“I don’t plan on going back in at all. I’ll take him up to the pool then get out of the sun for a bit this afternoon.”
“Sounds good. Any time for me?”
“You’re the one who has to rush off to work.”
He chuckled. “You got me there. Dinner tonight?” He loved how quickly they’d fallen into this comfortable pattern. Haley was as warm as home and as exciting as sky diving.
“You really want to take us out after our last restaurant experience?” Her cheeks were red, no doubt remembering Taz coming back from the bathroom at the restaurant last night.
Cal laughed. “I’m a farm boy, stuff like that doesn’t bug me.”
“It should,” she retorted.
“Nope. A little poop discussion I can handle. Not seeing you tonight, I can’t handle that.”
Haley’s beautiful pink lips parted in a smile. “You’re a flirt, Cal Johnson.”
“Only with really pretty ladies.” He took a step closer, squeezed her hand, and rubbed one of her curls with his other fingers.
“Am I a really pretty lady?” She pulled the side of her lip between her teeth and about drove Cal crazy.
“The prettiest.” Cal bent his head, every intention of kissing her.
“Cal.” Taz jumped off his chair and dropped his plate in the sand. “Can we play catch again?”
Cal reluctantly backed away from Haley, thwarted by Taz’s timing. She glanced up at him from beneath dark lashes. Those lips looked disappointed. He hoped. “Sorry, bud. I have to go to work for a bit.”
Taz rolled his eyes. “Work shmirk. Mama always has to work too.”
Haley’s face drooped. “Not always. I’ll play football with you.”
“Kay.” Taz grabbed the ball. He nudged Cal’s leg. “She throws so bad I can hardly catch ‘em.” He took off at a run.
Haley shook her head as Cal chuckled and released her hand. “I’ll see you at six.”
“We’ll be waiting.”
He had to force his legs into motion. All he wanted to do was stare at this woman, play ball with her little boy, and basically forget that he had responsibilities that didn’t include them.
Raul was waiting at his office when Cal got there. Katie, the tall blonde front desk clerk was sitting in a chair. Her long legs crossed and a scowl on her face. Usually she lit up like a Christmas tree when Cal got anywhere near, but today she eyed him like he was the enemy. Her eyes flickered to his chest and she licked her lips, but didn’t soften her closed posture.
Cal closed the door behind him. He should’ve changed out of his swimsuit. Haley had distracted him. He didn’t like to lack professionalism, but he was the owner and could wear whatever he wanted.
“What’s going on?” he asked Katie, sensing she had the story to tell.
She crossed her legs the other direction, tapped her fingers on her arm, and acted like he hadn’t spoken.
Raul stepped forward and placed some pictures on his desk, screenshots from security cameras of Katie entering and leaving guest’s rooms. “Katie has been going into rooms she has no right to be in.”
Cal’s eyebrows dodged up. Katie was friendly with the patrons, had never caused any trouble, and seemed to have a decent head on her shoulders. “Stealing?”
“No,” Katie was quick to spit out.
“Why then?” Cal kept his focus on her.
“The ghost asked me too.” She folded her arms across her chest. Her imperious look dared him to laugh.
Cal didn’t feel like laughing, but he did scoff. “The ghost?”
“Yes. I’d do anything for him.”
Cal blinked and exhaled. “What did you do for him?”
“Nothing.” She looked down. “I needed a little… personal information about a few guests. That’s all.”
Cal blew a breath out and glanced up at Raul. The head of security’s brown arms were flexed like he wanted to toss her out physically.
“We’re going to have to let you go, Katie,” Cal tried to say as gently as possible. He had to follow protocol but there was no way this woman was working for him again. Who believed ghost stories?
“I don’t care.” She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “I’d do it again if he asked. It’s not like you ever paid me any attention. He tells me I’m beautiful, have perfect legs, and am smart.”
Cal exchanged another look with Raul. Clearly, this woman was a bit off. “O-kay. Raul will fill out the paperwork and the financial office will send your severance pay.” He gestured to Raul to take her away.
She stood and stomped toward the door.
“Wait.” Cal needed to get his head in the game. His military time had taught him better than this. “Which guests did you check on for your ghost?”
“I’m not telling you that.” She blinked imperiously at him.
Cal stood. “You’re going to tell me which guests you checked on and what your ghost looks like or I’ll make sure you don’t work in the hotel industry again.”
Katie glared at him some more.
“And you can forget about severance pay. You’re being fired with cause and I don’t have to offer you that.”
Katie harrumphed, and several slow minutes ticked by. Finally her shoulders lowered and she said, “His name is Jacob Shriver. He’s tall, blond, and perfect. His eyes are a vision, they can be brown or green.” She sighed then seemed to come back to reality as she met Cal’s gaze. “I checked on rooms 2120, 2322, and 4328.” With that, she stormed out the door, Raul close on her heels.
Cal sucked in a breath. His gut tightened. Haley and Taz’s room. Who was this guy parading around as a ghost and what possible interest could he have in Haley and the other guests he was stalking? He’d heard the stories about Jacob Shriver, but had ignored them as silly superstitions. Cal called the manager, Johnathon. “Find out who’s staying in 2120 and 2322.”
“Right away, sir.”
Cal stared out his window, wishing he could see Haley and Taz. Saving Taz in the ocean this morning had made him even more protective of those two, but this new threat nudged him into wanting to be a stalker himself and make sure nothing ever happened to them.
Raul walked back into his office right as the phone rang and Johnathon said, “2120 is a young lady named Tamara Wells. 2322 is a woman named Jaycee Henderson.”
“That’s all you have?”
“I have a picture of Tamara. Her hotels.com account is connected to Facebook.”
“And?”
“She’s a very beautiful lady. A redhead with brown eyes.”
“Okay, thank you. We have a situation, possibly a stalker watching these rooms. Keep your eyes open and let me or Raul know if you hear anything. Raul will be in charge.”
“Thanks for letting me know, sir.”
“Oh, and Katie from the front desk is no longer working here.”
A pause and then, “Okay. Thank you.”
Cal hung up and passed a hand over his face. “What do you think?” he asked Raul. He’d hired Raul on a recommendation from a friend who’d served with Cal in the Army. Raul was half a head shorter than Cal, but his stocky frame made him seem almost as big as Tucker. Cal wished his friend was here right now, they’d always watched each other’s backs, but Tucker needed to be right where he was, with Maryn. Raul had been very competent the past year, but they hadn’t had many issues to deal with before this.
Raul settled his muscular frame into the chair across from Cal. “My first instinct is Katie and her ghost are nuts, but I’m afraid it’s more serious than that. One of my security guys who has been here for a long time confided that the ghost always shows up this time of year and has left notes and scared away his share of pretty women.”
“So we’ve got some joker pretending to be Jacob Shriver’s ghost harassing women in our hotel every year the first week in April?” Cal thought about what he knew about the legend. Not nearly enough. Something about a guy waiting for his lover, but she never came so he killed himself in
his hotel room.
Raul nodded.
“Happy Easter, huh?”
“What do you suggest, sir?”
Raul probably knew better than him what protocols needed to be followed and what needed to be done, but he still treated Cal like the boss. “Up your surveillance around those three rooms.” He wanted to say especially 4328, but he shouldn’t give preferential treatment. Actually, he could and would. He hoped Haley wouldn’t take it the wrong way. “Call in all your security personnel today and as quickly as possible hire a couple more. Undercover. Have them blend in as guests, watching for this guy and any unusual activity around those rooms or those women.”
Cal wrote down the room numbers, women’s names, and descriptions of Haley, Taz, and Tamara Wells. “I don’t want to say anything to any of them yet, but let’s keep an eye on things. Keep Johnathon in the loop and alert the police to the situation also.” Johnathon would soon be running the hotel without Cal’s daily supervision when Cal moved on to other properties or opportunities. He needed to be ready to handle these kinds of situations. Cal tapped his fingers on the desk. “Find out what room Jacob Shriver supposedly stayed in when he was alive and see if the guest staying in that room matches Katie’s description.”
“Sure.” Raul stood and quickly left.
Cal whirled in his chair and searched the beach. The buildings by the pool blocked the spot where Haley and Taz had been. He knew he should stay in his office, deal with the mountain of paperwork, and think through this situation some more, but he couldn’t resist running down to the pool area that overlooked the beach. He spotted Haley and Taz right where he’d left them. Haley was burying Taz in the sand. Letting out a breath of relief, he wished he could go be with them again. He forced himself to go back to his office and try to get some work done. Tonight would be soon enough and hopefully if he stayed close no ghost would try anything with Haley or Taz.
Haley had noticed different men watching her and Taz at the pool. She and Taz went up to their room for lunch then he fell asleep and she was able to enjoy reading the latest Lucy McConnell novel on the patio. The wrought iron chairs had the softest blue and yellow striped pads on them. She’d love patio furniture like this, but she’d love this view of the ocean more.
Taz woke excited to go, but she wanted to keep him out of the sun so they went on a walk through the shops and she sighed and dreamed over the jewelry on display. She felt only a little prick of guilt when she used some of her hotel credit and splurged on pedicures for both of them. The spa ladies were so cute with Taz and did his for only ten dollars. Haley actually relaxed and enjoyed the foot massage and pampering while Taz picked up a few new girlfriends.
She let Taz play some of the video games in the arcade as they waited for the time to meet Cal. She’d seen glimpses of Cal a few times throughout the day, but it was almost like he was checking on them, not trying to come see them. So odd. She knew she was attractive and was used to men checking her out, but this was different. It was like Cal and what she assumed were security guards were looking at and around her, not directly at her.
A hand on her lower back jerked her concentration from watching Taz giggle through a car racing game that he wasn’t quite big enough for but insisted on doing himself. She glanced up and sighed with relief when she was met with those blue eyes, dimples, and his handsome face. “Cal.”
“Hey. Is he ready to take on Dale Earnheardt, Jr.?”
Haley shook her head and clucked her tongue. “Not sure about that, but he might be able to beat Danica Patrick.”
Cal laughed. “You watch NASCAR?”
“My brother, Isaac, does. He tries to teach me the important points.”
“He’s a Danica fan?”
“Not so much. He says if she was male she wouldn’t even have a sponsor.”
“Hard to argue.” Cal licked his lips and bent a little closer to her.
“Wait.” She eyed him suspiciously. “You’re probably a Danica Patrick fan because she’s so cute.”
“Not nearly as cute as you.”
Haley’s face promptly reddened. “How did you find us in here?”
“The hotel has top of the line video cameras. Whenever I want to find you I just tell security to find the prettiest girl in the hotel and they do.”
Haley couldn’t help but smile, but it was a little unnerving that he could be watching them at any time.
The game ended and Taz jumped from his seat and gave Cal’s leg a brief hug. “Hey, Cal! Mama let me play video games.”
“Fun. I bet you’re really good at video games.”
“Mama doesn’t want me to be dicted so I never get to play them.” He heaved a dramatic sigh.
“Addicted.” Haley glanced at Cal. “One of my cousin’s teenage boys does nothing but play video games and Taz heard us talking about it.”
“You’re a good mom to teach him there are other things in life.” He bent down to Taz’s level. “Do you like pizza?”
“Yeah, duh,” Taz said in a voice that indicated anyone who didn’t was an idiot.
“Perfect.” Cal straightened and held out an arm to Haley. “Are you ready for dinner or do you need to go to your room first?”
Haley wouldn’t mind refreshing her lipstick, but that was silly. Her dad always told her she didn’t have to wear makeup because she was naturally beautiful. She would hope he wasn’t just biased and half-blind. “Sure.” Threading her hand through the crook of his arm she was able to feel those nicely defined biceps in all their glory. Oh, my. Cal must do more than running for exercise.
Taz rushed around to Cal’s other side and latched onto his hand. They kept pace with Taz’s excited steps through the hotel and out into the bright sunshine. Taz chattered on about his video game. Being close to Cal and his musky scent and seeing how excited Taz was made her happier than she’d been in a long time.
“Village Pizzeria is just a few blocks away. Are you okay if we walk?”
“I love to walk.” She wanted to know though, if he had a car on the island and if so, what kind of car was it. It would help paint the picture she’d created in her mind of him. “Do you usually walk everywhere?”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind it.”
“How do you get around when you’re not walking?”
Cal tilted his head and studied her. Taz’s prattling floated around them, but they were too focused on each other to respond. “Somebody wants to get to know me better?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Maybe.”
“I usually drive my Harley on the island.”
“Oh?” Yes, he’d look fabulous on a Harley. She started to imagine riding behind him, wrapping her arms around his abdomen. Blinking away the dream, she knew it would never work. No room for Taz on a motorcycle. “Didn’t see you as a leather and rhinestones kind of guy.”
Cal chuckled loudly at that. Taz thought he was laughing at his story and joined in.
“Wait a minute.” Haley leaned back and checked out his backside. “Why’d you forget your bejeweled-butt pants today?”
Cal laughed harder. “You know, the rhinestones are a good look on me.”
“I bet they are.”
“Your mama is funny,” Cal told Taz.
“Not as funny as me.” Taz went on to tell him a story about when his Uncle Isaac taught him to ski and how he flew down the mountain on his bum and Uncle Isaac couldn’t catch him.
Cal listened intently. Haley savored the sound of their voices, the warm sun on her face, and this quaint little island. They arrived at the Pizzeria and were immediately seated even though it was crowded.
“Are you some kind of celebrity?” Haley asked after they’d ordered drinks, garlic knots, and salad.
“No. Why?” His smile was still in place, but there was something off.
“Everywhere we go people treat you like you’re something special. I mean, not that you aren’t something special, but you know, you get an exceptional amount of preferential treatment.”
He shrugged. “No. I just called ahead so they were expecting us. What kind of pizza do you like, Taz?”
“Pepperoni.”
The waitress returned with their drinks, the garlic bread, and salads that made Haley realize how hungry she was. Cal insisted she order her own pizza. She ordered The Islander and he got The Works. As soon as the waitress was gone, she tasted the salad. Bacon, spinach, candied walnut, eggs, and a sweet poppy seed dressing. “Oh, I love this salad.”
“It’s one of my favorites.” Cal helped Taz tear off one of the knots of bread then unwrapped a straw and put it in Taz’s Sprite.
“Thanks for taking care of him.” Haley had been so busy eating she hadn’t put her boy first. It was nice to have someone else take care of him.
“Wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with that salad.” He winked. “Do you need to be alone?”
Haley wanted to laugh but she’d already put another bite in her mouth. The rest of their food was as delicious as the salad. Haley liked Cal’s pizza that was loaded with meat, red onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers almost as much as hers with Canadian bacon, red onion, pineapple, and peppers. Her stomach felt distended when they stood up to go. “I shouldn’t have eaten so much.”
Cal carried boxes of leftovers. “You can eat it all again tomorrow.”
“I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be thrilled. Right now I don’t want to think about pizza ever again.”
“I’m with you on that one.”
Haley kept sneaking glances at Cal as Taz clung to his hand and talked his ear off on the way back to the hotel from the restaurant and then up the elevator and down the hallway to her room. Cal was listening intently as Taz rattled on about how Blaze was faster than Crusher and Crusher was such a jerk.
Taz warmed up to most people quickly but usually was drawn to beautiful teenage girls. It was the joke in their town how many girlfriends Taz had. He didn’t give many men attention except his grandfather and uncle. It was obvious he was enamored with Cal, not that Haley blamed him.
The Independent One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Page 6