He took her in his arms as he’d done the night before. “My pleasure.”
She’d spent the day wondering if last night had been a dream, but she knew it was real. The kids were fighting.
“Dad…”
“Mama…”
Charlotte stared in amazement when Jake held up his hands, stopping the argument before it became another slugging match. “Listen, boys, I’m siding with the girls on this one. It belongs to them.”
Becky’s tongue popped out. “Yeah, so there!”
“Rebecca!” Charlotte said. “I’ve heard enough. Everyone gets to share the playhouse, or the swings are off-limits.”
Becky glared at the boys, reminding her of Mitch when things didn’t go his way. “I’m talking about their computer and bicycles, too!”
“But, Mama! It’s not fair!”
Charlotte waited. “I think it is.”
Grudgingly, the older girl backed down, but just like her dad, there was always a stipulation. “Okay — but they better not mess it up.”
She took a deep breath. “Sounds fair to me. Whoever messes it up has to clean it.”
Still arguing among themselves, the kids headed toward the playhouse. Their fights were getting more frequent, and keeping them apart had only led to constant whining from her girls. Jake’s hand rested on her shoulder, a reminder she wasn’t alone.
“What’s wrong?” He massaged the tired muscles, pulling her back against him. “This was supposed to make you happy.”
She relaxed at his warm touch, wondering if he realized how much he was intertwining their lives. “It does, but you wasted your entire day moving the playhouse.”
“We enjoyed it,” he said, his gentle squeeze telling her she was making a mountain out of a molehill. “I’m impressed with the way it’s built. Mitch had it bolted together at the corners and after we lifted the roof, the walls came apart in four separate pieces. Putting it back together was a snap.”
“I don’t recall it having electricity.”
A mischievous gleam entered his eyes. “Must be battery lights.”
“Must be,” she agreed.
“There’s a water hose they can use.”
He was spoiling her girls. “I’m not so sure…”
“Dad!” Jeremy yelled from her back porch. “You gotta see this… hurry!”
“Oh no, not again!” Charlotte grabbed her purse and took off after Jake. Other than last night’s calamity, peace had lasted for three whole days. She skidded to a halt, colliding with his backside in her utility room. “Oh, my goodness.”
Jake stood in rising water. “I’ll check your washer. It must be a busted hose.” He rushed over and turned off the faucet behind the machine, but the water continued to flow.
Charlotte watched a wad of lint floating her way. “But it’s coming from my dryer.”
She dumped the dirty clothes hamper to make a dam at the kitchen door. This repair job couldn’t wait, but — she couldn’t afford a repairman. A moment later the water slowed, then stopped, and Jeremy came in dangling the three-year-old under his arm. “Okay, squirt, tell her what you did.”
Andy squealed, proud as punch. “Me wash you house!”
“You what?” she cried, wringing a saturated towel over the mop bucket.
Jeremy shifted his little brother in his arms. “Sorry Charlotte. Somebody left the water running, and Andy stuck the hose in your dryer vent.”
“Andy,” she cried in frustration. “Just look at the mess you’ve made!” His lips began to quiver at her harsh tone, making her feel like a rat. “It’s okay, honey. Go upstairs with Jeremy and get some more towels.”
Jake reached for the mop. “This is getting old.”
“What — mopping?” The sight of his pants rolled up past his knees helped restore her humor. “You’re getting good.”
“No,” he replied. “These disasters. They’re getting out of hand.”
She shrugged. At least she wasn’t lonely anymore. “It’s called parenting. We live and learn, don’t we?”
“If we’re lucky.”
They worked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. “Jeremy put your mail on the table.”
She loaded the last of the towels into the machine, set the dial, and poured the detergent before his comment registered. “How did he get in my house?”
“I thought you…”
She shook her head. “Wait a minute — how did he get into my post office box?”
Seeing the disappointment in Jake’s eyes made her realize he’d reached the end of his rope. Something had to be done. “Spare the rod and spoil the child” was close at hand.
“Let it go,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“I can handle it.” Charlotte wasn’t quite sure how to back up her words. His warm hand on her shoulder kept her from walking away, and his blue eyes held a world of understanding.
A gentle smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I know you can. They’ll listen to you, but this other problem of yours… there’s a solution if you’re willing to listen.”
She wanted to stand her ground and remind him it was her problem, not his, but she couldn’t. Time was running out. “I’m listening.”
“Okay. Just for the record, Hidden Hills isn’t going to sell.”
“You don’t know. I still have a few weeks before they’ll start the foreclosure. Anything can happen.”
He shook his head. “It won’t. Mark told me his dad owns Wilson Realty.”
“No, it can’t be,” Charlotte said, panic rising in her throat. “I checked. It’s always been a family business. The Wilsons started it over twenty years ago.”
“Mrs. Wilson got in a financial bind, probably from making deals like the one she made with you. She overextended her credit, and your father-in-law took over her company.”
Her forehead dropped against his chest; a coldness she’d never felt engulfed her heart. The world she’d worked so hard to preserve crumbled into a million pieces. It was over. All the scrimping and saving had been for nothing. Through her dazed senses, she felt Jake’s strong hands stroking her shoulders, but it was no use, the trembling wouldn’t stop.
“Talk to me,” he said. “I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”
Charlotte couldn’t believe the concern in his eyes. He had every right to say “I told you so”, but instead he still wanted to help. Why hadn’t she listened to him that day at Hidden Hills? Now her worst fears were coming true.
“The silver devil is going to sue me.”
“For thirty thousand?”
She chewed her lip to keep the tears at bay. “He swore he’d bankrupt me.”
Jake’s blue eyes clouded with a determination she’d never seen before, except in Bruce when he was plotting revenge. He pulled her chair from the table and waited while she sat, then continued to the counter where he made a fresh pot of coffee. While it brewed, he reached into the cabinets for cups and a bag of cookies. “He doesn’t have to win.”
“Yeah, right, and pigs fly. You don’t know the guy.”
His confident expression made her do a double-take.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve got a plan.”
“You’re serious?”
“I can’t actually take credit. It’s more like we’re stealing it from your father-in-law — a resort with swimming, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding.”
Anger consumed her at what she was hearing. “It wasn’t his plan — it was mine. The old goat stole it from me! But it wasn’t for a resort. It was a bed and breakfast. His dad convinced Mitch there wasn’t a snowball’s chance of making it work, because I had no connections.”
“Well, we’re stealing it back,” Jake said. “And believe me, it’ll work. I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t have a dime to my name! Just how am I supposed to work this miracle?”
“We…” Jake pulled a webpage from his pocket… “…take the original idea and make it work.�
��
She raised her hands to stop him. “There’s no way I’ll be stuck at Hidden Hills by myself again.”
“Now wait,” he said. “Remember last night when I said I wanted your key to check for storm damage out there?”
She nodded, remembering other things he’d said as well.
“It was just half true. I carried some friends to see the place this morning and get their opinion. Shelby’s always had her heart set on running a bed and breakfast, and Ralph thinks the house is perfect.”
She felt hope for the first time in months, but it didn’t last. “It sounds good, but even if they want to buy, the judge will find a way to hold up the sale until I lose it.”
He planted his hands on her shoulders, giving a little tug. “They don’t want to buy. How would you like to be business partners?”
She had to refocus. It wasn’t a matter of trust, but in her state of mind, he was moving too fast to keep up. “Partners in what? I’m broke! How can I afford to go into business?”
“You’ve already got upward of more than three hundred thousand invested. After we run the figures, I’ll match whatever Ralph and Shelby invest, so you and I will always have controlling interest. They’ll live there and draw a salary for running the place.”
“But you don’t have the kind of money we’ll need.” It wasn’t right for him to get in over his head, trying to help her. She’d been down that road and it was a bumpy ride.
“You don’t know what I’ve got.”
“No, but…”
His confident stance reinforced what she’d already come to realize. He wasn’t like Mitch. She was worrying for nothing.
“You mentioned fishing?” she said. “There aren’t enough fish in the creek to pay you to bait a hook, much less entice fishermen. I was bragging to impress Bruce.”
Jake laughed at her confession. “Ralph and I talked with your neighbor, Sam Drenfield. He’s willing to lease his ponds, plus three hundred additional acres for hunting, with the option to buy if our venture pays off. It’s worth a lot to the old man to see the judge get his fingers burned. Seems you aren’t the only one he’s trying to put the squeeze on.”
Her eyes were drawn to the image of the house when she unfolded the paper. It showed Hidden Hills at its best with the azaleas in full bloom, and the lawn freshly mown. “I don’t understand. Why did you make a picture and scan it?”
“Look closer. It’s his web page. Your father-in-law has even had the road paved as far as the bridge.” He pointed to the paper in her hand. “I found it after he paid a little visit to discourage me from making an offer. You need to give the guy credit — he’s got some nerve.”
“But…”
“Did Bruce ever mention he’s been in trouble for hacking?”
She scratched her head, trying to keep up. “What’s it got to do with anything?”
“I had him visit the site…”
“Visit or hack?”
He shrugged, the corner of his mouth tilting upward. “Call it what you will, but anyway, the resort’s scheduled to open this coming March with eighty-percent bookings through July. We’ve got a list of the reservations.”
Charlotte was glad Jake cared enough to have gone to so much trouble, but those tiny seeds of doubt kept sprouting up. “The real estate contract I signed with Wilson’s Realty is for a year. He’s not going to let me out of it.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Jake assured her. “Even if he comes up with a buyer, you don’t have to sell.”
“But the money I owe him?”
“Pay with some of the capital I put in.”
“But it’ll cost a fortune to get the house ready for paying guests.”
“You’re wrong there.” He went to the sink and got the pot for a refill. “Want some coffee?”
After the cups were filled, he sat and began munching on another cookie. “As I was saying, five of the guest rooms have private baths. The windows are tight and the roof doesn’t leak. We couldn’t find any termite damage or sewage problems and…”
Charlotte pressed her fingers against his lips in an effort to slow him down. She was sure he didn’t have a clue as to the upkeep of the house. “I know, we lived there — remember? Grandpa Wills took care of those things when he installed the pool. He also replaced the plumbing and wiring, but it was eight years ago. Most of the house has been closed off, so you can only be sure one of the three heat pumps work.”
He removed her fingers, kissing each one before lowering her hand. “Everything works, even the gas logs in the fireplaces — we tried them today.”
“But the water?” She was determined to make him aware of the headache involved in the running of the house.
“Now there’s our biggest problem,” he admitted, not at all as concerned as she thought he should be. “But Ralph’s checking into it. The current well won’t be adequate, so we’ll need a water tank and possibly a filter.”
Charlotte shook her head. “You’re wrong. There’s a second artesian well. It will supply more water than we’ll ever need. Mitch had them tested for purity before we moved in, and it’s cleaner than any water system in the state. Instead of spending money on a tank and filter, all we’ll need is to run a line to the second well like the one we’ve already got. We’ll be able to split the pool and private bathrooms away from the main line.”
He grinned. “You said we.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.” He pinned her with his gaze. “You’ve given this project some serious thought, haven’t you?”
“It was a long time ago. Becky was about six months old.”
“Think you can draw up some more plans?”
Memories she’d forgotten came flooding back. “A couple of days after Mitch’s funeral, the judge came by the house, demanding I return Mitch’s computer to the firm. He knew, even back then I’d lose the house. All he had to do was wait.”
“So he used your plans?”
“I don’t see how he could. The plans were transferred to a disk the night before, and the files deleted. It’s here somewhere, and we can print a spreadsheet, but the estimates are outdated and most suppliers on the list may not be in business anymore.”
He nudged her with his elbow. “I like you — always willing to admit when I’m right.”
“Smart aleck.” Charlotte knew he was being sarcastic, but she was willing to give credit where it was due. “Yes, Jake. You’re right. I do think it’s a good plan.”
Along with the house, he and Ralph had checked the barn and farm equipment, but had decided those improvements would have to wait. His enthusiasm was contagious, and his thoroughness led her to believe he’d also spent a lot of thought on the project.
“Since you’ve kept the plans, it should save us a lot of work.”
“Jake?”
“Am I boring you?”
“Never,” she said, her full attention focused on him. “Why are you doing this?”
A strange expression crossed his face, as if she’d hurt him, or maybe it was just her imagination. Like his proposal, she wasn’t sure if he was serious. Last night’s kisses made her hope for things she shouldn’t.
“It’s a good business venture. Plus, I like helping a friend when I can.” His thumb stroked her chin, and her breath caught when he smiled. “Then there’s the fact I can’t stand your father-in-law.”
None of his reasons were exactly what she wanted to hear, but they were honest. “Let’s not call him my father-in-law.”
“Whatever you say, but let me know what you decide. Ralph can draw up the contract, and you’ll need to have a lawyer you trust read it before signing.”
“Do you trust him?” From the expression in his eyes, she was expecting a raking over for being naive again.
“I do, but you’re still taking it to another attorney.”
Charlotte knew plenty of lawyers, but only a few names came to mind she actually trusted. One thing for sure, it wouldn’t be anyone fro
m Mitch’s old firm.
“What time do you get off next Saturday?” Jake asked her, catching Andy when he ran by with a water gun in his hand.
“About three, why?”
He planted a quick kiss on her lips before wrestling his toddler toward the back door. “Ralph and Shelby want to meet you and discuss a partnership. I’ll see when they can be here.”
“Here?” she said, catching his sleeve. “Look at this place — it’s a wreck! I can’t have anyone over.”
Jake glanced around. “Looks fine to me.”
“It’s filthy.”
He shrugged. “So clean it up.”
“I’m working all week, and this house isn’t self-cleaning!”
He laughed. “Calm down. We’ll meet at my house. Shelby would be shocked if it were anywhere near as clean as this.”
****
Charlotte agonized all week over what to wear on Saturday. It was a business meeting, but the kids would be there so it was informal. When the time arrived, the only thing concerning her were the nerves settling into a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. The last time she’d arrived unannounced at Jake’s house, she’d slammed her check on his counter and stormed out before he could explain why he was so angry. A lot had happened since then.
Meeting his friends would have made her nervous anytime, but this wasn’t just any meeting. The partnership depended on the four of them being able to get along. What if their personalities didn’t click? The thought crossed her mind, Ralph and Shelby Watts might not be as interested in Hidden Hills as he’d led her to believe. Was she supposed to sell them on the idea?
The gnawing in her stomach felt like a full-blown ulcer when she raised her hand to knock on Jake’s door. Bruce jerked it open, and the fresh scent of pine was thick enough to cut with a butter knife. She glanced around, seeing the others sitting at the table, and the pride in their expressions let her know they’d worked as a team.
“I hope you’re happy,” Bruce said. “We’ve worked all day ‘cause Dad said this house had better be clean when you got here.”
Jeremy slid a piece of gum to each of the younger kids. “I figured he meant for us to be clean, too, so we took baths at your house — sorry about the wet towels.”
Hidden Hills Page 18
