Tropical Leopard's Longing (Shifting Sands Resort 8)

Breck wondered if he imagined the slight bitterness on the word secrets.

“Those foundations were poured,” Scarlet said thoughtfully. “But the structures were never built.” She shook her head. “Money. It would cost a lot of money that I don’t have to finish them.” She frowned, and gave Breck a piercing look. “How many shifters are we talking about in Liam’s center?”

“A dozen, I think,” Breck said, dizzy with the idea of it.

Scarlet gave a heavy sigh, letting the vines swing back down over the unbuilt portion of the map.

“I am undoubtedly facing an expensive lawsuit if you run away with Darla and this wedding doesn’t go through. I don’t think that a return of her deposit would satisfy Mrs. Grant, and I’m quite certain she would not be interested in paying the remainder of her bill. To say nothing of what she would do to our reputation, with her social clout.”

She folded her arms and gave Breck a hard look. “We could house twelve people, if their medical needs are minimal and they don’t mind sharing a few of the more basic cottages. But if Mrs. Grant takes offense, the resort — my resort — is on the line. What are you going to do about that part?”

Breck was silent, chewing over this unexpected turn. “The challenge,” he said grimly. “If the wedding goes through exactly according to the dragon custom she’s insisting on, she wouldn’t have a leg for a lawsuit or for backing out of her bill. The challenge is part of that custom. She would have to let Darla marry me if I won, even if she wasn’t very happy about it.”

Scarlet’s gave didn’t waver. “Can you win?” She didn’t sound as skeptical as she had every reason to.

Breck set his jaw. “I have to.”

Scarlet sighed, and shook her head. “Mates,” she muttered. “Nothing but trouble.” But she said it with a curious warmth to her voice.

Breck stared at her, having to reevaluate her at every level. “You could just fire me,” he said. “It would be the safest thing to do. Just send me packing on the next charter and let the wedding to Liam go on.”

“Are you telling me how to run my resort?” Scarlet asked tartly.

Breck felt like a band had been released from around his chest. “Scarlet, I could kiss you.”

Scarlet scowled back at him. “Hasn’t kissing people gotten you in enough trouble today already?”

Chapter 35

“How could you?” Jubilee hissed as she dragged Darla away.

“Mother, he’s…”

“Oh, don’t you even try to defend yourself, you hussy,” Jubilee said ferociously. “The way you’ve humiliated me. Did you think about your family once?” she demanded.

“I’m not…”

“You didn’t think about me when you decided to ruin your own wedding,” Jubilee insisted, her grip on Darla’s arm painful as she wrenched her down the gravel path to their cottage. “You only thought about your own base needs, like some kind of common animal, like a rutting…”

Darla pulled her arm away fiercely and Jubilee stopped and stared at her.

“Breck is my mate, Mother. I will still get married if you won’t compromise and let me follow my heart, but don’t think for a moment that I will regret what I did while I could.”

Darla was not sure she had ever seen a jaw literally drop, but Jubilee Grant’s did exactly that.

“Are you talking back to me?” she asked in astonishment. “Are you defying me?”

Darla met her gaze steadily, not nearly as frightened by the act as she thought she ought to be. “Mother, of all the people in the world, I met the man that was absolutely, perfectly made for me, for my happiness forever. You have the power to let me be with him, to find my own happy ending. Will you let me? Will you release me from this engagement and give me your blessing and let me marry Breck instead?”

For one blissful moment, Darla thought that Jubilee might be reasonable, that she really would be able to persuade her mother that she deserved joy.

But at the sound of Breck’s name, Jubilee’s surprise turned to rage. “I would rather see you dead than married to that deviant,” she spat.

Stunned by Jubilee’s vehemence, Darla stepped back in alarm and the hedge behind her prickled her arms.

“If you married him, I would destroy everything you both loved,” Jubilee raged. “I would see that this resort was bankrupted, that your precious retirement home was condemned, that Liam and his entire family was put out on the streets. I would take every penny you had, you would have nothing. You are nothing without me, you ungrateful brat, and you will get nothing from me unless you do exactly as I say.”

Darla gazed sorrowfully back.