“Patricia and Bernice have your back.” Ginger reached out and fingered a piece of Cassidy’s hair, surprised and pleased that the girl didn’t flinch at the touch.
“Yeah.” Cassidy heaved a sigh. “If nothing else, life with my mom provides a deep well of story ideas. Hey, if I ever get a movie deal, I promise to incorporate some dancing into the screenplay so you can be the choreographer.”
They both laughed then. “I hope we’ll see each other again long before that,” Ginger said.
“Don’t go getting all sentimental on me, Gidget.”
“Here we are!” Bernice bounced back into the room, the mayor in tow, and Cassidy slipped out as Ginger got back to work.
* * *
“This place is remarkable, Gavin. It truly is.” His mother squeezed his arm as the two of them walked along the second-floor landing overlooking the crowd of people mingling below. “Your father would be so proud of you right now. Not that he wasn’t before, but you were the only one who loved this building the way he did. The only person who appreciated the craftsmanship and the history of Dresden House.”
Gavin accepted his mother’s praise a little sheepishly. If it hadn’t been for the dire financial straits his father had left the family business in, he might never have stepped foot in Dresden House again. But now, after nearly six months of renovations, he felt a keen sense of pride for the work he and his contractors had done. Years of decay had nearly destroyed this icon, but Gavin’s vision had brought it back. He wouldn’t be the only one hearing the great house speak to him, either. The city planned to staff the visitors’ center with docents who would tell its story to every guest who walked through the front door.
“He would have loved working with you on this project,” his mother continued, her soft voice carrying a touch of sadness. “It was always his dream that you would take over the business.”
Gavin felt as if he’d received a swift kick to his senses, the force of it stopping him in his tracks. His father had always been supportive of his dream to be an architect. Or so he’d thought. Was his mother right? Had he secretly been disappointed? What would the man think of him today? Gavin’s mouth became suddenly dry.
“I know the plan was to sell the business, but I’m glad you didn’t. It’s nice to still have a piece of your father with us.”
Ah, shit!
“You gave up a lot to make this work, Gavin. And I just want you to know that I appreciate it.” She stretched up on her toes to kiss him on the check. Her lips burned him all the way to the soles of his feet.
“Mom—” He was barely able to push the word out through the grit lining his mouth.
“Hush. You deserve to have everyone be proud of you,” she said. “I only wish there will be more projects where you can use your skills as an architect. You worked so hard to make your name in that career and you were quite good at it.”
“Mom—” He tried again. He needed to tell her the truth. Not all of the truth, but the part about him selling what was left of the company—mainly the torpedo factory—and heading back to New York. He’d been an idiot for leaving it to the last minute, but he’d been spooked that something—or someone—would mess up his plans. Like maybe the guilt he was feeling after hearing his mother tell him about his father’s dreams. Damn it! Sweat broke out on the back of his neck. “I need to talk to you about that.” He looked around the crowded mansion, but there was no place that would afford the privacy this conversation needed.
“Gavin!” Bucky, the show’s director, called over the din of the crowd. “We’re ready to shoot the bit about the National Historical declaration now.”
“Oh! How exciting.” His mother moved toward the staircase.
“Mom!” Gavin grabbed her arm before she walked away. The word came out gravelly as his mouth went dry. “We need to talk. As soon as this is over, will you meet me at the inn?”
The desperation must have shown in his face because his mother stopped in front of him, her gaze questioning. “Of course I will, honey. Whatever you want.” She brushed his hair back off his forehead, the movement so familiar and comforting that Gavin felt it might be his undoing.
“Gavin!” Bernice yelled.
A calming smile spread over his mother’s face. “We’d better hurry. You know what a little despot Bernice can be when people don’t jump when she calls.”
“I love you, Mom.” He didn’t know what prompted him to say it, but he wanted the words out there before he told her his plans. She’d never know the depth of what he’d had to do to protect her and that was fine, but he hated that she would still feel betrayed when he left her, the company, and Chances Inlet behind.
Linking her arm through his, she guided him toward the stairs. “I love you, too, Gavin.”
Diesel and Yasmine were making their way out of the music room when Gavin met them at the stairs.
“What’s going on?” the producer asked.
“The mayor is going to read the proclamation declaring Dresden House a National Historical Landmark.” The pride in Gavin’s mother’s voice made him wince even more.
Diesel went gray as he quickly surveyed the room. “Has my father left yet?”
Gavin’s heart was doing that hiccup thing again just looking at Diesel’s pained expression. “Not that I’m aware. He was down by the bar a minute ago. Why?”
“It might be better to put this off, Gavin.” His mouth formed a tight line, but his eyes were pleading. A lick of dread careened down Gavin’s spine. Diesel obviously didn’t trust his father. Shit!
Nodding his understanding, Gavin headed for the steps. “I’ll see what I can do.”
But he was too late.
“Attention! Can I have your attention, please!” Bernice’s shouted pleas resulted in the crowd quieting, their gazes focusing on the landing of the grand staircase where Bernice stood with the mayor.
Gavin swore again under his breath. He swore a second time when he noticed the red lights of the cameras were on. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched Diesel jog for the back stairs, presumably headed for the production truck. Miles took their mother’s hand as he, his sister Kate and her family joined them on the landing. As he gazed out over the throng of people gathered below—many of them he’d known his whole life—the dread thrumming through his body gathered around his neck. He shoved his finger between his collar and his skin to try to shake it loose. It didn’t work.
“Today is a great day in our small town,” the mayor began. “Dresden House has been a part of the Chances Inlet landscape for two hundred years.”
Gavin scanned the audience as Mayor Skelley droned on about the mansion’s history and its significance to the town. His eyes landed on Will Connelly. His best friend scrutinized him carefully before seeming to sense Gavin’s unease. Gavin watched as Will snaked his way toward the staircase, ready to provide backup even without knowing the situation.
“And finally, thanks to the generosity of the McAlister family, one of our town’s most treasured landmarks has been restored—with the help from the fine folks at America Cable’s Historical Restorations show—and is listed in the National Register as an historic landmark.”
The crowd applauded loudly. Gavin caught sight of Marvin Goldman out of the corner of his eye. Diesel was making his way toward his father as Goldman practically preened before the audience. The man’s lawyers had agreed to lease the mansion back to the town for a low fee, but Gavin didn’t like the proprietary look Goldman wore.
“The McAlister family has graciously donated this building back to the town for use as a visitors’ center, as well as for special events and to house the office of the mayor and other professional staff.”
The crowd applauded again and his family made a variety of gracious gestures acknowledging the gratitude, but all of Gavin’s attention was focused on Goldman, whose eyes narrowed to slits just as Diesel reached him. The two skirmished for a minute when Diesel tried to grab his father’s arm. Ah, shit! The man made
a move toward the stairs.
“We are forever in your debt, Gavin, for saving this precious landmark and returning to our town,” the mayor said before looking at him expectantly. He hadn’t prepared any remarks. Hell, right now he was hoping time would stand still and he could find a way to rewind the clock thirty minutes just to avoid what he suspected was coming.
“Uh.” Gavin looked at his mother, who stood with a serene smile on her face as panic welled up inside of him. He needed to get her away from Marvin Goldman.
“I think some clarification is in order.” Goldman’s voice boomeranged through the room and Gavin felt as if his heart had stopped beating. He’d come so close to a clean getaway.
“This mansion that you are all enjoying belongs to America Cable. With all due respect, Mayor”—Goldman’s voice was lacking any respect at all—“a decision hasn’t been made how this property will be used, but I can assure you, a venue as spectacular as this one won’t be wasted on a visitors’ center. In fact, Mayor, you and I will need to talk about some zoning issues. After getting a look at Dresden House and its beachfront location, I’m going to propose to the network that it be turned into a resort destination.”
The room had gone silent; the only sound Gavin heard was the pounding of his heart in his ears. It should have been reassuring to know his heart was actually working, except it wasn’t. In the back of his mind, something had niggled not to trust Goldman. But he’d been so focused on his exit strategy and paying his mother’s mortgage that he’d ignored that voice. Until it was too late.
“After watching it being restored, tourists will flock to your little town for a chance to stay here.” The pompous ass had the nerve to hit on the economic issue, one the town couldn’t ignore.
“I don’t understand.”
“Gavin, what’s he talking about?”
“This can’t be possible!”
The others standing on the landing started to pummel him with questions. Ginger had come to stand beside Diesel, concern etched on her face. His friend Will gave him an empathic shrug. Gavin turned to face his mother, her expression pained as she clutched Miles’ arm.
“Um, maybe we should discuss this in a more private location,” Gavin suggested. His mother paled even more at his words.
“Ya think?” Miles’ tone was irritated as he propped up their mother.
“This man doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Bernice cried. She went toe-to-toe with Marvin Goldman. “McAlister C and E most certainly does own this building. Donald McAlister bought it years ago with the sole purpose of restoring it and deeding it back . . .” She turned to Gavin, her voice running out of steam. Her face was crestfallen. “The deed. Oh, Gavin.” She gulped a sob as Kate wrapped her in her arms.
“Let’s go,” Miles commanded.
TWENTY-THREE
A crescendo of murmuring followed them up the stairs. Patricia’s legs felt like lead as she followed Gavin into the music room. Miles guided her to the window seat, but she couldn’t sit. A chill overtook her and she wished that Lamar were here to comfort her. None of this made sense and the anguished look on Gavin’s face worried her even more.
“Dad,” Diesel was saying, “don’t do this.”
“You’re always asking me for something, Elliot. Doesn’t that get a little old?”
“Stop it!” Patricia yelled. She had no idea what was going on and she had a very bad feeling that whatever it was, she wasn’t going to like it. But none of it could be Diesel’s fault, and she wouldn’t let the man punish his son needlessly.
Miles hovered beside her as she spoke. “I want to know why you claim that a piece of property that has been in our family’s possession for years suddenly belongs to you.”
“It’s simple, really. Your son sold it to me.” The air seemed to crackle with his accusing tone, and everyone in the room narrowed their gazes at Gavin.
“Gavin!” Both Kate and Bernice gasped, but Patricia somehow wasn’t surprised by Marvin Goldman’s words.
“The sale’s not final yet, Goldman,” Gavin argued. “We had an agreement that you’d lease the mansion back to Chances Inlet.”
“A gentlemen’s agreement.”
“You agreed!” Fury and desperation rolled off Gavin, making the pit of her stomach begin to quiver. “It’s in the contract!”
“And you undersold the value of this property,” Goldman exploded as Miles stepped between the two men. “Don’t blame me for your poor business skills. You could have gotten twice your asking price. After you paid off the mortgage to your mother’s inn and satisfied the bank examiner, you would have had quite the little nest egg.”
The edges of Patricia’s vision began to go gray. “M-mortgage? There is no mortgage on the inn. Donald bought the building free and clear.” Her chest grew tight at the sound of Gavin’s dejected sigh.
“I hate to break it to you, Mrs. McAlister, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Marvin Goldman gestured at Gavin. “Your husband was not the smartest of businessmen.”
“I beg your pardon!” Bernice shouted.
“Hey!” Miles stepped in a little closer to Marvin Goldman.
Patricia plopped down hard on the window seat. Kate sat down beside her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “Gavin, I think you need to explain to Mom and the rest of us what the heck is going on,” she said.
“We’ll take that as our cue to leave,” Diesel said. He nodded to his father, indicating the door.
“You’d be a fool not to take the deal on the table, McAlister,” Marvin Goldman said from the doorway. “But a part of me actually hopes that you don’t. If I can’t have Dresden House, I wouldn’t mind snapping up that lovely inn of your mother’s.”
Bile rose in Patricia’s throat and she sucked in a breath in order to choke it back down. She couldn’t lose the inn. It was hers. Her gift from Donald. Tears burned the backs of her eyes as Miles slammed the door behind Diesel and his nasty father. Leaning up against it with an aggravated sigh, he asked the question Patricia wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to.
“Why the hell did you take a mortgage out on Mom’s inn, Gavin?”
Patricia’s eyes locked with her middle son’s and she watched as a war of emotions played out on his face. She knew the answer instantly. “He didn’t take out the mortgage.”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Gavin whispered. “I never meant for you to find out.”
“I don’t understand. Gavin, please stop keeping secrets,” Kate insisted.
“It wasn’t my secret to tell.” He came over to kneel at Patricia’s feet, his hand resting on her knee. “His death was so unexpected for everyone that he didn’t leave a note or any explanation. But I know the only reason he’d take such a risk and stretch himself so thin was because he loved you and he wanted you to realize your dream.”
“So Dad took a mortgage out on the inn. What’s the big deal?” Miles asked.
“The big deal is that it was one of those crazy balloon loans and there’s a two-point-seven-million-dollar payment due in five weeks.” Gavin’s face was grave as he said the words.
Kate sucked in a breath beside her. Patricia reached up and traced Gavin’s jaw. “This was not your burden to carry,” she said as a tear leaked out.
“I’m still not caught up here, Gavin. What are you not telling us?” Miles demanded.
Gavin blew out a breath. “Dad funded everything through McAlister C and E. I think he believed he’d be able to make the payment before it was due. But then the economy tanked. And . . . and he panicked. He—” Gavin looked over at a stricken Bernice. “He got a little creative with the accounting, putting things in categories where they shouldn’t be.”
Bernice gasped.
“How creative? We’re not talking anything illegal, are we?” Sweat was beginning to break out on Miles’ brow as he asked.
“If it’s your political career you’re worried about, don’t!” Gavin snapped. “I’ve spent the last eighteen month
s tap-dancing with the bank examiner in Wilmington to get it all worked out. Forget about restructuring. Not after Dad’s fiasco. If the payment is made on time, all of Dad’s sins will be forgiven.”
The room began to spin as Gavin mentioned the bank examiner. Patricia thought back to the day Donald had his heart attack. A bank examiner had called the inn that morning. Donald had told her it was just a mix-up and headed off to work. She’d never seen him alive again.
“It was the stress from trying to make the payments that killed him, wasn’t it?” she whispered.
“Don’t go there, Mom.” Gavin took her face between his hands. Hands that had carried his father’s burden alone for two years. Another tear leaked out.
“Of course not, Mother,” Kate said. “Dad had a heart attack. Nothing anyone said or did caused it. It could have been due to a heart defect.”
Patricia shook her head, pushing Gavin’s hands away. “But if I hadn’t insisted on opening that damn inn, none of this would ever have happened. And you can’t tell me with any certainty that he wouldn’t be here today!” She was angry now. Angry at Donald for keeping so many secrets. Angry at herself for wanting something that was so far out of her reach. She gulped a sob as the tears began to fall in earnest.
* * *
This was why Gavin never wanted his mother to know. She’d automatically blame herself. Watching her cry, he felt as if his heart were being wrenched out of his chest. “Mom, none of this is your fault. Dad loved you. He wanted to make you happy, to make your dream come true. No one could foresee the future. Least of all Dad. He’d never want you to feel guilty about this.”
Kate was crying softly, too. “Gavin, you shouldn’t have had to deal with this all by yourself. We would have helped, you know.”
He knew his siblings would be angry; their brother Ryan had already warned him of that. But he still believed that the fewer people who knew the truth about their father, the better. He just hadn’t counted on Marvin Goldman’s big mouth.
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