by Nina Crespo
“I’d prefer for you to handle it personally.”
“I shouldn’t get involved.”
“I don’t see why not.”
“You know exactly why. I don’t have a good history with the Kingmans. Or is this your way of punishing me for marrying Day?”
Eve flinched back with a surprised, stricken expression. “I don’t want to get back at you. As a businesswoman, my priorities lie with my client’s welfare. As a business advisor, I thought you were the best person for the job. Are you telling me that I’m wrong?”
Regret for snapping at Eve filled Delanie. “No, but just because I’ve dealt with the Kingman brothers before doesn’t mean I’m the right advisor for Beth.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Eve looked down and adjusted the stacked thin gold rings she wore on her fingers. “The reason most of my clients contact me is because something they didn’t take care of properly from their past has come back to haunt them, including their regrets. I believe you have regrets from your association with the Kingmans.”
“Like I’ve said all along, the Kingmans mean nothing to me. My past is dead.”
Eve’s direct gaze focused on Delanie. “Then you shouldn’t have any problems advising Beth about Kingman Partners.”
Four
DELANIE OPENED THE door to the small storage area in the back office of the vacant reservations center at Echo Pines. She flipped a switch and ceiling lights flickered on, illuminating the cardboard packing containers stacked three and four boxes high along the walls.
Sorting through dusty boxes—what a way to spend Sunday afternoon. Achy fatigue pulled at her. She blinked against a feeling of grittiness under her eyelids. After her conversation with Eve, things had progressed quickly yesterday once Beth had agreed to hire her as an advisor. An overnight flight from Seattle to Atlanta was the only way she could make it for the one-thirty afternoon meeting Beth had consented to with Kingman Partners. She’d gone straight from the airport to Beth’s house for the keys to the reservations center, then driven directly to the mountain retreat.
Roy, the thin, middle-aged head cook and manager of the Early to Rise Café next door, stood with her in the doorway of the wood-floored space. A dark splatter stood out on the sleeve of his dark green polo. What she’d guess was flour dusted the cuffs of his black pants and black steel-toed shoes.
“We packed up the paperwork that was in the office and put everything in here.” He pointed to four boxes with the word FILES scribbled on the sides in black ink. “They should have the financial records you’re looking for.”
Delanie used a key to slice the tape sealing one of the top boxes, then put the key ring in the pocket of her long black coat.
Invoices, receipts, and other papers, many of them handwritten, filled the battered hanging folders stuffed inside the box. Two handwritten ledgers were wedged between the files.
She just needed the most current financial information, along with records from the last year or two, to help her come up with a valuation for the business. Unfortunately, the bookkeeper who’d helped Benjamin Granger had moved away, and no one knew how to get in touch with him. On top of that, she didn’t have a whole lot of time to get the deal together. Beth had won a vacation to the Caymans and she was leaving in three weeks. She’d given her that long to come up with a number, open the bid up to prospective buyers, and close the deal.
As she peeked through the files and the ledger, her heart sank. Surely, Benjamin hadn’t just kept handwritten records. “Did Benjamin have a computer some place?”
Roy snorted a laugh and leaned a hand against the doorjamb. “Ben was practically allergic to technology. We could barely get him to use a cell phone. Once we did, we couldn’t get him to upgrade from his flip phone. He didn’t see the point since he hardly used it. He believed the world would be a much kinder place if people would stop calling, texting, and e-mailing each other, and take a long hike together to appreciate nature instead.”
Delanie couldn’t help but smile at hearing that. Her dad hadn’t completely eschewed technology like Benjamin had, but he would have been on board with his philosophy. Finding peace in nature was what her father had hoped people would discover at Clearmount . . . before it was razed to build an outlet mall.
A pang of sadness gripped Delanie. She shoved it aside. Nicolas “King” Kingman was on his way. She had to stay focused. From what she’d learned in her brief research of Kingman Partners, King and Aiden were both smart negotiators, but King was the craftier of the two. “I’ll have to take these boxes with me. Is there a dolly around so I can wheel them out to my car?”
Roy pushed away from the doorframe. “My boy is washing dishes next door. He can do it.”
“Thank you. The car’s open. He can just put them in the trunk.”
They walked out of the storage room and into the intimate white-walled space that had served as Benjamin’s office. A desk sat in the far left corner with a simple brown padded chair.
Next to it sat a four-drawer metal filing cabinet with a wood-framed, colorful picture of Echo Pines Lodge behind it on the wall.
Roy tapped the large calendar blotter on the desk.
It was a month behind. Was that when Benjamin had suffered a stroke? Shortly after he died, the lodging portion of Echo Pines had been closed to the public.
“It’s weird to not see Ben running around.” Roy released a long exhale. “All of the cabins are secure. I still need to clean out some perishables from the refrigerators before I close up the café tomorrow. I’ll make sure the reservations center is locked up, too, before I leave.”
“The café is closing? I thought you were staying open.”
“I’m taking the family to Disney World for a couple of weeks. Julie and Irene—they’re my two servers—they’re also taking vacations. Might as well take time off, under the circumstances.” Roy looked to Delanie. “Julie said when she spoke to Beth the other day that she mentioned some slick corporation had planned on cheating Ben out of his property, and that you’re meeting with them today to put a stop to it. Is that true?”
It wasn’t her place to discuss the details of the sale with him, but from what she’d learned so far, Kingman Partners had tried to pull a fast one on Benjamin Granger. Surprise. Surprise.
Delanie picked up her black tote from the desk and slung the strap over her shoulder. “Beth asked me to advise her on the sale of Echo Pines. I’ll make sure she knows all of her options.”
“There aren’t very many people who live within fifty miles of this place who haven’t either worked here or had a friend or family member who has.” Roy gave Delanie a direct stare. “For us, Echo Pines is like home, and Ben was like family. Beth hasn’t been here since she was a kid, but to us she’s still family too. We respect that she’s decided to sell. Whoever you choose, I hope they’ll keep Ben’s wishes alive for Echo Pines and the staff’s best interests at heart.”
Well, that certainly ruled Kingman Partners out. Delanie gave Roy a reassuring smile. “That’s what Beth wants for Echo Pines, and I do too.”
They walked out of the office into the abandoned reception area. Except for a phone and an empty cash register, the front desk was bare. The chill of the gray winter day seeped through the space.
Roy came up beside her. “I better get back to the restaurant. I’ll have my boy take care of the boxes right away.” He hurried past the cozy seating area arranged in front of a dormant brick fireplace and went out the rear door that connected the lodge to the restaurant.
Delanie adjusted her coat over the collar of her teal pantsuit jacket and drifted closer to the fireplace.
When the retreat was in operation, the fireplace had probably brought warmth to the space and to everyone around it. It reminded her of the one at Clearmount, which had not only provided heat but added cheeriness to the reception center.
As Delanie walked toward the front desk, time slipped backward. She’d met Aiden while working the reception desk at her fath
er’s retreat one afternoon a little more than seven years ago.
When he’d walked into the main house where reception was located, his navy suit had made him stand out from her and the guests mingling around in jeans, casual shirts, and hiking boots. Not to mention, he was gorgeous.
“Hello. My name is Aiden Kingman. I’m looking for the owner.”
His smile, and the way he’d gazed into her eyes, as if she were the only person in the room, had frozen her in place. It had taken a good five seconds for her to stop gaping at him and buzz her father in the back office.
People were often intimidated by her dark-haired, tattooed father. Bryan Clark’s height, solid build, and stern expression made some people wary of him, but not Aiden. He’d returned her father’s firm handshake and looked him in the eye. Aiden’s confidence was what prompted her dad to continue talking to him. In the past, when others had approached him about selling, her father hadn’t bothered to sit down with them.
Hours later, when her father’s meeting with Aiden ended, a heavy fog had covered the mountain, making the roads treacherous. She and her father had insisted Aiden spend the night. She’d been the one to show Aiden to his cabin. As they’d walked down the trail, conversation had flowed about the differences between living in Kentucky versus Maryland. By the time they’d reached the cabin, they were in a hot debate about whether the Kentucky Wildcats would beat the Louisville Cardinals that year in football. As the conversation had continued on the porch, they were pleasantly surprised to find out they both liked action and adventure flicks and were fans of science fiction.
Back in her room that night, she’d lain awake, hoping he wouldn’t leave right away. She’d gotten her wish. Aiden had stayed for breakfast, and they’d gone on a hike to Bear Claw Ridge, where she’d spent most of their trek admiring his tight butt in a pair of jeans.
Once she and Aiden had reached their destination, they stood at the top of the ridge together, out of breath, but still awed by the stunning view of the green valley and mountain peaks rising toward a clear blue sky. When their eyes had met, she’d turned and stepped into his arms for a kiss that had felt natural and right. So had returning to his cabin that night and giving in to her desire for more of him. That decision, and their six-week long-distance relationship, had completely changed her life.
A black four-door sedan speeding into the gravel parking lot brought her back to the present. The car parked just beyond the porch in front of the reservations center.
A man wearing a charcoal double-breasted peacoat over a navy business suit got out.
That wasn’t Nicolas Kingman. Delanie’s heart slammed against her rib cage as the man approached the porch.
She scurried behind the desk and crouched to the floor. Even though he wore a buzz cut and his shoulders appeared broader, Aiden Kingman was someone she’d recognize anywhere.
Years ago, she’d imagined this moment, but in her fantasy, her hair wasn’t in desperate need of a trim. She hadn’t required a ton of concealer to hide the bags under her eyes or been a bit bloated from consuming too much fast food on the road. She’d looked fierce and had been brave enough to tell him to kiss her ass as she kicked him square in the balls.
Sweat formed on Delanie’s spine and between her breasts. A groan escaped her throat. Why had she let Eve talk her into this?
“Stop!” Her self-admonishment short-circuited some of the panic. “Pull. It. Together,” she whispered sharply to herself. “You can do this.”
“Ma’am, are you okay?” Roy’s freckled teenaged son gawked at her from over the desk.
She eased up and peeked out the glass door. “Oh, I just dropped something. I’m fine.”
Aiden had already passed by.
Relief unburdened her shoulders as she stood and slid the strap of her tote bag back up. “Really. I’m fine.” Maybe if she told herself that enough times, she’d believe it.
Five
CARRYING HIS BLACK leather padfolio, Aiden climbed the stairs to the wide porch in front of Echo Pine’s log-cabin-style reservations center.
The scent of pine trees filled the cold air. In the distance, mountains stood tall in the gray sky.
He’d hauled ass during the two-hour drive from the airport in Atlanta and still had fifteen minutes to spare until he met Beth Granger at the retreat’s restaurant.
For the most part, he was prepared. If needed, he could change into boots and jeans so they could tour the place. That way, Beth could point out improvements she’d like to see made and he could lay out how Kingman Partners’ vision matched up. He only had a very rough idea of the plans King probably had in mind since this wasn’t his deal, but he’d wing it.
A brisk wind whipped his purple-and-blue geometric tie over the front of his blue dress shirt. Memories of the warm ocean breeze he’d left behind in Miami taunted him. If all went according to plan, he’d be back there by tonight.
He stood on the porch. Worn planks popped and shifted under his polished brown lace-ups. Aiden bypassed the glass door ahead of him leading to reception and veered to another door that indicated the entrance to the Early to Rise Café. As he walked inside, a bell jangled over the door. The smell of fried food and coffee permeated the mostly empty, narrow black-and-white-tiled space.
An older couple drank coffee as they sat in one of the red booths that were lined up along the windows on the right. Another woman wrangled with two young boys at a booth farther down.
Toward the rear, a middle-aged blond woman with a ponytail dressed in a green T-shirt, white apron, and jeans carried a pot of coffee. She paused at one of the dozen white-topped tables, lined along the opposite wall, to fill the cup of a guy wearing a dark plaid shirt and a baseball cap. They laughed as if they’d shared a joke.
A redheaded waitress, dressed similarly to the blonde, picked up two plates of food from a service window at the back. Just beyond the opening, a cook was busy at the grill.
As if on cue, everyone’s attention abruptly focused on Aiden and their movements ceased.
The blonde leaned over and whispered to her customer. The guy sat back, crossed his arms over his chest, and regarded Aiden with a stone-faced expression.
The cook leaned toward the service window and started a hushed, animated conversation with the redheaded server.
Aiden followed the instructions on the printed sign attached to a tall silver stand and seated himself.
He could feel everyone’s attention trained on him as he set the padfolio on a booth table, removed his coat, and laid it in the seat facing the door. Aiden slid in next to it. The suit made him stand out. It was annoying, but necessary. If he’d worn the jeans and casual shirt he’d brought, no one would have noticed him, but letting Beth view him as a professional was important. He needed her to see him as the business expert she should trust.
Aiden removed the plastic-covered menu from in between the salt and pepper shakers sitting on the table. He’d skipped eating at the resort to make the private jet on time, and the flight crew hadn’t gotten a chance to fully restock items for the flight. To put it lightly, he was starving.
He studied the selections. All day breakfast—excellent. He could crush some pancakes and bacon right now. Aiden settled back on the cushioned seat. He didn’t know about Beth, but he couldn’t talk business on an empty stomach.
Minutes passed without a server coming to his table. Aiden glanced back over his shoulder. The blond server remained in conversation with the guy wearing the baseball cap. The other server had disappeared.
Suddenly, the twentysomething redhead came out of a door next to the service window and picked up an order. She delivered food to the older couple in front of him, and as she started to walk past him, he leaned toward the aisle and held up his hand. “Excuse me.”
The redhead paused and gave him what appeared to be a forced smile. “Yes?”
“Could I please have coffee and a glass of orange juice? I’d also like to order the pancake platter with bacon.�
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Her lips pursed with a bothered expression. “We’re out of juice and pancakes.”
Aiden glanced at her name tag and flashed a smile that usually won people over. “Well, Julie, that’s a shame, but all of the breakfast selections look really appetizing. What would you recommend?”
Boredom covered her face as she pulled out a pen and ordering pad from the pocket of her apron. “Eggs, bacon, toast, what people ordinarily have for breakfast.”
If this is what guests encountered when they visited, no wonder the place wasn’t doing well. Hopefully the food transcended the less than welcoming attitude.
The bell on the door jangled.
A slim woman with shoulder-length dark hair entered, wearing a long, fitted black coat over a turquoise business suit.
Beth? No. That wasn’t her. King said she had light brown hair that was nearly blond.
As the woman strode down the aisle, her pointed black high-heeled boots clicked sharply on the tiles. She passed the older couple and returned their friendly hellos.
This woman looked like . . . no, it couldn’t be her. As she reached his table, recognition toppled Aiden’s disbelief and hit him like a brick to the chest.
Delanie dropped her tote on the far side of the seat across the table from him, and slid in. As her gaze locked with his, the pleasant smile she’d shared with everyone else in the restaurant faded. “Hello, Aiden.”
six
DELANIE INTERLINKED HER fingers and rested her hands on the table. Jitters filled her stomach. The calmness she willed belied her heartbeat, which echoed in her ears.
As Aiden stared at her, his expression morphed from shock to guarded ease. “Hello, Delanie.”