Killer Romances
Page 44
“I’d love to keep the fireplace in the main sitting room wood burning. I love the smell and the crackle of a real fire. It makes a house feel like a home.” Chelsea teared up again as she realized that this shell of a house would be her home. Thanks to John, it was more than she’d dare dream of. “I wish my mom could see this, be a part of it. She would love it as much as I do.” No matter how hard she tried, Chelsea couldn’t keep the tears from spilling over.
John felt his heart go out to the young woman, knowing all too well the pain of her loss. Placing one arm around her, he hugged her close.
“I heard you lost your mom recently, I’m sorry. I lost my Martha a couple years ago, and I can tell you that it does get easier with time. Funny thing is, even though she’s not with me, I still talk to her every day, still feel her by my side. Why, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if your mother could see this place, knew what you’re trying to accomplish. I bet she’s as proud as punch of you, Missy.”
Chelsea laughed through her tears at John’s choice of expressions. It reminded her of her grandmother. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she patted his chest.
“Thanks, John. I do believe that you’re right.”
Mac found them huddled together, their backs to the doorway, when he entered the room. He couldn’t see Chelsea’s tears, nor could he see the ones that glistened in his father’s eyes. To him, the two looked like a loving couple, sharing an embrace. His blood boiled.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said sharply, feet planted firmly just inside the doorway.
Startled by his voice, John and Chelsea separated quickly. John turned towards his son, Chelsea took a few seconds to compose herself.
Mac mistook the move as one of guilt at being caught in the act. Standing with his arms crossed, he didn’t bother trying to hide his disgust.
“The engineer is ready to leave, if you want to meet with him.” Speaking directly to his father, he ignored Chelsea altogether.
“Sure thing, Son. I’ll be right out.” John nodded, wondering at the cause of Mac’s irritation. Thinking that something had gone wrong with the inspection, he gave Chelsea a nod and followed his son.
“Make a note of that wood burning fireplace, would you, Missy? I’ll be back in a jiff,” John told her as he left. “That’s a nice idea, wouldn’t want to forget it.”
Grateful that her presence was not required with the inspector, Chelsea did as John asked. She too had noticed that Mac was irritated at something, but she felt it was directed at her.
Each time she had crossed paths with him in the last few days, he’d been polite, but cool, always finding something to do away from her and John. Sensing that he didn’t like her, Chelsea gave up trying to understand why, choosing instead to focus on the project. The new plans were perfect, better than John’s and his had been awesome. She was grateful to have Mac’s input, no matter how he felt about her.
Looking closer at the kitchen plans, she fished her ringing cell phone from her back pocket and answered without looking to see who was calling.
“Chelsea, darling, I was beginning to think you didn’t wish to speak with me. How are you, love?”
His voice made her skin crawl and left her momentarily speechless. Why hadn’t she checked the caller I.D.?
“I’m doing very well, Preston, thanks for asking. I would be better, though, if you would stop calling me. What do you want?”
“Come on, honey, don’t be angry. I’ve been thinking of you lately and wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about your mom’s passing. I am sorry for your loss, Chels.” His voice dripped with kindness, tinged with just the right amount of sorrow. If Chelsea hadn’t lived through the emotionless way he had ended their relationship, she might have believed that he cared.
“Thank you, Preston. Is there anything else?” She kept her tone neutral, not willing to let him know just how much she despised him.
“I’d love to see you, honey. When can we get together?” Preston didn’t react to the coldness in her voice. He chose to believe that he could eliminate whatever barriers she had erected since their split.
“We won’t be getting together, now or ever. Please don’t call me again, Preston. Goodbye.” Chelsea disconnected the call and tossed the phone on top of the plans. Trembling with a rush of emotion, she began to pace.
~~~
The bitch hung up on him. Preston sat at his shiny black desk and stared at his phone in shock. Undeterred by her words, he quickly redialed her number, willing to let her think that he believed the call was dropped. Anger began to creep in as the call went to voice mail after a few rings. Infusing his voice with understanding, he left a message.
“Sorry we got disconnected, Chelsea. I wanted to tell you that I spoke with Charlotte Eanes recently and she told me that you sold your mom’s house. If you need help with the move, or anything else, I’m here for you. I’ll be in touch soon, love. Goodbye.”
Without missing a beat, Preston searched for Charlotte’s number in his contact list. Within minutes, he had an appointment for drinks after work that very same day. If anyone knew where he could find Chelsea, it would be Charlotte.
Another mutual friend who worked in the courthouse let the size of Chelsea’s mother’s estate slip in casual conversation a few weeks after she died. Preston had no idea that the woman was so well off and he regretted not hanging onto Chelsea for the duration of her mom’s illness, regretted it even more since the recent reversal in his own fortune. But that could be rectified now; he told himself, his anger dissipating at the thoughts of all that lovely money, just waiting for him to claim it.
How he would manage it without Chelsea’s consent never entered his mind. The slow slide into madness was so gradual that Preston never recognized the changes in his thinking or in his behavior. What Chelsea had seen as an overnight transformation in the man she loved was actually the culmination of a long-term decline into insanity. Once Chelsea left to care for her mom, Preston’s deterioration went unnoticed. No one was close enough to him to witness his delusional days or the periodic moments of complete insanity. No one was near when blinding headaches rendered him immobile. The illness was so pervasive, that not even Preston recognized its effects.
Preston believed that he deserved Chelsea’s inheritance, was entitled to it, in fact. The evidence lay on his desk in front of him; the will that he’d secretly had drawn up shortly after they became engaged. The fact that Chelsea hadn’t signed it, didn’t even know that it existed, was irrelevant. He’d had no trouble forging her signature, a perfect replica that he admired as he plotted his next move.
~~~
Chelsea deleted Preston’s message without listening to it, then refocused on the plans. The kitchen was completely different than John’s original design, with two side-by-side refrigerators, two industrial dishwashers and a six-burner stove. A new butler’s pantry between the kitchen and the dining room could also serve as a coffee and snack bar for guests during the day, eliminating the need for traffic into the kitchen.
By far, the biggest design change yet was the addition of a huge bay window on the east side of the room. Chelsea could enjoy the picturesque view of the mountains even as she worked. It was perfect.
Joy at the changes completely eradicated the after effects of Preston’s call. By the time John came back inside, she had moved on to the plans for her private bathroom.
“Is this a soaking tub?” she asked as he entered, taking him by surprise.
“In your bathroom? Why yes, I believe it is. Taking care of all those guests is going to leave you at least a little tired and achy. I thought you’d like a place to pamper yourself. My Martha taught me about that.” John smiled as he saw the happiness on Chelsea’s face.
“Your Martha was a very wise woman. Tell her I said so, the next time you speak.” Chelsea grinned. “I feel like a broken record, but thank you, John. This is so much more than I ever hoped to have.” She swept her arms over the plans
.
“I should be the one thanking you, Missy. I needed something to get me going in the morning. It’s not good for a man to be at loose ends, makes him old before his time. Creating a home for you and helping to build a business for you and your friend is just what the doctor ordered.” John cringed a little at the lie. It was, in fact, exactly opposite of what the doctor had ordered. He was supposed to be taking it easy, avoiding stress and popping pills six times a day. John believed that regimen would kill him faster than the cancer.
“Did the engineer think that the rock would hold the restaurant?” Chelsea held her breath, not realizing until that moment how much she was looking forward to having a distinctive place to dine on the premises.
“He took some samples, but he was hopeful. We may have to rest it on the ledge, rather than brace it against the side, but either way it should be doable.” John’s heart warmed as Chelsea jumped up and down in place, clapping her hands.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait to tell Sharon.” Chelsea stopped for a second, thinking of the options. “Would it be less expensive to build it on the ledge? If we’re using elevators anyway, why not go down a little farther, if it will save money. The effect will be the same, won’t it?”
“You’ve got a point, there. We’ll wait until the tests come back, see what we’re working with. Could be that the ledge is too thin to support it, but I’m sure that Mac can figure a way around it. That boy’s got a mind for puzzles.”
“He’s also got his father’s talent for design.” Chelsea nodded at the plans. “I love everything you’ve done, from the butler’s pantry to the window. It’s all perfect.”
“Glad you think so, Missy. If you approve, we can get started building the place back up tomorrow. I can have enough supplies to get us going here this afternoon.” John didn’t bother telling Chelsea how much extra he was spending to have those supplies delivered immediately. She didn’t need to know how expensive this project would be, but he couldn’t hide it from Mac. It was probably a good thing that his son always found something else to do when Chelsea was around.
“So soon? That’s wonderful. What can I do to help?”
“You can skedaddle, make room for the trucks. I’ll call you if anything comes up.” John began rolling up the plans.
“Okay, if you’re sure. I do have some things to do in town, and I need to speak with Sharon, tell her the good news about the restaurant.”
“That’s fine, you run on now, before you get blocked in.”
“I will. Bye, John.” Chelsea ran to John, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dancing out of what would soon be her dream kitchen.
Driving by the Cliffside site, she spotted Mac taking measurements. As much as she wanted to stop and thank him for his designs, she knew he would prefer it if she kept on driving. So she did.
“One day soon, Mr. Mills, you’re going to tell me why you dislike me so much.” Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw that Mac never even gave her a passing glance.
~~~
Mac watched Chelsea’s car maneuver the narrow mountain road beneath a hooded gaze. If the situation was different, if she were not playing his father like a fiddle, he could see himself becoming interested in her.
She was certainly attractive enough to catch any man’s eye, but it was more than that. There was genuineness about her that he’d yet to find in the women he dated in Sacramento. The way she cared for the old house, her insistence in staying true to its original style, no matter the cost, was refreshing and followed his own way of thinking on the subject. But it was the way she interacted with the workers that intrigued him the most and which spoke of an honestly caring nature.
He’d watched as she asked about their families, complimented them on the smallest details and generally took an interest in their lives, not just in what they were doing for hers. He tried to imagine any one of the women he regularly saw in the city taking such an interest in a day laborer, but it was impossible to think of one who would so much as look twice at anyone on the crew, much less ask after his family.
At times he almost felt smitten with her, until he remembered that she was taking advantage of his dad. That side of her seemed so foreign with most of what Mac witnessed in her behavior, that he was beginning to wonder if he had it wrong. Walking in on the touching little scene between them that morning had brought him harshly back to reality. The woman was a user, no matter how genuine she appeared.
She may be a user, but his dad sure didn’t seem to mind being used. Mac couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen him so happy, so alive; not since his mom died. The flip side of that coin was in the ever present circles beneath his dad’s eyes and in the way he seemed to move a bit slower than his usual pace. This project was obviously taking a toll on his health, even if his spirits were high. Watching the normally robust man lean against a door jamb for support or strain when he stood told Mac that something was wrong. Was it more than simply trying to manage such a large project and keep up with a much younger woman? Mac didn’t know, but either way, he could lay it all squarely on Chelsea Bates’ doorstep.
As he pounded the stake into the ground where the corner of the kitchen would be, Mac tried to reconcile the woman who brought a teddy bear for a sick child of one of the crew with the person who would take advantage of a retiree. It wasn’t just his dad she had fooled, everyone he’d run across in town had only nice things to say about her. It just didn’t make sense. The only answer he could find was that Chelsea was an accomplished actress.
Standing, he let his gaze roam over the breathtaking beauty of the Sierras. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect setting for the businesses Chelsea was beginning. She was smart; he had to give her that. Setting up a B&B, an event venue and a restaurant with the startling backdrop of snow-caped peaks, ragged granite mountains and lush evergreens was a brilliant move. Sleepy little Starsdale was ripe for this type of development; a fact made even more clear by the way the town was gearing up for its future.
Everywhere he looked in the past day or so, people were making improvements. The shabby storefronts of only a few days ago were disappearing with the help of fresh paint, a few tools and some cleaning supplies. Lila had even asked his advice on turning the old Johnson place, long sitting empty at the end of Main Street, into a gift shop. He couldn’t deny the positive effects that one woman’s vision was having on his home town; he only wished that the woman had not roped his father into the plan.
“I thought I’d find you out here,” John’s voice jerked Mac’s attention away from the scenery, and Chelsea. Turning, Mac noted once again the hitch in the older man’s gait and the way he seemed to hold his back as he moved.
“I thought I’d mark the site, just in case the inspection goes our way.”
“It will, I’m sure of it. I spoke with Missy about resting the building on the ledge, if need be, and she was amenable.” John stopped beside his son and caught his breath. “That’s one amazing view,” he said after a moment.
“That it is,” Mac said, turning back to the mountains. “She couldn’t have picked a better site.”
“Nope, that one’s got a good head on her shoulders.” John replied, admiration evident in his voice.
Mac cringed, but couldn’t disagree.
Chapter Ten
“Oh my God, that’s a lot of windows!” Sharon stared down at the plans for Cliffhangers and Cliffside.
“Sure is, but it’s all about the view, right? That’s our big draw.” Chelsea poured a glass of tea and went to join her friend.
“But how will we keep them clean? Especially the ones on the restaurant?”
“We’ll have to hire professionals for those, but John said that he knew a guy who could do the job. It will be easier, now that Cliffhangers is technically sitting on the ledge, and not hanging off the cliff, though it will appear that way.”
“I have to admit, I like knowing that there is at least some ground beneath our feet there,” Sharon gr
inned. “I can’t believe that this is happening so fast!”
“Believe it, baby. It’s real. I’ve got the partnership papers right here to prove it. Are you ready to sign?” Chelsea pulled a file from her briefcase.
“Absolutely, if you are. This is your land, Chels, you really don’t need me as a partner. I could just rent the space or whatever. Are you sure that you want to work it this way?”
“Absolutely! What do I know about running a restaurant, or an event business? Hell, if you get right down to it, what do I know about running a B&B? At least with Cliffside and Cliffhangers, one of us has a clue about what to do. I’m just hedging my bets, with you as a partner.”
“You’ll do great with the B&B and you know it, though it’s about as far away from being an attorney as you can get. I’m still scratching my head about that one.”
“I needed a change, this is a change. Besides, I’d much rather meet travelers and keep a lovely home in a setting that makes my heart swell than fight with litigious people and their lawyers all day. This is a no-brainer for me.”
“And I’m thrilled with the prospect of owning my own business, doing things the way I know they should be, not the way someone else thinks is right. Except you, of course, Partner!”
“No, no. Cliffhangers is your baby, just as the B&B is mine. We’ll split the event business, as that benefits us both.” Chelsea signed her name on the last page of the partnership agreement, then passed it over to Sharon.
“I feel like we should be drinking wine, making a toast or something.” Sharon said after signing the document.
“Let’s celebrate. Dinner at the diner?” Chelsea laughed. “We’ll celebrate with pie instead of wine.”