Because of Sydney (17 page)

A girl in a pink bikini smiled as I hopped over the corner of her beach towel. My first question was why someone on my team hadn’t alerted me to the press conference. I didn’t like unexpected information coming from Carlos. It looked bad. It gave him an upper hand.

I ran past my usual turnaround spot. I needed the extra burn today. It had been almost a week since I had returned from San Antonio. Since
we
had returned.

My calves started to ache and I made a U-turn at the next boardwalk. The Palm Palace was twenty minutes behind me.

My phone buzzed again.

“Mark, what is it?”

“Good morning, sir.”

“Calling about Commissioner Rodriguez’s press conference?”

“Yes, sir. You already know about that?”

“Damn it, Mark. You are supposed to tell me before anyone else. That’s what I pay you for.” I was irritated.

“We just found out.”

I didn’t need excuses. The team had failed. “Do you at least know who the environmental group is she has partnered with?”

“Yes.”

I smiled. “That’s something. Who are they?”

“Not one we’re really familiar with. The Custodians of the Dunes.”

“Who in the hell are they?” I could see the boardwalk for the Palm in front of me. I ran faster.

“A group out of Galveston. They preserve the seaside dunes.”

“Great. Find out everything you can about them. Send it to me in an hour.” I felt out of breath.

“Yes, sir. We’re on it.”

“Good. I’ll look for your email.”

I jogged up the stairs. I debated whether to stop by the office and chat with Eden, but I already knew how that would go. She would try to convince me to call Sydney. Urge me to try to work things out. Eden didn’t understand a two-day relationship didn’t need fixing. Walking away was the best thing I could have done.

I chugged the rest of the water in my water bottle then turned to the coffee pot to fill a mug, and walked onto the balcony.

The beach was starting to come alive with tourists. Striped umbrellas. Plastic buckets filling with sand to build castles. I leaned over the railing, studying the people on vacation.

I sipped my coffee. My body starting to cool under the shade of the balcony, and the breeze whipping off the ocean.

I heard a knock on the door and left my mug on the balcony. I opened the door. Grey stood in front of me.

“What’s going on, man?” I made way for him to enter the condo.

“Saw you run up from the beach.”

“Yeah, good run. Have to do it before it’s too hot.”

“I hear you. I’ve been running the past few nights. It’s the only way I can get it in.”

He walked inside.

“Want some coffee?” I offered.

“That’s all right. I’m good.”

He followed me onto the balcony, where I picked up the mug again. “How’s Eden?”

“She’s working in the office.”

A family set up for a day on the beach in front of us. Grey looked on the horizon.

“A bunch of us are getting together tonight for a bonfire. Think you want to stop by?” Grey asked.

“I haven’t been to one of those in a while. Is the usual group going to be there?”

He nodded. “Yep. Pick, Marin, Connor, Eden, and me. I’m not sure who else is in town this weekend.”

“All right. I’ll stop by.”

“And don’t let Eden give you a hard time about that girl. She’s just trying to help.”

“I know. She wants everyone to be happy.”

Grey smiled. “Yeah, she is on a mission. Sorry things didn’t work out for you.”

“Who said they didn’t work out?”

He shrugged. “True. I guess we all have different goals.”

“I had a good time. I’m not looking for anything serious. I’ve been pretty open about that.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me. If I hadn’t met Eden, I’d be doing the same thing. I wasn’t interested in anything else.”

I thought about it. I wasn’t sure we were the same kind of men when it came to women. Grey was certainly more domesticated than I was. Before Eden he had lived with a girlfriend. That had never happened to me. I made sure of it.

“Hey, man I’m not trying to rush you, but I’ve got to head out soon. I have a big day lined up. I’ve got to run over to the site.”

Grey stepped back inside, and I closed the sliding door. “See you tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’ll bring a case or two.”

“Sounds good.”

He left and I realized how normal that exchange had been. It was possible we were actually becoming friends. I jumped in the shower.

I adjusted my collar and the sleeves on my jacket. A crowd had already gathered near the picnic tables. I stayed close to the road, out of sight. The sun beat down on the crowd. I noticed Commissioner Rodriguez moving to the front of the group.

Next to her were two men and two women. Their T-shirts were decorated with pictures of sea dunes. I assumed they were from the activist group. This should be interesting. I folded my arms and waited for the press conference to start.

The microphone squeaked and the onlookers pressed their hands to their ears. It was already a rocky start.

Janet smiled. “I’d like to welcome everyone today. I have a few people I should introduce. If you’re not familiar with the Custodians of the Dunes, a few of their representatives have joined us today. Cecilia, Bailey, Hamp, and Doug.”

“You all know this piece of land we’re standing on has been purchased. And some of you are probably thinking this is a good thing for our island. You’re thinking about the jobs it will bring in. But what I want you to think about is what the development of Beach Combers Cove will do to the beach. Do you know how many species of animals live in the dunes that border this tract?”

This is the part of the speech that always irritated me. Janet started throwing out statistics about animal endangerment, beach erosion, and tossed in the number of accidents that occurred on construction sites. That one was unnecessary, but I knew what she was doing. She needed to build citizen unity. The message was clear. The development was dangerous and unsafe for everyone.

I hung my head and started back for the car. I didn’t need to hear the words from the Custodians of the Dunes to know what the pushback was going to be. They were going to fight the development.

It wasn’t the first battle I would face against environmentalists.

I heard the ding on my phone and pulled it from my pocket to check the email. From the corner of my eye I saw her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was late to the press conference. She didn’t see me. She rushed to the group, her bag slung over her shoulder, her reporter’s pad clutched in one hand.

The skirt she was wearing showed off her tan legs and the taunt muscles in her calves. I scowled. Not for me. I had my taste. It wasn’t going to happen again.

I hesitated. I wanted to walk over. But why? I had cut her loose. It was best this way. Within a few seconds she was buried in the crowd. I started the engine and slowly drove away from the trailer park. I tried to forget I was leaving Sydney behind. I turned up the radio as I picked up speed. Yes, this was best.

The condo was cool the way I liked it. I typed out an email. I needed the preliminary numbers on a warehouse in Fort Worth. I would fly out in a few days. I wanted the information before I was back in Dallas.

Early on, people told me I grew my business too fast. They said Lachlan Corporation wouldn’t be able to sustain the rate of growth I pushed on it. But it didn’t stop me. I kept the pace I wanted. Followed my instincts. Ignored the warnings.

If the next purchase went through I would be closing in on my thirtieth acquisition. It felt good to know I didn’t let the concerns stop me. I kept going regardless of the resistance.

My phone buzzed next to the laptop. It was Mark.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Have you seen the article in the
News & Record
?”

I closed my email. “No. Which one?”

“It came out about fifteen minutes ago. It’s an in-depth feature on one of the residents in Beach Combers Cove. A mother and little girl who will be displaced when the demolition begins.”

I typed in the website. “Who wrote it?”

“Same reporter who released your exclusive. Sydney Paige.”

I breathed into the phone, gripping it tightly. “I’ll find it.”

It appeared on the front page. I scanned the headline. The picture was of a young woman looking on while her daughter played in an inflatable pool. The dunes were behind them.

I knew what it would say before I started reading it. Shawna Douglas, a young mother barely making ends meet working at the Pancake House, was scrambling to find a place she could afford for her five year old daughter, Lindy. I shook my head. This was going to hurt. Not only did the article make it sound like they were going to be homeless, but also that the millionaire mogul who had bought the land hadn’t made any conditions for the residents to move.

I ran my hands through my hair. Damn it. This wasn’t the first time people had to move because of rental property I purchased.

I grabbed my keys from the counter and jogged down the stairs. I wanted to ride with the top down. I started at the end of the island closest to the Palm, searching the side streets. I turned around in every cul-de-sacs and drove to the next grid of roads. After an hour, I started to think my plan wasn’t going to work, but then I saw a gravel road half-covered in vines and brown grass. I slowed the car and turned onto the path. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t perfect. It would work.

I dialed the Dallas office.

“Mark, I need our broker to purchase a piece of land today.”

“Today, sir?” I hated how he always repeated what I said.

“Yes, today. Can the team handle it?”

“Of course. What’s the listing number?”

I groaned. “It doesn’t have a listing number. I’ll shoot you the address. Make an offer, get it done today. Also, start the permit application to have the land zoned for water and electricity. It needs to be completed in two weeks.”

I stepped out of the car. It was basically a wasteland. I estimated how many trailers I thought could fit. “And make that for ten trailer hookups. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” He hesitated.

“What is it, Mark?”

“Why are we buying this land, sir? Did I miss a report or an email?”

“It’s for the residents of Beach Combers Cove. We can’t get everyone moved, but ten should be enough. Take care of it, and let me know when it’s finished.”

“Will do. I’ll have Barbara start immediately.”

“Thanks, Mark. I know I’ve put a lot on everyone in the office this past week. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

I surveyed the field. I hoped like hell this would work.

Five minutes later I pulled into the Pancake House parking lot. It was a local favorite on the island. The kind of place that served breakfast twenty-four-seven. I slid into a booth near the back of the diner.

“What can I get you?” A waitress, who looked as if she were still in high school dropped a glass of water on the table, spilling it on the floor. “I’m sorry.” She stooped to the floor. “I wasn’t paying attention.”