Roadtrips and Romance (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 5)

by Kimberly Loth

  Just inside the visitor center, Adam spotted a gift shop. “There should be sweatshirts in there.” He pointed to the gift shop, and while Snow turned to look, he pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Get me a hoodie, will you? I’ll go buy the tickets.”

  She looked down on at the money. “Don’t be silly. I can buy my own ticket.” That determined look she often wore in high school was growing on her face. It was as hot now as it was then.

  But he wouldn’t be backing down. “Look,” he lowered his voice. “I can tell how much this place means to you. And as I’ve already mentioned, I am very grateful for the time away from my life that I wouldn’t have gotten if it wasn’t for you. Please let me do this.”

  Snow looked away toward the direction Adam assumed the house was. He couldn’t tell if she was going to give in or not. This woman was stubborn.

  Slightly new tactic. “I really can’t think of anything I’d rather do on vacation than support a rich guy’s family to see a rich guy’s house.”

  Snow chuckled. “Most of it is a museum.”

  “Even better,” Adam said. “Let’s support the museum.”

  Snow shook her head and walked toward the gift shop. “Fine.” She couldn’t hide the fact that she was grinning ear to ear.

  He shouted after her. “I want to do a cheesy picture of us in matching sweatshirts in front of the house. So buy one for yourself too.”

  “Okay, okay!” She waved him toward the ticket booth. “I’ll meet you over there.”

  He disappeared into the crowd. Now that he had her permission, he was really going to surprise her.

  He looked at the long line and groaned. Dammit. He got behind a family and managed to last five minutes before the two screaming kids were driving him insane. There had to be a different way. Plus, how could he surprise her if she came back before he could organize everything?

  He found a small office off to the side and stuck his head in. An older woman sat at a computer.

  “Can I purchase tickets in here?”

  The woman pulled her glasses off her nose and glanced at him. “I’m sorry, sir. You’ll have to wait in the line outside.”

  “Even if I want to book a private tour?”

  “Oh, that’s different.” She slid her rolling chair back a bit and pulled out a binder. “I can help you with that. When did you want to do the tour?”

  “Today.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to book them at least a week in advance. They’re quite popular.”

  Really? Why was a rich guy’s house so popular? Maybe this was something to bring up to his father when he got home. Dad was always looking for a way to make money.

  “How much is a private tour?” Adam asked.

  “Seven fifty.”

  He took a few steps toward the woman. “I’ll double it if you can accommodate me in the next thirty minutes.”

  The woman sputtered. “Did you say double?”

  He nodded. “Triple if that is what it takes.”

  The woman tilted her head to the side. “Okay. Hang on a second, dear.”

  Adam stepped out of the office and sat on a bench. A minute later, a bearded man in a suit approached him.

  “Are you the gentleman looking for a private tour today?”

  Adam stood and stuck out his hand. “I am. My name is Adam Winslow. Will you be able to accommodate me?”

  The man creased his eyebrows. “Any relation to Heath Winslow?”

  “He’s my father. Can you help me?”

  “Of course. I will need a few minutes to set it up. How many will be on the tour?”

  “Two.”

  “What part of the house did you want to see?”

  “The whole thing.”

  The man gave him a tight smile. “Very well.”

  Adam made his way back to the ticket booth just as Snow approached.

  “What’d you get?” Adam asked.

  She gave him a grin. “You said cheesy.”

  Uh oh. “That I did.”

  She pulled out a bright orange sweatshirt with a photograph of the house.

  “That is hideous.” She gave him her signature grin with those painted red lips, and he couldn't help but smile back. Those shirts were beyond cheesy.

  “I know. But think of the pictures.”

  Adam was thinking of the pictures she’d be able to take, now that they’d be able to see the whole house, and on a private tour. It was the perfect way to thank her for being such a great travel buddy.

  He couldn’t wait to tell her.

  “This is perfect,” he said. “Now if we get lost in the house, they’ll be able to easily find us.”

  Snow smiled. “I’m pretty sure there are like thirty people in a tour group. We’re not going to get lost.”

  Adam almost let it spill that there would only be two people in their tour group, but swallowed his words. “I guess we’ll see. Put your sweatshirt on.”

  “Now?” she asked.

  “Yes. Now. What did you think we were going to wait? It's freezing out here.” He took the lead and put the bright orange sweatshirt over his head. She hesitated for a minute and followed suit.

  A woman with perfectly round glasses approached them. “Mr. Winslow, your tour is ready.”

  Snow frowned. “The tours meet outside and they ride on buses. Why did she come to get us?”

  Adam offered Snow his hand. “Let's go.” For some reason Snow seemed upset.

  They followed the old woman and climbed into a golf cart. The woman sat in the front with the driver. “My name is Hannah, and I will be your tour guide.”

  “Adam,” Snow said with her voice dropped low. “What did you do?”

  “I booked private tour.” It felt so good to be able to say that. “We have to capture this moment. Smile!” He pulled out his phone, moved her close to him, and snapped another picture. When he looked at the picture to review it, Snow did have a smile, but it was one of her forced, weird ones.

  Shit. What had he done wrong? Maybe she was one of those types of people that didn’t like surprises. After all, it’s not like he knew her that well.

  “Is it okay if I post this?” he asked, and she nodded, completely focused on what the woman was saying.

  He uploaded it on Instagram with a hashtag hearstcastle. But as the blue bar moved across the top in its process of uploading, Adam couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, he’d made a mistake.

  Chapter 9

  Liz watched the rolling hills and perfectly manicured grass as they drove up the winding road to the castle. She wanted to be mad at Adam. Okay, she was mad. And yet the whir of excitement in her stomach wouldn’t stop as they wound their way to the castle.

  She chanced a glance his way. Luckily, he was focused on the beautiful surroundings so he didn’t notice. Her fingers curled at his perfect looks, with his perfect high-end polo hidden under that ugly sweatshirt. The same sweatshirt she wore… that he bought her.

  She would've never been able to book a tour like this on her own. First the car, then all the camping gear. Now this. He just seemed to think he could throw money at anything and get what he wanted.

  A warm wind rustled the trees, bringing her attention back to her surroundings, and the frustration disappeared with the breeze. She couldn’t wait to see the castle, and she did agree to let him book the tour. Though she was sure he knew a private tour was not what Liz had in mind.

  Hannah, the tour guide, told them about the animals as they drove. There were deer, elk, and lots of cows. At one point there would've been a greater variety, like giraffes and other exotic animals, from Africa. Mr. Hearst who owned the castle liked to keep exotic animals on the property for his guests to look at as they came up the drive.

  Liz wondered what it would have been like to grow up in that time. Their fancy parties and finely dressed people. The butlers, maids, exotic foods and the sheer extravagance. Not that she would've been part of it.
She was working class. She would've never seen the things that Mr. Hearst and his guests did.

  Adam would've though. His father would've owned a house like this. Heck, for all she knew, he did own a house like this. That thought made her nervous. In some ways it set him apart from her. She and Adam had just started this trip, and she had no idea what else he would try to throw money at. It was supposed to be about camping up the California coast. Not experiencing the luxuries. She thought that’s what he wanted, something away from the normal lifestyle that he had, but then he went and booked the private tour. She didn’t dare to think what the cost must've been.

  As the golf cart came around the bend, she caught her first sight of the house. Wide front, big doors, with tall towers, like something that should be on the cliffs of Spain or Ireland. It was beautiful.

  Hannah gestured to the grand castle. “Hearst Castle was the place to be in the 1920s and 1930s. To be allowed inside you needed a personal invitation from William Hearst himself. Those who spent time here were political and Hollywood elites like Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Cary Grant, Charles Lindbergh, and Bob Hope.”

  “No kidding?” Adam said with awe. “Makes sense though.”

  “If you were a guest of the castle, you were expected to attend dinner. Formal attire, of course. But during the day, Mr. Hearst had his own business to attend to, so his guests were free to roam.” The golf cart stopped, and Hannah waved them off. “And as you will see, there is no shortage of things to do.” She smiled.

  Liz couldn’t wait to see everything. Even if she was getting special treatment thanks to Adam Winslow. She accidently tripped over a step, too enamored by the fountains, cottages, and gardens.

  Adam grabbed her arm. “Whoa. You okay?”

  Liz’s eyes met his, and she became very aware of how strong, yet gentle, Adam’s grip was. She pulled away. “Fine. Thanks.”

  The tour guide opened the door and led them into a wide area of the guest hall. Liz looked up and gasped.

  “That’s incredible,” she muttered. Intricate woodwork covered the entire ceiling.

  “The attention to detail is pretty amazing,” Adam agreed.

  “You probably have stuff like this at home,” Liz noted.

  “No. This is from an era that no longer exists. Old Hollywood glamour. It’d make an interesting hotel. Course my father would probably ruin it and make it gaudy and tacky.”

  As they strolled down the hall, Hannah explained, “Hearst Castle has fifty-six bedrooms, sixty-one bathrooms, nineteen sitting rooms, one hundred and twenty-seven acres of gardens, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and, at the time, the world’s largest private zoo.”

  “Ha. That’s so random,” Liz said.

  Hannah smiled and nodded. “Kind of is, isn’t it?”

  She led them around, showing them a selection of rooms, each one as ornate and beautiful as the last. Liz fell in love with the library. Carved beams and ceilings, walls lined with books, plush furniture appearing almost untouched in the center of the room. Spending a few hours with a good book would be a wonderful way to pass the time.

  “The library is my favorite, I think,” Liz said.

  Hannah held up a finger. “Wait to place your vote until you see our last stop.”

  “There’s more?” Adam asked. Liz was pleased to find that he seemed as interested as she was. After all, he paid for it.

  “Saved the best for last.” She leaned toward Liz. “In my opinion.”

  “Better than this? I can’t wait to see it then.”

  Hannah led them out a side door, and Liz’s jaw dropped at the Greek temple she entered.

  “This is the Neptune Pool,” Hannah said as she led them closer. “Vermont marble covers the pool’s floor and side walls. Hearst purchased the Roman temple that you see there from Europe and imported it here.”

  Liz felt like a Greek goddess with the temple in front and the Greek revival buildings surrounding her. With the blue sky behind the white structures, it looked like something that should only be found in those books in the library.

  “I don’t listen to her music myself, but Lady Gaga shot her G.U.Y. music video here. Not sure if that’s interesting to you or not,” Hannah said.

  Liz shrugged, and so did Adam. She’d never heard of the song, but she’d probably check it out now that she’d been to the castle.

  “Where’s the water?” Adam asked. Until he mentioned it, Liz hadn’t noticed the pool was empty. It wasn’t the pool that was incredible but the whole setting.

  Hannah frowned. “Unfortunately, the pool was leaking, and five thousand gallons per day were evaporating in the hot California sun. So the pool was drained in 2014.”

  Liz turned to face Hannah. “You know, I have to agree with you. This is my favorite. I don’t need the house. But I want this pool.”

  Adam laughed. “You and me both.”

  Once on the road, Liz had to suck up her pride. The day had been absolutely fabulous, and even if the cost of the tour meant nothing to Adam, it meant a lot to Liz. She would never have been able to have that experience on her own.

  “Thank you for spoiling me. The private tour was fantastic. I don't know what you paid for it, but it was worth it.”

  He grinned at her. “You ready to build your own now?”

  She giggled. “Yeah, right. I bet you grew up in a house like that, didn't you?”

  He looked at her for a second, then focused back on the road. “How would you know what kind of house I grew up in?” His shoulders tensed.

  She was a little caught off guard. It didn’t seem like money was a touchy subject before. “I just assumed. I mean, you have a lot of money.”

  “Do I?” he asked, his voice dripping with anger.

  “Yes?” Liz didn't know how to back out of this conversation. She hadn't meant to offend him. She still wasn't even sure how, or if, she had.

  He gave her a half smile. “Yes, I have a lot of money. But, as they say, money doesn’t equal happiness.”

  “I'm sorry. I don't know anything about how you grew up.” There was an awkward pause, and Liz thought she might as well go with it. The vacation had barely started, and what was the point of having a travel buddy if you knew so little about them? “Maybe you could enlighten me so I don’t make false assumptions.”

  He took a deep breath. “I grew up in the casinos. We owned so many of them, we moved around quite a bit. But usually we lived in the penthouse. People think that it's a good lifestyle, and it was. I've never wanted for anything, but I also never saw my parents. Nannies raised me. I was certainly spoiled, and I got away with whatever I wanted. Of course, that’s adult me, looking back at adolescent me.” He smiled. “They were tough on the casino floor, though. My dad was strict about that. He didn't want to get into trouble with the Nevada Gaming Commission.”

  He gave her a crooked grin, and she wondered how many times he'd tried to sneak on the floor as a child.

  “But aside from that, really it was nannies and hotel rooms. I played a lot of video games. Once I started school, it became easier. All my friends had just as much money as I did, but most of them lived in actual houses. I spent a lot of time at my friends’ houses. It probably sounds glamorous and wonderful, but parts were hard. Just like any kid’s life, I’d imagine.”

  He stopped talking then. She wanted him to keep going. She wanted to understand.

  Sharing more about herself might help. “My dad’s a mechanic so we didn’t have much. Sure, we had food on the table, but he worked a lot and my mom died when I was twelve. Before she died things were better.”

  “I didn't know your mom died,” Adam said. “I'm sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago. I still think about her, though. You know my red lipstick?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Three weeks before she died, she told me to never leave the house without lipstick on. So, I don't. I don't wear any other makeup. My hair is always
in a ponytail, but I will wear the lipstick.”

  He laughed. “That sounds like a fantastic reason to wear it. It looks great on you too. You don't need any of the other stuff.”

  She blushed and pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. Her stomach warmed, and then she yelled at herself for caring so much. She was practically engaged to Tanner and couldn’t afford to have Adam affect her that way.

  Liz glanced out the window, watching the scenery go by. She focused on dinners and late night talks with Tanner. How they met at a Habitat for Humanity site. Liz’s dad’s shop did one build per year in order to give back to the community that supported the shop. Liz smiled at the memory of Tanner wiping grease off her nose, and a couple hours later, asking her to grab a burger and beer with him.

  It was perfect.

  Adam shifted in his seat and switched the radio to another station. She could totally think of him as only a friend.

  “You look completely ridiculous in that orange monstrosity,” she commented, pointing to his sweatshirt.

  He smiled and it didn’t reach his eyes. “Not nearly as ridiculous as you.”

  “You know, we’ve got a long drive. I’d love to hear more about your family. Why life was hard.“

  Adam looked out over the ocean. Sharp cliffs dropped below them.

  “Why do you want to know about my life when you have this gorgeous view to entertain you?”

  “I can look over your shoulder and talk to you at the same time. I’m pretty multitalented.”

  “I’d say.” He massaged the steering wheel. “Alright fine. But if I'm going to answer your questions, you have to answer mine.”

  That wouldn’t be too painful. She was curious what he’d want to know about her life.

  “If we're going to be stuck together then might as well talk. I’ll answer your questions.”

  He gave her a long look, and she worried she’d regret this decision.

  “You want to know why it's hard. It's hard because I never know who my friends are.”

  Adam was always surrounded by his friends in school. “You were one of the most popular kids,” she said.

  He shrugged. “It was high school. You say the right things, hang out with the right people, have kickass parties, and you’re popular. Not exactly a magic formula.”