Something to Believe In (9 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

J
USTIN
TOOK
A
SEAT
at the bar at Rush Tide and
smiled at the bartender, a woman he recognized as the waitress Lilah had been
talking to that first night. A gold necklace with the name Donna was strung
around her neck, which matched her gold hoop earrings.

“Hey there, handsome,” Donna said with an appreciative grin.
“What can I do you for?”

“Whatever you recommend.”

“Sex on the beach is always popular.”

Justin laughed. “I bet,” he said, glancing around at the packed
open-air establishment. There was no shortage of laughter, bikini tops and board
shorts but he didn’t see a woman who held a candle to Lilah. A small part of him
wished another woman would turn his head. It would simplify this baffling and,
at times, frightening change of behavior he was experiencing. But it wasn’t
happening. No one had that certain “it factor” that Lilah had, and therefore
every other woman seemed bland and unappealing.

Which meant he was sticking to his plan.

“So, Donna...tell me about Lilah Bell,” he said, dazzling Donna
with another signature grin. He’d often been accused of using that charm for
less-than-honorable purposes and he couldn’t deny the charge, but right now he
just wanted to find out more about the elusive island girl so he could find a
way past that wall she’d put between them.

Donna slid a fruity drink toward him and smiled knowingly. “I
called it when I saw you two.”

His brow climbed. “Oh? And what did you see?”

“A good match.”

He chuckled ruefully and took a sip, glad to play the jilted
lover if it got him information. “Well, someone ought to tell Lilah that...
She’s been a bit difficult to get to know beyond the superficial. How well do
you know the Bells?”

“It’s a small island. Everyone knows everyone and their
business. Usually that’s a pain in the ass but sometimes it’s a cool thing. I’ve
known the Bells for about five years now. They’re very good people. So you’ve
taken a shine to Lilah?”

“Yeah, you could say that. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met
and that’s saying something because honestly, I’d become a bit of a cynic when
it came to people.”

“So worldly,” Donna said, rolling her eyes. “Let me tell you
something. When you’re a bartender you meet all kinds of people and I’m always
surprised by the types of people who find their way to my bar.”

“That’s a good way to be,” Justin said. “I like it better than
the jaded me I was before I got here.”

“Well, it’s the island air. Does good things to a person.”

“So...what can you tell me about Lilah?”

She cracked a laugh. “Sorry, bud. If you can’t get the
information on your own, you’re out of luck. If Lilah wants you to know more
about her, she’ll share. If not, that’s your bad luck.”

“Awww c’mon, help a guy out,” he pleaded. “I really like her
but I’m out of my element here. I just want to show her that I’m not the guy she
thinks I am.”

“Which is?”

“Just some guy looking for a good time. That I really like her
for more than just her looks.”

“Then your actions will tell the story, not your lips.”

“She won’t let me show her. I can hardly get any time with
her.” He sensed Donna was wavering and pushed his advantage. “Listen, this is
the craziest thing I’ve ever said to another person and I have to trust that
you’re not going to screw me over, but here’s the thing—I think I’m falling for
her. I mean, seriously, head over heels, falling for her. Does that sound like
someone just trying to have a good time?”

Donna sighed. “I’m a sucker for a romantic. But I can’t give
you what you can’t find yourself. However, I will say this...Lilah is an amazing
artist. I mean, talented enough to be in one of those fancy galleries. And
that’s all I’m going to say. The rest is on you.”

Justin grinned. “Donna, you just gave me the keys to the
castle.”

“Uh-huh... We’ll see...”

Justin took another swallow of his drink, tossed enough cash to
pay his bill and leave a hefty tip, and then left to gather supplies.

* * *

T
HAT
NIGHT
,
THE
ENTIRE
GANG
was settled into
the office with the exception of Pops and Heath. Heath took Pops to St. Thomas
for a doctor’s appointment and then dinner as an excuse to give the group a
chance to meet and discuss the situation.

As usual Lora took point, being a former marketing executive,
talking about strategy and whatnot was in her wheelhouse.

Now that Gabe Weston was part of the family, he also brought
some valuable insight as well as contacts to the table.

As for Lindy and Lilah, they were bewildered by business
details but willing to pitch in however needed.

“I appreciate everyone coming tonight,” Lora began. “I know
it’s been a rocky road to this point. We’ve all made sacrifices to help save
Larimar and I just want to say thank you. I know it hasn’t been easy on any of
us. First, I want to share the good news—we’ve made all the scheduled payments
to the IRS and we’ve managed to clear the back taxes that were due. So, yay for
getting caught up,” she said, clapping her hands for emphasis. Lilah smiled as
polite applause followed. “Now for the bad news. We used up our income to pay
the last of the shortfall, which puts us back to square one when taxes come due
again for this year. We have no reserve and we need to find a way to create more
income in addition to what we’re pulling in regularly. As we all know, Heath had
hoped that the gift shop would pull in more revenue. That hasn’t exactly been
the case. His fused glass sells but not enough to sustain the gift shop, which
is why we’ve brought back a smattering of the previous inventory of standard
tourist fare. We’re at a crucial stage for the gift shop. We might need to
rethink the plan all together if we’re going to keep the gift shop open.”

“The art is original and it sells. I think we need to give it
more time,” Lilah said.

“Time is something we don’t have,” Lora said. “I wish we did. I
love Heath’s creations but we need more income and although the touristy stuff
wasn’t exciting, it moved units. Let’s face it, T-shirts are easy to pack in a
suitcase whereas fragile glass art is a nightmare to ship.”

“What happened with the idea to market the glass on the
website?” Lindy asked.

“We’d have to redesign the entire website from a reservation
program to a sales portal and although we queried a few web designers, we just
couldn’t find one within our price range, which is embarrassingly cheap. And I’m
not about to tear down our professionally designed website for one that’s
substandard. I don’t think that will serve our brand at all.”

Lilah dishearteningly agreed. “We don’t want to go backward
that’s for sure. What about the charter company idea?”

“Heath talked to Billy Janks about partnering and Billy was
leery. I don’t blame him. He has a successful operation in his own rights. He
doesn’t need us and we don’t want to start a relationship that’s grounded in
such inequality. It sets up an unhealthy power balance and between friends, it
can be toxic. I’d hate to see Heath and Billy’s friendship damaged.”

“So what are we going to do?” Lilah asked.

“Well, I’ve been cultivating a relationship with Sears in the
hopes of landing their corporate retreat account but it’s not going as smoothly
as I’d hoped,” Lora admitted.

“I might be able to help in that respect,” Gabe chimed in,
surprising Lilah.

“How so?” Lora asked.

“I golf with the VP of Foreign Acquisitions and I could nudge
him in your direction.”

“That would be great,” Lora said. “I’ll take whatever advantage
we can manage. I am without shame at this point.”

“No shame in doing whatever you can to save your business,”
Gabe said, and Lindy leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek with a warm smile.
Gabe grinned. “And I get rewards of my own. I’m in.”

Lilah smiled at the love flowing so easily between her sister
and her fiancé. Someday she hoped to find a man as good as both Heath and Gabe.
If only she would be so lucky. She withheld a sigh and returned to the
conversation, though her mind kept wandering. What was Justin doing right now?
Was he spending the evening with some island girl? She hated that idea and
pushed it away with immediate distaste even though she shouldn’t care.

“Lilah, have you considered selling a few of your art pieces in
the gift shop?” Lora asked, surprising everyone with her suggestion. Lilah froze
and sent a panicked look to Lora with a minute shake of her head. Her work
certainly wasn’t of the caliber worth displaying for sale. But Lora didn’t back
down. In fact, she stared her down, daring her to defend her work. “Li...you
have scores of finished paintings rolled up and gathering dust. Between your art
and Heath’s, we could make something of the gift shop. Heath and I have already
talked about it and he agrees.”

“I’m flattered but I think you’ve overestimated the value of my
work. Sorry, Lora.”

Lindy seemed intrigued by this idea and jumped in. “Wait a
minute, Li. I think Lora’s onto something. When we saw your work, your real
work, the stuff that you hide away in the broom closet in the atrium, I was
astounded by how beautiful and soulful it was. You have real talent. We could
have them professionally mounted and have a gallery showing for you.”

“No.” Lilah hadn’t meant to snap but the word jumped free from
a place of pain and fear and snarled like a rabid dog in the room. She reined in
her initial knee-jerk reaction and tried to smooth things over. “I mean, I’m
really flattered but I’d rather not. It’s not good enough for one, and two—” she
paused, swallowing a lump in her throat “—it’s personal stuff that I don’t want
everyone and their mother to see. It’s bad enough that everyone on the island
knows what happened to me. I don’t need them judging my work, too. It’d be like
standing on the pier welcoming the tourists in nothing but my skin. I’m just not
interested in being that vulnerable.”

Lilah wrestled with the guilt her refusal created that was
accentuated by the disappointed expressions reflected in the room but she held
firm. Her work wasn’t good enough. Anyone with an ounce of true talent could see
her obvious technical flaws but beyond that, her art was sacred to her and she
didn’t want anyone to take that from her.

“You need to stop being so modest,” Lora said. “Your work is as
good, if not better, than some of the stuff I’ve seen hanging in galleries in
New York. That’s the honest to God truth.”

Intensely uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation,
she shrugged and remained silent. Perhaps if she didn’t lend any fuel to the
fire it would die out on its own.

Lindy, sensing her distress, piped in. “Well, let’s focus on
what we know is working and expand on that before we start implementing all
kinds of new ideas in a scattershot pattern just to see what sticks to the wall.
Lora, you said that reservations were up thanks to the website overhaul?”

Lora nodded. “Yes, we contracted with a company that does
online reservations and they’ve funneled some business our way. We’ve also
contracted with a few travel sites to offer some discount packages to draw more
business. So far, it seems to be working. We’re taking a hit on the pure profit,
but making up for it in volume.”

“Sounds like a decent strategy,” Lindy agreed, nodding. “Can we
find some more travel sites to make the same deal?”

“I’m working on it,” Lora answered. “With most people going
through travel sites rather than an agent, I figured it would be best to have a
presence at the busiest sites.”

“Smart,” Lindy said. “And I haven’t given up on the film
industry. I sent pics of Larimar to all the film commissions in California. It’s
not a quick fix but it’s always nice to be on their radar.”

The conversation meandered over sales projections and needed
repairs and soon Lilah’s eyelids were dragging. After months of insomnia, the
weight on her lids was always welcome. She knew she’d sleep well, even if her
thoughts were a turbulent mess and for that, she was grateful.

“Li? You okay?”

Lilah awoke with a start and realized she’d dozed. She yawned
and quickly apologized. “I’m beat.” She rubbed her bleary eyes and tried to
focus. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Lindy assured her. “We’re just finishing up.
Besides, Heath and Pops will be back soon and we shouldn’t be powwowing in his
office when he returns. It could set him off.”

Another yawn cracked her jaw and she nodded, happy to have an
out. “All right. I’m heading to bed, then.”

Everyone said their good-nights and Lilah left the office,
eager to find her bed.

As her eyelids closed, she sighed when an image of Justin
filled her mind as she drifted to sleep.

Drat that beautiful man—there was no escaping his adorable
face.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, J
USTIN
entered the lobby with a palette and a blank canvas
and his backpack slung over his shoulder filled with paint supplies. His mission
was simple and to the point: get Lilah to spend time with him. And he wasn’t
above hitting his target where it would have the most impact.

Lilah was chatting quietly with what he assumed was her twin.
Even though they weren’t identical, he could see similarities in their
mannerisms and the bond between them as they talked. Both women angled their
bodies toward one another in an affectionate manner that spoke of their
invisible connection as light laughter followed whatever train of conversation
they were having. He almost hated to interrupt their girl time—almost.

Lilah looked up and saw him striding toward her, her gaze
immediately going to the folded easel in his hand and the backpack slung over
his shoulder. Her brow winged upward in question. “Are you an artist?” she asked
with open surprise.

“Not exactly,” he admitted with a cheeky grin. “But I’ve always
wanted to try. I love art if that counts for anything and I’ve been told I have
a good eye so I thought, what the hell, let’s give it a go. I bought a book on
watercolors, pastels and oil paints but I haven’t a clue as to where to start. I
heard through the grapevine that you’re a halfway decent artist and thought you
might take pity on me and help me out.”

Guarded laughter was his answer as she shook her head until her
sister piped in, nudging her with her shoulder. “Li, you’re a great teacher. And
this guy’s pretty adorable with those puppy dog eyes. How can you resist?”

Lilah hesitated, her gaze going to her sister with surprise, as
if she’d expected her to back her on her polite refusal. “I think if he wants
lessons, he ought to pay someone who teaches for a living,” she said.

“Teachers get too wrapped up in technique and style. I want
someone who can teach me how to tap into that artistic side without clinging to
a bunch of rules. My gut says you’re just the right person for the job.”

If Lindy caught the warmth growing between them, he wouldn’t be
surprised. Justin was trying hard to seem like a happy-go-lucky tourist, but he
couldn’t escape the feeling that it was imperative he convince Lilah to say yes.
If he were a smart man, he’d count Lilah as a loss and cut ties but he couldn’t
bring himself to do it. Maybe it was because he wasn’t accustomed to losing, or
maybe he hated the idea of someone so easily discounting him, but he couldn’t
walk away.

Not yet.

He’d have to leave in a few weeks anyway. And if he had his
way, he’d spend every available moment with Lilah until then.

“You should go,” Lindy urged with a grin that bordered on
mischievous. “It’s a gorgeous day. Perfect for an art lesson.”

“I’m supposed to man the desk today,” Lilah protested.

“I think I can cover the desk for a few hours. Besides, Gabe
and Carys were going to hit the beach for a while anyway. It’s perfect. And it
helps me to feel as if I’m being helpful when I’ve been so far away.”

Justin grinned and thrust his hand out to Lilah’s sister. “You
must be Lilah’s twin sister, Lindy. Nice to meet you. I’m Justin Cales, a friend
of Lilah’s.”

At the mention of
friend,
Lilah’s
eyes widened and he choked back a laugh at the private joke between them. Lindy
smiled and accepted his handshake with laughter dancing in her eyes. Intuition
told Justin that Lilah had shared a little of their involvement with her sister
and instead of disapproving, Lindy was wholeheartedly in favor. “I owe you a
beer for taking pity on this poor tourist,” Justin said, casting Lilah a teasing
grin that caused her to blush prettily. Ahh, he liked having Lilah off-kilter.
It gave him an advantage that he sorely needed.

“I might take you up on that offer,” Lindy said, then gestured
to Lilah. “Go on and have fun. Why don’t you take him up to Cinammon? There’s
some gorgeous old growth trees, very wild and untamed that he might like.”

“That’s not very easy to paint for a beginner,” Lilah retorted,
slipping from her chair and dusting her behind as she straightened her sarong.
She heaved an exasperated sigh and gestured to Justin. “Fine. If you want a
lesson, I’ll give you one but don’t blame me if you don’t learn a thing. I’m not
cut out to be a teacher.”

Justin laughed good-naturedly, not the least bit put off by the
subtle snap in Lilah’s tone. He got that she was irritated by his open
manipulation and he was willing to take a little punishment if it meant he got
to spend the day with the woman who was fast becoming his favorite
obsession.

He sent Lindy a wink and followed Lilah to the Jeep.

* * *

“T
HAT
WAS
LOW
OF
YOU
, using my sister to get what you
wanted,” Lilah said, putting the Jeep into gear and rumbling away from Larimar.
“Is that how you do things in New York?”

He didn’t even try to offer up a plausible denial. “Pretty
much.” He grinned and she groaned, hating that his silly smile made her insides
light up. He chuckled at her irritation. “What drives you the most crazy? The
fact that I don’t make apologies for going after what I want, or that you can’t
seem to say no to me when you claim that you don’t want to get involved?”

Damn him. “Why do I have to choose? Both points make me crazy,”
she groused, downshifting to climb a steep hill. “You are so damn stubborn and
single-minded. Why does it matter that I don’t want a relationship with you? Why
can’t you just find some other island girl to spend your time with? What is it
about me?”

Her tone voiced complaint but she secretly wanted to know the
answer. His pursuit thrilled her to her toes but she hated that she was so
affected by it. Lindy had always been the superstar of their family. All the
boys had always gravitated toward her blinding charisma and she’d toyed with
their devotion without apology, yet they’d always come back running. Lilah had
never inspired such rabid interest. Sure, she’d had boyfriends but there’d
always been that subtle quality about Lindy that had outshone Lilah every time.
So the fact that Justin seemed preoccupied with Lilah for reasons she couldn’t
fathom, tickled her feminine pride in ways she’d never experienced.

“Lilah, do you really want me spending time with other women?”
he asked her pointedly, and she couldn’t lie. She shook her head slowly,
reluctant to admit such a telling truth. He accepted her answer and smiled with
satisfaction. “Good. Because I don’t want to hang out with other women. I want
you, Lilah. And today, you’re going to teach me how to paint.”

“Have you ever painted before?”

“Never held a brush in my life,” he said without shame. “And
I’ll probably suck at it, but as long as I’m spending time with you...it’s a
win.”

His words struck a chord deep inside her and she almost had to
fight to suck back sudden tears. He made no apologies for what he wanted. She
admired his tenacity. She snuck a glance his way and caught his strong profile
as the sun shone down on their heads, bathing the Jeep with drowsy, warm light.
The wind played with his brown hair and he looked as if he didn’t have a care in
the world. In that split second, she memorized every line in his face, every
subtle nuance of character evident in his profile, and committed it to her
private cache of treasures. When he left, she’d remember this day as the one
that made her feel special and wanted by a man who was too handsome for his own
good and too charming by half.

Oh, to hell with good sense.

She was going to enjoy whatever it was they were doing while it
lasted.

* * *

L
ORA
WALKED
INTO
THE
LOBBY
just as Lindy was finishing a
reservation call. Lindy flashed a brief smile, ready to share the good news
about booking all the rooms for next month when Lora scowled.

“What’s wrong?” Lindy asked, confused. “I just booked the
resort for all of next month. A big group is coming in from one of those travel
sites you hooked up with. That’s good news,” she supplied when Lora didn’t lose
her pinched expression. “What gives?”

“Where’s Lilah? She was supposed to work the desk today.”

“Yeah, so? I took her shift so she could spend time with that
cutie Justin Cales.”

“Damn it,” Lora muttered, shaking her head. “This is getting
ridiculous.”

“What are you talking about?” Lindy asked, confused and
becoming irritated. Lora’s attitude rubbed at Lindy’s inborn sense of chaos she
used to live by and she had to remind herself that she was not that rebellious
kid anymore. “Is there something I should know?”

“Lilah is in a fragile state. She doesn’t need to start a fling
with someone who isn’t going to stick around. Besides, dating shouldn’t be her
primary concern. Getting well should be,” she added unnecessarily, and Lindy
couldn’t help but bristle for Lilah’s sake.

“She’s doing very well and you’re overreacting. Justin seems
like a cool guy and they’re just enjoying a little fun together. It’s not like
they’re going to run off and get married.”

“Well, it’s kinda what you did,” Lora reminded Lindy, and she
couldn’t argue that fact.

“Yeah, well, Lilah isn’t going to get married to this guy.
She’s just having some fun. And for the record, I’m not married yet,” Lindy
said, annoyed that Lora was going there. “I honestly don’t see what the big deal
is.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, you’re all about living in the
moment but that’s a dangerous place for Lilah. Surely you realize that if she
gets her heart broken, it could send her into a tailspin? Maybe even a
regression back into her depression.”

Lindy lost some of her irritation and bit her lip. She hadn’t
thought of that. “We can’t put her in a box to protect her from everything,
though,” Lindy said. “And frankly, she would hate that anyway. She already feels
that everyone is walking on eggshells around her and it’s driving her a little
batty. I think we should follow her lead and support whatever she chooses.”

“I just don’t want to see her hurt,” Lora said.

“I don’t, either.”

At least in that they agreed but Lindy hadn’t considered the
potential damage that could happen with Justin. “What do we know about this
guy?” Lindy asked.

“Nothing. I mean, he seems like a decent guy but how do we
know?”

Lindy toyed with her bottom lip. “We don’t. Okay, I’ll do some
digging and see what I can find. You know, here’s something to consider... Lilah
is a smart woman and she’s changed a lot. Dr. Veronica has worked wonders with
her. She doesn’t suffer from insomnia any longer and she’s happy again. I can
see it in her smile and hear it in her voice. Things have changed. Maybe we need
to put a little faith in our sister instead of jumping to the worst
conclusion.”

“I’d love to. I’m just worried and with the luck we’ve had, I
don’t want to take any chances. Not with our sister.”

Lindy nodded. “Okay. I’ll let you know what I find.”

Lora sighed in relief. “Thanks. I appreciate it. I don’t like
being the bad guy all the time when I’m just trying to do what’s best for
everyone.”

“I know,” Lindy said. “Sometimes it’s easy to fall into
patterns...and that goes for me, too.”

Lora smiled with gratitude and Lindy felt a pinch of guilt for
immediately becoming snarly. She watched as Lora walked from the room, her
stride quick and purposeful as always, and smiled with an inborn sigh. Sometimes
it didn’t matter how much a person changed, at their core lived a bratty teen
who believed the world was against her and saw the world in naive shades of
black and white.

Had it been only a few short months ago that she’d been that
way?

She thought of Carys and how volatile and moody she was at
times and chuckled. Yeah...growing up was hard.

Especially when you put it off for so long like Lindy.

Now was the time to be there for her sisters in any way
possible.

And that included making sure that cute men with a sweet spot
for baby sisters weren’t up to no good.