by Tara Randel
“And this stubborn act of rebellion is getting old. Things were mishandled. Mistakes were made. You joined the military to get back at me. But it’s been years and we need you to step up here in Golden.”
“Wow. Did you really say ‘mistakes were made’?”
“Leave the past where it belongs, son.”
Anger, hot and heavy, crept over Logan’s skin.
“We have many plans going forward in the upcoming year. Your mother and I would like you to be present.”
“I’ve explained this to you more than once. I’m here for Grandmother.”
Hoping his point would hit home—doubtful—he reached for the knob again when the woman he called mother moved into his peripheral vision. He was about to be double-teamed.
Her cloying perfume choked him. “Logan. I was hoping we’d visit before you left us again.”
“I have some things to attend to.”
“Really?” She arched her artistically shaped eyebrows. “In town?”
“Yes.”
“Then you don’t have an excuse not to come to the house for dinner tonight. Seven?”
He must be off his game today. First, Grandmother trying to embroil him in her matchmaking ploys, then his father talking over him and now his mother asking him to dinner. He’d rather not eat than share a meal with the two of them.
“Let me see how my time is,” Logan answered. “I’ll let you know.” His investigating had better come up with something worthy for him to endure such family togetherness.
His mother’s eyes went dewy and she laid a graceful hand on his arm. Bonnie Masterson had sacrificed a lot for him, loved him when she didn’t have to. His darned heart went and got soft on him as he met her searching green gaze, her heart-shaped face framed by pale blond hair. He never could say no to the woman, even though they would never be close.
“I’ll see you at seven.”
Bonnie’s smile spread. “Wonderful. I’ll have Alveda make a plate of your favorite fried green tomatoes.”
With a nod to his parents, he said, “I’ll see you later.”
He jogged down the stairs, burst out the front door to the street and stopped to breathe in fresh air. How did they do it? Even when he steeled his heart against them, they won. Shaking off his strange mood, he strode over to the mountain vacation business of Put Your Feet Up. His meeting with Deke Matthews should have started ten minutes ago.
He entered and caught Deke and one of the business’s owners, Grace Harper, in a serious lip-lock.
“Kids, I thought we went over the legal ramifications of inappropriate PDA in the workplace.”
The couple jerked apart. Grace’s pretty face flushed, while a smirk curved Deke’s lips.
“We got tired of waiting for you.”
Logan apologized. “The meeting went long.”
Deke gave him a searching look, then nodded.
“Tell you what,” Grace said. “Why don’t you guys head over to Smitty’s? You’ll have some time to talk before the Oktoberfest committee descends on the place.”
“Sure you don’t want to join us?” Deke asked, his hand resting on Grace’s shoulder with casual ease. They’d fallen for each other when Deke came to town to follow a lead on his mother’s mystery man—a lead that led directly to Serena Stanhope.
“I promised my sister I’d finish up a few calls before going back to my law office.” Grace turned to Logan. “She had to take the kids to the doctor.”
“Things are going well here?”
Deke nodded as Grace said, “My sibs are all in, which means I actually get to practice law, so yeah—” she glanced at Deke “—things are good.”
Logan had known Grace, along with most of the population here in Golden, all his life. She’d always been focused and serious, so he wasn’t surprised she’d gone into law. Deke was also on more of the quiet, reflective side. He assumed that was what made them a good pair.
He’d first met Deke when an investigation by his agency overlapped with an active police case of his. A woman had come to the agency, concerned that her husband was involved with some shady people. After tailing the guy for weeks, Logan soon discovered the husband was involved in several robberies. The cops were called in, Logan and Deke compared notes and, in the end, discovered the connecting link that led to Deke making an arrest. They’d gone out for a few beers after closing the case and had been good buddies ever since.
“Let’s hit it,” Logan said. Ready to get down to business, he stepped out onto the sidewalk while Deke said goodbye.
A few minutes later they were walking north to Smitty’s, a neighborhood hangout off the beaten tourist path. While most of the businesses in town catered to visitors, Smitty’s was the one place where locals could escape and let off steam in the rustic pub after a busy day, or just hang out with friends.
“You know,” Logan said, “you don’t have to rub your sappy relationship in my face every time we meet.”
“And you could have more information about my mother’s boyfriend, but you don’t.”
Logan cringed. “Sorry about that. This case wasn’t the slam dunk I’d hoped it would be.”
After pulling open the heavy oak door of the log-cabin-style pub, Logan motioned in Deke and then followed. The dark interior was soothing coming on the heels of the intense late afternoon sun. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Their boots echoed over scuffed wood floors as they took a corner table. Classic country boomed from the wall-mounted speakers scattered around the room. Once seated, Deke didn’t waste any time.
“Anything new?”
Logan rested his elbows on the table. “Nothing since the last time we talked. Serena’s past is murky, to say the least.”
“She and her father are good.”
“Your mother still standing by her man?”
“Tightly.”
Logan scowled.
Deke had called, asking him to check the connection between Serena Stanhope and James Tate, the man his mother had started dating. Since Deke and his brothers were all involved in law enforcement, they decided to get a PI involved instead of risking their positions by doing a background check for personal reasons. A PI in Florida had found calls on Tate’s phone made to Golden and discovered that number belonged to Blue Ridge Cottage. Since the lead had shifted from Florida to Georgia, Logan had then taken over this end of the investigation.
“My brothers and I laid off,” Deke said. “I’ve done my best to stay out of Serena’s eyeline, hoping my mom would lose interest in the guy, but that hasn’t happened. Mom is stubborn. The only way to get her to see reason is to present her with credible facts showing her why we’re concerned.” He grimaced. “Even then she won’t be easy to convince.”
Logan took his phone from his pocket and pulled up a document. “I did a background search on both names Tate and Stanhope. The information overlaps between a deceased Tate and a confusing past on Stanhope. I’d say he stole the Tate identity he’s using now. Stanhope, however, is legally still alive, even if there hasn’t been any activity in his credit, health care or any other traceable matters over the past ten years.”
“So he is a con man.”
That had been the consensus between the brothers and investigators working the case after the initial information on the subject was revealed. Logan didn’t see that fact changing anytime soon.
“The next step is producing evidence to prove our theory. Serena is the key. It’s no coincidence they have the same last name.” Logan met Deke’s steady gaze head-on. He’d learned a long time ago that when dealing with clients, it was best to be straightforward, even if you didn’t have concrete answers. “Right now, all I can confirm is that Stanhope is using another man’s identity. Weird thing is, he’s not doing it for financial gain. There’s been no record of Tate’s social security number used to open bogus
accounts or credit cards. He strictly took the name because it matched up closely with his own date of birth and physical resemblance.”
“Which he could argue is a coincidence. How many other people in the US have the name James Tate?”
“Right. As far as I can tell, he’s not stealing a dime.”
“Then why not use Stanhope, his real name?” Deke mused.
“Maybe he used it in a prior con job and can’t afford to be associated with it.”
Deke nodded, then asked, “Serena?”
“So far, no link. The calls from Tate stopped about the time you found out what we suspect is his real name.”
“Think he warned her?”
Logan shrugged. “That would be my guess.”
Heavy footsteps approached the table. “You guys ordering?”
Deke glanced up. “Nice customer service, Jamey.”
A smile appeared under a heavy beard. “Like you expect niceties.”
“We get them when Sarah is working.”
“Her day off, so you get me in all my customer-relation glory.”
“Ginger ale,” Logan said, then looked at Deke.
“Same.”
“My tab,” Logan told the pub owner as he walked away.
Deke rested his elbows on the scarred tabletop and leaned forward. “So what’s next?”
“I keep tabs on the pretty store owner. I’m hoping she’s the avenue that leads me to the information we need.”
“Why does that smile of yours tell me you’re going to enjoy that?”
“I don’t know.” Logan shook his head. “It’s like I’ve met my match with her and can’t wait to start sparring.”
“And you wonder why the ladies don’t think you’re romantic.”
Logan threw up his hands. “Hey, I’m not looking for romance. I want to wrap up this case and stay out of Golden for as long as I can.”
“Not if your family has anything to say about it.”
Logan scoffed. “I’m not asking for their opinion.”
After yelling something through the kitchen door, Jamey returned with their drinks. “You guys staying for the Oktoberfest meeting?”
“I am,” Deke answered. “Grace is joining me here.”
“You’re really getting involved in that festival mess?” Logan asked as he picked up his glass.
“I am.”
He shot Deke a pitying look. “Count me out.”
“Really? What if I were to tell you Serena will be attending.”
Logan took a swallow of the sparkling beverage, then carefully placed the glass on the table. “Then I’d say Oktoberfest just became my favorite holiday of the year.”
* * *
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I got roped into the festival committee,” Serena muttered as she and her store manager, Heidi, made their way down the sidewalk to Smitty’s.
“Aren’t you the one always telling me you adore Golden? So you act like a good citizen and get involved.”
Serena would love to, if she wasn’t afraid of getting too close to people, especially Deke, the son of her father’s girlfriend.
Deke had come by the store a few times after first arriving in town with friendly questions she knew not to answer. Once she learned who he was, her fallback position was to be wary. Eventually Deke had backed off. They were polite whenever their paths crossed, but he had a look about him that kept Serena’s antenna up.
Since landing in Golden, Heidi Welch had become a good friend in the short time they’d known each other, and lately she’d interacted with Grace Harper. Since both Heidi and Grace had lived in Golden longer than Serena, they seemed to know everyone, along with the best places to have fun. While Serena loved being included, being accepted as part of a group, it also made her nervous. Every day she prayed her past wouldn’t be revealed.
“Even if I was right in the middle of a new card design?”
Heidi shot her a sideways glance. “You can’t use that excuse because you’re always working on one design or another.”
True. Serena used drawing as a way to escape the world around her. Hours flew by as her colored pencils, charcoal or watercolors filled her sketchbook with shading, tone and contrast. Engrossed in her work, she didn’t worry about the past catching up with her.
The new series, inspired by the beautiful mountain vistas and dense woods surrounding Golden, had been more time-consuming than she’d envisioned. Good, because the quality of her work would bring sales; bad, because she was behind on her deadline. She’d hoped to have her proofs to the printer before presenting her business proposal to any potential investors. Would Mrs. Masterson be intrigued by the merit of the proposal, or know someone else who might find Serena’s business interesting enough to invest in?
“You’re being secretive about this business proposal,” Heidi said as she led the way. “Any reason why?”
“No. It’s just...the more I create new ideas, the longer it seems to be taking me. I had so many flashes of creativity in college, which launched this whole company. But as more of my designs get out there, I want them to be different. Which means more time spent making sure every line, every splash of color, is fresh and innovative.”
“Glad to hear the artist is back.”
Serena stopped short, her sandals catching the sidewalk seam, causing the pedestrians behind them to swerve in order to miss running into her. “What do you mean? I’ve always been an artist.”
Heidi grinned, her light brown hair highlighted with a bright red streak in the front and pulled back in a high ponytail. Her amber-colored eyes sparkled. “Not when you’re caught up in the business aspect of the store. I don’t know why you didn’t let me put the proposal together. I’m way better at numbers than you.”
Yes, Heidi had a mathematician’s brain. She was also very shrewd, which meant Serena kept the company’s information, mainly the truth of its origins, a secret. Only one other person in the entire world knew about Aunt Mary and how she figured into the company lore. Serena planned on keeping it that way.
“Aren’t you busy enough with inventory, marketing, online sales—”
Heidi held up her hand. “I get it. I have work to do.”
“It’s not like I didn’t ask you for advice.”
“You did, which makes me happy. I know you’re busy with your designs and I just wanted to help.”
Serena threw an arm over her friend’s shoulder to tug her close. “I appreciate it.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to get all gooey on me.”
Releasing her, Serena laughed. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” Heidi muttered in her patented “keep your distance” tone.
“Someday you’re going to return one of my hugs.”
Heidi resumed walking. “Don’t count on it.”
Swallowing a chuckle, Serena was about to tease her friend when a voice called out, “Hey, ladies. Wait up.”
Serena smiled as Grace Harper strode toward them. Brisk and to-the-point, the blonde woman dating Deke had initially made Serena uncomfortable until she got to know her better.
“Headed to the meeting?” Grace asked as the three strolled down the sidewalk together.
“Do we have a choice?” Serena replied.
Both Heidi and Grace sent her identical frowns.
“We’ve discussed this,” Heidi said. “If we want more tourists, we need these festivals.”
“The Summer Gold Celebration was a start,” Grace said, “but I don’t think we pulled in the numbers the festival committee was looking for.”
Puzzled, Serena said, “The foot traffic was pretty good.”
Heidi nodded. “It was better than summers past and our sales were up, but I’m sure you’ve noticed the lag this month. After Labor Day we see less tourists. Kids go back
to school and our bottom line drops. Oktoberfest draws an older crowd, hopefully with money to burn.”
“We’ve already seen vacation packages slow down a tick at Put Your Feet Up. Tourists eager to view the fall foliage won’t be here until October.”
Serena turned to Grace. “But aren’t you spending long hours getting your practice started?”
“I am. Though I still put in time at the family office.” Grace shrugged but looked anything but repentant. “What can I say? I’m all about control.”
Heidi looked around Serena, sending Grace an amused glance. “Really? Seems to me a certain tall, dark and handsome tour guide has tempered that streak.”
Grace’s eyes grew dreamy. “Yeah, Deke is pretty awesome.”
Serena and Heidi exchanged eye rolls.
“Look, you two, once you each find the right guy, you’ll become as sappy as me.”
“Count me out,” Heidi said, picking up the pace to beat the others to Smitty’s.
“What about you, Serena?” Grace asked, her smile bright. “You don’t have a boyfriend. Are you looking?”
An image of Logan Masterson, his winning smile and sharp gaze, filled her head. While he was very attractive, he also sent out a vibe that made Serena nervous. “Right now my focus is on the store.”
“But one day?”
Serena laughed. “People in love are annoying. You think everyone should join your club.”
“It’s not exclusive.” Grace held open the heavy door after Heidi disappeared inside the dimly lit pub. “Maybe I can set you up with someone. There are some nice single guys in town. Any of the Wright brothers are a catch.”
Serena’s eyes went wide at the suggestion. “Good grief, no.”
“Afraid you might actually meet a guy and fall in love?”
Yes. That would be a disaster.
“How about you concentrate on Deke,” Serena told her friend, “and leave us single ladies alone.”
“Fine,” Grace huffed. “For now.”
