“I’m only being prudent,” she snapped. “This will die down at some point. Maybe I’ll have to adjust my expectations, but I can handle it.”
“Of course you can,” he said bitterly. “You don’t need a damn thing from anyone, do you? Well, screw that, Queenie.”
“Cade William!” his mother gasped.
“Sorry, Mom, but—” He ground his teeth. “I need coffee.”
Eyes stinging, Sophie just watched him leave the room. She’d survived her past by relying only on herself.
“What do you take in your coffee, Sophie?” Grace asked. “After I take a strip out of my son’s hide, I’ll bring you some.” She marched toward the kitchen.
“Oh, please don’t…” She rose to intervene.
“Let her.” Hal’s voice was serious. “He needs to hear it. Then it’s my turn.”
Sophie sat down, miserable at the trouble she’d caused. Abruptly wishing she were anywhere but here.
CADE BRACED HIMSELF against the sink and stared out the window.
“Honey…” His mother walked up to him and stroked his back. “What hurts?”
How many times had she asked each of them that question when they were growing up? What hurts? she would ask with her unerring sense for a child’s misery.
“I know I’m a jerk, and that was uncalled-for. I just…”
“Are you in love with her, Cade?”
“No.” He gaped in horror. “Hell, no. You know me. I can’t—” Could he sound any more like a blithering idiot? “She matters to me, Mom, but this is me we’re talking about. I can’t even stay on the ranch for a week without going stir-crazy. How could I ever live in a city?” He shook his head. “No, it’s not love. I’m not in love with her, but I do care, and I just want…” He ducked his head then looked squarely at his mother. “I have to leave in less than two weeks for a shoot in North Korea, the one I’ve been talking about for years.” He should have been dancing at the prospect.
“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful.” She gripped his hand. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Yes, absolutely.” But he had never been able to hold out against her. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I have to try. If I can’t be Cade MacAllister, adventure photographer, who am I?”
“Sweetheart…” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he let her hug him. Relished the stroke of her hands over his head, even if she had to stand on tiptoe to do it.
Then she stepped back. “Then you’ll just be Cade MacAllister, wonderful man. Your work is not what defines you, Cade. You’re stronger than that.”
“I have to go back out there, Mom. Have to stand on a peak again…as a tribute to Jaime. I can’t let his death be meaningless.”
“You beat yourself up over his death, but it wasn’t your fault. He loved going with you.”
“He did. And I have this great idea.” He told her about the book.
“Cade, that is fabulous. Oh, wouldn’t he love that?”
Her delight warmed him. Then he sobered. “But I can’t go until I know Sophie’s okay. I wish I could be what she wants, what she deserves, but I can’t. I have to leave her in the best shape possible, and I’m running out of time.”
“Thus your idea.”
He nodded.
“Then let’s go back and discuss it, but, Cade…” She restrained him. “You don’t know what you can become. You’ve always been so focused on this path, and in some ways that’s fortunate, but most people aren’t so blessed. Most of us work our way through various incarnations of ourselves as we search for what really matters to us.” She squeezed his arm and cupped his cheek. “You are much more than an adventure photographer. If one day it isn’t what you want after all, you’re still amazing. You’ll figure out what’s most important to you, and heaven knows you’re single-minded enough to make whatever it is happen.”
The words of an adoring mother. She was wrong, but it was comforting to hear. “You’re the best, Mom. You know I love you, right?”
She smiled and hugged him. “Always. Now let’s go plot.”
CADE AND HIS MOTHER returned from the kitchen without her cup of coffee, but Sophie didn’t care. His family had been attempting to talk to her, to ease her mind, but she was too frantic. She just wanted to go away, to be by herself and think, as soon as it wouldn’t be rude to do so. She didn’t know how to fix her situation, but she would figure it out. She always did. However powerless she’d been feeling, it was not in her nature to be weak.
She was a survivor. She would survive this.
Cade stood across the circle, his eyes locked on hers. “First of all, I’m sorry, Sophie. It’s just that no one else has the power to make me quite so furious.”
“Great apology, dude,” said Zane.
Sophie lifted a shoulder. “It’s okay. He drives me crazy, too.”
Chuckles abounded. “So what’s the plan, son?” Hal asked. “We’ll be talking about a proper apology from you later.”
Cade rolled his eyes at her and winked, and somehow her heart lifted. “Okay, here’s the deal,” he began. “We have our own photo shoot, all of us, at Sophie’s. We get the rest of the house put together, and we photograph—okay, I photograph it at its absolute most flattering. And I sell the shots—heavily emphasizing the star power of little brother there and whatever in God’s name it is women see in him—for big bucks to selected magazines and websites.”
Zane laughed. “Love you, too, bro. Why big bucks?”
“Because you’ve always been a pain in the butt.” Cade grinned. “No, dope, because they’ll value it more if I scalp them, and Sophie can use the money to offset lost revenue so she can go ahead and open.”
“Cade, no,” she begged. “I couldn’t.”
“I’m not finished. You don’t skate out of this without contributing. And maybe a better use of the money is to clear up those allegations.” At her protest, he shook his head. “Sophie, if Maura is really your friend, she’s not going to want you crucified for a crime you didn’t commit. Her nephew was a dupe, but he didn’t hatch this scheme, nor did he send the dogs after you.”
“But—”
“I’m still not done,” he warned her. “Okay, next phase. I call every contact I have in print media. Zane, you contact your film and television buddies—if you actually have any among all the sharks out there.” He and Zane grinned at each other. “Jesse does the same with his arty crowd and Linc with his financial cronies. Chloe draws in her society friends. We plug the living daylights out of the hotel, and Sophie throws in some comped nights at the hotel for a door prize. Then we toss an opening bash that’s invitation only. An exclusive crowd, and Patty makes up for her loose lips by cooking food that will set their hair on fire. No media allowed. They’ll be begging Sophie for mercy.” His eyes took on a vicious gleam. “But that Statesman woman doesn’t get in, no matter what. What do you think so far?”
“How about some of your shots are beefcake of Zane lying across the beds?” Jenna suggested with a wicked grin.
“Jenna Marie!” Hal scolded.
Zane’s response was unrepeatable.
Cade looked at Jenna in horror. “If you think I’m taking those, you’ve got another think coming.” He gave a dramatic shudder.
“It would be really popular,” Delilah argued, nearly succeeding in keeping her mouth from curving. “So, Sophie, how ’bout it?”
But Sophie couldn’t laugh with them. She opened her mouth twice before she thought she could speak without breaking down. “Why would you all do this? I’ve brought you nothing but trouble.”
“Because you’re one of ours now, little girl,” Hal boomed. “And MacAllisters stick together.”
She glanced at Cade, certain her heart was in her eyes. His gaze was warm a
s he watched her, and she wished…but she couldn’t have what she wished for most. “It’s an incredible idea. I just don’t know why—”
“Queenie…” Cade warned.
She closed her eyes. “It’s hard,” she said. “I’m not used to…this.” She spread her hands wide to include all of them. “I’m accustomed to doing things for myself.”
Zane hugged her. “Well, it’s too late now. Nothing a MacAllister likes better than a challenge.” He glared at his sister. “Except Jenna has no vote in these plans.”
Jenna was unrepentant. “The beefcake would work, you know it would.”
Grace rose. “Enough, children, or I’ll send you to your rooms.” She faced Sophie. “Have you had breakfast, dear?”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite.”
“Well, come on into the kitchen, then. Jenna, grab some paper and pen. Come along, everyone, time to start planning.”
Sophie followed, since it was clear that no was not an option. But when she came abreast of Cade, she paused. “Thank you. I don’t know how I can ever—”
“If you say the word repay, Queenie, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.” But he grinned.
She wanted to walk into his arms, but he didn’t offer, and his family surrounded them.
So she hoped her expression spoke for her.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE HOW quickly things came together. Words dropped in the right ears, and Cade and his family spent a whole afternoon shooting photographs. Watching Cade in action was fascinating. But agonizing at the same time.
“Hey, bro, you’re not half bad at this. You could set up at like, a mall or something,” Zane said.
“Bite me.” And so it went, but there was laughter along with the hard work. Teasing. Above all, love. Sophie breathed it in like oxygen, let herself enjoy them as though she truly did belong. Maybe she couldn’t have Cade except as a friend, perhaps, but she could have his family, it seemed.
How she missed him, though. They were never alone together, and as each day went by, she kept herself apart from him, as he did her, each sensing how much more devastating the inevitable parting would be if they made love again.
But, oh, how she wanted to.
But Cade had been right about other things. She hadn’t given Maura enough credit. She hadn’t trusted her friend to stick by her. So that night, as she paced her bedroom floor, she finally picked up the phone and made the hardest call of her life.
“Hi, kiddo,” said Maura. “Getting excited about the opening? I can hardly wait myself.”
“Maura, I—I have to talk to you.”
“Serious tone there. What’s up? Are you okay?”
Was she? Heartache over Cade aside, she actually was, she realized. “I am, but…there have been problems. I… Maura, I’m sorry. I haven’t been honest with you.”
“Oh? Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Sophie sat on the edge of her bed, hunched over. “I didn’t want you hurt, let me say that up front. You’ve been… Maura, you gave me a chance when no one else would. And then when everything tumbled down, you still believed in me. Invested your money. You won’t regret that, I promise.”
“Of course I won’t. Sophie, stop being cryptic and spit it out.” There was the tough executive Sophie admired.
“All right.” She took a deep breath and plunged. “It’s Gary. And Kurt.”
“Gary? My Gary?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to tell you because he’s so important to you.”
“What has he done?”
“He— Kurt used him. I really don’t believe he’d have done it on his own.” When Maura remained silent, Sophie charged ahead. “The embezzlement. I didn’t do it, Maura.”
“Of course you didn’t. I never understood why you wouldn’t fight… Oh, no. Gary? He’s the embezzler?”
“I think he just doctored the books to make it look like I was the criminal. Kurt is the one behind all of this. He wanted me out of the way, out of the competition.”
“But you had a…relationship.”
“It wasn’t my smartest move, but I was lonely. And he was handsome and kind, or at least I thought he was. I was wrong. He was trying to slow me down, I think, because I was on track for the promotion he wanted. And when I came to my senses and broke things off with him, he—he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“He forced you?”
“He tried to.”
“Sophie, you should have come to me.”
“I know that now, but Kurt went a little crazy, and I just wanted to put the whole thing behind me. It would have ruined both of our careers if I’d accused him of something publicly, so I told him I’d forget it if he’d just leave me alone. I thought he had until—”
“Until the accounts under your management started to have discrepancies. And when the company accused you of embezzlement, you wouldn’t fight for your job.”
“I couldn’t. When I confronted Kurt with my suspicions that he was the embezzler, he told me I couldn’t prove he’d ever been involved and that if I made told anyone my suspicions, he’d throw Gary to the lions, and it would cost not only Gary his job, but you, too.”
“Oh, Sophie…”
“I owe you so much, Maura. How could I let that happen to you?”
“But if you left, he’d see that no charges were pressed, is that what he said?”
“Yes.”
“He used me to destroy you. Dear God.” Maura exhaled. “Gary is a weak man. Yes, he’s blood, but don’t you know, Sophie, you’re the daughter of my heart? I couldn’t love you more if you were my own child.”
“Maura…”
“So much is clear to me now. That’s why you just walked away and started over. You were lying when you said this was what you wanted, weren’t you?”
“At first, yes, but I knew I had to convince you that it was. Now, though…this is my dream, Maura. I love this place.”
“But you mentioned there are problems. What are they?”
“It’s okay now. Don’t worry about it.”
“You may be like a daughter to me, but that doesn’t entitle you to treat me like some helpless old woman.”
Despite the seriousness of the moment, the image made Sophie smile. “You’re certainly not helpless.”
“Then spit it out, and I’ll do what I can to help.”
So Sophie laid out the long string of events that Cade had put in motion, including her hiring a private detective Vince had recommended.
“You send that detective to me. We’ll get to the bottom of this. When I’m done, Kurt Barnstone will have a tough time finding a job as a pool boy, I promise you that.”
It was a satisfying picture, but Sophie was surprised to realize she didn’t need Kurt laid low. Neutralized, yes, so that he’d leave her alone, but beyond that, she had so much else in her life now. And the wheels of Cade’s plan were in motion to repair the damage he’d done.
“I will be making calls, too, Sophie. I still have a lot of influence in this business, and I assure you that not only will your name be cleared, but I’ll bring some impressive guests with me to your opening party.”
“Maura, you’ve already done so much.”
“I care about you, kiddo. Accept it. Now get off the phone so I can start making my calls. I’ll see you soon.”
And with that, she was gone, leaving Sophie bemused and grateful. And as though a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulder.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
TWO WEEKS PASSED IN A blink. Cade had been busy nearly every second with the paperwork and other details that needed to be settled for the expedition to Korea, as well as hours spent sorting through photos of Jaime and sketching ou
t the story that would accompany them. The book was a go, he’d heard from his agent, only waiting for him to finalize his selections. Meanwhile National Geographic had signed on as a sponsor for the Korea trip and was already talking to him about the next one. Any second that could be spared from the book or the trip was devoted to helping out at Sophie’s.
His photo spread of the hotel had been a big hit. People, InStyle and Southern Living, among others, had eagerly bought shots, and Architectural Digest was considering including Hotel Serenity in a future issue.
Sophie might not enjoy notoriety, but it was serving her well. The opening party would be a crush of people, and every one of her guest rooms was booked for the next four months, many of them longer than that. Sophie was even busier than he was, and he worried about her. She looked tired, and he wondered how she was sleeping.
He sure wasn’t, which was great for getting through his workload but not a great long-term strategy. He’d never cared to have a long-term strategy, though, so why start now? He was all about the next adventure, the challenge not yet met.
He was taking tons of photos, but oddly, the shots that lured him most were of people, a lot of them of Sophie.
That would surely change when he was once again standing on a mountainside.
Baekdu. From the Korean side. Unbelievable. He could hardly wait if only he didn’t have to leave Sophie.
Of course it was the right thing to do to leave her alone now, to operate as friends to set the tone for the rest of their lives. His family adored her and had taken her into the fold, for which he was glad because she had been alone too much of her life. That meant, however, that he couldn’t screw this up, couldn’t follow his usual pattern with women where they had a great time, then parted ways and never saw each other again.
He had to be careful, and he was, damn it. So blasted careful he barely contained the howl that wanted to claw its way up his throat. He wanted his hands on her again. He wanted to laugh with her, to tussle over the dog. To argue and let her get all frosty on him. She’d been so nice for days, so blasted careful around him, too.
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