The Inheritance (Happy Endings Resort Book 1)

by Benson, Jennifer

  “Why don’t you come out? I’ll put your suitcase back in your car then we can take a walk around.” He saw me look down at my sandals. “I have a golf cart in the shed out back if you would prefer to drive around.”

  “I’m fine with walking for a bit. I need to get moving. I can’t believe I slept all day. I haven’t done that in years.”

  “Then I’m glad you could rest.” He stood up from his seat in one of the four Adirondack chairs he had sitting around a small stone fire pit.

  We walked for a few minutes in silence—it was a comfortable silence for two people who had just met yesterday.

  “So what were you supposed to tell me?”

  “I already told you.” He looked over at me. “We need for you to accept your inheritance and take over the ownership of the property.”

  “Why can’t the permanent residents just join together and run the place?”

  “No one wants the responsibility. Betty and Bruce had been planning on bringing you here for almost two years, but she had to make sure.

  “Make sure of what?”

  “Make sure you were the right person and it was the right time.”

  “Right time? They’re dead. I didn’t even have a chance to meet them. To talk to them. To ask them about my family.”

  “We were their family.” He sounded almost angry.

  “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry for yours.”

  “So if I were to take over ownership, what exactly does that mean?”

  “You would own the land and everything on it. The place pretty much runs like a machine now. Betty and Bruce ran a tight ship and everyone knows their jobs. Like I told you yesterday, you would have a full office staff, most of who have either been here from the beginning or are second generation or even third.”

  “How long has the resort been here?”

  “Soon to be going on forty years. Big celebration is being planned when we hit the big day.”

  “If everyone loves the place so much why aren’t they willing to take on the responsibility? Why have an outsider come in and run the place?”

  “You are Bruce’s granddaughter. You are family.”

  “I’m the daughter of a man who was never acknowledged by his own father or aunt. They left me to be raised by”—I couldn’t even say the word, but it was the word the described what she was—“raised by a whore who took a liking to me, but wasn’t even really my mother.”

  “I’d say I’m sorry, but it really wouldn’t change anything.” He was right. No one’s apology would make my past any different. I’m here now and I have to deal with that.

  “No, it wouldn’t. I really don’t want to go back or even think about the past. I have an opportunity before me and I think I’d like to head in that direction.” I pointed to the path ahead of us. “So lead the way and show me around.”

  “This place really is quite pretty.” We had been walking for just a few minutes, but not speaking. It was almost as if he knew I really just needed to let what lay before me really sink in. “The lake is wonderful, and you have a great spot for your cabin.” I looked back over my shoulder in the direction we had walked. If I wasn’t mistaken, I saw more than one curtain move behind a window. “I think we are being watched.” I saw another curtain moving.

  “Everyone knows you’re here. News travels faster here than in a closet with only two people inside. Betty had a community meeting with all of the residents when she was making her changes to her will after Bruce died.”

  “So everyone has just kind of decided that I’m the new owner? That I’m going to save this place from the big bad developers? You do know, I have no idea how to do that and I sure as shit don’t have any idea how to own, let alone run, a trailer park.”

  “Oh, you’ll be fine, trust me. I see you doing a wonderful job.” We both turned to see a woman, an inch or two shorter than my 5’5” height, with long straight dark brown hair, who stood before us.

  “I’m Esmeralda, but everyone calls me Es.” She offered me her hand. Her green eyes drew me in, almost hypnotizing me to give her my hand. Her eyes never left mine as my hand responded on its own and slipped into her grip.

  “I guess you know I’m Rory.”

  “Yes, I do.” She smiled at me, but her eyes looked deeply, almost too deeply into mine, as she placed her other hand over the hand she was still holding. I tried to pull it back, but she added a bit of pressure to her grip.

  “Es is our resident psychic.” He sounded so serious when he said it, I had to hold back the laugh that wanted to escape my lips.

  “I get that reaction a lot until I prove myself. I’d be happy to give you a full reading when you’re ready. But as for right now”—she closed her eyes as she held my hand between her own—“I see happiness. I see new blossoming love. I see . . . I see a bit of trouble. A bit of danger. I see pain in the darkness.” She shivered, almost as if to shake off what she had seen. She released my hand and stepped away. “Come see me when you get settled.” After only a few steps, she turned back around to us.

  “Is there something else, Es?” Jason asked with concern in his voice. He took a step toward her, but she held her hand up to stop his approach.

  “Rory, when you go see Stixx and she gives you something, make sure you are careful with the information it contains. In the hands of the wrong person, a lot of people could be hurt.” And with that, she turned around and walked away leaving us both staring after her.

  “Is she for real?” I asked trying to remember everything she had told me.

  “I don’t want to alarm you, but yeah she is. She gets this ‘feeling.’” He even used air quotes. “She has a real job as a receptionist at a construction company, but also goes to fairs and carnivals to showcase her skills.

  “Do you want to keep sightseeing, or do you want to go check out what could possibly be your new residence?” He appeared to want me to choose the latter.

  “I’m not sure that I’m ready to see the residence, but I don’t have anywhere else to stay tonight.”

  “You could stay at the cabin again.”

  “Are you staying there?”

  “Do you want me to stay there?” He arched an eyebrow at me and lifted the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

  “I didn’t mean . . . I meant . . .”

  “I stayed last night because you were ill and I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome, and you are welcome to stay there until you are ready to move into . . .”

  “I didn’t say I was going to move into Betty’s house or take over the resort.”

  “No, but Es did.” He smiled, and with his hands shoved in his front pockets, he started to stroll away from me with his elbow bent inviting me to slip my hand around it.

  I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face. He was nice and he was kind of silly. I liked him. Of course, that sent a wave of excitement and fear through me all at the same time. I hadn’t been with anyone for a while, but hooking up with a guy who lived so close to where I may be living made me nervous.

  “Why aren’t you at work?” I asked after I had accepted his invitation and wrapped my hand around his arm as we continued to walk. We were approaching a building with a sign welcoming us to the Activities Center.

  “Kiki called me and said you were awake.” He shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you were okay and to show you around the resort a bit. Maybe help you make a decision about staying.”

  “Did Es already say I was staying?” I laughed.

  “Yes. Yes she did.” He chuckled. “As for the resort, this is only a small part of it.” He pointed out the pool, basketball court, shuffle board courts and the store and offices. He must have also seen the people in the building with their faces seemingly pushed up against the window the same time I did because he covered my hand and almost pulled me to turn us in the opposite direction.

  “Why don
’t I take you out to get something to eat?”

  “Stixx offered me a hamburger yesterday at the bar, but I don’t think I ever actually got it.”

  “High Bar it is.”

  Chapter Five

  “BACK FOR A little of the hair of the dog?” Stixx asked from the end of the bar as we took our seats.

  “Ah, no. No drinking for me for a while.” I know I was blushing, but thankfully the lights were kind of dim so I hoped no one would notice.

  “We were doing a little sightseeing at the resort when all of the eyes in the office appeared at the window.” They both laughed. Stixx nodded knowingly at the comment. “I’ve already told Rory that news travels fast in the resort.”

  “Yes, yes it does.” She turned to the bartender who appeared from what I assumed was the kitchen. “Luke here is going to help you with your order. I gotta go make sure the music for tonight is set.” She moved around the bald, very well built specimen of a man. Even in the dim lighting I could see the sun-kissed tan of his well-defined, muscular arms. I think if Jason wasn’t standing next to me, I would have fallen off of my chair when his piercing blue eyes moved from Stixx to me. I think Jason sensed my reaction because he moved his position closer to me. I tried to hold back my smile.

  “Luke Greene, this is Rory London. Rory London . . . Luke Greene.”

  “Ah, the new landlady.” He smiled a dazzling smile that must make the girls’ panties just melt away.

  “She actually hasn’t agreed to come on as landlady yet.”

  “Well, we’ll have to see what we can do to change her mind about that.” He winked at me. I could almost feel the tremor coming off of Jason’s body.

  “I think we are going to order some food.” Jason changed the subject and offered me a menu as the men eyed each other. “Would you like a soda or something?”

  “A Pepsi would be great and the deluxe burger with no tomato.”

  “I’ll have the same with a Sam Adams.” Jason handed the menu back to Luke.

  “Sure, it would be my pleasure to feed you.” He directed his comment directly to me with a smirk as he shoved the menu under the bar.

  “Not performing tonight?” Jason looked back at the small darkened stage at the back of the room.

  “Nah, some new guy tonight. Kill— something.” He placed my drink in front of me. “I’ll be performing tomorrow night if you want to stop by again.” He said with a raise of his brow. “I’ll go put your food order in.” He laughed when Jason started to say something before he walked away.

  “A bit of advice. Stay away from Luke. He is kind of a love’em and leave them type, without the love’em part.”

  “Maybe he just hasn’t found the right woman.” I smiled seeing the effect of my comment on him. “But I will keep my distance. Not really in the position . . .”

  “I could show you a couple of really good positions.” Luke’s voice broke in and I giggled.

  “Thanks, but not presently in the market.” I sipped my soda as the men had a bit of a standoff.

  “Excuse me?” A petite woman with shoulder length, light brown hair with what appeared to be blonde highlights and green eyes approached the bar. She was dressed in what I would call bohemian fashion. “I’m looking for Killian.”

  “No groupies allowed in the back,” Luke barked at her.

  “Yeah, I’m not a groupie, I’m his girlfriend.” She stood up straighter and looked Luke right in the eye, not fazed by their dazzle.

  “Down the hall, third door on the left.” Luke answered. “Can I get you something . . .” He didn’t get to finish before she was already headed down the hallway he had directed her to.

  “Why is it all the hot ones are taken?” he crooked a brow at me.

  “Maybe your right one just hasn’t shown up yet. And when she does, you should probably tone down the flirting with every woman that walks by.” I smiled at him and turned with a wink to Jason. “I’m going to the ladies room before the food comes.” I slid off of the bar stood almost bumping my chest with Jason’s, but he took a step back to give me some room.

  “Missed chance there man,” Luke said with a laugh and a shake of his head as he threw a towel over his shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile as I stepped away heading toward the restroom sign above the hallway.

  ***

  “I certainly hope that isn’t alcohol you’re drinking,” a male voice said from behind and above me. Jason had just excused himself to the men’s room and that was definitely not his voice.

  “Ah,” I turned and vaguely remembered the man now moving to be in front of me so I was no longer craning my neck to look at him.

  “Drew. Drew Parker.” He offered his hand. He must have seen the confusion on my face. “We met last night.” He pulled the chair from under the table across from me. He watched me as he turned the chair around, straddled it, and rested his arms on the back, still watching me, tilting his head waiting for me to recognize him. “Wow. I guess I didn’t make a good impression watching your back from the wolves last night.”

  “Oh, my God.” Heat spread down to my toes with embarrassment. “Drew. From over at the bar.” I covered my face with my hand. “I could just curl up and die right now. You called Jason to come and pick me up.”

  “Well, I did offer to take you wherever you needed to go, several times. But you kept saying Jadu would take care of it.” He paused and smile. “That’s after you had a shitload to drink and wouldn’t tell anyone where you were staying or if you had anyone to call..”

  “And I saved the day, as I usually do.” Jason’s voice made us both turn in his direction.

  “Yeah, yeah. You saved the day and I guarded the castle.” Drew stood up and the two shook hands.

  “Let me formally introduce you, Rory London. This is Drew Parker. Drew Parker, you know Rory London.” I reached my hand into Drew’s open palm and he added a bit of extra pressure when Jason emphasized the word know.

  “Nice to see you again.” He smiled with a wink.

  “You too. Much more aware this time.” I looked around the bar. “And seemingly fewer wolves.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that.” A devilishly wide grin spread across his face causing a deep dimple in his right cheek to appear.

  “Don’t count on that dimple getting you anywhere,” Luke chimed from the side of the table. “I think we found a woman who is immune to the charms of the men from Happy Endings Resort.” He flexed his bicep and I giggled, because honestly, was he serious with that?

  “Good thing I don’t actually live at the resort,” Jason said with confidence.

  “That’s right, you don’t.” Drew squinted his eyes at Jason.

  “So you both live at the resort?”

  “Yup. I’m actually quite close to Jason’s trailer and poor Drew is way far away by the pool.” Luke laughed at both men throwing him dagger glares.

  “It’s only a little further away.” Drew added.

  “But a good distance from Betty’s house which is where Rory would be living once she . . .” Luke chimed.

  “I haven’t agreed to anything. I still have to see the rest of the property and talk to some people and decide if I really can do this.”

  “Go see Es. She’ll tell you if and when you’ll do it.” Drew stated.

  “She already met Es earlier today, and Es said she would.” Jason pulled a sip of beer from his bottle.

  “Well, if everyone is done telling me what I’m going to do, I’d like to finish eating my dinner in peace.” I couldn’t help the anger in my voice, but I’d had people telling me all of my life what to do and when to do it. This would be the first time in my life I would make a decision for me . . . do what I wanted to do.

  “It’s not like you have anything else to go back to. I mean you had a pretty dead-end job and really no life to speak of,” Drew blurted out before he popped a French fry in his mouth and was met with six pairs of eyes.

  “What did you just say?” I asked in utter shock. Had h
e been watching me?

  “Drew here is a dick.” Luke laughed. No one else laughed. I looked from Luke to Drew then Jason. “You know a P.I.”

  “A private investigator,” he said, as if annoyed that he had to explain himself. I turned on Jason.

  “You said Betty had me checked out before she named me as the owner of the resort.” Turning back to Drew, I spat, “Were you the one who Betty hired to investigate me? You were spying on me?” I was so angry I couldn’t even see straight. All I saw was red. I wanted to punch all three of them in the face.

  “I was doing my job.””

  “You were still following me yesterday weren’t you?” It was something he said yesterday, actually something he was careful not to say. “How long? How long were you following me?” The three exchanged a look, but none spoke up. “You know what? I don’t care. Fuck you. Fuck you. And Fuck you.” I pointed to each of them.

  “Rory, wait. Rory!” Jason jumped out of his seat the same time I stood up. I held up my hand to stop him from coming near me.

  “You knew he was the one who she hired! You knew he was the guy from the bar last night.”

  “What, you were talking about me?” Drew smiled proudly.

  “Well, I hope you enjoyed watching me live my life. I hope you enjoyed watching me struggle every day. I hope you enjoyed watching how lost and lonely I constantly felt, knowing that you were not only hired by someone with the means to help me, but you that lived in her resort.” I looked at each one of them. Their eyes dropping to the table. “Yeah, the resort that you are all looking at me to take ownership of so you are not all homeless.”

  “Rory.” Jason looked at me then the other two for support.

  “Don’t bother.” I waved my hand at him, pulled a twenty out of my purse tossed it on the table. One of the few bills I had stuffed in my secret spot in my car for emergencies. “I’ll find my own way.” As I made my way to the door, Stixx was announcing the Killian guy who was performing tonight. He could have been Sam Hunt or even his bald brother. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a Rolling Stone’s t-shirt. I almost turned back at the first cords of Sam Hunt’s House Party. Damn I really like that song.