Hotel Ladd (29 page)

Annie jumped. “Oh!” She whipped her
head to the side. “Aunt Fran—you can’t sneak up on people like
that.”

“
I’m sorry, sugar, but that
looks like a showdown gearing up to match the likes of Cleopatra.”
She searched Annie’s gaze. “What’s going on?”

The bitter scent of black coffee rose
from the Styrofoam cup in Fran’s hand. Covering her nose to ward
off the stiff aroma, Annie whispered beneath her hand, “I think
Nick is trying to save me from myself.”

“
What?” Fran zapped Annie
with a sharp glance. “You’re plumb not making any
sense.”

Annie waved her to hush as Nick said,
“Cancel or I make the call.”

Jillian laughed in his face,
pulled the fur collar at her neck. “You always did entertain me
with your bravado,
Níco
, but there is no way I’m going to cancel my deal.” She
glanced over her shoulder, snaring Annie in a smoldering warning.
“I’ve come to love this place you call Tennessee and can’t wait to
return from my business trip to close on my new home.”

“
Play it your way, Jillian.
But when I’m finished with you, you’re going to be sorry you didn’t
heed my advice.”

“
Perhaps.” She curled a
finger around his collar, then promptly slid it free. “But only
because I will miss the sound of your sexy voice. You will be here
waiting for me, won’t you?”

Annie was floored by Delaney’s absolute
submission to Jillian Devane’s advances against her man. For as
long as she could remember, she had never seen Delaney back down
from a fight. Man or woman, didn’t matter. Delaney was tough and
hard, and while it had caused more than a bushel of trouble between
them, Annie thought this was a time she should use some of that
attitude to her advantage.

With a flutter of long brown fingers,
Jillian waved goodbye, then sought Fran for her coffee.

“
The Queen is waitin’,” Fran
grumbled under her breath, but dutifully brought the cup to
Jillian. As she withdrew her purse to pay, Nick said, “It’s on me.”
Jillian’s arched brow lifted in pleasure. “Consider it my
consolation gift.”

“
Until we meet again,
amorzinho
.” Blowing him a
kiss, she walked out the front door, opened by Cal Foster on his
way in. When he spotted Nick and Delaney just inside the door, a
stupefied look came over him, which solidified when he saw
Annie.

Annie almost giggled at the absurdity.
If she weren’t the cause of all this horrific strife, she would
have laughed openly. But she was. And it was really horrific.
Heaving a sigh, she waited for Cal’s approach.

He paused by Nick and Delaney. “The
dragon lady was here?”

“
She was.”

Casting a wary gaze toward Annie, he
asked, “Did she say anything about the property?”

“
Only that she won’t
cooperate voluntarily. But she will, you can count on
it.”

Cal didn’t appear convinced but didn’t
argue the point. Instead, he came to her side. Brushing a light
kiss to Annie’s cheek, he held her in his gaze, his eyes soft and
gentle. “How are you?”

“
Not great,” she said, but
better now that he was here. “I feel so responsible for this
horrible situation.”

“
It’s not your fault,
Annie.”

“
It is,” she said, grateful
Cal remained by her side. Even knowing how she felt about Delaney
and Nick and their hotel and his desire to work for them, he
remained firmly entrenched in her camp and it meant a lot to
her.

Loyal. Devoted. Honest.
Those were the words that described Cal Foster. He remained her
staunch ally and for that she loved him. Annie stilled as the
sentiment wound deep in her heart.
She
loved him
. Sneaking a peek at him, she
savored the new emotion. She’d been so busy struggling for the
rights to Ladd Springs, struggling to work with her emotionally
charged daughter, pay the bills, build a future that she’d
completely overlooked the man by her side. Well, not completely. A
wave of pleasure rolled through her. She’d enjoyed having him by
her side and hadn’t missed his clean-cut good looks.

Delaney fiddled with a gold pendant at
her neck and Nick placed a finger beneath her chin. When he leaned
down to kiss her, Annie experienced a sharp desire for the same.
She turned to Cal, but his eyes were glued to Nick and Delaney.
Annie’s heart hit the floor. She could have really used a hug right
about now, but he seemed more interested in what they were doing.
Cal slid a hand around her shoulders. Or was he? “Don’t look now,
but the lid might be about to blow.”

“
Huh?”

Jack Foster strolled into the diner,
standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his ex-wife and her new
boyfriend. Annie dropped her head back. If only Fran’s diner
weren’t so popular!

“
Hi, Delaney.”

“
Jack.”

“
Was that Jillian I saw walk
out of here?”

“
Wouldn’t know and don’t
care.” The blistering tone perked Annie’s attention. The old
Delaney was suddenly back?

Jack smirked. Oblivious to the identity
of Nick Harris, he extended a hand. “Jack Foster, Delaney’s
ex-husband.”

Nick looked to Delaney for
confirmation. Cal cursed under his breath. “I might have to step
in.”

She clutched his arm. “Do you think
that’s a good idea?”

“
Jack’s been drinking. I can
see it from here.”

Maybe oblivious had been the wrong
word. Could Jack be looking for a fight? Annie simmered in a well
of memories. Jack was definitely the type to provoke a brawl but
she’d bet Nick would prove victor.

“
Nick Harris,” he replied,
and Annie swore she saw the hand by his side ball into a
fist.

Annie held Cal back. “Delaney won’t let
it get to that,” she advised, one eye locked onto Delaney’s face.
She was very aware of what was transpiring. Tension altered her
posture, vigilance moved into her eyes.

“
Keep moving, Jack. We don’t
want any trouble with you.”

“
Trouble?” He feigned a hurt
look. “Who said anything about trouble? I’m here for food.” He
looked around, his gaze landing briefly on Annie and Cal. A
malicious gleam came alive in his dark gaze—tripping Annie’s
pulse—but he returned his focus to Nick and Delaney. Giving Nick
the onceover, he asked Delaney, “This your new man?”

“
Delaney and I are
engaged.”

“
Engaged? Well, what do you
know, you’re actually going to give it another try?”

She cocked her head. “Surprising, isn’t
it? After my first one went so well.”

“
No need to bring up stale
bread, Dell.”

“
I don’t call striking a
woman stale bread,” Nick said. “I call it assault and
battery.”

It was the first wrinkle in Jack’s smug
demeanor. He leaned toward Nick, heedless of the near half-foot
difference in height. Jack wasn’t a tall man. He was tough,
appearing more so in his black jacket and jeans, but he wasn’t
tall. “Don’t get cute with me. Our marriage is none of your
business.”

“
Anything that concerns this
woman concerns me.”

“
Ah, hell” Cal muttered and
went to intercept his brother. Annie didn’t follow, content to
watch the fireworks from a distance. “Jack, how about you leave
these two be?”

Jack knit his brow. A cutting smile
took hold of his mouth. “The man is insulting me, brother. You know
I can’t let that pass.”

“
Sure you can. Besides, Fran
doesn’t need you messin’ up her diner. If you’re not careful,
she’ll be handing you the mop.”

Jack surveyed the restaurant for sight
of Fran. She stood behind the food counter, staring him down. Annie
was proud of old Fran. She didn’t shy away from ill-mannered
customers, though she seemed content to let Nick and Cal handle
this particular one.

“
On second thought,” Jack
said, “I think I’ll grab a quick bite to eat with my
kin.”

“
Good idea.”

“
Nice to meet you, Nick.” He
emphasized the name. “Best of luck to you. You’re going to need it
with this one.”

Cal shadowed his brother as he walked
toward Annie. Probably didn’t trust him not to take an impromptu
swing. If there was one thing she remembered about Jack from high
school, it was his itch to scrap. Reason or no reason, he was
always looking for a fight. He and Beau were the fighting Fosters.
Cal and Clint were the sweet talkers, invariably pulled into their
brother’s disputes.

“
Hi, Annie.”

Up close and personal, Annie easily
detected alcohol on Jack’s breath. “Jack.”

“
What were you doing over
there?” Cal asked him. “Can’t you leave Delaney alone to find a
little happiness?”

“
Happiness?” Jack whirled
his head like a bobble doll. “Is that what she’s doing? Looks to me
like she’s gold-digging again.”

“
Jack.”

“
You know Delaney never
loved me. She only wanted me for the money.”

“
You know that’s not
true.”

“
Hell it ain’t. Ask her
uncle. He’ll tell you.”

“
Ernie is dead.”

The news caught Jack on the chin.
“Dead? Really? What finally killed him?”

“
Cancer.”

Jack blew a soft whistle. “Damn.
Something gets us all in the end, doesn’t it?”

Obviously, Annie thought. She could
read the same thing in Cal’s eyes though he didn’t bother to voice
it, either. Seizing on Cal, Jack said, “You know, it makes me think
of those folks in your accident.” Annie sucked in her breath. Cal’s
expression went slack. “You ever talk to the family?”

“
I don’t,” Cal said,
avoiding her direct gaze.

“
Why not? After all,” Jack
swung his head around like a drunk off-balance. “You do owe it to
them to check in and make sure they’re doing all right, don’t you?
I mean...” He smiled, but it was a mean one. “It’s your moral
obligation.”

Edging a distinct shoulder between
them, he replied flatly, “I’ve settled my debt.”

Jack laughed. “Money does come in
handy, doesn’t it?”

“
We’re leaving now, Jack.”
Grasping Annie’s arm, he glanced toward Nick and Delaney, who were
settled in a booth. “I’d leave that man alone, if I were you,” he
advised his brother. “I think he can take you and I’d hate to have
to explain to Daddy how Jack hasn’t learned to control
himself.”

Jack scowled. “I don’t need your
threats.”

“
But you need Daddy’s money,
don’t you?”

“
You’re a
bastard.”

It was Cal’s turn to smirk. “One with a
bank account.” Cal steered Annie toward the door before Jack could
say another word.

It’s your moral
obligation?
What did he mean? Annie
wondered. Cal was the one hurt. Questions tumbled through her mind.
Was someone else hurt, too? It didn’t make sense. She was going to
have to ask Cal about what happened and this time insist on more
detail.

As they passed Nick and Delaney,
Annie’s heart pinched. Delaney looked so sad. Whatever Nick had
said to her wasn’t pleasant. Was he concerned about Jillian burning
his land? Did he confess it was a real possibility, now that she
had sold?

Allowing Cal to lead her out into the
cold night air, Annie battled a pile of mixed emotions. The red
neon glow of Fran’s Diner cast Cal’s face in an eerie hue. “Annie,
we need to talk.”

“
Yes?”

Cal placed heavy hands on her
shoulders. “I need to tell you what happened the night of the
accident.”

Startled by the despair in his voice,
Annie changed her mind. She didn’t want to know.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Cal hoped Annie would understand. He
hoped it wouldn’t end the light in those beautiful blue eyes, the
ones she shone on him every time they were together. “But not here.
Can I drive you to your place?”

“
But my car?” Startled,
Annie looked behind her.

Cal followed her gaze to a little white
sedan parked in the center of the lot. “I’ll drive you back.” He
didn’t want her driving without him. He needed to be with her.
Jack’s impromptu visit had set him on edge. It brought back
memories he’d rather forget but didn’t have the luxury. You alter
the course of a man’s life and it changes you. On the inside. It
changes your DNA.

In Cal’s case he was going to use that
change to make himself a better man.

“
Okay.” She nodded.
“Okay.”

Cal led her to his truck and drove her
the short distance to her home. He hated the awkward silence that
filled the cab, but it couldn’t be helped. Annie held his hand and
that was enough. They were connected. It was a connection he’d have
to trust.

Unlocking the door to her apartment,
she flipped the light switch and he helped her out of her coat.
“Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Water?”