3. CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
D awn’s hotel suite was filled with the warm glow of laughter and the rich aromas of their evening meal. The makeshift dining area they’d created looked almost festive, an intimate setting that contrasted sharply with the expansive sea views darkening into silhouettes outside the wraparound balcony windows. Harper and Lila had returned from Lila’s house just in time for dinner, bringing with them an infectious energy that brightened the room further.
Liam had arrived shortly after the teens, and together, they enjoyed a spread of local seafood and hearty sides ordered from the Summer Inn restaurant. Conversation flowed easily among them, punctuated by Harper and Lila’s enthusiastic plans for their newfound friendship and summer adventures. Dawn noted that they made a point of including Tiger in their plans and had already made a chore wheel to look after the cat.
As the evening wound down, the girls excused themselves, heading off to prepare for bed in the spirit of their new camaraderie. While Dawn and Liam cleared the table, they couldn’t help but smile, hearing the muffled sound of the teen’s excited voices and occasional bursts of giggles that filtered through Harper’s bedroom door.
“I’m really looking forward to starting as an undercover manager tomorrow,” Dawn mentioned as she folded a napkin, her tone mixed with a hint of excitement and nerves. “This is so exciting.” Her heart flipped in her chest.
Liam smiled, stacking plates with a clink. “You’ll do great. You have a knack for understanding people, and that’s half the job. Plus, it’ll give us more insight into what’s been going on with these thefts, and you may be able to rule out all my staff.” His eyes darkened. “I’d really hate it to turn out to be one of them.”
“Let’s not rule out the possibility of a phantom just yet,” Dawn teased.
“Wouldn’t that be something?” Liam laughed.
Their conversation drifted from work to personal reflections, a deeper dialogue that was often paused when either of them found themselves lost in thought or simply enjoying the other’s company. The night had wrapped the suite in cozy seclusion, the soft sounds of the ocean waves providing a soothing backdrop.
Dawn and Liam prepared some hot chocolate and took it through to the living room. They had just sat down on the sofa when the sound of hurried footsteps shattered the peace. Lila burst into the living room, her face pale, eyes wide in a mask of panic. The scent of fresh soap wafted over her as bare feet sank into the plush carpet.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Liam was off the sofa in a flash as he grabbed his daughter by the top of her arms to calm her.
Lila’s voice trembled. “I can’t find the locket Aunt Betty gave me from Gran.”
Liam looked at Dawn, frowning, and explained, “It’s a family heirloom that my mother left for me if I had a daughter one day. I gave it to Lila for her fifteenth birthday.”
Dawn immediately stood and walked over to them. “Where did you last have it?”
“In your bathroom, before I got in the shower,” Lila replied, wringing her hands. “I took it off and put it on your dresser because I don’t like getting it wet.” Her eyes misted with tears. “When I finished showering and had my pajamas on, I went back into the room to get the locket, but it was gone.”
Harper appeared in the doorway of the living room, drawn by the commotion. She, too, was in her pajamas, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Are you sure it didn’t fall behind the dresser?” Harper asked.
“I looked all around it,” Lila told her.
Liam’s face hardened with worry, his earlier relaxed demeanor replaced by the protective urgency of a father and the owner responsible for the security of his family and guests. “Let’s go check Dawn’s room again, Lila.”
“Yes, four pairs of eyes are better than one pair,” Harper said, following the group into Dawn’s room and giving a low whistle. “Your room is so much bigger than mine.”
“That’s because I’m the adult, and it’s my hotel suite,“ Dawn said with a grin. “Now, let’s help look for Lila’s locket.” She turned toward Liam, who was moving the dresser. “What does it look like?”
“It’s a gold oval with a delicate rose pattern woven on it,” Liam told her as he got onto his hands and knees, feeling the carpet.
“It has an engraving on the back,” Lila continued for her father. “Always keep the ones you love close to your heart.”
“That’s beautiful,” Harper said before she dropped onto the carpet to join Liam and Dawn’s search for the jewelry item.
“I’ll look in the bathroom just in case it got hooked on an item of clothing,” Dawn said.
“I’m sorry, Dawn, I didn’t get a chance to pick up my clothes,” Lila called after her.
“It’s okay,” Dawn assured her as she stepped into the bathroom, which was still steamy from Lila’s shower.
She carefully went through the teen’s clothes, folding them and placing them neatly on the counter. Dawn then searched the spaces of the bathroom where the locket could’ve fallen. She even looked into the shower, but there was no sign of it.
“I’m sorry, it’s not in the bathroom,” Dawn told them as she returned to her bedroom. “Did you three have any luck?”
“No,” they chorused as Liam moved the dresser back into place.
When he was done with the dresser, Liam knelt, peering under the bed and inside the dresser drawers, even though they knew it was unlikely the locket would be inside. Defeated, he turned toward his daughter.
“Lila, sweetheart, are you absolutely sure you left it on the dresser?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Lila replied, her voice cracking slightly with the strain of trying to remember each detail. “I remember seeing it there when I brushed my hair back to go shower.”
Dawn’s heart sank. Having just lost a precious piece of jewelry, she knew how the young woman must be feeling. “I’m sure it will turn up.” She tried to sound hopeful.
“I agree with Dawn,” Liam backed her up. “Let’s go have the hot chocolate Dawn made. In the morning, I’ll write it up and make sure room service is aware of it, and they can keep an eye out for the locket.”
“Okay,” Lila nodded, but Dawn could see how upset Lila was.
After Dawn reheated the hot chocolate, the teens wished Dawn and Liam goodnight, taking their beverages to bed with them. Once Dawn and Liam settled on the sofa with their chocolaty drink, they discussed what had just happened.
“I’m sorry, but that was just too coincidental,” Dawn said, her eyes darting to her room, and she shuddered. “To be honest, I’m now weary to sleep in my room tonight.” Her eyes met his. “That’s just a little too creepy for my peace of mind.”
“I agree. It’s too coincidental, especially given the recent spate of thefts.” Liam’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Dawn’s bedroom door. “I can sleep on the sofa tonight if you’re feeling uncomfortable.” He looked at Dawn. “It pulls out into quite the comfortable sofa bed.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Dawn said, but her mind was screaming at her to say yes! I don’t believe in ghosts! She reminded herself. Really? The voice at the back of her mind said: After what you just witnessed twice today? She gave herself a mental shake and shut her worries off.
“You’re not asking. I’m offering,” Liam said. “I’d feel better after what’s happened.”
“Thank you, Liam,” Dawn replied, relief washing over her as she considered the comfort of not being alone in her suite tonight with just the girls. “That would make me feel a lot better.”
As Liam made the arrangements to convert the sofa into a bed, Dawn went to the kitchen to put away their mugs. The quiet clinking of the dishes seemed louder in the tense atmosphere. Both were lost in their thoughts about the day’s unsettling events.
In Harper’s room, Harper and Lila were not quite ready to let the night end.
“Did you know about that legend of the phantom hotel thief?” Harper asked Lila.
“No,” Lila said, frowning. “My father has never mentioned it before tonight. Well, to me anyway.”
“Your father mentioned going to check the archives at the library for more information on the phantom thief.” Harper’s eyes narrowed. “Is the library far from here?”
“No,” Lila shook her head. “There’s an island bus that stops outside the hotel and takes you right into the town center.”
“Cool, we should do that.” Harper’s eyes were filled with excitement. “If Aunt Dawn and your father are going to investigate, I think we should help them.” She grinned. “That way, we can keep an eye on them and have more opportunities to set them up.”
“Good thinking,” Lila said, and her heart dropped when she thought of her mother.
“Are you okay?” Harper’s brow furrowed as she looked at Lila. “Is this about your mother?”
“Sorry,” Lila said with a shaky smile. “I know it shouldn’t upset me.” She glanced at her phone. “But my mother hasn’t even bothered to call me about her engagement and wedding.”
“I’m sure she’ll phone you tomorrow,” Harper tried to cheer Lila up. “And if she doesn’t, you can always phone her.”
“And say what?” Lila raised her eyebrows. “We were eavesdropping on Dad and the woman my friend and I are trying to set him up with when I heard you were getting married?”
“Maybe not that!” Harper snorted. “Just call her and say you were thinking about her and thought you’d call to say hi.” She shrugged. “She is your mother, after all. You are allowed to call her.”
“I don’t know.” Lila looked uncertain and shook her head. “My mother may think it strange that I’d just call her out of the blue.”
“Then be honest,” Harper suggested. “Well, sort of honest anyway. Say we were going to get something to drink when we overheard your father telling my aunt about her wedding.”
“That might work,” Lila said.
Harper’s frown deepened, and her eyes softened with worry. “How do you feel about your mother getting remarried?”
“I like Sean,” Lila told her honestly. “He’s a nice man and in the Marine Corps like my mother. But there is always this tiny bit of resentment for him as he was the one who broke up my mom and dad.”
“That’s only natural,” Harper pointed out. “You’re going to feel upset with the man.”
“Yeah, but then there’s also a bigger part of me that’s happy for Mom, you know?” Lila looked at Harper. “She also deserved to be happy with the man she loves.”
“Just like my aunt and your dad!” Harper stated.
“Exactly,” Lila said, stifling a yawn. “Excuse me. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
“And we should get to sleep if we’re going to get up early to get breakfast for Aunt Dawn and your dad,” Harper said.
“We’ll dash out after we’ve ensured they’re having breakfast together,” Lila added. “I’ll tell my dad I’m going to teach you to surf.”
“I’ve always wanted to learn,” Lila admitted. “Then we can leave the two of them alone.”
“We can go have breakfast at the Beach Hut and then later go into town and hit the library,” Harper finished off their plan. “I think that will give them ample time together.”
“Then we can come back and jot down all our findings while coming up with our next matchmaking move,” Lila said with a sleepy grin.
The teens each climbed into one of the queen-sized beds that graced the room. Harper put out the light as they snuggled down to sleep.
“Night, Lila,” Harper said softly. “I’m so glad I met you.”
“Night, Harper,” Lila said in return. “I’m glad you came to Plum Island.”
The hotel staff that had come to help Liam with the sofa bed and bring him linen had just left, and Liam joined Dawn on the balcony, where she was enjoying the cool evening breeze.
“All set?” Dawn smiled as he walked toward her.
“Yes, thanks,” Liam said with a nod and glanced at the clear night sky. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“It really is,” Dawn agreed, turning and looking up at the inky night sky peppered with sparkling stars. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“Yeah.” Liam sighed and nodded. “I’ve lived in a few places, but my heart has always belonged here.”
“I can see why,” Dawn told him, and they fell into silence for a few seconds. “Liam, about tomorrow, are you going to tell the staff I’m acting as a temporary manager?”
“We’ll tell them that you need some experience managing a hotel,” Liam told her. “For a script, and it couldn’t be at a better time as my manager went on maternity leave today.”
Dawn nodded. “That works out well for us.” She frowned. “What exactly do you think I should be on the lookout for? Besides the missing items, I mean.”
Liam considered her question, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Observe the staff’s interactions with each other and with the guests. See if anyone seems overly interested in the guests’ personal belongings, or if they’re somewhere they shouldn’t be.”
“Hopefully, the staff will interact with me. I find that when I’ve done something like this in the past to observe various ways something works to make my script more authentic, you get a few types of reactions,” Dawn told him. “They are either excited to work with you, annoyed that they have to make time to work with you, or are anti-working with you.”
“We need them to be comfortable with you,” Liam advised. “So just be yourself.” He smiled, and his eyes darkened. “You’ll soon have charmed them into revealing their secrets.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence.” Dawn gave him a soft laugh. “But you should know by now that I tend to live in my head, and people are not my strong point.”
“Then just pretend they’re characters in your book and write them as such in your mind,” Liam suggested. “I know how good you are at checking out a person. So all you have to do is use your writer superpowers.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Dawn said and sighed. “I’ll do my best.”
“And you’re going to do great because of it,” Liam assured her.
A knock on the door interrupted them. Dawn and Liam turned to stare at it.
“Are you expecting someone?” Liam asked, glancing at her.
“No.” Dawn shook her head. “Everyone I know is out of town or in my hotel suite.”
“Let me answer it,” Liam said, starting to walk to the door with Dawn following.
He pulled open the door to find a young man and a woman.
“Can I help you?” Liam asked, his eyes narrowing.
The man stepped forward, extending a hand. “Hi, I’m Daniel Peters. I’m looking for Miss Vanderbilt.”
“I’m Dawn Vanderbilt,” Dawn stepped beside Liam.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Daniel told her with a charming smile. “I’m here about Tiger, my late grandmother’s cat. Tiger’s vet told me that you have him.”
Dawn’s expression tightened, and her protective instincts kicked in when she realized he must’ve been the grandson who had thrown Tiger out of his moving car. “Yes, Tiger is here. He’s safe and well cared for after we found him badly injured at the side of the road.”
Daniel’s relief was palpable. “I’m so glad to hear that he’s safe,” he said. “My sister, who’s in the car outside, would’ve skinned me alive if Tiger wasn’t safe.”
“ Are you glad he’s safe?“ Liam asked, an eyebrow raised as he folded his arms, making sure the younger, shorter man knew he wasn’t getting anywhere near Tiger unless Dawn said so. “The vet seemed to think Tiger was thrown out of the moving car.”
While the Peters family might be the rightful owners of Tiger, the cat had been put into Dawn’s care, and there was no way she was going to let him take the cat. There was something about Daniel that made the hairs at the back of Dawn’s neck prickle.
“I can assure you, sir , Tiger didn’t get thrown from the car.“ Daniel’s shoulder stiffened, and his voice was filled with indignation. “I may be guilty of not ensuring Tiger’s travel box was secured properly, but I did not throw him out of the window. He somehow managed to escape his travel box and jumped out the back window.“ He glanced from Liam to Dawn. “I didn’t even notice until I got to Boston to pick up Kelly, my sister, from the airport.” He dropped his eyes, and his shoulders sagged. “It’s been a terrible week having lost our grandmother.”
Dawn exchanged a glance with Liam, who frowned, clearly skeptical. Dawn knew when a person was acting, and Daniel was putting on a top performance.
“We’re sorry for your loss,” Liam told Daniel compassionately. “I knew your grandmother. She was a wonderful person.”
“Thank you,” Daniel responded. “She was very special to us.”
“But you have to understand that Tiger has now been put in Dawn’s care, and we’re going to need to speak with Tiger’s vet before any decisions are made about giving him back to you,” Liam interjected firmly.
“Yes, of course,” Daniel added quickly. “We understand. I’m just relieved he’s safe.” He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Liam. “Here’s my business card. If you can call us as soon as the vet has cleared up this misunderstanding, I’d appreciate it.”
Liam nodded and took the card. Dawn noticed he didn’t even glance at it.
Dawn gave Daniel a tight smile. “We’ll be in touch with the vet first thing in the morning. For now, Tiger needs to rest, and so do we. We’ll reach out tomorrow.”
Daniel nodded and said, “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
With that, Daniel said goodnight and left, allowing Dawn to shudder, which she’d been suppressing. Closing the door, Dawn dropped her head back and took a deep breath before looking at Liam. “What a day,” she murmured.
Liam nodded, offering a small smile. “And likely more to come. We just need to push through until we find out what the heck is going on and who this new phantom thief is.”
“Or call someone that can get rid of ghosts!” Dawn laughed. “Like maybe I don’t know…” Her grin widened. “Who are you going to call? Oh, I know…” She clicked her fingers. “Ghostbusters.”
Liam stood rolling his eyes and shaking his head at her. “Really?”
“It’s just one of the things I’ve always wanted to say, but there was never an appropriate moment to do so,” Dawn told him. “So you take the opportunity when it arises.”
“True.” Liam laughed. “And maybe a little too close to home right now.”
“Oh no, now I’ve got that song stuck in my head,” Dawn groaned.
“That’s what you get…” Liam snorted.
Their eyes met, and at that moment, the earlier connection they felt, colored by concern and a budding deeper bond, seemed to strengthen. Dawn felt a surge of gratitude for Liam’s presence, his reliability a steady force in the chaotic swirl of their current circumstances. A gust of wind suddenly blew through the open balcony doors, making Dawn jump.
Liam spun around, but the moment was broken as he strode toward the door and locked it.
“I should check on the door in Harper’s room,” Dawn said.
“I’ll check the front door and your room if you don’t mind?” Liam offered.
“That would be great,” Dawn told him as she quietly stepped into Harper’s room.
She stopped and smiled, noting that the bathroom light had been left on at the lowest dimming setting, casting a warm orange glow in the room. Dawn looked at Harper sprawled on her stomach with one knee pulled up and the other spread out like her arms. Luckily, she didn’t have to share the bed with anyone. Harper had slept in Dawn’s bed a time or two, and while Harper got a good night’s sleep, Dawn was always pushed, slapped, kicked, and used as another pillow by her niece.
Dawn looked at Lila, who was sprawled out on her back, hugging a pillow. They were both fast asleep with Tiger’s bed positioned in between theirs. He lifted his head and gave a soft meow as if telling her to be quiet as the teens were asleep. She bent down and gently scratched his ears.
Tiger lifted his head and closed his eyes, appreciating the attention, and Dawn knew at that moment she wasn’t going to let Tiger go back to the Peters siblings. There was something about the cat that had captured her heart. Unlike most cats, Tiger seemed to love attention, or it could just be that he was heavily medicated and docile at the moment.
Dawn stood and went to check that the glass door leading out to the balcony was bolted and secure before quietly leaving the room. She didn’t pull the door completely closed and saw Liam give the glass door in the living room a final check.
“The girls are asleep, and their room is secure.” Dawn felt like a secret agent. “I’m leaving their door slightly open.”
“Good idea,” Liam agreed. “I’ve checked your room and everything is secure.”
“Thank you,” Dawn found herself saying to him again. Although she could’ve stayed speaking to him all night, she knew it was time to call it a night. “I’d better get to bed.”
“Me too,” Liam agreed.
Dawn walked to her bedroom door and turned as Liam pulled his shirt off. She swallowed when she saw his rippling muscles. She had to stop herself from gaping and softly cleared her throat. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Dawn,” Liam’s soft voice washed over her like a gentle kiss.
Dawn could feel him watching her retreat into her bedroom before he turned off the remaining lights. As she stepped into her room, she heard the soft springs of the sofa bed. Dawn closed her door and walked into the bathroom to have a quick shower before getting into her pajamas and crawling into bed.
As she settled into the quiet of the night, her thoughts drifted to Liam, only a few feet away. He was everything anyone could want in a partner. Liam was kind, caring, considerate, and protective while not being overbearingly so. As Dawn closed her eyes, Liam’s handsome face drifted into her dreams, leaving her wondering how his ex-wife could have let someone like him go. Dawn knew if she was married to him, she’d never want to leave him.
The night stretched on with the soft sound of the waves as a lullaby. In the living room, Liam eventually found sleep after tossing and turning. His mind filled with the events of the day, Sally’s upcoming wedding, the thefts, and Dawn as the night stretched uneventfully into the early morning.