Hotel Ladd Page 3

  Emily needed him and he needed her.

  “Seems we both have a lot to think about,” Annie murmured.

  Cal nodded. “Agreed.” Why Annie had to withdraw her hand from his was perplexing. Did she want those thoughts of hers to include him?

  Chapter Three

  Annie walked her last client of the day to the receptionist’s desk and caught a glimpse of a dark-haired woman walking in the front door. Long black hair fell in a straight, sleek line behind her back, her very narrow back. She was almost a stick of a figure, draped in gold jewelry and expensive leather jacket. As she neared, Annie noted her lips were glossed a tawny brown, a sheer tone that melted into her brown skin. But it was her eyes that leapt out at you. Cat eyes, turned up at the ends, or maybe it was the heavy black makeup that created the effect. Annie guessed her identity in a heartbeat. Jillian Devane. She had to hand it to Lacy. Her sister had described the woman perfectly. Wealthy, stylish, she looked right at home amidst the ultra-modern interior of the Trendz salon with its minimalist black and white design and cool blue ceramic lamps hanging overhead in the way of lighting.

  Annie turned to her client. “Bobbi Jo will get you scheduled for next time, okay?” The woman smiled and the two hugged. “See you then.”

  Ms. Devane hovered near the desk, waiting her turn to speak with the receptionist. But there was no need. Annie extended a hand. “Ms. Devane?”

  Jillian noted the gesture with a knowing smile, as though fully aware Annie had been forewarned of her intentions. “Ms. Owens,” she purred in a heavy Spanish accent. Her voice was smooth and sultry, and rather deep for a woman. As they shook hands, Annie marveled at her slender grasp, fine-boned yet firm in its connection. Her skin was silky in texture, her nails professionally maintained. Annie knew from experience that an older woman didn’t retain the supple skin tone of youth without professional care. Gesturing toward her nail chair, she said, “Thank you for coming.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.”

  Annie didn’t doubt a word. She could feel the woman’s claws sinking into her in a most visceral way. Ms. Devane was here for the kill, there was no mistake. Second thoughts flooded Annie’s gut. It was an attack she had invited with a single phone call, a willing phone call. “My friend told me you were asking about my daughter’s half of the property.”

  “Yes,” the owner of a hotel empire replied, sliding her gaze around them as though making sure the path was clear when she pounced, “I understand you are the one in charge of the property.”

  Annie cleared a rush of nerves from her throat. “I am.” While she might be intimidated by this woman, she wasn’t going to let on to the fact.

  Jillian smiled and moved closer. “As you know, I am in the owner of Eco-Domani, the number one hotel spa company in the world where we pride ourselves on working in tune with nature. It is my business to build hotels—fantastic, beautiful hotels—that seamlessly blend with the land around them, allowing guests to lose themselves in the luxury of nature.” She slowly circled Annie, taking note of her white leather nail chair and black ottoman, a line of shiny bottles filled with a broad spectrum of nail enamels that comprised Annie’s nail station. “Your property is incredible in its beauty and location, and I should like to work with you on how to make it the number one destination in the world. People will come from all over the world to visit your mountains and woods, seeking to become at one with your land. By selling, you will become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.”

  Ms. Devane dripped with extravagance when she spoke, pulling Annie in with her lavish description and promises, as she created a dreamy vision with her talk of lavish hotels and land conservation. It was easy to see how this woman could spin a person into her web, sucking them clean without spilling the first drop of blood. Annie shook off the elaborate images and asked, “Haven’t you already purchased property for your hotel?”

  Plunging into a shrewd smile, Ms. Devane’s flinty eyes grew calculating. “So we don’t play any games, okay?” She straightened her slim frame and stood eye-to-eye with Annie. “I will tell you that I am still looking, but I’m most interested in your property.” She tipped her head and glanced askance. “I’m willing to pay you handsomely for it,” she said, then dropped all pretense, pinning her with a hard gaze. “Am I to take this meeting as a yes?”

  Stunned by how quickly the cat turned lion, Annie hesitated. She hadn’t decided anything because she hadn’t heard anything! Darting a glance to the drips of blue lighting overhead, she felt suddenly heated, despite the salon’s contrived ambiance of calm. “What are you proposing?”

  Jillian smiled. “What do you want?”

  Annie had no idea. She didn’t know what the property was worth, other than what the tax assessor said. But Cal had explained to her that the tax assessed value wasn’t the market value, only the amount she was paying taxes on. If she were to sell, the amount would be much higher—which made no sense to her. How could there be more than one value for the same property?

  Staring at Jillian Devane, Annie felt the hairs of doubt tickle her neck. She was out of her league, swimming upstream and losing her kick. “I haven’t decided, yet,” she said quickly, preserving an image of authority. She might not know the value of the land at the moment but she certainly wasn’t going to let this woman make her look like a fool.

  “I’m willing to offer you five hundred thousand dollars for the entire tract of land.”

  Annie gasped.

  Jillian smiled, a gesture that never reached her eyes. “But of course,” she rolled out, “you need time to consider your options.”

  Five hundred thousand dollars? The amount staggered Annie, ringing in her ears like a church bell on Sunday afternoon. Five hundred thousand dollars. All hope for sounding fancy and sophisticated shot clear out the door. “Yes,” she stammered, her jelly-boned legs threatening to collapse beneath her. She balanced herself with a hand to her nail chair and said, “I have other things to think about. Can I call you tomorrow?”

  “Yes. As a matter-of-fact I’m enjoying myself in your country town and will be here for a few short days. After that, I must close the deal on my other property,” she said pointedly. “Once I do, I’m afraid there will be no more room for discussion with you.”

  Annie felt the punch. She’d been put on notice. Hurry up or Eco-Domani money goes elsewhere. “Yes,” she said, fumbling for self-control, confidence, anything to shake the tremor in her voice! “I understand.”

  “I hope that you do.” Jillian smiled richly. “I’d hate to see you miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.”

  A cell phone rang and after a brief moment, Annie realized it was hers. Jillian watched with interest as she answered the call. “Hello?”

  “Annie, do you know where Casey is? She hasn’t shown up for work yet, and the dinner crowd is already shuffling in.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Fran.” Fran Jones was Annie’s aunt and the owner of Fran’s Diner, a staple in town. She’d given Casey a job—one the girl obviously didn’t value—and was now looking for her. Annie eyes dodged those of the appraising Ms. Devane, embarrassed by her daughter’s lack of responsibility. “I’m sure she’s on her way. Can you give her a few more minutes?”

  “Well, she’d better get here quick. I’m short a hand tonight, because Jimmy called in sick.”

  Candi’s nephew. He also worked at Fran’s Diner and minus the two of them Annie knew the kind of pinch it would put her aunt in. The commotion of the kitchen in the background, the usual din of a busy restaurant, sounded as though the Friday night dinner rush was already in full swing. “I’ll run by the apartment and see if she’s home. Maybe she forgot her shift,” Annie defended weakly.

  “She better start remembering ‘fore I fire that child!” Fran hollered into the phone.

  “I understand,” Annie replied, feeling a flush at her neck and cheeks. She’d never been late for a single day of work in her life. Not at Trendz and not at the salon b
efore it. The fact that Casey was skirting her responsibilities ground Annie’s last nerve into the pavement. Ending the call, she said to Ms. Devane, “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”

  The woman’s face lit up with a smile. “Of course. I understand the stress of raising a child by yourself,” she said thickly, her accent mumbling through the last word.

  Annie didn’t think Jillian had children, let alone the first clue about struggling. By the looks of the jewelry hanging from her body and the money she was throwing around, it was clear Ms. Devane had the resources to pay other people to worry about her troubles. Suddenly irritated, Annie said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Yes. Tomorrow.”

  Annie raced home as fast as she legally could, anger building with every mile she drove. If Casey was at home, the girl was going to wish she was at the diner—Annie was gonna string her up by her toes! She and Casey had been going through a rough time, but to put Fran in a bind when Casey knew she’d been nice enough to give her a job in the first place?

  It was completely inexcusable. Banging a fist to the dashboard, Annie jabbed at the lighted arrow for the vehicle’s heat. She’d dashed out of the salon so quickly, there was no time to warm up the car and it was cold! Cold as a cast iron commode in the winter, she thought. Cold as Ms. Devane’s intentions as she tried to force Annie’s back against the wall. I’d hate to see you miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Beneath her fancy sympathetic words lay a lizard tongue. That woman was slick in her manipulation and Annie didn’t care for her one bit. But the money she was offering couldn’t be ignored. Half a million dollars? Did that woman know what Annie and Casey could do with that kind of money? They could live comfortably, buy a decent car. Maybe with her share, Annie could afford the down payment for a salon. Candi had been dying to get her own place. They could be partners! Candi would take care of the hair, Annie would take care of the nails. Why, she could even afford to send Casey to college if the girl would screw her head on right and stop battling the world. Casey had her entire future to look forward but instead she was stuck in the past.

  Because of Jeremiah.

  Casey had been so angry to learn he was her father, she’d rejected him outright. The minute Annie revealed the news, Casey screamed and cried and pitched a fit—none of which Annie could blame her for. Shame skulked in, coursed through Annie’s veins. She didn’t much care for Jeremiah either, regretting she ever slept with the man in the first place, though she didn’t regret having her daughter. Casey was the only bright spot from the affair. A wave of ambivalence washed through her. Just because they were having their difficulties at the moment didn’t mean she didn’t love the girl. She did. Casey was the most important person in Annie’s world. She only wished they had an easier go of it, but Casey was troubled.

  Annie’s sister Lacy was fast becoming a crucial part of her life, too, but it was slower going. Getting over Lacy’s betrayal with Jeremiah had been difficult. It wasn’t until Annie let go of the hate, realizing her sister had been a mere child at the time, that she was able to begin the process of forgiveness. At the time Lacy ran away, she was younger than Casey. Headstrong and free-spirited, she had yearned to break free of her small town and see the world. Unfortunately, she thought Jeremiah was her escape route.

  Lacy had been wrong. Like Annie, she had chosen the wrong man to hitch her wagon to and paid the consequences. When Annie learned the details of Lacy’s life since leaving Tennessee, her heart split in two. Her sister might have made some poor decisions, but she didn’t deserve to be abandoned by Jeremiah in a big city like Atlanta. Annie shuddered, and this time it wasn’t from the chilly temperature. Lacy had it rough yet she bounced back and bore hardly a scar. A smile pulled at her mouth. In that regard, her sister was amazing.

  Thoughts of forgiveness diluted Annie’s anger. Expelling a sigh, she turned onto the road for her apartment complex. Casey was young and headstrong, too. Her rebellion stemmed from choices she didn’t make, situations and circumstances beyond her control. Remorse twisted Annie’s insides. Most of what Casey rebelled against wasn’t her fault. It was her mother’s.

  They were facts Annie couldn’t change. She could only move forward and do the best she could. Thinking back to her conversation with Jillian Devane, Annie wondered what the right thing to do would be in her current predicament. Cal said the logging could bring in a quarter of a million dollars. Ms. Devane offered double that amount. Excitement flitted across her breast. Would a sale on the open market bring even more?

  She didn’t know, but these were definitely things she needed to discuss with Casey. After all, it was her property. The decision rightfully belonged to Casey, though it was crazy how quick a mind could get infected when tempted with big dollar signs. Big dollar signs. Huge. Half a million dollars would change their lives. Pulling into her assigned parking space, Annie cut the engine and wrapped a thick scarf snug around her neck. Stuffing the rising tide of greed back into its corner, she tightened the belt around her coat, braced against the chilled damp mountain air and hurried up the stairs. Cold metal keys jangled in her hand as she tugged them from the door. Flipping on a light switch she called out, “Casey, I’m home!” Closing the door, Annie surveyed the contents of her apartment. Sofa, table, television, all were clear, the room silent. She walked farther into the living room, dumping her purse on the dining room table. “Casey?”

  No answer.

  Surprised, Annie walked down the hallway to her daughter’s bedroom, an uneasiness setting in. Casey had attempted an overdose once before. Had she done so again? Her pulse jumped wildly out of control as Annie yanked open her daughter’s bedroom door. “Casey?”

  Annie’s heart leapt into her throat. There was nothing. No Casey, no nothing. Had she gone to work? Had she gone out?

  A dreadful thought seized her and Annie rushed to the bathroom, whipping open the door. Again, no Casey, no nothing. Annie focused on the vanity. No toothbrush. A looming sense of apprehension choking her, Annie marched back to the dining room and dug into her purse for her cell phone. She dialed Casey’s number but there was no answer. Next, she called Fran.

  “Fran’s Diner.”

  “Fran, its Annie. Did Casey show up for work?”

  “No, darlin’ and I’m going crazy busy right now.”

  Fear fired hot in her chest. “Well, she isn’t home, so I don’t know if she forgot or what happened,” she said, unable to erase the empty toothbrush holder from her mind.

  “Tell her to call me first thing, will you? Right now I’ve got to go.”

  “Yes, sure. Will do,” Annie replied, but Fran had already hung up the phone. Ending the call, her hand began to tremble. Casey, where are you?

  Chapter Four

  Annie stopped in at the diner first thing in the morning. She had called Casey ten times over the course of the night and the girl never answered, never returned her call. Worried, Annie calmed herself with the fact that Casey’s toothbrush was missing, which meant there was no foul play involved. But it didn’t mean foul play couldn’t catch up to her. It was a crazy world out there. Any one of a number of things could happen to her. Her car could break down. She could run out of gas. She could get lost. Annie had no idea where Casey could have gone or why, but the scenarios for disaster grew by leaps and bounds in her imagination. When the thoughts became too much to bear, she called Candi and confided in her what happened. Candi called her nephew right away, but Jimmy didn’t know anything. Not that Annie would expect him to, but he was the closest thing Casey had to a friend these days, and if she was going to run away, she might have told him.

  Run away. It was beginning to be clear that’s indeed what her daughter had done. Upon further investigation last night, Annie had discovered that Casey had packed a suitcase, cleared out her drawers and taken a few of her personal belongings. The framed portrait of her and her mother was not among them. That detail still hurt. The picture had been taken during happier times, a trip to the fresh
water aquarium in Chattanooga two years ago. Casey had been thrilled with the wildlife, creatures she didn’t know existed, many of which lived in the lakes and streams around their home. It had been a great day. Two years ago, mother and daughter had been happy and carefree.

  Today looked a whole lot different. Bells clanged as Annie pushed through the front door of Fran’s Diner. Seven-thirty a.m., but the diner was already serving a half-packed restaurant. Black and white checkered floors were spotless, red vinyl booths gleamed. Guilt threaded through her. Fran and the dinner crew must have stayed late to fill in for the two missing bodies last night. If she’d thought about it, Annie would have come and helped clean up after the dinner crowd herself, but truth be known, she’d been in no condition to go anywhere last night. Casey’s disappearance was shredding her last nerve.

  Venturing toward the back, Annie picked out Fran’s red hair without effort. Tucked within the confines of a sheer hair net, the bright-colored hair dye echoed the booths, the stools, practically everything in the restaurant. But red was Fran and Fran was red—firecracker red, most days—in both style and temperament.

  Fran sailed out of the kitchen, a tray loaded with orange juice and coffee in hand. “Well? What did the child have to say for herself?”

  “Nothing,” Annie replied. An uncomfortable feeling lodged tightly in the pit of her stomach.

  Fran’s penciled brow rose sharply. “Nothing?” Her gaze shot to the ceiling. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, that child has no sense of obligation,” she said, breezing by Annie en route for her table destination. Annie smiled grimly and watched her aunt deliver the beverages, jot down an order and return with a severe look of displeasure etched across her usually cheerful brown eyes. “What’s a matter with her, Annie? Doesn’t she know I was relying on her?”

  “Casey’s gone, Fran.”