Meant to Be (33 page)

He picked up Beth’s soda along with his beer bottle. As tempting as it was to spend the night finishing off the six-pack in his fridge, he’d learned the hard way alcohol didn’t do much for getting over a woman. The last time the damage had been to his ego. He knew that now. This time felt like a twenty-aught hook ripping through his chest.

“No one set out to hurt you, little brother. Doesn’t mean shit right now, but it’s the truth.” Joe kept another truth to himself. Like it or not, he was full-force in love with the woman who’d just walked away. And that was never going to change.

Beth sent up a prayer of thanks that Patty and Tom were working at the restaurant so she wouldn’t have to explain
why she was packing to leave. Not that she had an explanation. How could she tell them she was leaving one of their sons because she’d fallen in love with the other?

Not that Joe was the reason she was calling off the engagement. She knew now agreeing to marry Lucas had been a mistake. One more in a long line of mistakes. Breaking it off now was better than five years down the road, when she might snap after the three hundred and twelfth vapid dinner party.

But at least she’d have had a family for those five years. An amazing, caring, generous family. The reality of how much she was losing intensified the ache around Beth’s heart.

Pulling into the last drive on Tuttles Lane, she grabbed the overnight bag and her purse, leaving the suitcase in the trunk. Standing on the porch, Beth screwed up the courage to knock. This was going to take an explanation, and she hoped their fragile friendship would keep Sid from decking her upon learning the truth.

The door opened before she had the chance to knock. Sid wore a white tank and purple pajama shorts covered with Jolly Roger flags. A toothbrush stuck in her mouth, she looked down to the overnight bag and back to Beth.

Swinging the screen wide, she mumbled around the toothbrush. “This should be intawesting.”

Beth embraced her right to remain silent, followed Sid inside, and sat on the couch while her hostess presumably finished brushing her teeth. When she returned, Sid passed over a glass of red wine, then plopped down on the other end of the couch with a glass of water.

“Spill.”

Where to start. Anger and righteous indignation had gotten her this far, but both had faded, and all she could think was,
What have I done?

“Lucas is here.”

“Here where?”

“On the island.”

“Your fiancé is here, and you show up at my door with an overnight bag?” Sid was taking this much better than expected. Not that Beth had gotten to the decking-worthy offense yet. “You trying to save it for the wedding night?”

“He’s not my fiancé anymore.”

One brow shot up. “Because of Joe?”

Beth stared at her wineglass. “Why do you say that?”

“Doesn’t take a genius to see you two set the furniture on fire whenever you’re in the same room.”

“That’s not true,” Beth argued. Did the entire island think she and Joe were having an affair? “Tell me that’s not true.”

“Did Lucas catch you?” Sid took a sip of water and set her glass on the table. Probably to free her hands in case she needed to throw a punch.

“There was nothing to catch.” Beth remembered what she and Joe had been doing when Lucas showed up. “Mostly nothing. But Joe isn’t the reason I’m not marrying Lucas.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

“Let’s just say he’s not the man for me. I would have figured that out with or without falling for Joe. Might have taken longer, but reality would have smacked me eventually.”

Sid took a turn remaining silent.

“You’re taking this better than I expected. With your feelings for Lucas, I thought you might deck me for hurting him.”

Narrowed eyes bored through her. “What do you know about my feelings for Lucas?”

Beth pulled a throw pillow from behind her to use as protection. “Your brother told me the first time I met him. Said you’d had a thing for Lucas since high school. I thought that’s why you hated me when I first got here.”

“My brother has a big mouth. I had a thing for Lucas, but we can see from his taste in women that I’m not his type.”

Beth wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a compliment and decided not to ask. “Well, I’m not his type either. Though to be fair to him, I acted the part well enough.”

“Explain this to me.” Sid sat up and Beth pulled the pillow tighter. “Move the damn pillow; I’m not going to hit you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Sid snatched the pillow and threw it onto a chair to her left. “You agreed to marry a man you don’t love. True?”

“Yes.” Leave it to Sid to make this feel like a root canal. “But I thought I loved him.”

Sid scratched her head. “But now you know you don’t love Lucas and you’re sure you love Joe.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I’m too tired to pussyfoot around this, Curly. Do you love Joe or not?”

She considered lying, because saying the words out loud would make driving onto that ferry even harder. But as always, she caved. “Yes, I love Joe.”

Sid whistled. “You know how to make a mess of shit, don’t you?” Snatching her glass off the table, she sat back. “What are you going to do now? And I hope you don’t think the answer is live with me. I like you, but not that much.”

“We established our boundaries a long time ago, remember? I just need a place to stay tonight so I can head back to Richmond in the morning. I don’t know the way well enough to make it in the dark.”

“Do they know you’re here?”

Beth tapped the glass she had yet to drink from. “I don’t think so. The last thing I said when I walked away was that I was leaving tonight.”

“Fine. I’ll get the extra blankets for the couch then give Joe a call.”

“Why?” Beth asked, jumping to her feet. “I don’t want to see either of them.”

“Don’t get your fancy pants in a wad. If either of them decides to be a hero and go after you, they deserve to know you haven’t left yet.” Holding up a hand to silence Beth’s argument, she added, “I’ll make it clear neither is to show up at my door unless they want their balls ripped off with a monkey wrench.”

The threat sounded painful and sincere. “All right, but if they show up anyway, I’m not talking to them.” She wasn’t ready to face Lucas again, but she couldn’t ignore the glimmer of hope Joe would come for her.

“Fair enough,” Sid said, reaching for the phone behind her. “I’ve got enough wine and chocolate to stay holed up for a week. Since you’re leaving in the morning, I think we can make it.”

The following Monday, Beth returned to work, checking her voice mail while waiting for her computer to load. As expected, there was a message asking that she report to the Human Resources department as soon as possible.

She knew this was coming. If Cassie had the nerve to call Lucas and report an alleged affair, she’d have no qualms about getting Beth fired. Oddly enough, the idea of losing her job didn’t bother Beth anymore. Over the weekend, she’d decided several changes were in order.

Buttoning the jacket of her blue business suit, Beth knocked on the door of Rita Ramsey, Human Resource Manager of Bracken, Franks, and Holcomb, LLC. Rita opened the door and smiled, inviting Beth to have a seat. What happened next would be a defining moment in Beth’s life. The moment she took control and started basing decisions on what would make
her
happy.

When she left Rita behind, Beth went directly to Lucas’s office. She knew he was there because she’d seen his car in his reserved space when she pulled into the garage. Nothing as trivial as losing a fiancée would keep Lucas Dempsey from his work. A bubble of resentment threatened to float to the surface, but Beth pushed it down.

She couldn’t blame Lucas for his ambition any more than he could blame her for a lack of it. He hadn’t been willing to choose her over the job until he thought she was sleeping with his brother. And then he’d driven all the way back to Anchor to catch them in the act. The lawyer wanting ironclad proof.

Things should have ended differently. Regardless of her intentions, she’d hurt him. For that she would always be sorry. His assistant, Pamela, was on the phone, so Beth tapped on the door, entering when she heard the muffled “Come in” from the other side.

Lucas didn’t look up at first, instead saying, “What is it, Pamela?”

“It isn’t Pamela.”

His head shot up and a muscle twitched in his jaw. Tie perfect. Shirt starched. Chin clean-shaven. Lucas looked as put together as always, but the slight darkening beneath his eyes revealed he’d lost as much sleep as she had in the last few days. She felt bad about that.

He dropped his pen then leaned back in his chair. “You have nerve, I’ll give you that.”

Beth kept her head up. “I’m sorry.” He snorted, but she continued. “I’m sorry you were hurt in all this. I never set out to hurt anyone.”

“Funny. Joe said something similar. Did you work out your stories ahead of time?”

Ignoring the taunt, she took a step forward, barreling ahead. “I’ve been living a lie for a long time. Maybe my whole life. You became a victim of my mess, and though I wish things could be different, they can’t. I can’t change the past, but I can change the future.”

She had to make this right. “Whatever you think of me, know that your brother is innocent in this. He was my friend, and that’s all. He never crossed the line. Ever. He loves you, Lucas. Don’t punish him for my mistakes.”

Lucas moved around the desk, propped on the corner, and crossed his arms. “Valiant defense. Is that it?”

Beth gripped the back of the chair in front of her, struggling to control her temper. “I’m not a criminal, and I won’t be treated like one. I came to tell you I won’t be working here anymore.”

He slapped his hands down on the desk. “They have no grounds to fire you.” He moved back to his chair and picked up the phone. “Cassandra Wheeler has done enough damage.”

“They didn’t fire me. I quit.”

His hand froze over the buttons, the receiver halfway to his ear. “You what?”

She let go of the chair and toyed with the buttons on her jacket. “I quit. I don’t want to work in law. I never did.”

The receiver slid back into place. “What are you going to do?”

Crossing her arms, she said, “I’ve contacted an old college friend. She runs a crafts supply store and could use some help managing the weekend classes. I’m starting over. In Boston.”

Lucas dropped to his chair. “In Boston?”

“Yes. A new start needs a new town.” She’d rather her new start happen on a certain tiny island, but that couldn’t be.

“I see.” He picked up the pen and tapped it absently on the desktop. “When do you leave?”

“There are still some arrangements to make, but I’d like to move as soon as possible. I’m flying up this weekend to look for an apartment.”

“That soon?”

“Yes.” There was nothing else to say. “You deserve happiness, Lucas. I hope you find it. And I hope you don’t give up on your brother. He deserves happiness, too.” Beth turned to leave, but Lucas stopped her with one question.

“Do you love him?”

She couldn’t answer but she couldn’t lie either. So she kept walking.

“I’ll take that as a yes” were the last words she heard before the door closed behind her.

“D
empsey!” Sid yelled, two inches from Joe’s ear.

“What the—”

“I’ve called your name four times, dickweed. What’s your problem?”

Stupid question when she knew what his problem was. Or, rather, who. Though he’d appreciated Sid not talking about Beth since she’d left the island.

“We need to get this Beth shit out in the open.”

So much for that.

“There is no Beth shit. Hand me those hooks.”

Sid crossed her arms, ignoring the order. “You’ve been walking around like a zombie since she left. Go get her.”

Joe cut the line and reached for the next pole, choosing to remain silent.

“I said go get her.”

He threw the pole across the deck. “You think I don’t want to drive up there and bring her back? You think I haven’t had to stop myself from climbing in the Jeep and saying to hell with it all? It’s not an option.” Turning his back, he added, “I’m taking a break.”