Her generous smile indicated she expected him to greet her as though nothing had happened between them. In other words, as though she hadn’t thrown a loud tantrum and literally tossed his engagement ring away right in front of him.
“I flew in with your father on the company jet. I’ve missed you, Shawn.” Her full ruby lips turned down in a pout. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“After our last episode, I never expected to see you again,” he said testily and grabbed her hand. “This is no place to discuss our personal business. We’re getting out of here.”
He swiftly led her through the lounge, ignoring the way she teetered on her flimsy, four-inch designer heels. Despite her complaints about walking too fast, he escorted her around the corner to the waiting area of the Bayside Café, now closed because of the impending storm. He didn’t want Lisa to see her, talk to her or know she even existed. Brittany Stone couldn’t have picked a worse time to come strutting back into his life and he didn’t want her presence to cause trouble with the woman he truly loved.
He drew in a tense breath. “What do you want, Brittany?”
“Do I have to spell it out, Shawn? The engagement is back on. I’ve changed my mind. I want to m-a-k-e-u-p.”
She dropped her clutch on an empty chair and moved close, placing her hands on his chest. “I’ve been thinking, Shawn; after the wedding, I want to move to California. I told Wyn that he should turn the hotel in Los Angeles over to you to manage when it’s ready to open.” She gazed into his eyes as she toyed with the collar of his shirt. “I think it would be so cool to live in L. A., don’t you? You could buy me a house in Malibu Beach. I’ll find a new agent out there and get all the quality modeling jobs I deserve.”
Even after being apart all this time, nothing had changed with Brittany. Everything still became, in one way or another, all about her...
“For someone who said she planned to block me on her phone because I wouldn’t put her first, you’ve certainly changed your tune.” Brittany’s embarrassing public breakup had infuriated him so much, he’d blocked her number, too. “Look, Brittany, I’m not moving to L.A. I’m not even coming back to the states. Go home. Find someone else to bankroll your glamorous life and forget about me.” He pulled her hands away from his chest. His anger burst into an inferno when he saw the engagement ring glittering on her finger. “Where did you get this?”
She proudly held it up to the light. “Lucia gave it to me. I’m soooo happy to get it back. She found it in a sport jacket you left in the closet of your office at the Hibiscus. She was going through the pockets before sending it to the cleaners and the ring fell out. You’re lucky she bothered to check! When I called her to get Wyn’s unlisted cell number, she asked why I wasn’t wearing it. I made up a story about accidentally leaving it on the table at our lunch date and told her I was so grateful to get it back.”
Having more pressing matters on his mind, he’d completely forgotten about the ring. Now, he wished it had gotten lost at the cleaners. He glared at her, unmoved by her little speech. “Why aren’t you listening to me? The engagement is off. You ended it and that’s the way it’s going to stay. I’m not coming back to the states with you and there is no chance we’ll ever get back together again.” He stared at her hand. “So, take the ring off and put it away.” Pawn it, for all I care.
“What’s the matter with you, Shawn?” Brittany’s eyes suddenly filled with tears and she leaned against him to sob on his chest. “I love you and I know you still love me. We were meant to be together.”
“We were a mistake.” He gently pushed her away, fed up with her carefully calculated theatrics. Instead of modeling, she should have gone to acting school. She’d have made a great villain on the silver screen. “We have nothing in common.”
“We have this.” In a dramatic show of passion, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Irritated at her desperate attempt to manipulate him, he placed his hands on her waist intending to push her away again, but what he discovered made him pause. Her kiss did nothing to evoke desire within him—zilch, nada—in fact, it annoyed him and he knew she’d realized it, too.
Apart from her looks, he wondered now what he ever saw in her. Had he really been that shallow? He let go of her and stepped back. “Goodbye, Brittany. I wish only the best for you.”
She pulled off the ring and threw it at him. “Get out of my way.” Grabbing her purse, she stormed past him. The three-karat, white gold solitaire had bounced off his chest and dropped to the stone floor.
Shawn picked up the ring and stared at it, wishing he’d simply left it sitting in the bottom of Brittany’s ice tea. He needed to find Lisa and talk to her about the situation with his ex-fiancée before she found out on her own. Otherwise, he could kiss Lisa goodbye. Literally.
Chapter Eight
Lisa couldn’t find Shawn anywhere. She’d taken the stairs to his office on the second-floor mezzanine and found it dark. Frustrated, she crossed the mezzanine to the parapet and looked down, searching the wide lobby for any sign of him. Had he and Brittany left the building or simply rode the elevator to his room to avoid her?
She ran part way down the stairs and looked across the lobby again. There they were, in the waiting area of the Bayside Café. Shawn stood bent over Brittany, his hands tightly circling her small waist as he kissed her.
Though a voice in her head warned her not to do it, she continued to take in the scene. His betrayal pierced her heart, bringing a rush of angry tears to her eyes. She remembered all the fun they’d had sneaking into Anna LaBore’s mansion and later snooping around the Morganville Hotel. She remembered their crazy emails and the disastrous meeting at Nigel’s that she thought had ended up bringing them closer together. Obviously, she’d been wrong. He’d simply used her as a convenient distraction...like Rob had.
By the time she reached Shawn, however, he stood alone, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at something in his palm. He looked tired and upset.
Hit him with both barrels and walk away. Don’t give him the chance to try to cover up his lies with even more.
“Shawn Wells, you’re a liar and a fraud,” she shouted, hoping Brittany Stone had stepped into the lounge and could hear every word. “You cheated on your fiancée and you cheated on me. I hope she dumps you for what you did. As far as I’m concerned, I already have. You deserve to lose us both!”
She turned and walked away, feeling triumphant at having the last word, even though doing so had broken her heart into so many pieces it would never mend.
“Lisa, wait,” he said and followed after her. “You’ve got this all wrong. She’s really not my fiancée—”
She spun around. “Why are you bothering to hand me that lie? I met her in the lounge, Shawn. She’s young. She’s beautiful. And she’s wearing your engagement ring.”
Panic mirrored in his eyes. “Look, it’s not what you think. Give me a chance to explain—”
“I saw you kissing her! That explains everything.”
He reached out to take her hands. “I know what it looks like to you, but please, listen to me,” he argued desperately. “I don’t love her, Lisa. It’s over between us. I swear! It ended before I came to the island.”
His clichéd attempt to lie his way out of it sickened her. She jerked from his grasp. “Get away. You disgust me. I never want to see you again.”
Covering her ears with her hands so she couldn’t hear him anymore, she ran toward the lobby as fast as she could. She had to find Shakara and tell her friend she was leaving. Pete would probably take her home, anyway.
Shakara walked in the front entrance, bawling like a baby.
What happened to her?
Lisa dashed across the room and rushed to her side. “Shakara, what’s wrong?”
“I told that bey to leave and never come back.”
“Why?” Lisa grabbed a tissue from her purse and dabbed at Shakara’s tears. “What happened?”
“Don’t you know? They’re
leaving the island.”
Lisa blinked. “What did you say?”
“The mall project didn’t get approved. Peter said he and Shawn have lost their jobs. That means they’ll be going back to the mainland.” She sniffled and wiped her nose with the tissue. “Peter said they weren’t going anywhere, but he’s a liar. He’ll get lonely for his family and go home. And never come back. I told him to go now and let my broken heart mend. Don’t keep me hanging on.”
No wonder Shawn’s fiancée is here. She’s come to help him pack up.
Shakara shoved her crushed tissue in her purse. “I want to leave. Now.”
Lisa opened the entrance door and stepped out into the windy night. “You’re right, we need to go. There’s nothing for us here.”
She drove Shakara home to her apartment above her shop. On the way, she explained what happened between her and Shawn. Shakara hugged her goodbye, but had little to say, lost in her own deep unhappiness. As Lisa drove the short distance from Main Street to the B&B, her frustration broke loose and she cried aloud, letting her heart release her grief.
She pulled into the garage and shut off the car. Sitting the dim light, she wiped the tears from her face, trying to convince herself to let her sadness go. She’d left West Palm Beach to get away from hurt, deception and betrayal, but it had merely followed her to Enchanted Island.
It doesn’t seem enchanted here anymore.
No more relationships for me, she vowed to herself as she freshened her face with cool liquid from her water bottle. I’m going to concentrate on managing the B&B, like I came here to do in the first place.
She grabbed her purse and battled the increasing wind as she ran to the house. To her surprise, the moment her hand touched the doorknob, it opened on its own. Her twenty-three-year-old niece, Bella Dubois, stood in the doorway with her hands outstretched, pulling Lisa inside.
“Gosh, the wind is getting strong!” Bella said, brushing her long sand-colored hair from her round face.
“Hi, cousin!” Lisa screamed with joy. She shut the door behind her and threw her arms around Bella, giving her a hug. “How long have you been here? You didn’t tell us you were coming or I would have met you at the dock to help you with your suitcases.”
“I got here early this morning on the ferry from Miami and spent some time visiting with my boyfriend’s family before coming home.”
“Who is he? Do I know him?”
Bella smiled proudly. “James Watts.”
Lisa squealed with excitement. “Wow! His family lives on the west side of the island, don’t they?”
Bella nodded. “I’ve known James all my life, but we didn’t get serious about each other until we met up in Atlanta.”
“That’s wonderful!” Lisa gave her another hug, finding her cousin’s visit to be at least one cheerful spot in a rather gloomy day. “It’s great to see you again. How long are you planning to stay?”
“Oh, I’m not here for a visit.” Bella’s pink cheeks beamed with enthusiasm. “James and I have come back to the island permanently. We’re getting married and taking over the B&B.”
The shock hit Lisa so hard she dropped her purse. She no longer had a job at Bella’s Enchanted B&B.
She’d always heard that lightning never struck twice in the same place—not so with bad luck. For the second time in her life, she’d lost her boyfriend and her job in one day. Now what would she do? She needed to seriously think about her future. Where would she go from here? She had no clue. The days ahead looked as dark as the hurricane charging straight toward them.
Chapter Nine
By Saturday morning, the hurricane had grown in intensity and when it reached Enchanted Island, it had become a “Category 2.” Winds in excess of 100 miles an hour howled across the small land mass, bending trees, spreading debris and pelting everything with driving rain.
Lisa and Elsie had spent the previous morning closing and locking the shutters to protect the windows. They’d cancelled or rescheduled all of their reservations so, except for the three women, the house stood empty.
Earlier that day, Lisa had called her parents to tell them that after the storm passed she’d be coming home for good. She promised to call them again as soon as the weather cleared to let them know she, Elsie and Bella had made it safely through the ordeal.
Internet and phone service were out by the time they awoke on Saturday morning. Soon after, the electricity went out as well, but they had large containers filled with water, battery-operated lanterns and plenty of food to see them through until the storm subsided.
Lisa moved out of her bedroom, as now it belonged to Bella, and slept upstairs in the emerald room. She wanted to be totally alone. During the night, she lay in the darkness and listened to the howling winds, wondering what to do with her life. She found herself at a crossroads and didn’t know which direction to go. Getting involved with another man didn’t seem to be the answer—obviously—nor did working for someone else. Her time on the island, though brief, had been a good experience. She’d learned a lot about managing a business from Elsie. Her aunt was as independent as a woman could get. Elsie’s arthritis had slowed down her body, but her mind still clicked as sharp as ever.
I’m going to use everything she taught me. I’m going to stop looking to others to provide my happiness and instead make my own. It’s going to be a challenge, but fun…a new adventure.
She fell asleep making a mental list of the most important things she needed to do once she got back to the states.
Once the storm passed, the women ventured outdoors to check on the damage left by the hurricane and make sure all of their neighbors were safe. The house had suffered minor damage to the roof, but the rest of the exterior had come through without any harm.
Lisa stayed on for five days to help put things back in order. Eventually, electricity and internet were restored. As soon as her phone had coverage, she called her parents to let them know they had weathered the storm safely.
The wind damage to the roof had caused a water leak in one of the upstairs bedrooms. James came over with a couple of friends who had construction experience, and they fixed the roof. In the meantime, Lisa helped clear all the furniture out of the bedroom that needed the walls and ceiling repaired. She also cleaned up the yard, opened all the shutters and spent a day with her best friend, Shakara.
Shakara begged Lisa to move in with her, offering to share her small apartment and teach her how to design beautiful jewelry, but Lisa declined, knowing she wouldn’t be happy. She had too many memories connected with the island. Instead, she’d decided to make a fresh start somewhere new and never look back.
Several times after the storm passed, she saw the Amaryllis’ managerial staff car, the Jeep Renegade, slow down as it passed the B&B and she wondered if Shawn had left the island yet. He, Pete and Brittany Stone had most likely flown back to Florida in his father’s corporate jet that same night ahead of the bad weather and by now lived far away from Enchanted Island.
On the fifth day after the storm, Lisa said goodbye to Elsie and Bella and with suitcase in hand, walked to the waterfront to catch the ferry to Miami. Elsie hadn’t wanted her to leave, but she knew the B&B didn’t have enough room or a need for three managers—four once Bella got married. Besides, she’d decided on a new course for her life and couldn’t wait to get started.
She arrived at the small, covered terminal fifteen minutes early to relax and enjoy the beautiful aqua hue of the Caribbean for the last time—maybe forever. Perhaps someday the hurt of Shawn’s betrayal would fade away, but for now, she wanted to get far away from Enchanted Island and the pain she had encountered here.
A dockworker entered the terminal and sat down on the bench opposite her with a cup of coffee and a bag of bakery items.
“Mornin’,” he said in a raspy, but cheery voice. “Ha it go?”
“I’m just fine.” She smiled, feeling refreshed and invigorated. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? The sky has never looke
d so blue. And you?”
“Jes’ fine.” He held out the paper sack. “Care for a caramel roll?”
She shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve already had breakfast.”
He opened the sack and pulled out a large roll dripping with a gooey caramel glaze. “You catchin’ the ferry to Miami?”
She nodded. “I’m moving back to Florida to live.”
“You got a new job?” He took a huge bite of his roll.
Lisa relaxed against the seat, making herself comfortable. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a job because it’s actually my passion, but I’ve decided to work for myself. I’m going to start a bed and breakfast.”
She hadn’t planned to tell anyone just yet, but it felt terrific to say it aloud. She still had the proceeds from the sale of her townhouse and a few investments that she could cash out for a down payment on the right property. Once she found a place and started the process, she intended to send a detailed email to everyone in the book club and invite the entire group to her grand opening.
“I’ve got a better idea. Stay here and open a hotel with me.”
That voice. It couldn’t be...
She whirled around to find Shawn walking toward the terminal in a pair of worn jeans and a gray T-shirt. His thick, dark hair glistened in the bright sunlight. Her body tensed. Her heart began to pound. “W-what are you still doing on the island? I thought you’d be long gone by now...”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said boldly. “I’m starting a new business.”
She frowned. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“Shakara told me. She and Pete are back together.” He approached her in the terminal, but stopped in the doorway. “Lisa, we need to talk.” She started to shake her head, but he held out his hand to plead with her. “Let me tell you what I came here to say. Please, just listen.”
Lisa (Beach Brides Book 6) Page 9
