C H A P T E R  11

Unbelievable. Just when everything had been falling back into place. The rain had set them back almost another week on the foundation work. But once that was done, with Jace Fisher’s help and another local Jace recommended, they had worked like wildfire the last two weeks on the other mansion repairs. Jesse spat. Yeah, wildfire.

He raised his eyes to the fire department trucks dousing the last of the flames from the fire that had nearly engulfed the back rooms of the mansion.

The fire inspector and chief and Ben approached him.

“What’s the word?” Jesse asked.

“Almost without a doubt arson,” the inspector said.

“Damages?”

“Extensive. They may impact the structural integrity.”

“Making the property condemnable again.” Jesse uttered an expletive. There was no way his small crew could rectify the fire damage and complete the interim requirements of the agreement with the planning board in the four days they had left.

The inspector looked him in the eye, and Jesse recognized him from the planning board. It made sense the inspector would sit on the board.

“I’m afraid so. Sad,” the man mused. “A beautiful old building like this. Son, maybe if you hadn’t ditched the first condemnation meeting, you wouldn’t have gotten into the time crunch you did.”

But he hadn’t ditched the meeting, had he? No, he or Dad would have known if the letter about the meeting had arrived at his parents’ house.

“I’ll be back when it’s cooled to finish my inspection,” the inspector said.

“My guys will be heading out, too,” the fire chief said.

That left him and Ben standing in the early morning sun.

“I’ll need to take another statement,” Ben said. “Do you want to call Lauren?”

“Why? Because you and the inspector think I set the fire?”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. “No, because she and you … I know my first call would be to my wife, Eva.”

“Sorry, man. You’re right.” Jesse pulled out his phone and stopped before he pressed Lauren’s number. Lauren wasn’t his lawyer anymore. After the hearing on Shelley’s name change last week, Lauren had said she couldn’t represent him at the final planning board meeting because Acer and Acer were contracted to cover for the city attorney while he was on vacation. It would be a conflict of interest. She’d said that since the work on the property would be done, the board review would be a formality, and had given him the name of another lawyer in Indigo Bay. Jesse kicked a stone. He’d never called the guy.

“Could I come over to the station in an hour or so for that report?” Jesse asked. “I want to look around here first.”

“As long as the firefighters are still here and you honor the crime scene tape.”

“I won’t tamper with evidence,” he said, unable to keep the sarcastic tone from his voice.”

“Dave,” Ben shouted to the fire chief’s retreating back. “Can you stick around? Brewster wants to see the damage. I’m heading back to the station.”

“Yeah,” he answered. “I should keep one of the trucks here a while longer to make sure there are no more flare-ups.”

“I’ll see you in an hour,” Ben said.

“Right.” Jesse trudged to the back of the structure. He didn’t really want to see the damage. What he wanted was to recapture the moment he and Lauren had had at the cottage before he’d jumped the gun and blurted out that he loved her. He hadn’t seen her alone since, and when she’d given him the other lawyer’s name and number, he’d felt like she was cutting him loose. He surveyed the charred water-logged building, unsure he had the reserves to fight for both Lauren and his inheritance. But without his inheritance, could he justify even asking Lauren to give him another chance?

“Hey, did you hear about the fire at the Morrison—I mean, Brewster—mansion?”

Lauren stopped dead in front of Brittany’s desk in the firm’s reception area. “No. How? What?”

“My friend’s boyfriend is a volunteer firefighter.”

That wasn’t exactly the how and what she’d been referring to.

“Wicked damage,” Brittany said.

Lauren’s throat tightened. “Mom said they were close to finished with the required structural repairs.”

“Pardon?”

“Jesse had the project on schedule. He was all set for the interim review meeting with the planning board set for this Thursday.”

“What happens …” Brittany’s phone rang. “Yeah, she just walked in. I’ll tell her.” Brittany hung up the phone. “Ray wants to see you.”

Lauren dragged her feet to her boss’s office. She needed to call Jesse.

“Sit, please,” Ray said.

That second cup of coffee she’d gulped down before leaving home sloshed in her stomach.

“Do you have that corporate filing for Ken Kostner done?”

The churning subsided. “Yes.” But Ray could have checked that himself.

“Good. Going forward, he’ll be using his new partner’s attorney in Charleston.”

Lauren swallowed hard. Kostner was their biggest client. Was Ray giving her notice? She and Jesse would both be unemployed. She restrained the humorless laugh that bubbled up, so that it came out as more of a choking sound.

“Was it something I did. Ken leaving?”

Ray leaned back in his chair. “No, not at all. Ken and I go way back, but he’s been dabbling in some things I’d rather not have the firm associated with.”

A dam inside her broke loose. “Then, the firm really didn’t receive the notice of the first condemnation hearing for the old Morrison property. You haven’t been helping Ken try to convince Jesse to sell the mansion property?” Convince was the polite word, considering what she suspected Kostner might be doing.

“No, we didn’t get the notice, and what are you talking about?”

“Talk I heard.” From her internal voices.

“I hope you quashed any connection to the firm.”

“I did.” Lauren’s face pinked. By keeping my suspicions to myself. Relief that she had kept quiet, loosened her taut muscles a millimeter.

Ray frowned. “The other reason we need to talk is the planning board meeting on Thursday.”

He must have heard about the fire.

“You’re going to have to cover for me.”

Ray’s words squeezed all the air from her lungs.

“Gerry’s on vacation and I have this stent thing I have to have done tomorrow morning at the hospital. It’s no big deal. The meeting, that is. Your mother said most of the required work was completed last weekend. It’ll be a routine approval.”

He hadn’t heard about the fire.

Ray patted her hand across the desk. “Don’t look so worried, the doc says the surgery is no big deal.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” But that’s not what I’m worried about. If the board won’t extend Jesse’s project deadline, I’ll be helping to take his dream away from him. “But about the meeting. The city may want to get another law firm. Conflict of interest with me having represented Jesse at the original meeting.”

“No, with Kostner leaving, we need to keep the city happy and keep the contract we have with it. Besides it will be a slam dunk.”

“Right.”

“Was there something else?” Ray asked when she made no move to rise from the chair.

The fire. “No, just my thoughts for a speedy recovery from your surgery.”

“Thanks. I’m taking the rest of the day off. You should swing by city hall and pick up any additional information you’ll need for the planning board meeting.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Lauren rose and walked to her office. She pulled out her cell phone to call Jesse. No. She’d call her mother. She wasn’t ready to talk with Jesse.

“Hey, Mom. What’s the damage?” she asked, assuming Jesse would have called her mother and getting right to the point.

“It doesn’t look good. Jesse said the fire inspector thinks there’s structural damage and, even if there isn’t, Jesse doesn’t see any way we’re going to be able to meet the renovation contract deadline, unless you can get us an extension. We’ll have the fire insurance reimbursement to work with.”

Lauren clutched her phone. “I can’t do that, Mom. I’m not Jesse’s attorney anymore, and I can’t represent you on this, either. Acer and Acer are representing Indigo Bay through the end of this month while the city attorney is on vacation. I have to handle the planning board meeting because Gerry is also on vacation and Ray is having surgery. It’s my job.”

“Oh.”

Her mother’s subdued voice took Lauren back to the years between her father’s leaving them and her mother finding herself in Indigo Bay. The years when she took care of Mom financially and emotionally, while trying to finish college, when Jesse let her push him away to do so because he was so wrapped up in racing. It was a place she didn’t want to be, but she also didn’t see a choice. She had to live her life.

“Do you want me to tell Jesse?” her mother said into the silence.

“No, I’ll call him.” Just not yet. Lauren clicked off, turned around and walked back out of her office. “I’m heading out to city hall,” she said to Brittany over her shoulder as she let the office door close behind her.

“Lauren, wait up,” Jesse called as she approached the city hall steps.

She turned and waited. What else could she do.

“Have you talked with your mother?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know about the fire, the damage. I’m on my way in to get the paperwork to file for an extension with the board. What do you think our chances are?”

“Your chances? I don’t want to speculate.” Because she didn’t want to tell him, probably not good.

“Any advice about the extension application?” Jesse’s voice was strained.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t. I’m not your attorney anymore.”

His eyes narrowed at her correction. “The conflict of interest. Acer being the city attorney’s back up. Come on.” Jesse’s impatience showed in his wide-legged stance. “It’s not like you’ll be representing the city at the board meeting.”

“It’s exactly like that.” Lauren explained the situation. “And I don’t know about an extension. The mess-up about the first condemnation hearing will weigh against you.”

“You, too?” he spat.

Lauren had no idea what he was talking about. “It’s my job.”

“There are other jobs.”

He couldn’t want her to walk out on her job.

“You haven’t been completely happy with it,” he went on.

He did want her to.

“What about us?” he asked.

That plea that tore at her heart. She steeled herself. “If there’s going to be an us, one of us needs to have a job.”

“Yeah, and that couldn’t possibly be me. Forget it. I’m going in for the application, futile as it may be.”

“Jesse, it’s not. I didn’t …”

He strode up the stairs and into the building. She followed and hid out in the Ladies Room until he’d had enough time to get his application from the city clerk.

“Hey Lauren,” the city clerk said. “You just missed Jesse. Sad about the mansion, the fire.”

“Yes.” But not as sad as what it was doing to the relationship that had been growing between her and Jesse. Correct that. What she was doing to their relationship.

“I hope he gets his extension. I was going to call you. I have some information that might help you and Jesse with the extension application.”

The clerk must think she was still Jesse’s attorney. Lauren made a snap decision. She could listen to what the clerk had to say and ask Brittany to call and request the mansion files be sent over to the office later.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“There was an inquiry about buying the mansion property at the city’s condemned valuation from a company I’d never heard of before. Bayside Vacation Getaways.”

Lauren went cold. The incorporation she’d recently filed for Ken Kostner and his new partner.

“It was like the company didn’t know Jesse still owned the property, thought the city had taken it as eminent domain. And I found something in the bottom of a file drawer that you’ll want to see.” The clerk reached under the counter for a file folder she handed Lauren.

Lauren opened it and gazed wide-eyed at the contents. “The planning board has this information?”

“No, only the city attorney’s office.”

Lauren gripped the folder to stop herself from a fist-pump yes. “I’ll look into it and advise the board.”

Yes, she needed to fulfill her promise to herself, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help Jesse or that there wasn’t room in her life for him and Shelley, too.

Jesse and his father walked into the meeting room Thursday night for the planning board meeting. He hadn’t bothered calling the lawyer Lauren had recommended. He’d spent enough of Sonja’s money already. And for all the support she’d given him, Sonja called him this morning to tell him about an inquiry she’d had about the property, if he needed a contingency plan. An offer he was ready to take if the board denied his extension request.

The offer wasn’t enough to start the bike shop he wanted to open with Dad, but, along with the fire insurance proceeds, it would be enough to pay Sonja back the money she’d fronted him and finance a nest egg for the shop. He could rent a place for him and Shelley and Dad, too. That is, if they decided to stay here, or if he did. Dad might choose to stay in Indigo Bay whether he and Shelley did or not because of Sonja. Jesse gripped the folder with his copy of the extension application. Lauren wasn’t the only one who could provide for them. He was a top-notch mechanic who could get work almost anywhere. It might not be the future his father had envisioned for him, but it was honest work that he could enjoy. Work that could keep his dream of a life with Lauren alive. That is, if Lauren wanted a life with him.

The two men made their way to the front of the spectator-filled room. Dallas and the other board members nodded to them from the dais, except for Bill Crowley. He smiled, sending a chill down Jesse’s spine. Lauren hadn’t arrived yet. He rubbed the back of his neck. Avoiding him as she had since he’d run into her at city hall on Monday? He’d texted her an apology of sorts that afternoon and received a terse response that she couldn’t speak to him until after this meeting.

Dallas glanced at the wall clock behind him. It looked like he was wondering where Lauren was, too. “We can get started folks, as soon as the city attorney arrives.”

As if that was her cue, Lauren rushed in with Ben, briefcase swinging. “Sorry, we’re late. The police department was waiting for some information pertinent to this meeting.”

“This meeting of the Indigo Bay Planning Board is called to order.” Dallas presented the facts of the rehabilitation agreement and the application for extension. “Mr. Brewster.”

Jesse rose to a frown from Lauren. Probably because he hadn’t hired her lawyer friend. He cleared his throat. “I think Mr. Harper’s summation of my application accurately presents Sonja and my vision for my great uncle’s property and how it fits and will benefit Indigo Bay, as well as the unforeseen obstacles we’ve run into.”

Lauren’s frown deepened.

Facts were facts. Jesse didn’t see any benefit in belaboring them.

“Thank you, Mr. Brewster. Now, I’ll open the meeting to comments from the public with a follow-up from the board, unless the city attorney wants to start with the information she has?”

Lauren glanced at Bill. “No, I’ll defer until later.”

Jesse’s stomach burned. What was she up to? Bailing out her mother as she’d had to in the past. Didn’t she realize that Sonja didn’t need or want that from her anymore?

“All right,” Dallas said, “anyone who has a comment, please line up at the microphone.”

Jesse gulped as the line ran the length of the room and out into the hall. Maybe people were this civically active in a small place like Indigo Bay. He checked out the surprised looks on some of the board members faces and the self-satisfied one on Bill’s. Either that or he was the dead man he’d feared he was when he’d walked in. After all, he was an outsider. Lauren’s expression was neutral.

The first person to the mic was the city clerk. “I think the board should grant the extension.” She went on about the historic value of the mansion and the role it and the Morrisons had played in the founding and growth of Indigo Bay. “I don’t know Mr. Brewster that well, but I do know Sonja Cooper, and I think you have to agree that she’s been an asset to Indigo Bay since she moved here.”

A man Jesse didn’t recognize stepped up with a comment that Indigo Bay needed to become less insular if it wanted to grow and prosper in the 21st century and that a large resort would be a way to do that. Caroline Harper followed him with comments similar to the city clerk’s and outlining the vandalism and weather delays the project had suffered. And so it went, with people he recognized supporting his extension alternating with people he, for the most part, didn’t recognize opposing it. About halfway through the line, Jesse picked up on Bill nodding to most of the opposition as if thanking them. He squirmed in his chair. Were they ringers? Nah. He’d read one too many John Grishom books.

“Ms. Cooper, Officer Andrews,” Dallas invited them to the mic.”

“We’ll defer to the board,” she said.

Jesse locked his gaze with hers and a rush rocketed through him when he caught the glint in her eyes. She was up to something, and if he had to place a bet, he’d bet on something in his favor. The rush was replaced with warmth.

“Anything from the board?” Dallas asked.

“Yes,” Bill shot out before Dallas had finished. “All the sentiment voiced here tonight is fine and good. But from an objective financial standpoint, the Morrison property has better uses than as a bed and breakfast. Uses that can bring in more money, employ more people.”

“Money for him, most likely,” someone behind Jesse muttered.

“And,” Bill continued, “we have to ask, how well do we know Jesse Brewster or Sonja Cooper, and how well do they know us and what’s good for Indigo Bay? He’s from California. She’s from New York.”

That comment got some nods from the board and other people in the room.

“If Mr. Brewster was so all fired up to rescue his inheritance from condemnation, why did he blow off the original condemnation meeting, after receiving the notice? His signoff to the registered letter is in the city clerk’s file. I think he’s had plenty of time to come here and renovate if he was serious about doing it.”

Jesse fisted and loosened his fingers as a hum of murmurs ran through the room and his earlier optimism dissipated.

“Then, there’s the vandalism and arson. My understanding is that the insurance company hasn’t paid on the damages yet. Maybe it wasn’t vandalism and arson?”

Bill’s implied accusation made Jesse push back in his seat to stand. His father touched his arm, killing Jesse’s inclination to march up and punch Bill’s smug look off his face.

“That’s all.” Bill brushed his palms against each other as if washing himself of the whole thing.

“Ms. Cooper, Officer Andrews. Want to take the mic now?”

Jesse couldn’t tell if Dallas’s strident tone was because of Bill’s comments or impatience with whatever Lauren and Ben were up to.

“I will,” Lauren said. She stepped up to the dais and passed out sheets to the board members before taking the mic Dallas had been using. “As you can see from the report I’ve provided, Mr. Brewster did not receive notice of the first condemnation hearing. Because of the sensitive nature of the information, as the acting city attorney, I advise the board go into executive session before we continue.”

Jesse felt the crowd’s gasp tenfold. It appeared Lauren was using her position as acting city attorney for, not against, him, as well as protecting the city.

“We could have done without the drama, Ms. Cooper,” Dallas said, glancing at the report. “But the board will take your advice and go into executive session. Everyone, except the board, Mr. Brewster, Ms. Cooper, and Officer Andrews, please clear the room. If you want to stay outside the room for our vote after the session, someone will notify you when you can return.”

“Good luck, son,” Jesse’s father said as he passed behind him to follow out with the others.

Once the door had closed behind the last person to leave, Dallas said, “Ms. Cooper you may want to enlighten Mr. Brewster of your report, assuming you have not.”

“I have not.” She took the three steps to the table.

Her hand brushed his, seemingly on purpose, as she handed him the report. But he’d misread things like that before.

“I wanted to tell you. I truly did,” she said for his ears only. But as acting city attorney, I couldn’t.” Lauren straightened and went back to the mic.

Jesse’s gut twisted and his heart pounded. He couldn’t tell from her ambiguous words whether she planned to help or hurt his cause. And the way her light summer suit skimmed her curves didn’t help the push-pull of his hope and doubt.

“As you can see,” she said. “Jesse, Mr. Brewster’s, signature on the registered letter return card doesn’t match the signatures on either the rehabilitation contract or his extension application. We’ve had an expert verify that the signatures are, indeed, different. Also, the return card does not have the post office’s cancelled stamp on it.”

“That doesn’t prove he didn’t get the condemnation notice,” Bill interrupted. “Maybe someone in the clerk’s office lost the original card, got another from the Post Office and faked it.” He sat back and crossed his arms.

“Close,” Lauren said. “The notice was prepared to go out during the month property taxes are due. The city hires on temporary workers to help with the collection and paperwork. One of the temps was handling mail runs. As far as the city clerk, Ben, and I have found, the notice was never sent. The city doesn’t have any charge or receipt for the notice mailing cost. Whether the notice not getting in the mail was accidental—Lauren looked at Bill—or deliberate, we may never know for sure.”

Bill uncrossed his arms and leaned on the dais. “That doesn’t dismiss the suspicions Brewster damaged his own property for the insurance money.”

“Suspicions only you may hold,” Lauren said.

Dallas cleared his throat.

“I’ll let Officer Andrews fill you all in on that.”

Ben rose and spoke from his seat. “My department has learned that the vandalism and arson were definitely just that. The perpetrators were paid to cause the damage. Payments we’ve traced to a company named Bayside Vacation Getaways.”

Bill blanched.

“Ah, Bill, I thought you might have heard of it, since you’re an investor in it.”

The room went silent.

“That property,” Bill sputtered, “is worth a fortune. You’re all fools to block Bayside from building the exclusive resort we want on it.”

“Enough.” Dallas said.

“If you can take your vote without him,” Ben said, “I’d like Mr. Crowley to come with me to the station to answer some questions.”

“Sure,” Dallas said. “You can let the public back in for our vote on your way out.”

Jesse slumped in his seat. His girl, no his woman, his annoying, wonderful Lauren had done it. She’d risked her job, her security, for him. And he was going to prove himself worthy of her every day of the rest of his life if she’d let him.

“Hey, mister, need a lift?” Lauren asked when she caught up with Jesse outside city hall searching the street for Dad and his truck.

“It looks like I might,” he said with a wry smile. “Can’t find Dad. His truck is gone.”

Lauren smiled. “All I know is that I texted him when the vote on your extension hit the third yes needed for approval to say you had another ride home.”

“You were magnificent in there.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I was doing my job.”

“More like you were risking your job for me.”

“Nothing that noble. You were going to sell out your dream. Mom told me about the offer from Bayside. I simply did what was best for you, for the city, and for the firm. For everyone.”

“Everyone? Even yourself?” He draped his arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into him feeling his solid support as they walked toward her car. “Especially for myself. You complete me. I’m not about to let you get away a third time, Jesse Brewster.” She pressed her key fob to unlock the car. The warm evening air turned cool against her side when he released her to climb into the car.

“Lauren.” Jesse’s face had become the epitome of seriousness. “I can’t survive losing you again.”

She touched her forefinger to his lips. The lips she longed to have pressed to hers. “Wait. I’m taking you someplace where we can talk and stuff.”

He squeezed her knee. “Stuff. I like the sounds of stuff.”

She playfully swatted him way. “Behave, or there’ll be no stuff.” She drove past the city limits to a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sunset.

“Am I allowed to talk now?” he asked as soon as she’d shut off the car. “You planned this just like you planned the trap for Bill at the board meeting.”

She laughed. Jesse could always make her laugh. “Yes. Let me get the blanket I put in the back, and we can sit on the bluff and watch the sunset.

Jesse sat close to Lauren on the blanket and gazed out over the ocean. “It’s beautiful. The ocean, the colors in the sky. But not as beautiful as you are. Inside and out.” He turned in the seat to face her full on. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Jesse, with my whole heart.”

He engulfed her hand in his, his work-callused fingers a contrast to her more pampered one. “I don’t know what I did to deserve that love, but I’m taking it and never letting go again.”

“You’d better not.” Her heart tripped, just looking at his profile. Lauren slid her hand around the back of Jesse’s neck and pulled him toward her. She pressed her lips to his and closed her eyes to a kaleidoscope of colors as vivid as the sunset. Too soon for her, Jesse pulled back.

“I have a ring.” Jesse looked as dazed as she felt. “Will you wear it? I bought it before my accident, when you were in college. We can exchange it if you don’t like it.”

The joy inside her bubbled out as a laugh. “Are you asking me to marry you?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “If so, the answer is yes.”

“Whoo-hoo!” Jesse pulled her into his arms, and brushed Lauren’s hair back from her face. “That’s my girl,” he whispered before treating her to a deal-sealing kiss so full of the promise of love that it suspended all time.