Eight Reasons Why

by Jeannette Winters

  “And what exactly would you do?”

  She smiled. “First off, I won’t tell anyone she’s your mother. Second, I’ll handle the interviews tomorrow and set up any training that needs to take place. That should give the two of you time to enjoy your visit.”

  Allyson made everything seem so simple. But she had no idea his mother wasn’t coming to visit. She was coming to confront. Her timing couldn’t have been worse.

  He gave Allyson’s hand a light squeeze. “Thank you, Allyson.”

  She looked at him again, and that sent the pit of his stomach into knots. Don’t kiss her. Luckily, there was a knock on the door. Their dinner had arrived. It was exactly the distraction they needed. And a table to separate us might just do it.

  They had to get through the night without him acting on the growing need within him. No matter how Allyson spun it, Caydan knew the odds weren’t in his favor. And I’d rather you hate me for hiding the truth, not for every taste I take of your body, every touch I steal even though I don’t deserve it.

  Chapter 11

  Okay, she needed to play interference so Caydan and his mother could have some time together. There was a lot more to this than what he was telling her. But that was between him and his mother. Not her.

  She could see his stress. There had been some tense moments between them, but this wasn’t anything like that. It reminded her of when she and her mother disagreed on something. He may as well face it. Mothers don’t stop. They just change tactics. And his mother seemed to be using a surprise visit. Allyson didn’t want to trade places with him. She could only imagine what it would be like if her mother had shown up with less than a twenty-four hour notice. Who am I kidding. I’ll be lucky if I can get her to come with a year’s notice.

  Allyson wanted to see if she could get a peek at Mrs. Pintino, but she’d promised Caydan she’d handle the business side of everything today. That meant getting through the interviews. It wouldn’t be a problem, just time consuming. If she’d known she would be doing them alone, she wouldn’t have put them all on the same day. But they needed those positions filled and quickly. Shaun hadn’t seemed to have noticed, but if Drake or Alex returned, they most definitely would.

  Drake and Alex had handled everything before she and Caydan stepped in. They’d had it running like a well-oiled machine. Had it always been that easy for them? It appeared so. No one had ever said differently. She wasn’t out to fill their shoes. Of course, she couldn’t imagine owning such a place either. I dream big, but that may be too big.

  Allyson was on her third interview, and each had gone the same as the one before. They were agreeing to any terms and promising to work harder than anyone else. She understood why. Chances like these didn’t come often. If they were given the job, this would change things for their families. But there were only three positions, and it wasn’t going to be easy telling two of them no. She hoped whatever had caused three to quit wasn’t going to continue. But at least she would have some waiting in the wings if it did. Drake and Alex might be enjoying their extended stays back in the States, but this was their home and she needed to make sure their business didn’t fall apart while they were gone.

  Allyson was just about to meet with the fourth applicant when Shaun called.

  “Hi, Allyson. I’m looking for Caydan. Have you heard from him today?”

  She’d been in his room very late last night, actually it was almost dawn when she’d left. They each had work to do today, but neither of them had wanted their time alone to end. It was almost like they’d thought it might be the last for them. I hope we were wrong. “I saw him earlier.”

  “Did he mention what his plans were for today?”

  What were the odds Shaun knew she’d stayed up most of the night chatting with Caydan? They’d been behind closed doors, so no one would believe they didn’t have sex. I can’t believe it either. After that kiss on the beach and then in his room . . . she hadn’t thought either of them could hold back. But they had and it was for the best. Things were complicated enough right now.

  “No. I’m sorry. We only briefly spoke about the staff.”

  Shaun snorted. “If you see him. Tell him to call me.”

  “Certainly. I have someone in my office, is there anything you need?”

  “Sorry to have interrupted you. Have a good day, Allyson.”

  “You too.”

  She hung up the phone and waved for the gentlemen to have a seat. “Sorry about that. I’m Allyson King. Thank you so much for coming in today.”

  Although she went about the next two interviews, her mind was not on the task at hand. Then again, she was only asking the standard questions, and Tabiqians were far from being chatterboxes.

  With the last applicant out the door, she was left with little to do. Not that she wanted to talk herself out of having a job, but New Hope didn’t require an HR manager. She handled the payroll in one day, and that could be processed anywhere. Caydan’s position, on the other hand, was critical. He wasn’t just scheduling staff; she could do that, but the rest of his job wasn’t in her realm of qualifications. It entailed monitoring expenses, working with vendors to assure the resort had top quality products, and negotiating the best prices without blowing New Hope’s budget—all while watching what your competition was doing and trying to stand out from the crowd. You had to have a savvy business mind to run a business like this. Caydan was that person. And he really doesn’t want it. Go figure.

  Although she couldn’t fill Caydan’s role, he couldn’t step into hers. HR policed policies and procedures. There was no gray area. And that wasn’t within Caydan’s comfort zone. He’d find it restrictive. I find it safe.

  She wondered if Shaun had finally touched bases with Caydan. Allyson had gotten the impression Caydan was going to try to avoid as many people as possible. That wasn’t wise when your boss was looking for you.

  As his friend, and hopefully they were at least that, she should warn him. And as the HR manager, it was her duty to check that everything was okay. She laughed to herself. I’m sure if I think harder, I can come up with at least a dozen reasons I should see him today.

  Closing her laptop, she got up and left in search of him. If Shaun couldn’t find him, she needed to be a bit more resourceful. Her first stop was the reception desk. They would be able to tell her if Delveen had actually arrived today.

  Allyson didn’t want to ask outright as that would draw the attention Caydan had been trying to avoid. Instead she tried a subtle approach.

  “Any new guests today?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  Hmm. “Any scheduled to come later?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Now I get why Shaun had me make the phone call yesterday. “And who would that be?”

  “Patrick Rogers.”

  “Oh, a new guest. That’s good.”

  “No, ma’am. He’s been here before.”

  She smiled. “A returning guest is even better.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Allyson wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. She was pleasant and smiled, but Allyson needed to coach her on how to interact with others. It was necessary to be friendly without crossing the line and becoming inappropriate. Caydan should actually take that task on, but she wasn’t sure he could train anyone to be warm and fuzzy. Hot and sexy, yes, fuzzy . . . not so much. She wondered why Drake and Alex would’ve hired someone so reserved for the front desk. Janet would’ve been perfect in the role, however that would’ve been a step down. Although that receptionist wouldn’t have been her choice, there hadn’t been any complaints from guests, so she must be working out fine. Maybe it’s just me she’s not fond of, or at least my position here. That hesitation, unfortunately, came with the job. Many times employees only saw someone from HR when they were in trouble or fired. Don’t worry, I’m out to keep employees, not get rid of them.

  She gave the receptionist a quick smile and left her alone to do whatever she did while standing there.<
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  If she was going to be there for a year, she needed to work on a few things. Actually a lot of things. The first thing on her list was to find Caydan, who seemed to be MIA.

  She looked everywhere she could think of and even knocked on his door, but there was no answer. Allyson rang his phone, but he didn’t pick up. She tried not to take that personally, as he seemed to be ignoring Shaun’s calls as well. At least I’m in good company.

  Allyson gave up. Although he wasn’t supposed to leave the resort, it was very possible he went to retrieve his mother from the airport. Which wasn’t going to go over well if Shaun found out. But for all she knew, even Shaun wasn’t at the resort any longer. He’d hadn’t said it, but she definitely had picked up that his time there was short. That was disappointing because he could be an asset to New Hope, if he wanted. But he would’ve told me if he was leaving. He would’ve said goodbye. Her mind was picking at straws. There had been days their paths hadn’t crossed, and she hadn’t given it a second thought. Think of something else, Allyson, before you drive yourself crazy about something you have no control over.

  Allyson pushed the elevator button again in frustration. She was letting her imagination get the better of her. That wasn’t productive at all. She might as well grab a late lunch and go back to her office.

  When the elevator doors opened, one guest was inside who hopefully hadn’t hurt her leg while here on vacation. Allyson stepped in and asked, “Are you enjoying your stay?” The woman turned to Allyson, looking at her oddly. It was possible the woman didn’t speak English as their guests came from all over the world. She tried again, this time by introducing herself. “I’m Allyson.”

  “King. I know.”

  How does she know my name? “Have we met?” Allyson asked.

  “Not formally.”

  “I apologize. I can’t recall your name.” Because I have no idea who you are.

  “I’m Delveen Pintino.” Caydan’s mother. Allyson’s heart raced, and when Delveen spoke next, it practically stopped. “I recognize your voice from your call yesterday.”

  You’re the woman I called? She had no idea who was on the other line. Her stomach twisted in a knot. But I’m sure Shaun and Bennett knew. Was she being used as a pawn? If so, why? Delveen was a little older than her parents, and surely she wasn’t a threat of any kind. They don’t want Caydan to know.

  Well, that joke was on them, because Caydan knew. But what he doesn’t know is that I might be the reason she showed up here.

  Allyson swallowed hard, extended her hand, and said, “Welcome to New Hope. I didn’t realized you were Cay—Mr. Pintino’s mother when we spoke.”

  “Evidently not. Although I suspect your call wasn’t a random dial.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” Allyson admitted.

  “My son had to meet with Roger. Would you like to come to my room and you and I can talk while waiting?”

  I think I’ve done enough talking. Maybe running would be best. But Delveen wasn’t just Caydan’s mother, she was a guest. And one the receptionist somehow doesn’t know is here.

  “I’d like that. Do you drink tea?” Allyson asked. Delveen nodded. “Good. I’ll have some brought up with fresh-baked scones. Tabiq is known for their baked goods.”

  Delveen smirked. “I’m very familiar with what Tabiq is known for.”

  Ah. That’s right. This is your home. They headed down the hallway toward Delveen’s room, and she wondered if she should apologize or if that would make her appear weak in Delveen’s eyes. Her mother had taught her to be poised and calm, one of the reasons she was good at her job. If she was honest, it would be interesting to talk to Caydan’s mom. She knew she couldn’t ask for information on Caydan directly—what he was like as a boy, any funny stories—but she was sure she’d learn more about Caydan indirectly, and that opportunity might never come again. Ever the opportunist, Allyson saw this as a positive opening. And I’m glad you’re still here, Caydan. I would’ve missed you if you’d left.

  * * *

  Caydan turned to Shaun and said, “I don’t give a fuck what you or your family thinks. My mother has nothing to do with this.”

  “When you came here and started fucking with New Hope, everything about you became our business,” Shaun snapped back.

  Both Bennett and Roger stood there as though waiting for it to turn physical. Although Caydan was tempted to knock Shaun on his ass, it wasn’t what he’d set out to do. He’d been so damn close.

  “I’m telling you, Henderson, back the fuck off. You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Caydan wasn’t issuing a threat, it was a promise.

  “You’ve got balls coming here and making demands. What I don’t know, though, is what the hell you want.”

  The gig was up. There was no way he could continue with his plan, at least not the current one. New Hope was going to live to reign another day. What harm was there in admitting to Shaun at least some of what he’d wanted.

  “I wanted you and your family to get the hell out of Tabiq,” Caydan growled.

  Shaun stood with his arms crossed, glaring at him. “You do know that’s not going to happen, right?”

  At this moment, yes. But I’m not done with you yet. “You won this battle.”

  “Are you declaring war? Because it won’t end well for you,” Shaun stated.

  Caydan laughed. “Cocky bastard, just like your father. You think you’re untouchable. That will be your undoing.”

  He saw Shaun clench his fist. “Don’t fucking compare me to my father. I’m nothing like him. None of us are.”

  “Really? When I walk the halls and say the name Henderson, the people here still tremble. Why is that Shaun?”

  He knew his comment hit home. After a moment Shaun answered, “As you mentioned on our tour, my father did some unthinkable things. The wounds ran deep and the scars won’t go away. Not for a very long time.”

  “And you and your brothers think you have the right to come here and do what? Be a constant reminder of what happened?”

  “I respect that you feel the need to help the Tabiqian people. What you’re doing is not helping. If anything, you’re the one standing between them and progress.”

  “What progress? Building a resort and bringing rich bastards here so they can wait on them? That’s your idea of helping? It sounds like you’re only helping yourselves. I see the books. I know what they get paid and what it costs to run this place. So get off your fucking high horse and stop trying to sell me on how charitable you guys are.”

  “Charity? I’m not sure about that. We’re here to help those who want to be helped. Provide education, quality health services, and training so they can obtain jobs. If not here, then elsewhere. But no, we’re not throwing money at people. We want to show them how to make it legally. So you’re here to do what? Shut New Hope down?”

  “For starters,” Caydan admitted. “You’ve lived in the lap of luxury your entire life. I think it’s time the Hendersons learn how cruel the real world is.”

  “Oh, yes. Because growing up under the same roof as my father was easy,” Shaun said sarcastically. “No money in the world could make up for what we went through.”

  “You don’t look like you’ve suffered much.”

  Shaun shook his head. “You have no clue, asshole. But I don’t fucking care. Why Tabiq?”

  Caydan snarled. There were so many questions left unanswered already. It wasn’t as though Shaun could tell him. At this point did it matter if they knew what he knew?

  He blurted out, “I’m Tabiqian, and I want you out of my country.”

  Shaun stepped closer and Caydan was ready to lunge. Both Bennett and Roger looked ready to break up a brawl. But Shaun’s next words were like a knife in Caydan’s gut.

  “Hate to break the news, but we’re Tabiqian too, and we’re not going anywhere.”

  Caydan looked at Roger who shrugged. Then he turned back to Shaun and said, “Bullshit.”

  “All of our mothers were.”
<
br />   All? “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “That silver spoon you think we were born with was used to beat us. Our father resented our existence. He wanted the Henderson name to carry on because he was an egotistical bastard, but he hated us. Our mothers were his victims, and he ripped us away from them, something we didn’t know until a few years ago. We never even knew Tabiq existed until—”

  “Until my wife became ill and we tried finding answers,” Bennett added. “DNA reveals a lot, and in this case, it uncovered secrets that almost ripped this family apart. If you want to hate someone for what happened to Tabiq, then hate the asshole who started it. But declaring war on his offspring as revenge isn’t justified.” In a firm but softer tone he added, “They were just as much victims of James as the people who lived here in Tabiq.”

  He’d heard the stories of girls becoming pregnant, but no one had mentioned their babies being taken from them. Then again, some things were too painful to be talked about. When you cry out for help and no one comes, you eventually stop crying and bury your pain.

  Caydan stepped closer to Shaun and looked him directly in the eyes. “Is this true?” Shaun nodded. Fuck. All these years. All this time hating them, planning a revenge he now knew was needless. What the fuck? I have no idea what to do with this . . . with this misdirected anger. “I’ll leave New Hope tomorrow.”

  Shaun cocked a brow. “That’s it? You planned to ruin us and think we’re just going to let you walk away?”

  If you’re smart, yes. “If you lied about any of it, I’m coming back. And I won’t leave until you’re finished.”

  There was a knock on the door, and Roger looked at Caydan not sure if he should answer.

  “Caydan, open the door. I need to speak to you right now.”

  Damn it. What the hell was his mother doing at Roger’s room? Just once I wish she’d listen to me.

  “Your mother?” Shaun asked.

  “I’m warning you, Shaun. Don’t involve her in this.”