“I admit I don’t know much about Mandy, but I want to.”
“Don’t forget we share. We agreed.”
“You didn’t have that attitude after Sharon dumped me and you still clung to her.” He sobered. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“Me? What do I have to be afraid of?”
“Losing your heart. Again.”
“Bullshit.”
“Then go out with her.”
He never lost his cool in court, but right now he was losing it big time.
“Hey, guys?” Mandy called from the living room. “I need to go.”
Cam grabbed Vince’s shirt. “This isn’t finished.”
Vince shoved him back. “You got that right. The moment you sink your cock into her, you’ll be lost, and that scares the crap out of you. But you can’t hide your head in the sand forever.”
He shook his head. “If I owned anything you’d want, I’d bet you everything I have you’re dead wrong.”
Vince cocked a brow. “There’s where you’re wrong. You do have something I want.”
Cam looked behind him to make sure she wasn’t standing in the doorway. “What?”
“Your willingness to give her a try.”
* * * *
Bill Christopher, one of Indulgent Spa’s biggest investors, barged into Craig’s office, his face red. “You can’t keep ignoring me any longer.”
Craig leaned back in his seat. He worked hard to school his features, especially since his heart was racing and the acid in his stomach had climbed into his throat. “Bill, calm down and have a seat.”
The man placed his hands on the desk and leaned over. “I’ve been talking to some of the other investors. We know what you’ve been doing.” He tapped the desk. “That’s why you won’t take my calls.”
He couldn’t know. Craig had been careful. “What have I been doing, Bill?” He was pleased his tone carried an air of calm.
“You took our money, God damn it.”
“Calm down. I didn’t take your money. You invested it with me.” He leaned forward. “And you’ve gotten a good return, I might add.” He pushed back his chair and went to his credenza where he picked up the decanter of scotch. “Drink?”
“Fuck you. Give me my money back or I’m going to the FBI.”
As casually as his shaking hand could manage, he poured himself a drink, taking his time to compose himself.
He turned around. “If I had the money on hand I would return it, but I invested it in the other spas. You know that’s how it works. You get dividends monthly.”
“You have personal money. I just want my million dollars back.”
Bill’s eyes glassed over. From the way his eye ticked, it appeared as if he might be having a heart attack. “I wish I could help you. Give me a few days, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Your wife said you’d stashed money in the Cayman Islands and in Switzerland.”
His blood ran cold. “When did you speak with my wife?” He didn’t even think of her as his ex-wife. Amanda would come home once she realized how much she’d lost and all would be back to normal.
“Four months ago.”
Heavy sludge moved through his veins. A sharp pain stabbed his left arm. Craig inhaled and from his top desk drawer withdrew the checkbook that went to his special account. He wrote a check for one million dollars. “Here, ya go, Bill.” Anger rippled through him but he didn’t let Bill know.
The man snatched it up. He twisted on his polished loafers and raced out.
Craig sat and didn’t move for at least five minutes, stunned and growing more irate by the minute. With money in hand, Bill might keep his mouth shut, but what about other investors?
Christ. This was a fucking nightmare.
He knew who was to blame—Amanda. “That fucking bitch.” He picked up the phone and called his assistant.
“Yes, boss?”
“Get in my office now.” He slammed the phone down.
The timing was too coincidental. Amanda was beautiful and the perfect hostess. He figured an elementary school teacher wouldn’t have the brains to even comprehend the brilliant scheme he’d orchestrated. For years he’d fooled her, so how had she found out? Was it when Bill approached her? Jesus. He stabbed a hand through his hair.
“You need me, sir?” Charles Fenwig stood at attention across from Craig’s desk.
“We’re in trouble. Have a seat.”
“What sort of trouble?”
“Bill Christopher was in here demanding his money back.” He gulped down the scotch he’d poured. “He knows.”
“What does he know, sir?”
Did he have to spell it out? “He hinted that he knew about the Ponzi scheme.”
Fenwig’s face turned whiter than the snowcapped mountains. “How?”
“I don’t know how he figured it out.”
“What’s he going to do?”
“I’m not sure, but he said he spoke to Amanda about this. If she knows anything about what’s been going on, she could testify against me, since we’re no longer married.”
His assistant swayed in his seat. “What do you want me to do?”
“Locate her.”
“You want me to talk with Candace? They’re best friends.”
“Leave Candy to me. What I want you to do is use every connection we have to bring her home.” She belonged at his side. He’d insist in a small, quick, ceremony. He’d offer her money. She’d take it. Then she couldn’t say a word in court. The pain in his arm lessened at the new plan.
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Hire whoever you need, but for God’s sake, be discreet.”
“I’ll deliver Mandy to you personally.”
“See that you do.”
Chapter Four
Talk about being uncomfortable. Even with earplugs, Mandy would have heard Cam and Vince shouting. The scuffling feet implied someone wasn’t happy, and she’d bet all of Craig’s millions it was Cam.
She’d announced she needed to leave, but neither man responded. Maybe she should let them figure things out and go. Finding her way back wouldn’t be hard. Nothing of interest existed between here and the Circle Bar other than empty range.
More shouts pierced the air. She picked up her keys. Right now, if Cam asked her any more questions, she might fold and tell him everything. She’d caught the phrase gold digger. Ha. The last thing she needed was another rich man. Men like the Callens, and probably the Longworths, only cared about their fortune. No thank you. Men like them were off-limits.
The rain still came down with conviction, but no thunder had sounded since she’d arrived. With the car covered, she remained relatively dry as she slid into her seat. Driving in this weather would be quite treacherous. With every pothole she hit, her spine jammed. Somehow, when Vince drove, he managed to avoid them.
Christ. Maybe coming to this wilderness had been a mistake. She wasn’t cut out to rough it. Sure, her dad took her camping, hiking, and rock climbing all through high school. College cut short her weekend trips, but she managed to spend her Saturdays riding. Hell, she’d even tried her hand at rodeo riding once, but when it came to roping a calf, she sucked. The one time she managed to lasso the poor critter, he refused to go down. That she could handle. But unpaved roads? Wild animals and extremely harsh winters? Perhaps she was more of a city girl than she’d thought.
By the time she arrived back to the bunkhouse, all she could think about was a hot shower. Even though she’d jacked up the heat on the way over, the quick dash inside soaked and chilled her again.
Inside the bunkhouse, Lilly was on her bed reading and Trinity was whittling something.
“Hey, ladies.”
Both looked up. Lilly closed the book. “What happened to you?”
“It’s raining.”
“I meant before. Where did you go? Sam came looking for you.”
Crap. Just what she didn’t need. “I drove Vince Callen home.”
Both women sat on the edge of the bed. Trinity smiled. “How did you swing that? He’s only the most eligible bachelor around.”
“It was no big deal.” She told them about him showing up in the barn and offering to help. Trinity whistled, and Mandy held up her palms. “I didn’t know he was a Callen. If I had, I never would have gone riding with him.”
Trinity dropped back on the bed, crossed her legs at her ankles and rested her head on her hands. “Why not?”
Because he might ask questions she didn’t want to answer. “It’s not wise to fraternize with the owners, even if he’s only Sam’s cousin.”
“Cop-out. If he ever asked me out, I jump his bones in a heartbeat.”
“I came here to get away from men.”
Lilly sat on the edge of the bed. “You running away, too?”
Too? “No. I just wanted a fresh start in life.” She didn’t need to confide in these women. No telling who they’d tattle to.
“Boyfriend problems?”
Stating some truth would help calm her pulse. “Yes.”
Lilly’s shoulders slumped. “I know what you mean.”
Glad to switch the focus to Lilly, she sat next to her. “What happened?”
“The usual. I got dumped by someone I thought loved me.”
“Always the way.” She shivered. “Let me take a shower and get warm. Then we can commiserate about men.”
They both chuckled. She grabbed some dry clothes and stepped into the bathroom. The three shower stalls were for the eight possible bunkmates. At the moment only the three of them shared the cabin. So far neither Trinity nor Lilly seemed overly curious about her, which worked well for her.
She turned on the water and undressed. When the water warmed, she stepped under the luxurious heat. Her mind bounced between the thrill of the horse ride, Vince’s highly sensual kiss, and his roommate debacle. She hadn’t said anything other than hi when Cam began to grill her. Before she had the opportunity to ask him what he did, he called a male confab in the kitchen. Yeesh. Men.
She dragged the bar of soap over her breasts, and the image of Vince flashed in her mind. She knew his type. He was a charmer, a lover, a player. He was the get in quick and get out faster kind of guy. While she wasn’t looking for anything permanent, even a fling would be too much right now. Keeping under the radar was the only way to stay safe.
Forcing her mind on washing and not daydreaming, she finished quickly. Once she dried and dressed, she felt human once more. When she stepped into the main room, Lilly and Trinity quieted.
Mandy waved a hand. “Don’t stop on my account.”
“We were wondering if when you went to Vince’s house you met his roommate?”
Why would they ask? “Yes.”
Lilly crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders as if she was picturing Cam caressing her. “What did you think?”
She shrugged. “He seemed nice. Perhaps distant would be a better word.”
“Did he tell you what happened to him?”
“No. We were in the same room for maybe five minutes. What happened?” Perhaps she could shed some light on his odd behavior.
Trinity giggled, a sound reserved for someone much younger. Trinity had to be close to forty.
“His fiancée dumped him. Stole a lot of his money, too.”
Lilly waved a hand. “Not to defend her, but he gave her a credit card and carte blanche. She used it a lot then never came back.”
The anger she’d held evaporated. “That’s terrible. When did this happen?”
“Maybe a month ago.”
No wonder he was in a foul mood. “How did you two hear about it?”
Lilly sat up. “Everyone on the ranch was talking about it. Sharon, that’s her name, came around here on occasion whenever Sam had a get-together. She was beautiful and very high society.”
“I would have thought she’d be more interested in a Callen.”
“She dated Vince, too,” Trinity said.
“Wow. Does everyone know what goes on around here?”
The women exchanged glances. “Pretty much.”
All the more reason to keep her nose clean. “Cam mentioned something about a birthday party for Sam’s little girl.”
“Yup. Saturday,” Trinity said. “I went last year. It was quite the affair. It should be bigger this time. I swear those Callens keep reproducing.”
At the mention of having children, her heart splintered. Two years ago, Craig came home and announced he’d had a vasectomy, probably to put an end to her harping on him to have children. She should have left him then.
Lilly and Trinity seemed to know a lot about Vince and Cam, but if she expressed too much interest, it would definitely get back to the men. Right now, she needed to focus on keeping this job.
* * * *
Cam parked his Jeep and jumped out. “What should I say to her?” He’d been such a jerk.
Vince had been right. The moment he cast his eyes on Mandy, he’d immediately thought of Sharon and her traitorous ways. To make things worse, he’d grilled like she was some criminal come to steal from them.
“How about the truth?” Vince leaned in the back and grabbed the two birthday presents for Juliette.
“I’m not good with expressing my feelings.”
Vince laughed. “That’s an understatement.”
“That’s what makes me a good lawyer. I’m analytical. Factual.”
Vince slapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not so sure about that. From my perspective, when the right woman is underneath you, you’re a passionate guy.”
Cam moved out of his reach. “Let’s table this.”
Vince laughed. They neared the party, and Cam kept a lookout for Mandy. The sooner he apologized, the sooner he could enjoy himself.
Sam waddled close to them. She claimed she was only six months pregnant, but to him she looked ready to pop.
He gave her a hug. “Hey there, beautiful.”
“How are two of my favorite men?”
Vince kissed her cheek. “Can’t complain.” He held up the presents. “Where do you want them?”
“There’s a table out back near the pool. Party’s already in full swing. Go enjoy yourself.”
Vince winked. “We plan to.”
They walked around the outside of the house and followed the crowd noise. They passed groups of people. Some were sitting under the tents, others were conversing closer to the pool, and still others were wandering around, ostensibly to look at the newly renovated barn.
At least three ponies led by the staff were in the corral. The children on the ponies were either staff kids or the children of their acquaintances. At three, Juliette was too young to ride.
Cam estimated close to two hundred people were present.
They headed toward the present table near the pool. He’d brought his suit with him, but given the number of kids and parents there, he wasn’t sure if there’d even be room in the water.
Vince nudged him. “There she is. Go talk with her.”
His heart jacked. Mandy was sandwiched between Trinity and Lilly. As he approached, Vince’s older brother, Daniel, zeroed in on her. Christ. He didn’t need another Callen horning in on her.
“Distract your brother. I don’t need the competition.”
“So now you admit you’re sweet on her?”
Cam shot him his best glare. “I need to apologize.”
“Sure.”
Vince strolled toward his brother. “Hey, Daniel.”
Vince’s brother stopped his beeline to the girls and waited for Vince to catch up. Now it was his chance. He waved to Mandy to get her attention. She looked up, and he gave her his best smile. She immediately turned away. Shit. His apology would be harder than he expected.
Mandy placed a hand on Lilly’s shoulder then walked to the deep end of the pool. She dove in, executing a perfect dive, and made little splash. He admired her athleticism. Sharon had shunned getting wet, saying it messed with her hair.
Time to change. He ducked into the pool house, entering in the men’s half. A row of lockers lined one wall. No one was there, and after changing, he stuffed his clothes in the last locker on the right.
He didn’t want to make it too obvious he planned to approach Mandy, so he stepped into the shallow end. He ducked under the refreshing water. Now he was glad he’d brought his suit. Two kids he didn’t recognize did cannonballs next to him, getting water in his eyes. He placed his head in the water and with a practiced stroke swam to the other end, pretending he was in the pool to exercise.
Mandy was in the deep end treading water when he looked up to take a breath. Her gaze was focused on him. So much for being casual and pretending he happened to run into her. In two strokes, he pulled up inches from her.
She reached back to grab the wall. When she half turned, looking as if she wanted to get out, he placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on the edge of the pool.
“I want to apologize.”
Her chin tucked in. “For what?”
“I was rather rude the other day. I don’t normally grill people.”
“I understand.” Her gaze was on anything but him.
He’d rehearsed the conversation a hundred times, but in none of the scenarios had the apology gone this way. “What do you understand?” He held up a hand. “Forget I said that. I’m used to facing a jury and questions just pop out of my mouth.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re a lawyer?”
Her tone was more than tinged with disgust. “I take it you find lawyers despicable?”
Her lips turned up. “Now I’m the one who should apologize. Like you, I just got out of a sticky relationship. I’m gun shy.”
Her admission formed an invisible bond between them. “Divorced, I hope?”
Her eyes turned dark as if he’d uncovered a deep secret.
“How did—”
He lifted her hand and ran his thumb over her ring finger. “Tan line.” He should have let go immediately, but the thrill of touching her ran deep.
As if she wasn’t in a hurry to break the connection, she eased her hand from his grasp. “You have a good eye.”
“The Callens hire me to do background checks on all the employees.” Her fingers clutched the edge of the pool. “I didn’t dig very deep. You came out clean. If you hadn’t, Sam wouldn’t have hired you.”
Diamonds and Spurs [The Callens 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4