Killer Romances
Page 48
“It was nice,” Mac jerked back to the present. “Who was that guy who showed up earlier? You didn’t seem too happy to see him.”
“Nobody.” Chelsea answered, dropping her eyes. “Is John still down at the restaurant site?”
“Yes, but he’s leaving soon. Did you need something?” Mac decided to drop the subject of Chelsea’s visitor. There was more than one way to gather information in this town.
“Not really. I was wondering when he thought the exterior of the B&B would be complete. I’d like an idea of when I can begin planting.”
“The painters will be done in two days, if it takes that long.” Mac strode by her to check on the progress inside the house.
“I meant what I said earlier about John,” Chelsea stopped him. “I’m worried, you need to keep an eye on him too.”
Biting back a sharp retort, Mac reminded himself that she was the client.
“He’s fine, but I’ll watch him, just in case.” Looking at her coolly, he crossed his arms. “Is there anything else?”
“No.” Chelsea turned her back to him, heading for her car. She kept her temper in check, but barely. She’d had enough of overbearing men today, first Preston and now Mac. Scratch that, always Mac. Sometime soon, she would have to find out what made him hate her so much. Thanks to Preston’s unexpected visit, she’d reached her quota for exasperation already today. Mac and his attitude would have to wait.
Driving past the restaurant, she saw John standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down. He held onto his back, the same way she’d noticed him doing several times before. Every instinct she had told her that something was not right with him. For now, she would give Mac the benefit of believing that he would watch out for his father.
Deliberately putting all three men out of her mind, she went over a mental checklist of the furniture that she still needed to order. John’s supplier had come through in a big way, offering a deep discount for everything from beds to curio cabinets. Most of the room designs were complete, at least in theory, but she still needed a mirror for behind the reception desk and two chairs to flank the fireplace in the parlor.
John had also been right about purchasing reproduction pieces, rather than the antiques she had dreamed of having. The reproductions fit so much better into her budget while keeping with the authentic feel of the home. He’d pointed out that she could always replace the pieces with originals, as her finances allowed. Ordering reproductions also saved a lot of time and searching, enabling her to be ready to open sooner than she’d dared to hope.
John had been instrumental in so many aspects of pulling the project together that she wondered what she ever would have done without him. It almost seemed as if he was as invested as she; that he wanted the place to be opened in record time.
Too bad his son doesn’t have the same accommodating spirit as John, Chelsea thought as she passed by the Sunset Lodge. Preston’s black Mercedes seemed out of place in the parking lot, alongside two battered pick-ups and an old sedan.
“Dammit, he’s really staying here,” Chelsea cursed and pressed the gas pedal harder, shooting past the building. “What the hell does he want?”
Skipping the diner, in case Preston showed up there, Chelsea drove straight to Sharon’s house, grateful that her friend was not at home. She needed time to think, time to calm down from the morning’s encounter and come up with a reasonable way to deal with Preston.
For the thousandth time since she passed, she wished her mom were here. She always had a way of cutting to the heart of any problem.
“I could sure use some advice about now, Mom,” Chelsea spoke aloud to the empty car. “I’ve no intention of giving Preston a second chance, but what if ignoring him doesn’t make him go away? I also don’t want my past to find its way into the present. This is a small town and I’d rather not share my history with everyone here.”
The vase of cut flowers sitting squarely in the center of the front door caught her attention as she pulled into the drive. There was no doubt in her mind about who had left them.
“Maybe I should just call him, invite him over and have it out, once and for all,” Chelsea sighed and shoved the car into park. “If I listen to what he has to say, then calmly explain that he’s wasting his time, maybe he’ll leave.”
Grabbing the vase on her way in the house, Chelsea gritted her teeth in determination. There was no reason not to speak with him, no reason not to invite him over. One conversation and it could all be done, finally. No more phone calls, no more flowers and no more Preston.
Cheered at the prospect, Chelsea dug in her purse for the phone.
~~~
Preston scowled at the computer screen, cursing silently at his depleted bank balance. He’d have to do something soon to maintain his lifestyle. At the moment, Chelsea’s money was his only hope of keeping up appearances while searching for a more suitable source of income.
He’d already decided to spend time in Palm Springs; wealthy women in need of chaperones were in abundance there. With his looks and background, it would be simple to find a willing mark for his next fortune.
Momentarily disgusted with the need for such an endeavor, Preston cursed the stock broker who had managed his portfolio into the ground, no matter that it was Preston himself who decided to take big risks in hopes of bigger returns. Another sign of the insanity taking root in his brain, Preston had no memory of demanding that the broker follow his instructions to invest everything in a longshot. Preston only knew that most of the money was gone and believed that it was through no fault of his.
“That’s over now, no reason to focus on the past. As long as Chelsea thinks I’m still flush, she’ll have no reason to distrust my motives.” Confident that he could win her back, Preston searched local property records to find the value of Chelsea’s recent purchase. With any luck, he could finagle his way into gaining access to her bank account quickly and alleviate his unfortunate circumstances. The big payoff would come after she died, but he retained enough of his senses to know that he had to execute that part of the plan very carefully. The key was regaining Chelsea’s trust.
“I need to get her alone, remind her of what we had, convince her that we could have it again.” Standing in the depressingly small room, he stared out of the window, considering his options. His tactics thus far were not working; he would have to revise his strategy. Chelsea had never been a pushover, but he’d hoped that she would be vulnerable enough to accept him back into her life with minimal effort on his part.
Recognizing the flaw in his plan, Preston reformulated his approach. Remembering the fury on her face this morning, it was apparent that she had not yet forgiven him for breaking up with her.
“Perhaps I can diffuse her anger with an apology, tell her how wrong I was and how much I miss her. She’s not a fool, but she does have a soft heart, I can use that to my advantage.” Preston smiled and stroked his chin. “The trick is to make her think that I’m devastated without her. Beg her for a second chance.” Preston’s smile grew wider, then faltered. “But how do I get her alone?” Sharon had never liked him, so it was possible that she would see right through his façade. No, for this to work he would have to speak to Chelsea one on one.
The trill of the phone interrupted his scheming. Glancing down at the caller, his smile blossomed once more.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank you for inviting me over,” Preston’s expression was the perfect combination of remorse and longing.
“You’re welcome,” Chelsea hid her surprise at the change in his demeanor. “Apparently, we need to clear up a few things.” She led the way to the living room, Hershey trotting amiably at her side.
“That’s a beautiful puppy, is he yours?” Preston attempted to ingratiate himself through the dog.
“No, Hershey belongs to Sharon, but I love him like he’s mine.” Chelsea scratched the Great Dane’s head as she sat. “Please sit,” she indicated the chair across from the sofa.
&
nbsp; “Thank you.” Preston complied, still appearing contrite and a bit sad. “I agree that we need to clarify a few things. I’d like to start, if that’s okay with you.” Looking straight into Chelsea’s eyes, Preston leaned forward, the picture of sincerity.
“Certainly.” Chelsea leaned back, subconsciously putting more space between them. Hershey jumped up on the sofa to lie across her lap.
“I can see that you’re angry with me and I know that you have every right to feel that way. My behavior last year was appalling. It would serve me right if you never spoke to me again.” Preston stopped to take a breath, lowering his eyes in apparent shame. “It’s a gift, your letting me explain myself now, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.” Tears glistened in eyes that once again rose to meet hers.
“That’s all well and good, Preston, but I have to say, I don’t believe there is an acceptable explanation for your behavior. My mother was dying. Rather than support me through it, as my fiancé, you chose to break our engagement by sending a messenger for the ring. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, you moved me out of our home without a word. What kind of man does that?”
“A stupid one,” Preston answered without hesitation. “I know my behavior must seem callous, but I was trying to make things easier for you.”
Chelsea’s harsh laugh interrupted his speech.
“Easier? In what universe is dumping me, without any warning or explanation, while I’m dealing with my dying mother considered making things easier? I needed you, Preston. I loved you, though for the life of me I don’t understand why now. I should be thanking you for showing me who you really are before I married you. It’s much less messy this way.”
“You’ve every right to think that, Chels, but please hear me out. I was confused, even before your mother became ill. I guess you could call it cold feet, but I was questioning whether or not we could go the distance. I see now that it was only pre-wedding jitters and I overreacted. At the time, I truly thought I was doing the right thing, breaking it off clean while you were attending to your mom. If I talked to you, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to end it, so I used the messenger. As far as sending your belongings goes, I believed that it was easier for you that way; you didn’t have to come back and pack things up yourself. I also didn’t have to see you again, which, on some level, I knew would break my resolve to end things.” Preston noted the frown lines on Chelsea’s forehead and secretly cheered; it was working, he was getting through to her.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were having second thoughts? We could have talked about it.” Chelsea asked.
“I was going to, but your mom became ill and you left. I took it as a sign that we weren’t meant to be.” Preston shook his head and managed to let a few tears spill from his eyes. “I was so wrong, Chelsea, so completely and utterly wrong. I never stopped loving you, but I didn’t have the guts to try and win you back, not after I behaved so terribly at such an awful time in your life. Could you ever forgive me?”
“Why now? What’s different now, that you think you can come here and pick up where we left off?”
“I’ve tried to live without you, but I know now that it’s impossible. I need you in my life, baby, please don’t let my mistakes keep us from having the future we were meant to have.” Preston read the confusion in her eyes and moved to sit beside her.
Hershey gave a low growl as he sat down, something Chelsea had never heard him do before.
“I think you should stay over there,” she indicated the chair Preston had left. Hershey doesn’t know you yet.”
Preston caught the ‘yet’ and smothered a smile. She was softening towards him.
“Okay, I’ll respect his space, and yours, for as long as you need. All I ask is that you give me a chance to make things right, a chance to show you how much I love you and how sorry I am that I didn’t help you through that most difficult time in your life. Please, Chelsea, let me make it up to you,” Preston pleaded with her.
Chelsea stroked Hershey as she looked at Preston through narrowed eyes. He seemed sincere, but how could she believe one word that came out of his mouth? Any man who would have such little disregard for her feelings didn’t deserve a second chance, or did he? His explanation made a weird kind of sense, even if she would never treat anyone the way Preston had, she could understand him being confused and taking the easy way out. Could she forgive him? She had loved him enough to want to marry him. Part of her heart melted a little as he sat before her, crying.
“I don’t know that you can,” Chelsea spoke softly. “I don’t trust you and I’m not sure that I ever will again.”
Preston dropped his head, as if in defeat. After several seconds, he looked at her again.
“If there’s a chance, no matter how slight, that you can forgive me, please let me show you how much I care. I can stay here for as long as it takes; help you with the B&B, or whatever you need. Just let me try, Chelsea, please.”
“I can’t stop you from staying in town, Preston, but I’m not interested in any type of a relationship with you. I don’t need any help with the B&B and, quite frankly, if I did you’d be the last person that I would ask.” Chelsea watched his face fall and felt sorry for the harshness of her words. She wasn’t the monster he had been, she found it much harder to be pitiless in the face of his pain than she’d ever imagined.
In truth, she had played this scene in her head many times;Preston proclaiming his love and begging for her forgiveness. No matter how she had imagined it, she had always laughed at him and walked away, showing him how little he meant to her. But now, with Preston sitting before her, tears in his eyes and his heart in his hands, she couldn’t be the coldhearted woman of steel she so wanted him to believe her to be. She was not that woman and never would be.
“Would you at least have dinner with me, from time to time? We used to be a good team. I could be a sounding board for you, if nothing else.” The hope in his eyes was unmistakable; Chelsea didn’t have the heart to shoot it down.
“I suppose that would be alright,” she agreed, chewing on her lower lip. “If you want to hang around Starsdale for an occasional dinner with me, that’s fine. But it’s only dinner, Preston, nothing else.”
“I’ll take it. Thank you, Chelsea. It means the world to me that you’d agree to let me be even a small part of your life. In time, maybe you’ll see that I only want what’s best for you, for us.” Preston saw her face harden and hastened to add, “But I won’t push it, and I won’t expect anything else. Just don’t take away my hope, please.”
Chelsea felt a tingle at the back of her neck, but ignored it. She had agreed to give Preston a tiny chance, she would honor her word.
“One or two dinners will not change my mind about having a relationship with you, Preston. But it’s possible that I may think of you more kindly than I do now. If that’s worth it to you to hang around for a bit, by all means do so. But know that there’s an expiration date on this détente. I’d like your word that you will leave Starsdale if I ask you to, no questions and no arguments.”
“I agree to your terms, Chelsea. Thank you. Could we have dinner tonight?” Preston pressed his advantage.
“Not tonight, I have plans,” Chelsea lied. “We can meet at the diner on Main Street tomorrow at six-thirty. Until then, I don’t expect to see you. That means that the job site is off-limits, so is this house. I don’t like you showing up uninvited, so please don’t do it again.”
“Of course.” Preston hid his sudden anger expertly. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. If you change your mind and want to see me before then, I’m only a phone call away. I meant what I said, Chels, I’d love to help you with the B&B, if you need it. I can paint, hang wallpaper, go over cost projections, whatever you need. Use me.” His smile was so disarming that Chelsea couldn’t help but return it.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m all set. My contractor is amazing; things are running ahead of schedule.” Chelsea moved Hershey out of the way and
stood, indicating that Preston should leave.
“Okay then, but the offer stands.” He followed her to the door. “Until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Chelsea agreed, holding the door open for him.
Stopping beside her, Preston touched her arm lightly. “You’re more beautiful than ever,” he said softly, looking deeply into her eyes.
Blushing at the unexpected compliment, Chelsea felt an involuntary shiver at his touch.
“Goodbye, Preston.” Ushering him out, she quickly closed the door behind him.
Chapter Fifteen
“That’s it for today, boys. Good work.” Mac placed his tool belt in the back of John’s truck. Stretching his back, he felt the satisfaction of a day of physical labor. It had been far too long since he’d been hands-on with a project. He missed the smell of fresh cut lumber and the feel of power tools at his command.
Glancing up, he saw John walking slowly down the hill from the B&B. He looked worn out and he was holding his back again, the same lower side Mac had seen him favor several times before.
Maybe Chelsea is right, Mac thought as he silently watched his father. Maybe something is wrong. Suddenly feeling an urgency to get to the bottom of it, Mac raised his arm in greeting.
“Hi, Dad, are you ready to call it a day?”
“I believe so, Son. I see you made good progress today.” John forced himself to let go of his back and walk normally.
“We did. How did it go at the house?”
“Ahead of schedule,” John smiled in satisfaction. “You want to walk back up, take a look?”
“No, I’ll see it tomorrow. Let’s get some food, what d’ya say?”
“Lila’s it is, then. What’s today, Thursday? She’ll have some kind of pasta as the special.” John opened the passenger door and got in with obvious effort.
“Sounds good.” Mac jumped in and started the engine. “Don’t you think it’s time you told me what’s going on with you?”