Killer Romances
Page 43
“Well, yes, but I was kind of waiting on you to name the B&B. The two should fit, after all.”
“What do you think of ‘The Cliffs’ for the B&B and ‘Cliffhangers’ for the restaurant? Or is that too obvious?”
“I love it, obvious or not. It fits the view perfectly. We could call the event business ‘Cliffside’ or something like that, to help with branding.”
“Do you really think people will want to get married here?” Chelsea worried her lower lip with her teeth. “Have you considered that, in addition to the food, we’ll need a local florist, linens supplier and photographer, just to name a few? I’d planned on buying linens for the B&B and doing the laundry myself. But the event business will need much more of a variety, depending on the theme of the party.”
“As a matter of fact,” Sharon flipped the page on the legal pad, “I’ve already considered it. The restaurant where I work now uses suppliers in Monroe. It’s only about forty minutes away, so it’s doable for us to use them as well. Not as good as if we had a local vendor, but who knows, maybe Starsdale will have its own suppliers before it’s said and done.”
“Who knows? It would save money in the long run if we owned our own supplies like glassware, china and utensils. If the cost of the build is reasonable, we could start out with our own stuff.”
“That reminds me, we should make sure that John includes a separate storage room for event supplies. We’ll have tables and chairs, in addition to decorative accessories. Storage will be key.”
“Good point,” Chelsea jotted down a reminder, then glanced over at her ringing phone. “Crap. I wish he would just leave me alone already,” she grumbled.
“Who? Preston? Is he still calling you?” Sharon frowned, knowing that Chelsea wanted nothing more to do with the jerk that had shattered her heart.
“Who else? I really should block his number, if I could only figure out how. You’d think he’d take the hint. I haven’t spoken to him since he sent the messenger for his ring. He never even called when mom died. I can’t imagine what he wants now. We have nothing left to say.”
“I can tell you exactly what he wants, your inheritance.” Sharon pushed her lunch plate away. “I hate to say it Chels, I know you loved him, but the man is a parasite. Anyone who would dump you just as your mother is dying isn’t worth two cents.”
“I know it. The funny thing is that I can forgive him for walking away, not everyone can be supportive during a terminal illness, it’s damned hard. I can even forgive him for the way he became a different person, virtually overnight. Really, I know I dodged a bullet in the long run. The one thing I’ll never be able to forgive him for is the pain he caused my mom, just when she didn’t need anything else to worry over.”
“Your mom? Did she really like him or something?”
“Yes, she did. He had us both fooled into thinking he was a good guy. But that’s not what I mean. At first, when I was caring for her, I could pretend that Preston and I were still together. When we knew that her cancer was terminal, the one thing she said that gave her peace was knowing that I wouldn’t be alone. I convinced her that Preston was out of town on business or that he was swamped at work whenever she asked why he didn’t come around. I just couldn’t take that peace away from her, you know?”
“I get it. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you.” Sharon covered Chelsea’s hand with hers. “Losing your mom is hard enough, but to have to pretend that everything is good with you and Preston when he had turned into Mr. Hyde had to be nearly impossible. Wait a sec, which one was the monster, Jekyll or Hyde?”
“No idea, but I get your point,” Chelsea smiled. “Anyway, shortly after he sent for the ring, he had all my stuff packed up into one of those pod things and delivered to my mom’s driveway. I couldn’t exactly hide the truth after that. He made it impossible for me to let my mother die in peace; she worried about me, right up until the end.” Tears filled Chelsea’s eyes as she recalled her mom telling the empty room that she couldn’t leave, that Chelsea needed her. She’d often wondered how long her mom had endured unthinkable pain, just holding on for her. Remembering it broke her heart.
“Asshole seems too mild a word, but I’ll use it anyway. What an asshole. The fact that he kept your new furniture adds icing on the cake, and makes my point about why he’s calling you now. He’s after whatever else he can get.”
“I’d almost forgotten about the furniture,” Chelsea cringed. “But yeah, it fits. I could sure use the twenty grand I spent furnishing our new home right about now, but c’est la vie. If he can live with it, I can live without it. Besides, none of that stuff will work with the B&B.”
“But you’re still a lawyer, why not sue him, get some money from it. That man owes you and he’s loaded. I for one would like to see him suffer.”
“It’s just not worth it. I’d much rather dedicate my time and efforts to the Cliff projects. Speaking of which, I should really try to lock down that name, though it will surprise me if it’s not already taken. I may have to go with ‘The Cliffs of Starsdale’ or something like that. Same for the other two.” Chelsea pushed thoughts of Preston and her mother’s death away as she made more notes. Focusing on her new life was the best way she had found to tolerate losing her mom, but the pain was never far from the surface.
“I still can’t believe that you walked away from your career. That took a lot of guts, Chels.”
“Not really. I left when Mom became ill, and had no desire to go back. I may change my mind one day, set up shop in Starsdale,” she smiled. “In the meantime, just think of how much money you’ll save on legal fees, setting up our partnership and the new businesses.”
“Hey, I’m all for that.” Sharon smiled back. “Once the good folks of Starsdale know you’re an attorney, I’m sure you’ll be in business, whether you want to or not, just maybe not the paying kind. People do love getting free advice from a lawyer.”
Chelsea laughed. “Well, the judge already knows. He helped me close on the B&B. I’ve been a little surprised that no one else has mentioned it.”
“Contrary to popular opinion, the judge knows how to keep a secret. He probably sees no reason to mention it, as you’re not practicing.”
“Whatever the reason, I appreciate his discretion. I’d just as soon not spill my life’s story to one and all. If living here for the past two months has taught me anything, it’s that there’s no such thing as privacy in a small town.”
~~~
Mac counted on that very small town grapevine as he drove down to the diner to pick up lunch. His dad looked more tired than Mac had seen him, ever, so it had been easy to convince him to stay put at the site, while Mac made the trip.
“He’s too old for this.” Mac muttered, knowing it wasn’t true, but preferring ignorance to thinking something was wrong with his father. “What the hell kind of hold does that witch have on him?”
Granted, the project was intriguing, and Chelsea what’s her name was a real beauty, but were those things enough to make his dad risk his health?
Fuming all the way down the mountain, his mood had not improved when the phone rang. With a tap of the button, Jeannie’s voice filled the car.
“Hey boss, do you have a minute?”
“Just that. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, at the moment. Something’s actually going right for a change. Apparently Striker pulled a few strings at City Hall and his project suddenly got the green light. We’ve got the go ahead to break ground in two days.” Thinking Mac would be thrilled, she was more than a little surprised to hear his bark.
“Dammit, dammit, dammit. Did you tell them we’d do it?”
“Um, of course I did. We’re obligated, Mac, you know this.”
“I know it, it’s just that I need to be here for a while. My dad needs me.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Jeannie suddenly sounded concerned. She genuinely liked John Mills.
“He’s good, he’s just taken on a projec
t that he should have turned down. He asked me to give him a hand, and I need to do it.” Mac paused, thinking of his options as he turned into the parking lot behind the diner. “Tell Peterson to take charge of Striker. Everything he needs is in the file, but he can call me here for anything that comes up.”
“Okay, but Striker won’t like it. You know how he always insists on number one, meaning you.”
“I’ll smooth things over with Striker, you just get Peterson up to speed. Anything else?”
“Nope, that’s it. Good luck with your dad.”
“Thanks, Jeannie.” Mac disconnected, eyeing the run-down façade of the only diner in town. He didn’t remember it looking so shabby the last time he was here, but then again, he’d noticed very little during that time. Losing his mother was an unexpected knife to the heart. Both he and John had walked around in a daze for weeks afterward.
“At least the food’s good, no matter what the place looks like,” he said aloud.
Walking around to the front, he noticed that the rest of the town looked as shabby as the diner. Was it too much for these people to throw on a coat of paint once in a while? Suddenly viewing the town he grew up in with the eye of an accomplished architect, he realized how much the entire street was in need of a facelift. More than that, really, some of the buildings needed major reconstruction.
Forgetting all of that as he opened the door to the intoxicating aroma of Lila’s chili, he grinned as the familiar sights and sounds greeted him.
“Well knock me sideways, is that Macintyre Mills coming through my door?” Lila called out, hands on her hips as she stood behind the counter.
Every face in the place turned towards him. A chorus of “Hey, Mac,” and “Welcome home, Mac” rang throughout the room.
“One in the same,” he answered Lila, then sent a smile and a wave to everyone else. “How’re you doing, Miss Lila?”
“Couldn’t be better, Mac, couldn’t be better. We heard you were coming home. Glad to see that you made it.”
“It’s nice to be back, especially if I get to eat your good cooking. Is that chili I smell?”
“You always were a charmer. Yes sir, that’s my famous five-alarm blend. Fancy a bowl?”
“Make it two, to go. And two cheeseburgers, on the side.” Mac grinned as she shook her head, waited for her to place the order.
“Looks like you’re still doing a good business,” Mac observed when he had her full attention once more.
“Folks gotta eat,” Lila responded. “How are things in Sacramento? You found anyone to settle down with yet?”
“I’m too young for that, Lila. Besides, I’m waiting on you to be free. Haven’t met anyone yet who could hold a candle to you in the kitchen.”
“Go on with you, silly boy,” Lila tossed her dishrag, but couldn’t hide the blush. “I asked, but I knew you were still playing the field. We get the papers here too, you know. You’ve been one busy fellow, out dining and dancing with all those fancy women.”
“Don’t believe everything you read,” Mac’s grin disappeared into a scowl. “I’m too busy to pay too much attention to those women, but a guy’s gotta eat after all.” His grin reappeared when he threw her words back to her.
“Shame on you,” Lila laughed. “You may be busy, but you’re not getting any younger. Don’t you think it’s time you gave your dad a grandbaby or three?”
“Bite your tongue,” Mac laughed, grateful for the opening Lila had just handed him. “Besides, Dad’s too busy with his new client to think about grandchildren.”
“I doubt that, but he is happier than I’ve seen him in a while.” Lila stopped short of mentioning Mac’s mom. “Having something to focus on is good for him.”
“Maybe, just as long as he’s not taking on too much.” Mac paused before bringing up Chelsea. “I met the client this morning, Chelsea. She’s new in town, right? What do you know about her?”
“Not a lot, but she seems like good people. She went to college with Sharon Simmons, came to visit a couple months back. She must’ve liked what she saw, ‘cause she bought the old Thompson place before you could say lickety split.” Lila took a breath, shaking her head. “We all thought she’d lost her mind, talking about turning it into a B&B. Why, the whole place is practically falling down the mountain. I don’t mind telling you, she had a hard time finding anybody to work with her, till John took an interest.”
Mac’s ears perked up. “Really, why is that?”
“Every contractor she talked with wanted to tear the place down, start from scratch. It makes the most sense, when you think about it. But no, she wanted it restored and nothing else would suit. Apparently, your daddy agrees. I couldn’t believe it when he said he would help.”
“How did she find out about dad? He’s been retired for years now.”
“She didn’t. He heard she was having trouble, so he called her. He was sitting right there when he made the call, but none of us believed he would actually go through with it. But he did. And darned if the possibility of a B&B hasn’t made a few of us sit up and take notice. Why, Janie, you remember Janie, the librarian?”
Mac nodded.
“Well Janie and I are talking about opening a gift shop, right here on Main Street. We may as well give Chelsea’s guests something else to spend money on,” she laughed. “Why, some of the folks around here will jump at the chance to sell their goods. We’ve got painters, quilters, metal crafts; you name it, we’ve got it. Even old Mrs. Hannon is talking about selling her jams and pickles. That young Chelsea has started something, let me tell you.”
Lila was obviously a fan, but she wasn’t telling Mac what he wanted to know.
“That’s nice. I’m sure the gift shop will be a big success. Back to Chelsea, doesn’t she seem young to be opening a B&B all by herself? Or is she married?”
Lila smiled like a Cheshire cat. “As a matter of fact, she’s single. She’s a pretty thing, too, don’t you think?” Leaning on the counter, her eyes sparkling, Lila was already planning a wedding.
“No, I mean, yes, she’s attractive enough. But I’m not interested, so you can wipe those plans right out of your mind.” Mac mentally kicked himself for making such a blunder. By nightfall, half the town would have him and Chelsea married off. He did learn something from Lila’s response; Chelsea and his dad were keeping their relationship a secret. It was the first glimmer of hope Mac had found since stumbling onto that kiss earlier. It wasn’t like his dad to hide things. If he was hiding Chelsea, then he must know it was crazy. That would make it easier for Mac to convince him to drop her.
“You could do a lot worse, Macintyre Mills. She’s sweet, polite and apparently she knows a good thing when she sees it. Your dad wouldn’t get involved with her B&B if he didn’t agree.”
“You’ve got a point.” Mac acquiesced, grateful that the town’s biggest gossip was unaware of the real reason his dad was involved. Still, the project was sound and could be good for everyone in Starsdale. There was no reason to squash the project, just the relationship.
“Order up.” Henry called out from the kitchen as he rang the bell. “Well hello there, Mac.” Henry spotted him through the pass-through window. “Good to see you back here.”
“Hiya, Henry, thanks, it’s good to be back. Chili sure smells good today.”
“Thanks, I added an extra kick to this batch. Lila, you might want to throw in a couple extra waters for our friend.” Henry winked and disappeared into the kitchen.
“He’s been tweaking my recipe ever since I bested him at last year’s cook-off.” Lila chuckled as she bagged the order. “But he’s right, you’ll need something extra to put out the fire.”
“I look forward to it, thanks, Lila.”
“Tell John to bring you in for dinner while you’re here. Chelsea might like to come, too.” The twinkle in her eye was unmistakable.
Mac cringed, but kept the grin plastered on his face. “Behave yourself, Miss Lila.”
“Macintyre Mi
lls, what fun would that be?”
Chapter Nine
“By reducing the size of each bedroom and relocating the upstairs laundry room downstairs, we can give you eight guest rooms, all en-suite. We’ll install a laundry chute adjacent to the new dumbwaiter, so you can still transport the laundry up and down with little trouble. What do you think?” John presented the revised plans to Chelsea while Mac met with the county engineer.
“I like it, in theory, but how much smaller are the bedrooms?” Chelsea frowned, wanting her guests to feel at home, not cramped in dorm-size rooms.
“We only reduced each of the bedrooms by two-square-feet, at most. Moving the laundry room gave us the majority of the space we needed. It was Mac’s idea. Even though the chute is next to the dumb waiter upstairs, we’ve routed it to feed directly into the laundry room.”
“The laundry room looks much bigger than before, so does my living space. Am I reading this right?” Chelsea leaned closer to the plans.
“Yes, that’s right. With eight guest bedrooms, you’ll need at least two industrial sized washers and dryers, plus storage for the linens and a folding station. To round out the angles, we gave you a small sitting room between your bedroom and the sunroom.”
Chelsea had tears in her eyes when she looked up at John.
“I love it, John. Thank you. I still can’t believe that you’re able to do all of this on the budget you gave me.”
Moved by her tears more than he wanted to admit, John patted her shoulder awkwardly. “I’d best wait to show you the changes we made to the kitchen. Wouldn’t want to get the plans wet,” he smiled.
“No, we wouldn’t want that,” Chelsea laughed, blinking the tears away. “But let’s risk it.”
As John pointed out the improvements Mac had suggested, Chelsea was amazed.
“And all of this will run off of the solar panels? Even the heating system and the hot water? What if the sun doesn’t come out for a week, will everything still work?”
John laughed and nodded. “I asked the same question. Solar energy options have improved greatly since I left the business, but Mac assures me that it could rain for a month straight, and you’d still have power. To answer your other question, everything in the kitchen operates on the solar panel system but for the gas stove. You’ll have an underground propane tank to fuel the Viking here and in the event kitchen. We’ll run lines to each of the fireplaces in the house as well, even the existing wood burning ones.”