“No, that won’t do. I demand that they leave this instant,” Dede argued.
Drake gave her a firm look. “I’ll have the bellhop take your things to another suite. If that doesn’t work, you’re free to stay at another hotel.”
Dede rocked back, going into drama queen mode as she threw up her hands. “I’ve never been treated so poorly. This is unacceptable,” she blustered. “Mr. Landers is not going to be happy when he hears about this.”
Drake folded his arms, eyeing her.
Malice flashed in Dede’s eyes. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll stay in another room tonight.” She held up a manicured finger. “But I expect the situation to be rectified first thing tomorrow morning. You got that?”
“We’ll resolve it as soon as we can get in touch with Mr. Landers,” Drake said. “Until such time, Sunny and Ian will remain here.”
“Thank you,” Sunny murmured quietly, looking at Drake. He nodded, a solemn expression on his face. Kudos to Drake for standing up for her when the chips were down. Too bad she couldn’t say the same for Finley. Her heart was encased in a thick circle of ice. Hurt pounded through her, crumbling her insides. Then the anger took hold, giving her the torque she needed to push through the emotion. She’d had the feeling earlier that something bad was going to happen. Lexi accused her of ruining her own happiness because she was too busy waiting for the disaster around the corner. Well, there was a reason why Sunny felt this way. It came from years of conditioning. First her mother left, then she lost her father, Lexi, and now Finley. Tears pressed against her eyes as she swallowed them away. No way was she going to let this horrible woman see her cry.
“Goodnight,” she squeaked, closing the door and locking it.
A few minutes later, she called Finley. Again, it went to voicemail. She kept her message short and to-the-point. “You won’t have to worry about me and Ian anymore.” Her voice caught as she swallowed. “I’m relieving you of any responsibility. Don’t ever come near me again,” she barked as she ended the call, a sob building in her chest.
Ian also started to cry. “What’s wrong?”
She gathered him in her arms and sobbed.
Chapter 12
Finley cut off a section of ribeye and placed it in his mouth. The meat was tender, seasoned to perfection. No one could prepare a steak like Louise, his parents’ personal chef. He looked across the table at his mom and dad. He’d not realized how much he missed them until just now. He glanced around at the spacious dining room. It had always felt cold and hollow to him. Finley would’ve preferred to have eaten at the table in the kitchen, but his mom insisted on having a special dinner for him in here.
“How long are you planning on staying?” Fiona asked, taking a sip of wine.
“Just long enough to go to the meeting.”
Finley braced himself, waiting for her to put him on a guilt trip for being away so long, but she smiled coyly instead. “I’ll be interested in hearing how things go in Park City.”
“What do you mean?” he asked carefully. His mother didn’t know anything about Sunny, did she?
She waved a hand. “You’ll see,” she said evasively, her smile growing larger.
He looked to his dad for an explanation, but Kenton only shrugged. “How was Europe?” He took a large bite of his baked potato.
“Great. Germany was my favorite.” As the conversation turned to Europe and his parents chimed in on their favorite places and foods, Finley’s thoughts went back to Sunny. He was itching to tell his parents about her, but that wouldn’t be wise—not until he could figure out what to do about Nolan Webb. He’d called Percy a couple of times, but it went to voicemail. As soon as Sam returned with a charger, he’d try Percy again and Sunny to see how she was doing.
He forgot to pack his charger and his phone had gone dead. Thankfully, his limousine driver offered to run to the store and pick one up for him. Sam should be returning any minute.
“Did you get the list of Herschel Tolman’s concerns for the meeting tomorrow?” Kenton asked.
“Yes, I went over them on the plane.”
“What’s your take? Can the problems be solved?”
Finley chewed his broccoli and swallowed before answering. “From what I can tell, most of what Herschel’s experiencing is user error. We may need to assign one of our guys to cover just Herschel’s ranches. That way, they’ll have a go-to person to help train and assist on a daily basis.”
“Good idea.”
Fiona placed a hand on Kenton’s arm. “You know my rule. No more business talk at the dinner table,” she warned.
Kenton gave her a placating smile. “You’re right, darling. There’ll be plenty of time to discuss all of this in the morning.”
“Are you sleeping in the guesthouse tonight?” Fiona asked.
“No, I thought I’d go back to my place. It feels like I haven’t been back there in forever.”
“Indeed,” Fiona agreed, accusation ringing in her tone.
Finley smiled picturing his mom’s reaction when she learned that he’d fallen for an amazing woman who felt the same way about him. Sunny possessed all the qualities that were on his mom’s checklist. She was smart, beautiful, accomplished, well-educated, worked for a prestigious design firm. The only thing Sunny wasn’t was high society, more reason for Finley to adore her. Surely his mom would see what a great person Sunny was. Well, even if she didn’t, Finley was forging ahead. Nothing was going to keep him away from Sunny. He was growing fond of Ian too. Finley’s mom always carried on about how she wanted grandchildren. Ian would fit well into the family. He chuckled inwardly. Who was he kidding? His mom would blow her cork when she realized that Ian was part of the deal, but she’d learn to live with it.
Sam stepped into the dining room. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Finley scooted back his chair and stood. “No worries. I appreciate you getting the charger for me. Thanks, man,” he added when Sam placed it in his hand. “I owe you one.” He ripped open the package, fished his phone out of his pocket, and went to the nearest plug.
Fiona sighed. “Is that really necessary?”
“Sorry, I’m expecting some important calls.”
Sam shifted, looking hesitantly at Fiona, then back to Finley. “Uh, do you still need a ride back to your place?”
“That would be great.” Finley looked at his half-eaten plate of food and then at his mom’s frustrated expression. “Do you mind waiting a few minutes?”
“Not at all,” Sam said.
“You should go back to the kitchen. I’m sure Louise will make you a plate,” Finley offered.
“Thanks.” Sam nodded to Kenton and Fiona. “Have a great evening,” he said as he left the room.
“What calls are you expecting?” Fiona asked when he sat back down.
“Mainly work stuff,” Finley answered, then changed the subject. “Hey, Dad. How’s the restoration on your Camaro coming?” Most people would be surprised to learn that Kenton Landers, the business tycoon who lived in a suit in public, was a big car buff. Not only that, but Kenton enjoyed doing the work himself. He and Finley had restored several cars together over the years.
“Really well. I ordered a new stereo that should be arriving in the next couple of days.”
“Did you get the electrical sorted out?” There was a short in the system that caused the previous radio to cut out.
“Yep, after much trial and error. The wiring harness was fried. I had to replace it.”
“What color did you decide to have it painted?”
“Candy-apple red.” Kenton’s eyes sparkled underneath his glasses as he slid his arm around Fiona’s shoulders. “I’m hoping when everything’s finished, I can persuade this little lady to take a ride with me down to the coast.”
Fiona laughed. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.” She gave Kenton an adoring look.
Finley had always been grateful that his parents were close. That’s what he’d always hoped to find—a soulmate. He
grinned, thinking of Sunny. She’d looked so darn cute in her t-shirt and shorts this morning, her hair a mess, not a stitch of makeup on. He wondered what she and Ian were doing this very minute. The longing to talk to her was nearly overwhelming.
“What’re you smiling about?” Fiona asked playfully.
Finley picked up his fork. “Just thinking that I’d better eat this delicious food before it gets cold. It’s not every day a man gets to eat Louise’s cooking.”
“Uh, huh,” she drawled, the look on her face making it crystal clear that she knew he wasn’t telling her everything.
* * *
As soon as Finley got into the limousine headed back to his house, he called Sunny. He swallowed his disappointment when she didn’t answer. Next, he checked his voicemail. Sunny’s first message asked him to call her. Her voice was off—strained. His pulse increased. Was everything okay? When he checked the next message from her, his blood ran cold. He swallowed hard, a clammy sweat breaking over his brow. How could she just dismiss him from her life like that? Everything had been fine this morning. Sunny had sounded normal when he talked to her just after he landed in Dallas. What had changed between now and then?
He tried calling her again. No answer. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” he said when he got her voicemail. “Call me back.” He tightened his hold on his phone with one hand and rubbed his sweaty palm against his jeans. None of this was making sense. He tried Sunny a few more times. When she didn’t answer, he called the hotel.
“This is Finley Landers,” he said tersely when the lady at the front desk answered. “I need to speak to Drake.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Landers, but Drake has already left for the day. May I take a message for him?”
“No,” he clipped. “I’ll try him on his cell.” He thought of another idea. “Can you put me through to the penthouse suite?”
“Sure. Which one? The one where Miss Day’s staying or the one Miss Chambers is in?”
“Well, obviously the one where Miss Day is staying,” he fired back. Why would the girl ask if he wanted to speak to someone else?
“Sure thing,” she said quickly, transferring him. The line rang several times, but no one answered. He ended the call and dialed Drake’s number.
Drake answered on the first ring. “Mr. Landers, I’ve been trying to reach you,” he said breathlessly.
“What’s going on?”
“I wasn’t sure what do about your lady friend, so I put her in the other penthouse.”
Finley’s gut tightened. “What’re you talking about?”
“The lady you called me about, Dede Chambers, arrived at the hotel today looking for you. She and Sunny had words.”
“What?” Finley coughed, getting choked on his saliva. “Are you referring to Dede Chambers, the blonde from Dallas?”
“Of course. Evidently, Miss Chambers wasn’t expecting to find Sunny in your penthouse.” He paused. “Or vice versa. Forgive me for saying so, sir. But it caused a sticky situation.”
Something Drake said registered. “Wait a minute. Did you say I called you about Dede Chambers?”
“Yes.”
Finley’s mind scrambled to keep up. “I never called you about Dede.”
Drake cleared his throat. “Begging your pardon, but you called earlier today and said Dede Chambers would be staying a few days.”
Fire cut through Finley’s head making him feel like it would split in two. “No, I did not,” he yelled. Sam glanced back at him in the rearview mirror, but Finley ignored him. “Why are you saying this?”
“Someone called today identifying himself as Mr. Landers. I just assumed it was you.”
Finley balled his fist, swearing under his breath. “No wonder Sunny left me that message,” he muttered. “She thinks I’m throwing her under the bus. That I’m a lousy cheat.”
“I’m sorry? I didn’t catch that,” Drake said.
Who had called, pretending to be him? And why would Dede presume she could show up unannounced? She’d left him a few messages while he was in Europe, but he hadn’t returned any of her calls. The answer came to him like a punch in the gut as an image of his mom flashed through his mind. She’d given him that coy smile and made evasive remarks. His mom was behind this. He was sure of it! He rubbed his hand across his forehead, trying to think. “I need you to talk to Sunny, tell her this is all a big mistake.”
“Sure, I’ll be glad to do that … first thing in the morning.”
“No,” Finley exploded. “I need you to go now.”
Long pause. “Mr. Landers, I’m not trying to tell you how to run your affairs, but Sunny was very upset about all of this. It’s probably best if you give her some time to cool off. I’ll be at the hotel by six a.m. and will go to her room first thing. You have my word.”
Finley let out a long breath. “All right. We’ll go with that. Thanks.” He was about to end the call when he realized Drake was still talking.
“Mr. Landers?”
“Yes?”
“For what it’s worth. I’m glad this is all a big misunderstanding.” He cleared his throat. “Sunny’s a good person. I’m glad you’re doing right by her.”
“Of course. Goodnight, Drake.”
“Goodnight, sir.”
Next, Finley called his mom.
“Hey, honey,” Fiona said. “Did you forget something?”
Finley’s blood was pumping like lightning through his veins sending his mind spinning like a planet kicked out of its orbit. He clenched his fist wanting to punch something. “Did you send Dede Chambers to the hotel in Park City?”
She let out a shaky laugh. “What do you mean?”
The innocence in her voice sent his anger rising to new heights. “Mom! Tell me the truth!”
Silence.
“Mom!” he barked.
“Yes, I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
He swore, punching the seat.
“Watch your language,” she warned.
A hard laugh rumbled in Finley’s throat. “Do you have any idea the trouble your little stunt has caused me?”
“Dede’s a nice girl. If you’ll just step outside of yourself long enough you’d realize—”
“Enough!”
The outburst shocked Fiona into silence.
“Who called the hotel pretending to be me?” His voice rose. “Was it dad?” Surely, his dad wasn’t involved in this.
He glanced at Sam, caught his sheepish expression in the review mirror. Disgust rattled through his gut. “It was Sam, wasn’t it?”
Sam winced. “Sorry, Finley. Your mom said it was for your own good.” He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “She was worried about you spending so much time alone.”
“Don’t blame, Sam,” Fiona said. “I asked him to do it.”
Finley gritted his teeth. “I’m well aware on whose shoulders the blame falls. You had no right to interfere in my life that way.”
He heard a sniffle, realized his mom was crying. “I just,” her voice broke, “I just wish you’d give Dede a chance. She’s crazy about you.”
“Don’t pull the crying card.” He rolled his eyes. “It won’t work this time. You’ve gone too far.”
“You need a good woman by your side. If you could only find what your dad and I have together.”
“I have found it!” he yelled.
The only sound was her sudden intake of breath. “W-what?” she rattled.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Or at least, I had found it. That is, until you wrecked everything.”
“I—I don’t understand.”
“I found a great woman … amazing enough to impress even you. I’m crazy about her. She’s everything I could ever want and a thousand times more. She’s staying at the penthouse suite. You can imagine Sunny’s surprise when Dede showed up, claiming that I’d asked her to meet me.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to mess everything up. I just wanted to help.”
“
Like you helped at the club?” He laughed humorlessly. “Do me a favor. Stay out of my business.”
“I’m so sorry. What can I do to fix this?”
“Let me handle it.”
“But—”
“I’ve gotta go, Mom,” he said, ending the call. A second later, his phone buzzed again. It was his mom. He hit the side button to silence it. He looked unseeingly out the window, trying to decide what to do. It only took a few seconds for him to reach a decision. He punched in another number.
His pilot answered. “Hey, Finley, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to get my plane ready. I’m going back to Park City tonight.”
Silence.
“Lance, did you hear what I just said?”
“I heard you, but that’s not possible.”
Bricks settled in Finley’s stomach. “Why not?”
“When we landed in Dallas, the mechanic was doing a routine maintenance check and realized one of the sensors isn’t working properly. He ordered the part. It’ll come in first thing in the morning. Once it’s replaced, we’ll be good to go.”
“Can we fly without the sensor?”
“Unfortunately, no. Not at night.”
This just kept getting better and better. The feeling of urgency that overtook Finley caused his stomach to roil. Somehow, in a way he didn’t fully understand, he knew that he had to get to Sunny quickly. “Call around and find me a plane. I don’t care what it costs.”
“Okey dokey, but it might take a few hours.”
“You’ve got an hour,” Finley snapped. “If you can’t find something, I’ll go to the airport and take the first available commercial flight.”
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
Sam looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Am I taking you to the regular airport or the private airfield?”
Not only was Sam his driver but a longtime friend. He glared at Sam’s reflection. “I can’t believe you were involved in this.” The sting of betrayal was acid in his mouth.
“I’m sorry, man. I meant no harm. In your mom’s defense, she was only trying to help. A beautiful woman shows up unannounced at your penthouse. I figured you’d be thanking me, know what I mean?” He let out a string of throaty chuckles.
The Jilted Billionaire Groom Page 12