Like One of the Family

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Thank you,” Lora said, trying not to tap her foot.

  When Celly returned, a sour expression on her face, Lilah apologized, causing Lora to fidget under that assessing stare.

  “I don’ know why yah have to be so rush-rush ’bout everyting,” Celly said, pursing her lips in obvious disapproval. “Das not the island way, yah know.”

  “Not everything can move on island time,” Lora snapped. “And this is important.”

  “Bah. You tink all dah wrong tings is important,” Celly said, waving Lora away. Lilah laughed as if agreeing and Lora felt at a distinct disadvantage.

  “Can we go now?” Lora asked, freshly irritated.

  “Fine, fine,” Lilah said with poor humor. “But maybe if you weren’t such a difficult, pigheaded person, you wouldn’t have to be chasing Heath down to yell at him.”

  Lora ignored her sister and stalked from the lobby, eager to get away from Celly’s judgment and the feelings that the older woman created.

  “I don’t like her,” Lora said once they were in the Jeep. “She’s bad for business.”

  “That’s a bunch of baloney. You don’t like her because she doesn’t take any of your crap.”

  “It’s nice how you always take everyone else’s side but mine,” Lora muttered.

  “I call them as I see them. Besides, Celly is great. The guests love her. And so does Pops.”

  Lora gave up on that particular argument, needing to prioritize. Another thought came to her. “Heath probably loves the woman, too, doesn’t he?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Well, she’s not very nice if you ask me,” Lora bit out, hating that everyone but her was enamored with the older woman. “And I don’t think Grams would’ve liked her, either.”

  Okay, that part was probably not true. Likely Grams would’ve gotten a kick out of the woman’s blunt nature. Grams had always said that was part of the local charm. The natives rarely held back, whether it was polite or not. “Where’d Pops find her anyway?” she asked, still glowering. “Nurse Ratchet wasn’t available?”

  Lilah shot her a look that said tread carefully and Lora took the hint. The Jeep lumbered down the hill, the engine laboring as she downshifted. “You’re always so sure of people’s worst. Why is that?” Lilah asked.

  “Because I’m not naive.”

  “I’m not naive and I try to think the best of everyone.”

  Lora sighed. “I’m glad that approach to life works for you, Lilah. It never did for me.” Unable to resist, Lora added, “So, how do you think the best of our father who abandoned us when we were kids?”

  Lilah lifted her chin and said, “Actually, I try to. I’m sure he had his reasons. And until I know what those are I won’t judge him.”

  Lora barked a short laugh. “You’re right—you go way past naive and have landed straight into ridiculous. He’s a rat. There’s nothing noble or justifiable about his actions. Sometimes people are just who they seem to be—rotten.”

  “And I take it you believe that of Heath?”

  “The evidence is pretty damning.”

  “Depends on how you perceive his actions,” she countered mildly. “And if you know Heath, you would know that he would never do anything to hurt this family. Even you, though you’re certainly on the fringe.”

  Lora shot her sister a stony look and bit out, “Just drive, please,” before she started yelling at her sister and making things worse.

  A hitchhiker stood pointing in the direction they were headed and Lora felt Lilah slow the car. In St. John, hitchhikers didn’t stick their thumb up, but rather would point in their desired direction. The first time she’d seen that Lora had giggled when her Pops had explained that on the island sticking the thumb out was the equivalent of something very rude, hence the pointing fingers. But it had been a long time since she’d made a habit of giving strangers a ride. In Chicago inviting a stranger into your car was like tempting fate to send a serial killer your way. “What are you doing?” Lora asked incredulously.

  “She obviously needs a ride and we’re headed that way,” Lilah answered, as if that should’ve been obvious.

  “We don’t pick up strangers,” Lora said, horrified at her sister’s lack of common sense.

  “Relax. Don’t you remember a thing about growing up here?” Lilah asked, a bit exasperated. “This is the island way. You’d better start getting with the program if you’re hoping to understand how to fix things with your marketing savvy. I mean, isn’t knowing your product important information when you’re trying to market something?”

  “Of course,” she admitted. “But I’m not marketing an island. I’m trying to get more people to Larimar.”

  “Which is on an island. Duh.”

  Lora ground her teeth but buttoned her lip. Arguing with Lilah wasn’t going to gain her any ground and Lora chose to focus on one adversary at a time.

  Lilah smiled as the young woman climbed into the back of the Jeep with a grin. “Thanks! Much appreciated,” she said breathlessly. “You headed to town?”

  “Yeah, the marina.”

  “Excellent.” She glanced at the two women, asking, “You sisters?”

  Lilah grinned. “How’d you know? People say we don’t look anything alike.”

  “It’s in the jawline. I can see the resemblance. I have an eye for that sort of thing.”

  Lora wanted to roll her eyes at the small talk but pasted on a fake smile, nodding as was appropriate, otherwise keeping to herself.

  “You from here?” she asked. “I’m Penny. I love this island. I just moved here and I’m still learning all the local customs and whatnot. Every day I pinch myself because I’ve got a view of paradise outside my window. What could be more amazing than that?”

  Lora feigned interest. “What do you do for a living?”

  “Oh, I used to be a paper pusher, you know, human resources analyst at a big company in California, but one day I just said, ‘forget this,’ and I left the rat race behind. Now I’m a waitress at the Rush Tide Bar and Grill. And I don’t regret a second.”

  Lilah grinned. “Our family owns Larimar,” she said.

  “That gorgeous resort on the hill with the private beach? Man, growing up there must’ve been like waking up in paradise every day. I wish I’d discovered St. John earlier in my life. I mean, I’m only twenty-five but still, I cringe when I think of all the time I wasted elsewhere. This is my new home and I’m never going back.”

  Lora couldn’t argue the island’s attributes, but she’d never truly understood how people could just leave an entire life behind to start new somewhere else. When it had happened to her, she hadn’t had a choice in the matter. Although she couldn’t really complain. Growing up at Larimar had been wonderful.

  “It’s gorgeous for sure,” Penny went on. “I happened to wander in when I took a wrong turn on my way to Hawksnest and wow! It’s like something you see on a postcard, but then everywhere you look in St. John is like that. And you have a bomb gift shop. I mean, simply amazing artisan stuff in there.”

  Lora’s ears perked, curious. “Did you happen to buy anything?” she asked.

  Penny’s expression turned rueful. “I wish. I can’t afford art like that on my salary. But I sure like to look at it.”

  Lora held her smile in place by the thinnest thread. Inside she was simmering all the more because Penny had just inadvertently made Lora’s case that the gift shop was bound to fail.

  Lilah made the pit stop at the plaza and dropped off the amiable young Penny from California and then Lora.

  “Hey, try a little sugar,” Lilah suggested.

  Lora gave her sister a patronizing look as she said, “Sure. I’ll give it a whirl.” When in fact she planned to shout at Heath for all the r
easons she’d banked since landing on the island. “Thanks for the ride. Keep an eye on Pops, okay?”

  Lilah, clearly displeased with being dismissed, agreed with ill humor. “Whatever. Bye.”

  Lora thought to soften her parting comment but Lilah didn’t give her the chance. She was gone before Lora could open her mouth. I’ll fix it later, Lora thought to herself, and then strode to the dock where she could see Heath aboard a beautiful sailboat christened the Jumbie Moon or Ghost Moon. She stopped short to wonder who owned the boat and for a horrible minute she thought the worst. Had Heath taken the money from Pops to purchase this expensive toy? But even as angry as she was with him, she couldn’t bring herself to make that accusation. Heath saw her and glanced away, causing her to grasp onto the boat and jump aboard.

  “Hey! You’re not supposed to come aboard without the captain’s permission and I sure as hell didn’t grant it to you.”

  She ignored that. “I told you we were going to talk and here I am. You’re crazy if you thought you could just run away from this discussion. My family’s legacy is on the line, so you’re just going to have to suck it up and act like a man, because we’ve got issues to hash out. Not once did you come forward and admit that the inventory in the gift shop was your art. Not once! Don’t you think that was important information?”

  “What difference does it make what I sell in my gift shop? I’m leasing the space in Larimar and I pay rent every month, so if I want to sell candles and mugs shaped like penguins, it’s my prerogative as long as I make my obligations. Which I have!”

  “That’s a bunch of bull,” she countered hotly. “You may pay your lease with the money that Pops lent you, but you’re not doing anything to pay off the loan. I checked. There haven’t been any payments on the actual loan yet.”

  At that he looked uncomfortable. “It’s taking a bit longer to make a profit than I thought it would,” he admitted in a grumble, and then added firmly, “But things will turn around. I’ve got some ideas—”

  “Larimar doesn’t have time for your ideas! Larimar needs cash.” Heath met Lora’s stare and angry sparks flashed between them. “Come back to Larimar with me so we can finish this conversation in an appropriate place,” she said, noting how neighboring boaters had taken interest in their conversation. She lowered her voice, saying, “The last thing anyone outside the family needs to know is that Larimar is in trouble. People will start descending on Larimar like a pack of wolves to buy it at a loss. And that’s not going to happen.”

  She turned to disembark, expecting Heath to follow, but she should’ve known he wouldn’t be that docile.

  “I said I was going to spend the day on the water,” he said to her back. She turned to face him, shocked. His jaw was set and he was clearly not leaving that boat. “My friend Billy was nice enough to lend me the boat because I needed some downtime. I told you I had a personal interest in the gift shop and that Pops had invested in a business opportunity with me. It wasn’t a secret. You didn’t ask for details.”

  “Omitting the truth is the same as lying in my book,” she returned, her voice wavering with anger. “I demand that you come back to the office with me and discuss this situation.”

  “No can do,” he refused firmly. “However, unless you plan to come with me, you’d better disembark, because this girl is heading out. Hurry and make a choice. I’m setting sail in two minutes.”

  Lora decided to call his bluff. He wouldn’t really leave with her on the boat. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Guess I’m going for a boat ride, then.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  And to her dismay, true to his word, within two minutes they were pulling away from the marina.

  Oh, damn… Lora realized too late Heath hadn’t been bluffing.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  HE DIDN’T THINK SHE’D STAY but he supposed he’d underestimated her resolve when she put her mind to something. But now he was stuck with her and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. By her expression, neither did she. “Listen, it was your choice to stay so I don’t want to hear any crap about how I choose to spend my day, got it?”

  “As long as you can answer my questions I don’t care what you have planned,” she said with a false sweetness. He shot her a look and she smiled. “Besides, I can conduct business anywhere…a boat, a plane, a toilet stall. I’ve done it all.”

  “A toilet stall? I don’t believe you,” he said.

  Her thin smile dared him to question her. “I don’t let anything get in the way of business.”

  “Not even family?” he asked. He could understand how intimidating she could be from the other side of the boardroom and oddly, he found it sexy as all hell. Her take-no-prisoners approach made him want to know if she took control in all aspects of her life, including the bedroom. Was she the kind of lover who threw her partner to the bed with a growl and stripped him without hesitation, taking what she wanted without apology? Or did she shed that need for control and let someone else take the lead for those moments when there was nothing between them but skin and sweat? He nearly stumbled at the track his mind had taken without his permission. He pushed his dirty thoughts away as he realized he’d just stumbled into the no-man’s-land of dangerous fantasies and stalked away with a growl of self-recrimination for attempting to bluff a woman who ate corporate flunkies for lunch.

  Lesson learned.

  Of course, the bigger question was, how was he going to spend an entire day alone with Lora on a boat in the middle of the ocean, without putting his mouth on hers at least once?

  Excellent question—and he didn’t have a clue for an answer.

  “Where are we going?” she asked. “Obviously, I don’t have my passport with me so I hope it’s not toward the British Virgin Islands.”

  He smirked but shook his head. “Just a little sail around St. Croix and Water Island. Though I’d planned to be gone all day. That okay with you?”

  Her expression faltered, which told him, no, it wasn’t okay, that she didn’t like the idea of being cloistered on a boat with nothing but the sea and himself any more than Heath did. But there was no turning back now. She recovered in a heartbeat, though, saying with convincing bravado, “Good. That should give us plenty of time to get to the bottom of your business arrangement with my grandfather.” She took a seat, safe from the sail, and affected a relaxed expression with her face toward the wind. “It’s a lovely boat,” she remarked abstractedly, running her hands along the teak paneling. “Who did you say the boat belonged to?” she asked.

  “Billy Janks. Maybe you remember him?”

  She searched her memory, then remembered, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “Vaguely,” she said. “It’s a nice boat. He must be doing well.”

  “He owns this boat and many others. He started a charter company,” Heath answered, his mouth turning up in a short smile. “He might even be a millionaire by now,” he said.

  “Billy Janks?” she repeated, surprised.

  “He’s got a head for business. He’s the one who convinced me I ought to start selling my work.”

  “Oh. So you two remained close?”

  “He’s my best friend,” Heath answered without hesitation. “He’s been there through thick and thin, just like Pops. I consider them both family.”

  Lora wisely remained silent while she digested his admission. Heath maneuvered the boat free from the bay with the motor and then once they were clear, he made short work of unfurling the sails. He was glad for the distraction of readying the boat for open water. Panic at being alone with Lora was starting to color his every thought. How many times had he wanted this very thing when they were teens? Too many to count. But it felt all wrong. In his fantasy, she was the adoring girlfriend, not the angry harridan ready to impale his head on a stick. He could understand where her anger was
coming from but it killed him that she automatically thought the worst of him when it came to Larimar.

  He only wanted the best for Pops and the family, even Lora. Well, at the moment, Lora only marginally. How could she be cut from the same cloth as the rest of the Bells? And why the hell did he still have feelings for her? That was the bigger question. He’d tried to root her out, tried to move on, but she haunted him without reason. There was something about her that turned his clock in a big way. Clearly there was something wrong with him. Yeah, that was it. He was cracked.

  * * *

  “WHEN’D YOU START working with fused glass?” Lora asked as Heath took to the wheel. He looked magnificent; hair lifting in the warm Caribbean breeze, blond highlights glinting in the sun, and a chiseled and tanned body that teased her from beneath his loosely buttoned white shirt. Why’d he have to look so good? She pulled her cover-up off to catch some sun. Her skin was Chicago-white and could use a little Caribbean color. She wasn’t blind to his reaction, either. Her skin warmed and her breathing quickened but she pretended she hadn’t noticed.

  “Uh, well, in my early twenties,” he answered with a faint scowl. “I took a workshop up at the eco hotel above Maho Bay and something about the process really spoke to me. I was hooked almost immediately.”

  “What do you enjoy about it?” she asked, making conversation—something she distinctly hated—if only to keep her mind and hormones in check. If the situation was less complicated between them, perhaps they could’ve indulged their physical attraction and moved on, but there was no way she was going to risk such intimacy with a man she’d be forced to see for the rest of her life. She doubted Pops would take kindly to her disowning their adoptee because she’d finished shagging him and no longer felt comfortable sitting across the dinner table from him at Christmas.

  “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain,” he said with a noncommittal answer. “It just appeals to me.”

  “Is it difficult?”

  “Yeah, it can be. The learning curve is steep. I started off with a lot of worthless junk that shattered easily. The trick is knowing what is compatible and what isn’t.”