The Diehard Warrior

by Youngblood, Jennifer

  4

  Addie felt like a zombie as she went through the motions of taking care of the Watermill conference. Thankfully, Sadie had picked up the slack, coming through like a champ. When all this was over, she needed to give Sadie more responsibility and a raise.

  She glanced at the large stack of unpaid invoices on her desk. Betty Burnell the payroll clerk and part-time bookkeeper handled the actual payment of the invoices, but Addie liked the invoices to cross her desk first, so she could check everything before payment was issued. As manager, the buck stopped with her, and she wanted to make sure she was aware of all taking place on her watch.

  Blowing out a long, resigned breath, she settled into her chair and picked up the invoices. She’d go through these and return several phone calls. Tomorrow, Piper and her father Dr. Hamilton Gentry were due to arrive in town. Preparations were underway for the funeral, which would take place next Wednesday, a week from today. Addie planned to talk to Piper about Jordan tomorrow. The home invasion the night before added to her tension, making her eager to speak to Piper in the hope that she could shed some light on the strange things Jordan had said just before he died.

  Thirty minutes later, Addie was done with the invoices and calls. She sat back in her seat, twirling a pen in her fingers, her thoughts going to the break-in at her home. When the police arrived, or rather Sheriff Hendricks with his young deputy in tow, Addie sifted through the wreckage trying to figure out if anything was missing. From what she could tell, nothing had been taken, which made the situation even more puzzling. What had the person or people been looking for? Her room was the worst. Documents, books, magazines, and photos were strewn over the floor. Her clothes and undergarments were removed from her dresser and heaped on the floor like garbage. She felt so violated and vulnerable. Every time she thought of someone going through her things, she felt sick. And it wasn’t just her things, Pops’ too. It was all Addie could do to keep going. What she really wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry.

  Tears glistened in her eyes as she swallowed. She still couldn’t believe Jordan was gone. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d not eaten breakfast or lunch, and it was two o’clock. The easy thing would be to grab a sandwich at the café. She recoiled at the thought. She couldn’t do it, not while Jordan’s death was this fresh on her mind. The café and terrace were the last places Jordan had been. No way could she get a sandwich from the café as she had yesterday. Even if she took it back to her office to eat, it would still be too painful.

  She reached for her purse, slinging the strap over her shoulder. She’d run out and grab something. Getting away from the resort would do her good. Despite Corbin’s protests, Addie planned to go home after work and spend a few hours putting her house back together. She assured Corbin that she’d go back to the resort to sleep. She grimaced. Staying at the resort was like being at work 24/7. She gritted her teeth, anger surging through her. She refused to be cowed by whomever was doing this. Corbin insisted on installing a topnotch security system that he could access on his cell phone. The guys were scheduled to come out tomorrow. As soon as the new system was installed, Addie was going home.

  Autumn was Addie’s favorite time of the year. Nothing was more glorious than Birchwood Springs with the splendor of the changing leaves and the snow-capped, hazy blue mountain range in the distance. However, Addie hardly noticed the scenery as she walked to her car and unlocked the door. She stopped, the hair on the back of her neck lifting as she looked around the parking lot. Not another person was in sight, but she felt like someone was watching her. A shiver ran down her spine as she quickly got into her car and locked the door. From the safety of her car, she felt a little bolder as her eyes combed the parking lot.

  Nothing.

  Maybe she was being paranoid. How could she not be? Jordan had been mowed over in front of the resort. It had taken her a half hour and some fancy talking to ease the water filter exec’s safety concerns. This morning, she’d held a special meeting with the staff, instructing them what to say to ease guest concerns, especially the front desk personnel. Just as Addie feared, many of the guests bombarded the front desk, asking about the hit and run.

  Addie clutched the steering wheel with both hands as she drove into the downtown district and turned into a parking space in front of a popular deli. Normally, there were long lines, but with it being after two o’clock, she hoped to be in and out quickly.

  As she walked from her car to the deli, her skin crawled with the suspicion that she was being watched. Her pulse throbbed against her neck as she looked around. A young mother, pushing a stroller, came toward her. The woman offered a polite smile and nodded as she passed.

  “Hello,” Addie said, pushing out a tight smile. An elderly man and woman were walking arm in arm. The man held a cane, using it for support as they trudged forward.

  The wind picked up, cutting through Addie’s lightweight sweater and raising goosebumps over her flesh. She looked up at the leaves on the nearby trees, dancing in the wind, their soft rustle filling the air. Her gaze went to the parked cars. Empty. She scoured the surrounding area, finding nothing amiss. Was she being paranoid because of everything that had happened? Probably.

  She folded her arms over her chest, continuing into the deli.

  “Welcome to Grater’s. Sit anywhere you’d like,” a short-haired blonde said with a friendly smile.

  “Thanks.” The woman must be new. Addie didn’t recognize her. She sat down at a table by the wall. Out of habit, she retrieved a menu from the stack behind the metal napkin holder and perused the menu, knowing all the while she’d decide on her usual—a turkey club and fries.

  The server approached removing her pen from behind her ear as she took Addie’s order and scribbled it on her pad. “Good choice, hon.”

  Addie bit back a smile, not wanting to tell the woman that she’d been coming here for years. She probably knew the menu better than the server. She glanced at her name tag, committing it to memory. Cindy.

  “Would you like anything to drink?” Cindy asked in a singsong voice.

  “Just water with lemon.”

  “Sure thing,” she quipped.

  “Thanks, Cindy.”

  “You’re welcome.” A large smile filled Cindy’s face as she nodded in appreciation. “I’ll be right back with your water.”

  In the hospitality industry, Addie had learned the value of using people’s names. It created a sense of familiarity, letting the person know you cared. As Cindy strolled away, Addie sat back in her seat, taking in a deep breath. She had to laugh at herself for thinking of something as trivial as hospitality tips in a time like this. It was engrained in her. Maybe she was trying to concentrate on something other than the fact that her former boyfriend, the husband of her best friend was killed. And someone had ransacked her home, yet didn’t take anything.

  Corbin assured her that he would look into the situation and call her as soon as he knew something. Addie had not heard from him today. In this instance, no news was not good news. She glanced across the room and caught eyes with a familiar face. Crap! Madison Wells, the last person Addie wanted to speak to right now. Madison had been crushing on Corbin for years. Addie used to get great delight out of teasing Corbin about Madison, which was fine because it was Corbin dealing with Madison, not Addie. Madison was eating lunch with a couple of her girlfriends, former high school cheerleaders, the same as Madison. The adage, Birds of a feather flock together ran though Addie’s mind. She’d never particularly liked any of the girls. They were too superficial and snotty for her taste. Madison smiled brightly and waved. Addie held up her hand in a stiff half-wave. That’s all it took for Madison to stand up and trot over. Addie groaned inwardly. It didn’t take a brain child to guess why Madison wanted to talk to her. Madison always had an agenda.

  “How are you?” Madison cooed, giving her an over-the-top concerned look.

  “Fine,” Addie said tersely.

  Madison touched her arm. �
�That’s terrible about the accident at the resort.”

  “Yes, it was.” The idea was to keep her answers short and sweet, without providing additional information Madison could use as fodder for gossip.

  Madison sat down across from her. “What exactly happened?” Her eyes went large as she leaned forward, intent on catching every word.

  “Jordan was hit by a car.” The words sounded so plain and impersonal. In an instant, Jordan’s life had been snuffed out and Piper’s was changed forever.

  “Yes, I heard that part,” Madison said impatiently with a wave of her hand. “Was it a random thing, or was he targeted?”

  “No one knows at this point.”

  “It’s terrible,” Madison lamented, shaking her head. “Wasn’t he a friend of yours?” The tone of her voice was innocent, but the perceptive look in her eyes spoke otherwise.

  After the past two days she’d had, Addie was in no mood for silly games. She folded her arms over her chest, eyeing Madison. “Cut the crap. You know he was. And you also know that he married Piper, my best friend.” Madison knew every scrap of gossip in Birchwood Springs, including the fact that Addie and Jordan used to date. Addie felt a little guilty for being so blunt. Pops and Corbin were always cautioning her to temper her sharp tongue. It only took a second, however, for Madison to come back swinging.

  “Oh, yeah. I remember now. Geez. You’re so sensitive,” Madison blustered, flipping the ends of her shoulder-length, platinum hair. “His death is a tragedy, for sure. I hope it doesn’t hurt business at the resort,” she said in a sugary voice, a smug glitter in her light eyes.

  Addie’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would it?” she demanded. The comment struck way too close to home. The hit-and-run was bound to cast a negative light on the resort. Hot prickles pinged her like a thousand needles. This could be a PR nightmare. She’d worked hard all these years and finally landed her dream job as manager. Now this was happening! Addie pushed aside the negative thought. She had to focus on one thing at a time. The first order of business would be to find out what had been going on in Jordan’s life—why he asked for her forgiveness. Hopefully, Piper could shed some light on the situation when she arrived in town tomorrow.

  Cindy returned with the water. She turned to Madison, a perplexed expression crossing her features. “Weren’t you just over there?” She rolled her eyes in the direction of the table across the room where Madison’s girlfriends were sitting.

  Madison chuckled. “Smart girl,” she quipped, her voice coated with condescension.

  Cindy was not amused. She just stared at Madison with a deadpan expression. Addie smiled inwardly watching Madison squirm.

  “I just wanted to come over and say hello to my friend,” Madison trilled.

  It was all Addie could do to keep from bursting out laughing. Friend? More like frenemy.

  “Your food will be ready shortly,” Cindy said, moving to the next table.

  Madison instantly went back to the topic at hand. “Like you said, no one knows if the incident was directly related to Jordan or if he happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.” She shrugged. “Maybe the resort is being targeted.”

  “No, I don’t think so.” This had to be tied to Jordan. Why else would someone break into her home and search through her things? What was someone looking for? Jordan had never given Addie anything important. Well, except for his mother’s jewelry. She’d checked all the pieces last night. Everything was still there, right down to the earrings Jordan wanted to give Piper.

  “You know something you’re not telling.”

  The accusation jerked Addie out of her thoughts. Madison was assessing her with the eyes of an eagle on the hunt.

  She laughed lightly. “I’ve said all I’m at liberty to say on the subject.”

  Madison’s brows furrowed as she harrumphed. “I see.” She brightened. “How’s Corbin?”

  Addie chuckled inwardly. “He’s good. He and Delaney are expecting a new baby any day.” Take that, Madison Wells! What further proof do you need that Corbin isn’t interested in you? He’s having a baby with another woman.

  A scowl overtook Madison’s features, then she shuddered placing her hands over her flat stomach. “I don’t think I could ever put my body through that torture. It would never go back to normal.”

  “I’d hardly call it torture,” Addie laughed. “Corbin and Delaney are deliriously happy and can’t wait for the baby to be born.” The pinched expression on Madison’s face gave Addie a twinge of satisfaction. She was so grateful Corbin hadn’t ended up with Madison. That would’ve been disastrous. Addie adored Delaney, almost as much as Corbin did. Even though Delaney was a country music superstar, who had every reason to be uppity, she was the most down-to-earth person on the planet with zero guile. Not competitive in the least, as opposed to Madison who felt the need to chomp everyone down to size to make herself feel superior. Addie knew she shouldn’t rise to the bait where Madison was concerned, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

  The light in the room shifted as the door to the diner opened. Addie glanced as a man entered. There was something familiar about his carriage and stride. Her heart leapt in her throat as she did a double-take. She’d recognize those unruly curls and the determined set of his chiseled jaw anywhere. The room did a quick spin. Addie had the feeling that her chair was falling out from beneath her as she fought to regain her bearings.

  Everyone else in the room vanished as he strode toward her with quick, purposeful steps like a man on a mission. “Hey,” he said, a bemused smile tipping the corners of his lips.

  Funny, the things her mind captured in an instant—his cut biceps, the definition of his pec muscles underneath his navy t-shirt, how he exuded masculinity. She glanced at his long legs encased in Levis as heat crept up her neck. “Maddox,” she squeaked, clutching her throat. “What’re you doing here?”

  5

  Maddox pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. He’d wondered if Corbin would tell Addie he was coming. Judging by her bug-eyed look, Corbin hadn’t. He allowed himself a moment to drink in Addie’s exquisite features. How many times had he dreamt of running his hands through her thick tresses of curly hair? Most often in his dreams, her lively green-gold eyes held a twinkle of mischief. Today, however, they were shadowed with concern. There were faint circles under Addie’s eyes, and she looked pale. The temptation to reach out and place a comforting hand over hers was so strong that he clasped his hands together, instead, so he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

  Addie gave him an intense look that bordered on irritation. “Why’re you here?”

  He tensed. No, Happy to see you. I’m glad you’re alive. I’m sorry I carved out your heart and stomped it into the ground. Was Addie really so heartless? Disappointment pummeled through him. What had he expected? That she would fall into his arms? Tell him that she made a big mistake by breaking up with him? That she still loved him?

  Only in his dreams. Anything he and Addie had shared dried up months ago. He’d do well to keep his emotions contained. He was here because of Corbin. He’d do what it took to protect Addie before getting the heck out of Dodge.

  Maddox realized Addie was awaiting his answer. He cleared his throat, glancing at the woman sitting beside Addie. “Can I speak to you in private?” He gave the woman an apologetic look. “No offense.”

  A seductive smile snaked over the woman’s lips. “None taken.” She gazed into his eyes with a star-struck expression, like she’d just seen her first Corvette. “Your accent is adorable,” she gushed. “What part of the South are you from?” she asked, mimicking his accent.

  He cringed. One of Maddox’s pet peeves was when people poked fun at his accent. A phrase from the movie Sweet Home Alabama ran through his mind. Honey, just ‘cause I talk slow doesn’t mean I’m stupid. He caught Addie’s amusement from across the table. She knew exactly how he felt about the topic. The distance between them shrank, and they shared a silent exchange. For an ins
tant, the connection between them ran stronger than steel. Then Addie seemed to realize what was happening and quickly looked down.

  “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” The woman looked back and forth between Maddox and Addie, a befuddled look on her face.

  Maddox shook his head and chuckled under his breath. The woman obviously meant no harm. “No, you’re good.” He tried to catch Addie’s eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him.

  “The name’s Madison. What’s yours?”

  “Maddox.”

  The woman leaned in, an open invitation brimming in her light eyes as she brushed her hand against his. “Are you new in town?”

  An embarrassed laugh hiccuped in his throat as he looked at Addie. Her face had turned darker than an eclipse, and she looked like she wanted to scratch the blonde woman’s eyes out. A jolt of surprise raced through Maddox. Was Addie jealous? The notion kindled hope in him. Normally, he’d give the man-hungry Barbie the brush-off. However, this could work to his advantage and be payback for seeing Addie with another man. Of course, Addie had no idea that he’d flown in to see her. Still, it hurt all the same. Maddox flashed a large smile, which he was sure looked goofy. “Yes, I just arrived.”

  The woman let out a throaty laugh as she made a point of panning over him with an appreciative eye. “Oh, honey. From the looks of it, I’d say you arrived a long time ago.”

  Maddox’s skin crawled, and he felt like a piece of slimy meat.

  Addie’s eyebrow shot up, her features twisting in a hard amusement. “Maybe I should leave you two alone.”

  “Maybe you should,” Madison agreed, touching Maddox’s arm. Inwardly, he recoiled. Forward women always turned him off. Madison was obviously on the prowl. He second-guessed this plan to make Addie jealous. It was working, but no way could he stand to be around Barbie for any length of time. She made Felicity look like the catch of the century, and she hadn’t impressed him. The sad truth was that no woman could compare to Addie. Not only was she beautiful, she was spunky and smart. Simply being in her presence made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a very long time. Too bad she wanted nothing to do with him. He wondered about the guy he’d seen with Addie. Were they involved? The notion sent a fireball of jealousy spiraling through him.