Love Takes All

by J. M. Jeffries

  Hunter took the second chair and settled in, crossing his legs, watching his grandmother.

  Jasper held a paper in his hands. “I don’t understand. She’s saying I’m insane. My own daughter, my own flesh and blood.” His gray-white hair stood on end as though he’d raked his hands through it repeatedly. His blue eyes were weary, and his mouth drooped.

  Miss E. patted his arm. “Calm down, Jasper. First things first, you’re going to talk to Vanessa. I already have a call in to her office, but she’s in court and won’t be back for another couple of hours.”

  “What’s going on?” Hunter asked curiously. He’d been expecting a report on David and Leon, not this new development.

  Jasper handed him the paper he held. Hunter scanned it. “A competency hearing!”

  Jasper scrubbed his face with his hands. “My daughter is furious that I put the casino and hotel up for grabs in a poker game. She feels I should have given it to her.”

  “Okay, I’m going to play devil’s advocate here.” Hunter handed the paper back to Jasper. “It was sort of odd that you put the ownership of this place into a poker game.”

  Jasper balled the paper up and looked like he would toss it into the trash. Miss E. took it away from him and smoothed it out again.

  “I owned ninety-five percent of this casino. My daughter owned five percent, which I gave her. Next to burning it down or blowing it up, I could do whatever I wanted with it.”

  “True,” Scott said. “But it was a peculiar enough action. Do you think she might have a point?”

  “No,” Jasper snarled. “My daughter is a spoiled little brat who wanted to keep the money rolling in because she felt entitled to it. Until I got rid of the casino, she was absolutely, positively happy just getting a check. She didn’t want to run it. When I said I was getting rid of it, she was originally on board, expecting a big payout, until she realized I planned to gamble it away in the poker game.”

  “How do we handle this, Scott?” Hunter asked his brother.

  “I’ll start digging into your daughter’s background. I have a feeling something else is going on and we don’t know what that is.” Scott took the notice from Miss E. and scanned it, frowning slightly.

  “Like what?” Jasper asked.

  “What do you know about your daughter’s personal life?” Scott asked.

  “I try not to butt into her life.”

  “She doesn’t appear to have the same respect for yours.” Miss E. laid a hand gently on Jasper’s shoulder. He looked at her, his blue eyes watery, a worried frown wrinkling his face.

  “How worried do I need to be about this competency hearing?” Jasper asked.

  “You’re a big personality and people seem to expect you to be a little odd,” Miss E. said, “and until you do something that irritates them, they are happy to let you be who you need to be. Why didn’t you just give the casino to your daughter?”

  “She would have broken it up and sold it for parts.” Jasper took Miss E.’s hands in his. “You respect and love the business and I was delighted when you won. I knew you would keep the tradition going.”

  “And the business has been good to me,” Miss E. said.

  “Who knew,” Hunter said, “that your one little decision, would generate so much controversy. Lydia’s stepsons are here about money and her parents are here about money. And know your daughter is throwing her hat into the ring because of the money.”

  “It’s a good thing we were never rich,” Scott said. “All this money is causing nothing but animosity and greed.”

  “No,” Miss E. said, shaking her head. “The money was just a catalyst. All those feelings were already there.”

  Jasper’s shoulders slumped. “I was so busy building this casino, I left my daughter in my ex-wife’s hands. Not my smartest move. I showed my affection with money. She probably thinks because I didn’t give her the casino, I don’t love her.”

  Hunter glanced at Scott. Scott rolled his eyes and Hunter suppressed a smile. Scott just didn’t get all this emotional stuff. Or maybe it made him uncomfortable.

  “She’s acting out,” Hunter said. He understood why. After his parents’ death, he’d done the same thing. He’d felt abandoned. “She probably thinks you’ve abandoned her. The only link you had with your daughter was the casino and now she doesn’t have that at all.”

  Jasper looked surprised at Hunter’s statement. “But I love her. I’m sure she knows that.”

  “Have you told her?” Miss pressed her hand into Jasper’s.

  Jasper sighed. “Maybe not in so many words.” He stood and straightened his tie, looking determined. “I need to find my daughter. I have to fix this.” He walked to the door, stopped, his head bowed. Then he gripped the doorknob, twisted it open and left.

  After he left, Scott rose to get himself a glass of water. When he sat again, he reached for his iPad on the table and activated it. “So do you want to hear what I found out about David and Leon?

  Miss E. sighed. “Honestly, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to hear.”

  “I could just highlights. Which do you want first, the misdemeanors or the felonies?”

  “I need a glass of whiskey.”

  “Do we need to find a bar?”

  Miss E. stood, went to her desk and opened a side drawer to pull out a bottle of whiskey. She set it on the table with a tiny thump. “My ‘break in case of an emergency’ bottle.”

  “Then break it open, Grams,” Scott said. “This is an emergency.”

  Miss E. poured three glasses and handed one to Scott and another to Hunter. She sat down, closed her eyes and took a sip.

  “Money makes a person crazy,” Scott said as he swiped the screen of his iPad. “David and Leon are a boatload of crazy.” He swiped the screen again. “Okay, first of all, I have an army buddy who owns a security agency in Baton Rouge.” His gaze shifted to Miss E. “You are going to owe a boatload of bucks to pay this guy.”

  “What did he find out?” Miss E. asked.

  “These two started breaking the law while still in the cradle. Breaking and entering, car theft and bullying. Daddy covered this all up. Nothing made the papers, no records, no arrests and no convictions. Daddy greased a lot of palms to keep these two out of trouble.” Scott referred back to the screen. “There were allegations of spousal abuse, adultery, drug use. Basically, your model citizen type behavior.”

  “They sound charming,” Hunter said with a frown.

  “Leon has been cited for three driving under the influence infractions. David has two citations.”

  “I don’t understand,” Miss E. said. “How do they expect the court to give them custody of Maya?”

  “Because...” Scott tapped the arm of his chair. “They know how to work the system. They’ve been doing that since they were seven years old. Lydia’s a nice woman, but she’s a guppy about to go swimming with sharks.”

  “We have to tip the scale in her favor,” Miss E. said firmly.

  “I send a copy of this report to Vanessa Peabody. She’ll know how to use it.”

  “This is all circumstantial,” Hunter said. “People have been paid off to look the other way.”

  “Maybe, but I think I have an ace in the hole.”

  Hunter’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

  “I’m working on a few things.” Scott refused to divulge more. “And we should have the DNA results shortly. There was a small mix-up at the lab, which caused a small delay, but they’re on it now.”

  Miss E. took a long sip of her whiskey. “This is sad. Here we are strangers protecting Lydia. Her parents should be taking care of her. Not only is this a shame that they aren’t, but immoral.”

  Hunter shook his head. He filled them in about her father’s political aspirations.

  “The
more interesting question is,” Scott put in, “why are her parents working with David and Leon? I have to ponder that for a while.” He pushed himself to his feet.

  Hunter rose, too, wondering the same thing. “They’re conspiring against Lydia. I don’t know how, I don’t know why. But we’re going to find out.”

  “Then do it,” Miss E. said firmly. “Lydia and Maya have become precious to me, and her family will have to go through me to get to them, and nobody hurts what’s mine.”

  Chapter 10

  Lydia tilted her head one way and then the next, studying the three-dimensional model of the spa Hunter had built.

  “The entrance is here,” he said, pointing to a door in the center, “which opens into the reception area. Whole body massage rooms are to the right. The full service salon is to the left. Once that salon is working, we’ll close the salon in the hotel.”

  “I don’t think we should do that. Some women just want a quick hairstyle. I suggest we change the salon over to just hairstyling and manicures, and make the spa a full service area.”

  Hunter nodded. “Good idea. I’ll make a note of that. Behind the reception area is a corridor that leads directly to the sauna and hot tubs which will pump water from the hot springs.”

  “Lovely.” Lydia knew spas. She and her mother had had a standing appointment for the salon in the country club weekly. “I know someone who would be perfect to run this place.”

  “Who would that be?”

  “Nicole Edwards. The salon I went to is a family business and since Nicole isn’t family, there is no opportunity for her to advance. She’s exceptional and would be perfect. I think we should contact her immediately because she’ll know all the details that need to be in place that I don’t know.”

  “Let’s run it by Miss E. and see what she says. We could hire her on as a consultant until the spa is built.”

  “I like that.” Lydia walked around the table looking at the model from all angles. “I’ll talk to Miss E. as soon as we’re done.”

  He showed her the blueprints, explaining what everything meant. He included his idea of what the inside should look like through a series of drawings. Lydia was amazed. Hunter was a very talented artist. “This isn’t bad. I’m a little surprised that it has such a feminine look to it.”

  “Dudes are not going to go to a spa.”

  “Where do they go? Man cave spas?” Lydia said.

  Hunter laughed. “That’s not a bad idea. But most hotels I stay in have male personnel that will go to a man’s room.”

  Lydia liked watching Hunter laugh. His eyes crinkled up and his mouth had this quirky look to it. Mitchell seldom laughed, as though laughing wasn’t manly. And when he’d smiled, it had usually been over something Maya had done he thought cute.

  “How are you holding up?” Hunter said, changing the subject.

  Lydia paused to think about his question. Resilience had never been her strong suit. Hunter had told her she was hanging tough. “I had no idea I was so strong. Maya shows no sign of stress. Miss E. is so good at keeping her occupied, I don’t think she worries.”

  “Which for Scott and I has been a blessing and a curse.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “She wants great-grandchildren. And she wants them tomorrow.”

  “So Maya is a place-holder,” Lydia said.

  Hunter burst out laughing again. “No kidding.”

  “She adores Miss E.,” Lydia continued. “My mother spends all her time correcting Maya, giving her deportment lessons and explaining why a lady needs to be act a certain way. Miss E. spends time encouraging her to try to new things, have an adventure and get dirty. I love my mother, but I’d trade her in for Miss E. without one thought.”

  “Miss E. may sound like she’s a pied piper, but she can lower the hammer without a moment’s notice.” Hunter’s face took a faraway look as though remembering some childhood transgression that brought the “hammer.” “It wasn’t all sunshine and pony rides for us.”

  “Miss E. wasn’t worried about reputations, social status or charity work. You got to be children. Me, I was a minadult. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn my mother had herself cloned.”

  “Your mother was doing what she thought was best for her and for you. She grew up in a world where stuff like that mattered. Miss E. may have been a great poker player and we never lacked for anything, but I used to worry about her because she had no other skills. If for any reason she was banned from playing poker, our world would have disintegrated.”

  “In her defense,” Lydia said, “she made sure you all had skills so that you wouldn’t be stuck like her. Knowing she had no fallback position must have been frightening for her.”

  “She never let it show,” Hunter conceded.

  Lydia’s phone rang. She glanced at the display. “It’s Vanessa.”

  “Go ahead and answer.”

  “Hello,” Lydia said.

  “I have the DNA results.” Vanessa sounded worried.

  “Okay, what is the result?” Lydia had managed to contain her curiosity, but now it returned.

  “You need to come into the office. Leon and David’s lawyer is meeting me at two. I need you to be at this meeting.”

  Lydia glanced at her watch. “Will David and Leon be there?

  “No, they declined my invitation. They just want their lawyer to handle everything.”

  “Can I bring Hunter?”

  “That’s fine,” Vanessa said.

  “I’ll be there.” Lydia disconnected and turned to Hunter. “She has the DNA results, but won’t tell me anything. Will you come with me to meet with her and the other lawyer? The meeting’s at two.”

  “Not a problem.” Hunter started rolling up the blueprints of the spa, storing them in a tube. He glanced at his watch. “I’ll be at the front entrance in forty minutes. Is that enough time?”

  Lydia’s stomach clenched. Whatever was in those results, it wasn’t good. “I’ll be there.”

  She called Miss E. as she went up the elevator to her room, asking her if she would watch Maya for the afternoon, then she quickly changed into a pantsuit, ran a comb through her hair, splashed on makeup and was at the front door seconds before Hunter pulled up in his Mercedes.

  Hunter kept glancing at Lydia as he wove through traffic on their way to the lawyer’s office. She sat next to him, tense and still, her hands clenched into fists. Her face was a mask hiding whatever else she was feeling.

  “I don’t understand why Vanessa couldn’t tell me this on the phone,” Lydia said. “What could she possibly tell me that I don’t know? Maya is Mitchell’s child. No matter what David and Leon assert, I did not have an affair.”

  “Whatever the results are, Vanessa has your back.”

  “I resent the fact that someone has to have my back.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough. You need to relax.” Hunter braked at a red light. “You’re going to blow a blood vessel before we get there.”

  Lydia leaned back, her head resting against the headrest, and closed her eyes. Lines of strain showed on her face. Hunter wanted to pull over and take her in his arms. He wanted to reassure her everything would work out.

  He pulled into the parking structure adjacent to Vanessa Peabody’s office.

  Vanessa Peabody’s office was a large, well-structured place. Hunter admired the design as he and Lydia checked in with the receptionist and were directed to the conference room.

  The conference room was small and intimate with a table large enough for eight people. The walls were painted a soothing beige and modern art in a parade of colors hung from the walls.

  Lydia sat down and Hunter sat next to her. He took her hand and she smiled nervously at him, her lips trembling no matter how hard she tried to look st
rong and brave.

  The door opened and Vanessa walked in, a large file in her arms. A man walked in behind her and sat down across the table. Vanessa sat across from Lydia.

  Hunter studied the man he figured to be Leon and David’s lawyer. He was a slender man dressed in a designer suit complete with power tie and fashionably arranged medium brown hair. His gray eyes darted around the room, taking in Lydia with a look that made Hunter want to get up and punch him.

  “This is Kramer O’Reilly.” Vanessa waved a hand vaguely in the man’s direction. “Leon and David’s lawyer. Mr. O’Reilly, this is Mrs. Lydia Montgomery and Mr. Hunter Russell, a friend of hers.”

  If Hunter had to find one word to describe O’Reilly, slick came to mind. Everything about him was a little too smooth, a little too used car salesman smarmy. He wouldn’t want to meet this guy in a court of law.

  “Ms. Montgomery,” O’Reilly said. He glanced at Hunter, curiosity in his eyes as though trying to figure out just what place Hunter played in Lydia’s drama.

  Vanessa opened the file and pulled out a piece of paper, which she handed to Lydia. “This is the DNA results.”

  Lydia quickly read it, her frown deepening. “I don’t understand this.”

  Vanessa gave a slight smile. “As it turns out, David and Leon have a different DNA sequence from Maya.”

  “And this means—?” Lydia asked.

  “We’re not certain.” Vanessa glanced down at the file. “David’s and Leon’s results show they are brothers, but they aren’t Maya’s brothers.”

  “That’s because,” O’Reilly said with a smug look on his face, “Ms. Montgomery had an affair that resulted in Maya not being Mr. Montgomery’s child.”

  Lydia went pale. She half rose. “That’s not true.”

  Hunter put a hand on hers. She glanced at him and he nodded his head. Slowly, she sat back down and tried to look composed. He could see tears in the corners of her eyes.

  “I don’t think we know what to think yet,” Vanessa said calmly. “We need to exhume Mitchell’s body.”

  “No,” O’Reilly said firmly. “David and Leon will not allow this.”