by Lori Whyte
"We aren't making any changes," he said, "not until we all have a chance to talk about this. You included."
Her lips were pursed so tightly that they were turning white.
"I'm not evicting you. None of us ever would. We'll take care of you… I'll take care of you. Trust me," he said.
She stiffened at his promise, much to his surprise. Wasn't that what she wanted? Reassurance?
She pushed his hand off her knee abruptly.
"We'll have to go through Viv's things too," he said, "we might as well do that while I'm here."
She crossed her arms and leaned away from him. "You'll want to see the books too."
He could well imagine what the accounts would reveal. She'd more or less told him things were a shit show. Not that that was a surprise.
Part of him didn't even care. The inn had never been a priority for him. There were too many ghosts lurking in these corridors to get too interested. Ghosts didn't have a place in his life.
But Anna cared.
He eyed her, studying the defiant tilt of her head and the tug of the frown at her pretty lips. Her face was still flushed from crying.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
He let his fingers float over the heated skin of her cheeks. Just a moment longer. She didn't pull away. So he let his fingers linger. She was so soft. An urge to kiss away her frown shot through him. Aiden would smack him upside the head for thinking like that. And, right after that, he'd punch him in the gut for being alone with Anna.
Right.
She was off limits. Like a man wrestling an alligator, he steered his thoughts to safer topics. But his hand lingered on her cheek. Her mouth opened a little, and that frown faded, making her lips even more tempting.
"Since I'm staying," he said, "I need to make a few phone calls.
She nodded, sending her long blonde hair swinging forward along her face. The silky strands slipped across his knuckles.
He wanted more.
So much more.
He wanted to push his fingers deep into her hair. Pull her close. Kiss those plump pink lips. Make her forget everything… the inn, Viv's death, her uncertain future…
Why the hell hadn't Viv left the inn to the one person who really wanted it? It should have been hers.
Everybody, Viv included, had always told him that Anna was family. A little sister. But when it had counted, Viv had let Anna down.
And Mason wasn't sure how to fix it.
He could sign over his portion to her, but that was only twenty percent. And where would the capital come from to get this place up to safe standards again? Did he want to invest in this? It made no financial sense to do that.
He withdrew his hand.
There was one thing he could do, though. He could find out what happened to Viv. At least he could give Anna that.
"Are you sure you want to stay?"
"I don't say things I don't mean," he said.
Her flushed cheeks darkened a little.
If she kept blushing like that he was going to kiss her, regardless of how many people he'd promised that he wouldn't. He stood before he did something stupid. He missed her nearness immediately. There was a warmth in the air around her that seemed impervious to the drafty chill in the inn.
She shoved out of the chair and straightened her jacket.
"We should bring the vehicles inside the gate and get you settled," she said.
"Right. And I have to call my PA." Jay was going to lose his shit when he discovered all of his meetings needed to be rescheduled… again. He'd had to rejig Mason’s schedule once already this week for the funeral.
Yeah. This latest change was going to cost him. Maybe more than he was ready to risk.
FIVE
They spent most of the day and evening in Viv's room. The room was brimming with roses of every description. Every surface, from the wallpaper to the bedspread, boasted the red flowers. Viv had always been partial to them.
But where roses were in abundance, clues were sadly lacking. There was no secret diary. No camera full of pictures of her potential stalker. Nothing.
Being in here, going through her personal things, was unsettling as shit too. He hated it. Felt like he was violating her privacy. Except she wasn't there to hit him with her dolls like she had when he'd invaded her room when they were kids.
Viv had probably gone through this same process when George and Edna died. He didn't remember that. But she must have. Someone would have had to. And it sure as hell hadn't been him.
He would have burned the lot of it.
With Viv's stuff, though, it all seemed a little too precious at the moment.
And it wasn't helping answer any questions.
He took a deep sip of his Scotch. Anna had scarcely touched her drink, but he was almost ready for his second. That was one thing you could count on at Viv's. She'd always kept an admirable selection of Scotch.
He whirled the amber liquid in his glass and considered the options.
Maybe he should get Grady back here. He'd left that morning, so he'd be back in the city by now, but if Mason asked, he'd return. Besides, Grady was the PI in the family. What the hell did Mason know about investigations like this?
Nothing.
Grady might even have some time on his hands. Aiden said he'd been having some tough times, and hadn't been working much lately. He got the impression that the change was Grady's decision, not a lack of business. Although Grady hadn’t hinted at anything like that at Hearts last night. Well, not that he would. None of them talked about stuff like that.
No. Mason should wait. At this point all they had was conjecture. There was no sense worrying the others. Not until he knew what the hell was going on.
If anything.
He sat back on the bed and surveyed the room again for another hiding spot.
Everything was falling to pieces in here, just like the inn. Of course it would. Everything was built at the same time, renovated at the same time… so it was reasonable for it to all go to shit at the same time too.
He took in the room, but he couldn't see past the crack zigzagging through the plaster from the baseboard to the windowsill. And then there was the ugly brown water stain on the ceiling over her bed.
Why hadn't she asked for help? Had he really been so unapproachable? To his own sister?
Probably.
The doorbell rang. Anna jumped up from the floor where she'd been sorting through Viv's stack of paperbacks. He shot her a look that he hoped would calm her. He hated that she was so on edge. Was he adding to her stress?
Maybe staying here was a bad idea.
But he couldn't leave her alone out here on her own. Not if what they suspected was true.
He walked with her to the door. The storm that had been brewing earlier was in full fury now. Rain slashed against the windowpanes, obscuring the figure who was silhouetted on the step.
Anna opened the door and peered out. Did she do that all the time? Open the door without knowing who was there?
"Oh, hi, Harry," she said, as she stepped back and a man entered.
Harry Miller hadn't changed in twenty years.
Mason remembered what he had looked like on his wedding day when he'd married Viv. And he remembered what he had looked like on the day he'd walked out and broken Viv's heart. His face was thin, his cheeks hollowed out, and his skin had a yellow tinge to it that looked like he'd been steeped in a tobacco bath.
But the guy didn't smoke. He just had the unique pleasure of looking like one big cigarette stain. When they'd been younger, they'd called him Hookah Harriet behind his back. And it still fit. Seeing Hookah again made Mason glad he'd given up his misguided foray into smoking years ago.
In his hand, Hookah held a bouquet of roses. He was smiling at Anna as he stepped inside. Mason could mark the exact moment the bastard realized he wasn't alone with her. For just a moment, his face contorted and his nostrils flared, betraying his irritation.
That's right, buddy.
I'm here.
Anna was admiring the flowers when it happened, so she missed it.
Harry schooled his frown and turned back to her. "I thought these might cheer you up."
"You didn't have to," she said.
No, he certainly didn't. What was he up to? Mason narrowed his eyes and studied the other man.
"How have you been, Harry?"
"I've been okay," he said, keeping his gaze trained on Anna.
Something about this guy's presence in Viv's house after all this time irritated Mason to no end. The bastard had abandoned her, run straight out the door, only a month after George and Edna died and she was stuck with raising all of them. Like she didn't have enough to deal with at that point. That Viv even had anything to do with him after all these years showed that she was more forgiving than Mason could ever be. Perhaps too forgiving. People like Miller didn't change.
Once an asshole, always an asshole.
When Anna took the flowers to the kitchen, Mason knew the polite thing would be to invite Harry inside. But this was Harry, and Harry didn't belong here.
"What are you doing here?"
They both asked the same question at the same time, as if they had been waiting until Anna was out of earshot.
Mason leaned against the wall, indicating wordlessly that he had all the time in the world and that he didn't plan on moving anytime soon. Hookah's nostrils flared again. Before either of them said anything more, she returned. She set the vase of roses on the kitchen table as she passed it.
The apartment was small enough that you could almost see the full living area from the front door.
She came to stand beside Mason, but had her attention on Harry.
"Thank you for the flowers. They are lovely."
She wasn't inviting him inside either. A grin twitched at Mason's mouth.
"Is there anything else?" Mason asked.
He could almost see the weasel's brain scramble into action to find some reason to stay. His gaze darted back and forth through the room. And still neither Mason nor Anna invited him in.
"I heard you were selling the place," he said at last. "I might be interested in buying."
Beside him, Anna cringed. Was this one of the investors she'd mentioned? The idea of her going into business with Harry made Mason’s head pound. It'd be a cold day in hell before he sold any bit of Randall property to him, regardless of what Anna might arrange.
"Nothing's been decided," she said quickly.
"Is that why you are here?" Mason asked.
Hookah shrugged. "Not really. Just making conversation. And…" He squished his face into the picture of sadness. "I guess I just wanted to be… You know, connected to Viv tonight somehow."
What a load of crap. Mason didn't buy it for a second. Hookah Harriet didn't have a remorseful or mournful bone in his body. What was he playing at?
"Oh, Harry," Anna whispered, emotion clogging her words.
When she stepped forward to hug the man, Mason rolled his eyes. Harry's arms wrapped around her, his hands drifting over the contours of her back. It looked like he was feeling her up… as much as he could and still try to pretend this was all because he was sad. What an ass.
"I found something in Viv's room that I think she would have liked you to have," Anna said as she pulled out of the embrace. She shot a furtive glance to Mason, as if to check if he would be bothered by her giving something of Viv's to the asshole who had broken her heart.
Mason kept his mouth shut. He knew instantly what she was planning and he didn't want the damned thing. Besides, it'd be a good way to test the guy's reaction.
"You don't have to," Harry said. "I know the family hasn't had the chance to—"
"No. Go ahead," Mason said. "I think I know what you mean and I'm all for Harry having it."
This time when she left them alone, they didn't talk.
Anna returned a minute later with an ornate frame with a snapshot from Viv and Harry's wedding day. It had been the early Nineties. Viv's hair was all big and puffy. Harry's was long and stringy, like he thought he belonged in a grunge band. Mason and Anna had found the picture in a box in Viv's closet. He didn't want it. And he could say definitively that his brothers wouldn't either.
Hookah took the photo and stared at it for a long moment. He was obviously surprised.
"Thanks. This is nice." The intonation in his voice suggested he wasn't excited about the gift at all.
"Listen, I'm sorry to cut this short," Anna said, "but Mason and I have some things we need to finish tonight. We were just in the middle of it when you arrived. You understand, don't you?"
"Next time, call first." Mason opened the door. The cool rainy air swirled over them.
Harry's fingers tightened on the picture frame. He nodded abruptly. "Didn't mean to interrupt you."
Neither Anna nor Mason said anything to put Harry at ease.
"All right, I should leave anyway. Just wanted to check on you." He looked at her and took one of her hands in his. He squeezed it as he stared into her eyes.
Mason's fingers twitched. He wanted to rip the guy away from her.
The Randalls always protected their own. And she was as much a part of this family as he was… at least that's what his brothers always told him. She just didn't have the name.
But she was still under his protection.
Just as he was about to grab the guy by the scruff of his neck, like a bouncer at Hearts, and toss him through the door, Harry dropped her hand and turned on his heel.
Anna frowned as Mason shut the door behind her unwelcome visitor's retreat.
"I shouldn't have been so rude, but I'm just so tired tonight and Harry is…" Her words drifted off.
"Harry's a creep. Always has been. He'll get over it."
"He's not a creep, just awkward." Anna was staring out the window, watching Harry cross to his car in the rain. She gasped. "Oh, my God."
"What?" Mason stepped up beside her and peered over her shoulder.
He was close enough that he could scent her shampoo. If he leaned forward a little, his chest would meet her back. He swore silently and forced himself to stay where he was.
Their hot breath combined and fogged the cool glass.
Anna rubbed the condensation away with the side of her hand. She moved closer to the window and curled her hands around her eyes to block out the light as she looked into the darkness.
"I think he just tossed out that picture." She paused and watched through the window. Then she grunted. "I was right. It isn't in his hand. He threw it away in our own garbage."
"It would not surprise me," he muttered.
"But he said he was here to connect with Viv. Why would he do that?"
Why indeed?
Mason figured he knew the answer to that. Hookah's visit had nothing to do with Viv and all to do with Anna.
Which meant Harry wasn't Viv's stalker.
But his gut instinct warned him things weren't as they seemed. That same instinct had seen him through many negotiations. He'd learned to follow it… trust it.
He narrowed his eyes as the taillights faded into the darkness.
No, there was something about Harry that wasn't adding up. And Mason was going to find out what it was.
SIX
Anna turned away from the window and came face-to-face with Mason's chest. His wide, muscular chest. Not that she could see the muscles exactly… but the way his shirt wrapped over his body gave her a pretty good idea of what lay beneath. Bulging muscles, a ripped abdomen and…
Stop it.
When had he stepped so close? He didn't retreat under her scrutiny. Instead, his gaze locked on hers.
"Are you in a relationship with Harry?"
"Good God, no."
Harry was definitely not her type, just like most of the men in Sanctuary Lake. Besides he was at least ten years older than she was, maybe more. The age difference didn't bother her so much, except he acted even older than he looked. And that didn't do it for he
r. Then again, maybe the problem wasn't him... or any of the men she knew. Nobody had ever measured up when she compared them to Mason in her mind. So when they expressed an interest in her, it was just… well… uncomfortable.
"I had mentioned to a couple of people that I might be looking for an investor to partner with if you decided to sell the inn. He heard about it and called me to say he was interested. That's all."
She moved to step around Mason, careful to avoid touching him.
But before she could escape, he grabbed her hand. Where Harry's touch a moment earlier had been clammy, Mason's was strong, sure and warm. His long fingers gently squeezed hers, triggering a chain reaction of explosions along her nerves, from her fingertips straight up her arm and over her body.
Everything tingled.
"Is that why he was bringing you roses?"
"He was just being nice."
But was that it? She had been getting weird vibes from Harry for a while now, long before Viv's death. At first, she'd thought he was trying to rekindle things with Viv and didn't like Anna being around so much. But then he started showing up at the inn when Viv wasn't around.
"I think he likes you."
She laughed at the suggestion, but her laughter came out more like a snort. "Yeah, right. People in Sanctuary Lake—no, correction, the guys here don't think of me that way. Most of them think Viv and I were in a lesbian relationship. And although I'm sure they find the idea titillating, it also intimidates the crap out of them."
Mason turned so that he was square with her. His gaze locked on hers. His one hand still held hers loosely, while the other… She swallowed roughly. The other one was slipping up along her arm to her shoulder and higher in a wildly intimate and possessive touch.
She had barely survived when he'd caressed her cheek earlier after she'd lost control and cried in his arms. He'd been so sweet. Until his fingers stroked her cheek… and then he hadn't seemed sweet anymore...
He'd been hot and way to tempting.
"Then the guys here are crazy," he said as his fingers slipped along her collarbone and into her hair. He paused when his large, warm palm cradled the side of her neck.
