Killer Romances
Page 41
“Morning, Janie, Judge.” Sharon nodded. “Well, that’s no surprise. You have seen the man, right? No woman in her right mind would turn him down.”
“Umm hmm, you’re right about that,” Lila agreed. “I don’t seem to recall you two ever going out, Sharon. Seems to me that you two would make a fine couple.”
“Thanks, Lila, but he was too old for me, or so my mama thought. He was a senior in high school when I was a freshman. After he went off to college, he didn’t seem interested in anyone around here.”
“His loss, then.” The older woman smiled at Sharon as she placed the muffins in a box.
“I hope you’re not gonna eat all of those by yourself,” Artie looked longingly at the baked goods as Lila closed the lid.
“No, I’m taking them out to Chelsea and John, they’re starting work on the house today.” Sharon made sure that she spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear.
“Already? John’s not wasting any time.” Judge Harper put down his paper.
Not surprised that they already knew about John’s involvement, Sharon continued to make her point.
“He was just as eager as Chelsea to get started. You should have heard him talking about the possibilities. He said the place would be a gold mine, once it’s done.” In truth, John had said nothing of the kind, but Sharon wanted to get the town excited. The best way to spread the word about anything was to tell these four busybodies.
“I always said this town needed a nice B&B,” Lila commented as she rang up Sharon’s order. “Just never thought it would start out as a rickety old shack.”
Artie snorted, then laughed. “Well, if John Mills thinks it will work, then we’ll have ourselves a B&B before it’s all said and done. You can take that to the bank.”
“If she’s going to be bringing in tourists, we might start thinking about ways to spruce things up around here.” Janie offered. “Tourists like to spend money, it would be a shame if we didn’t oblige them.”
“What do you mean, like a gift shop or an art gallery?” Lila asked.
“Exactly like that, good thinking, Janie,” the judge added. “We should call a town meeting, get behind this thing while we’ve still got time. If I know John, it won’t take him long before the B&B’s open for business.”
Sharon smiled as she left them discussing Starsdale’s future. Her work there was done.
Chapter Five
“When will your crew be here?” Chelsea asked as she watched John spray a large X on the kitchen cabinets.
“Day after tomorrow. First we need an inspection to make sure we can salvage everything I think we can.” He looked up to see Chelsea’s frown. “Don’t worry, Missy. I know what I’m doing. Even if we have a few surprises, we’ll handle them.” John felt better than he had in years, and it was all thanks to having a reason to get up in the morning.
“I’m not worried,” Chelsea lied. “I’m still having trouble believing that this is happening so fast.” She smiled at the obvious delight on John’s face, she’d never seen anyone so happy to be working.
“Well believe it, because it’s full steam ahead. Once we get the okay on the foundation, we’ll start demolition. That should only take a couple of days, then we’ll be able to bring the old girl back to life.”
“Yoo hoo, anyone home?” Sharon called from the back garden.
“That’s Sharon.” Chelsea explained as she moved to greet her.
“Hey, come on in,” She called from the sunroom. “What have you got there?”
“Muffins and coffee, courtesy of Lila Dean’s diner. Are you all ready for a break?” Sharon handed the coffee thermos to Chelsea as she entered. “Hi, John, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Hello there, Missy. Nice to see you, too. Did I hear you say you brought Lila’s muffins?”
“Yessir, fresh baked this morning. She sent along some coffee, too.”
“Sounds good.” John plucked a muffin from the box.
“How’s Mac doing? Lila mentioned that he might be coming home soon.”
“Here’s hoping.” John saluted her with the coffee. “Thanks. He’s doing well, keeping busy in Sacramento. He’s become something of an expert on green design and construction, so I’m hoping he’ll come up and consult on this project.”
“I’m going green? How exciting.” Chelsea reached for a muffin. “Like solar panels or what?”
“Yes, solar panels to heat the water and the house and rain collection for the garden. I’m not sure what else we can do, that’s why I’d like to get Mac involved. You’ll like him, he’s a good man.”
“I’m sure that I will,” Chelsea nodded, then turned to Sharon. “So who was in the diner?”
“The usual early morning gang. I made sure to tell them that John thought the B&B was a fabulous idea.” She grinned at John.
“It’s the truth,” John grinned back. “By noon, they’ll have the whole town thinking this was their idea, Missy there just beat them to it,” he nodded at Chelsea.
Both women laughed.
“Anything’s better than being the butt of their jokes.”
“Believe me, Missy, when we’re done, the only one who’ll be laughing will be you, all the way to the bank.” John assured her.
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m right, trust me. Once word gets out about this place, you’ll be booked up for months in advance. That reminds me, have you thought about hosting special events here, like weddings or parties? There’s a flat section at the edge of the ridge that would be perfect for a separate building.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that,” Chelsea admitted. “What a lovely idea, but I’m just one person. If the B&B is booked, I doubt I’ll be able to host events too.”
“That’s when you hire some help, Chels.” John’s idea had sparked something in Sharon. She’d always wanted to run her own business. “Or you could lease out the space, let someone else have the headaches.”
“That’s a thought, but who would want it? Does Starsdale even have a need for such a thing?”
“Maybe not now, but with that view as a backdrop, you can’t go wrong. I’m with John; you could make the B&B a premier wedding and event destination, as well as a place for weekend getaways.” Sharon tilted her head, a sign that she was in deep thought. “As to who, well, why not me? I’m tired of driving all the way to Monroe every day, just to cook in a five-star restaurant. It’s high time that Starsdale had its own fine dining option, Lila’s diner notwithstanding,” she grinned.
“Are you serious? But you love your job.” Chelsea exclaimed.
“I do, but I would love working for myself even better. Just think about it, Chels. We could offer catering, event planning and have a small restaurant to boot.” Feeling the excitement build, Sharon turned to John. “What do you think, is there enough room for a kitchen, a party room and a restaurant?”
Catching the girls’ enthusiasm, John stroked his chin.
“I don’t see why not,” he began, “depending on how we structured it. Might even be able to hang the restaurant off the cliff. Not only would that save ground space, but it would surely be something to see.”
“Off the cliff? Is that safe?” Chelsea asked, not waiting for an answer. “Can you imagine the publicity we could generate with something like that? People would flock here just to see it, whether the food was good or not.”
“Hey, of course the food will be good,” Sharon feigned indignation. “They may come out for the novelty or the view, but they’ll be back for the food.”
Chelsea laughed. “Well don’t start planning the menu yet. We don’t even know it it’s feasible. John, can you give us a quote, before we get too excited?”
“Sure thing, Missy. But I’m sure it’s doable.” John mentally congratulated himself on the restaurant idea. If he knew his son, Mac wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of such an unusual project.
“I’ve got some money saved; maybe we could be partners in the event sid
e of things. Just think of it, Chelsea. This could be amazing!” Unable to contain her excitement, Sharon twirled in a circle in the middle of the old kitchen.
“Yes, it could be.” Chelsea’s mind was spinning. “We’d need room for parking, much more than we’d already planned for the B&B. And what about a staff? Do you know anyone to help cook, or wait tables?”
“That won’t be a problem, trust me.” Sharon stopped twirling. “What will we call it? What are you going to name the B&B? The two should be compatible.”
“I haven’t decided yet, but yes, the names should work together.” Chelsea began pacing. “I like the idea of a small restaurant, makes it more exclusive. If we only had seating for say, thirty to forty people, it would be easier to manage and more likely to book up. If it gets really popular, we could offer preferential seating to guests of the B&B, give them an incentive to book a room and dinner.”
“I love that. You could offer romantic getaway packages, make the B&B attractive to locals as well as tourists.”
“That’s perfect, maybe I can keep it filled during the weekdays as well as the weekends.” Chelsea and Sharon were so into their plans, that they missed John’s exit.
Whistling as he walked down to the edge of the cliff where the restaurant and event room would go, John congratulated himself again on the stroke of genius. Mac would surely come home now, especially if John explained that he couldn’t do the project without him. He’d have to be careful, though. It wouldn’t do for Mac to find out that John was footing the bill for most of it. Not that Mac would begrudge the money, but he might think that John had lost his mind, giving so much of it away to a stranger.
“It’s worth every penny,” John said aloud. “The town gets a much needed boost, the girls get a new life and I get to spend time with my son.”
Chapter Six
“Would someone answer the damn phone?” Macintyre Mills was fed up with everything that had anything to do with his life.
Not only was his latest design project going to hell in a hand basket thanks to government red tape, but his personal life had become more trouble than it was worth.
“It’s your father, Mac. Says it’s important.” Unfazed by Mac’s outburst, Jeannie Owens waited patiently, the phone in her outstretched hand.
“Dammit, Jeannie, find out what he wants. Tell him I’ll call him back. Those bastards at the state house will be gone in another ten minutes. I’ve got three fires to put out before they leave.” Mac ignored the phone, grabbed his jacket and left the office.
“Sorry, John, but he’ll have to call you back. Is there anything I can do?” Jeannie asked.
“No, Missy, but thanks. I’ll call him later, if I don’t hear from him.” John tried to keep the disappointment from his voice.
“He shouldn’t be too long. I’ll see to it that he calls you.” Jeannie glanced down at the phone, noting that three lights were blinking furiously with incoming calls.
“Thanks,” John disconnected and looked at his watch. He’d give the boy an hour before he called him back.
~~~
“Get Peterson and Davis in my office, now.” Mac bellowed at Jeannie as he walked through the door. “You come too.” He kept walking, straight through his own office to the en-suite bathroom. Stopping at the medicine cabinet, he grabbed the antacids, downed two in quick succession and brought the bottle back to his desk.
“They’re on the way. What’s up?” Jeannie made herself comfortable across from Mac, watching as he swiped his hand over his eyes and rubbed his temples. He looked tired, no, he looked exhausted. Too long burning the candle at both ends, she thought.
Ignoring her question, Mac sat down, flipping open his day planner. He preferred to keep a hard copy of his schedule, something he’d learned from his dad. Looking at the entries filling the next two weeks, he cursed.
“Dammit, everything will have to be rearranged.” Looking up at the knock, Mac motioned for the two men to enter. “Good, you’re here.”
“What’s happening?” Peterson took the chair next to Jeannie, Davis remained standing.
“Permits for the Striker building are on hold. City Planning is looking at every detail of all construction projects in the fourteen hundred block. Seems that one of their engineers screwed up, approved substandard materials on a recent build, now we have to pay the price.” Mac slammed the datebook closed in frustration.
“But we’re breaking ground tomorrow. I’ve got four crews scheduled to begin at six a.m.” Peterson pushed the chair back as he stood.
“They’ll have to be rescheduled. The best I could get out of Planning is that it could be two weeks, could be a month.”
“A month? That throws the next two projects behind schedule, before we even get started. What the hell, Mac?” Davis placed both hands on his hips. “Do you know what this will do to our bottom line?”
“Of course I know,” Mac barked. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but my hands are tied. If the clients want to walk away rather than wait, that’s their prerogative.” Mac dumped two more antacids into his palm, then pushed the bottle towards the two men whose lives he’d just turned upside down.
“I know this is a royal pain in the ass, but we have no choice. We could walk away from Striker, but what would that get us? One very powerful, very pissed off client and a guarantee that we’d get none of their future business. Besides, we’ve already got too much tied up in materials and design hours to back out now.”
“What do you want me to do?” Jeannie asked, already making a mental list.
“I’m meeting with Striker tonight, to explain about the delay. I need you three to cancel everything for the next two weeks, but tell the crews that it could be as much as a month. If we can transfer the people to another project, do it. Otherwise, let them know that we’ll pay them for one week of work so they’ll have time to find an alternative.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Davis interjected. “You’re under no obligation, they’re contract labor.”
“It doesn’t matter. Keeping good workers happy is worth more than one week’s pay, so just do it.” Mac tossed the pills into his mouth.
“Sure, Mac. Whatever you say. We’ll get right on it.” Jeannie stood and began to herd Peterson and Davis out the door. “By the way, remember to call your dad.” She stopped and looked back at Mac. “He said it was important.”
“Okay, Jeannie. I’ll call him on the way to Striker’s office. Do I have a tie around here anywhere?”
“Check you bottom desk drawer. There’s a shirt hanging in the closet to match.”
~~~
Six o’clock traffic in downtown Sacramento moved at a snail’s pace. Mac loosened his tie and remembered why he always made a point to work until at least seven. Reaching for the phone, he punched in his dad’s number.
“Well, hello there, Son. I was just about to call you again.” John’s voice boomed through the car’s speakers. Mac turned down the volume.
“Hi, Dad, how’s everything?”
“Couldn’t be better, Son. How’re things on your end?”
“Could be a lot better. I swear I don’t know how you put up with the constant crap spewing from City Hall for over thirty years. I’ve only been doing it for five and it feels like a lifetime. If they’re not changing specs, then they’re covering their asses at our expense. You won’t believe the latest catastrophe.”
John listened as Mac described the events of his day, smiling when he related the fact that work was at a standstill for the next two weeks, at least. It was as if the universe was conspiring to bring Mac home.
“Well, Son, I’m sorry to hear about your troubles, but I think you did the right thing, paying the crew and reorganizing where you can. The Striker building is your project, right? So you’re at loose ends for a bit?”
“If you can call reorganizing the next month and every project in the pipeline at loose ends, then yeah, I’m free as a bird.”
John laughed. “
You’ve got good people for that. How would you like to spend a little time helping your old man out? I’ve got a real brain teaser and I could use your expertise. The client also wants to go green, and you know more about that than I do.”
“”Client? Dad, you’re retired. What are you up to?”
“I’m refurbishing the old Thompson place; you remember the Craftsman bungalow on the ridge just outside of town. Anyway, as part of the reno, we’re building a restaurant, right into the side of the mountain so that it hangs suspended over the cliff. I could really use your expertise to get us started.”
Shocked that his father was working, even more so by the scope of the project he described, Mac was speechless for a moment.
“Son, are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. You’re seriously renovating the Thompson place? Wasn’t it demolished years ago? If not, it should have been. And building a restaurant into the mountain? Do you have any idea what that will entail? Of course you do, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that retirement is not all that it’s cracked up to be. I needed a project and this one suits me just fine. I’ll admit that the restaurant is throwing me a curve, so what do you say? Can you come up for a few days, see what you think?” John reeled him in slowly, hoping that a few days would turn into much more.
Mac entered the parking garage and searched for an empty space. His mind whirred with everything he had going on, but he had to admit that he was intrigued with his dad’s project. Designing had always been his passion; it had been too long since he was excited by something as unique as a restaurant hanging from a cliff.
“I don’t know, Dad. Let me get back to you. I’ve got a meeting with Striker, then I can think about it. Wouldn’t it be easier to situate the restaurant on top of the cliff, at the edge?”
“Sure it would, but what fun would that be?”
Mac grinned, hearing the excitement in his dad’s voice.
“Okay, Pop, I’ll call you later tonight.”
“Sure thing, Son.” John hung up, knowing that Mac was on the hook.