Barefoot Beach

by Debbie Mason

  She ignored the obvious answer, which caused a warning sign to flash in her mind, and dug her cell phone from the rice, turning it on as she crossed the room. Nothing happened. The screen remained black. Something else to add to today’s to-do list. Which basically comprised two things—run interference with the Gallaghers and get Penelope and Daphne to sell their shares.

  She’d dropped the ball yesterday. Though it wasn’t entirely her fault. Penelope and Daphne had retreated to their rooms for the rest of the day and evening, claiming exhaustion. Daniel, on orders from his health care provider, was supposedly too weak to receive visitors. It took Theia less than fifteen minutes to discover the orders came from the woman who ran the manor’s spa and not Daniel’s nephew, the doctor.

  Theia didn’t push the issue. Daniel was undoubtedly nervous about his daughters’ reception. He had good reason to be. Still, she managed to find some sympathy for him. Even if he was a deadbeat dad, she’d gotten the impression last year that he loved Penelope and Daphne. He just didn’t seem to know what to do with them. But her sympathy extended only so far. If she had anything to say about it, he was meeting them today. They needed to get this wrapped up sooner rather than later. The less time she spent here lying the better.

  Shoving the dead phone in the bathrobe’s pocket, she opened the door. Daphne stood on the other side. The woman was stunning. Her flawless mocha skin emphasized her beautiful blue eyes. Her long hair pulled up in a high ponytail, she wore a black stretch crop top and calf-length running pants that showcased her incredible body. Theia wondered what it must be like to wake up every morning looking like a supermodel.

  Daphne had it all: brains, beauty, and a family who loved her. Even if her dad wasn’t that great at showing it, her grandmother and cousins were. The reminder that the extended Gallagher family would wrap the two women and the twins in their loving embrace added to the pressure Theia already felt. The longer they stayed in Harmony Harbor, the more likely Daphne and Penelope would be to side with the Save Greystone Manor Team.

  Theia shifted in her bare feet, a little embarrassed by the protracted silence. She caught Daphne’s eye. It appeared the other woman had been staring at Theia for as long as she’d been staring at her. Obviously not for the same reason. Theia probably looked like something the cat dragged in and spat up.

  She gave Daphne a sheepish grin. “Slept in and didn’t have a chance to brush my hair yet.” She fluffed it with her fingers. Sometimes that’s all she did before heading out. Her hair might not be movie-star gorgeous like Daphne’s, but it was healthy, shiny, and thick.

  “Me too.”

  Theia cocked her head. “Seriously? You didn’t brush your hair and it looks like that?”

  “No. I slept in too. I’m just heading out for a run now. I’d hoped to get it in before it heats up, but it’s already, like, eighty in the shade and the humidity is killer.” She shrugged and then picked up a bag by her feet. She handed it to Theia. “Jasper mentioned that you didn’t have any clothes with you and asked if I had anything you could borrow. All I have is some extra workout wear. It should fit. We have the same build.”

  “I wish,” Theia murmured, surprising herself. Her body might not be as curvy as Daphne’s, but she was in great shape. She should be. When she wasn’t working for Caine, she was working out. To cover her murmured discontent, she quickly added, “This is great, thanks. Do you mind if I join you on your run? It’ll take only a couple minutes for me to get ready.”

  She hoped Daphne didn’t mind. This would be the perfect opportunity to get a read on the woman. The perfect opportunity to turn her against Harmony Harbor and Greystone Manor. Which was as far as Theia would go. She’d never try to turn Daphne against her family.

  “Sure. I’ll wait for you in the lobby.”

  “Great. See you in a few.”

  True to her word, Theia met Daphne at the entrance to the manor less than five minutes later. With its towers, Gothic-style wooden doors, and stained-glass windows, Greystone resembled a fairy-tale castle. There was even a suit of armor standing sentry in the lobby, with its massive stone fireplace, slate floors, and a grand staircase with a red runner and brass railings.

  Theia would never admit it to Caine, but she thought it a shame Wicklow Developments planned to replace the manor with modern, high-end condos. She felt the same about the glass and steel office building they wanted to build on Main Street. With its old-world, seafaring charm, Harmony Harbor was postcard perfect.

  She’d better get thoughts like that out of her head, she mused as she offered Jasper a smile. The older man looked up from polishing the entry table when she approached.

  “Daphne tells me you two are off for a run.” He looked particularly pleased with the turn of events, which seemed a little odd. It wasn’t like Jasper knew Theia was lacking in the female friend department. She’d always gotten along better with men than she had with women. The years she’d spent in the navy were no doubt partially to blame. There weren’t a lot of women in her previous line of work.

  “We are,” Theia said, looking down at the hot-pink tank and stretchy ankle-length leggings she wore with her sneakers. It wasn’t an outfit she’d choose for herself, but still… “I appreciate you thinking to get me some clothes. I’ll stop by Main Street later.”

  “I didn’t wish to overstep, but I noticed you didn’t have bags with you. Ms. Daphne came to mind. Probably because you look rather alike.”

  Theia stared at him. He couldn’t be serious. Daphne was beautiful, whereas she was…average?

  “For your shopping expedition this afternoon, I’d recommend you stop by Merci Beaucoup,” he continued without missing a beat. “Though you may wish to go right after your run instead of waiting until later. Main Street is busy year-round, especially on the weekends, but it gets quite crowded during the summer months.”

  The older man had just given her the ideal opening for her “down on Harmony Harbor and the manor” campaign. “Tourist towns are such a drag in the summer months, aren’t they? Then they turn into a ghost town once everyone leaves.”

  Jasper looked somewhat offended. “Harmony Harbor draws tourists all year long, Ms. Lawson. Especially here at the manor.”

  “I’m sure they do.” She smiled and then nodded at Daphne, who stood in the entry like a stork, stretching her hamstrings. Theia hoped the other woman had been taking in the conversation. She didn’t want to offend the older man for no reason. “I didn’t realize how sticky and humid it is here in July. Daphne, we’d better go before it’s too hot to breathe.”

  Jasper’s heavy silver eyebrows drew together. “Perhaps you should run on the boardwalk. That way you’ll get a nice breeze off the ocean. Take the path to the left of Kismet Cove. You may recognize it, Daphne. You used to love walking on the boardwalk with your grandfather whenever you came to visit.”

  “Did you come to the manor often when you were young?” Theia asked after they’d said their goodbyes to Jasper and headed outside. It wasn’t nearly as hot or as humid as she’d made it out to be. It was actually quite lovely, with a warm, floral-scented breeze rustling through the trees along a path bordered by wildflowers.

  “Not often, no. My parents divorced when I was five. We were living in France at the time. After my mother and Daniel split up, the trip became too expensive to make. I came once as a teenager. Great-grandmama Colleen paid for all of us to come. She thought it was disgraceful we sisters had never met.”

  Theia had a feeling that she wouldn’t stand a chance of turning Daphne and Penelope against the manor and the town if the Gallagher matriarch were still alive.

  “Did you stay in touch with your sisters?” From her brief interaction and observations of Daphne and Penelope together, Theia didn’t think they had. She didn’t understand why not. She would have loved to have a sister growing up.

  “No. Clio was quite young at the time. Penelope and I exchanged letters for a while. Then our correspondence slowly dropped off. Our mothe
rs didn’t encourage our relationship. They each blamed the other for Daniel leaving them. My mother seemed to think Daniel was still in love with Penelope’s mother.” She rolled her eyes. “Love makes people act crazy.”

  Theia agreed completely. Her mother was a perfect example. “I guess you see a lot of crazy being a divorce lawyer.”

  “Yes, and lately in my own life.” Her expression soured, and she picked up the pace, her feet slapping against the wooden slats as she reached the boardwalk.

  Theia took the hint and enjoyed the view instead of digging deeper into Daphne’s psyche. She didn’t want to alienate her this early in the game.

  Trees arched over the walkway. The shiny green leaves rippling in the breeze provided a cool oasis, shafts of golden sunlight cutting through the shadows. The snick of their sneakers on the wooden planks competed with the swoosh of waves rolling against the rocky shore. The boardwalk hugged the coastline, moments later providing a startling view of the harbor.

  Daphne slowed her pace, no doubt to take in the sailboats dotting the sparkling, crystal-blue water. A horn blasted as a fishing boat headed into the harbor.

  “I miss views like this. Growing up, I lived in a fishing port. Harmony Harbor reminds me of my village.”

  Theia grimaced at the note of nostalgia in Daphne’s voice. Clearly, convincing the woman that life in a small town by the sea was far from idyllic was off the table. “Still, there’s something special about big-city living, isn’t there? You must love New York.” Theia picked up the pace in order to leave the stunning views behind them.

  “At first I did,” Daphne admitted, catching up to her. “But it’s begun to lose its appeal. Thanks to my rat-bastard ex, I can no longer afford our condo in Manhattan.”

  This could go either way. On the positive side, Daphne was obviously in need of cash. While on the other hand, in her present circumstances, she might be more open to moving to a small town by the sea. “You never know; you might come in to a windfall and be able to stay in your condo. The commute would be killer if you had to move out of the city. Your law offices are located in Midtown, aren’t they?”

  Daphne glanced at her, a frown creasing her brow.

  Right. If Theia were a mere pilot and owner of a small air charter service, she would have no reason to know where Daphne worked. “Wow, look at that view,” she said in an effort to distract the woman, pointing at the deserted beach below. It was a pretty view with the sea grass fluttering in the light breeze. Though hardly a Wow view, at least it seemed to have distracted Daphne. She jogged lightly on the spot, taking it in with a slight smile playing on her lips.

  She waggled her eyebrows at Theia. “Now, that’s what I call a view. Let’s go down and say hi.”

  “You want to say hi to the seagulls?”

  She shook her head with a laugh and then took Theia by the shoulders, turning her slightly to the left. “No. I want to say hi to him. The hunky firefighter Penelope seems to have pegged for husband number two.”

  “What?” Okay, that came out a little forceful. She cleared her throat. “I mean, come on. She wasn’t around the guy for more than five minutes and she pegs him for husband material? If you ask me, he looks like player material,” she said, eyeing the man in question as he walked to shore. He pushed his wet hair back from his face with both hands, his biceps flexing, water glistening on his tanned, washboard stomach. He could be shooting a commercial for men’s cologne or for the watch on his forearm, which caught the morning light, or the black board shorts that hung low on his hips.

  Marco DiRossi was quickly becoming her least favorite thing about Harmony Harbor. He was the fly in her ointment, the rock in her shoe, the pain in her butt. He’d wreaked havoc with her phone, her beautiful new plane, and her peace of mind, and now it looked like he might mess with her plan to get Daphne and Penelope out of town ASAP.

  “I hope so because I’d certainly like to play with him.” The words came out of Daphne’s mouth on a seductive purr.

  “Wait.” Theia hurried after the attorney, who was taking the wooden stairs to the beach two at a time. “You just said Penelope wanted him for herself. Isn’t there some kind of sister code that prohibits you from going after the same guy?”

  “Maybe if we grew up together, or even liked each other, she could invoke the sister code. But we didn’t, and we don’t.”

  “Yes, you do. You told me so yourself.” She wondered if Daphne picked up on the panic in her voice. Theia heard it loud and clear. She worked to smooth it out when she added, “You used to write letters—”

  “A long time ago. Now we’re basically strangers who share the same deadbeat papa. Besides, she doesn’t want Marco for herself. She wants him for her kids. They adored the guy. And she’s still in love with her husband.”

  Theia clung to that one piece of good news. Penelope was in love with her husband, who lived on the West Coast. The perfect inducement for the thirty-three-year-old mother of two to get this wrapped up as quickly as possible. Caine probably had the goods on the guy. Once he shared with Theia what he knew, she’d develop a game plan.

  She looked up at the sound of a deep male voice returning Daphne’s greeting. A greeting that, probably due to the overtly sexy French accent she’d wrapped it in, held the hint of an invitation. It was the first time Theia had noticed Daphne’s accent. According to the file, the attorney had followed her ex to New York seven years before.

  Daphne left all subtlety behind when she reached the man, rubbing his hair dry with a towel. “You’re an incredible swimmer. Do they teach you to swim like that in firefighter school, or were you a lifeguard?” Smiling up at him, Daphne smoothed her beautifully manicured hand down his arm, lingering at his impressive bicep.

  Theia rolled her eyes. It never ceased to amaze her how some women, no matter how smart and beautiful, turned into idiots around a good-looking guy.

  “Thanks. We do water rescue training every couple of days during the summer, and I was a lifeguard for about all of three weeks at sixteen. According to the man who fired me, I spent too much time flirting with the girls.” He smiled as Theia reached them. “Hey, how’s the head?”

  “Fine. How’s the hose?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “Haven’t had any complaints.”

  “I bet you haven’t,” Daphne murmured in her sex-kitten voice.

  “I was talking about his equipment,” Theia said, forcing her eyes to remain on Marco’s face. Daphne sure as heck didn’t keep hers there.

  “So was I,” the attorney said, twirling the end of her ponytail around her finger.

  It took all Theia had not to push Daphne into the water. She was making smart women everywhere look bad. Her obvious attraction to Marco was also making Theia nervous. The last thing she needed was a reason for Daphne to want to remain in Harmony Harbor. Somehow, she had to lower Marco’s attraction quotient in Daphne’s eyes.

  “Saw you out there. Your kick could use a little work, but you’re not bad,” she said.

  “Not bad. Who were you watching? He was amazing.” Daphne gave her a pursed-lips look, then smiled at Marco, batting her long lashes. Where was the woman’s pride? Had her husband stolen that too?

  Marco smiled at Daphne and then winked at Theia. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll keep it in mind. Enjoy the rest of your run, ladies.”

  “Are you heading to work?” Daphne asked.

  “No. Jolly Rogers for breakfast.” He bent to grab a white T-shirt from the sand.

  As he did, Daphne turned wide eyes at Theia and waved her off.

  Oh no. No way was she letting the other woman invite herself to breakfast with him.

  “Enjoy your breakfast. Come on, Daphne. We have to hit Merci Beaucoup, and I need your help. I don’t speak French, and I’m clueless when it comes to clothes.”

  “Apparently you’re clueless about a lot of things,” Daphne muttered.

  * * *

  Payback’s a bitch, and Daphne paid her back big-time.
/>
  Standing outside her room at the manor, Theia transferred the four shopping bags to her left hand and with her right dug her room key from the pocket of her new and ridiculously overpriced white jeans. Once she got over her snit, Daphne took great delight in dressing Theia and spending her money.

  In the space of two hours, Theia had spent more on clothes than she had in the past ten years. She was torn between wanting to leave Harmony Harbor as soon as possible and staying an extra couple of days to recoup her losses.

  As she opened the door, she noticed a small box on the floor addressed to her. She looked around the room. Nothing else seemed out of place. She closed the door and then placed the bags on the floor to pick up the box. She recognized the bold, masculine handwriting. It was from Caine.

  She went to the bed and sat on the end. Opening the box, she smiled when she saw the new cell phone. He must have realized hers was dead when she missed their usual morning check-in call. He’d saved her a trip to the nearby town of Bridgeport.

  The phone rang. It was fully charged and programmed. Caine Elliot was not a man who did things in half measures.

  She barely got out her hello.

  “I’ve spent the last four hours worrying about you. There is a landline available at the manor, you know.”

  “I do, but I didn’t have a chance. I had the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with Daphne, and I thought you’d prefer that to me checking in.”

  After yesterday, when Caine went all juvenile and accused her of drooling over Marco, she didn’t want to bring up the man. And maybe she didn’t want to be reminded of Daphne’s reaction to him either. Though, in fairness, ninety percent of the female population would no doubt react the same at the sight of the wet and sexy firefighter.