by Kim Alexis
As the limo began to move, Juliette watched intently, hoping against hope that the sleek black vehicle would veer right to drive out the front gate, pull onto the main road, and disappear into the distance. No such luck. Instead, it veered left onto the road that led downhill to the guest rooms. Obviously Raven wasn’t finished here yet. She would be staying at Palm Grotto as an overnight guest.
Kill me now.
CRYSTAL STOOD ON HER landlady’s porch, holding the gifts behind her back and explaining to Mrs. Peterson that she had a little present for her.
“Didn’t you tell me that your husband took you to see The Sound of Music on your first date?”
“Why, yes, he did, dear.”
“Well then, I thought you might enjoy a CD of the soundtrack.” With a flourish, Crystal brought both hands to the front, revealing her gifts.
Mrs. Peterson seemed delighted, if a tad confused. As expected, she did not own a CD player, so Crystal showed her how to use this one. Soon Mrs. Peterson was wearing the headphones, her face aglow as the machine sprang to life and music filled her ears. When the demonstration was finished, the older woman seemed beside herself with joy and gratitude. Face flushing, Crystal waved away the woman’s profuse thanks.
“No, really.” Mrs. Peterson’s eyes filled with sudden tears. “There’s something very special about you, you know. I realized that the first time we met. I’m so glad you took the apartment. Already you’ve been such a blessing to me.”
Before Crystal could respond, Mrs. Peterson pulled her in for a warm hug. Crystal’s eyes filled with tears as well. It wasn’t often that she heard such kind words—especially not from a landlady. As she drove to work, those words kept coming back to her, healing some wounded place deep inside.
JULIETTE GROANED. “THE LIMO turned toward the guestrooms, not the exit.”
“I know. I saw.”
They were quiet for a long moment until Juliette sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “We need to talk to Iliana, ask her what Raven is doing here and what that conversation was about.”
Didi put the car into drive and moved to a closer slot. “Agreed, though I’m thinking maybe I should do it solo. Iliana might be more willing to spill one on one.”
“Guess you’re right. We don’t want her to feel like we’re ganging up on her.”
While Didi went to the office to deal with Iliana alone, Juliette decided she would head over to the spa for her manicure. She’d be a little early, but maybe they could go ahead and take her now anyway.
The women climbed from the vehicle and walked together to the bubbling fountain that sat at the resort entrance, flanked by the main office on the right and the restaurant on the left. There they split off, Didi turning to go into the office and Juliette continuing straight and then coming to a stop at the top of the stone steps that led down to the water. Pausing there, she took in the gorgeous sight of Palm Grotto’s famous mineral pools below. Supplied by a natural hot spring, the liquid in these pools was like none other in the world, rich with lithium and other elements that somehow managed to calm the body and soothe the soul. Staring down at the shimmering turquoise surface, it was easy to picture herself floating there under the desert sky, relaxing in the water’s warm embrace as the minerals worked their wonders on her body.
What an amazing place—and what a beautiful day to be in Cahuilla Springs! The sun was bright, the temperature high, the gentle desert breezes blowing across her skin. Inhaling deeply Juliette continued on to the spa, the door of which was at the far end of the same building that housed the restaurant. The two-story structure was built into a hill, with the spa on the lower floor. She opened the door and stepped inside, pausing for a moment on the landing as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer interior. Engulfed in the scents of sage and lemongrass, she continued down to spa reception at the bottom of the stairs.
The receptionist recognized the supermodel and greeted her with enthusiasm. They chatted as she checked her in for her treatment, and then Juliette continued on to the adjoining waiting room, which was empty at the moment. She chose a seat and perused a stack of magazines, selecting a slick regional publication to get herself into the mind-set of the Southern California desert. As tinkly New Age music played overhead, she flipped through the pages, stopping to read an article about the Cahuilla Indians, from which the town Cahuilla Springs was named. The story featured a photo of what looked at first glance like a big stone pit but was identified as “An Old Cahuilla Indian Well.” According to the article, tribe members managed to sustain themselves in a dry desert where surface water was seldom found by hand digging walk-in wells. They would carve crude steps into the sides of the stone walls, and as the water table lowered, they’d just climb down and dig deeper—so much so that some wells ended up more than thirty feet deep. Fascinating.
Juliette was turning the page when she glanced up and happened to notice the new JT Lady display across from her beside the water cooler. Her face broke into a broad smile. Putting the magazine aside, she stood and walked over to it, excited by how wonderful it looked. The unit was well placed and nicely lit, its striking new color scheme and images quite eye-catching.
She was still standing there admiring it when she heard someone clomping down the stairs from the spa entrance above, then calling out to the receptionist. “Hey, you! Young lady? Yes, you there on the phone. Excuse me but I don’t appreciate being made to wait.”
Raven. The voice belonged to Raven.
And she was right around the corner.
“You must think that call is more important than someone standing here in person, but you’re wrong. I demand service! Now! I have an appointment!”
Juliette held in a groan. Goodness gracious, was this woman going to be there every time she turned around? She tried to decide what to do.
If she had any guts, she would go around the corner and talk to Raven, woman to woman, demanding she explain her threat at the airport. If it had been about the beauty product business, Juliette could bring her into the waiting room and show her the display unit and explain how her company had been supplying this spa and others like it with JT Lady products for years. They could make their peace and go on from there.
Yes. That was the thing to do. She just needed to work up enough nerve to—
“This is utterly unacceptable! I demand to see a manager! Right now!” Raven’s voice was even louder and more shrill than before. Several thunks indicated the pounding of fist against countertop.
Oh, great. Never mind, now that Raven was getting herself all worked up. They would have to reconcile some other time. At the moment, Juliette knew, her wiser course of action was simple avoidance.
Hoping to find somewhere nearby that she could hide until Raven was gone, she moved through the door that led to the treatment rooms, then, halfway down the hall, she ducked into an open doorway on the left. She found herself in a large supply closet. The door was propped open by a heavy silver wastebasket, so she moved to the far end to crouch down and hide among the inventory.
As she listened and waited, Juliette remembered what Didi had said earlier about how a public confrontation with Raven would be unprofessional and reflect poorly on the company. With that in mind, she stayed where she was telling herself she was just being a wise businesswoman.
Yeah, right.
She was being a big chicken.
Chapter Four
EVEN FROM HER HIDING place at the back of the closet, Juliette could hear Raven out front as she continued to berate the receptionist. As the moments passed and it didn’t stop, she began to feel as guilty and convicted as she had at the airport when Raven screamed at the old luggage porter.
Where was management? Shouldn’t they have put a stop to this by now? That poor girl at reception was no match for the redheaded she-beast. Once again Juliette knew she had to intervene.
Rising, she brushed off her pants and stepped forward, pausing at the doorway of the closet to gather her nerve. She was about to
turn right and head to reception when she heard a sound on her left and looked to see a familiar spa aide coming in the back door. A handsome young man with the chiseled features and bulging muscles of an Adonis, his name was Ty, if she remembered correctly, and one of his jobs here at Palm Grotto was to escort the clients to their various treatments.
She wasn’t sure if he’d come to retrieve her or Raven, but judging by the apprehension on his face, it had to be the latter. He looked like he’d been sent to collect a rattlesnake.
Ty came up the hall but paused when the door of a treatment room swung open in front of him. A woman emerged from inside, and Juliette realized it was her favorite esthetician at Palm Grotto. A short, cute brunette with a blunt haircut and youthful features, Brooke Hutchinson was in her late thirties but always looked like she was about sixteen. She specialized in body treatments—wraps and scrubs—and was renowned as one of the best in the business. She was even leading a lecture on skin care during the retreat, as well as their sunrise hikes on Saturday and Sunday.
When Brooke saw Juliette, her face broke into a smile and she gave her a quick wave. Juliette waved back then put a finger to her lips and gestured toward reception. The aesthetician responded with a nod and a knowing smile, then turned to Ty and asked him if there was a problem. “Shouldn’t you be escorting my client to Tamarisk by now?” she whispered.
“Yeah,” he hissed, “but I’m not doing it till she calms down.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Oh good grief, Ty, I’ll get her myself.”
Turning back around, Brooke gave Juliette a wink as she came up the hall moving past her to the waiting room and the reception area beyond. Right into the line of fire. Brave woman. Juliette gave Ty a sympathetic smile, but he just turned away and exited the building.
Brooke’s warm voice rang out from reception. “Raven, welcome back to Palm Grotto!”
Juliette frowned at Brooke’s greeting. Welcome back? So Raven had been here before? Just how long had she been trying to break in on their territory?
“Some welcome,” Raven snapped.
“Are you ready?” Brooke’s tone remained calm, pleasant.
“I’ve been ready.”
“Very well. Follow me and we’ll get started. We’re out in Tamarisk today.”
Quickly Juliette ducked back into the closet and hid, listening as Brooke and Raven moved past the open door. Once they were gone, she waited another thirty seconds or so just to be safe and then stood, startled when she realized she wasn’t alone in there. A young woman was standing at the other end of the closet, her eyes on the shelves as she buttoned the signature lab coat of the spa’s therapists over her blouse. When the girl heard Juliette’s gasp, she turned and gasped as well.
Juliette laughed. “Sorry about that, I didn’t see you there.”
“Me either. I’m sorry too.” After a beat, she added, “Uh, I’m sorry, but clients aren’t allowed in here. May I help you with something?”
Before Juliette could respond, the young woman’s eyes widened.
“Oh! Wait! I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize. You’re Juliette Taylor! Of course you can be in here. This is where we keep the JT Lady stock, after all.”
Juliette glanced at the young woman’s name tag as she moved forward and reached out to shake hands. “Thanks, Crystal. I don’t believe we’ve met.” The young woman was somewhere in her early twenties with green eyes and delicate features. She wore her pale blonde hair in a casual updo, with loose, wispy strands framing her face and giving her an almost ethereal quality.
“I’m new here, just started a few weeks ago. But I’m familiar with your products.” The young woman seemed nervous—starstruck, even—as she continued. “A day spa where I used to work carried the whole JT Lady line. I couldn’t afford to buy it myself, not even with my employee discount, but my boss gave me free samples whenever she could.” The young woman put a hand to her mouth, her cheeks turning a vivid pink. “Oh sorry, that didn’t come out sounding right. The products are totally worth the price, that’s not . . . It’s just . . . I have to watch every penny—”
“I understand. Quality skin care is expensive. Worth it, but expensive.”
Juliette gestured toward the JT Lady products on the shelves and asked Crystal how she liked the new look. The girl responded with enthusiasm, describing the various techniques she used to pitch the products to her clients. Juliette listened, growing more impressed by the minute. This kid was authentic, and she knew her stuff.
Their conversation ended when Ty showed up to retrieve Juliette for her manicure. She bid Crystal farewell for now and followed him down the hall. Soon she was ensconced in a manicure chair, her hands soaking in warm, soapy water as she tried to banish all thoughts of Raven from her mind. The drama was past. It was time to relax and to focus on a little pampering for now—and on the wonderful weekend event that lay ahead—whether she managed to avoid the red-headed she-beast or not.
MARCUS DROVE TOWARD HIS office, maneuvering through heavy afternoon traffic as he reviewed in his mind the difficult conversation he’d just been through. In the end Nate said that while he would prefer Marcus obtain clearance before seeing Juliette Taylor, he wouldn’t try to stop him and he wouldn’t mention it to headquarters—at least, not for now.
“You step out of bounds, though, and it’ll be a different story.”
Marcus appreciated Nate’s willingness to work with him on this. Since the day he’d seen Juliette’s name on that list, he’d been in agony trying to decide what to do. Eventually an idea formed—to put himself in the same place at the same time so that they could become reacquainted and he could find a way to warn her about the danger she was in without crossing any legal or ethical lines. He’d looked into Juliette’s appearance schedule, and when he saw that there were still a few openings for a faith-based retreat she’d be doing at a resort spa in Southern California, he’d decided to go for it.
The retreat was for women only, so to give him a reason for being there, not to mention to increase their chances for interaction, he needed to bring along a female traveling companion—albeit one that wouldn’t confuse the issue and make it look like he was in a relationship. That meant either his daughter or his mother. As it turned out, Zoe’s school trip to DC would keep her away till next Tuesday, so his mom had won by default. Once he’d convinced her to go, made the reservations, and bought their tickets, things had started falling into place. Now that he’d broken the news to Nate, all that was left was to wrap up some stuff at work, confirm with his business partner that he’d be out of town for a few days, and then go home and pack his bags.
He could only pray everything would proceed according to plan.
As an expert in disaster prevention and recovery, Marcus was always ready for every contingency. After all, that was the name of his business: BE PREPARED—an acronym for “Bureau of Education, Prevention, Readiness, Evaluation, Preparation, And Resources for Emergencies and Disasters.” Better than anyone, he knew how to evaluate a situation and take the necessary preemptive steps for damage control.
So why did he feel so unsettled about this particular venture? Perhaps it was the emotional aspect, the one part of the equation he’d been able to ignore until now. Once upon a time he’d been crazy about this woman and had hoped to share a future with her. Their lives took different paths after that first meeting, but now here they were, twenty-five years later, but single. Was he ready to open that door again?
Or had he never closed it in the first place?
When he reached the office, Marcus found his business partner, Dean, out back sitting at the picnic table off the break room with their new bookkeeper, Lacey. No surprise there. Dean had been panting after the young woman since the day she’d come for her first job interview the month before.
When Marcus stepped out to join them, Lacey’s face broke into a broad smile, though Dean’s expression was far less welcoming.
“Am I interrupting anything?” Marcus aske
d.
Dean grunted. “Just taking a coffee break.”
“It’s such a gorgeous spring day, we had to come outside.” Lacey raised a manicured hand to indicate the beauty surrounding them. “How can we get any work done when the beautiful peach trees are blooming out here?”
Marcus looked around, taking in the vivid pink blossoms that dotted the tree line in the distance. She was right. Even at the back of this old Georgia industrial park, the scenery was something.
“Would you like to join us?” Lacey patted the bench next to her. “There’s room right here by me.”
“Thanks, but no time. I just wanted to remind you, Dean, that I’ll be taking off tomorrow and Monday.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Oh, right, for your fancy trip to the spa—which has to be the lamest use of time off I’ve ever heard of.”
“Dean!” Lacey scolded.
“I’m serious. For the life of me, Marcus, I can’t figure out why you would fly all the way to California just to go to a spa. Tell me you’re going for some water sports at Lake Tahoe, that I would understand. Say you’ll be hiking through Yosemite, I could get that. But floating around in a mineral pool—and with your mom, no less? The two of you sitting there in your fancy bathrobes, getting scalp massages and pedicures? That is so not you, man.”
“I think it sounds delicious.” Lacey cooed. “I wish I were going too.”
Dean shook his head. “Man up, buddy. What’s happened to you? Your mom’s a great lady, but what were you thinking? How could you let her talk you into this?”
Actually, unbeknownst to Dean, it had been the opposite: Marcus was the one who’d had to talk his mother into coming. Beverly Stone was not the “pampered” type, and a weekend at a spa had been a real hard sell. But he hadn’t taken no for an answer, and before long she’d acquiesced.
Now, as Lacey babbled on about how wonderful spas were and how sweet it was for a man to go to something like this with his mother, he let their misconceptions stand. Even after six months of serving with a top-secret government task force, he still didn’t find it easy to juggle half-truths and omissions, but what choice did he have, really? Once he’d seen that Juliette’s name had been typed out on a page by a terrorist, he’d known he would do whatever it took to keep her safe from harm.