“Sure he is. He comes from a long line of bad guys who can’t stand the Parker family.”
“I’ve got nothing against the Parker family,” Caleb said.
“Then give me my easement.”
“You’re like a broken record.”
“I only want one thing.”
“I agree.” Caleb lifted a half-full beer that was sitting on a coaster on the table next to him. “But it’s not an easement.”
“It’s not?”
“What you want is for the Crab Shack to succeed.”
Jules couldn’t disagree with the statement, so she elaborated instead. “And for the Crab Shack to succeed, customers need to get to the parking lot.”
“I’ll give you the easement,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“As soon as you remove the noncompete clause.”
“Thereby guaranteeing the annihilation of the Crab Shack. Do you think I turned stupid over the past three days?”
“I hoped you’d turned reasonable. You have no other move.”
“I can fight you in court,” she said.
“I can out-lawyer you a hundred times over.”
“Whoa,” Matt said from the sidelines.
“Care to reassess your opinion of him?” she asked Matt.
Caleb frowned at his friend.
“This is where I tap out,” Matt said, finishing his beer and making to leave.
“So much for being on my side,” Jules muttered.
“You should listen to him,” Matt said.
“Exactly as I thought.” She shouldn’t be disappointed. There was absolutely no chance that Matt was going to back her against Caleb. But she’d liked Matt. She wanted him to turn out to be a good guy.
“See you later,” Caleb said to Matt.
Matt gave him a nod as he exited the room.
“I guess it’s just you and me,” Jules said.
“Just you and me,” Caleb agreed.
* * *
The door shut behind Matt.
Caleb knew it was time to change the conversation with Jules. They’d been going round and round for days now, and it had become obvious they were going to end up in court.
He hated that it would come to that. Going to court would hurt Jules the most. It would slow him down, and he’d lose money, but she’d lose everything.
She seemed to realize it, too, a dispirited expression taking over her face as she sipped the beer.
Even looking so sad, she was extraordinarily beautiful. And despite the circumstances, he liked having her in his house. She did something to it, seemed to bring it alive. He realized it was likely the last time she’d be here, and it made him feel almost as despondent as she looked.
“Did Melissa tell you what Noah said?” he asked.
If these were their final moments before the court battle began, he felt a duty to let her know about Noah’s past.
“Not exactly.” She hesitated. “I do know he has an idea for—” She seemed to change her mind and pressed her lips together.
“I’m not going to steal your restaurant plans, Jules.”
“You want them to die on the page.”
Restless, Caleb came to his feet. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Yes it does.”
“Even Melissa understands my position.”
“Did she say that?” Jules asked sharply. “What did she say? What exactly happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing happened between us.”
Could she be asking what Caleb thought she was asking?
“Noah showed up,” he finished.
“And that stopped what?” She was asking that.
“Me trying to reason with her.” He waited to see how far Jules would take her wild accusations. Caleb had no romantic interest in Melissa. He was nuts about Jules.
“Reason with her?” Jules voice went up. “Is that a euphemism for romance her?”
Before he could answer, she abandoned her beer and came to her feet.
“Is that your master plan, Caleb? Cozy up to my sister and turn her against me?”
He started to deny it, but then he stopped himself, seeing a whole new angle of attack. He guessed Jules would do almost anything to protect her sister.
“What if I am?” he asked.
“Then you’re a complete and reprehensible jerk.”
“I think you’ve already decided that.”
“I’ll just tell her what you’re up to. That’ll shut you down.”
“Will it?” he asked softly. “We both know she wants to trust me.” He watched the uncertainty cross Jules’s face and pressed his advantage. “She wants to find a solution. She’s a very beautiful woman.”
“I can’t believe you’d sink that low.”
“I’d sink very low,” he bluffed. “There’s a whole lot of money at stake here.”