She turned away and raked both hands through her curls and he realized she’d lost her elastic at some point. After a moment, she turned back, much calmer. “I didn’t think you were a loser. You had a steady job, and Dad had hired you, so you obviously knew what you were doing. He didn’t suffer fools. I just . . . I thought I was getting away from his maneuvering. And then it turned out I fell right back into his plans when we started dating. You were exactly the guy he wanted for me, the one I’ve searched for, despite the slightly different packaging than I’d expected.”
“What’s wrong with my packaging?” The fury was gone, but confusion and irritation were still wildly abundant. Did she realize she’d said he was what she wanted? Had he imagined it?
She looked him up and down. “Oh, nothing, I promise.”
For some reason her frank appraisal embarrassed him and he set his hands on his hips as the anger and irritation deserted him. “So what’s the deal?”
She turned and paced across the room, then came back. “I don’t know what to do with you, Vince. I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m around you, and I feel things for you I’ve never felt before, and that scares the crap out of me.”
He rubbed his stomach where her words had sent his insides twisting. “Well, now we’re even.” When she lifted an inquiring brow, he clarified. “I’ve had relationships, but there was no falling in love. Attraction, the excitement that comes at the beginning of a new relationship, yes, but not love—if that’s what I’m even feeling. I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with all of this so soon.”
The woman had to be schizophrenic or something to flip flop from one emotion to the next so fast. He was going to get whiplash if she didn’t slow down. But was he any better? His anger had never peaked and melted away so fast before.
“I guess there’s no rush.” She let out a shaky breath and forced a smile. “How about if we reheat those burgers and eat. I’m starved.”
“Okay, fine.” Bewildered, he followed her through the house to the kitchen.
Chapter 22
When the food was in the microwave, Vince opened the back door and his two dogs shot into the room, barking like mad, running in circles, and jumping up on Cami in delight. He gave each of them a firm patting, then yanked them back onto all fours when they nosed at the milkshakes on the counter. The monsters were big as horses and ate twice as much—each. “All right, get down and I’ll get you two some food.”
He crossed to the closet and pulled out a huge scoop to ladle kibble into the metal doggie bowls. Then he grabbed a gallon pitcher and topped off their water bowls inside and out. When he came back, Cami was seated at the table, both dogs quivering at her feet, their eyes filled with hope as she unwrapped her burger.
“Don’t turn your back on them,” he warned her, “or your food will disappear in one gulp.”
“You just fed them.”
“Doesn’t matter. They’re bottomless pits.” Still, he gave each of their heads an affectionate rub, then washed his hands before he sat with his food.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before he broached the subject he’d been turning over in his mind. “So what’s the big problem here? Is it that your father managed to manipulate your life, even from the grave? Is it the pressure you’re getting from the media?” She eyed him and he shrugged. “I’ve been paying attention.”
She was thoughtful as she chewed and swallowed. “I’ve never told anyone this before.” She dipped her fry in her shake, swirled it around, and ate it while the suspense increased. “About four years ago I dated a guy named Lance. We went out for several months. I was starting to think maybe there was a future for us. I thought we fit so well and had so much in common. Then one day I was working at the hotel, doing paperwork from the front desk when a woman came to speak with me.” Cami paused as she picked out a pickle hanging from the burger. “She asked me to stop seeing her husband.”
Vince’s throat closed up on him as he watched the emotions flit through her face, so many, too fast to capture.
“I was the other woman, Vince. We weren’t sleeping together, but I was still keeping him from his family.”
“No.” He reached over and wrapped her fist in his hand. “You weren’t doing it. You didn’t know, did you?”
“No. I didn’t know. I sent him a text message telling him not to bother me again. He only made a token attempt to convince me to keep seeing him. I’ve only run into him once or twice at social events since, but he took me at my word and has never done more than greet me in passing. I’ve seen him with other women he’s dated, and yet he’s never divorced his wife.”
“You don’t understand that.” He understood better how deep her rage and confusion went.
“She never left him, and she probably never will.” She lifted wet eyes to his. “Did my mom know? Did she put up with it all those years, knowing there were legions of other women? Why would she do that?”
He took her hand, flipping it over to rub his thumb across her palm. “Maybe things changed by the time you were old enough to remember. There are only what, four, five years between you and Jonquil?”
Her eyes closed in pain. “Barely four. But he didn’t change. Lana told me tonight, she saw him with another woman a couple of years before my mom died. When Lana confronted him, he said it was none of her business. Yet he still acted so devoted to Mom, put everything aside to be with her when she was sick.” She shook her head. “I just can’t figure out how to fit all of the puzzle pieces back together in a way that makes sense.”
He wished he could take away her pain, and was left feeling powerless. “How do your sisters feel about it?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Lana feels the same pull between loving him and not wanting to forgive him.”
Seeing she wasn’t going to volunteer more, he prodded her. “And the others?”
Cami pulled her hand out of his and took a bite of her hamburger, seeming to mull the thought over while she chewed and swallowed. “I haven’t asked. It’s too hard to be around them. Lana said I blame them for knowing Dad was . . . playing the field before I knew. That’s not it, though. It’s the anger and despair, the sadness and loss of trust in my own ability to make good decisions that I felt when I learned Lance was married.
“Their mothers had to have gone through the same thing. Most of his other daughters probably had their own period of disillusionment, and if I’m going to be close to them, I have to accept it. It’s hard knowing he hurt so many people. And if those women knew he was married and saw him anyway, it only makes it worse.”
Unable to help himself, Vince leaned over, slid his fingers behind her neck and pulled her close so he could touch his lips to her forehead. “It’s never easy, is it?”
“No.” She lifted her gaze to his. “I keep thinking it ought to be easy, but it’s not. What kind of father could he have been to them, scattered across the country, when he spent so much time in Chicago?”
“Maybe you should ask.”
~*~
Cami smiled in greeting as they filed into Blake’s office the next morning. All six sisters surrounded the conference table he’d squeezed into the room.
“Sorry, this table will eventually end up in the room next door, but the room’s not ready, so you’ll have to deal with the tight quarters today. Once this place opens, I know Lana intends to hold her daily staff meetings around it, so we’ll have plenty of opportunity to grow familiar with it.” He smiled easily at the group, which included Joel, who had arrived before the ladies.
Blake focused on Lana, who sat around the corner from him on the long table. “My apologies for usurping your place. That seems to happen when we meet in my office, a problem that will soon be rectified. Please, go ahead.” He slid into his seat.
Lana’s face tightened and she met his gaze directly, her hands folded primly on the table top. “You’re the regional manager. It’s in your purview to lead the meeting when you’re around.”
&nb
sp; “But I’ll be available for a great deal more of these meetings than I would if my office were located elsewhere, so I’d prefer to let you run the meeting. Just leave me a spot on the timetable in case I have anything to discuss. Go ahead.” There was challenge in his eyes.
Cami watched for and saw the answering challenge in Lana as her back grew even straighter, though Cami wouldn’t have thought it possible.
“Thank you. We’ll get on with it. Today’s company message first.” She imparted the daily corporate message shared at staff meeting at all of the hotels every morning. She had Blake give the updates on the construction and orders that had been submitted, asking for information from others at the table, starting with Rosemary on her left.
They each took their turns discussing their plans and ideas, mentioning any difficulties they were having. Joel discussed security issues before Lana brought up another issue. “I don’t suppose any of you have seen the latest on the Star Gazing website, since it hasn’t been mentioned yet.” She named a gossip publication notorious for making up things when they didn’t have truth to publish.
“What are you talking about?” Cami asked as her stomach twisted.
Lana’s gaze slid over everyone in the room. “They’ve taken their jabs at me. I’m not sure if it could have been worse or not.”
Cami asked, “What about you? What could they have possibly found on you? You’re like Mrs. Clean.”
Lana’s eyes slid to Blake’s, and he lifted a brow, almost appearing amused. Her mouth twisted for a moment before she explained. “They found pictures of me drunk the day I turned twenty-one. It was part celebration, part drowning my sorrows as I had learned only a few days earlier that Dad was cheating on my mom. Photos can be doctored, but the ones in the article are the way I remember it. Fuzzy.”
Blake frowned, but lifted a hand to her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. She shrugged it off and kept her face unreadable. “Most everyone has had a moment of weakness where they made mistakes,” he soothed. “This is hardly news. I’d say a drinking binge on the twenty-first birthday is pretty common.”
“The problem,” Cami pointed out, “since you’re so young, people will question the soundness of having you in charge. I’m sorry to say it, because you know I think Dad was right to put you where you are, but people like to talk.”
“So no wine for you at dinner if we’re in public. No problem,” Rosemary said airily.
“I don’t know that we need to go that far, she is almost thirty,” Blake said, but asked Lana, “I’m assuming you got a cab, or used a designated driver?”
“Of course. My boyfriend at the time chose to stay sober to make sure I got home okay.” Her voice turned almost sickly sweet. “He was so thoughtful.”
Blake’s eyes shuttered. “Then you should be fine. Drinking responsibly and everything.”
“There are only pictures of me with a margarita, so nothing particularly damning.” Lana glanced back at the room. “Is there anything else we need to discuss, or do we adjourn the meeting?”
When no one said anything, Cami moved to adjourn and they all agreed. When they stood to leave, however, Blake kept Lana back, shutting them into his office while the rest tromped downstairs.
Chapter 23
That evening while the sisters sat around the table enjoying one of Mrs. Grady’s fabulous dinners, Cami was surprised when Lana brought up the issue of the opening party.
“Why didn’t we discuss this during our earlier meeting?” Cami asked.
Lana’s eyes narrowed. “While Dad had plans in place for the grand opening gala, and Blake’s been finalizing them, he asked me this afternoon to get your feedback on the big promotional thing they’re going to announce next week.” She pulled out some papers. “He’s on the plane to California now, so I’ll send him a report with our thoughts, and copy the corporate PR people, but I thought we could toss around some ideas tonight.”
Delphi sat back, her usual skinny latte cupped between her hands. “So what do they have planned so far?”
“PR is already working on a campaign to give away some stays the weekend of the gala, starting with two four-night, major packages. It’ll be for one of the nicer suites, with meals and spa treatments—”
Cami interrupted. “Throw in a hot air balloon ride. If we can’t get the ski resort to donate it, I should at least be able to broker a discount, since they’ll get extra publicity in the campaign. It’s seriously incredible.” Vince had promised to take her up again as soon as the hotel had opened and she had time to breathe again. She couldn’t wait.
Delphi shivered. “No one is getting me three-thousand feet off the ground in a wicker basket, thank you very much. Just the thought freaks me out.”
“We can include those bedtime snack trays for two of the four nights, or one of those rose petal bed treatments,” Rosemary suggested.
Lana typed more notes. “Great. Any other ideas?”
They threw around thoughts for the packages and discussed the grand opening gala. Dessert was long gone when the conversation wound down and Lana turned off her computer.
“So where did you go last night?” Jonquil asked Cami. “You were gone for hours. I heard you sneak in.”
Cami played with the water bottle she’d switched to after her dessert coffee. She almost hadn’t stayed for chat after the unofficial meeting, but her conversation with Vince the previous night had left her with questions only the other daughters could answer. “I drove around for a while. Stopped in at a burger place for dinner and Vince walked in. We talked, and he took me back to his place to eat and stuff.”
“And stuff?” Rosemary’s voice was infused with meaning.
Though she tried to keep her expression cool, her lips quirked when she shot Rosemary what was supposed to be a quelling glance. Talking about her relationship was new to her and made her uncomfortable, though thoughts of Vince made her insides tingle. “It was talk. And some kissing.” She grinned. “Okay, a lot of kissing, and some crying on his shoulder. The man’s a saint for putting up with me. And for sticking my shake in the freezer so I didn’t come back to Oreo crumbs drowning in chocolate cream.”
“You cried on him? What did he do?” Sage asked. “My brother can’t stand it when I cry. He ends up giving me anything I want.” She frowned into her herbal tea. “Of course, not every guy is like that. I can’t see muscle man security expert Joel giving anyone what they want, for any reason. I swear the man’s a robot.”
Cami thought the description of Joel was very apt. “Vince was sweet, very sweet, and we hashed out a lot of the stuff that’s been bothering me.” She shot an apologetic look at Lana, feeling guilty. “Sorry I didn’t talk it over with you. You’re just so mixed up in all of this, I needed an impartial listener.”
“And it didn’t help when I dropped my own bombshell on you,” Lana agreed.
“Oh? Do tell,” Rosemary set aside her espresso cup. The woman lived on the potent brew—and way later into the night than Cami would ever consider.
Lana pushed her fiery locks back from her face, glanced around the group. “I caught Dad cheating about eight years ago, when I was still in hotel management school. When I confronted him, it wasn’t pretty. Then I went to work at Ritz-Carlton for a while. I’m glad to have the experiences I had with them, but I didn’t do it to broaden my horizons—I did it because I was angry and needed some space. I never said anything to Cami, and she wasn’t very happy about it.” Her gaze centered back on Cami. “I’m sorry I unloaded on you last night.”
It still hurt, but she was starting to get a handle on it. “It was time you told me, and you had a good point, or three.” Cami sipped at the water and considered the discussion she’d had with Vince. She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “I have a question for the rest of you. You were spread out all over the place, and Dad was home close to half the time. I know he traveled a lot, but what kind of father was he to you? You couldn’t have seen much of him.”
Jonquil was the fir
st to answer. “We spoke on the phone at least twice a week—every week—for as long as I can remember, and though I never saw him on holidays, there was always a special gift, an extra phone call. He made it to my birthday dinners a few times over the years. I saw him at least every other month. I always wished it could be more, but it was still better than lots of my friends who had divorced parents.”
“Same here,” Rosemary stated. “Except for my time abroad, when we cut back on visits, but he still called, kept in touch.”
“He always called,” Sage agreed. “But there was a long stretch when I wouldn’t talk to him.” She looked at Lana, then Cami. “Right after I found out about you guys, that I was between you in age, I stopped taking his calls. He’d been my hero, and I didn’t like learning he had feet of clay.” She wore a wistful smile. “When he came for his scheduled visit, I yelled and screamed at him, I pounded on his chest, and told him what I thought of the way he used my mom, the way he neglected his wife and kids because of me.
“He held me and told me he loved me until I calmed down. Finding out our moms weren’t isolated incidents hasn’t been all butterflies and cotton candy for us either.” She said this last straight out to Cami, making her feel ashamed that she’d been acting as if she were the only injured party.
Sage wet her lips and brushed the dark curls behind her ear. “Dad and my mom had no relationship besides sharing me since shortly after I was conceived, but he was around as much as he could be. He always made sure I had money for special extras, even when Mom married a few years later. He didn’t want me to go without things he thought I should have, and he treated my brother Harrison the same way, though without the special phone calls and daddy-daughter dinners.”
“That would have been a stretch for him and Harris to do the daddy-daughter thing. Funny, though.” Rosemary’s grin didn’t dim when Sage threw a decorative pillow at her.
A Perfect Fit Page 12
