a public fight, then Berenger would have no choice but to rezone the golf course and exclude the sugar estate. They couldn't afford the negative publicity. But with luck, Molly Shaw's pirate would turn out to be nothing more than a colorful local legend, and she would admit defeat, go away quietly, and the project would proceed as planned.
Molly was frowning slightly, as if trying to figure out whether he was trying to trick her. Finally, she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “That sounds fair. When is construction supposed to start?”
“Immediately,” Jake said, lying again. He saw no reason to hand a single advantage to this woman. He had never had any problem with lying, as long as it wasn't to his family or his shareholders, and Molly Shaw did not fall into either category. “But I'm willing to push the start back another week, or even two, if necessary. Would that give you the time you need to settle this?”
She looked stunned. “It might,” she said. “I'll start checking the records right away. Thank you. That's…very kind.”
“My pleasure,” Jake said, trying to look noble.
She was still staring at him, as if he'd grown a second head—a nicer one, this time. “I didn't expect…I mean, you don't seem like the kind of person who would care about…”
“Anything but money?”
She flushed slightly. “I didn't mean that.”
“I feel very strongly about the preservation of important cultural heritage sites,” Jake said, glad that they were alone in the wilderness and nobody had this moment on tape. “But my own personal feelings have to take a backseat to the needs of my company and my shareholders. I have a duty to them. If we can confirm that this was Mary Morgan's estate, then I'll do my best to negotiate an acceptable compromise.”
He was rewarded with a smile so genuine that he actually felt guilty. Incredibly, Molly Shaw was beautiful when she smiled. Her eyes crinkled at the corners and her whole face seemed to light up. She suddenly reminded him of someone else, someone who he couldn't place. An actress, maybe. Someone he had met socially, but didn't know well.
“I never would have guessed that someone like you would care about local history,” she said.
“Well,” he said, and shrugged modestly, “I was at your lecture, wasn't I?”
CHAPTER 11
T here was chaos in Cottage Five when Molly walked in the door at ten-thirty. Carter had been pacing up and down the length of the sitting room, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw her.
“Do you know what time it is?” he cried, waving his arms. “Where have you
been?
You were supposed to be here at ten. That was the
plan.
Remember?”
“I'm sorry,” Molly said. She had no intention of telling him that Jake Berenger had just dropped her off outside the reception lobby. It would have cheered him up, but the astonishing encounter felt private to her, and she didn't want Carter—or anyone else—to know about it. The feeling made no sense, considering that the point of this whole trip was for her to get close to Jake.
No, she corrected herself. The point was for Sandra to get close to Jake. What Molly Shaw did had nothing to do with anything, and therefore, it was her own business.
“The
plan,
” Carter said, sounding aggrieved, “was to put Sandra on the beach with Elaine while Jake was windsurfing, so that he could see her when he finished. And then she was supposed to invite him to lunch. It would have been perfect. The moment was right. But now we don't have time to get you ready before he quits at eleven.”
“Jake isn't windsurfing,” Molly said. “I just saw him over by reception.”
Carter's eyes rounded with delight. “You did? He's late, too? Was he going to the beach?”
“How would I know?” Molly asked crossly. Jake hadn't exactly detailed his plans for the day during the short drive back from the ruins. They had made polite small talk. He had asked her about her work, and Molly had launched into her
Molly was frowning slightly, as if trying to figure out whether he was trying to trick her. Finally, she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “That sounds fair. When is construction supposed to start?”
“Immediately,” Jake said, lying again. He saw no reason to hand a single advantage to this woman. He had never had any problem with lying, as long as it wasn't to his family or his shareholders, and Molly Shaw did not fall into either category. “But I'm willing to push the start back another week, or even two, if necessary. Would that give you the time you need to settle this?”
She looked stunned. “It might,” she said. “I'll start checking the records right away. Thank you. That's…very kind.”
“My pleasure,” Jake said, trying to look noble.
She was still staring at him, as if he'd grown a second head—a nicer one, this time. “I didn't expect…I mean, you don't seem like the kind of person who would care about…”
“Anything but money?”
She flushed slightly. “I didn't mean that.”
“I feel very strongly about the preservation of important cultural heritage sites,” Jake said, glad that they were alone in the wilderness and nobody had this moment on tape. “But my own personal feelings have to take a backseat to the needs of my company and my shareholders. I have a duty to them. If we can confirm that this was Mary Morgan's estate, then I'll do my best to negotiate an acceptable compromise.”
He was rewarded with a smile so genuine that he actually felt guilty. Incredibly, Molly Shaw was beautiful when she smiled. Her eyes crinkled at the corners and her whole face seemed to light up. She suddenly reminded him of someone else, someone who he couldn't place. An actress, maybe. Someone he had met socially, but didn't know well.
“I never would have guessed that someone like you would care about local history,” she said.
“Well,” he said, and shrugged modestly, “I was at your lecture, wasn't I?”
CHAPTER 11
T here was chaos in Cottage Five when Molly walked in the door at ten-thirty. Carter had been pacing up and down the length of the sitting room, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw her.
“Do you know what time it is?” he cried, waving his arms. “Where have you
been?
You were supposed to be here at ten. That was the
plan.
Remember?”
“I'm sorry,” Molly said. She had no intention of telling him that Jake Berenger had just dropped her off outside the reception lobby. It would have cheered him up, but the astonishing encounter felt private to her, and she didn't want Carter—or anyone else—to know about it. The feeling made no sense, considering that the point of this whole trip was for her to get close to Jake.
No, she corrected herself. The point was for Sandra to get close to Jake. What Molly Shaw did had nothing to do with anything, and therefore, it was her own business.
“The
plan,
” Carter said, sounding aggrieved, “was to put Sandra on the beach with Elaine while Jake was windsurfing, so that he could see her when he finished. And then she was supposed to invite him to lunch. It would have been perfect. The moment was right. But now we don't have time to get you ready before he quits at eleven.”
“Jake isn't windsurfing,” Molly said. “I just saw him over by reception.”
Carter's eyes rounded with delight. “You did? He's late, too? Was he going to the beach?”
“How would I know?” Molly asked crossly. Jake hadn't exactly detailed his plans for the day during the short drive back from the ruins. They had made polite small talk. He had asked her about her work, and Molly had launched into her
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