Jude laughed. “Addiction, probably. But it’s okay, Abby, you’re allowed a few weaknesses.”
I sipped, taking a few minutes to appreciate the sweet warmth. “So how was your trip? Virginia this time, right?”
“Yep.” She folded a bar rag into a perfect square. “Shenandoah Valley. It was breathtaking. I fell in love.”
“I bet.” Ever since they’d gotten married, Logan had been stealing Jude away on short trips here and there. She’d never traveled very much before, as running the Tide was pretty much a twenty-four/seven life-long commitment. But now that Joseph and Lindsay were around to help carry the load, it was possible for her to live a little more. “We have a hotel in Richmond, and we lived there for a few months. I took a few weekends in the western part of the state.”
“You’ve lived everywhere, haven’t you?” Jude wiped at a few drops of water on the bar. “We had a wonderful time. But Logan says he’s not taking me out of the state anymore because I keep coming up with new business ideas for us wherever we go.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “What was it this time? So far you two have a restaurant, a bed and breakfast, an architectural firm and a development company between you. Not to mention the hotel currently in progress, and didn’t I hear something about a new restaurant down the coast a little?”
Jude winced a little. “Yeah, I know. You’re right. But this could actually dovetail with all of them. We stopped at this adorable little winery in the mountains, and I said to Logan, ‘Wouldn’t a winery be the perfect complement to all our businesses?’ You know, we could feature our wine here at the Tide, at the B&B and the Riverside, and ooooh—can you see it? We could offer packages. Come to Crystal Cove, stay at either the Hawthorne House or the Riverside Inn and take a wine tour, too.”
“Jude?” I reached across the bar to lay my hand on her arm. “This, my friend, is an addiction. I can get you help. We might need an intervention.”
She sighed and patted my hand. “I know. But at least my addiction makes us money, right?”
“After you spend some and we all work hard—yeah.” I took another deep drink of coffee. “But if you’re serious about this winery, I have someone you can talk to about it. Get some hints and so on.”
“Really?” She raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t know you had connections there.”
I didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Yes. My step-father owns a vineyard in Napa.”
Jude was quiet. “I didn’t even know you had a step-father. You’ve never mentioned him.”
I shrugged. “There wasn’t any need up to now. He’s a nice guy, though. His name’s Geoffrey Adams, and the vineyard’s been in his family for generations. I’ll text you his information this morning.”
“Geoffrey Adams? I’ve heard of him.” Jude leaned against the counter behind her. “You, Abby Donavan, are a woman of mystery.”
I forced a smile. “Nah, I just don’t like to talk about my family if I can help it. But Geoff’ll tell you everything you need to know.” I finished my coffee and pushed aside the empty mug. “Just don’t tell Logan I hooked you up. He might kill me. Or fire me. Maybe both.”
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Jude folded her arms across her chest. “So how’re things going at the Riverside? Logan tells me the restoration is moving along. He said the dining room is beautiful.”
“It is. And Cooper’s working on the final design for the banister. Once it’s in, the foyer will be done, for all intents and purposes. Ryland just hired the new crew to start the guest rooms.”
“I can’t wait to see it all. I haven’t been over there since the work started, and I was thinking of waiting until it was done, but I’m too excited. I’ll try to pop in this week.” She picked up my empty mug. “How about you and Ryland? Everything going smoothly there?”
I glanced down. Jude was my boss, yes, but she was also a friend. Aside from Emmy, she was probably my best friend in Crystal Cove. But although I felt perfectly comfortable complaining to Em about Ryland Kent and his cocky attitude, I knew there was a different line with Jude. I couldn’t just unload on her without jeopardizing Ryland’s position as well as my own. One of the first things my dad had taught me was the importance of maintaining a persona. The Abigail Donavan the world saw was poised, self-assured and capable. I didn’t want to give Jude any reason to doubt my ability to handle the job she’d given me.
“Yes, everything’s fine. He’s good at what he does, and the men he hired are hard workers. I like the fact that he uses local talent for the basic work. Apparently his fine-tuning staff, as he calls it, is coming up in a few weeks.”
“Hmmm.” Jude nodded. “Cooper told me there was some kind of mix-up with the spa plans. He said you handled it, though.”
Mentally I rolled my eyes. I should’ve known that Cooper would tell Logan and Jude about anything that might affect their property. “Oh, it was just a misunderstanding. I took care of it, and everything’s set now.”
“Wonderful.” She retied her apron, making the knot at the back of her neck a little more secure. “You know, Ab, Logan and I did a lot of research before we hired Ryland Kent. We wanted him because he’s the best in the business. He’s young, sure, but his talent and reputation are better than contractors twice his age. He’s got vision.”
I tried not to cringe. Had Cooper said something else? Did Ryland complain about me, either to Coop or directly to Logan?
“That being said . . . he’s a man. And I’ve been a working woman long enough to know that no matter how enlightened a man can be, there’re times when he might try to bully a woman. He might not even realize it; some men just think their plans and ideas make more sense, so they believe they’re doing us a favor by pushing for their own way. I’m not saying Ryland’s doing that.” Jude held up one hand as I opened my mouth. “And I’m not asking you to rat him out, or gripe about him. I know you, Abby. That’s not your style. You’d grit your teeth and get through it until you’d have nothing left but bleeding gums, rather than ask for help or say someone’s giving you trouble. But I want you to keep in mind that I’ve got your back. Logan and I believe in you. We trust you. And in our book, you are the final word on anything that happens at the Riverside.”
It was mortifying to realize my eyes were filled with tears. I never cried. I hadn’t in years, and most certainly not in any work-related situation. I was a Donavan, and Donavans were tough. I could almost hear my father’s voice.
But Jude’s support was more important than I’d known. Hearing her affirm that she and Logan would back me in a show-down with Ryland took a weight off my shoulders that I hadn’t realized I was carrying. I swallowed hard and raised my eyes to meet Jude’s.
“Thank you. Really, you have no idea how much that means to me. You and Logan have been my lifesavers these past few years, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” I let a moment of silence pass as I collected myself. “But everything’s fine with the contractor. I can hold my own. And I think he gets that now.”
“I’m sure he does.” Jude’s voice held more than a trace of amusement. “I can’t see anyone getting the better of you, Abby. Ryland’s a good guy, I think. Cooper likes him, and that speaks volumes, since Coop doesn’t really like anyone outside the posse.”
I smiled. It was a long-playing joke among the group of friends that Cooper Davis didn’t play well with others. He could be gruff, sure, and he didn’t suffer fools. I knew that. But then, neither did I. The difference was that while Cooper was seen as being an eccentric artist, the same traits in me apparently made me a bitch. Oh, well.
“He’s pretty cute, too.” Jude added those last words with a sly glance my way. “His arms . . . wow. Well, I’ve got a thing for arms. And those dark eyes? Mmmmm.”
I gave her wide eyes and shook my head. “Jude, you’re a married woman. Really. What would Logan say?”
“He’d say I can look as long as I know whose bed I’m in every night. And I might be marri
ed, but I’m far from dead. I also happen to have some single friends, so I keep my eyes open. Ryland Kent looks like he could be a lot of fun.”
I slid off the barstool. This conversation was taking a turn down a road that I’d blocked off a long time ago. There were dangerous potholes there, and I wasn’t in the state of mind to navigate them this morning. “Well, good luck with that. I hope you can find the right single friend for Mr. Kent.”
“I think I already did. Abby, you haven’t had even one date since you moved to the Cove. At least, not as far as I know, which means you’d have to be playing it pretty close to the chest, since nothing happens in Crystal Cove without someone finding out. Why not take a second look at Ryland? Sounds like the sparks are there already.”
I rolled my shoulders, trying to release the tension that had suddenly seized them. “First of all, I’m not looking for a man. Or a relationship. Or even a one-night hookup, if you want to sound like Emmy. Second, if I were looking, it wouldn’t be with anyone from work. Been there, done that, still have the scars. And third, Ryland Kent is younger than me. Considerably younger. He’s not interested in someone like me. Trust me on that.”
Jude sighed. “Abby, you’re hardly ancient. Hell, I’m over ten years older than you and I’m not ancient. Ryland would be stupid not to think you’re incredibly hot. As for the fact that you’re not looking . . . trust me, sweetie. It happens whether you’re looking or not, and more often than not, the guy you fall for isn’t the one your logical brain would choose.”
“And on that note, I need to get to work.” I pulled out my phone to check the time. “My boss is a real stickler for punctuality, and I don’t want to be late. Thanks for the coffee, Jude. See you later on.”
“Don’t forget to send me that info on the winery.” She called the words after me, and I paused to look back, waving to show I’d heard her.
“And don’t forget to check out Ryland’s arms, either. His chest is pretty smokin’, too. Oh and his ass—”
I clapped my hands over my ears and hummed loudly as I pushed through the swinging screen door that led to the parking lot. I probably looked ridiculous, but desperate times and all that. I didn’t need the mental image of the restoration specialist’s finer points haunting me all day long.
I decided to skip my early-morning visit to the site when I remembered that I was scheduled to be at the hotel in the early afternoon to meet the county plumbing inspector. Instead, I spent the morning going over the resumés we’d already received for the restaurant staff positions.
I’d culled out the obvious nos and separated the rest into piles of definite call-backs and maybes when one name stopped me dead in my tracks.
Zachary Todd.
I hadn’t seen his name in a long time. I’d thought about him every day for a while, and then less often since I’d moved to the Cove. But seeing his resumé now, in black and white on my desk, took my breath away. My hands shook a little as I lifted the paper.
The last I’d heard, he was working for Ross-Holmdale, a small but well-respected hotel chain out of Memphis. It wasn’t Donavan Hotels, for sure, but then again, he’d well and truly burned his bridges there. Landing the position with Ross-Holmdale was impressive, all things considered.
Which made the fact that his resumé was on my desk even odder. Why would the man who was on the cusp of running the entire restaurant branch of a successful hotel chain apply for a job at a single hotel, not affiliated with any chain or franchise? While I was excited about the Riverside, I didn’t have any delusions that Jude and Logan intended it to be their flagship. They were entrepreneurs, investors, not hoteliers. Taking this position would be a definite step down for someone like Zachary whose ambition was enormous. It was certainly bigger than anything he’d felt for me.
“Abby, you asked me to remind you when it was one o’clock. It’s just that now.” Carolyn Jacobs, Logan’s senior administrative assistant, stuck her head into my open door.
“Thanks, Carolyn. Hey, can I ask you something?”
She smiled and leaned her hip against the door jam. “Sure. What do you need?”
I laid Zachary’s letter back on the pile. “You posted the listing for all the hotel jobs, didn’t you? Do you know if my name was mentioned in any of those announcements?”
Carolyn cocked her head. “I wrote them all. Hmmm, no, I don’t think we said anything about you specifically. Should I have?”
“No, not at all. I was just curious. One of the responders is someone I used to know, and I wondered if he was aware of my involvement.” I smiled. “It’s really not a big deal.” I reached into the bottom drawer of my desk and grabbed my purse. “Thanks for reminding me. I’ll probably head home after this meeting at the site, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I drove to the Riverside on automatic pilot, my mind stuck on Zachary and why in the world he’d want a job down here, at a hotel where there wouldn’t be any opportunity for advancement. It bothered me because I didn’t trust him or his motives, and not knowing what he might have up his sleeve made me feel jittery. Unsettled.
I parked in my normal spot in the gravel lot close to the river, in the front of the hotel. I heard the noise of pounding hammers and the whirl of power tools in the distance, at one of the outbuildings, but the main hotel was quiet. Making my way across the lawn, I climbed the three steps to the porch. That had been a Ryland victory; Logan’s original design had shown two steps, and I’d liked the way it had looked on paper. But the restoration specialist had insisted that the hotel had been built with three stairs, and he felt it was important to the preserve that integrity. I’d given in, because what he said made sense to me. I also knew the value in giving in now and then.
My footsteps echoed in the foyer. The floors had been laid earlier in the week, and it had been the perfect touch to finish this charming, welcoming space. I stopped for a minute and turned slowly, smiling.
Across the room, there was a sound at the registration desk. I jerked my head in that direction, but no one stood there. The counter was original to the hotel. Ryland and Cooper had worked on restoring it together, and I had to admit, it was gorgeous. I made my way over there now, and the closer I drew to that corner, the more uneasy I felt. I couldn’t explain exactly why, but I was sure if I turned my head fast enough, I’d see someone standing near me. It was a presence I felt, something strong and tangible.
It wasn’t the only time I’d had an odd feeling here in the Riverside. The very first day I’d met Ryland, when I’d been walking the halls, for just a moment I was positive someone else had been there with me. Later I’d chalked it up to Ryland’s presence, but in the back of my mind, I wasn’t convinced. And more than once, I’d heard unexplained noises, seen odd movement out of the corner of my eye and felt that prickle at the back of my neck.
Of course, I didn’t believe in ghosts. But at the same time, I respected this formidable old structure and all the years it had seen. Maybe it had absorbed energies or whatever it was people seemed to think might happen. I didn’t think the presence I felt was malicious; more, it seemed to me, the hotel itself was waiting with baited breath to see what Ryland and I did to bring it back to life. I desperately wanted to make it happy, as ridiculous as that sounded. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, dead or alive.
When nothing else moved or made noise, I ventured further into the building. Renovation had begun in some of the guest rooms already, and I smiled, marveling at what a difference some time and attention made. I could see what it was going to be. Nothing was finished, but the bones were there, and they were lovely indeed.
“Hey.”
I whirled around, my hand flying to my throat. Ryland sat in the empty dining room across the hall from where I stood. He was sprawled over a pile of cut wood, watching me.
“My God, you scared me to death. What’re you doing sitting there?”
Ryland raised one eyebrow. “Plumbing inspector called and said he’d be late. I figured you were already
on your way, so I’ve been waiting here to tell you.”
“You couldn’t have sent me a text? Just decided to seize the opportunity to sit around and take it easy? And where’s everyone else?”
He stared up at me, the expression on his face unreadable. “They’re all working over at the barn and garages today. Nothing for them to do here until we get this plumbing signed off.” He frowned, still regarding me. “You know, people say you’re nice. Everyone I meet in this town, they say, ‘Oh, Abby Donavan’s just wonderful.’ And I know you can be a decent person with my crew. I’ve seen you interact with vendors and subs and inspectors, and you’re actually a normal human being. But with me, you can’t seem to be anything but snide. Why is that, do you think?”
I regarded him for a minute, and then I sighed and bent to pull over my own pile of wood. Sitting down, I stretched out my legs. “You’re right. It’s just . . . I don’t know. Maybe you bring out the worst in me. I see you, and it seems like all the manners and polite conversation I was ever taught fly out the window. I forget it all. I should probably apologize.”
Ryland lifted one shoulder. “If you don’t know why you do it, an apology wouldn’t mean very much.” His eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I forced a smile. “What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.”
“Yeah, there is. Your eyes look all shadowed, and your shoulders have been bunched up tense since you walked in here. What’s the problem? It’s got to be more than just me.”
“Nothing. It’s something—well, I guess it’s a little more than personal, since it affects others. But it’s all right. I’ll deal.”
“I’m sure you will.” Ryland smiled, and his eyes were warm, making me remember Jude’s teasing from earlier. “But maybe talking to someone like me would help.”
The Path Page 6
