by Sue Gibson
Part of the game, he valiantly tried to convince himself. A negotiation tactic, maybe? No, probably not. But the facts remained the same: the Greenslys needed cash to keep the Hideaway afloat. Surely, after more consideration and the chance to talk it over with her parents, she'd change her mind. He rubbed his chin in frustration. He wasn't accustomed to negotiating with a woman.
Suddenly it hit him. He slammed his open palm to his forehead. Men kept business and personal separate. But woman didn't so much. They dragged emotion and feelings into everything. Even though he'd tried to handle the situation with sensitivity, Lily probably thought he'd sought her out at the hotel on purpose. Of course, he had, but not because of Osprey Island.
Relief soared through his body. He'd just make a point never to mention the island unless they were sitting on opposite sides of a conference table.
The noise from the room grew louder and his gaze settled on a hastily penned note taped to the side of a coffee can perched on top of a stack of chairs. It politely solicited donations to the Friends of Loon Lake fund. He plucked his wallet from the back pocket of his Levi's and fingered the thick layer of cash. Twenty? He considered the crowd. Too much? Not enough?
He stood on his toes and leaned in, closing one eye as his face neared the can. Bills? With his free hand he tilted the can toward the light. The clatter of loonies against the thin tin ricocheted down the hallway. He pressed closer to the chairs. Yes ... No wait ... Yes. A couple of twenties and a few fives lay among the coins. He let his weight fall to his heels, satisfied he'd averted a blunder. People hated to be made to look cheap.
"Looking for change, Ethan?" Her tone was cool, polite.
He spun to face her, a crisp twenty poking through his fingers. "Er, no." He jammed the bill through the slot and smiled. Some things are better ignored than acknowledged. And after her curt e-mail message, he was relieved she was still speaking to him.
They stood too close for comfort, his size tens toe-to-toe with her pointy brown leather boots. His gaze followed the supple leather clinging to her curvy calves and he swallowed a lump the size of a Tim Hortons muffin.
"The meeting is about to start. We better go in."
His gaze traveled up from the boots to a camel colored skirt that swung just above her knees. Her sweater was the same color of blue as her eyes. A delicate silver necklace sparkled prettily in the v-shaped neckline, its heart pendant nestled in the hollow of her neck.
But something else was different. Her hair? Shorter maybe? Shades of blond flowed into one another every time her head moved. Layers of varying length, the longest just skimming her shoulders had tamed her free-flowing look. He couldn't tear his eyes away. If anything, she was prettier than he remembered.
"Before we go in, Lily, I wanted to apologize for the inappropriate timing of my offer to purchase the island. That was a business matter, better left for office hours"
Her tight-lipped cordiality softened slightly with her reply. "Apology accepted. But the answer is still no"
He nodded acknowledgment. No surprise there. And there would be other opportunities for him to make his business pitch. Just not tonight.
He followed her into a roomful of strangers, most of whom seemed intent on watching the newcomer and the town's favorite daughter find a seat.
In a single movement, he placed his hands on the metal backs of the two remaining chairs and pulled them back from the table. The clanging of the entangled chair legs brought the remaining few uninterested folk over to the masses.
A large woman outfitted in a grape-colored outfit and seated directly across the oval conference table nudged her neighbor and whispered, "He looks older than his picture, don't you think?"
Ignoring her table mate's comment, a bird-sized woman, whom Ethan remembered as Merv-fromCabin-One's wife, flashed Ethan a conspiratorial smile. "So wonderful to see you again, Mr. Weatherall. I do hope you enjoyed the Greenslys' barbecue as much as I did."
"I certainly did, Edith. They don't make food like that up in Toronto." The elderly woman preened her salt-and-pepper hair with her thin fingers.
"Merv have any luck catching the big one after I left?"
"Not yet, Mr. Weatherall. But he's a determined man. He'll bring it in before the summer is over."
Ethan settled back and scanned the group, deciding it didn't really matter much where a meeting was held, city or country. People are people.
He turned to Lily. Annoyance was written all over her face. Now what had he done? Under his scrutiny, her expression quickly changed to a bland smile. Didn't she want the Nirvana to succeed? Or was it just him she didn't like?
The large lady in purple cleared her throat and proclaimed the meeting in progress. They worked their way through correspondence, reports, building code updates, and environmental information that pertained to Loon Lake.
They really know what they're doing, Ethan thought, impressed with their thoroughness. He knew his team had followed the municipal guidelines for development on the lake, so he wasn't worried about a surprise attack. There had been an inspector on-site weekly for the last eighteen months.
"Now it's time for the fund-raising report," someone announced. "Lily, please bring the committee up to speed"
Lily slid her chair back and stood, a thick sheaf of papers clutched in her hand. "As most of you know Loon Lake has been the lucky recipient of the University of Toronto's research grant" A spatter of applause filled the room. Lily blushed prettily and continued, "Under Professor Nesbitt's guidance, I'll be able to complete my study of the indigenous fishes, the water quality, and the effect of development on our lake"
A nodding of heads around the oval table indicated satisfaction with Lily and her work.
"Lucky for us, while in Toronto, I received a portion of the additional funding needed from the university."
"Oh, we know about your trip to Toronto," Edith tittered, her inference to the society-page photo precipitating a round of approving smiles directed toward Ethan.
Lily dipped her chin and continued. "I'm pleased to announce they'll provide fifty percent of the monies required.
She raised her head to acknowledge the second spontaneous patter of applause. Ethan joined the crowd in enthusiastic appreciation. Man, she looks sweet when she blushes.
"Hold on, everyone" Lily tucked a smooth blond lock behind one ear. "Fifty percent is good, but we need to fund-raise the rest"
Heavy sighs and a low grumbling began, picking up momentum as the committee members debated the merits of bake sales and raffles.
Lily surveyed the crowd. "I know, I know. I feel the same. It's hard work, but I'm sure we all agree about one thing." The crowd quieted. "Loon Lake is in jeopardy if we don't do this." A murmur of assent rippled through the crowd. "In fact, all the freshwater lakes in the province are in jeopardy if groups like ours don't pay attention." Lily's voice became stronger and two pink spots glowed high on her cheeks. "We can do it. Fund-raising Committee, let's hear some ideas!" She scanned the faces of her audience expectantly before plunking back to her seat.
Ethan drummed his fingers on the tabletop, hesitant to jump into the conversation. He'd never even been to a yard sale. He reached to the reports piled in the center of the table and pretended to scrutinize the data and waited for Lily's next move.
Should he tell her about the Southerland Group? Or would she think he was ingratiating himself in front of her friends? He couldn't afford to annoy her any more.
For the moment he'd just listen in on the fundraising ideas and bide his time. He would tell Lily about the Southerland Group later, in private. Maybe after the meeting? Let it be her work, her connections that brought in the cash flow, not his. He would just drop a name, no more.
The room began to buzz with conversation as the crowd split into small groups. He quietly inched his chair back and worked his way through the milling bodies circling the coffee urn.
He sipped the thin brew and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day. The short
flight out to Loon Lake had been a reprieve. The tension in his back had eased with the fading of the city lights. As the countryside had become less populated, the terrain dark and rugged, a peacefulness settled over him. He looked forward to spending the night in his private suite in the still-unoccupied Nirvana. He intended to be up in time to check out the sunrise Lily had assured him his guests would love.
"Okay, that's it, then. We will have a dance to raise money. Please note the motion." The large lady in purple boomed the consensus toward the scribbling secretary. "We will hold the event in two weeks' time. With an aquatic theme and a midnight buffet, it's sure to attract a lot of couples" She smiled radiantly for the crowd before adding in a more matter-of-fact tone, "And with really nothing else going on around here, we're bound to bring in a pile of dough. Meeting adjourned"
Ethan had been curiously quiet throughout the meeting, Lily noted. So far she'd been unable to determine if she was being ignored, which would mean Delaney's prediction that he was only interested in the island was accurate. Or was he genuinely interested in the lake's future and intent on processing all the information?
Either way the meeting was adjourned, and the room was emptying fast. She took a deep breath and forced her feet to move in his direction. There was only one way to find out.
"I'm impressed. You flew all the way in from Toronto for our meeting?"
Ethan's smile relaxed her somewhat.
"I hope it was worth it," she continued. "The dance idea, though, it's something we've never tried before"
"Oh, I'm sure it will work out. I'll spread the word over at the hotel. Don't forget a lot of the staff hired at the Nirvana will be moving to the area shortly. Your population is about to increase."
"Thanks. I hadn't thought of that"
Ethan paused and eyed her hesitantly. "There are some other options, Lily. For fund-raising."
Lily started for the door. "Jack wants to lock up, Ethan," she said, nodding toward the janitor pushing a wide broom around the perimeter of the room. "Let's talk outside."
He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his chair and walked with her to the glass exit doors. As they neared the steaming glass the night's blue-black darkness was hung with silver streamers of teaming rain. Buffered by the fog, the red light of the exit sign shone softly through the haze. They stepped out into the glow and huddled under the awning.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered, glancing beyond the parking lot to the white-capped lake.
"Beautiful," he repeated hoarsely, looking directly at her. He cleared his throat. "But where did this weather come from? The sky was clear on my flight out."
She shifted out of the ethereal glow. "Lake effect, Ethan," she informed him, all marine biologist now. "These little bursts blow up from nowhere sometimes. They generally don't last too long.
"I'm just going to give Dad a call. We're sharing the one car at the moment," she mumbled into her purse as she dug for a cell phone.
"I'll drive you home"
Her head lifted and her hand stilled. "No, really. I'll be fine. Dad will pop back and get me" She flipped the phone open and began tapping in numbers.
He reached out and stilled her tapping fingers. Bending his head he looked directly into her eyes.
"Lily. Don't be silly. There's no need for Jared to come out in this downpour. I've got a driver from the hotel picking me up. I haven't had the time to drive out to the Nirvana with my own car yet; I always fly. It's easier just to use the hotel's courtesy car and driver while I'm here. Anyway, I wanted to run an idea about fund-raising by you, remember?"
Her chilled fingers warmed under his touch. Slowly freeing her hands, she deposited the phone back into her purse. Well, it would save Dad from coming out in the rain and it was business after all. And she really owed it to the group to hear him out.
"Sure, why not? Thanks," she said, nodding her head in acquiescence. She liked the new lighter weight of her hair as it swung easily around her face and she had to admit that Delaney had been right. About her hair, anyway. The more sophisticated style suited her, made her look the way she was beginning to feel. Stronger, more confident.
"Let's make a run for it," Ethan said, grabbing a Toronto Sun newspaper someone had left by the door to shield their heads.
Was it today's paper and had he read the reporter's take on their evening? she wondered as they scurried across the parking lot.
And his matter-of-fact reaction to her refusal to sell wasn't what she'd expected either. He was as hard to read as her father, she thought with annoyance. But now was her chance, and she intended to find out what he really wanted from her.
She ducked under Ethan's arm and sank into the sumptuous backseat of the idling limousine.
Surely the new and improved Lily Greensly- she tossed her hair from her face-could handle sitting next to the suave Ethan Weatherall for a few minutes without losing control of her tumbling emotions.
The car smelled of expensive leather and deep roast coffee. The driver straightened, glanced in the rearview mirror and flashed a cordial smile before settling his steaming cup to the center console.
Ethan placed her stack of notebooks and reports at her feet before closing her door and entered the car from the opposite side. "To the Hideaway first, Rick," he informed his driver before sliding the tinted privacy glass closed.
The car eased down Buttermilk Falls' main street and headed north to Loon Lake. An overburdened signpost, listing heavily toward the rail fence, stood sentry at the intersection. Narrow cedar boards, hewn to an arrow point, directed visitors toward affectionately named family cottages. PINE and PARADISE appeared again and again as the eye polled the choices.
The Hideaway's simple wooden sign, a thick oval salvaged from a downed cedar, claimed the top spot. Green boughs partially obscured their phone number, and Lily made a mental note to trim the branches.
A stunning mural-size depiction of the Nirvana stood high and alone on the opposite side of the road. The vinyl billboard gleamed its message through the pelting rain.
The car swept silently through a tunnel of towering pines, the dark night pulling the trees closer. The squeak of damp leather signaled Ethan's shift in position. His arm pressed against hers and her heartbeat quickened. He didn't speak, but she heard a heavy sigh.
"Tired, Ethan?" He had to be. She couldn't imagine flying all the way in from Toronto for an evening meeting.
"I am." He spoke as though he was evaluating his words. "The quietness out here makes me realize just how crazy my life has become."
"But you love your job, right? I saw the look in your eyes when you gave me the tour of the Nirvana." She searched for his face in the darkness. "It's what you do, what you are"
"I've never been as excited about building a hotel before, Lily." His words came quickly. "It's been my baby from the get-go. I had to convince a lot of people on the board that I could make this hotel succeed"
His tone turned steely as he continued, "Especially my father. He expects nothing less than perfection." His shoulder pressed into hers and she could feel his muscles tighten.
Lily remembered how the offer-to-purchase documents had stated the helipad would become an integral part of the Nirvana's vacation experience. Suddenly his ridiculously high offer for Osprey Island made sense. It was about much more than landing helicopters. It was about perfection.
She placed a tentative hand on his knee and patted gently, deciding she could almost forgive his untimely bid to buy her island.
"Your father's certainly not perfect. He's human too, and after all, you're his son" Jared Greensly had certainly watched her make loads of youthful mistakes over the years. Like getting engaged to Doug Randall, for instance.
Ethan straightened his shoulders and Lily could feel his bulk fill out his corner of the backseat. "Not every family is like yours, Lily. And I suppose if it wasn't for my father's demanding ways, I wouldn't be here today." A brush of cool air against her cheek told her his free arm
swept the interior of the town car, indicating his wealth and position.
"That may be, but there are other kinds of security that matter too. Family is my security. No matter what happens, the support is there. Even when we're not together," she stated simply. She recalled spending a late August afternoon on Osprey Island with Grandpa. They'd been dispatched to pick blueberries but had abandoned their search and stretched out on the flat rocks, naming clouds. Pinpricks of tears started in the corners of her eyes.
You couldn't put a price on memories.
Her eyes searched the dimness for his face. The lines etched on his forehead brought her hand up toward his face but she fought the impulse to smooth away his tension and dropped her hand to her lap. "Ethan," she said softly in the darkness, "you said you had a fund-raising idea?"
"Right. No promises, but I have an associate who might be interested in hearing about your research. His company, the Southerland Group, accepts synopses from groups like yours. You know, stating your mandate, futures goals" He paused and added almost sheepishly, "And like most successful businesses, he's looking for tax-advantageous places to spend money"
"Ethan, that's wonderful," she said. "Tell me more. What's a mandate of a ... what? And do you mean my research goals or the Friends of Loon Lake's goals? What size of donation are we talking here? I guess it's too late to phone Dr. Nesbitt tonight."
"Calm down, Lily. I said he `might' be interested in sending some money your way. It'd be up to you to convince him. But I haven't a doubt in the world about your ability to win him over to the green side," he said, his tone admiring.
Lily slumped back, old insecurities settling over her like a wet blanket. "I'm glad you think so, but I've never done anything like this before. The biggest fund-raiser we ever had was an all-day car wash followed by a chicken barbecue at the mayor's house. What if I blow it? Remember, I majored in fish, not finance."
