by Liz Turner
“Is that all he wants?” Matt asked with a laugh.
“Why?” Deedee asked.
“He sent me a letter,” Matt said. “Did he tell you about it?”
“A letter?” Deedee looked surprised. “You mean the email? The invitation? I drafted that, and he sent it.”
“Nope.” Matt took out an envelope from his jacket pocket and wiggled it in front of her. “This letter.”
“I don’t know,” Deedee said, looking quite put off. “If he sent you and the others that, he didn’t tell me anything about it. All I did was draft the email.”
“Well, I guess we’ll know soon enough if he sent it to the others. Who else is here?” Matt asked.
“Gray and Cara have arrived,” Deedee said. “Tess and Jim will be coming soon, I suppose.”
“I see.” Matt didn’t say much. He opened the hotel room and rolled his bag inside. Deedee was about to wave him off when he stopped her. “Say Deedee. I had a question.”
“Leo said we should all have dinner in our rooms today, and only meet tomorrow,” Deedee said.
“He said today should be a day of quietness and reflection, before it all begins. So if your question is, will he pay for dinner, the answer’s no. You’re footing your own bill tonight, though he’s hiring a caterer for the weekend.”
“Ah no, it’s not that. I was wondering if this was about...” Matt twisted his fingers this way and that. “Well, Leo always said that we’re his family. Right? He’s nearing retirement age soon. I thought maybe this was about hiring a successor?”
“I don’t know about that,” Deedee said quietly. She stared at Matt. “Like you said, you’re his lawyer. You would know better if he had any plans.”
“It would have to be one of us, right?” Matt said. “I’ll be honest with you. My practice is doing well right now, and I don’t know if I can handle it. I mean, taking over Leo’s empire is going to be near impossible.”
He nearly licked his lips as he spoke, and Deedee had a mental image of a dog salivating over his next meal. Of all of Leo’s so-called disciples, she liked Matt the least. He went out of his way being nice to Leo, but when Leo’s back turned, Matt could be counted on to act like a greedy fool. He was a lawyer by profession and a miser at heart.
She took her leave of him and asked him to have a nice day. Simultaneously, she checked her phone. It was almost 2:00 p.m. and the caterer still hadn’t confirmed whether she would visit them at four today. Most unprofessional. Why Leo had insisted on hiring this one and only this one, she didn’t know. But then again, that was Leo. If he wanted things a certain way, no one had better do anything else. She headed back down to the reception, wondering when she’d be able to go to her room. Longingly, she thought of the bathtub she had glimpsed. A good book, a nice soak and her tired mind would rejuvenate.
“Spare a hug for a stranger?” A deep voice asked her. Deedee gave a gasp of delight.
“What are you doing here?” She exclaimed.
She flung her arms around the neck of a tall man with a scar under his right eye. After giving him a tight hug, she leaned back to look at him. She hadn’t seen Clay in three years, and he had changed quite a bit in that time. It was hard to believe now that he was only two years older than her. There was a world of a difference between them. While strangers still mistook her for a nineteen-year-old, Clay looked like a man of the world. His shoulders were thrown back in confidence, and his lean physique boasted of years spent climbing mountains and living in the wild. His hair, which she had so loved to draw her fingers through, was still wavy and long, though he’d tied it up in a neat man bun and cut it short on the sides. Stubble emphasized his cheeks.
“What are you doing here?” She exclaimed again.
“Oh, you know how it is.” The man said. “I heard about a reunion, and I had to see.”
“Clay,you’re crazy!” Deedee’s delight had turned into fear. “If Leo knows you’re here..."
“He’ll what? Huh? What’ll he do?” Clay lifted his chin aggressively. “I’ve got every right to be here. More so than these other losers.”
“Don’t call them that.”
“Oh but I will,” Clay said. “Listen, Deedee, I think this feud between Leo and me has gone on far enough, don’t you? I’ve come here to end it once and for all.”
“Clay,” Deedee shrugged her shoulders, helpless. “You know Leo...” is all she managed to say.
“I don’t,” Clay said. “I thought I did. He’s changed, Deedee. He’s changed so much. Ever since...”
“Don’t,” Deedee said. “Listen, Clay; the others will be here any second. Please, let’s talk later if we have to. I can’t do this right now. I need to greet them.”
“He still makes you run around like a trained puppy, doesn’t he?” Clay sighed. “Three years and you haven’t changed at all, Deedee.”
Hurt, Deedee pushed her lips together unconsciously. “I guess not everyone changes as fast as you do, Clay.”
He didn’t reply immediately, instead taking his time to study her face. Deedee tried to wriggle free and found an arm holding her tight around the waist. For a moment, he continued to stare into her eyes; then he released her.
“So who else is coming?” Clay asked. “Jimbo? Countessa Tessa? Gray-torade? Matt the Mutt?”
“Don’t call them that,” Deedee said. “They never liked those nicknames.”
“Course they didn’t,” Clay said. “Didn’t stop me from using them.”
“Look, I want to talk to you,” Deedee said. “I want nothing more than to talk about all the places you’ve been and the things you’ve seen. But Clay, I need to be here to greet Tess and Jim right now. After that can we meet? Maybe for cocktails post dinner?”
“We’ll see,” Clay said. “First, I need to have a long, hot shower. Then, I need to shave. Maybe afterward, when I’m feeling more human, I’ll talk to you, Deedee. See you!” With a wave, he was on his way.
Deedee stared at him, her eyes roaming longingly after him. Then she forced herself to look away. Seven years. Seven years on and she was still throwing herself all over him like a complete idiot. He must despise her. He must think she was just desperate. She felt anxiety squeeze her insides. He didn’t even ask me for my room number, or give me a definite yes or no, she thought. He just expected me to sit and wait for him at the bar, as though I had nothing better to do. That was Clay, always taking her for granted. Well, she would do better, she resolved. She would show him that she’d changed. Why it was she who managed most of Leo’s work these days. She wasn’t just his secretary; she was practically his right-hand man. Well, right-hand woman.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the short, muscular man who approached. He was built close to the ground and thick through the waist; with mountainous shoulders that seemed to frame a rough, thick-lipped face.
“Dee.” The new man smiled.
“Jim!” She gave him a broad smile, and he beamed back at her. “Welcome to the Larch Luminary!” she said. “I’m so glad you made it. We’re all set for a very interesting weekend!”
She’d think back to those words later and wonder if she could have possibly predicted just how interesting and horrifying it would be.
Click here to read the rest of Getaway to Murder A Cozy Mystery in the Mountains (Book 3)
Other Books by Liz Turner
Clean Mystery & Suspense Romance Books:
Her Bodyguard - The SEAL
A SEAL To Watch Over Me
A SEAL's Redemption
Protected By A SEAL
A Father's Duty - A SEAL's Protection
SEAL's for Protection - 5 Book Box Set
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