But this wasn’t gonna fit in his pockets. Hauling a box free, he looked around for a bag. Bingo. A stack of them were housed neatly in a cubby beneath the register. In two minutes flat he had cleaned out the case and the drawer. Oh, wouldn’t Jeremiah be pleased!
Slowly he rose from his position on the lookout for witnesses. Neither front desk girl was looking his way. Breathing a sigh of relief, he stood fully. Straightening his coat, he sidled out from behind the counter. Exiting the store with gift shop bag in hand, he controlled his pace, careful not to draw attention to himself. Despite the hammer of pulse, he knew no one would give him a second glance if he strolled out of here at a leisurely pace. No direct eye contact, he kept watch from the corner of his eye. The helpful cashier girl would be back any second. His job was to be gone.
“We’ve been robbed!”
Malcolm Ward bolted from his seat in the manager’s office. While hidden from public view, it didn’t prevent him from hearing what went on at the front desk. Rounding the corner, he demanded, “What’s going on?”
The gift shop attendant stood shaking, her doe eyes pricked by fear. “All the jewelry is gone.”
“Gone?” Malcolm hated to press the girl when she was obviously distraught, but he needed answers. “What do you mean, gone?”
“Gone,” she replied. Her lower lip began to quiver. Tears swam into her lower lids. “It’s been stolen.”
Anger split Malcolm straight down his middle, but he held his temper. The front desk clerks stood like statues by his side, neither daring to say a word. “Stolen?”
She nodded.
“Do you know who did this?”
“I think so.” Glancing sideways, she said, “There was a man in the shop. He was looking at a pendant. He spilled his drink and I ran to the spa to get towel and when I came back—”
“The pendants were gone,” Malcolm finished for her.
She bit down on her lip and nodded.
“How many did he get?”
“All of them.”
Damn it! Malcolm muttered under his breath, striding to the gift shop to look for himself. Sure enough, the case was clean, a few empty blue velvet boxes scattered about the floor, soaking up a mess of spilled soda. The open drawers tangled insult and injury in his gut. The girl couldn’t have been gone that long. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They understood they had to get in and get out and knew how to do so without igniting suspicion.
Walking back to the front desk, Malcolm asked, “Did the guy give you a name?” The girl shook her head. “Could you identify him if you saw him again?”
“I think so,” she murmured. Tears were streaming down her face, streaking her cheeks with runny lines of black mascara.
Turning to the young women behind the front desk, he asked, “Did either of you see anything?”
The older blonde replied, “I saw a dark-haired man walk out. He seemed normal enough...”
The second clerk chimed in, “I saw him, too. He was carrying a gift shop bag,” she added, visibly fearful the words were a condemnation of her friend. “He had a beard.”
“Am I fired?” the girl asked.
“No, “Malcolm said automatically, upset with himself for losing his cool. When the boss lost it, the staff quickly followed. “You did nothing wrong. But I will need you to make a statement to the police.” The police. The minute he uttered the word he regretted the need to call them. After what that officer put Delaney through, Malcolm had little expectation for better treatment though he damn well was going to push for it. Hotel Ladd had been robbed. It was a crime that would not go unpunished.
Cal did his best to keep focus on the road. The drive home was only an hour, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Emily was beautiful. The changes over the past year and a half were incredible. No longer a young girl, she had the look a teenager. Her blonde hair had lost its curl, straightened with the telltale precision of flat irons Annie used so frequently these days in her salon. Emily didn’t wear makeup, save a small gloss on her lips, yet the pink shade made her mouth pop against her fair skin. The sight tugged at his heart every time she smiled. No longer sullen and angry, Emily seemed to skipping on clouds. She was bright and eager and talkative, wielding an impressive vocabulary for a twelve-year-old.
Twelve. Emily had turned twelve last month, and while he wished he could have been there to celebrate with her, he had the next best thing. It was a gift for her. Cal had one of the wishing well pendants from the hotel store engraved with her name and adorned with tiny diamonds. He wanted it to sparkle and dazzle. He wanted his daughter to love it. It being the first piece of jewelry she received from her father. Her daddy. That’s what she had called him when she walked off the plane. Hello, Daddy.
“How much farther?” she asked.
“We’re almost there,” he told her, excited for Emily to meet Annie. He’d texted her when they left the airport so she’d know when to expect them. Cal had wanted Casey and Troy and the baby to be there when they arrived home, but Annie declined. Slow and easy wins the race, Cal.
Cal smiled to himself. His wife was so much like him.
Emily turned in her seat. “Do you think we can go horse-back riding, sometime?”
“We can go every day, if you’d like.”
“Really?” Her brown eyes rounded. “I’d love to go every day!”
He laughed. “My Daddy is gonna love you!”
“Does he like horses, too?”
“Sure does. Owns a ranch full of them!”
Funny how Cal hadn’t talked much about his family while living in Arizona. Looking back, it seemed like he’d been living in a cocoon. He had Caroline and Emily, a job that he enjoyed. There had been no reason to talk about Tennessee other than in terms of “one day.” One day we’ll spend a summer there. One day we’ll visit the family. But that “one day” never materialized. Other than a brief visit when Emily was a year old, Cal and Caroline had been content to spend their time in Arizona. They took long weekends in the mountains, picnics along the rivers. Her parents lived nearby. It seemed enough at the time.
“It’s so beautiful around here,” Emily said with a sigh, gazing at the landscape like she was star-struck. “There are so many trees.”
Glancing at Emily, he soaked in her enthusiasm. He loved that she loved the landscape, but it wasn’t enough anymore. Cal wanted Emily to know Tennessee. His home. Her family. This was the land of her ancestors, these were her roots. Pulling into the driveway for his and Annie’s home, he thought, his family tree might have its share of gnarled roots but they were his—hers. They were family. “Wait until you see the house,” he said. “It’s smack dab in the middle of forest!”
Winding through the woods, the drive opened and Emily blew out her breath and pointed. “Oh my gosh! Is that where you live?” He nodded. “It looks like a picture from a magazine.”
Cal considered the observation, relived the months of construction, the miscellany of decision after decision. Annie had always wanted cathedral ceilings, the higher the better, as she claimed living in her apartment had felt like living in a box. It was a feature he was willing to oblige, allowing him to incorporate the walls of windows to open their home to nature. He had insisted on the stone façade out front because he felt it gave the house a feel of strength, impregnable, like a man’s castle should be. Azalea bushes lined the front porch, a wide covered patio wrapped around the entire house. In the spring, when all the blooms were blazing, that was the place they wanted to sit, looking forward to watching Cassidy laugh and play. But it wasn’t only Cassidy they were looking forward to watch grow up. They hoped Emily would share her life with them, too. “We had it built special for us, including a room especially for you.”
“There is?” she asked, her mouth agape.
Pleasure coursed through him. “Sure is. Annie had it decorated with all your favorite things.” Gently tapping the brake, he said, “And there she is.”
Annie walked out of th
e house and stood waiting on the front porch. But rather than tossing out the welcome mat with a warm and friendly smile, she look pained, rigid. Rounding the circular drive, Cal detected angst in her smile. Was something wrong?
“Is that her?” Emily asked, her voice soft but eager. “Is that your new wife?”
“Yes,” he murmured in reply, fighting the ramp of nerves in his gut. “That’s Annie.”
“She’s so pretty.”
“Thanks,” he replied absently. Throwing the gear into park, Cal pushed out his door and rounded the hood. “Everything all right?” he asked Annie. She nodded, her gaze tightly encircling his daughter, Emily.
Cal opened the passenger door and helped Emily hop down from her seat. She straightened her cropped jean jacket over her emerald green T-shirt, ran a hand down her matching floral-patterned skirt, then swept the straight blonde hair over her shoulders where it fell midway down her back. Annie walked down the steps and straight to Emily. Thankfully, whatever had been eating her seemed to be forgotten as she reached out a hand. A smile formed on her lips. “Emily, so nice to finally meet you.”
“Hi.”
Cupping both hands around Emily’s one, Annie drew her near. “I love your outfit,” she said, flashing a glance to Cal.
“Thanks.” Emily accepted the compliment easily.
“How was your first drive through Tennessee?”
“Great. It’s really pretty here.”
“It sure is,” Cal agreed, and grabbed his daughter’s suitcase from the backseat. Heading inside, Annie and Emily followed. “And you’re going to see a lot more of it,” Cal said over Emily’s head, searching for signs from Annie as to her earlier discomfort.
Responding with a brief, we need to talk look, Annie asked Emily, “Do you like horses?”
“I love them! My dad says we can go riding. Can we?” she asked Annie, as if accustomed to checking with the female head of household before all was said and done.
“We sure can. Do you ride back home?”
Cal opened the door and set Emily’s luggage by the staircase as she and Annie continued talking horses. Reflexively, he glanced around the living room. Everything seemed to be in order. He would have preferred conducting a full search, on account of Jeremiah being in town, but that would be overkill. No sense in worrying Annie about the possibility of trouble. Best to wait until there was something to worry about.
“Are you thirsty? Would you care for something to drink?” Annie asked Emily.
“No, thanks. I’m fine. I ate dinner on the flight over.”
Annie sat, offering Emily a place beside her on the sofa cushion. Cal thought she appeared okay, but he could tell there was something working behind those blue eyes of hers. Something she wanted to share but clearly could not. He wanted to take her for a detour in the kitchen, probe Annie about what was going on, but this was Emily’s first visit. A visit he wanted to go well, smooth as a hay field swaying in a summer breeze. So Cal took a seat on an adjacent sofa and stuffed his concern in a back compartment, concentrating on his girls. There’d be time enough later for a private interrogation.
“Have you thought about other things you’d like to do or see while you’re here?” Annie asked.
“Well, I’ve heard about panning for gold,” she said, her eyes glittering with curiosity. “Is there really such a thing?”
Annie laughed. Rich, genuine, the sound eased Cal’s mind. “We do. We have gold and rubies, too.”
“Rubies?”
Annie nodded. “You can find them in the rivers, or we can visit one of the nearby mines.”
“Is that like Ruby Falls?” Emily glanced between them. “I saw signs for it on our drive here.”
“No, sweetheart,” Cal answered. “Ruby Falls was actually named after the wife of the man who discovered it. His name was Leo Lambert and he was a local cave enthusiast in the area who discovered the falls while he was drilling a hole for an elevator.” Relaxed by talk of history, the common thread to people and events today, Cal went on. “The falls are one of the top tourist destinations in Tennessee. Located deep in Lookout Mountain, you have to walk for an hour through underground caves to see them but once you get there, you’ll never forget them.”
“Wow...”
“Did you tell her about the bonfire?” Annie prompted.
“Sure did.” Leaning forward, he set elbows to knees and explained, “Every Sunday the hotel hosts a bonfire for guests. We play music, tell stories…”
“Kinda like a campfire?” Emily asked.
“Pretty much. But we gave it a fancy name and call it Serenity Scape.”
“Sounds awesome! Can we go this weekend?”
“You bet,” he replied, warmed by her interest. The three settled in for a discussion of things to do and see while Emily was in Tennessee.
“It’s getting late,” Cal announced an hour later. “I bet you’re tired after your long flight.”
“Not really. It’s only seven o’clock my time.”
Cal grinned. Kids would be kids. No matter the hour, it was never too late in their mind.
“Why don’t you take a shower and get ready for bed?” he suggested. “You don’t have to go to sleep.”
Annie rose from the sofa. “I’ll show you where your room will be.”
“Okay.”
Annie took Emily upstairs and returned a few minutes later.
Sweeping around the base of the banister, she sighed in a heavy stream. “She’s precious, Cal.”
“She’s a sweet one,” he agreed. Taking Annie in his arms, he wanted to hear about her at the moment. “What’s up, Annie? You seemed a little off when we arrived. Is everything okay? You don’t mind having Emily here, do you?”
“Oh, Cal, of course not. I’m thrilled she’s staying with us, and I hope we can keep her the entire two weeks before she has to go back to school.”
Relieved, the knot in his chest loosened. He wanted Annie to like Emily. He wanted Emily to like Annie. It would mean more time together with his daughter, and next to the woman he held in his arms, there was nothing he wanted more. “Then what is it? Something was eating at you when I drove up.” Annie pressed her lips into a line and the tension returned to her gaze. “What?” Cal pressed. “What’s got you so worked up?”
“Jeremiah.”
“Jeremiah?”
“He was here,” she said.
The revelation ricocheted in his skull. Images of him ripped through his mind’s eye. Bits and pieces of Annie’s story about Jeremiah escorting her and Lacy from the forest at gunpoint exploded in his heart. If Jeremiah Ladd had the nerve to think he could force two women against their will in a sick attempt at revenge and then come here and invade his home and family’s privacy, he had another thought coming. Cal ground his emotion into a ball of fury, and cinched it tight. Jeremiah would not set foot in his home again. If he did, he’d be stepping over Cal’s dead body.
Chapter Ten
Cal strode down the hall from the spa on his way to the hotel lobby, the scent of eucalyptus persisting in his senses as he savored the vision of his daughter eagerly hopping up into a big leather chair for her pedicure. After her tour through the salon, she’d declared her favorite part were the spring-fed, open-air showers, particularly the disappearing ceiling. Cal chuckled, warmed by her thrill. Malcolm’s creative genius strikes again! Cal would have loved to have shown her more of the property like the strange labyrinth formations in the forest, the swimming hole just past the riverside café, but there would be time enough for that later.
Right now he had to man the front desk until Malcolm’s noon return. He and Nick had a meeting with Troy’s legal team this morning which could not be rescheduled. Thankful for their support of his son-in-law, Cal agreed to handle administrative duties for the morning, the most important of which was signing payroll checks. It wasn’t a huge inconvenience, not with Annie and Emily tucked away in the spa next door. Cal was only glad he didn’t have to leave the two at
home alone. Jeremiah’s surprise visit yesterday was a bad sign. It meant the man had no fear. When Annie had threatened to call the police, he laughed. The arrogance grated on Cal. Somehow Jeremiah had known Cal was on his way out of town. Knew it.
Well, if the man thought he had free roam in this town and could taunt whomever he wanted, he was wrong. The visit with Annie yesterday would be Jeremiah’s one and only. Cal was going to make sure of it. At the moment he had business to attend. Closing his mind to thoughts of Jeremiah, Cal shifted into manager mode. Walking behind the front desk, he slowed, surveying the hotel lobby in a swift evaluation. The fountain was gurgling softly in the early morning calm, wood floors were satisfactorily polished to a subtle shine, the windows were clear and clean, appearing almost non-existent as he took in the lush green mountainside.
“Good morning, Mr. Foster.”
Smiling at the front desk clerk, he replied, “Good morning, Patti.” Eight-thirty in the morning, there was only one clerk on duty. The second wouldn’t arrive until ten. Slowing, he asked, “How does the schedule look for the day?”
“Six check-ins and one departure.”
Cal nodded. Fairly normal for a forty-room hotel. Fridays were a popular day for arrivals, though Saturday was their heaviest. Headed to his office, he considered occupancy rates for the month, scheduled activities, generating a quick mental profit and loss statement... They were completely booked through Christmas, and Cal couldn’t be more pleased. Business was good.
“Mr. Foster?”
Cal paused and turned. “Yes?”
Patti approached hesitantly. Glancing around the vacant lobby, she asked, “Did Mr. Ward tell you about the gift shop?”
Losing Ladd Page 8