen in the room.
“No!” Justin jumped from his chair. “I’ve never harbored any desire to follow you into politics or expressed any interest in current events or world issues. You know this, Dad. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because it’s time you stop thinking about just yourself. The Cales name has been associated with strong politics for generations. I’m not about to let my only son ruin that legacy without a fight.”
Suddenly logic calmed his panic. His father couldn’t make him do anything. He drew a deep breath and shook his head. “Sorry, Dad. I know I’m letting you down but I’m not about to jump through your hoops just to satisfy some ego stroke for you. I’m not that guy and if you thought I was, you obviously don’t know me at all.” He turned to leave, finished with the conversation, but his father’s voice at his back pulled him around.
“I know who you are and who you can be. Today you’re a lazy, spoiled playboy who spends more than he makes and depends on his trust fund to survive. You haven’t held a serious job since graduating college and you have a penchant for fine things and expensive pastimes. Oh, son...I know quite well who you are right now. But I’m not interested in that person. I’m interested in finding who you can be. And I have a feeling that person is going to be someone worth knowing. So here’s the deal... You will go on your vacation, leaving tomorrow. Mourn your playboy days and then when you return, you will devote your considerable energy on securing your campaign funds for your candidacy.”
“And if I don’t?”
Vernon’s gaze hardened and Justin knew he wasn’t bluffing. “You will be cut off. Permanently.”
Justin balked, not quite comprehending what his father was saying. It seemed unbelievable in this day and age, something so medieval as familial extortion would become part of his father’s arsenal but as he stared, meeting his father’s steady and unflinching gaze, he realized the senator was as serious as a heart attack. “This is bullshit,” he finally murmured in a shaky voice, unable to hide his shock. “And beneath you.”
“You brought us to this end.”
“A little archaic don’t you think?” he bit out.
His father shrugged. “Some methods haven’t lost their effectiveness no matter their age.”
Justin felt betrayed by his own blood. He’d always known his hard-nosed father was a bit of a ruthless bastard when it came to getting what he wanted but he never thought he’d get caught in those deadly crosshairs. “Mom in on this, too?”
“She is agreed.”
Swell. There went his only ally. Could he handle life on his own? Away from the safety net of his parents’ influence and resources? He liked to think he could but he’d become accustomed to the privileges wealth provided and the idea made him shift uncomfortably. Before this moment, getting a job, having a career had been a back burner priority. Now it seemed paramount if he wanted to survive. He didn’t like that feeling. Not at all.
He hated the idea of yielding to his father even more.
Pushy, overbearing jackass. He shoved his hands in his pockets to hi
de the hard clench of his fists. He needed time to think his way out of this. A month ought to be long enough. So, he’d take a vacation in a tropical paradise on his father’s dime all the while figuring out his exit strategy. Sounded doable. He relaxed his fists, drawing air through his tight chest and forced a cool smirk. “A vacation it is, then. But here are my terms if I’m going to give up my life, I want top shelf, five-star accommodations. I want a credit card without a limit and I want you and Mom to leave me alone for the month that I’m mourning—as you put it—my playboy ways. No calls, no nagging emails or texts...family-free. Got it?”
His father nodded, accepting Justin’s terms. He picked up the paperwork on his desk and held it out for Justin to grab. “I anticipated your answer—as well as your demands—here are your travel documents, plane ticket and whatnot. You leave at 8:00 a.m. for St. John. Enjoy your vacation, son. I look forward to your return.”
Justin accepted the documents, his lips pressed tight.
Go to hell, Dad.
* * *
LILAH BELL RELIEVED Celly, Larimar’s one real employee, for her lunch break and took her spot behind the front desk of the airy resort she’d known as home since she was old enough to remember. Her grandparents had bought the resort shortly after they’d married and they’d planned to live their lives out among the surf and sand. Well, Grams had accomplished that goal having died from breast cancer ten years ago but Pops was still kicking, even if his mind was quickly losing its sharpness.
Lilah loved Larimar, and the fact that it was in trouble caused a flutter of real panic to steal her breath. No, it was going to work out, she told herself fiercely. Her oldest sister, Lora, had come home—and fallen in love with her former arch nemesis, Heath Cannon—and Lindy, Lilah’s twin, made frequent visits home with her new fiancé, Gabe Weston, and for the first time in a long time, Lilah wasn’t suffocating under a blanket of depression.
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