Matters of the Heart

by Helen Colella

  Charles nodded approval. “Great idea! No one will have to trek down the mountain.” He turned to Nick. “See that, just as I thought. We’ll have to double up on some of these food items.”

  Amanda couldn’t contain her excitement. “Then let’s plan a party! Charlie, you and Sarah coordinate the buffet. Nick, you find us a good bartender. I’ll take care of the entertainment—a great DJ I know from Denver.”

  She unfolded a piece of paper she identified as the invitation she wanted to send out and read:

  “The past year has been filled with life changing events for all of us.

  We shared moments with soaring highs and excruciating lows.

  Now it’s time to put the past behind us and open the door to the future.

  Amanda & Nick, Charles & Sarah would like to invite you to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us, here at restaurant. All you have to do is show up and be ready to party. Nine p.m. to dawn.”

  The men gave a thumb’s up, and Amanda shouted, “It’s settled then. This party will go down in history.”

  * * *

  “As discussed at the last Committee Meeting, I approached Wharley. I outlined the plan, without all the details, and, offered him the chance to come aboard. He declined the offer, which is not like him. He’s got good business savvy, and an adventurous spirit.”

  “When I got to the restaurant, he and Dalton were deep in conversation. They seemed nervous and scrambled about as I entered the office, shuffling papers and stuffing them into Nick’s briefcase. If I were paranoid, I’d think it had something to do with the Project.”

  “What’d they say?”

  “Not much. Made small talk, then Dalton departed rather hurriedly.”

  “Interesting…perhaps these two are in cahoots. Maybe they found the HDC report and are planning a surprise of their own.”

  “I asked Wharley if Pete ever mentioned the project or the report. He claimed he knew nothing and that Russo’s personal investments were just that, personal and private.”

  “Did you believe him?”

  “Truthfully, no.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He’s clever and has always been open to opportunity when it knocks at his door. This time, he turned down a money-winning proposition all too quickly.”

  “Sounds like we have to find out if he or Dalton has the report.”

  “Yes, we do. Better arrange to check out both their homes. Only this time, we won’t be destructive—in and out like a ninja.”

  “The New Year’s Eve party is the perfect time—they’ll all be busy at the restaurant, and their homes will be vacant, making our search easy.”

  “I’ll do Dalton’s place myself. Been there several times and know the layout. I know what to look for so it shouldn’t be difficult—just a fast and furious visit before I head to the party.”

  “We’ll get someone to check Wharley’s and his girlfriend’s house, too. That Sarah Mitchell—she lives in Ponderosa Estates.”

  “We should know if the file has been found by the time the New Year’s Eve party is over, but if we don’t, we’re ready to make an immediate adjustment to our strategy as needed.”

  “We’ll raid the restaurant on New Year’s Day, when it’s closed and everyone is home recovering from the party.”

  “I’m not happy with moving in that direction, but if we must, we will.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The DJ from Denver played a variety of music to please everyone. People danced and gyrated to all sorts of fun-to-dance-to-music—rock and roll, swing, line dancing, and special group dances like the Tarantella, Hokey Pokey, and Electric Slide. Forget Dancing With the Stars. Guests at this party were stars in their own right.

  A deepening, silent snow fell throughout the evening. It gently covered the world surrounding the Farmhouse, creating a magical setting in the restaurant’s garden. As midnight approached, Nick and Amanda stood at one of the dining room windows admiring its crystal whiteness, the sparkling glow from the twinkle light decorations, and how artfully it blanketed the trees, shrubbery and pathways.

  “This might be the perfect time to set a date, Amanda. Any thoughts?”

  She slipped her arms around his waist and gazed up at him. “I’m ready if you are,” she playfully challenged.

  “Okay, then. Let’s pick a day.” He paused then quickly asked, “How about tomorrow? We can fly to Vegas.”

  Smiling, she released her grip and waved her hand in front of him. “I think it’d be better if we gave our family and friends a little more notice. How about next weekend?”

  He lifted her and held her in bear-hug embrace. “Are you making fun of me?”

  Before she could answer, he succeeded in stealing a quick kiss.

  “I’d never do that, Nicky.” She batted her eyelashes and returned the gesture. “All this joking aside, I think it’s a great idea.”

  “So, when?”

  “How about Valentine’s Day?”

  “Where?

  “What better place than right here?”

  “February fourteenth it is!” He picked her up again. This time, he twirled her around. “On that day, you’ll forever be known as Amanda Dalton.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  * * *

  Voices in the background resonated the New Year’s Eve countdown: “Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!”

  Horns blew, bells and whistles rang out, people cheered, “Auld Lang Syne” played.

  Neither of them broke their moment of commitment. He drew her close and whispered, “This is our year, sweetheart. Our new life as one will begin on February fourteenth.”

  Nick pressed his lips to hers and let the electricity between them flow as the passion they shared for one another intensified.

  After a few minutes of New Year wishes among the partygoers, he had Charles pour all the guests a glass of champagne. When done, with Amanda at his side, he stepped to the DJ’s microphone, raised his glass, and announced, “At this time, Amanda and I would like to invite you all to come back on Valentine’s Day to help us celebrate our wedding.”

  The crowd literally screamed with joy and toasted the couple. The “couple of the evening” spent time thanking their guests for their support and made certain each one knew of their importance in the couple’s lives.

  In a quiet moment, Amanda cornered Charles. “I need a private moment with you. Have a huge favor to ask of you.”

  “I’ll do anything I can for you, Mandy. What is it?”

  “Let’s grab our coats and walk the garden.” She hooked arms with him, and they strolled outside. Amanda reminisced about the early days with Poppy and shared how much she missed him.

  He added a few stories of his own. “He’d be happy for you, Amanda.”

  She nodded then added, “Do you think he’d approve of Nick?”

  “Of course he would!”

  She beamed with delight. “Then Charlie, I think he would approve if you walk me down the aisle and give me away on February fourteenth?”

  Charles went silent. He stared intently at her. After a few seconds he said, “There’s nothing I would like better to do, sweetheart.” He gently raised her hands to his lips, gave them a quick kiss. “I’d be honored. Thank you.”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “You’re the best.”

  Chapter Forty

  The next morning, Amanda and Nick welcomed in the New Year with a clink of coffee cups over breakfast, but were soon interrupted when both Amanda’s land line and cell phone rang simultaneously. She went to answer her cell phone—caller ID indicated it was the Farmhouse security company and she asked Nick to pick up the house phone—caller ID showed it to be Charles.

  “Miss Conifer, this is Crestview Security. One of the alarms at the Farmhouse has signaled a breach of entry. We’ve alerted the police. They’re on their way. We’ve called your manager, Charles Wharley. He’s assured us he’ll be t
here to meet them.”

  She disconnected and turned to Nick. “That’s was the restaurant’s security company. There’s been a breach in the system. They’ve also called the police and Charles, and both are on their way to the restaurant.”

  Nick nodded and pointed to the house phone. “Charles. Same information. He suggested you stay here until he finds out what’s happening.”

  “We’ve never had a break-in in all the years we’re here. I can’t believe it.”

  “It’s probably nothing but an open window that caught the breeze. Don’t worry about it.”

  Amanda didn’t buy that explanation. “Poppy never wanted to put in a security system. He fought it for years but finally agreed to wire all the doors.”

  Her pensive gaze and furrowed brows alerted Nick’s concern. “Mandy, care to share what you’re thinking about?”

  “What if someone did break in, and it’s the same person who broke in here and at Aspen Peaks?” The color drained from her face. Her legs weakened, forcing her down onto the sofa.

  Nick heard the panic in her voice. Quick to her side, he held her close, offered comforting words, and tried to dismiss her fears.

  Amanda’s sixth sense kicked in. “It’s too coincidental. Three violations against one person—” she pointed to herself, “—are definitely not normal.”

  Nick put his arms around her and held her close, but stared past her looking out the sliding glass door, deep in his private thoughts. “Don’t jump to any conclusions until we know more, Mandy. Then if it is something we feel to be an imminent threat, we’ll hire a private detective to get to the bottom of things.

  The house phone rang again.

  “Stay put, I’ll get it.” He hastened across the room into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and listened. “Yes…Okay... I’ll try, but you know how stubborn she can be….”

  Amanda had followed him. “I assume the ‘she’ you just referred to is me and you’re talking to Charles.”

  Nick’s caught-in-the-act-smile told her what she needed to know. He went to explain, but she cut him short. “I’ll show you stubborn.”

  She bolted from the room, grabbed her jacket and purse from the hall tree, and headed toward the door.

  He shook his head and didn’t say word. He followed. Outside, he dangled his truck keys. “I’ll drive.”

  For the first time, she didn’t sit right next to him. She virtually hugged the door.

  Finally without looking at him, she asked,” “Robbery?”

  “Seems that way.”

  “Vandalism?”

  “Yes.”

  “Extensive damage?”

  “Charles said it wasn’t too bad and could be easily repaired.”

  She turned to him. Tears and fears filled her questions. “What’s going on here, Nick? Why are all these things happening to me? Who would want to harm me?”

  He stretched and tugged the arm of her jacket. “Slide over here next to me, Amanda. It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

  * * *

  When they arrived in Crestview, Nick pulled into the parking lot. The only two vehicles in sight were a police car and Charles’ truck. As they approached the restaurant, they couldn’t miss seeing the window to the office had already been boarded up with a sheet of plywood. Her death grip on his arm prompted him to say, “Easy, sweetheart. Charles has everything under control.”

  They went in through the kitchen where nothing seemed disturbed, then made their way into the dining room where things were different. Tables, chairs, and linens lay strewn about. The daisy vases and a few mirrors were smashed, the window coverings were down, and one of the large picture windows that overlooking the garden lay shattered about the ground.

  Amanda couldn’t believe what she saw. She gasped, broke down sobbing, then pushed past Nick and ran into the kitchen.

  He approached her to offer comfort, but she stopped him with an abrupt hand gesture that unmistakably indicated he leave her alone.

  It took a few minutes for her to compose herself, and before she could speak. “I don’t understand. It’s as if someone were trying to force me out of business and out of Crestview.”

  Charles came out from the office.

  “What are you doing here, Amanda?” He flashed Nick a look of disbelief. “I told Nick I’d call when it was safe to come.”

  With palms raised, Nick said, “She’s her own person, Charles. Nothing I could do to stop her.”

  “I wanted to clean before you got here, didn’t want you to see this mess.” He voiced his sincere affection for her.

  “Thanks for that, Charlie, but you and Nick both can’t keep trying to protect me from the world. Granted, I’m upset and afraid, but I’ll deal with it as soon as I get over the shock.”

  Loud hammering sounds echoed through the building.

  “Two of our cooks are boarding up the window.” He released a loud sigh. “I thought we’d at least have the main room cleaned up before you got here.”

  “At least? What else is damaged?”

  “They did a job on the office, too. Emptied all the files and threw them all over.”

  As she brushed past him to go investigate, he added, “Sarah’s in there trying to sort and re-file.”

  Amanda narrowed her eyes and shuddered. “Is anything missing? Money? Merchandise? Equipment?”

  “Nothing I can see. The police say that whoever was responsible for this came with a specific goal, as if searching for something.”

  Nick nodded. “How’d they figure that out?”

  Charles continued. “Because of all the damage, they believe the perpetrators entered through the office window and they exited from the front—the alarm alert. The office must have been the original target, but when they couldn’t find whatever they were looking for, they entered the dining room, and….” He didn’t finish.

  “What’s going on, Charlie? Why did this have to happen?” Her words held an unnatural tone of calm panic.

  Charles embraced her. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

  “The only consolation I have is that Poppy isn’t here to witness this. If anything would have sent him to an even earlier grave, it would have been this, not his health.”

  “Maybe you should let Nick take you home.”

  Defiantly, Amanda pushed herself away from him. “Not a chance. If you, Nick, and the others who are here to work in the dining room, I’ll go help Sarah get the office; maybe together we can get a jump on this.” She paused and turned to Nick, “You don’t mind, do you?”

  Nick, you don’t mind, do you?”

  Her distress was his distress. “Of course not, Mandy. You don’t have to ask me. It’s a given—whatever I can do to help.”

  Charles brought them up to speed. “I’ve called the insurance company, glass company, a carpenter, cleanup crew, and linen supply. They’re aware of the seriousness of our emergency and willing to work through the night so we can open for business tomorrow.”

  Amanda gave him her best bear hug and then hurried to the office to join Sarah.

  The two men turned toward the swinging kitchen doors and into the dining room. Nick commended Charles on his efficiency in handling what had to be done then added, “This is a serious turn of events, Charlie. We’ve got to ramp up our efforts to get to the bottom of this escalating situation.”

  “We can, and will, do just that.”

  * * *

  “Our scavenger hunt proved unsuccessful. No folder. No papers. Now what?”

  “Drastic measures.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Even though those old mountain buildings have been brought up to code, they’re still considered a fire hazard.”

  “Whoa! That’s a big risk. Could spread to other buildings, taking down more than needed.”

  “We’ll do a controlled burn, like the farmers do out on the plains.”

  “Possible?”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  “What about the HDC repo
rt?”

  “We will find it.”

  “I assume Wharley’s got the papers and is holding back for reasons of his own. If that’s true, he’s going to have to be eliminated—unfortunately trapped inside the building because of his heroic effort to put out a grease fire.”

  “He’s been seen with Dalton a lot lately. Clandestine-type meetings in Denver.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “Do you think they’re up to something?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “Maybe Dalton has the report.

  “He might. And, they could be plotting against us as we speak.”

  “What if Dalton has the report?”

  “That won’t stop us. His demise will be easy to arrange. An auto accident will prove to be caused by faulty brakes.”

  “Is this necessary?”

  “It will be the next step if we don’t find the papers after we search his place! I refuse to let this opportunity get away.”

  “If we get caught….”

  “We won’t. I know people who can take care of this for us. They don’t ask questions. Cash up front, and it’s done.”

  “You know I’m not happy about this latest addendum to the plan.”

  “No one is, but we’ve worked too hard to not take it all the way to its conclusion.”

  “I know. I just have to get over my personal connection to it all and accept it as a business decision, nothing more.”

  “We’ll have to get everyone’s support as soon as possible. We can’t move forward without unanimous approval.”

  “They’re a committed group. They won’t have any problems. There’s no other choice.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  With the help of the cleanup crew Charles had used two times before, and all the other companies who participated in the restoration, the restaurant would reopen for business as usual, and then some. The break-in was the buzz around town. Their regular customers came to offer their support while others came out of curiosity and asked a ton of questions. The town’s residents needed and deserved answers to their questions. When they came, business boomed.

  During the next few weeks, somehow despite the lingering disturbance of recent events, the Valentine Day wedding plans kept Amanda and Nick and the staff busy.