She snatched the phone and checked the caller ID. “Hey, Jess.”
“So, what’s up with this text you sent me yesterday? I can’t believe you’re bailing on our girls’ night.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Like I said, something came up last minute.”
“A work-something or a mom-something?”
“Aren’t they one and the same?” Being Bella’s best friend since grade school meant Jessica Morales knew the ins and outs of Bella’s complicated relationship with Mom.
A beach ball floated toward Bella from a group of teens who’d been hitting it back and forth. “You know I wouldn’t back out of girls’ night for just anything, though.” Using her fist, she bumped the ball back to the teens, who waved to thank her.
“I should hope not.” Her friend’s teasing tone came through the phone.
Bella rolled her eyes. “Please. You’ve missed girls’ night more than once for a hot date.”
“Is that what you have?” Jess’s voice shot up a notch. “A hot date?”
The memory of Ben Baker, all muscle and sculpted jaw, flashed in Bella’s mind. She promptly dismissed it. “Of course not. I’m in Walker Beach, and I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s a little tourist town off Highway 1 between LA and San Fran.”
“Wait, so you went on a weekend vacay and didn’t invite your best friend?”
Bella trudged through the sand, her leg muscles burning with the constant motion of sinking then pulling out her feet. “I told you. It’s a work thing.” She gave Jessica the basic details of why she was there. “If I can get this guy to sell his property to Mom, then Mom will tell me everything she knows about my dad.”
If only it were that simple.
“This is Walker Beach. My home. I’m not selling to some money-grubbing real estate developer whose main goal is to ruin my town.” Ben’s words from last night pummeled her like the waves beating the shore a few feet away.
“So, was this thing her idea or yours?”
Ah, there was the rub. If only Bella could blame it entirely on Mom. “Both. I was in her office when she got a call from one of the VPs about the need to secure this property soon.” Bella swiped a drop of sweat from her forehead as she maneuvered around some children digging holes in the sand. “Mom suggested maybe I could succeed where she failed because I was, quote, ‘pretty and good at getting what I want.’”
“Sounds like her. What did you say?”
“I said no way. But then Mom said she’d give me anything I wanted. A promotion? Done. A raise? It would be mine.”
“And you asked for the one thing you knew she’d never give unless she was desperate.”
“You make it sound so cold and calculating.” Bella’s sunglasses may have muted the bright colors of the umbrellas dotting the beach, yet a headache was forming behind her eyes anyway. “But after this, I may actually know more about my dad than his first name and that he died when I was a baby.”
Couldn’t Jess understand what was driving Bella? But no, how could she? She had an amazing family, one that Bella had come to know well thanks to countless weeknight dinners and weekend sleepovers as they’d grown up together.
Jessica’s silence chafed like the sand one of the kids flung against her leg as Bella passed. Finally, her friend spoke. “Bells, come on. Lying to some guy you don’t know? That’s not you.”
Yeah. Jess definitely didn’t understand. “I’ll take that under advisement.” After a terse goodbye, Bella hung up the phone then pulled up directions for her destination.
The Frosted Cake, a supposed local favorite, should be a great place to overhear the latest town gossip. If the directions on her phone were correct, it would take only a few minutes to reach the South Village restaurant Ben had mentioned yesterday.
Bella veered toward the edge of Baker Park and onto the boardwalk that ran the length of the town. And then, without the conversation with Jessica to distract her, the memory of last evening, of time spent in Ben Baker’s presence, rose sharp in Bella’s mind.
She had definitely sensed him walking on eggshells—the tight jaw, the scrunched brow, the pursed lips. At first, anyway. After a while he’d loosened up a tad. She’d almost felt like they were getting somewhere. When he’d agreed to stay for the game, Bella had nearly fallen off the couch.
Then it had all unraveled. The way he’d described his town, his family, his people had resonated so deeply inside of her. Because he had what Bella had always wanted. And according to him, her success meant his loss.
She’d had to get out of there quickly before she did something foolish like cry. Because Jess was right about one thing—this wasn’t her. She was much more comfortable in a boardroom, giving a presentation, or working a budget than cozying up to a stranger, even if said stranger was extremely attractive.
But her friend was wrong too. Bella had promised herself at the beginning that she absolutely would not lie. Even though this had been Mom’s idea, Bella didn’t have to adopt her tactics. And so far, she hadn’t said one untrue thing.
Still, the faster she learned what she needed to know, the faster she could accomplish her task and get away from Ben Baker and Walker Beach—and the things they made her feel.
The GPS on her phone told her to turn left off the boardwalk, so Bella took the connected sidewalk that led to Main Street and found the Frosted Cake. Upon entering the diner-slash-bakery, warmth and the heavenly smell of cooked beef and chocolate engulfed her. The place wasn’t huge, but there were several occupied tables toward the back and a to-go counter with a line several people deep.
A pastry case next to the counter displayed an assortment of desserts that set Bella’s mouth watering, especially the devil’s food cake. Several groups of people lingered in the tiny entrance lobby, presumably waiting to be seated. Everyone looked like they knew someone else.
Like they knew exactly where they belonged.
Now what? How was Bella supposed to get information, especially with no tables available? Suddenly her plan to “meet people” and “listen in” to gossip sounded short-sighted and out of her depth.
Sure, she was good at schmoozing with other company executives at a mixer or gala, but this was different. Half the people here were in bathing suits and cover-ups, and most of them talked with an ease and openness that Bella hardly recognized. The jovial woman with white hair behind the counter seemed to know everyone who walked in the door. And maybe, except for Bella, she really did.
The bell jangled behind her, and Bella turned. No way. It really was a small world. Or a small town, anyway. Because there stood Ben’s sister, Ashley. The woman looked just like her photo, with sculpted shoulders and the look of a tall, sleek runner. She was accompanied by a shorter leggy blonde with kind eyes.
The women headed for the to-go line, and Bella followed. Being a creepy stalker wasn’t exactly what she’d signed up for. But she just needed an in, a way to jump into the conversation without freaking out Ben’s sister.
Pretending to study the menu behind the counter, she listened to the women’s conversation. For a few minutes they chatted about work and some upcoming wedding between a family member named Tyler and his fiancée Gabrielle.
They were nearing the front of the line. This was never going to work.
“—and the inn looks terrible. I hope Ben hears about the insurance money soon.”
Bingo.
Inhaling a deep breath, Bella tapped Ashley on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”
Ashley turned. “Hi.” Cocking her head, she smiled.
Huh. Not how most women in LA would have reacted to someone interrupting them.
“Hi.” Bella forced herself to return the grin despite the nausea roiling in her stomach. “I’m really sorry to butt in, but are you talking about the Iridescent Inn?”
“We were.” Ashley’s brow crinkled.
Yeah, Bella sounded like a major snoop. She rushed on. �
��I’m staying there. It’s a beautiful property.”
“It really is.” The smile was back. There was something altogether too welcoming and friendly in Ashley’s posture. In this whole place, really. “I’m Ashley. The owner Ben is my brother. Oh, and this is my cousin, Shannon.”
“I’m Bella.” Bella turned to the demure woman beside the more gregarious cousin. Shannon’s hair fell past her shoulders in waves. Between her high cheekbones, large round eyes, and small nose and chin, hers was a babydoll face. Like her cousin, she was thin, though a bit less muscular. “Ben mentioned having a lot of cousins.”
“Yeah, we’re a big family.”
Ashley tossed her hair over her shoulder. “So, Bella, are you visiting family here? Maybe we know them.”
“No. I don’t know anyone here.” She paused, her brain racing to fill in the silence so Ashley wouldn’t follow up with any other questions about what Bella was doing in Walker Beach. “That’s why it was so nice of Ben to join me for dinner last night.”
Shannon coughed. “I’m sorry, did you say dinner?”
“How did that come about?” Ashley’s eyebrows formed a V.
What was with their reaction? She stuffed her hands into her back pockets. “I was in the lobby with a pizza, and he came in, so I asked him if he wanted some and . . .” Bella shrugged. “He stayed for a bit.”
“Next.” The woman behind the counter greeted them. The line had moved faster than Bella had thought it would. Great. Not much time left to get to know Ashley and Shannon.
“Hey, Ms. Josephine.” Ashley stepped forward. “I’ve got a call-in order under my name. And you can add on whatever she’s having.” She hooked a thumb toward Bella.
What? No. “That’s not necessary.”
“I wouldn’t argue with her, hon.” Ms. Josephine winked, her eyes twinkling. “What’ll it be?”
“Oh. Um.” Her eyes flitted back to the menu. “The turkey club, please.”
“Coming right up.” She called out the order to her kitchen staff then swiped Ashley’s credit card.
The three women stepped aside so the next customers could order. Bella tugged at the strap of her purse. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that.” I really wish you hadn’t.
“It’s no biggie.” Ashley shrugged. “We take care of people here.”
Where was she, Mayberry? “Well, thank you again.”
“Of course.” Ashley tucked her credit card into her wallet, which she dropped into a blue messenger bag. “Would you like to join us for lunch on the beach?”
Bella couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity than that to fall into her lap. Yet her tongue stuck to the top of her mouth as she pushed out her answer. “Sure.”
They chatted for a few minutes. Ashley was an events coordinator and Shannon a preschool teacher, and both had lived in Walker Beach their entire lives. Bella found herself nearly forgetting why she was here.
“Order up, Ashley Baker!” Ms. Josephine slid a bag of food across the counter. “You ladies have a nice day.”
Thanking her, Ashley snagged the bag. They headed outside, stepping onto the sidewalk that led between the buildings and met up with the boardwalk just beyond. Once they found an empty spot on the fairly crowded beach, they sat.
Ashley unpacked the bag and handed out the items inside. “So, if you don’t know anyone here, what brings you to Walker Beach, Bella? You vacationing?”
Ugh. The dreaded question.
Bella took a quick bite to keep from answering right away, and the delicious blend of turkey, bacon, ham, Swiss, and some sort of tangy raspberry chipotle spread distracted her for a few moments.
How to answer Ashley’s question?
Just tell the truth. As much as you can, anyway.
“No, not vacationing.” She paused. “I’m here because I want to find my dad.”
Shannon lowered her sandwich and placed a hand on Bella’s arm. The touch and her expression were so genuine that heat pricked the back of Bella’s eyes.
“Sounds like there’s a story there.” Ashley clearly didn’t want to pry, but she’d said the perfect thing, in the perfect way, to invite more conversation if Bella wanted to share.
Whoa. OK, this recon mission was quickly going south. She wasn’t here to make friends. Yet she’d made some anyway, without trying.
Bella bit into her sandwich again and looked out across the ocean. The waves lapped against the shore that had been invaded by toddlers and flirting teens and adults. But they never stopped going in and out. Despite their surroundings, the waves remained strong, undeterred, constant.
Just like Bella needed to be.
She returned her attention to Ashley and Shannon, who were watching her. “Why were you guys so surprised that Ben would eat dinner with me? Should I feel insulted?” She smiled to let them know she was joking, but Shannon’s cheeks reddened.
“That’s not what we meant at all.”
“Definitely not.” Ashley bit her lip. “My brother has been . . . well, not himself for the last nine months.”
“Why’s that?” Bella leaned in. She wanted to know the answers—and not merely for recon purposes.
Whoa, what? No, no, no. She could not develop feelings of any sort for Ben Baker, romantic or otherwise. Emotions clouded judgment, and she had to stay focused. Besides, the two of them had nothing in common. And he had seemed just to tolerate her presence.
The cousins exchanged a glance before Ashley spoke again. “Last October he was supposed to get married, but his fiancée ran away with an attorney from Seattle who was staying at the inn. She left a note in her bridal suite the morning of the wedding.”
Oh no. Poor Ben. No wonder he’d been so standoffish, so reticent to join her for dinner. He’d probably thought she was hitting on him. She held back a groan.
“That’s terrible.” Bella couldn’t imagine the heartache. Her most serious relationship had occurred during her senior year of high school, and she’d only casually dated since then. Sure, Jake had broken her seventeen-year-old heart, but at least she hadn’t been left at the altar.
Still, just enough of the bitterness remained that if Ben’s ex were standing in front of her she might have wanted . . . well, she didn’t know what, but it wouldn’t have been pretty.
Bella finished her sandwich. Ack. She swallowed around the sharp taste of onion that overtook the last bite as she tried to shove down her emotions.
You have a job to do. Don’t forget it.
Drawing another breath, Bella tried to ignore the sinking feeling that walking through this door would be a mistake. But how could it be a mistake if it led to her discovering more about her father?
Even these two women would understand that. After just a half-hour spent in their presence, it was clear that family meant everything to them.
And Bella wanted a family more than anything.
Bella forced her body to relax and smiled past the uncertainty. “So, is your whole family close?”
Chapter 3
He was the biggest idiot in California.
“The insurance agent called and told me the news this morning.” Ben tossed another pile of debris into the renovation dumpster he’d rented Saturday and turned to his friend Evan Walsh, who’d traded in his Monday work slacks and nice button-up shirt for thick pants, a T-shirt, and brown gloves. “I don’t even remember refusing earthquake insurance when it was offered. What kind of California business owner would do that?”
“Maybe you were looking to save a little cash?” Carrying an armful of broken wood, Evan traced Ben’s steps to the dumpster located just outside the courtyard wall on the north side of the inn.
The sun continued descending toward the horizon line over the ocean. There were probably fifteen more minutes of light.
Ben’s gloves were crusted with dirt, so he scrubbed the sweat off his face with a sleeve. “It’s possible. When Grandma handed me the reins, the finances weren’t in the best shape, and I didn’t have a lot in th
e bank.” And still didn’t.
They trudged back to the remaining debris, boots crunching glass and thin, broken tree branches. After chipping away at the rubble all weekend in between other business stuff and family obligations, Ben was thankful he’d nearly cleaned it all up.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, man. I’m pretty sure I could get you some emergency funds. Not a lot. But something.” As Walker Beach’s assistant community developer, Evan helped hand out grants to struggling businesses.
“Anything would help. But what I really need is guests. People keep canceling because of this damage.”
Evan dusted his gloves off onto his pants. “I thought I saw a guest going inside as I pulled up today.”
“Yeah, I still can’t believe Bella wanted to stay after she saw the wreckage in the courtyard. I mean—” His words cut off as Evan stared at him. “What?”
“Bella?” Evan’s brows knit together. “Since when are you on a first-name basis with the guests?”
Ben’s cheeks warmed as he strode toward one of the last remaining pieces of jagged wood that had fallen from the porch. “There’s only one guest. It isn’t hard to remember.”
“Probably doesn’t hurt that she’s good-looking either.”
Ben jerked his gaze toward his friend, but Evan just laughed. “It was only a guess, but with that reaction I can see I wasn’t far off.”
So, she was good looking. That didn’t mean anything. Plenty of good-looking women called Walker Beach home.
But Ben hadn’t found his thoughts straying to any of them during the last three days, which was why, except for brief interactions, he’d avoided Bella since Friday night.
“Whatever. You gonna help me with this?”
“Someone’s touchy. Must have struck a nerve.” Grinning, Evan helped Ben lift the railing. It strained beneath their arms as they walked it to the dumpster and hefted it inside.
Whew. “Looks like we’re mostly done here.”
All of You, Always Page 3
