Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) (24 page)

“I
agree.” Ashley stepped in and seized the opportunity to bust them apart. “Hissing
at each other like two angry possums isn’t gonna solve a thing.” She pointed
toward the emergency ward, bracelets clanging at her wrist. “We’ve got a child
in their fighting for her life. She needs all the support she can get, and I demand
you two put your differences aside and focus on what’s important.” She checked
with Felicity, as if seeking her agreement.

Felicity
nodded, her green eyes glistening.

“There’s
plenty enough time later to argue over who deserves what. Right now, we’ve got
to come together, bow our heads and pray for Casey.” Ashley reached out and
grabbed hold of Annie and Delaney, drawing them to either side of her. Felicity
filled in between her mother and Annie. “We’re family,” Ashley declared and
bowed her platinum head of hair. “Let’s start acting like it.”

Nick
was waiting for Delaney at the cabin when she arrived home. The sight of his
car parked near Ernie’s was a welcome sight—more so than she could have
imagined. Like a mountaintop breath of fresh air, the knowledge that Nick was
here to help her through this maze of legal wrangling and emotional bribery
eased her spirit. Throughout the entire ordeal, Nick had managed a calm mind, a
firm hand—a can-do attitude. Unfortunately, it was more than she could say for
herself.

Delaney
hurried up the last stretch of trail, looking forward to losing herself in his capable
arms. She had dropped Felicity off at Travis and Troy’s home, securing Betty
Ann Parker’s promise to drive Felicity home after dinner. In the wake of
Casey’s tragedy, Felicity wanted to be with the boys. And Delaney? She wanted
to be with Nick.

He
met her at the door with the warm hug she had been yearning for. “Delaney...”
he murmured her name into the top of her head and squeezed her to him.

She
slid her arms around him, the hard line of his body warm and reassuring as she
buried her face in his chest.

Nick
squeezed harder and asked, “Is she okay?”

She
will be, Delaney thought. But as it stood, Casey was facing an uphill battle. According
to Ashley, this wasn’t the girl’s first experience with drugs. She’d dabbled
with pills before, but never to this extent. “I hope so.”

Nick
pulled away and peered into her face. He brushed the hair from her eyes, glided
his thumb over her cheek. “You look tired. Come in and let me get you something
to eat.”

The
offer pulled a smile from her. Nick was in her home, offering her something to
eat? She shook her head. Now there’s a twist! A twist she liked.

It
was a twist she liked. Nick helped Delaney pull the boots from her feet, taking
the pistol from her as he escorted her inside and onto the sofa. He set her gun
on the end table and settled in beside her. He gathered her in his arms and
asked, “What’ll it be? Cornbread? Grits? What do you southern girls eat around
here when in need of some comfort?

Nestled
in his warmth, Delaney laughed. “Would you know how to make either one?”

“Not
exactly.” Nick returned a sheepish grin, rendering his tough masculine features
to boyish innocence. “It was a side of him she enjoyed. But I’m always game for
experimenting. Found a half-baked loaf in the oven.”

“Didn’t
have a lot of notice when I left.” Delaney leaned into his shoulder, burrowing into
the crux of his chest and arm. “Thanks for the offer to cook, but I’m not
hungry.”

“Glass
of wine?” he asked. Pulling the elastic band from her hair, he stroked the
length of it.

She
laid her head against him. Such a simple gesture, but she found it incredibly
soothing. After their nights together, his tender way of lovemaking, she found
him incredibly soothing. “I think I’d like to sit for a while.” She looked up
at him. “If you don’t mind?”

He
gently pushed her head back. “Not a bit. This works perfectly for me.”

The
two sat in silence for several moments, the wooden interior of her cabin painted
in gold as sunlight simmered into evening. Delaney contemplated the best way to
broach the subject of Annie’s threat. The fact that she had the audacity to
bring Jeremiah into the picture terrified Delaney. As Ernie’s direct
descendent, Jeremiah Ladd was the one person Delaney feared could interfere
with her daughter’s future with regard to Ladd Springs.

“Why
so tense, Delaney?” Nick asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms, the
length of her thighs. “What’s the matter?”

Everything.
She hugged him closer, relishing the solid feel of him, the warmth of his body.
Nothing. Not with you by my side.

Nick
slid a hand along her cheek and pushed the hair away from her neck. He massaged
the muscles along her neck and shoulders, his large hands pulling the tension from
her, replacing it with desire. It felt good to have Nick touch her, but right
now, she needed his brain. With a fierce squeeze, she pulled away from him—but
not too far. She needed the feel of his body next to hers, the sense the two
were connected, that they were a team. “Annie made some threats at the hospital
this afternoon.”

“Threats?”
Black eyes and brows gathered like a building storm on the horizon. “What kind
of threats?”

Gazing
into the depths of his dark gaze, hot, fluid—unreadable—Delaney hesitated. After
all, she and Nick weren’t family. They might be becoming important to one
another, but they weren’t family. She searched Nick’s eyes, as though she could
detect the truth. She wanted to trust him, to build a future together. She knew
Jeb had most likely been lying to save his own skin, but... After all, how much
did she really know about the man?

Nick
moved the hair from her eyes. “Talk to me, Delaney. Something’s going on, I can
see it.”

“Annie
threatened to call Jeremiah.”

“Jeremiah?”

“Ernie’s
son.”

“I
thought you said no one would call him?”

Delaney
didn’t like the sudden pour of concern into Nick’s eyes. Tentatively, she revealed,
“Annie says Ernie doesn’t have the power to transfer title to Felicity without
his son’s approval. Something about the fine print.”

Nick
stiffened. “And you believe her?”

“I
don’t know,” she answered meekly.

“Listen,”
he said, and pulled her up from the sofa. “Enough of this negative talk. We’ll
deal with things when and if they arise. In the meantime, I have something for
you.”

She
paused, swamped by confusion. “Have something for me?”

“Yes.
I’ve been waiting for the right time, but there doesn’t seem to be a right time
around here.”

Delaney
followed Nick over to the kitchen island where his briefcase sat. He reached
into the outer pocket of the soft leather bag and pulled out a small velvet
box. A quick lump formed in her throat. Oh my—was he proposing? Her pulsed
skyrocketed through her chest, her limbs. He opened the box, and her heartbeats
fluttered wildly. Inside laid a gold pendant. “Nick?”

“I
had this made from the gold piece I chipped off from the rock in the woods.” Nick
pulled it free, gathering the delicate chain in his fingers. “It’s a wishing
well.”

“A
wishing well?” she asked, trying to unravel the odd look in his eyes.

“Yes.”
He unclasped the chain and placed it around her neck. The brush of his fingers tingled
across her skin as they secured the chain behind her neck. Drawing his hands
forward, he tenderly held her face and gazed into her eyes. “I want you to
think about all your hopes for the future, all the possibilities that await you
in life.”

Delaney
touched the petite chunk of gold at her collarbone, the metal cool and heavy
against her skin, heedless to the tremble of her hand. “You had this made?”

He
nodded. “After I had it tested for authenticity, I had the jeweler in town form
it into a wishing well.” Admiring the piece, he said, “He does good work.”

Delaney
laughed nervously and fiddled with the pendant, she said, “He’s been there for
years.”

“Well,
it looks great.” Nick dropped his gaze to her lips. “
You
look great,” he
murmured, then kissed her, soft and sweet. Delaney’s insides melted and she
privately scorned her ridiculous leap to conclusion.
Propose
. They’d
only been together a few weeks!

But
truth be known, Delaney would have said yes.

Nick’s
dark eyes moved between the pendant at her breast and her face. He rubbed his
thumb over her fingers and murmured, “Diamonds would suit you, too.”

# # #

The End

Delaney’s
Southern Cornbread

2
cups yellow cornmeal

2
cups buttermilk

3
TBSP melted bacon drippings, extra to grease pan

1
egg

1
tsp baking soda

1/2
tsp salt

1/4
cup vanilla pudding mix (optional ~ to add moisture)

2
TBSP sugar (optional ~ for the sweet tooth!)

Preheat
oven to 400°F. Grease bottom and sides of 10” cast iron skillet with bacon fat.
For crispier crust, pre-heat skillet for 10 minutes before adding batter. Mix
all ingredients above together and pour into greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve
warm. 8 servings.

***Mind
you there are tons of variations for this recipe, like adding bacon bits, fresh
corn kernels, jalapeño peppers ~ but whatever you do, don’t tell my mother I
added sugar and pudding mix, ‘cause she’ll have my hide!

However,
there’s one modification she will approve and that’s Grandma Lulu’s way.
Combine the buttermilk, cornmeal (self-rising), salt and pepper and whisk until
smooth. Heat a small cast iron skillet to medium on stove top. Melt a slice of
butter in pan, then pour a 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, spreading it out
pancake style.

Cook
several minutes or until bottom is golden brown, then flip (I add another
swatch of butter before the corn cake hits the pan for the second time!). Cook
until underside is golden brown (won’t take long), then remove from pan and eat
immediately!

All
I can say is “Yum.” My family thought this method tasted like a regular pancake
and I could only shake my head in wonder. Those kids are crazy as a dizzy goat,
I tell you. Plumb crazy.

Thank you for reading Ladd
Springs. As an author, reviews are a wonderful way to help future readers
discover my books. Will you take a moment to review Ladd Springs?

Ladd
Springs Amazon page

Appreciate your time and effort
on my behalf!

Check out the next book in the
series…

Ladd
Fortune

About the Author:

Dianne Venetta lives in Central
Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab Cody-boy! An
avid gardener, she spends her spare time growing organic vegetables, surprised
by what she finds there every day. Who knew there were so many amazing
similarities between men and plants? Women, life and love and her discoveries
provide for never-ending fun on her garden blog:
BloominThyme
.

You can also find her on twitter
@DianneVenetta and facebook.com/DianneVenetta. Plus, learn how you can become a
member of her street team, Bloomin’ Warriors, where you’ll be eligible for
special discounts, advance excerpts, author swag and unique gift items
throughout the year. For full details, be sure to check out her website,

Dianne Venetta

Other novels by Dianne Venetta

Romantic Women’s Fiction

The Gables Trilogy:

JENNIFER’S GARDEN

LUST ON THE ROCKS

WHISPER PRIVILEGES

Women’s Fiction

CONDEMN ME NOT

Mystery/Romance

Ladd Springs Series:

LADD SPRINGS #1

LADD FORTUNE #2

LADD FORTUNE #3

LADD HAVEN #4

LOSING LADD #5

Available December 2013

Read an excerpt from LADD FORTUNE…

Chapter One

Lacy
Owens tamped down the flutter of pulse skirting through her chest. Parked
across the street from the salon, she stared at the day spa, the mirrored glass
display window splashed with fancy lettering. Trendz. Inserted between a
sandwich shop and an insurance office, it was painted glossy black and stood
out like a bald eagle in a blue sky. The hoagie shop to the right had been
there for as long as Lacy could remember, its exterior faded to drab beige. The
insurance agency was new and remarkably boring, its window marked by white
block letters spelling out the company name and agent. Beyond the building, the
green hills of Tennessee rose into the sky, a batch of patchy white clouds
floating lazily in the distance.

Would
Annie be happy to see her? Would she be angry? Lacy’s breathing grew shallow.
The temperature in the car was rising, heat pressing in on her. Their reunion
could go either way. Knowing Annie, she’d try and toss her baby sister out on
the sidewalk with a kick to the rump—which would hurt, in more ways than one.

While
Annie might throw her out on sight, Lacy had to try. It was meant to be. She
knew it the minute Jeremiah Ladd walked into the lounge, announcing to his
girlfriend, Loretta Flynn, they were headed for Ladd Springs. Ladd Springs. Tennessee.
Home
.

It
was her opportunity. The stars were in alignment. That very day her horoscope
said it was time for a return to the fold. Lacy nibbled at her lip, fiddled
with the steering wheel. Atlanta had never been home. Atlanta had been her
escape.

A
woman pushed out through the front door of Trendz, her brown hair straight and
shiny in the midday sun, her clothes fitted and chic. Lacy wondered if the
woman had had her nails done. Was Annie in there? Lacy glanced at the clock on
her dashboard. Three o’clock. She slid her gaze back to the salon. Annie would
have to be, wouldn’t she? She still worked full-time, didn’t she?

Nerves
sputtered and popped. Grabbing a slim leather purse from the passenger seat,
Lacy pushed opened her car door and headed in. It was now or never. Hopefully,
Annie would understand. Hopefully, she’d forgive her. Hope was all she had. As
Lacy crossed the street, her legs felt boneless, like she’d dissolve into a
mess on the street, this instant. It was a wonder she could even walk! But walk
she would. She’d walk straight into that salon and face her sister, once and
for all. It was time. This mess between them had gone on too long and it had to
stop.

Lacy
opened the salon door and was immediately sucked in by the strong scent of hair
products, nail polish and perfume. Her heart thudded as she scanned the salon’s
interior. A line of mirrored stations manned by a bevy of women dressed in
black created a corridor down the center. Each stood by their chairs wielding
blow dryers, flat irons and scissors over their clients. From above, drips of
blue hung down in the form of ceramic lighting. Lacy thought the subtle hues
very modern, very sophisticated. Venturing in a few steps, she noticed the nail
station was empty. Her spirits fell. No Annie. She heaved a sigh, eyeing the
receptionist who sat smiling behind her check-in desk. She was a perky young
blonde who didn’t look a day over fifteen.

“May
I help you?” the girl asked.

“Um...”
Lacy hesitated. She looped short curls of hair behind an ear. Should she ask
about Annie? Should she leave her name, thus warning her sister of her arrival?

Absolutely
not. A surprise visit was best, sort of a spontaneous reunion where she could
gauge her sister’s reaction on the spot and respond accordingly. “Well...” Lacy
paused, suddenly second-guessing her entire scheme. “I was wondering about
having my nails done.”

“Great!
We have a nail tech who’s the best in the business.”

Lacy
didn’t doubt it. When she and Annie were kids, her older sister forever
practiced on her nails, creating stripes, polka dots—the works. Lacy had always
been amazed by her sister’s uncanny ability to “stay within the lines” as she
painted and wished she could have done as well, but she never could. Polish
forever smudged and dripped. Annie was good with hair, too. Lacy could apply
makeup, but hair and nails were Annie’s area of expertise. “Hm,” she hedged,
“do you happen to know her name?”

The
receptionist looked at her queerly.

Dingbat
—of course she
did! She worked here, didn’t she? Flummoxed, Lacy clarified, “I mean, I want to
make sure it’s the same woman my friend recommended.”

“Annie
Owens. Is that who you were looking for?”

Lacy’s
heart raced at the confirmation. She nodded.

Flipping
through pages in her appointment book, the receptionist said, “She has
availability Friday afternoon, and then next week.” She dragged her pencil
lightly down the page and said, “Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.”
Checking with Lacy, she asked, “Will any of those work for you?”

But
Lacy didn’t answer. In the back of the salon, Annie had emerged and currently
stood immobile in the center aisle. Dryers whirred, conversation chattered, but
Annie only had eyes for Lacy.

Lacy
gulped. Without looking at the young woman, stammered, “Um, let me think about
it, okay?”

“Sure
thing,” the receptionist replied.

Annie
came to life and approached Lacy with a hard line in her gaze, a chop to her
step. Familiar blue eyes bore into her. Annie’s wrath arrived ten steps ahead
of her, followed by a sharp whoosh of displeasure, which strummed in the air
around them as the woman stood face-to-face. “What are you doing here?”

Despite
her sister’s animosity, Lacy thought Annie looked good. Her hair was shorter
now, cut into a cute pageboy, her black-clad figure trim. Her makeup was
flattering in shades of pink and other than the vile look in her eyes, Lacy
discovered her sister had grown into an attractive woman. “Hi, Annie.” Lacy
gave a short wave, flushing with an uncomfortable awkwardness.

Apparently
catching onto the underpinnings of anger between Lacy and Annie, the
receptionist closed her book and busied herself with something on her desk.

“I
asked you a question,” Annie repeated flatly.

Lacy
shuddered beneath the caustic tone. People could hear her! “I wanted to let you
know that I’m back in town,” she ventured softly.

“Why?”

“Um...”
She bit her lip, averting the gaze of the receptionist, the inquisitive glances
from hairstylists. “Because we’re family, why else?”

“Is
Jeremiah with you?”

Without
thinking, Lacy nodded.

Loathing
poured into Annie’s expression. “So you two are still together.”

“No!”
Lacy exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh, no, we’re not together at
all!”

Annie’s
eyes narrowed to slits. “Then why would he be here same time as you?
Coincidence?”

“No.
He’s with my friend Loretta. Loretta Flynn.”

“Your
friend?” Annie asked, disbelief crawling through her eyes.

“Yes,
yes—we work together at a lounge in Atlanta.” Or did. She’d quit on her way out
the door as she headed home for Tennessee. “That’s how I know he’s here. He
told Loretta he was coming home and I...I...” Lacy didn’t know exactly how to
say it.
I needed an escape
?
I wanted to come back home
? By the
icy nature of Annie’s reception, it didn’t seem like her sister much cared why
Lacy had returned. Only that she had—and it wasn’t good news.

“What
do you want?”

Lacy
glanced about the immediate vicinity. Was the middle of the salon’s entrance
really the place to be having this discussion?

As
though taking her cue, Annie stalked off toward a white leather nail chair.
Beside it sat a square black ottoman, a pristine white towel draped over one
side. A myriad polish bottles lined the work table, shades ranging from the
sheerest of pinks to the darkest of plums. Files and clippers were lined neatly
to one side, the workspace made all the brighter by a petite but powerful black
lamp. Lacy thought her sister had come a long way from the rinky-dink salon in
which she started her career as a teenager. From what Lacy could tell, Trendz
was top of the line, as nice as any in Atlanta and a surprise find in this
backwoods town. When Lacy lived here, the fanciest store they had going was the
flower shop, and they only stayed afloat because of weddings and funerals.

Struggling
to continue the conversation with something harmless, Lacy decided on a
compliment. “This is a nice place you work in.”

“This
isn’t a social call.”

“Isn’t
it?”

Annie
glowered, crossing arms over her chest. “What do you want, Lacy?”

“I’m
here to say hello.”

“Goodbye.”

Lacy
reached out for her sister but quickly rethought the gesture. Annie looked as
if she might bite her arm off. “Annie,” she pleaded, “what about all the
letters I wrote you? Why didn’t you write back?”

“Because
I had nothing to say to you. Still don’t.”

Crestfallen,
Lacy couldn’t believe her ears. This wasn’t how she’d envisioned their reunion.
Rocky, maybe. Thorny, possibly. But absolute rejection? Her sister didn’t even
want to try? Sliding a hand up her narrow purse strap, Lacy asked, “Can’t we
catch up on old times? Get back in touch?”

“The
old times I remember are you running off with my boyfriend. Sorry, but it’s not
something I care to catch up on.”

“But
Jeremiah wasn’t really your—” Lacy scrambled for reason. She’d never thought
that Annie and Jeremiah were a serious couple. Jeremiah had been with so many
others. Could Annie really be that upset she’d moved to Atlanta with him?

“He
was my boyfriend,” Annie declared, “the one you decided to chase to Atlanta.
The fact that he wasn’t faithful doesn’t change the truth.”

Lacy
breathed easier.
So she did know
. Then why so mad? “I’m sorry, Annie. I
just thought—”

“Thought
what? That because he was playing around behind my back, it might as well be
you he was playing with?” Disgust rolled through Annie’s expression. “You’re
dead to me.”

“Annie
Grace!” Lacy cried, punctured by the hateful remark.

“What?”
A glimmer of pleasure crept into her sister’s gaze. “You don’t like hearing the
truth?”

Lacy
smoothed the ruffled layers of her blouse and searched for onlookers.
Eavesdroppers in these parts were as common as oxygen and sure as she was
breathing, Lacy knew word would get out about her arrival and this dreadful
showdown. But Lacy would not be deterred. “Annie, the truth has more sides than
one. I’m sorry you’re upset with me about going to Atlanta with Jeremiah, but I
thought you two had broken up.”

Annie
laughed, the sound biting to Lacy’s ears. “And I’m supposed to stand here for a
lecture on the truth from someone who wouldn’t know the truth if it jumped up
and smacked her on the head?”

“
Annie
.”

“Don’t
Annie
, me. You fibbed as a child and you fibbed as a teenager. I don’t
expect it to change.”

Tears
pushed behind her eyes, but Lacy held them in check. She didn’t want to break
down in front of her sister, the entire salon. It was bad enough people were
staring at her from clear across the room. They didn’t have to witness her
losing it completely.

Lacy
pushed back her shoulders and said plainly, “I’m sorry, Annie.”

“You’re
darn right, you are.”

Staring
into Annie’s blue eyes, the black pupils punctuated by white from an overhead
drip light, Lacy’s heart fell. “This was a mistake,” she said quietly. She had
hoped to make amends. She had hoped to forgive and forget and move forward with
the only family she had left. Daddy was dead, Momma was gone. Annie was it.

Lacy
turned to go but stopped. Lifting her chin, she said, “I’m truly sorry about
Jeremiah. If I had known you believed he was still your boyfriend, I wouldn’t
have run off with him. I thought you two were over.”

“Save
it for the choir boys, will you? Your pouts don’t impress me.”

Lacy
nodded and a heavy tear burst free. “See you around,” she said, and plodded
toward the door.

“Why
don’t you go back to Atlanta where you belong,” Annie flung at her back.

Because
Atlanta isn’t home
.
Lacy pushed out through the front door, the sun bright, the air a blanket of
warmth enveloping her body. She breathed in deeply, but expelled the breath in
a rush of despair. Annie hated her. Pure and simple. She hated her sister, her
own flesh and blood, and would never forgive her. Tears flowed, but Lacy wiped
them away. She wouldn’t give her sister the satisfaction of hurting her. She
wouldn’t let Annie know how desperately she had wanted back into her life.

Plodding
to a stop, she looked both ways and waited for a slow moving truck to pass.
Lacy had been lonely in Atlanta. Not alone, but lonely. Men were always ready
and available, but none were interested in her for who she was, what she had to
offer as a person. They only wanted what she could do for them, her manager a
case in point. He’d chased her, hired her, but the minute she gave in to his
advances, he became expectant. Demanding. She had to play by his rules and his
rules only. Lacy crossed the street, her calves contracting tightly as she ran
across the pavement in heels.