Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) (23 page)

The
girl hurried over and encircled him with her arms. “Thank you, Uncle Ernie!” She
hugged him fiercely. “
Thank you so much
.”

Delaney
leaned against a wood column on her cabin’s porch and stared out into the thick
mass of forest. Trees and brush and mountainous earth cradled her mother’s
cabin, protected it from the harsh elements, the world at large, making it
indeed her safe haven. Felicity was down at Ernie’s a bit earlier than usual,
playing to both their hearts’ content while she stood alone with her thoughts. It
had finally happened. No more lawyers, no more fights. The property belonged to
her and Felicity.

Delaney
didn’t care that only her daughter’s name appeared on the title. The two were a
team. They could stay on Ladd land and live their lives the way their ancestors
had—among the mountains and streams, springs and serenity.
Serenity Springs
.
The name took form in her mind. Had Nick seen in this property what others took
for granted? Had he seen the potential and believed it worth fighting for?

The
screen door creaked and Delaney’s hand flew to her throat. “Good grief—” She
whirled around to see Nick step inside the porch. “
You scared me
,” she
exclaimed breathlessly.

“You
seemed a bit faraway there.” He neared, affection mingling with concern. “Everything
okay?”

Heartbeats
thrashing through her chest and shoulders, she nodded, breathing in and out to
calm the hammer of her pulse as he approached. It was not quite dark out, the
embers of sunset glazing the porch in golden tranquility. Nick leaned down and
kissed her softly on the lips, his fresh drift of cologne mixing with the rich
scent of forest hovering in the air. He lingered, and kissed her again, sliding
moist lips across hers.

Delaney’s
insides groaned with pleasure. That was nice.

“So
how’s Ernie?” he asked. “Is the illness hitting him hard?”

“I’d
say so. He signed the property over to Felicity.”

Nick
arched a brow. “Come again?”

“Handed
us the papers this afternoon,” she said, suddenly overwhelmed with joy. A part
of her felt guilty over celebrating at a time when her uncle was facing such
misery. But another part of her was excited for the future.

“You
must be thrilled.”

Her
pleasure quickly faded. “I am.”

“That’s
about the saddest happy face I’ve ever seen.”

Delaney
tried to smile. “It doesn’t feel quite right, you know?” She glanced down
toward Ernie’s home. “He’s facing the end and we’re facing the future.” Delaney
yearned for Nick to make her feel better, convince her that everything was okay
and she wasn’t a bad person. “It’s not right.”

Nick
placed a finger beneath her chin and held her in his gaze. “It’s life.”

“But
his is ending so awfully.”

“It
didn’t have to be this way,” Nick said. “Your uncle chose to be angry, chose to
drag you through the muddy river before agreeing to what should have been a
no-brainer. You have nothing to feel guilty or ashamed of. This property
belongs in your family.”

“But
you wanted to buy it.” The blunt force of her words caught him on the jaw.

“I
did. Until I came to know you and Felicity.”

“And
now you don’t want it anymore?” Delaney grunted and turned from him. She locked
arms over her chest. “I find that hard to believe.”

Nick
placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to face him. Dark eyes
smoldered as they normally did, usually when he was about to take charge. “I
never said I didn’t want it. I simply don’t need to own it.”

“I
don’t understand.”

“I
want to build my hotel here. I can do that with you and Felicity.”

A
tremor of excitement shimmied up her spine. “
What
?”

“You
heard me.” Nick lightened his hold, slid his hand up and down her arms as
though warming her, then untied her arms and intertwined his fingers through
hers. The connection was gentle, intimate. “I want us to build this hotel
together.”

“Together?”
She balked. “But I don’t even have the money to pay the taxes. How am I going
to help build a hotel?” Though she found the proposition enticing. Build a
hotel with Nick? That would take years, right? Side-by-side, day after day. It
certainly would ensure that he wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon—a
proposition she liked even better than the first.

“I
may be able to help you with that.” A wry smile tipped the corner of his mouth
upward.

“By
buying the property,” she said glumly, swallowing her disappointment. Why did
she let herself fall so easily?

“By
signing a hundred year lease.”

She
pulled back. “A what?”

He
squeezed her hands, his smile turning into a grin. “Technically, ninety-nine
years, but who’s counting? It gives us one to grow on, he added with a wink.”

“Nick.
Be serious.”

“I
am.” Lifting her hands to his mouth, he pressed his lips to her fingers. “It’ll
give me enough time to get to know you better.”

“Nick,
stop
.” Delaney meant his teasing, though the feel of his warm lips
against her skin reminded her of their night together—a night she wanted to
repeat. But a hundred years? Was a lease that long even possible?

“The
99-year lease is a business arrangement used to ensure the lessee rights to the
use of a property, without actually holding title to it.” He cupped his large
hands around hers and held firm. “You own the property, but give me a 99-year
lease. I build my hotel, at my expense, while paying you for the use of your
land. It’s a win-win.”

“What
happens if I decide I don’t want to be in the hotel business anymore?”

Nick
cocked his head. “Giving up on us already?”

Delaney
ignored the spray of nerves, his adorable pout and said, “I’m being realistic. What
if things don’t work out between us, what then?”

“We
re-negotiate the terms of the deal.”

“Would
I be stuck with a hotel?”

He
laughed and relinquished her hands. “Good grief, woman! You make it sound like
a punishment!”

“Well...
I can’t afford the taxes. I doubt I’ll be able to afford a hotel.”

Nick
slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Warm within his embrace,
she tried to evade the amusement dancing in his devilishly black eyes. “You
wouldn’t have to buy it. I would have to sell to someone more your type and let
you two run off on your merry way while I found a hole to curl up and die in.”

“
Nick
.”
She squeezed his muscular torso, luxuriating in the solid feel of his body next
to hers.

“If
you’re planning our future demise, I have to be realistic, don’t I?”

“I’m
not planning our future demise.”

Nick
leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You’re not?”

“No.”
She tilted her head up and his mouth sought hers. “I’m not,” she murmured as he
kissed her—the way she wanted him to kiss her, yearned for him to kiss her.

Nick
sighed. “Can we start planning our hotel, then?”

Delaney
giggled like a school girl. “Are you using me for my land, Mr. Harris?”

“Not
at all. It’s all about your body, Ms. Wilkins.” He enclosed his mouth over hers
again, sliding his tongue in and around, as if he couldn’t probe deep enough,
hard enough.

Delaney
matched his tempo, an urgency building inside her. Last night with Nick had
meant something to her. A lot of something. To think that he felt the same way
was everything she wanted. More than she could have hoped for. And if the surge
of desire she felt was any indication, she wanted him right now.

The
sensation of Nick’s mouth and hips ran together in her mind, her body, fusing
the pleasurable feelings inside and outside into one. She ached for him to hold
her, to love her. Everything about him was masculine, strong. Delaney did not
consider herself a weak woman, but she was powerless to resist him.

Boots
pummeled up the stairs, the porch door swung open.

Delaney
gasped, jerking away from Nick. “Felicity!”

Her
daughter stood in the doorway, her body a narrow silhouette against the backdrop
of the fading sun. Horrified that her daughter had witnessed the two of them,
Delaney could only hope that her child was not appalled by the scene. But she
couldn’t see her face.

Delaney
held her breath, straightening her shirt as Felicity strolled toward them. Her daughter’s
face came into the glow of cabin light. “You two need to get a room.” Calmly,
she deposited her flute case by the front door, then proceeded to tug her boots
free

Relieved
by the hint of humor in her daughter’s voice, Delaney realized Felicity was
encouraging her...
again
.
Delaney cleared her throat. “I have a
room, thank you.”

Felicity
chuckled. “You might try using it.” Picking up her case, she opened the door
and wiggled her fingers goodbye. “Night, Mr. Harris.”

Nick
grinned broadly and raised a hand. “Night, Felicity.”

Delaney
gaped after her daughter. “Did that really just happen?”

“It
did, and she’s right.” Dropping his sultry gaze to her mouth, he murmured, “We
need a room.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Delaney
grabbed her gun from the dresser top. Fear skirted through her pulse. Nine
o’clock in the morning, who the hell was pounding on her front door? Had Jeb
gotten out of jail?

Nick
and Felicity had gone, leaving Delaney alone. She edged her way along the wall
and peeked around the corner. Holding the gun low by her side, she cocked the
pistol and steeled her arm.

“Delaney
Wilkins! I know you’re in there!”

Delaney
bolted erect.
Annie
? What the heck was she doing here?

Uncocking
the gun, she slipped the pistol back into her boot, pulled her jean pant leg
down and walked to the door. With a shake to her hair, she braced her nerves
and opened the door. “Do you mind not destroying my property?”

Annie
marched past her and whirled. “So you’ve done it. You’ve finally done it.”

As
Delaney stared into Annie’s fiery blue eyes, her demeanor primed for attack, realization
dawned.
News travels fast
. Delaney set hands to hips and stood astride. “Done
what, Annie? Secured the rightful ownership of Ladd Springs?”

“Oh,
save your high and mighty tone with me,” she fumed. “I’m sick and tired of your
holier-than-thou attitude. I’ve come to inform you that this is not over. My
lawyer will contest the transfer of title.”

“Since
when is a man not within his rights to sign over his property?”

“Since
he’s working under duress.”

“Duress?”

“Duress.”
Annie stepped forward and jabbed a finger toward Delaney’s face. “It is illegal
to unduly influence a person to gain power over their property.”

Delaney
bit out a laugh. “You might want to get your terms straight. Which is it? Duress,
or undue influence?”

“Don’t
get smart with me.”

“Get
smart with you? How about I educate you on the facts?” Staring her down
eye-to-eye, Delaney could almost feel Annie’s heart pumping as hard and angry
as her own. “Ernie signed the property over to Felicity. That’s the only thing
that matters.”

“What
about Jeremiah? Don’t you think he’ll have something to say about it? He’d have
to release his rights for Felicity to get Ladd Springs.”

Annie
sucked the wind from Delaney’s confidence. “What?”

Now
it was Annie’s turn to gloat. “Oh, yes. Or didn’t you know?”

“But
it was Grandpa Ladd’s name on the title, not Jeremiah’s.”

“Tell
a court of law. The fine print says otherwise.”

Fine
print
?
What the hell was Annie talking about?

“Oh,”
Annie added. “And don’t do anything to the property I wouldn’t do. It won’t be
yours for long.”

Nick
exited the jewelry store and pulled out his phone. The sidewalk was deserted,
most folks somewhere else at two in the afternoon. After one call to his
attorney this morning, his plans were moving forward. He dialed Malcolm’s
number. Once the paperwork was drawn up and Felicity signed on the dotted line,
he was in business. The irony struck him. Felicity would have to sign. His new
landlord was barely eighteen years old. He chuckled. Definitely new territory
for him!

“Nick.”

“Hey,”
he responded, glancing at the bags of manure and pine mulch piled in neat
stacks outside a hardware store. “I have good news.”

“I
heard. Lanny called me right after he got off the phone with you.”

Nick
smiled into the phone. “Stealing my thunder, is he?”

“Saving
your butt. I’ve been on the phone with investors all morning, steering them
back on course. Jillian almost snagged another one, so you can thank me later.”

Well-acquainted
with Malcolm’s paybacks, Nick smiled. “How much will that cost me?”

“Plenty.
But listen, I don’t have a lot of time at the moment. When are you coming back?
We need to get started on drawing up the plans.”

“Well,
that’s one of the things I’m calling you about, Mal.” He swung his gaze into a
thrift store, where ladies’ dresses lined the display window. “I’m going to
have a survey done on the property. I have some leeway as to site location, so
I plan to stay another week or so and explore the land by foot.”

“Is
that really necessary? I thought most of it was forest land. Seen one tree,
you’ve seen them all, right?”

Nick
laughed. “Malcolm, haven’t I taught you better? You must become one with the
land, get to know her secrets before you can exploit them for highest and best
value.”

“You
met someone?”

Nick
laughed again, but this time it reached deep and low into his abdomen, stirring
old feelings of want. “You know me too well.”

“Yes,
and sometimes your penchant for women translates into trouble for Harris
Hotels.”

“Jillian
hasn’t made a dent in our reputation.”

“Not
for lack of trying!”

Slowing
as he neared his car, Nick chided, “Yes, well, who knew she was psychotic?”

“She
hides it well, I’ll give you that,” Malcolm replied. “But I thought you would
have learned your lesson about mixing business with pleasure.”

Nick
stopped just short of his car. “Except this time I think I’m in love.”

“Yeah,
I’m in love
every
time—the point remains the same.”

Nick
shook his head and replied, “Touché.” Pressing the key fob to unlock his door,
he said, “Listen, don’t worry about my love life. This deal is sweeter than we
could have imagined. But I need you here. How soon before you can catch a
flight?”

“To
Tennessee?”

He
chuckled. “Well... I’m not in Bali.”

“Are
you kidding me? I’m up to my eyeballs in paperwork! I can’t come down there. What
could possibly be so important that you need me on site and not in the office?”

“Gold,
Malcolm.”

“Gold?”

Nick
nodded. “In more ways than one.”

Delaney
resisted the urge to place another call to her attorney’s office. She’d called
twice, the man had her number, he’d return her call when he was free. She paced
the kitchen, checked on the cornbread again and chastised herself aloud, “The
bread won’t bake any faster, you keep looking at it!” She tossed the oven door
closed.

She
spun on her socked heel and dropped back against the counter. But she was going
crazy. Was Annie right? Did she have a point? Delaney didn’t recall any fine
print referring to Jeremiah. What could she be talking about? Was there more to
the title than what was listed in the public records? Were there other papers,
other documentation regarding the property? If so, how did Annie
know
about them and Delaney didn’t?

She
wanted to call Nick, but she didn’t want to appear ignorant—especially after
all the plans they started laying out last night in bed. Her lawyer could
answer the legal questions about title and rights. He’d know what to do.

But
she wanted Nick to help her. She wanted Nick to make this go away—they were
planning a hotel together! Maybe even a life. She couldn’t let Annie ruin her
plans before they even got started.

Footsteps
sounded heavily across the front porch and Felicity burst in through the front
door. “Mom!”

The
frantic call of her name gutted Delaney. She rocketed from the counter.

Fear
popped in Felicity’s delicate features. “It’s Casey!”

“
Casey
?”

“She’s
in the hospital,” she cried.

“The
hospital?” Delaney clutched hold of the island, alarm crawling through her. “What
on earth for?”

“She
overdosed.”

Standing
in the emergency room waiting room, Annie Owens was a wall of anger. Beneath
the stark lighting, worry carved deep lines around her mouth, across her
forehead. Ice filled her gaze and she raised her chin indignantly. “What is she
doing here?”

Waved
off by Ashley, Delaney hung back, Felicity hovering by her side. With no time
to change, Delaney still wore a tank top smudged with cornmeal and buttermilk,
her hair pulled back into a hapless ponytail. But then again, there weren’t
many folks who would see her. The waiting room was practically empty.

“I
invited her,” Ashley stated crisply. She took a step forward, inserting herself
between Annie and Delaney, her hot pink dress and boots ridiculously out of
place in the somber environment. As usual, the woman looked as if she were
headed for the dance floor and not a family crisis.

“What
for?” Annie asked. “She’s the one who caused this.”

“Malarkey!”
Ashley exclaimed. “That’s nothing but tomfoolery, Annie, and I won’t stand for
you saying another evil word. Delly didn’t cause this any more than you did.”

But
the accusation stung. Part of Delaney felt it may be true.

Ashley
moved closer to Annie and lowered her voice. “The child is troubled, Annie. She
needs help. This is just her way of cryin’ out for it.”

Annie
turned her back on her godmother, but her wrath didn’t dim. It scorched the
room and everyone in it.

Delaney
hugged arms to her body. The girl was troubled, but drugs? She never suspected
it had gone that far. After turning Casey away at Fran’s, an overdose was the
last thing Delaney expected to happen. How had she fallen so far into
depression? Felicity and Casey were friends at school. They ran in the same
circles. It’s how Felicity learned of her condition.
Did you hear
?
Casey
Owens overdosed
.

From
there, word spread like a Tennessee wildfire through the rural high school.

“Annie,”
Delaney murmured. “If there’s anything we can do...”

Annie
turned on her, fury setting the pain ablaze. “Do? Haven’t you done enough
already?”

“Annie—”

“Don’t
Annie me,” she spat. “You all but called my daughter illegitimate to her face—
and
you wonder why she’s upset
?”

Delaney
balked. “I did not.”

“’The
property belongs to
Ladds
,’” Annie mimicked. “Ring a bell?”

Delaney
shrank in the wake of indictment. Casey must have run straight home to Annie and
repeated the encounter verbatim.

“Whether
you like it or not,” Annie said, daggers shooting from her eyes. “Casey belongs
to Jeremiah. She’s a Ladd, same as you.”

Delaney
didn’t come here to cause trouble, but she wasn’t going to roll over and play
dead, either. Noting Ashley and Felicity had faded into the background of the confrontation,
Delaney took the reins, she stepped forward and said, “Annie, whether she is or
isn’t hasn’t been established. So under the circumstances I think it’s fair to
say the property rightly goes to Felicity.”

Resentment
pulsed through Annie’s features, colored the blue of her eyes with an
unsettling mix of worry and anger and hate. “Do you think I care any less for
my daughter than you care for yours?”

“Of
course not.”

“You
divorced, Jack. We're both single mothers.” Annie screwed her face into a
display of disgust. “Tell me how we’re so different again?”

Delaney
shifted her weight from heel to heel. “Annie, please. You’re not even sure who
Casey’s father is,” she quietly accused.

“I
am. It’s Jeremiah Ladd.” Annie hesitated for the briefest of seconds, like a
cat ready to pounce, but then her expression calmed and Delaney’s skin tingled.
She flashed a glance to Ashley, as though warning sirens would ring out any
moment. “I wonder how he’d feel,” Annie added, “knowing that you’re stealing
his inheritance.” Delaney felt the hit swift and firm to her gut. “Perhaps
someone should call him.” Annie’s nostrils flared. “Before it’s too late.”

Delaney
was floored. Annie Owens was a lot of things, but calling Jeremiah? Was she out
of her mind? She knew how Ernie felt about his son—how Jeremiah felt about his
father. Was she that bitter? Hell bent on destroying the family to get what she
wanted, no matter the cost?

The
mere thought of Jeremiah entering the picture was toxic. Pure poison.

Staring
at Annie through a haze of disbelief, the waiting room felt like it was
suspended in time. Delaney ran a hand over top of her head, down her ponytail
and asked, “What’s the point, Annie? Is it money you’re after?”

“I’m
after what rightfully belongs to my daughter, same as you,” Annie declared.

Placing
a hand to her forehead, Delaney drew it halfway down her face and stared. Deep
down, Delaney had the sneaking suspicion that, given the chance, Annie would
sell the place and run with the money. She didn’t care about the legacy of Ladd
Springs. She didn’t have memories that bound her to the land, family members
buried in its soil. She wanted money. Legitimacy. Delaney spewed out a sigh. “This
is stupid.”