Ladd Haven (23 page)

Met by compassion, Cal hardened. “It
was my fault.”

“
Culpability wasn’t
proven.”

“
Still. It was my fault. I’d
been drinking.” Words he didn’t have use for these days, but
remained stuck to him from the past. He glanced at the security
monitors and found lobby activity had returned to
normal.

“
You made a mistake. You
tried to own up to it. I respect that in a man.” Malcolm heaved a
sigh, holding Cal firmly within his sights. “I’ve made some
mistakes in my life. Everyone has. What I’ve learned is that I’m
more interested in where a man is going then where he’s been.
You’re a good man, Cal. You’re rock solid. I need you by my side
running this hotel.”

“
Thank you,” he murmured,
too shocked to say anything more.

“
But I also need honesty
from those around me. Jack was pretty battered. He made a pretty
nasty accusation.” Malcolm narrowed his gaze, one that nailed Cal
to his seat. “What happened between Jack and Delaney? How does Troy
fit in?”

Cal started from the beginning, from
the minute he received Troy’s call to the moment he dumped Jack at
his parent’s home and the subsequent conversation with his father
about the incident. He didn’t leave out a single detail, not an
inch of what he knew. He owed Malcolm that much. He owed Malcolm a
whole lot more, but he’d begin where he could. “I didn’t expect him
to have the audacity to press charges.”

Malcolm returned a contemplative stare.
“Nick will have to know.”

“
Don’t you think Delaney
will tell him?”

“
Did you tell
Annie?”

Ouch
. Apparently Malcolm picked up on Annie’s surprise.

No, Cal had not told her. Delaney had
wanted the ordeal kept private so as not to hurt Felicity. Cal gave
her his word. It wasn’t Annie’s business. It wasn’t anyone’s
business but Delaney’s and Jack’s and Troy’s.

Troy. Hopefully this wasn’t going to
ruin his second chance. From what Annie said, Casey had taken him
back. She’d told him about the baby and the boy was reportedly
thrilled. If Jacks persisted, Troy could end up in jail.

“
Delaney asked me to keep
her confidence and I gave her my word. I figure it’s her business
who she tells.”

“
Do you know what really
happened?”

“
Only what Troy told
me.”

“
Troy.” Malcolm furrowed his
brow. “How did he manage to get mixed up in this mess?”

“
He was working late,
overheard the commotion. When Jack went for Delaney, he
intervened.”

Malcolm shook his head. “That boy has
an amazing ability to find trouble.”

“
I’ll give you that,” Cal
agreed, “but he did the right thing.”

“
Maybe.” Caution entered
Malcolm’s gaze. “But it might be the end to his career with Harris
Hotels.”

Outrage rippled through him. “You’re
not going to fire him, are you?”

“
The decision might be out
of my hands. Depending on whether or not Jack goes through with
pressing charges, Troy might find himself with a legal
battle.”

“
It won’t come to that, I
promise you.”

“
How can you be so
sure?”

Cal couldn’t. He simply knew he
couldn’t allow it to happen. There was too much as stake for his
family—his wife and step-daughter, his soon to be
son-in-law.

“
Either way, Nick needs to
know.”

“
You don’t think Delaney
will tell him?”

“
Can’t be sure. But now that
I know, I can’t hold her secret.” He paused. “I’m sorry, but Nick
and I go way back. We don’t keep important information from one
another no matter who wants it so.”

Reluctantly, Cal nodded. Jack attacking
Delaney on hotel property counted as important when it came to
Nick. As owner of the hotel, Malcolm would have to be concerned.
Troy was an employee. His actions had consequences.

Chapter Eighteen

Annie rapped lightly on Casey’s bedroom
door. “Sweetheart, can I come in?”

“
Yes,” came the muffled
reply from somewhere inside.

Annie pushed open the door to discover
her daughter whisking hangars from one side of her closet to the
other, a dull array of tops and dresses swinging from the force.
Casey wasn’t known for her bright clothing. She wasn’t known for
caring about how she looked. “What’s the matter? Did you lose
something?”

“
I’m having breakfast with
Troy today and I don’t want to wear a tent dress.”

“
Tent dress?” Annie asked,
venturing further in. “Those are maternity clothes, not tent
dresses.”

Casey glanced over her shoulder with a
stony eye. “They’re tent dresses, Mom. They make me look big as a
house.”

Annie nearly laughed. “You couldn’t
look big as a house if you tried.”

Casey groaned loudly. Hands slid hangar
after hangar along the metal bar as she pulled each piece of
clothing out, inspected it, shoved it back in. Plink. She thrust
another back in dismay. “What am I going to wear?”

Annie savored a private smile. It was
nice to see her daughter care about her appearance. She couldn’t
remember the last time Casey fussed with her hair or clothes. She
didn’t wear makeup, no nail polish. Her toe nails were painted, but
it was only under duress. The techs needed practice during their
soft opening the week before Memorial Day, and though Casey had
wanted nothing to do with it, obliged on their behalf. Annie was
happy her daughter had found reason to care. She feared it was a
joy soon to be extinguished.

She doubted the girl knew anything
about the incident with Delaney. “Well...” Annie meandered closer.
“Why don’t you try that sundress Lacy bought for you?”

Casey halted mid-motion. “What
sundress?”

“
Remember, the aqua blue one
she said would bring out the color of your eyes?”

Visibly searching her memory, Casey
replied, “I don’t know where it is?”

“
Maybe in the box? You never
opened it.” Casey had said it was too bright and would call
attention to her figure.

“
Oh yeah—I almost forgot!”
Racing across the room, she yanked out an ivory-painted dresser
drawer and pulled the dress free. Tags dangled from its spaghetti
shoulder straps, wrinkles creased lines down the skirt. “Do you
think it will be too much?”

Annie smiled. “I think it will be
adorable.”

Casey lashed her with a dose of
suspicion. “You’re not just saying that, are you?”

She chuckled. “No, I’m not just saying
that. I think you should wear those silver hoops Cal gave you for
your birthday, too. Maybe a pair of sandals?” she prodded, unsure
if any of her open-toed shoes still fit. Casey practically lived in
her boots these days.

“
I’ll try it on.”

“
Okay.” Pleased she’d been
able to help, Annie re-traced her steps. “Let me know when you’re
ready. I’d like to see it.”

“
Okay,” Casey replied
distracted by the row of shoes on her closet floor.

Annie returned to the living room where
Cal was reading the Sunday morning paper, folds of newspaper piled
by his side on the sofa. Comfortably dressed in jeans and T-shirt,
legs kicked up on the coffee table, reading glasses perched on the
end of his nose, he looked up. “Well? What did she say?”

“
Nothing. I wasn’t about to
bring it up.” Annie circled the couch and dropped to a seat next to
her husband. Reaching for her cup of coffee, she cradled the warm
ceramic in her lap.

“
Why not? I thought you were
curious.”

She chucked a sideways glance at him.
“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

“
Old wives’ tale,” he
countered.

Most of which were true, Annie wanted
to retort. But it was neither here nor there. Heaving a sigh, she
replied, “Casey wouldn’t have heard me, anyway. She’s in a
whirlwind over having breakfast with Troy, trying to decide what to
wear.”

Cal lowered the newspaper in hand.
“Ah.”

“
Do you think Troy’s going
to tell her about the incident with Delaney?”

“
No reason for him to tell
her.”

Annie nodded, relieved. Casey didn’t
need the added stress. “Do you think Jack will really press charges
against him?”

“
Doubt it. It would open him
up to a litany of charges from Delaney, and I think he’s smarter
than that. Evil, but smart.”

At the sound of Casey’s bedroom door
opening, Annie turned in her seat, watching her daughter breeze out
into the living room of their small apartment. Their new house
wasn’t finished yet, the plans for which Cal had surprised her with
over Christmas. They were building it on Casey’s half of Ladd
Springs with her daughter’s blessing. Not only had she changed her
mind with regard to family ties, she seemed eager to stay close.
Cal must have seen it, too, refusing to rent a larger place for the
interim. He insisted living here would give Casey a sense of
stability, continuity. The quarters seemed cramped to Annie, but at
the moment, she was grateful. The arrangement kept her close to her
daughter.

“
Well, what do you think?”
Casey spread the skirt with her hands. “Do you like it? Do you
think it’s too much?”

Cal pulled the glasses from his face
and let out a slow whistle. “That’s a mighty pretty dress on you,
really brings out your eyes.”

Pleased by the compliment, she asked
her mother, “What do you think?”

Warmed by Cal’s response, Annie agreed.
“I think Cal said it all. It suits you perfectly and Lacy was
right. It does make your eyes pop.”

Casey beamed. “Do you think Troy will
like it?”

“
If he doesn’t, he needs to
have his head examined,” Cal said, matter-of-fact.

Casey giggled, a sound filled with
girlish delight. “I’m meeting him at ten.”

“
Care if we join
you?”

Casey and Cal both looked to Annie in
surprise.

“
Well...” Casey hemmed,
holding the lengths of her skirt close to her body. “It is our
first breakfast together since I told him about the
baby.”

“
What do you say your mother
and I find our own booth,” Cal said, silently urging Annie to
agree.

“
Of course,” she said. “You
two will have a lot to talk about.” Like your high blood pressure,
your lack of weight gain, his family medical history—none of which
would likely make it into the conversation. “We’ll find our own
booth,” Annie muttered under her breath.

Troy spotted Cal as he held the door to
the diner for Casey and Annie. Sitting at a table in the back, Troy
stood, weaving through tables crowded with people as he
automatically headed for Casey. Sunday morning was a hive of
activity at Fran’s, most diners dressed for church services while a
few remained casual like him. Unfortunately, Troy didn’t remember
the last time he’d attended services. But with a baby on the way
they were going to have to rectify that and quick.

As he neared Casey, his mouth fell
open. “Dad gum, woman. Where did you get that dress?”

“
Do you like it?” she asked,
her expectation stamped on her grin.

“
Like it?” He inspected her
attire with open desire. “I love it.”

“
Thank you!” she chirped,
blue eyes shining with pleasure as she practically lifted from her
toes.

Taking her by the arm, Troy leaned over
and kissed her cheek. “I mean I really love it.” The dress was
bright blue with frilly trim, totally opposite to Casey’s normal
boots, jeans and sneakers—or lately, her oversized maternity
dresses—and it showed off her bare shoulders. Her really smooth,
creamy white bare shoulders. “I’ve never seen you in anything like
it before.”

“
Aunt Lacy gave it to me.
She said a pregnant woman was the most beautiful kind of woman and
should dress like it.”

Troy chuckled. “Well, you ain’t gonna
hear any disagreement from me!”

“
How goes it,
Troy?”

Troy looked at Cal’s knowing eyes,
instantly wondering if Casey or Annie knew about the business with
his brother but realizing at once they did not. Casey, anyway. She
was too cheerful. “Fine. Real fine.”

“
Good.” Cal placed a hand to
the small of Annie’s back. “Mrs. Foster and I are going to enjoy a
bite of breakfast.”

Troy nodded.
Why else would they be here
? Leading Casey by the elbow, he guided her back to his table.
Jimmy Sweeney was in the back, sulking. Once Troy told him the news
about him and Casey getting married, Jimmy had closed his mouth and
turned on his heel.

Like he should. Trying to step in on
his woman the way he did, the boy ought to run scared. He’d also
better get the hint that Troy didn’t approve of male friends
hanging around his wife, either. “Are you hungry?” Troy asked
Casey, helping her to a seat and then sliding in next to
her.