Lisa (Beach Brides Book 6) Read online

  The server set their salad plates on the table, a mixture of greens garnished with papaya slices and drizzled with sweet ginger vinaigrette.

  Lisa picked up her fork and speared a piece of lettuce. “How long do you plan to remain on Enchanted Island?”

  He looked up. “I’m going back to the states as soon the project is finished.”

  “Isn’t spending so much time on the road difficult for your family?”

  An odd light flickered in his eyes. “I’m not in a relationship right now, but you’re right; it isn’t easy to travel for work for long periods of time and maintain a normal life.”

  “I would imagine that’s so.”

  “Do you have time to take a short walk after lunch?” he asked changing the subject again. “I’d like to view the site and discuss the architectural plans with you.”

  Their lunch arrived while he was still speaking. The server set a long white platter in front of her containing a small, crab-stuffed lobster tail, two jumbo Cruzan garlic shrimp and grilled vegetables.

  She laughed. “I’ll definitely need to get some exercise after eating this much food!”

  After that, their discussion veered toward lighter subjects while they enjoyed their meal. Lisa passed on dessert, ordering a rich cup of freshly ground coffee instead.

  The Regis property line ran parallel to the Amaryllis Hotel’s boundary. Lisa and Shawn left the restaurant and walked through the hotel lobby to the front plaza then crossed the gravel service road that separated the Amaryllis from the vacant property.

  “Gosh, it looks so different now,” Lisa said, feeling sad as she scanned the empty acreage. “This entire area used to be dense forest. It’s a shame to destroy such natural beauty for a strip mall.” She pointed toward a narrow dirt trail that led to a rocky slope. “My cousins and I used to take this path down to the sea. We weren’t supposed to be on this side of the island, much less near the water without adult supervision, but that never stopped us.” She grinned mischievously. “We were looking for pirate treasure.”

  Shawn grinned back. “Did you find any?”

  “Ha-ha! We’d all be rich now if we had!”

  They walked the length of the property, discussing the layout of the mall. Shawn showed her the plans for an L-shaped design housing eight units. He also pointed out the area where a stairway would lead to a long dock and a new stop for the water taxi.

  “You do know what’s on the other side of this land, don’t you?”

  He shrugged. “A privately-owned forest, I guess.”

  “It’s ten square miles of forest, beaches and natural caves that, until recently, was owned by Anna LaBore,” Lisa said as they walked along. “She died about a year ago—at ninety-seven—and left her entire estate in a trust to the Island Preservation Commission. The land had been handed down from generation to generation in her family since the 1860s.”

  Shawn stared at her in surprise. “What is the commission planning to do with it?”

  “Oh, Anna left specific instructions on what she wanted the commission to do with her plantation,” she said as she stepped over a couple of flat rocks, “and she also left them her fortune to carry it out. Her home is currently undergoing restoration as a museum. It still has much of the original furnishings.”

  “Really?” He stopped and gazed across the Regis land to the dense tropical forest on the LaBore property. “I’d like to see that.”

  “Are you interested in history?” At his nod, she added, “The interior is in good shape, but the restoration team is still in the process of painting, upgrading the utilities and cataloging everything. It won’t be open for a couple of months.”

  The excitement in his eyes dimmed. “I’ll probably be back in the states by then.”

  They turned and began walking back to the hotel. “I’ve got an idea,” Lisa said, hoping her offer didn’t come across as a hair-brained scheme. “The place is fenced off to discourage gawkers from driving onto the property, and it sits on top of a hill so it’s visible for miles, but I know where there is a secret entrance. If you want to see the restoration in progress I can get you in after hours and show you around.”

  “Aren’t you worried about getting caught?” He frowned. “What if we trip an alarm? I’d hate to get arrested for trespassing.”

  “This is Enchanted Island,” she replied with a wry chuckle. “There aren’t any alarms and we won’t get arrested. But we do have to be discreet and that’s why I suggested we use a specific entrance. Aunt Elsie is on the commission and she’d be upset if word got around that someone saw me snooping about the place without permission.”

  Her sandal suddenly slipped on loose sand covering a flat rock. She screamed, dreading the embarrassment of falling flat on her butt like a klutz. Before she hit the ground, however, Shawn’s strong arms caught her and held her tight. In her panic, she threw her arms around his neck. Her soft cheek brushed the rough edge of his jaw, the bold scent of his cologne filled her nostrils.

  He went still, holding her close.

  “Thank you...for...catching me,” she said as she gazed into his eyes, barely aware that she’d spoken. She pulled her arms away and placed her palms against his broad, muscular chest.

  “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” His throaty voice trailed off on a flat note, making him sound distracted.

  She couldn’t look away, mesmerized by the tiny dimple in his chin, the softness in his hazel eyes. “We—we’d better get going. I need to be home by check-in time.”

  He gently let go of her and glanced at his sport watch. “It’s almost three now.” He grabbed her hand and began to walk her back to the hotel. “I’ll give you a ride.”

  She didn’t object. Eating a large lunch had made her tired and the thought of riding in a nice comfortable car rather than a windy, bumpy, taxi ride sounded heavenly.

  Shawn didn’t say much on the short ride to the B&B and she wondered if he had second thoughts about going to the LaBore plantation or asking her to lunch today. She never meant to end up in his arms and hoped he didn’t think she’d deliberately slipped to force their close encounter. Some women did such things to attract men, but not her.

  He pulled off the narrow road into the driveway of her house. Shifting the car into Park, he stared straight ahead as though deep in thought.

  “Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it.” She grabbed her purse and placed her hand on the door latch, anxious to jump out and disappear into the house.

  “So, did you mean that about getting inside the LaBore plantation? Do you really know of a secret entrance, or is it just a hole in the fence?”

  “Yeah, I meant every word I said,” she countered, letting the snappy tone of her voice inform him that she hadn’t told him about it to brag or lie. “The secret entrance isn’t anywhere near a fence. It’s the opening of a cave.”

  He turned toward her, his eyes widening with amazement. “Really? That sounds exactly like my kind of fun.” Flashing a wide grin, he leaned over and held up his palm for a high-five. “Lisa, you’re on. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

  His sudden reaction wasn’t at all what she had expected, but it didn’t disappoint. She smacked palms with him and opened the door then slid out of the car. “Be back here at noon tomorrow,” she said, leaning inside to give him brief instructions. “We’ll have the plantation to ourselves because the restoration crew doesn’t work on Saturday. Since it gets dark early now, we’re going to need time to view the house and make it back through the woods before the sun goes down. Bring a good flashlight and make sure your phone is fully charged.”

  She started to shut the door, thought better of it and leaned in again. “Oh, and wear jeans and heavy-duty tennis shoes, preferably dark-colored.”

  “It’s starting to sound more like a secret mission than a field trip.”

  She raised one brow. “You’ll see.”

  She shut the door for good this time and walked slowly into the house, watching him ba
ck out and drive away.

  It’s only a trip to explore the LaBore plantation—not a date, she thought to herself. I want to see what progress they’ve made anyway and it’ll be fun showing it to Shawn.

  Still, she couldn’t deny how her heart fluttered at the thought of climbing through a dark cave with Shawn Wells.

  ****

  Shawn didn’t get around to checking his personal email account until the following morning. When he did, he received a nice surprise.

  Dear City Boy,

  I never lie, I’ll tell you why, I think it’s a waste of time.

  I’d like a wedding ring, but I have no such thing, too many mountains to climb.

  The bottle wasn’t cheap, but it’s yours to keep. The story behind the message is funny.

  If we ever meet, no fact will I delete, and you’ll laugh at this silly bunny.

  Island Girl

  He shot off a quick reply and closed out his email.

  Glancing at his watch, he realized he only had three hours to get everything wrapped up here, change clothes and drive over to Lisa’s place. He wished he could leave now. The prospect of exploring that old house intrigued him, but the cave sounded downright thrilling. He’d never met a woman who held an interest in so many of the same things he did.

  Whistling an off-key tune, he set out for his first meeting in Pete’s office to examine the bids for the mall. Two developers had responded to their request for a proposal.

  His good mood didn’t last long. His phone began to ring and when he pulled it from his pocket, the screen showed “W. Wells.”

  He drew in a tense breath. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

  “How many bids did you receive?”

  Shawn winced. His father sounded as cheerless as ever. “Pete said two came in by the deadline.”

  “That’s all? Start again. You need more.”

  “Yeah, but Dad, we haven’t even looked at these yet. They’re from reputable companies.”

  “Who are they?”

  Shawn recited the names of the companies who had responded. Both were from Miami. Having worked with both developers in the past, Wyn rejected them for various reasons that made no sense to Shawn.

  “Dad, I’m on my way to Pete’s office right now to review them. Let me look at them first.”

  Wyn practically cut him off, giving him orders to “cast the net wider” and solicit more proposals. Wyn’s bullishness made him wonder if many of the reputable developers in the states simply didn’t want to do business with him any longer.

  “Look, I don’t see the point in trashing these bids before we evaluate them,” Shawn said, trying to stay calm. “If neither are within our budget and timeframe, maybe we should rethink the strip mall idea. Maybe we need to look at the concept of timeshares or honeymoon villas. That property has a lot of potential. It sits next to a reserve—”

  “Stick with the plan, son. That’s what I sent you to do.”

  Shawn rubbed the back of his neck, becoming agitated at the domineering tone of Wyn’s voice. “Why are you so set on building these shops?”

  “The resorts on Enchanted Island bring in a lot of well-heeled tourists and they’re going to spend their money somewhere. We need to capitalize on those dollars.”

  “Dad, I just don’t think there is a large enough market on this island for so much retail. I saw the changes in the proposal. It looks like you’re deliberately going head-to-head with the merchants in Morganville to put them out of business.”

  “That’s right.”

  He couldn’t believe it. Why did they have to resort to such an aggressive tactic? He thought of the women who had protested on the plaza. They were good, decent people with families to feed. “No, that’s not right, Dad. I’m not going to deliberately destroy those businesses—”

  “Look if you can’t do the job I sent you to do,” Wyn said, his voice steely calm, “I’ll find someone who can.”

  Shawn stopped in front of Pete’s office.

  He’s threatening me. My own father is threatening me...

  He suddenly began to wonder if he even wanted to do this job any longer. Pleasing his father had long ago become an exercise in futility. Wyn’s imperious “my way or the highway” attitude was the main reason he’d left New York City and worked his way around the country taking on the hotels in the Wells Corporation that weren’t turning a decent profit and reviving them. He liked being his own boss and couldn’t see how Ian could handle the stress of working so closely with their father, putting up with his callousness and iron grip on the business day in and day out. Ian, obviously, had a lot more patience than he did. He almost felt sorry for his older brother. Almost.

  Finding himself cut out of the Desert Indigo project and being the last to know had been a turning point for him, though at the time, the news had shocked and hurt him so deeply, he hadn’t realized it. He did now, though, because it had been weighing heavily on his mind ever since.

  He heard Wyn bellowing in his ear and realized he’d tuned out the old man a while ago.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I must have a bad connection. I’ll call you back.”

  He cut off the call and shoved the phone deep in his pants pocket. Sure, he’d call Wyn back, sometime next week...

  Chapter Five

  “I’ll take my lunch to the shop,” Elsie said carrying a small plate holding a sandwich made on her homemade bread. “You have a nice time now.” She stopped and quizzically examined Lisa’s outfit. “You’re wearing that? Where are you going, hiking?”

  Lisa had squeezed into a pair of black stretch jeans and a camo T-shirt to blend in with the foliage. She didn’t want to risk the possibility of anyone seeing them walking through the woods or entering the cave. Instead of carrying a purse, she’d strapped on her hip pack and stuffed it with her phone, her driver’s license and a small wad of cash for emergencies. “Yeah, sort of.”

  The jingling of a small bell on the gift shop’s door echoed through the house, indicating a customer had entered the store to browse.

  “Well, have a good time, but be careful about climbing on jagged rocks if you’re going out to hike along the coast,” Elsie called over her shoulder on her way to greet her customer.

  Lisa sat at her computer and opened up the email program to see if she’d received a message from “City Boy.” When she saw it, her heart tapped a little dance. She clicked on it and read the latest poem, but sighed, disappointed that he didn’t want to exchange them any longer.

  Dear Island Girl,

  I think we should meet. Which island do you call home?

  A public place would be nice, or at least chat on the phone.

  May we talk without a rhyme? Dr. Seuss needs to quit yakking, he’s in my head all the time.

  City Boy

  It’s fun, but not practical, she thought to herself. It’s time to get real.

  She opened a new email and wrote:

  Dear City Boy,

  You’re right; we should meet. The poems are fun, but we need to have an old-fashioned conversation and find out if we have more in common than talking like Dr. Seuss. I live on Enchanted Island. Where do you live? Perhaps we can find a midway point.

  Oh, and one more question I’ve been meaning to ask. Are you over 18? Because if you aren’t, this conversation stops right now. I’m thirty-three. How old are you?

  Island Girl (For security purposes, I’m not revealing my name until we see each other in person.)

  There...she’d posed some serious questions. She had no intention of giving out any more information about herself until she’d received satisfactory answers. She sent the email and closed out the program. It was nearly noon. Shawn would be here any minute.

  She gathered her long, dark hair into a ponytail as she paced through the house, nervous and excited at the same time. She’d never shown anyone the secret entrance to Anna’s mansion. Could she trust Shawn to keep this information to himself? It was a chance she had decided to take.

&
nbsp; The clock in the kitchen struck the hour twelve times. She glanced out the window at the empty street. What had happened to Shawn? Was he operating on island time, or had he simply changed his mind?

  Ten minutes later, she heard tires crunching on the driveway. Grabbing her long, blue flashlight, she hurried out of the house. Shawn had barely come to a stop before she’d jerked open the door of his Jeep Renegade and jumped into the passenger seat. “Hi!”

  He looked ready for action in a black Miami Dolphins cap, a gray Henley and dark cargo pants, but his grim expression caused him to appear more apprehensive than excited.

  “What’s the matter? Have you changed your mind?”

  He pulled a pair of metal-rimmed sunglasses from the center console and slipped them on. “Nope. It’s been a challenging day, but it just got a lot better.” Grinning, he shifted the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. “Lead the way.”

  Lisa pointed in the direction he’d come. “That way. Back to the Amaryllis.”

  They parked the Renegade in the hotel parking lot and took the path through the Regis property down to the beach. They walked along the sand for several miles, climbing over jagged rocks and thick foliage.

  At one point, Shawn stopped and stared at the rugged terrain. “Are you sure you know where we’re going?”

  She laughed and tugged on the bill of his cap. “It’s not much farther. We have to climb this bank and walk along the cliff for a while.”

  They scaled the steep bank and walked along the edge of the rock, staring down at the clear aqua water several stories below. Lisa stopped and drew in a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. She loved it up here. In the distance, Anna’s majestic yellow house with white gingerbread trim sat in full view. She turned and began to climb the steep terrain into the forest.

  They eventually came to a large, craggy opening in an outcrop of rock. Rays of sun peaked through the tops of the trees, providing a shower of filtered light into the hole.