Beauty and the Billionaire Beast

by Maria Hoagland

  Chapter 16

  “How’s it going?” Zoe lobbed the words like a volleyball across the allée of trees as she approached Emma mid-morning.

  “Hey, Zoe. Out for a stroll?”

  Zoe nodded. “I needed a quick walk and a breath of air.”

  Emma could understand that. After growing up on a farm, she was pretty sure she’d have trouble with office work every day. “That gumbo last night was a-maz-ing.” Emma knew she was gushing, but after her perfect evening with Theo, everything made her overly happy. She tried to rein it in by bending down to sift through the few leaves under the worst of the stricken live oaks. There wasn’t much. The hired lawn crew had done a good job cleaning up when they’d trimmed.

  “Are they going to survive?” Zoe sounded just as worried as she’d been waiting for the arborist when Emma first met her.

  “Oh, yes.” Emma wanted to alleviate any lingering doubt Zoe harbored. “Lots of late-winter rain this year?”

  “You could say that,” Zoe scoffed. “Record-breaking flooding, February or March, which is saying something for Louisiana. It didn’t seem to affect the sugarcane, thankfully, but I had no idea the water would hurt the trees.” Zoe stood with her palms pressed to her chest as if losing one of the trees would break her heart. Emma didn’t blame her. It would break her heart too.

  “All we have to do now is spray some fungicide, and they’ll be fine.” Emma touched one of the cupped, deformed leaves that would stay until the next set of leaves pushed it off in March. “They’ll be deformed until next year, but we won’t lose any more either. I doubt the guests will notice.”

  “You’re probably right.” Zoe ran her fingers along the rough bark of the trunk, looking up through the canopy. Maybe looking for her squirrel friends. “Were there any gnomes this morning?”

  “Only one.” But its perfectness made Emma’s heart squeeze with pleasure. Theo was so observant. Who said guys didn’t listen? It was almost as though Theo had seen her daydream of him pushing her on a wooden swing, the breeze blowing through her hair. Except that he couldn’t have.

  “And?” Zoe prompted.

  “It’s the cutest little gnome couple sharing a wood swing.” She’d discovered it in an overgrown crepe myrtle between the garçonnière and the outdoor kitchen. “They’re adorable.”

  “Oh, really?” Zoe raised her eyebrows. “Had a good time last night, did you?”

  Emma willed herself not to react, but at the memory of those sweet kisses, her cheeks grew hot. “I told you the gumbo was great.”

  “Uh-huh.” Zoe was smarter than that. Heck, a five-year-old was smarter than that.

  “The sunset was gorgeous. Oh … and fireflies! We chased fireflies.” That was definitely her second-favorite part of the evening, pushing the gumbo to a solid third. “I’d never seen them in real life before.”

  “Yeah.” It was obvious Zoe wasn’t buying that something else hadn’t happened. Emma almost shrugged. Let Zoe wonder.

  Zoe continued, “I did tell you that summer solstice at Indigo Pointe would be magical. I bet you had a wish granted, too. Didn’t you?”

  The kisses probably qualified, though Emma was disappointed that the search of the charred chapel hadn’t produced any new clues. Still, finding the metalwork in the rose garden was a step forward, even if she didn’t know what it meant or how to tie it to her family history yet. “I think I might have.”

  Trying to get her mind off the evening before and onto work, Emma considered what to do next. A project that didn’t require a lot of bending would be a welcome relief. Maybe trimming the crepe myrtles, including the one with the gnome swing.

  “I do have to say, this is the happiest I’ve seen Theo in … well, ever,” Zoe said.

  Emma hadn’t thought her smile could get any larger, but she felt her heart swell even more.

  “I mean, I did see him get all excited about ten-cent cheeseburgers at McDonald’s that one random Thursday night over Christmas break junior year. He must have eaten a dozen.” Zoe messed with the bangles on her arm, drawing them up toward her elbow and then releasing them to settle with a tinkle around her wrist. “Which is ridiculous on so many levels, especially for him, but that’s nothing to the way he lights up around you.”

  Emma giggled, feeling very much like she was in high school again herself. “I guess it’s good that I make him happier than ten-cent cheeseburgers.”

  Zoe watched a car drive by and checked her phone. “Even though we don’t have any tours scheduled today, I probably ought to head back into the office. A quiet day is just what the doctor ordered to get the books in order.” She shook her head. “I knew managing Indigo Pointe would be a big job, but I had no idea how hard the previous owner tried to bury the place. There’s so much we need to do to get it back in the black.”

  Emma and Theo had had that discussion the day before while they worked. “Theo said he couldn’t have hired a more business-savvy accountant and all-around managing guru than you,” she said. “His words, not mine.”

  Now it was Zoe’s turn to grin like a schoolgirl. “Speaking of Theo.” Zoe tipped her head, pointing to Emma’s side. “I hear he has special lunch plans for the two of you.” Sure enough, Theo walked up behind her, basket in hand. Zoe touched Emma’s arm. “See you later.”

  “So …” Emma said as Theo came closer. He was attractive, to say the least—a great build, good sense of style, handsome features—but as she got to know him, she found there was even more to like about him.

  “So …” Theo stopped right in front of her, the toes of his shoes almost touching hers, a reminder of last night’s dance. He had the most amazing voice, and she could have danced with him all night. His blue eyes searched her face, and after several seconds, he smiled. “Could I interest you in a picnic?”

  The way his eyes had examined her, Emma reciprocated in earnest. There was something almost vulnerable in his question, and she found it sweet. She reached for his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “It’s a little early for lunch,” she teased.

  “I didn’t say we’d eat right away.”

  “Well,” Emma hedged, though she was more than willing to comply. “If you think it’s okay with my boss …”

  In true nineteenth-century fashion, he offered her his elbow and she took it. She followed his lead as he started strolling across the back of the property. “Oh, I think he’ll be fine with it.”

  “I meant Zoe.” She couldn’t resist.

  “Ahem.” Theo cleared his throat. “Zoe may be the manager, but as her boss, you still answer to me.”

  Emma laughed and squeezed his forearm. “I know.”

  Theo had such a dry delivery, half the time she didn’t know if he was being serious—until she saw that mischievous look on his face.

  He paused at the animal pen, drawing an apple from the basket. Moments later, the curious horse ambled up to claim it.

  “How are you today, Phillippe?” Theo allowed the horse to nuzzle into his palm when grabbing the fruit. He patted the side of the horse’s neck, and after the horse finished his snack, Theo and Emma started their stroll again.

  “Where are we going? And don’t you dare say it’s a surprise.”

  “Well, it is,” he quipped. He led her into a copse of trees at the back corner of the property behind the barn and secluded from everything else. “I was looking for the right tree for our swing.”

  Emma’s heart fluttered at the admission, and she eyed the trees, looking for one old enough and with enough open space for the honor.

  “And then I found this.” Theo brought her to a small rectangle of wrought iron fence, probably eighteen inches high and almost invisible under a tangle of weeds and vines.

  “The cemetery?” Emma couldn’t believe it.

  “The cemetery.” Theo set the basket down and stepped over the fence.

  Patches of weeds and clumps of yellow-blossomed wildflowers covered almost everything, but as they moved the vegetation asid
e, stone grave markers dotted the rectangle like spots on a domino. Theo and Emma worked until each of the stones had been revealed.

  “I can’t believe how many of these markers have 1865 as the death year,” Emma said after she’d uncovered the third one. “Are you seeing the same thing?”

  “I noticed that.” Theo stood, arching his back and then started to work again. “Maybe a smallpox or cholera outbreak?” He dropped some weeds onto the pile Emma had started.

  “Or …” In her heart, she knew she was right. “The church fire.”

  They picked their way carefully through the plot, taking careful note of the dates.

  “Not just 1865, Theo.” Emma stopped in front of a matching pair of headstones. “March 26, 1865.”

  Rosemund Heidel, May 3, 1833–March 26, 1865 sat snugly next to Gen. Bradish Heidel, Nov. 24, 1823–March 26, 1865.

  Theo exhaled slowly, pausing before speaking. “Do you recognize those names, Emma?”

  Her eyes flicked to his face. “I probably should, shouldn’t I?”

  He swallowed. “He owned Indigo Pointe during the Civil War.”

  “Oh.” Emma stood like a statue, unable to move. “Then I’m related to them?” Until Opa had shared his story a few months ago, Emma hadn’t spent much time studying her family tree. She knew she ought to at least recognize surnames. Family shouldn’t be strangers.

  Theo tugged his phone from his pocket and snapped a few frames of the headstones.

  “Wait.” Emma put both fists on her hips to show Theo she meant business, although she was teasing. “Do you want to explain why it’s okay for you to take photos of my family’s gravestones but not okay for me to take pictures inside the house?” She raised her eyebrows high, waiting for an answer.

  “Um …” Theo looked appropriately chagrined. “I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but … it has everything to do with Indigo Pointe’s online image and future marketing.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Honestly, I should probably be more worried about people posting pictures of the exterior, since it needs so much work.”

  Emma tried not to get annoyed, considering she was doing her best to wrangle overgrown vegetation.

  Theo continued, “I plan to have the interior cleaned up as well, so I didn’t want less-than-flattering photos to tarnish Indigo Pointe’s reputation.”

  Emma scoffed, but before she could say anything, Theo followed it up with, “I know, it makes absolutely no sense, and I’m sorry I was such a jerk about it.”

  Emma stepped toward him, catching his hand in hers before she kissed him on his sandpapery cheek. “You’re forgiven.” She looked down at his phone and back up into his eyes. “So the grave markers?”

  “Easier than writing down all the info.”

  He was cute and smart. “Good idea.”

  To help get clear shots, Emma walked past each marker, pulling out clumps of crabgrass to reveal the writing. When she had uncovered them all, Emma stood back for Theo to finish capturing each with his phone. She was about to turn away when Emma caught a glimmer of light off to one side. It reminded her of how she found Indigo Pointe in the first place.

  She took a few steps to where she thought it had been, but couldn’t find anything reflective. “Did you … um …” She didn’t want to sound crazy and almost decided not to ask when the air sparkled again, this time right in front of her. “Did … do you see that?”

  “See what?”

  As Theo picked his way toward her, over a few headstones, Emma felt around with her fingertips under the groundcover, hoping any snakes were long gone. Her fingertips met with the smooth coldness of another stone. She began ripping away the variegated leaves, ceasing movement when she revealed the familiar ivy imprint.

  “Theo, look!”

  He hurried over, as excited as she was. This was the only grave decorated with the ivy logo so far. The top line simply read Treager. How sad that there wasn’t a first name. Underneath were the dates 1862–1925.

  “Another clue?” he asked, as if she knew more than he did.

  “Maybe.” She shrugged her shoulders. “The dates don’t match the others. And we still don’t have any idea what this ivy thing is all about. It may mean nothing.”

  “Or it may mean everything.” How comforting it was that Theo was on her side. That he didn’t think she was nuts for wanting to figure out the mystery. “It’s worth looking into.”

  When they’d documented every marker, Theo picked up the basket and they walked to the other side of the small grove. Even more secluded than the cemetery, this spot had a lone live oak on a slight rise overlooking fields of sugarcane. A thick quilt was spread on the soft grass in the tree’s shade.

  “This is perfect,” Emma whispered, not wanting to break the silence. The quiet beauty of the clearing made it not only a great picnic spot, but the large live oak had a branch exactly the right height and girth. “I can’t picture a better place for a swing.”

  They sat on the quilt, their backs to the tree.

  “Not even in a crepe myrtle?” Theo asked.

  “A-ha! You are the one placing the gnomes!” An admission of guilt if she’d ever heard one.

  He shook his head. “I’m pretty sure they do it themselves.” Theo unloaded fresh croissants, juicy strawberries, and cubes of cheese as he spoke. “Indigo Pointe is enchanted.”

  “I see.” She took the bottle of water he offered. “Curiously, the gnomes always seem to know what our conversations have been.” She leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. “I think they’ve been spying on us.”

  “Is that so?”

  Chapter 17

  Theo had had such a great time with Emma over the past few days, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. As he’d watched her work her magic on the landscape, she’d cast a spell over him. There was no other explanation as to why he would allow her to tutor him in the art of plant care.

  Ever since Emma had persuaded him to explore the church, it was as if the two of them had emerged into a world all their own. A place where it felt right to dance amid lightning bugs and picnic on the brink of history. And every day he spent with her helped him realize there wasn’t anything he didn’t like about this amazing woman or any place he didn’t want to be with her. The joy he found in being with her flowed into other aspects of his life. She made him want to be better, to mend fences.

  He scrolled to the correct contact and pushed the button to initiate a call.

  “Good afternoon, Don. This is Theo Lambert.” He’d made scores of uncomfortable calls, but he couldn’t think he’d done quite this before. “If you have a minute, I’d like to chat with you about the other day.” The former tour guide for Indigo Pointe hadn’t hung up on him yet, so Theo took that as a good sign. “I believe I need to offer an apology for not listening to your side of things the other day.”

  Theo shuffled papers on his desk at his New Orleans home. He’d gotten caught up with things over the past few days despite spending as much time with Emma as he could. He was able to work more efficiently now that he had motivation in the form of someone he wanted to spend time with.

  He finished his call with Don, and then he moved on to finishing what he couldn’t delegate to his assistant Antonio. Once that was done, he was able to free up a day later in the week. While the break wouldn’t be forever, Theo had earned some time to do something he wanted to do and remember what it was like to have a little fun.

  Theo was falling for Emma—dear, sweet Emma Treager—his family nemesis, his employee, the one who helped him find joy in the simple things in life. Like fireflies and garden gnomes.

  Today he had new plans. Traitorous plans, his father would have called them if he knew. Plans that did not involve working in the gardens, but helping her solve her family mystery instead.

  Zoe was in the parking lot when Theo pulled in.

  “Hey, boss.” Zoe looked up from sweeping the front walk.

  “Thanks for the gumbo the other night.” His
gratitude was rather belated, so he moved on quickly. “Get anything interesting from Violet?” She would have been expecting him to ask about the hoodoo trinkets she loved to trifle with.

  “A few scarves and amulets.” Zoe pursed her lips and eyed him as if assessing his mood. “What do you think about stocking voodoo dolls?”

  Theo pulled a face and shook his head. “I’d rather not.”

  Zoe chuckled. “I figured, but you’ve been in such a good mood lately, I thought I’d try.” She hugged the broom handle to her chest, folding her arms around it, and leaned against the building. “And how was your summer solstice? I heard it went … rather well.”

  The well-placed emphasis communicated that she knew, or at least knew a little of what had gone on that night. “Did you see Emma’s design for the entrance?”

  “Fine, don’t tell me.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him, but then got serious. “Anything special on the docket today?”

  “For me or you?”

  Zoe laughed. “Me. I already know what you’ll be up to, and somehow, some way, it involves that girl you follow around like a puppy dog.”

  Busted. “An adorable puppy dog, though, right?” The woman knew him way too well. Good friends were gold.

  She nodded. “You kids have fun together.”

  “One thing.” Theo had almost forgotten to tell her. “You said our new tour guide has limited hours around school, so I made a call, and I wanted to let you know that Don’s back if you’ll go ahead and put him on the schedule as well.”

  Zoe gave him an appraising look, and he knew he’d not only surprised her, but done the right thing. “That’s good. We’re actually going to be a bit busier today.”

  Zoe floated into the office, and Theo stepped back to his truck, flooded with a feeling of contentment. Sandwiched between his best friend and his new love interest, everything was going great for him. Before heading to Emma’s, he needed to hide his gnomes for the day, and this one was going to be fun—Emma had given the best lead-in so far.