by Coleen Kwan
“That’s okay,” Dane spoke for the first time. His voice sounded gravelly, like he’d spent the weekend in smoky bars or rough wind. “I’ve got what I wanted. I’m leaving.”
The words seemed directed at Holly. She watched him depart.
“So, Holly.” Pete draped himself against a bank of shelves. “What do you think your chances are of winning?”
Holly ignored the reporter. Snap out of it. It was obvious Dane didn’t have anything to say to her. She lifted a couple of cardboard boxes and exited the utility room. As she made her way back to her suite, she saw a man standing outside her door. She started in surprise when she recognized him.
“Dad! What are you doing here?”
“Just wanted to make sure everything’s on track,” Ralph said. “My installer should be here soon. He’ll get the paintings safely back home.”
“Sure, Dad.” She ushered him into the suite. Hopefully her dad wouldn’t bump into Dane.
She started packing cushions into one of her boxes while Ralph watched on.
“You delivered the bid this morning, didn’t you?” he said after a while.
“Yes. The courier personally handed it to the Gilberts’ assistant, and I got confirmation by email.”
He rocked back and forth on his heels. “I’ve got a good feeling about this. I’m sure you’ll win. I know I wasn’t exactly sold on your design at first, but I’ve had time to think about it, and I believe you’re right not to go for a conventional restoration. You’ve got a real flair for design, Peanut.”
Her stomach constricted. “Thanks, Dad. But I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
“Kirk thinks we stand a strong chance, too. In fact—”
Ralph broke off at the sound of a commotion coming from the hallway. Holly followed him to the open door and peeked out to see two men in business suits advancing down the corridor.
“Dane, are you here?” Martin Schofield called out as he limped along with the aid of his walking stick. Hovering behind him was his elder son, Eric.
Holly’s heart sank. Oh no, not again. She couldn’t bear the prospect of the two fathers clashing again, especially after she and Dane had fallen out so bitterly.
Martin Schofield halted as soon as he saw Ralph. He drew himself up, his iron gray eyebrows raised, but instead of glowering he seemed pleased. “Huh, Rochester! Didn’t count on seeing you here.”
“Believe me, the surprise is just as unpleasant for me,” Ralph coldly replied.
“Oh, I doubt it will be unpleasant for me.” Martin chuckled. “Yes, this is quite fortuitous, bumping into you.”
Dane stepped into the hallway. His shoulders were braced, his expression impassive. “Dad, Eric. Why don’t you come into my suite?” He gestured to the door he’d just exited from, making it clear that he wanted to avoid any confrontation.
“I’m comfortable here, son. I came to show you something.”
Holly pressed a hand to her father’s arm. “Dad,” she murmured. “Let’s get back inside.”
“Don’t go yet, Ms Rochester,” Martin said. “You and your father might find this interesting as well.”
“What are you babbling on about?” Ralph snapped.
The other man pulled the folded newspaper from under his arm and held it up with a flourish. “I was reading The Bay Chronicle today. There’s an article about the Gilbert Challenge. But it’s the photo you’ll find especially intriguing.”
Ralph stepped forward, blocking Holly’s view. He was still for a couple of seconds before his already tense shoulders started to shake. He grabbed the newspaper, pivoted to her, and thrust it in front of her without saying a word.
She glanced at the broadsheet, and her heart stopped when she saw the photo of herself and Dane. It had been taken at the awards ceremony on Friday night after the incident on the balcony. She and Dane were walking hand-in-hand down a deserted corridor of the convention center, Dane looking relaxed and debonair in his tuxedo. And then there was her—cheeks flushed, eyes glowing, hair mussed, a dopey smile on her lips. She looked completely in his thrall.
Her vision blurred as she faltered back.
“Is it true?” Her father’s voice was harsh. “You’re sleeping with him?”
She gulped hard, her throat like a vice. “Not anymore more, and anyway it was nothing. Just—just a stupid impulse.”
The other contestants and movers had come out of the suites, attracted by the loud voices. The reporter was there, too, avidly fumbling with his camera. Dane stood just a few yards away, but she refused to look at him. The only person who mattered right now was her father.
Ralph looked like he’d turned to stone, but she could sense the effort it took him to maintain the façade. “A stupid impulse?”
“I’d say it was more than just that,” Martin broke in. “I’d say Dane planned the whole thing right from the start. Am I right, son?”
Still Holly kept her gaze averted, even though her eyeballs were smarting. Dane didn’t say anything, his silence seeming to confirm his father’s statement.
Martin laughed. “A chip off the old block, except you were more successful.”
Ralph’s face turned bone white. He turned and barged past everyone, heading straight for the elevator.
“That’s enough, Dad,” she heard Dane snap.
Her legs shook as she staggered after her father. He had already entered the elevator car.
“Dad, please, wait for me.”
But the doors slid shut. The last she saw of him was his grim, ashen face.
***
Dane marched over to the reporter and grabbed him by the shirt. “You took this photo?”
“Y—yeah.” Pete’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
Dane curled his free hand into a fist. “Someone tipped you off. Who?”
“I—I can’t reveal my sources.” Sweat poured off the reporter’s head, but his bulging eyes held an avid gleam.
The scumbag wanted a violent reaction, so he could write about it. With a snort of disgust, Dane let him go and grabbed the camera out of his hands.
“Hey,” the reporter protested. “You can’t—”
Ignoring him, Dane yanked the memory card out of the camera and pocketed it. He tossed the camera back to the douchebag, who fumbled the catch, toppling backward and landing on his butt.
Dane turned to his father. “Let’s go into my suite,” he said through gritted teeth.
Martin, appearing to pick up that it wasn’t a request, limped into the nearby suite, Eric trailing after him.
Dane stalked in after them and slammed the door shut.
“What the hell was all that?” he demanded, his stomach a seething mass of dread.
His father’s eyes glistened. Despite the walking stick, he stood tall, energized by what had just happened.
“Did you see Rochester’s face when he saw the photo? God, he looked a fool. I didn’t know he’d be here, but I couldn’t have planned it better myself.” He shuffled toward Dane and clapped him on the shoulder. “I never knew you could be so cunning. Well done. It was you who tipped off the reporter so he’d get the shot, wasn’t it? You were just pretending to be mad with the guy out there, right?”
Dane shrugged off his father’s hand. “You’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t plan anything. Holly and I—it just happened. For a while. Then it ended. That’s all.”
The smile faded from Martin’s lips. “No, it can’t be. You wouldn’t sleep with the Rochester girl unless you planned it. You wanted to drive a wedge between her and her father. Distract her from the competition. Maybe even get some inside knowledge from her, like what was in her bid.”
Dane’s gut churned. “Jesus, no! I didn’t want any of that. You really believe I could be that sly?”
“Well, it’s preferable to thinking you fell for her!” his father barked back at him.
“I didn’t fall for anyone.” Dane squeezed his fists until his arms shook. “It was just sex, nothing else.”
>
Nothing else. Then why did it feel like he was crawling over broken glass? All weekend he’d been tormented by Holly’s stunned face when she’d caught him flipping through her confidential bid document. Why the hell had he done that? At the time he knew it wasn’t right, yet his curiosity had got the better of him.
“You mean she used you,” Martin said. “She slept with you to distract you, soften you up. Just like I warned you.”
“I told you, it wasn’t like that.” A thunderstorm was brewing inside his head, the pressure building until he thought his skull might crack.
“Yeah? You can bet your bottom dollar that’s what she’s telling her father right now. She didn’t hang around to defend you.”
That was true. When it came down to it, Holly would always side with her family over him. But then, he’d always known that, so there was no point bitching about it now.
“Whatever happened between me and Holly is no one else’s business, and it didn’t affect anything else. I did my damndest to get the Halifax Hotel for you. Now it’s up to the Gilberts.”
His father glowered at him for several seconds. “I’m disappointed in you, Dane. I thought you came back because you were ready to be part of this family, but it appears you’re still in two minds. I hope for your sake the Gilberts do pick you, because that’s the one and only chance you’ve got with me.” He jerked his head at Eric who’d stood silent throughout the turbulent exchange. “Come on, let’s go.”
Martin stalked out, his walking stick thumping with each step. Eric followed him, then paused on the threshold.
“Don’t say a fucking word,” Dane snarled, the cords in his neck aching from the strain.
His brother shrugged and left.
***
As soon as the elevator doors slid open on the first floor Holly dashed out, casting wildly about for her father. There was no sign of him. Had he left the hotel? As she hesitated, an eddy of cool air caught her attention. It seemed to be coming from her left, where the ballroom was. After a moment’s pause, she headed that way.
She pushed through the double doors of the ballroom, and when they swung shut, silence enveloped her. Shards of sunlight fell from the glass roof above, spilling over the worn carpets, dulled floors, and bits of furniture. The air smelled of dust with a hint of old perfume. Overhead, a broken chandelier tinkled quietly in a stray draught.
On the other side of the dance floor, a figure moved in the dimness. Holly caught her breath.
“Dad?” She moved forward. It was him. She started anxiously toward him, before her steps slowed.
Ralph turned and looked at her. “I haven’t been back here in fifteen years. It’s changed a lot.”
He didn’t seem too mad at her anymore, but she still couldn’t breathe properly. “Yes,” she murmured.
“This is where the band used to sit.” Ralph gestured to a raised dais where a lone music stand still remained. “Five or six piece band. Sometimes a horn section. And of course this is the dance floor.” He tapped his foot on the scuffed floorboards where they stood. “Buffed to a gloss finish so the dancers could glide over it.” He walked over to a spot away from the dance floor near the atrium courtyard. “Whenever I brought your mother here, the maitre d’ would give us our favorite table over here. We liked to dance, but we liked to talk, too, and back here it was quieter. Sometimes, we wouldn’t dance or talk. We’d just sit here drinking our wine, enjoying being together.” He let out a small sigh. “Those were the best moments.”
Something was trickling down Holly’s cheeks. She swiped her fingers over her face only to realize they were tears. The rare occasions when her father spoke about her mom were treasured moments, but this time she felt only pain. She’d tainted his memories. Now, whenever he remembered spending time with his wife at the Halifax Hotel, he’d also be reminded of how Holly had let him down.
“Dad, I—I’m sorry.” She took a few hesitant steps toward him. “I screwed up. I know how much this place means to you…”
Ralph sniffed, and it took her a moment to realize her father was holding back his tears. “I thought owning this hotel, bringing this ballroom back to life, might somehow give me back a piece of Olivia, however irrational that sounds.” He passed a trembling hand over his hair. “Your mother’s been gone fifteen years, a long time, and I know I should be moving on with my life, but sometimes it feels like we were dancing here just yesterday—”
His voice broke, and so did something in Holly. She ran to her father and flung her arms around him. Her father hugged her fiercely. They were both hurting, but at least they were hurting together. When he recovered, she expected he’d bawl her out, but at least they were sharing this moment; nothing could take that away.
As she held him, a faint noise came from the other side of the ballroom. It sounded like the doors closing. One of the security guards? Whoever it was must have sensed not to intrude.
Eventually her father stepped back and offered her a pristine white handkerchief.
She dabbed at her tears. “Dad, I wish there was some way I could make this up to you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, smoothing his hair into place.
“But you put your trust in me.” She winced as she passed the handkerchief back to him. “And I let you down.”
“No. I asked too much of you.”
She faltered back, feeling winded. “You mean you don’t think I’m capable—”
“No, not that. I mean I was too obsessed with getting the Halifax. I lost focus on what was really important. And I realize I’ve done that before.” He fiddled his cufflinks. “When your mom passed away, I—I neglected you and Kirk when you needed me the most. That was wrong and selfish of me. I hope you can forgive me for that?”
“Of course, Dad.” She swallowed and reached out impulsively to clasp his hand.
“I must talk to Kirk, too.” He sighed. “I have a lot of catching up to do. What should I do first?”
“You should get to know your new grandson. He’s adorable.”
“Yes, you’re right. I must introduce myself to little Noah Rochester.”
Holly twisted her fingers together. “And, Dad, I want you to know that Dane and I are one hundred percent finished. I’ll never contact him again. I promise.”
Her dad gave her a strange look. “Is that what you really want?”
Her mouth fell open. “Yes, of course. You don’t want me seeing him, do you?”
“The prospect gives me nightmares.”
“Well, then. Why are you questioning my decision?”
“Because…” He hesitated before continuing, “Because I remember what it was like being in love with someone, and when I saw that photo of you and Dane…”
She jerked away from him. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not in love with Dane!”
“Okay. I just want to be sure.”
“I am sure.” She rubbed her shaking hands down the legs of her jeans. “It was a moment of craziness, but now it’s finished.”
“Glad to hear it.” He tilted his head upward. “You should probably get back to work.”
“I guess so. We only have until 2 p.m. to clear our suites.”
They walked slowly out of the ballroom.
In the deserted foyer her father said, “I think I’ll give Kirk a call and ask when it’s convenient to drop in and see the baby.”
“That’s a great idea.”
He pecked her on the cheek before exiting the hotel. Feeling drained, Holly turned, intent on heading for the elevators. As she neared them, Dane stepped out from behind a screen.
She stifled a gasp as every muscle in her body locked up. “What do you want?” The words came out harsher than she’d intended.
He loomed over her. “I just want to know one thing.” His voice grated. “Do you believe I set you up so that hack could take our picture?”
She shook her head, her mind going in crazy circles. No, she wanted to say. But the memory of her boyfriend forging her
signature was still seared into her heart, an indelible reminder that she couldn’t always trust her instincts.
“I—I don’t know.”
“Huh, just as I thought. You really believe I’d sink that low.” The corner of his lip curled.
His disdain stung her. “Well, what do you expect after everything that’s happened?” she flung at him. “My suite gets trashed, you read my detailed plans, and this photo in the newspaper. All of it damages me, and puts you at an advantage. You can’t deny that. Any reasonable person would think someone’s conspiring against me to get the upper hand in this contest.”
Dane made a growling noise at the back of his throat. “If you think I’m going to beg you to believe me, then you’re sadly mistaken. I told you it wasn’t me. Take my word or don’t. I don’t care anymore. I’m done here.”
Her chin went up, her fighting spirit coming to her aid. “We were already done. This just confirms it.”
He glowered at her for several seconds, his wide shoulders vibrating with a dark intensity she’d never witnessed before. The scorn in his stormy green eyes made her heart lurch, and for a moment a terrifying thought struck her—what if he was telling the truth? What if she was making a huge mistake?
But then he stepped back, and his eyes grew cold and distant. His anger was terrible enough, but this bleak antipathy was so much worse. He strode past her, pushing through the entrance doors without another word or backward glance.
Holly stood and watched Dane disappear. She was shaking, her body drenched in perspiration. Swallowing, she wiped a hand across her brow, battling the nausea that threatened to overpower her.
She’d done the right thing, she told herself. Given all the evidence, anyone would suspect Dane. She’d put her faith in a man before, and look how that had turned out. Better safe than sorry. She’d made a huge mistake falling for his physical charms, but it was over now, and at least she’d managed to salvage her relationship with her dad. That was some consolation.
Now, she just had to work on forgetting all about Dane. But as she punched the button for the elevator, she knew that would be an impossible task.
Chapter Twelve
