Page 53 of Billionaire's Coastal Haven

Our waitress strides to the table and deposits our omelets. “Enjoy, everyone.”

Dad tosses his napkin over the food. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Dad, you need to eat.”

“I’m the adult here. Stop telling me what I need to do.” He pushes back from the table and leaves without another word.

“Wow.” Lucky pulls her lips against her teeth. “You’re keeping lots of secrets from your daddy, aren’t you?”

“Are you happy now? You’ve ruined my day, so you can get on with yours.”

“Oh, Baby Girl, I only want what’s best for Rainwater Bay. Honest, open communication is the first step to a thriving community. And if you’re not telling your daddy what’s going on, then what are you even doing as his assistant? The town council isn’t going to be happy to learn you’ve kept him in the dark.”

“He’s still recovering.”

“Seems fine to me. Is there something I should know?” She blinks, innocent as a lamb.

“Everything is fine.” I match her false grin.

“Uh-huh, sure it is.” She brushes her hands on dad’s napkin. “Uncle Earl’s here. Hope your eggs aren’t cold. Those are the worst.”

I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood. Lucky loves to pick fights. Yelling at her won’t do anything to fix the situation with my dad, and it won’t change her opinion of me either.

I will always be Baby Girl. Nothing will ever change.

And that’s more depressing than fighting with Dad.

Chapter 15

Landon

Old sheet rock fills the dumpster. The lead-rich cabinets and moldy carpets have been removed. The house is a skeleton. The potbelly stove and salvageable light fixtures are the only elements left after Collin’s team finished the first stage of the project.

Evidence of the night I spent with Zoe vanished like it never happened.

It’s been two weeks since I made her cinnamon rolls, and she’s as stubborn as day one. Returning my gifts. Ignoring my phone calls. Dodging face-to-face meetings.

I don’t know what’s left to try to earn Zoe’s friendship. I’ve lost hope that I’ll kiss her again.

So I focus on what Icancontrol. The house and cottages. It’s time to build.

Collin and I are finalizing the floor plans for the cottages today. He extends his hand when I enter his office. “I have bad news.”

“Already?” I just walked through the door.

“The town council sent a message that we need to increase phase two to thirty cabins.”

“Zoe doesn’t have the guts to tell me herself?” The chicken.

We’ve bickered via text message.

Friends don’t bicker. They hang out and watch movies. They walk on the beach. They don’t return the Hermes scarves or Chanel handbags I send.

I hate fighting with her, but silence is worse.

Collin unrolls the blueprints with the site plan. “This one was straight from the council.” He points to the cliff that takes full advantage of the Pacific views. “They want them here, which doubles the amount of site work we have to do. Fortifying the cliff face for the weight and adding safe footpaths and guardrails will be a nightmare.”

“Then we don’t do it.”