by Angel Moore
Mr. Eaton answered her. “That is the purpose of my return to Gran Colina.” The man seemed oblivious to her outrage. At any moment she would make it plain to him and everyone else in the lobby. “I’m here to offer the full asking price that Mr. Freeman has quoted me. Also, because of the good impression you made on me during my stay here, Miss Green, I’m prepared to offer you this check.” He slid a check across the desk for her to see. The amount was substantial. It was more money than she’d ever imagined having in her possession at one time.
But that money wouldn’t provide for her and the children in the coming years. They would be fine for a while if she accepted, but their parents had planned for the coming generations.
She pushed the check back to him. “You underestimate the value of my establishment, Mr. Eaton.”
“I assure you that this is more money than anyone else will ever give you for this place. And once there is a Turner Hotel next door, you won’t be able to keep your doors open. No one will opt for a quaint inn when they can stay in the finest accommodations for less money. The only reason we want to purchase your property is to remodel it as the restaurant and meeting facilities for our new property. Of course, the staff will have to be brought up to the standards of a Turner Hotel.”
Mr. Conrad looked at her. “It was my hope that you’d be open to keeping your hotel as a local business, Miss Green. When you let your stubborn pride keep you from considering Junior’s generous offer to court you, you gave me no choice but to see the benefits of the offer from Turner Hotels. You’ve shown your inability to make wise decisions for yourself and this business. A young woman like you should be married and caring for little ones—not trying to hold on to something she can’t possibly understand. Consider this offer carefully. Mr. Eaton is telling you the truth. The money his company is willing to pay for the adjoining property will help Gran Colina make a great start on building the new structures the mayor and sheriff spoke of during the elections this year.”
Charlotte’s mind reeled with the way the land agent addressed her. He gave her no consideration for any business knowledge. She countered his argument. “The properties will help build and grow my business. The town hall for a start. I’ve spoken to the mayor about it.” Nathan cleared his throat. “Mr. Taylor and I spoke to him weeks ago.”
Mr. Conrad continued to spout off his reasons for agreeing with Mr. Eaton. “There will even be enough money to build the town square in the center of town. It’ll be a fine gathering place for the people of Gran Colina.” He spoke as if the entire project had been his idea.
Charlotte shook her head. “You are all mistaken if you think there is one scintilla of hope that I’ll sell this place. I will not. Not to Turner Hotels, not to you, Mr. Freeman. Not to anyone. My name is on the sign. This is my father’s legacy, and I will not let it go.”
Mr. Eaton turned to Nathan as if her impassioned speech were pointless. “Mr. Turner is prepared to offer you a position in management at the Turner Hotel of Gran Colina. It will include a significant raise over the salary you enjoyed in your previous position with Turner Hotels.” He handed an envelope to Nathan. “These are the details of his offer. You’ll find that he’s expressed his wishes to forget any past squabbles that contributed to your exit from his employ. He holds no grudge against you in regard to Miss Turner, who is now engaged to a prominent businessman in Dallas.”
Charlotte’s head was spinning. “Wait.” She held up her hands. “Mr. Eaton, you are offering Mr. Taylor the run of my hotel?”
“Yes. But in reality, it will no longer be your hotel. We are offering him the job of running this establishment while we build our hotel next door. Then we will convert this building in accordance with our needs.” He looked around at the new curtains. “I will say the place is improved, even if it’s not up to the Turner standards of excellence.”
She could listen to no more. “You may all go. There is nothing else to discuss. Every one of you must leave my hotel immediately.”
Nathan tucked the envelope from Mr. Eaton into his pocket, and her heart sank. The closeness of their friendship crumbled with any imaginations that more could come from the meager beginnings they’d shared in recent days. The thought that it could all have been a ruse flashed across her mind. She tried to press it down. Not to entertain it. As angry as she was in this moment, she did not want to think she had misjudged Nathan’s character to that extent. But the envelope in his pocket spoke of his intentions.
Thomas Freeman pointed his finger at her. “This is not your decision to make, Miss Green.”
“Yes, it is. And I won’t be bullied like a schoolgirl into whatever works for the lot of you.” If they didn’t leave, she might not be able to hold her tongue.
Mr. Conrad grumbled. “I don’t have time to waste with a silly lass who has no business as a proprietor. Junior is better off without you. He deserves someone who’ll appreciate him.”
It took all her strength not to ask if Junior’s value to a woman would ever include a work ethic.
The three men headed for the door.
“Just a moment.” A sudden question came to Charlotte. “Mr. Eaton, you and Mr. Taylor arrived in Gran Colina on the same train. When were you hired to come here?”
His smug face made her angrier than she’d been in a long time, but she needed to know. “I have been in the employ of the Turner Family for many years. It is my job to assess their expansion into new towns.”
“But when were you told to come to Gran Colina to target my hotel?”
He twisted his mouth in a thoughtful pose. “I’d say a couple of days before I arrived. I’d been working on a property near the coast in the south of Texas. A telegram came to my hotel there, and I journeyed straight to Gran Colina on completion of that assignment.”
Charlotte turned to Nathan. “And you had no idea of any of this?”
“None.” His face was open and his eyes clear, but could she trust him?
She was surrounded by men who wanted her property. At least the men from Gran Colina who’d come calling as suitors had wanted her, too. If she’d accepted the courtship of one of those men, she might not feel so alone at this moment.
“And you, Mr. Freeman. When did you offer to sell my hotel?”
He ran a finger under the collar of his shirt. “I don’t recall the exact date. It was a recent development.” He stiffened. “One reinforced by your stubbornness.”
“You gave me six weeks. You stood in this lobby on the seventh day of last month. And told me to make the improvements my parents borrowed the money for. I have made those improvements and even accepted the help of Mr. Taylor—on your insistence. I will visit Sheriff Braden today and apprise him of your attempts to coerce me to leave this property. Do not underestimate my determination. You may hold the note my father signed, but you do not hold my future.”
“We’ll see who holds what, Miss Green. You are in over your head in this venture. I will not risk the soundness of my bank on your emotions and sentimentality.” Mr. Freeman turned and led the other men out of the hotel.
Mr. Eaton stopped at the door. “Mr. Taylor, I’ll need your answer by noon tomorrow. I had hoped to stay here, but I don’t think it would be advisable given the circumstances. I shall expect to return and make this my temporary home when the purchase of the hotel is complete.” He nodded at Charlotte. “Good day to you.” And he left.
Charlotte ground her teeth and balled her hands into fists.
Nathan launched into a speech. “Charlotte, I had no idea of any of this.”
Mrs. Atkins came out of the restaurant. “Miss Charlotte, can you make time to talk with me this morning? I’d like to finalize some of the menus for Mr. Thornhill’s meeting.”
Charlotte took a deep breath. And then another.
Mrs. Atkins looked at Nathan and then back at Charlotte. “Is anything wrong?”
“Everything is wrong, Mrs. Atkins. Everything that could possibly be wrong is wrong.” Charlotte couldn’t think. She didn’t know what to do. But she needed to act fast.
“Is there anything I can do?” Concern filled Mrs. Atkins’s face.
“Perhaps you could create a menu that you think will work. You’ve done an excellent job with everything else. I’ll try to go over it with you in a day or so.”
“I’ll be glad to do that. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
“You can pray for me. I need God’s help. And wisdom.”
Mrs. Atkins reached out and grasped her hand. “I will. God promises to answer any time we ask for wisdom.” She left Charlotte with Nathan.
He spoke as soon as Mrs. Atkins closed the restaurant door. “Let’s put our heads together and see what we can do. I think you’re right about going to the sheriff. There is probably a law about Mr. Freeman keeping his word to you. That gives us one week.”
“No. It gives me one week.” She pointed at his coat pocket. “You have until tomorrow to decide if you want to return to Turner Hotels. I will decide what to do about my hotel.”
“Let me help you.” He reached out as she passed him, but she dodged his attempt to stop her.
“I don’t think so, Nathan. Not after the people you worked for when my parents were talking to you in Dallas have come here to buy the hotel you showed up to fix.” She spun on her heel. “Were you in on Mr. Freeman’s plan? Did the two of you enjoy a hearty laugh at how naive I am? It must have been fun to watch me go from distraught daughter to hopeful hotel owner, knowing the entire time that you’d end up with my hotel.” Her mind reeled like a child lost in the middle of the floor at a spirited barn dance. She wasn’t sure she’d ever trust anyone again.
“That’s not true, Charlotte. I would never do that to you.” Hurt filled his eyes.
It might not be fair, but it was a rational conclusion given what she’d learned today. Those men all knew how vulnerable she was, and they’d conspired together to take advantage of her.
“And you let me hope for things.” She shook her head and took another step away from him. “I don’t know what to think. I need to talk to the sheriff and consider all that’s happened this morning.”
“I’ll watch the desk and make certain everything here runs as scheduled.” He lowered his head to look into her eyes. “If you want me to.”
“You may as well. If I can’t stop this, you’ll be running it all before long.” She went into her rooms for her reticule and her father’s journal. If there was any way to save her hotel, she had to find it. And find it quickly.
* * *
Nathan couldn’t have been more surprised to learn that Mr. Eaton worked for the Turner family.
He looked at his watch. Charlotte had been gone for two hours. Would she fire him as soon as she returned? If her state of mind didn’t change, he could be out of a job before the day ended.
He pored over his notes and tried to think of a solution. If he could find a way to keep Mr. Freeman from selling the hotel to Mr. Turner, then maybe Turner Hotels wouldn’t buy the adjacent land. How could he persuade Mr. Freeman? The man had brought Nathan to Gran Colina under false pretenses. A man like that would be focused on his personal gain, and Nathan had nothing to offer.
Nathan was still at the desk that afternoon, absorbed in his work, when he felt a tug on the end of his suit coat and looked down to see Sarah.
“Why do you look so sad?” Sarah asked. Her blond curls and knitted brow were at odds with one another. Such cuteness shouldn’t be marred by worry.
“I didn’t mean to look sad.” He went down on one knee in front of her and forced a smile. “Is that better?”
She dropped her head to one side and pulled her lips into her mouth. “I don’t think so. Your eyes aren’t smiling. Only your mouth.” Her tiny hand came up to rest on his shoulder. “It’s okay to be sad. But you shouldn’t be sad all by yourself. Charlotte taught me that.”
“Your sister is a good teacher.” The smile he gave Sarah this time was genuine.
“That’s better.” She smiled back. “But you need to get someone to help you not be sad. Charlotte helped me. She could help you, too.”
Sarah’s kindness was just the thing he needed for his soul. In the last few weeks, he’d dared to imagine the possibility of a future with Charlotte and her siblings. Any inkling of hope had died with Mr. Eaton’s return. No matter how he tried to convince Charlotte that he hadn’t been in on some scheme to buy her hotel, she’d always wonder.
“You’re very kind, Sarah. I think God may be the One to help me with this sadness.”
“That’s a good idea. Charlotte said God helped her to feel better in her heart.” Sarah put her tiny hand over her heart. “She said sometimes it takes a long time, but Jesus can help you while you’re waiting.”
“Thank you.” He stood as Michael joined them.
“We played tag during recess.” He pointed over his shoulder at Sarah. “She played, too. She ain’t bad for a girl.”
Nathan tousled Michael’s hair. “That sounds like a fun time.”
He ushered them toward their residence. “Charlotte is out on some errands. Can you two take care of your homework until she gets back? It would be a big help to her.”
“Can we have milk and cookies first?” Sarah asked. “You can come with us. Mrs. Baxter made fresh ones this morning.”
“I can’t leave the desk right now, but I’m sure if you go tell Mrs. Baxter that I sent you, she’d be happy to give you a snack.”
Nathan caught Michael studying him. “What is it, Michael?”
“Is something happening? Charlotte is always here when we get home.”
He wouldn’t lie to the boy; nor would he tell more than a child needed to know. “Charlotte is very busy working on some business for the hotel. I’m sure she just lost track of time and will be home any minute. You go with Sarah and have cookies. I promise to send Charlotte to see you if she comes back before you finish eating.”
Mrs. Atkins approached the registration desk. “Michael and Sarah just told me that Charlotte isn’t here. Have you seen her since this morning? I’ve finished the menus, but I’m more concerned. Is she okay?”
“I pray so.” He shrugged. “She hasn’t returned from her errands.”
Charlotte returned an hour later. She barely acknowledged him when she walked by the desk on the way into her parlor.
Nathan decided to break for something to eat. He’d forgone a meal at noon to keep working to find something that would help Charlotte keep the hotel. As much as he hated to do it, he put a sign on the desk for anyone who might happen by and went into the restaurant. Mrs. Atkins brought him a bowl of the stew she’d served for the lunch special.
He let her know Charlotte had returned and was with the children.
“Good. I worry about her. This hotel is quite a load for a young lady.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her apron. “I hope I won’t be wrong for saying so, but I don’t think she’d have made it through the last weeks without your help.”
“You’re kind to think so, Mrs. Atkins. I’m not certain Charlotte would agree with you today, but I do appreciate you telling me.”
Sheriff Braden entered the restaurant and lifted a hand in greeting to Nathan.
“Can I join you? I missed my lunch.”
“Sure.”
Nathan waited until Mrs. Atkins took the sheriff’s order and returned to the kitchen. “Have you seen Charlotte?”
“Yes. And she is very upset.”
“I was as surprised as she was when all those men arrived this morning.”
“She isn’t only upset with them.” Scott Braden had moved to Gran Colina after Nathan had left town years ago with his family. He’d met the sheriff at church and a couple of time
s since his return, but Nathan didn’t know Scott well. He’d witnessed the respect the townsfolk had for him. From the sternness of his tone, Nathan expected the man to be protective of Charlotte as his wife’s best friend.
“She seemed unhappy with me when she left this morning, but I haven’t done anything to deserve it.” Once again he found himself in the middle of controversy with someone who held claim to ownership of his job. He should have learned from his experience with Viola Turner that trying to build anything other than a boss and employee relationship with a person whose name was on the sign outside could only bring him harm. Losing this job could hinder future opportunities. He thought about the envelope in his pocket. He hadn’t opened it. Mr. Eaton had given Charlotte a reason to be suspicious of Nathan when he’d offered a job with Turner Hotels. The offer could very well be the sort of position he’d thought he would have when he arrived in Gran Colina. A lot had changed since that day. A lot about Green’s Grand Hotel and about Charlotte Green. Nathan thought the biggest change had been in him. Having the best hotel in town and removing all hints of anything personal used to suit him.
Today, the strains of music from a windup box on a mantel in a small parlor soothed him more than he’d have imagined possible. Because that music played in a room filled with the people he’d come to love.
Helping Charlotte retain ownership was his best hope of attaining his dream of running a hotel. He hadn’t read the offer from Mr. Turner, but he knew it wouldn’t be as favorable to him as the way he and Charlotte worked together. She was his boss, but he was her teacher. The arrangement made them depend on one another. It had been the foundation of their blossoming relationship.
The sheriff accepted the plate Mrs. Atkins brought for him. She refilled Nathan’s tea glass and went back to the kitchen.
Scott bowed his head in silent prayer and picked up his fork. “I do enjoy the roast here.”