As Nicole made her way to the manor, she seethed under her breath. If only she could have convinced her uncle that Bailey didn’t need to come with her, but her father’s brother-in-law seemed to think Nicole needed constant care. He was always worried that someone would rob her or kidnap her because of who she was... and who her daddy had been.
She opened the jingling door and walked inside. The older woman at the desk looked up and smiled.
“Howdie,” Nicole greeted, moving closer. “My cousin and I have reservations, and we’re wonderin’ if you have someone who works here that could help us bring in our luggage.”
“Oh, certainly. Let me call my grandson.” She picked up her phone and punched in a number.
As luck would have it, the grandson was sixteen-years-old and able to carry three of the five suitcases for Bailey. Nicole carried one, and Bailey carried only her make-up case.
At the front desk, Nicole got herself and Bailey checked in as the older woman instructed her to sign the registry book. Immediately, Nicole noticed the line above hers Powers Enterprises, and the city he’d written down was Arizona. She couldn’t read the name itself because it looked like a doctor’s signature.
She handed the pen to Bailey to have her sign. Nicole nudged her cousin’s arm and pointed to the above line. Bailey sucked in a surprised breath and met Nicole’s gaze.
They silently communicated while in the presence of the front desk lady, but as soon as they walked inside the elevator, Bailey grasped Nicole’s arm.
“Powers Enterprises in Arizona? You don’t think...”
Nicole shrugged. “I don’t read the tabloids faithfully as you do, but I have heard of the billionaire Jethro Powers and his wineries.”
Bailey bobbed her head quickly as her eyes widened. “His grandson, Aaron Powers, runs the winery in Arizona, but...” During her brief pause, she wiggled her mouth back and forth. “I thought I’d read that Aaron was engaged and was getting married soon.”
Nicole shrugged. “Then maybe he and his wife are here for their honeymoon.”
Bailey snorted. “Doubtful. Someone like Aaron would have rented a small island off the Florida Keys to impress his new wife for their honeymoon.”
The elevator door opened and the grandson, Nicole and Bailey, hauled the luggage to rooms 202 and 204. The grandson opened Nicole’s door before he moved to open the room door for Bailey.
Nicole was already inside her room when she heard her cousin’s loud and obnoxious grumbles. Seconds later, her cousin stormed into Nicole’s room. Stopping, Bailey gasped.
“Why is your room bigger than mine?”
Inwardly, Nicole groaned. She prayed this trip would get better soon. There was a reason she came to Woodland Park, and she could not have her cousin ruining Nicole’s search for the unknown.
Perhaps she’d just send Bailey shopping in Colorado Springs every day. Grinning, Nicole nodded. That’s exactly what she’d do.
THREE
Nicole relaxed in her jetted tub, preparing for a good night’s sleep. The stress of the drive had taken its toll on every nerve in her body, but not as much as her cousin’s constant complaining.
Breathing in slowly and exhaling at the same speed, she tried to wipe the negative thoughts out of her head. Bailey was her favorite cousin. Actually, Bailey was the only cousin who was around Nicole’s age. Her other relatives were either way older or too young to hang out with. When Bailey was doing things that she liked, then she didn’t complain. Nicole would just have to take some time out of her haunted tour trip and make time for her cousin.
Scented oil candles burned in the bathroom, helping to relax Nicole’s mind and body as she tried to rid the toxins from her. Of course, she’d forgotten one thing before climbing in the tub. She should have brought along some music – or earphones so that she couldn’t hear Bailey through the wall. Her cousin was on the phone talking to the lady at the front desk.
How is the security here? Will the B&B be held responsible if someone breaks into my room? Will there be children running around or crying on this floor? How close is the nearest shopping center?
Nicole rolled her eyes. Why hadn’t her cousin realized that life would be so much better if she stopped complaining about everything, and just enjoyed every day? If Nicole could go from day to day as an orphan without complaint, Bailey could certainly make it through one whole day without whining.
Her phone buzzed on the floor where she’d set it. She sat up in the tub, dried her hand on a cloth, and pressed the speaker button. “Howdie, Uncle Ethan,” she answered exhaustedly.
“I’m assuming you’re all settled in Hanover House now.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“I had called the manor right after your jet landed to make sure yours and Bailey’s rooms were ready for y’all.”
She shook her head sadly. “Thanks for watchin’ out for me.”
“Well, I promised your father on his deathbed that I’d watch over my niece and her bank account. I don’t want anything happening to either of you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, and I can tell you’ve been keepin’ your promise.”
“However, I’m worried about you. Bailey tells me that your rooms are awful. She doesn’t even have a jetted tub in her room.”
Nicole fisted her hands underneath the water. “Hanover House isn’t very big, Uncle Ethan. It only has two floors, and I think it only has two bigger rooms. One of them is across from mine, but it already has someone stayin’ there. And if Bailey wants a jetted tub so badly, she can use mine when I’m done.”
“Why don’t I just contact the Broadmont 5-star hotel in Colorado Springs and get both of you a room. I’ve heard really good things about—”
“No, Uncle Ethan.” Her voice lifted slightly. She was sick of him treating her like a child. “I’m just fine here. If Bailey wants to go to the Broadmont, I’ll call her a cab.”
“And have you two separated? I’ll not even consider that.”
“Then I reckon Bailey will just have to get used to this place because I’m not leavin’ until my week’s stay is over.”
“Nicole, dear. I wish you’d reconsider.”
“Goodnight, Uncle. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She quickly ended the call before he could say anymore.
Remembering her breathing exercises, she inhaled slowly and then exhaled as she closed her eyes. She was sure Bailey had told her uncle about the strange man who’d accosted them while their car was broken down. That particular cousin overdramatized everything.
Accosted was such a strong word. Nicole would have titled him her angel of mercy. Nolan was definitely sent to help Nicole, and she’d never forget his kindness, or his woodsy cologne smell, or his incredibly dreamy green eyes.
As they’d driven away from him on the mountain road, he had followed for a few miles. She had looked in her rearview mirror several times, and grinned more than she had done for quite a while. Thankfully, Bailey hadn’t noticed Nicole’s lighthearted attitude since her cousin was busy trying to get cell phone service.
“Nolan,” Nicole sighed, liking the way his name breezed from her mouth. He had a wonderful name.
Once the water cooled off, she climbed out of the tub, grabbed the towel, and dried herself off. She took her phone back into the other room as she sat on the bed, continuing to dry her hair with a towel.
Her gaze caught the alarm clock on the bed stand. The time read eleven thirty-seven. She needed to get some sleep tonight. The haunted tours started at eleven in the morning, and she needed to be wide awake so that she could study each place the tour group went carefully. Her goal for this week was to discover why she was having the same reoccurring dream about a woman dying and about the manor she had lived in.
A shiver passed over Nicole and she quickly took off the damp towel around her and shrugged into her long nightshirt that reached her knees. These past couple of months, the same dream had been haunting her, and it was time she put a stop to it. There wa
s no reason she should be having these nightmares, because nothing made sense. But she did know one thing. It had something to do with Woodland Park, Colorado – and this very place she was staying.
COLORADO’S MORNING brought coolness to the air. It had been several years since Nolan had experienced crisp autumn weather, and it was a refreshing change from Arizona’s heated season. In fact, he’d probably still have the air conditioner on if he was back home.
It didn’t take him long to shower and dress for the day. He pulled on his favorite emerald t-shirt with a gray and brown flannel shirt used as a jacket. Jeans were his comfortable choice of pants, and his walking shoes that made him feel as if he was stepping on air.
He was quite surprised how well he slept last night. The hallway had been quiet last night. He’d heard the elevator ding once, and the voices of people in the rooms across from him, but once they were inside their rooms, he didn’t hear anymore. For being a haunted manor, he thought he’d hear more doors opening and shutting or creaking noises in his room. Perhaps he’d been too tired to notice.
He added a little gel to his hair, slicking it back to the style he wanted, before brushing his teeth. He stepped out of his room and closed the door. Immediately, a woman’s flowery fragrance attacked his senses. Closing his eyes, he inhaled slowly. The scent seemed familiar... almost like what Nicole had smelled like.
Shaking his head, he tried to get his mind out of the clouds. He’d eat breakfast first and then hurry and look for Nicole.
He quickly hurried down to the dining room for breakfast. The heavenly aroma of bacon, fried eggs, waffles, biscuits and gravy, wafted through the air, making his stomach grumble. Only two other people were in the room when he entered. The middle-aged couple nodded a silent greeting to him, so he returned the gesture. As he filled up his plate, his mouth watered. There was truly nothing better than a home cooked meal – especially breakfast.
Six tables filled the dining area, and Nolan sat at the empty table by the bay window. He picked up the newspaper lying on the table and skimmed his gaze over the articles on the front page as he stuffed a piece of waffle into his mouth. From what he gathered in the newspaper, Woodland Park was a small town like Surprise, Arizona, where he lived. So far, people seemed nice.
A tall man wandered into the dining area and greeted the other couple. Nolan guessed this must be the owner of the B&B. He came to Nolan’s table and stopped.
“How are you enjoying your stay, sir?”
Nodding, Nolan swallowed the food in his mouth before answering. “I’m loving it so far. My room was nice and quiet, and I slept like the dead.”
The tall man with thinning black hair chuckled. “That’s good to hear. Are you here for the haunted tour?”
“Most definitely.” He grinned. “This is my first time, and I’m hoping to see a ghost or two.”
The tall man chuckled. “You don’t have to go very far for that. Stay here long enough, and your wish will come true.”
Nolan arched an eyebrow. “I heard a ghost named Victoria haunts this inn.”
“She does, but don’t get too frightened. She’s rather gentle and rarely gets upset.”
“Thank heavens for that.” Nolan laughed.
“Well, enjoy your week.” The man gave him a nod before moving away from Nolan’s table.
He glanced at his cell phone for the time. There were a good three hours before the tour started. His search for the southern beauty would begin soon.
He hurried and finished his breakfast and wiped his mouth. Before leaving the table, he signed the receipt card on the table and left a hefty tip for the cook.
When he reached the front door, the ding of the elevator rang through the lobby. He was happy to know the manor had more than just a few guests visiting.
The air was crisper than he had expected, so he hurried to his Jeep and climbed inside. Although it was cool this morning, the afternoon temperature was supposed to reach into the 60’s. Not bad for Colorado in the fall... but right now, he was wishing it was a touch warmer.
As soon as the heater started working, he backed out of the parking lot and slowly made his way toward the road. Something familiar caught his eye, and he pushed on the brake. One of the vehicles in the parking lot looked like the one he’d been following last evening after he’d fixed Nicole’s car.
Chuckling, he shook his head and continued driving. His luck wasn’t that good. Besides, she was somewhere in Colorado Springs where he’d seen her turn off. However, it was nice to dream.
FOUR
Nicole stepped out of the elevator just as someone walked out the front door. As she moved toward the dining room, a familiar woodsy scent of a man’s cologne touched her senses. Immediately, she thought of the sweet man she’d met yesterday. Nolan.
Coming to a quick halt, she glanced around the lobby, hoping to see him, but of course, it was her imagination playing tricks on her again – or perhaps there was another man here who wore that same scent.
Another smell attacked her senses – bacon, eggs, waffles, and maple syrup. Her stomach rumbled. She’d slept longer than she had wanted to this morning, but it wasn’t her fault. She’d had another dream...
She clenched her teeth and walked into the dining room. A tall man passed her and gave her a smile.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good mornin’,” she answered.
“I trust you had a pleasant night?”
She hated to lie. If not for her dream, she was sure her sleep would have been pleasant. “Absolutely.”
She headed toward the buffet table and found fresh fruits and a scone. There were two kinds of butter – honey butter and strawberry butter. Since she loved strawberries, that was her choice.
There was one empty table next to the window. Someone must have just left because his receipt and tip were still next to the dirty plate. She pushed aside his things to the edge of the table, hoping someone would come pick it up soon.
As she munched on her apple, her mind drifted back to last night’s dream. So far, in all of the dreams she’d had, there was a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She always wore a drop-waist blue dress that hung below her knees. On her head was a Cloche hat, like the style they wore in the 1920’s, but it didn’t hide the woman’s blonde ringlets.
A week ago, Nicole had dreamed about this woman. In the dream, the woman walked past a town’s sign – Woodland Park. The next morning she had searched the internet for that town before calling her pilot to get her jet ready for a Colorado flight.
In last night’s dream, the woman was walking down the street, but the roads were different – not paved like they were now. Cars were very different, as if she was watching an old-time movie. The scenery looked very similar to this town with the trees and the mountains, but she could tell the people in her dream were from the distant past.
The woman in the blue dress held a blue-laced umbrella as she made her way through town. Several times, she would look over her shoulder as if to see who was following her. The look of panic was written on her expression and she quickened her step. Soon, the woman stopped in front of a red-brick building. It hadn’t been a bed and breakfast back then. Instead, it looked like a manor home.
Sighing, Nicole pulled her stare away from the window and glanced up at the ceiling. “Okay, I’m here. Tell me what you want,” she whispered, hoping nobody would hear her... except maybe the ghost.
A movement from the hallway caught her attention. Bailey walked into the dining area very slowly as if she wasn’t quite awake. Although Nicole’s cousin wore make up and her hair was styled, the girl’s bloodshot and puffy eyes testified to her sleepless night. Bailey’s appearance this morning would fit very well in a zombie movie.
As Bailey passed the buffet table, she grabbed a bagel and a package of cream cheese. She moved to Nicole’s table and plopped down in the empty seat.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Bailey said before taking a knife and smearing
the strawberry cream cheese on her bagel.
“You didn’t ask me to.” Nicole tried to control her ire, once again. “But now that you’re up, did you want me to take you somewhere this mornin’? We have a couple more hours before the ghost tour starts.”
“I want to go back to bed,” Bailey whined.
Nicole motioned her hand toward the lobby. “Then go. I won’t stop you.”
“Can’t.” She took another bite of her bagel. “Daddy won’t let me. He doesn’t trust these small towns. He says they’d love to sink their greedy claws into wealthy women like us.”
“I’ll be just fine, Bailey. Besides, I know you don’t want to go on the haunted tour, and if you’re goin’ to complain the whole time, I definitely don’t want you there.”
“But... I don’t want to be by myself. You never know what man is watching me and planning to pounce on me.”
“Do whatever you like, then.” She took a receipt card and filled it out before leaving a tip on top.
Bailey leaned over and read the receipt from the person who’d been here before. Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Ohhhh... This was signed by Aaron Powers.”
Confusion filled Nicole for a second before she remembered the last name. “The guy with the winery?”
“Yes.” She pointed to his receipt. “Powers Enterprises. That’s his signature, even though it’s hard to read. The first letter resembles an A, but the last letters have ON.” She sat up straight, smiling as if she’d just won a trip around the world. “He must be the one in the room across from yours.”
Nicole shrugged. “Then maybe you need to get chummy with him and he’ll let you use his jetted tub.”
Bailey scowled. “He’s engaged, unless...” Her eyes widened. “What if he called off the wedding? Then he’d be available again.”
“Either way will work for you since married men have never stopped you before.”
The Billionaire's Setup Page 3