Hotel Ladd (32 page)

“
Albert wants
pie.”

She couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
“Pie?”

“
Pie. The man has a
perfectly good blueberry pie sitting on his kitchen counter, but he
wants peach pie.” She grunted and rolled her eyes as if the mere
thought exhausted her. After a brief pause, Delaney brushed long
sweeps of hair behind her ears and settled on Annie. Surrendering
her typically sharp tongue, she remarked, “I don’t know how Ernie
put up with him all these years.”

“
I’d venture to guess it
wasn’t by spoiling him.”

Caught off guard, Delaney took a step
back. “Spoiling him?”

Annie laughed freely, warmed by the
hate-free exchange happening between them. “Ernie would have told
him to eat his blueberry pie or shut his pie hole.”

The comment drew a reluctant smile from
Delaney. “You remember Ernie well.”

“
Not as well as you, but I
do remember that he was a simple man with a simple mindset, and I
don’t see him spoiling anyone.” Annie paused. “Except maybe
Felicity.” Delaney’s expression softened at the mention of her
daughter. “I was always surprised he didn’t buy her a car or pay
for her college. Never made sense.”

“
Ernie wasn’t interested in
making sense. He was a creature of habit.”

“
That he was. And temper.”
While it surprised Annie to learn Ernie had it in him to physically
harm his own flesh and blood, even if at second-hand, it brought a
measure of closure for her daughter. Casey had often wondered if it
had been Troy behind Jeremiah’s beating. The police seemed to think
he had motive, though Annie said it was probably Nick. He was the
one with the strongest motive. Money.

In the lull when the usual distance
started to fill the space between them, something snapped inside of
Annie. “I’m sorry, Delaney.”

“
Sorry?” Suspicion knocked
confusion into her gaze. “About what?”

“
About the property, about
Jillian. About all of it. I’ve made a mess of things and I’m
sorry.” Knowing Cal’s support was behind her bolstered Annie’s
ability to own up to her mistakes. If he could do it, she could do
it. “I had no idea what the woman was capable of, but even so I
should have respected the family legacy and kept it in Casey’s
name, no matter what.”

Delaney stilled. An open line extended
between them. “A woman has a right to sell her land, Annie. It’s
nobody’s business how you run your life. I should have respected
your decision.”

Annie couldn’t believe what she was
hearing, but pounced on the opening. “Delaney, I was only trying to
do what was best for Casey.” The words tumbled out of her mouth.
“It’s been so hard and the bills, I just—”

Delaney held up a hand. “You don’t have
to explain yourself to me. I’ve learned a few hard lessons about
struggling myself these days. With Jack in town it’s made me take
stock of where I’ve been and where I’m going. Things aren’t as
simple as I thought. Add the fact that my life seems to be ruled by
duty and obligation with my man nowhere to be found and I
understand ‘doing what you need to do’ a whole lot
better.”

Annie felt a surge of respect for the
woman she had disliked for so long. The concession felt real, like
Delaney meant it from the heart. “It’s hard to go it alone, isn’t
it?”

“
That it is.” Delaney said
and for a moment, Annie felt like they were allies. “I was happy to
hear about you and Cal. Haven’t given you a proper
congratulations.” Delaney tipped her head. “He’s a nice guy. One of
the few Fosters I like. Hope you two find a lifetime of happiness
together.”

“
Thank you.” Noting
Delaney’s ring finger remained absent a diamond, Annie didn’t want
to rub Delaney’s nose in her joy.

Delaney glanced at Casey. “She sure
could use some stability in her life. The loving guidance from of a
man like Cal will go a long way to set her on track. Too bad he
doesn’t have kids of his own. He’d make a great dad.”

Annie agreed, though didn’t reveal the
fact that Cal had a daughter of his own. That was something he had
to do on his terms. Warmed by talk of her future with him, she
said, “Casey and I are lucky to have him.”

Annie’s joy was short-lived. Noticing
her abrupt change in expression, Delaney turned. Annie mumbled,
“That woman is like a bad dream.”

“
Try nightmare.”

Annie braced herself as Jillian
approached. It was the hour of reckoning.

“
Ms. Owens,” she purred in
that practiced fake way of hers. “So glad I found you.” Completely
ignoring Delaney, Jillian prodded, “Did you forget our appointment
this evening?”

“
I didn’t forget. I had more
important things to do.”

Jillian smiled smooth as silk, a smile
full of arrogance. It turned Annie’s stomach. “I’m sorry you wasted
your time on a return trip to Tennessee, Ms. Devane, but as I
indicated before, I’ve changed my mind on selling.”

Jillian stepped closer. “As I’ve
indicated before, Ms. Owens, I will sue you and take my property in
court if I have to.”

Annie linked her arms over her chest.
Shifting her weight from heel to heel, she said, “Go ahead. I’d
rather take my chances in court then knowingly make a deal with the
devil.”

Squinting heavily-mascaraed eyes,
Jillian said, “You country people are so trite.”

Annie bristled at the insult, as did
Delaney, but to their credit, both women remained in control. A
courtesy this woman didn’t deserve. “You’re entitled to your
opinion, Ms. Devane, but the fact remains. I’m keeping the
land.”

“
You are mistaken,” Jillian
tossed back, but she was clearly losing her cool. All ease had been
erased from her bronzed complexion, her flinty cat eyes flashing in
anger. “I will prevail and make you pay dearly.”

“
Not so fast,
Jillian.”

Nick’s voice cut the room in two. He
strode toward them and Delaney’s entire demeanor transformed. The
edginess disappeared, replaced by naked longing. “Nick!”

Dressed in an expensive leather jacket
and dark blue jeans, he came to her side and she hugged him close.
It was the first time Annie had firsthand insight into how much
Delaney missed Nick during his travels. “I’ve come to inform you
that the game is over, Jillian. You will not be the new owner of
Ladd Springs.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jillian linked her arms over her chest,
a hot jealousy rising to her eyes at the sight of Nick and Delaney
embracing. “If it isn’t Mr. Knight in Shining Armor.”

Nick brandished a sardonic smile.
“Sorry. That fellow is a fairy tale. I’m the real deal and your
deal is done.”

“
What makes you think I will
walk away from the most beautiful property in Tennessee? The land
so close to my greatest
love
.” She thickened her accent on the
last word, clearly for Delaney’s benefit.

“
I just flew home from a
meeting with your father. Took me all night and a day to get here,
but when the woman of your dreams is waiting patiently, a man likes
to hurry.” He squeezed Delaney to his side and she smiled like a
schoolgirl, the pale blue of her sweater taking years from her
face.

“
What business do you have
with my father?” Jillian asked, caught like a trout on the
fly.

“
I shared some information
with him regarding an awful fire a few years back. A fire to which
I have proof of origin.” Jillian’s eyes closed to slits. “You see,
bribery is rampant down in your neck of the woods, and if you
search hard enough, you can find someone willing to talk for the
right price. I know you set that fire and I know you paid to have
the proof destroyed.”

“
Like you said, no
proof.”

He grinned. “Don’t need it. One voice
recording replayed for your father is all it took.”

Jillian lashed out but Nick was
quick—grabbing her hand midair. “Now, now, now, landing yourself in
jail for assault and battery would not make your father
happy.”

Jillian yanked her hand free. “You
don’t know anything about my father,” she hissed.

“
I know he’s running for
office and taking no chances his daughter might prove a liability
to him.” Raising his hand from Delaney’s waist, Nick set it on her
shoulder. “You should call him. I think he wants to use your
prowess for his campaign.”

Annie looked for the whip of a tail
behind Jillian—the woman looked ready to pounce!

“
You will be sorry,
amorzinho
, for interfering
in my business affairs.”

“
Seeing as how I’m about to
be married, I think you should refrain from calling me lover.” He
wrinkled his nose. “It makes you look desperate.”

Jillian gritted her teeth and turned on
her heel, warning, “You have not heard the last from
me.”

Nick heaved a sigh. “Unfortunately, I
believe you.”

Annie watched, along with Nick and a
dumbstruck Delaney, as Jillian Devane exited the diner. She felt
like jumping up and cheering, but was more interested in the
semi-proposal she just heard. Seemed Delaney was interested in a
follow-up as well.

Nick turned Delaney to face him. “You
will marry me, right?”

Delaney’s mouth fell open. “Yes, but I
thought—”

He tapped a finger to her lips. “I said
I wanted to wait until I found the perfect diamond.” Nick reached
into an inside jacket pocket and withdrew a petite black velvet
box. “I have.” He opened the box. Annie and Delaney gasped in
unison. “Do you like it?”

It was the biggest, fattest, squarest
diamond Annie had ever seen. It had to be three carats, maybe more.
She flashed a glance to Delaney. Could she wear a diamond so
big?

Delaney’s hand was locked on her
throat. She looked between the diamond and Nick, Nick and the
diamond. “It’s beautiful, but it’s so big...”

He dropped his head back with a hearty
laugh. “Since when is that a bad thing?”

She stared at him and uttered,
“Seriously, it looks too heavy for my finger.”

“
Shall I have them cut it in
half?”

Delaney slugged his shoulder. “Nick, be
serious.”

“
I am.” Removing the ring
from its case, he took her finger and slid the glittery rock in
place. Delaney was trembling. “Fits perfectly,” he
pronounced.

Annie’s gaze shot to the bells clanging
loudly at the front door. A whoosh of relief and elation rushed
through her. Cal and Malcolm had arrived home with Lacy in
tow.

Decked out in a full length black coat,
his wife swathed identically, Malcolm stopped short. “When did you
get in, Nick? You told me you weren’t due for another
hour.”

Nick lowered to one knee and casually
replied, “I might have exceeded the speed limit.” Then to Delaney,
“With our friends as our witness, will you grant me the highest
honor and become my wife?”

For the first time in Annie’s whole
life, she watched Delaney turn red as an apple. She stammered,
“Yes, you fool, I’ll marry you. Now get up, you’re embarrassing
me!”

“
It’s about time,” Malcolm
said.

“
Hey, not everyone flies off
to the Vegas at the drop of a hat. Some of us need
planning.”

Everyone laughed, including Delaney.
Annie peered over her shoulder to behold the shining eyes of her
daughter. Her heart lurched as the girl dashed into the kitchen, a
bewildered Jimmy slow to follow, but follow he did. Casey was
thinking of Troy. Jimmy might have become her lifeline, her
support, but Troy remained her true love. It was a title no one
else had the power to assume at the moment. Oddly, it was Jimmy who
held the power for Annie. Without him she and Casey would not be
working their way back to one another, a process painstakingly slow
but worth every step. Jimmy kept Casey on the straight and narrow.
Jimmy made her daughter laugh. Annie’s heart sank into the pit of
her stomach. If only she could repay Jimmy somehow, let him know
how much she appreciated what he was doing for her daughter, for
the two of them. A thought struck. Candi could make it happen.
She’d know what he’d enjoy.

Cal pulled up to her and slid an arm
around her shoulders. Reaching up, Annie clasped his hand. Pressing
into the soft suede of his coat, the warm line of his body she
thought, one day Casey would find someone to love, someone as
decent and committed as Cal. Troy had done her wrong. He’d made
promises and broke every one, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t
learn from her mistakes. Like her, Casey could learn how to spot
the wrong one and hold out until the right one came along. Until
then it was Annie’s job to see that Casey was happy. And she would.
She’d help her make good decisions regarding her future, her
self-esteem. She’d teach her how to recognize a good man when she
saw him. And she’d teach her the value of family. More than blood
relatives, Annie would teach Casey the value of a strong family. It
was a lesson she’d learned a lot about lately and it was time she
shared it with her daughter. Annie squeezed Cal’s hand as she
watched Lacy fawn over Delaney and her ring. “That’s some kind of
Christmas gift.”