Like One of the Family

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “All day?” Lilah asked incredulously, finding Lora’s admission odd. Lora shot her a quick look, and she realized she must look guilty, because Lilah frowned with open confusion. “You can hardly spend five minutes with Heath without turning into a shrew. Why would you spend all day with him?”

  “In business, sometimes you have to spend time with people you’d rather not,” she answered sharply, as if it was a simple situation with a simple answer. “He wasn’t willing to change his plans for the day so we could discuss the circumstances facing Larimar, so I joined him. This is a good lesson for you, Lilah. Sometimes you have to turn a situation to your advantage. It’s a lesson that works in life and in business.” Lilah shot Lora a look so full of irritation that Lora was taken aback. “What? I’m just trying to share some advice with you.”

  “I don’t need business advice from you, Lora,” she said. “I need a big sister’s advice. You know, from your heart for once. Why can’t you just be my sister?”

  Lora sat stunned, unsure how to respond. She didn’t know how to be just a sister. She’d never tried to get to know her sisters beyond the superficial. What if Lilah realized she didn’t like Lora? “I’m just trying to be helpful,” Lora murmured, looking away. “Maybe we should just drop it.”

  “Fine,” Lilah said on a sigh, clearly frustrated. “Keep an eye out for Pops. I’m going to circle the plaza.”

  Lora nodded and blinked away the tears that flooded to the surface. She wasn’t usually so emotional, but it seemed coming home had unleashed something inside her that was terribly vulnerable and needy. And it was frightening to feel this way. She focused on searching for her grandfather, scanning faces in the crowds as they slowly circled the small plaza. After the third pass, Lilah said, “He’s not here. We should head back to Larimar in case someone’s called.”

  “Heath is at the resort—he’ll let us know if anyone called. Let’s take one last pass.”

  Lilah reluctantly agreed and twisted the wheel to go again. “He’s never done this,” she said. “He’s never just taken off without telling someone where he was going.”

  Lora nodded, her heart hurting. “I can’t believe this is happening to Pops. When I was a kid I thought he was indestructible. Grams, too.” Even though Lora had learned how fragile life was at an early age, somehow she’d thought Grams and Pops were untouchable. “He has to be around here somewhere. He couldn’t just disappear. What about friends? Anyone who he might want to visit?”

  Lilah shook her head. “He’s friendly to everyone, but there’s no one who I’d consider his buddy or anything. I mean, Grams and family were all he needed.”

  Lora drew a short breath, trying to brainstorm. After a few more dizzying passes around the same plaza, she agreed it was time to return to Larimar.

  “Should we report him missing?” Lilah asked, looking to Lora with uncertainty. “Or should we wait? I know Pops would hate everyone making a fuss if it turns out he was just fine and visiting with someone we don’t know. But on the other hand, if he’s hurt or lost…I don’t know. What do you think?”

  Lora bit her lip in consternation. Lilah made good points. Indecision caused her to hesitate. She wanted Heath’s opinion. “Let’s head back to the resort and double-check that Heath hasn’t found him,” she suggested, taking great care to ensure her voice remained calm and sensible. Lilah was teetering on the edge of panic and someone had to stay focused. Lilah nodded and turned the Jeep around to head out of town toward Larimar.

  Within minutes they were parking the Jeep and walking inside the resort. Luckily, it was the off-season and there weren’t many guests so at least they didn’t have to field questions by curious tourists as the Bell family went through their personal crisis. Lora and Lilah walked into Pops’s office and found Heath on the phone, his expression grim.

  “Thank you. I appreciate your help,” he said, ending his conversation as the women walked in. Lora’s stomach pitched when she saw Heath’s expression. Whatever Heath had discovered didn’t bode well for Pops. “The ferryman remembered seeing Pops on the midday ferry to St. Thomas.” Lora stared in horror and Lilah gasped audibly. Pops in St. Thomas? Alone?

  “Oh, God…” she breathed, fear tickling the back of her throat. “Heath…”

  “I know.” He acknowledged her apprehension with the same fear in his eyes. “We need to make the call.”

  * * *

  HEATH MADE THE CALL to the St. Thomas police to report Pops missing but he didn’t receive much satisfaction. Until Pops was missing for twenty-four hours, they weren’t going to actively search for him.

  “Did you tell him he has early-onset dementia?” Lora asked, dissatisfied with the attitude of the police. “This is ridiculous. He’s an old man who doesn’t know where he is or how to get home. Doesn’t that warrant a little attention?”

  “They have to follow procedure,” Heath said, feeling much the same way but he knew he had to get Lora to cool down before she hijacked a boat and started combing St. Thomas street by street. “We’ll call back first thing in the morning and maybe he’ll call between now and then. You know, Pops isn’t always disoriented. Sometimes he’s lucid and almost normal. Maybe we’re getting all worried for nothing.”

  “But he’s been worse lately,” Lilah reminded Heath as she bit her fingernails until the cuticles bled. “He thinks Grams is still alive and out shopping somewhere. I have a bad feeling about this. St. Thomas is a dangerous place for an old man without money or a way to call home. How are we supposed to find him?”

  Heath didn’t know but he wasn’t about to admit that to the girls. Lilah looked ready to shatter and Lora, in her own way, looked equally fragile. “One thing at a time,” he said. “We can’t do anything right now. Let’s try to be positive. Pops has lived here a long time. He’ll know where he’s going, even if he doesn’t remember how he got there. It’ll be okay.”

  Lora nodded, accepting that logic, but Lilah was stuck in panic mode. “He doesn’t have any money with him. How will he get back on the ferry, assuming he knows to do that tomorrow. For all we know he could be sleeping on a park bench or on the beach somewhere. In St. Thomas! They don’t call it St. Trauma for nothing!”

  “Heath’s right,” Lora said quietly, sharing a look with Heath that said she shared all the same fears as Lilah but knew that freaking out wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all Pops. “We need to take a wait-and-see attitude before we let emotion and fear cause us to do something rash and unnecessary. Why don’t you go lie down for a little while? You look exhausted.”

  Lilah swallowed, her eyes brimming but she ground out the tears with a rough movement as if irritated by her own weakness. “I’ll stay,” she said stubbornly. “I want to be here if and when you find out anything.”

  “It’s better if you get some sleep,” Heath said. “That way we can man the phones in shifts. If he calls, then someone will be able to answer. We’ll take the first shift and you can take the second. Okay?”

  That seemed to make a modicum of sense to Lilah and she reluctantly agreed. He knew she was trying to appear as strong as Lora but Lilah wasn’t hardwired that way and she just looked ready to break. “You promise you’ll come wake me up if you find out something sooner?”

  “Of course,” Lora answered with a nod. “I promise.”

  Lilah dragged her feet but finally turned and left the lobby, heading to her room.

  Once alone, Lora looked to Heath, her expression somber. “This is bad.” It was a statement, not a question and he didn’t pretend otherwise.

  “Well, it’s true that without a phone or money, he’ll have a difficult time finding his way back home but he’s not an invalid. He knows how to take care of himself, even if he doesn’t remember things so well. I think it’ll be okay.”

  “You don’t have to sugarcoat it for me. I�
��m not as fragile as Lilah,” Lora said stiffly, though the convulsive motion of her throat as she swallowed told another story. She was scared. And he didn’t blame her. He was scared, too. But he wished she’d stop trying to be so stoic.

  “No one would think less of you if you showed a little emotion,” he said.

  “I hardly think sobbing into my hands is going to help the situation. A cool, clear head is what’s needed right now.”

  “True, but you know, sometimes letting people know you’re human with the same fears and insecurities goes a long way toward building bridges with the people you’ve pushed aside.”

  “Are you talking about me and my sisters?” she asked, the clip in her tone hard to miss. “Let’s stay on topic, please. My relationship with my sisters isn’t the main focus.” But even as she said the words, Heath sensed something eating at Lora, jabbing with sharp points of judgment and disillusionment. In a way, he felt bad for Lora. She’d been so busy trying to build her career that she’d completely lost touch with the ones who had loved her the most. He didn’t know if the relationship with her sisters would ever be mended but he did know in order for that to happen, Lora would have to learn how to bend—and that wasn’t a skill Lora had ever possessed.

  “I shouldn’t have gone out with you,” Lora murmured, rubbing her temples, blaming herself. “I knew I should’ve stayed to watch over Pops.”

  “Hold on,” he said, not willing to let Lora beat herself up over this, especially not when he couldn’t bring himself to regret what had happened between them, even though he knew he should. “No one here keeps Pops in a cage. He putters around as he pleases. He’s never hopped the ferry by himself before, but it isn’t like he hasn’t ever done this in his life. The old memories are fine in his head—it’s the new stuff that he has trouble with. Chances are, he’s just fine and we’ll find him a little hungry but none the worse for wear. Okay?”

  “I don’t know how you can be so calm about this,” she said. “My grandfather is lost. The bottom line is, you don’t know what is happening to him right now and I don’t know if he’s safe. Perhaps my sisters and I should explore the option of a home for him.”

  Heath glowered. “No way.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “He’s not going into a home. If you don’t know how miserable that would make your grandfather, then you don’t know him at all.”

  “I think I’m in a better position to decide what’s best for my grandfather than you.”

  “Like hell you are.”

  “I’m not going to discuss this further with you. It doesn’t concern you—end of story.”

  “Good luck trying to convince Lilah to agree.”

  “I don’t need Lilah to agree. I have power of attorney for the estate.”

  “True. But let me tell you how that story will end, since you seem to be ignorant of how your family really thinks and feels. Lilah and Lindy would never understand why you’d do something like that and Pops would never be the same. Part of his joy comes from being in this resort. All his happy memories are right here between these walls. Not in some apartment complex surrounded by strangers. And the twins would never forgive you for that.”

  Lora glared, but he knew he’d struck a nerve. “I think the twins are adult enough to realize what would be decided for Pops’s best interests. Lilah and Lindy will agree.”

  “I will agree to what?” Heath and Lora both turned to see Lindy standing there looking travel-worn but fabulous pulling a small carry-on of rolling luggage.

  “Lindy!” he exclaimed with pure joy, so happy to see the other Bell twin. Lindy had always been a kick in the pants. She was like one of the guys but hot as hell. He didn’t envy the man snared in her crosshairs because it would be a brutal life being attached to this hellion. She attracted men like bees to honey and enjoyed a sampling of everything that came her way. Being the other half of Lindy Bell was likely excruciating. Of course, he didn’t have to worry about it, because to him, she was simply like his sister and that was the only way he saw her.

  “Heath Bar!” Lindy dropped her luggage and ran squealing to hop into Heath’s arms as she used to when she was a teenager. He could feel Lora’s stare burning through him, but he didn’t care. He placed Lindy back on the ground and she reluctantly acknowledged Lora.

  “So…how’s it going, sis?” she asked, though Heath knew Lilah had probably ratted out their older sister already. “What’s so bad that you’ve got Lilah putting out the SOS?”

  “Lilah didn’t tell me you were coming,” Lora said stiffly.

  “Well, I came earlier than I’d planned. Good thing, too. From what I’ve been hearing you’ve been bullying Li.”

  “Bully? I’ve never bullied Lilah!”

  “Believe what you want—you always do—but I call them as I see them,” Lindy said, her tone flip, but the stone in her stare was anything but light.

  Heath tried to interject, saying, “Okay, girls. We’re all on the same team, right? What’s important is that you’re home and we can use all the hands to help find Pops.”

  Lindy aimed a forgiving smile Heath’s way. “Oh, Heath, when are you going to stop sticking up for her?”

  “Be nice,” Heath said, forcing a chuckle. Maybe it wouldn’t be so great after all having all three Bell girls home again. He’d missed Lindy, but he could sense an underlying coat of anger directed at Lora and that was the last thing Lora needed right now.

  Lindy smiled angelically at Heath and said, “For you, anything.” But within a heartbeat she returned to her sister, her expression sobering. “So what’s the deal with Pops?”

  Lora, looking as if she’d been pinched in the butt, neither smiled nor greeted her sister with anything more than a swift and curt explanation. “In addition to the resort owing a horrific amount of back taxes, Pops went into business with Heath Bar, sinking all the reserve into his glass-fusing business so that we don’t have enough for the taxes or repairs. Oh, and Pops is losing his mind. He thinks Grams is still alive and this afternoon he took the ferry to St. Thomas. Hence he’s lost and we can’t file a missing-person’s report until he’s been gone twenty-four hours.” She looked to Heath with a narrowed, wintry stare. “Does that about sum it up?”

  “Da-yum,” Lindy breathed at the finish, her mouth dropping open in a shocked gape. “That sucks.”

  “That’s all you have to say?” Lora exclaimed, fresh irritation on her face. “‘That sucks’?”

  “Well…yeah…it does, right?” Lindy said with a shrug as if Lora was being intentionally obtuse. Heath would’ve laughed but he sensed Lora was ready to lose her cool and that wasn’t going to benefit anyone, particularly when they all needed to work together. The irony was that he was the only one not related by blood to Pops and the girls, but he was the one trying to keep the peace between them all. Lindy yawned and twisted to the right to crack her back. “Argh. My back is killing me. I hate that long-ass flight from California. Not worse than flying to Japan, but definitely not great for the bod. I could feel my butt getting flabby just sitting there. Anyway, I’m starved. Sailor’s still open? I would kill for a hamburger.”

  “Did you not hear a word I said?” Lora asked, angry.

  “I heard every snippy word,” Lindy retorted, matching Lora’s stare. Heath could feel the electricity jump between the two women and he almost felt compelled to leave the room and let them hash it out, but Lora had been through enough for the day and even though she probably deserved whatever Lindy was willing to dish out, he stopped her.

  “I could use a bite. I’ll drive.” He looked to Lora. “You want anything?”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Your loss,” Lindy quipped, linking her arm through Heath’s. “Lead on, my brother from another mother. I can practically taste that burger already. All I�
��ve had to eat were those dinky peanut packages on the plane and a Vitaminwater. I know I live in L.A., but even L.A. girls can’t exist on that diet!”

  Heath hesitated, glancing at Lora, but by her stony expression he knew she wasn’t going to change her mind. A part of him wanted to cajole her into coming with them because she was probably hungry by now. But she and Lindy were like two angelfish in an aquarium two sizes too small, worse than Lora and Lilah because Lindy had never hesitated to speak her mind, whereas Lilah would simply roll over and withdraw, ceding victory to Lora. He shook his head. Let the fireworks begin… .

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  LORA WATCHED LINDY AND HEATH walk away, arms linked together, and that squeeze of something indefinable returned to squeeze even harder. Lindy had always been an irrepressible flirt—that was nothing new—but watching her so easily charm Heath made Lora want to snarl.

  The primal and visceral reaction was unnerving. Get a grip, she admonished herself, hating how bothered she was over Heath’s easy comfort around her sisters. First Lilah and now Lindy, she wanted to huff, turning away and striding to her room.

  Her stomach growled as if to remind her that she’d made a foolish decision to turn down an opportunity to grab a bite but she ignored the hunger pangs to shower and change. Everything had happened so quickly when they returned that her original plans had been scrapped and she could still smell Heath on her skin. The scent alternately warmed and embarrassed her. The fact of the matter was, she liked it.

  In the privacy of her own bathroom, she inhaled deeply the masculine scent clinging to her skin and with great reluctance started the water. Why did he have to smell so good? So sexy? Why did she have to care that Lindy had hopped into Heath’s arms like some hypersexed Hollywood centerfold looking for her next good time? And for that matter, why did Lindy have to act all giddy and happy to see Heath yet had picked a fight the moment she laid eyes on Lora?