Killer Romances

by Dana Delamar, Talullah Grace, Sandy Loyd, Kristine Mason, Dale Mayer, Nina Pierce Chantel Rhondeau, K. T. Roberts, H. D. Thomson, Susan Vaughan

  “What do you mean, what’s going on with me?” John straightened, but avoided looking his son in the eye.

  “No offense, but you look rough, Dad. Have you seen a doctor lately?”

  “I hate to break this to you Son, but old age gets all of us, if we’re lucky. I’m tired is all; I’m not used to working like this. I’d forgotten how much I love it.” John sidestepped the doctor question.

  “I know you do, but you shouldn’t push so hard. Why are you holding your side?”

  “I must have pulled a muscle,” John waved off his concern. “I’ll take an aspirin after we eat, be good as new in the morning.”

  “You’d tell me if there was something wrong with you, right?”

  The seriousness in Mac’s voice caused John to wince. He hated lying to him, but he was so close to being finished with the house. He couldn’t tell him yet. As soon as Mac knew the truth, it would be a battle for him to keep working.

  “I’m fine, Son. Stop worrying.” John lied. “How many old geezers get to do something so fulfilling at this stage of the game? And to work alongside you, it doesn’t get any better.” He grinned over at Mac. “Now put this thing in gear and find us some food.”

  ~~~

  Preston walked into the diner looking as if he smelled something terrible. Lila spotted him and hid a grin. She’d seen his kind before.

  “Hello there, Mister, welcome to Lila’s,” she called out from behind the counter. “Have a seat anywhere, we’ll be with you in a minute.”

  Preston nodded and carefully scanned the room. Just as he expected, the clientele was a mish-mash of the working class, not exactly his comfort zone. Selecting a booth, he waited patiently for the rotund waitress to make her way over to him.

  ~~~

  “Isn’t that the man who came to see Chelsea today?” John nodded in Preston’s direction. “She sure didn’t seem too happy to see him.”

  “Yeah, that’s him. No, she sent him on his way pretty quickly. What did you make of that?”

  “Me? I haven’t really had time to think about it. It’s her business and she handled it.” John didn’t like the look of the man any more now than he did earlier. Something about him screamed phony.

  “I suppose, but if I was dating a woman and another man upset her like he did, I’d make it my business too.” Mac spoke with more force than he intended.

  “If I was dating her, I would feel the same way,” John looked quizzically at his son.

  Mac stared at John as if he had two heads.

  “Are you saying that you’re not dating Chelsea?”

  “Where the hell did you get that idea? What would a young, beautiful woman like that want with an old man like me? I could be her father!” John began chuckling. “Is that why you’ve been so surly around her? You thought I was seeing her? What’s wrong, Son, are you jealous?” John’s chuckle turned into full-fledged laughter.

  Mac appeared stunned. “But I’ve seen you two together, hugging and whispering like two school kids. Not to mention that you’ve taken on her project with a vengeance. You haven’t worked in how many years? Then, wham, out of the blue, you jump back into something this big. What was I to think?”

  John wiped tears from his eyes as his laughter subsided.

  “I like Chelsea. We’re friends and we have things in common. You two have things in common as well, you’d know that if you would make an effort to be nice to her for a change. As for the project, it helps the town as much as it helps her. I like knowing that I’m giving something back to Starsdale.”

  “I thought she was a gold digger.” Mac sat back against the booth, his dinner forgotten. “I could see why you’d be attracted to her, but I didn’t like it that she was using you.”

  “No wonder you’ve been such an ass hat around her. I’d say you have some making up to do.” John dove into his spaghetti with renewed relish.

  Mac ran over his interactions with Chelsea, cringing at his unnecessary gruffness. What must she thing of him?

  “I am an ass hat,” Mac agreed. “You’re right about the making up part, too. I think I’ll drop in on her, after I take you home. May as well apologize tonight, start tomorrow fresh.”

  “Smart man,” John nodded and motioned for the bill.

  ~~~

  Hershey’s ears perked up seconds before the sound of the doorbell rang through house.

  “Who could that be, boy?” Chelsea asked as she belted her robe. The meeting with Preston had left her craving a long, hot soak and more than a little wine. Relaxed and ready for bed, the last thing she wanted was company. “Especially not if it’s Preston again,” she frowned as she stood at the door.

  “Who is it?” She asked, hand braced on the doorknob.

  “It’s Mac. Sorry to disturb you, but we need to talk.”

  “Mac? She swung open the door, her eyes wide with concern. “What is it, is something wrong with John?”

  Hershey responded to her mood swing and positioned himself between her and the man at the door.

  “No, no, Dad’s fine. Hey, buddy,” Mac knelt down and allowed Hershey to sniff his hand. The dog’s tail began to wag. “That’s a fine watch dog you have there,” looking up at Chelsea, he read the confusion on her face. With one last pat for Hershey, he stood and met her gaze.

  “I’ve come over to apologize. May I come in?” He asked soberly.

  “Of course,” Chelsea stood aside so he could enter. “Apologize for what?”

  “For one thing, for disturbing you when you’re ready for bed. I guess I should’ve called.” He followed her down the hall, admiring the gentle sway of her hips beneath the slinky, floral robe.

  “That would have been nice, but no harm done.” She motioned for him to sit. “Would you like coffee, or wine? We may have a beer,” her voice trailed off as she mentally inventoried the contents of their fridge.

  “I’ll join you in a glass of wine, if you’re sure,” Mac noted the half empty glass on the coffee table.

  Moving to the wet bar, Chelsea poured him a glass, still wondering as to the purpose of his visit. An apology, he’d said. Interesting that he’d felt the need to run over here tonight, when they’d see each other tomorrow. Handing him the glass, she smiled to see that Hershey had plopped down at his feet.

  “You have a fan, that was quick.” Chelsea picked up her glass as she sat. “Now, what were you saying about an apology?”

  “I like dogs,” Mac stalled, unsure of just how to begin. “This one’s a real beaut.”

  “His name is Hershey and he belongs to Sharon. I’m afraid I’ll miss him terribly when I move to the B&B.”

  “The B&B is a great place for a dog. You should get one as a companion as well as a guardian.”

  “I’ve thought about it. We’ll see.” Chelsea relaxed against the sofa. It was obvious that Mac needed time for whatever he came to say. She wouldn’t push; it was nice that he was being nice to her for a change.

  “I’ve been behaving like an ass towards you, I’m sorry.” He blurted out, one hand still on Hershey.

  Taken aback, Chelsea’s shock was evident.

  “Yes, yes you have,” she stammered. “I accept your apology, but I’d like to know what I did that made you hate me.”

  “I never hated you, but I thought you were after Dad’s money.” Mac stopped talking when Chelsea nearly choked on her wine.

  “You thought what? How, why? Do you think all of his clients are after his money, or just the female ones?” She was trying not to laugh at the absurdity of Mac’s notion. He appeared to be dead serious.

  “In the first place, he hasn’t had any clients for years, not since he retired. I come home to find him going all out for some beautiful, young woman; one who I thought was dating him based on the times I saw you two hugging or in deep conversation that had nothing to do with the project. What would you have thought?”

  “Wait a minute. You thought I was dating John, using him to build my B&B and ultimately after his money?
” Unable to hold back the laughter, Chelsea shook her head. “So what made you decide that you were wrong?”

  “Tonight at the diner, Dad and I saw the man who came by today. I mentioned that if I were dating you, I would find out what there was to know about him. Long story short, Dad had the same reaction as you when I told him what I thought.”

  “I’ll just bet that he did. But let’s be straight. I’m not laughing at the thought of dating John. He’s quite handsome and a total gentleman to boot. Any woman would be lucky to go out with him. I’m laughing at his son, the big shot architect who couldn’t handle the thought of a new step-mommy without acting like a two year old.”

  “I deserve that, but in my defense, I was trying to come around to the idea. And for the record, I wouldn’t have minded if he’d found a nice, older woman to share his life. Mom wouldn’t want him to be alone, neither do I. My objection was to you, not to a step-mommy, as you so kindly put it.”

  “So, there’s something about me that you don’t like,” Chelsea toyed with him, not yet ready to let him off the hook.

  “You’re twisting my words. I told you, I thought you were after his money and instead of asking you both about it, I acted like a jerk. I’m sorry.” Mac was beginning to regret coming over to Chelsea’s. It would have been easier to skip the apology and just change his attitude towards her.

  “Okay, okay. Apology accepted, really.” Chelsea held up her hand in peace. “I understand what you were thinking and it’s fine. I might have acted the same way, if the circumstances were reversed.”

  “So, you wouldn’t approve of me dating your mom?” Mac joked, grateful that she had decided to be nice about the whole thing.

  Chelsea sobered instantly when Mac mentioned her mom. “No, probably not,” she said softly.

  “What did I say?” Mac wondered at the sudden change in her demeanor.

  “Nothing, really. My mom passed away a few months ago, I’m still a little raw. It catches me off guard sometimes, you know?”

  “I’m so sorry, Chelsea, I didn’t realize. Yes, I know what you mean. Mom’s been gone for years, but there are still times I pick up the phone to call her. I don’t know if that will ever change.”

  “Sometimes I talk to mom, like she’s still in the room. Who knows, maybe she is.”

  “I smelled jasmine the other day, from out of nowhere. It was her favorite fragrance. Made me think she was standing next to me.” Mac confided.

  Chelsea smiled at him without saying anything. It was the first time that Mac opened up to her. It felt nice.

  After several seconds of companionable silence, Mac cleared his throat.

  “So, am I forgiven? Can we start over, this time as friends?”

  “Definitely. I’m relieved to know why you were treating me like a pariah and happy that it was something so easily resolved.”

  “Pariah, huh? Ouch.” Mac grinned and relaxed into the chair, which Hershey took as an invitation to jump up in his lap.

  “Whoa, big fella, I’m not sure there’s room for us both,” Mac laughed and made room.

  “He has no clue how big he really is,” Chelsea laughed along with him. “You should see him try to squeeze onto the patio chair; half of him hangs off of each side, but he doesn’t seem to mind.”

  “A friend of mine had a Great Dane once, she was a lap dog, too, or tried to be.” Mac scratched Hershey’s head, to the puppy’s delight.

  “I’ve no idea what Sharon will do when he’s fully grown. Buy bigger furniture, I suppose.”

  “Have you known Sharon long?” Mac suddenly realized that he knew precious little about Chelsea, but he wanted to know more.

  “Since college. We bonded the first day and have been close ever since. After mom died, I wanted a change. I came for a visit and fell in love with Starsdale.”

  “Did you run a B&B before, or work in the hospitality field?”

  “No, the house was an impulse buy, but I’m thrilled with the possibilities. It was one of those things that you just know is right, you know? The only time I had second thoughts was when no one wanted to work with me. I never dreamed that finding a contractor would prove so difficult.”

  “How did you find my father?”

  “He found me, courtesy of the Starsdale grapevine. He was the only other person who saw the beauty in refurbishing the house, rather than destroying it.”

  “To look at it now, I’d say that you were both right. So many people rush to tear down perfectly good structures when they could use the existing bones.”

  “That’s exactly what your dad said, that the house had good bones.” Chelsea refilled their glasses as she spoke.

  “Sounds like him,” Mac smiled his thanks. “By the way, I think you’re right about something being wrong with Dad. I asked him about it tonight, but he basically blew me off, claimed he was only feeling his age.”

  “Have you noticed that he holds his back and his side a lot? And sometimes I swear a good wind will knock him flat.” Chelsea frowned. “I hope that this project is not too much for him. I’d hate to be the reason for his health to decline.”

  “He may not feel well, but he’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. As he told me, he loves being part of this project, loves giving back to the town.”

  “Giving back to Starsdale? What does he mean by that?”

  “I’m not sure, but it could have something to do with a revival of sorts I see happening. Have you noticed that more and more storefronts are brandishing a fresh coat of paint? And I see carpentry work going on at more than one business on Main Street.”

  “Yes, I have noticed that, but hadn’t put it together with the B&B. There is the gift shop that Lila and Janie were talking about opening, a place to showcase local artwork.” Chelsea tapped her finger on the glass. “It’s wonderful if my little project causes a chain reaction around town. Sharon mentioned that it might happen, she was right.”

  “Your B&B will be bringing new business into the area. True capitalists will take advantage of that.” For a moment, Mac considered the opportunities that a growing town could offer. It was definitely worth thinking about. Being home again made him realize how tired he was of the city.

  “It is exciting, thinking that The Cliffs could spark a rejuvenation of sorts.” Chelsea broke into his reverie. “Starsdale offers such natural beauty, the town should reflect that. But back to your dad, why don’t you insist on him seeing a doctor. I’ll back you up, if you think it will help.”

  “I might do that, after I watch him for a day or so.” Mac nodded, still considering the upside of relocating home. Being closer to his dad was top of the list. “In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do to lighten his load. He’s taken on quite a bit, after all.”

  “I’m sorry. I feel like it’s all my fault for agreeing to his ideas. But they were really great ideas.” Chelsea chewed on her lower lip. “I’ll be in Monroe tomorrow, buying plants, but I’ll be on site all day Saturday. I can help you keep an eye on him.”

  “None of this is your fault, Chelsea. He came to you, remember? Besides, we may be worried for nothing.” He thought a moment. “How are you going to get the plants to the site? Do you want to borrow the truck? I just happen to be driving it, we could trade tonight.”

  “Seriously? That would be great! I was planning to fit what I could in my car, then have them deliver the rest, but the truck would be so much easier. I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon with the roses, and we can trade back.”

  “That works.” Mac placed his empty wine glass on the table. “Okay Hershey, it’s time to let me up.” The puppy gazed up at Mac with sleepy eyes.

  “You’ll have to pick him up and move him yourself. One thing about Hersh, he doesn’t want to move, once he’s comfortable.” Chelsea chuckled.

  “Man, he must weigh fifty pounds,” Mac said as he lifted the dog. “How do you pick him up?”

  “We don’t, not anymore. Sharon and I have both learned the art of sliding out from
beneath him if we’re in a chair, or pushing him out of the way if we’re on the sofa.”

  “I’d say it’s time for some training. Pretty soon, you won’t be able to push him at all.”

  “Are you offering? The closest trainer is in Monroe.” Chelsea stood and walked him to the door.

  “Maybe. I’m not a pro, but how hard could it be? He is housebroken, right?”

  “Yes, he’s housebroken. But that’s about it.”

  “I’ll think about it. Here are the keys.” Handing her a key ring, he waited while she fished hers from her purse.

  “Are you sure that John won’t mind my using his truck?” Chelsea handed him the keys.

  “Why should he mind? It’s only a day.” Standing so close to her, Mac realized that her face was scrubbed clean. “You’re not wearing any make-up,” he commented.

  Taken by surprise, Chelsea’s hand immediately went to her cheek.

  “No, I’m not.” She looked at him quizzically.

  “You’re really beautiful.” He raised his hand as if to touch her cheek, then stopped himself.

  Chelsea’s cheeks turned crimson. “Thanks.”

  Before he could embarrass himself further, Mac made a hasty retreat. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he called as he took the porch stairs by twos.

  “See you then.” Chelsea watched as he backed her car out of the drive, then slowly closed the front door. It had been awhile since she’d heard such a sincere compliment. Mac’s words and the genuine feeling behind them made Preston’s compliments seem shallow.

  Pleased with the turn the evening had taken, Chelsea hummed softly as she retrieved their wine glasses and made her way to bed.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Looks like you bought every rose bush in Monroe,” John teased as he helped Chelsea unload the truck. “I see that you went with a mixture of colors, that’ll look nice.”

  “I thought so. And no, I didn’t buy out every rose bush. I left a few for someone else.” Chelsea countered as she inspected John unobtrusively. He looked well enough, but for the dark brown circles beneath his eyes. “How are things going here? I didn’t see anyone when I passed the restaurant. I take it that means that it’s in place on the ledge?”