Ladd Haven (4 page)

At the sudden disgust in his
brother’s eyes, Troy wondered what the phone call from Felicity was
about.
He has no idea
?
Who
has no
idea? About what?

Shoving the thoughts from his mind, he
growled under his breath. Whatever. His brother was gone and that’s
all that mattered. At the moment he had bigger problems to deal
with and they didn’t include Travis.

Two hours later, Troy had switched
gears from hurt and anger to reason and determination. Jimmy might
think Casey was his girlfriend but she wouldn’t stay that way. She
was in shock, is all. She didn’t expect him to show up, didn’t know
what to say to him when he did. Hell, could he blame her for
falling for the guy’s sneaky ploy?

She’d been on the rebound. She was
hurt. Obviously, she didn’t understand what he meant when he told
her he was going to prove himself, though how she could have
misunderstood was beyond him. There was no place around here where
he could work to make it up to her. He had to go somewhere else. He
had to go where people didn’t have pre-conceived thoughts about
him. Around here, no one believed in him. They all thought the
worst, except for Mr. Foster. Cal Foster was decent, understanding.
He didn’t leap to judgment like everyone else did, painting him
into a corner and hanging an “I’m a no-good drunk” sign from his
neck. After working with him at his family’s ranch, Mr. Foster said
Troy was one of their best ranch hands, ever. Said he was real
impressed with Troy’s performance.

Until he blew it by showing up with a
hangover. Cal’s daddy, Gerald Foster, had a zero tolerance policy
for drinking—on the job and off. Rumor had it was due to the fact
his four sons had blown through more bottles of bourbon than a
whiskey-soaked river, souring the old man on alcohol use of any
kind. Troy should have known better than to go anywhere near the
place with a hangover, but he thought he could avoid the old man
for the day. The only reason the senior Mr. Foster came by was to
pay Troy a visit, commending him for a job well done with the foal
delivery. It was a job that ended five minutes later.

Slowing down for the turn to
the Wilkins’ place, Troy knew if anyone was going to give him a
chance, it’d be Cal Foster. Not that Troy could work for his daddy
again. Old man Foster didn’t give second chances. But with Cal in
charge as General Manager of the new Hotel Ladd, Troy might have
the opportunity to work their stables, maybe train their horses.
Hell, at this rate he’d be happy to pick up their
crap
if that’s what it
took to get a paying job with the animals he loved. He would’ve
done a good job at the ranch in Kentucky if it hadn’t been for
missing Casey. He’d thought he could do it. He thought as long as
he told himself it was temporary, he could manage the separation
and make a name for himself. Then, he could return home with his
head held high and proof behind his claims.
He’d quit drinking
.
He could work with horses
.
But try as he might, he couldn’t manage. The ache in his heart had
been too strong, even the dad gum horses were beginning to feel
it!

Rolling over the bridge, sunlight
glittering in the river stream below, Troy was astonished by the
transformation of Ladd Springs. Slowing, his gaze roamed over
buildings and trails, cars and signs. If he didn’t know his way
here by heart, he wouldn’t have recognized the place. Ernie Ladd
had been the owner before Felicity and Casey, living here until his
dying day about a year ago. His dilapidated cabin used to sit along
the creek but had been replaced by a custom log cabin. It was a
small structure but quality built with its thick log walls and
river rock base. It had clean lines, a tin roof and nice patch of
grass around it, complete with a wishing well off to one side.
Automatically, Troy checked for the original well that used to be
here and found it, located off a manufactured path leading up into
the mountain. Did that lead to the stables? But they couldn’t have
left Miss Delaney’s old stables intact. Delaney Wilkins had lived
here as a child and moved back with her daughter ten years ago. The
stables had been built years before, about the time Miss Delaney
was a kid. If they bulldozed old man Ernie’s house they wouldn’t
leave her stables. They were in about the same
condition.

Parking near a line of cars, Troy
climbed down from his truck and trekked up a trail toward the
hotel. Up the mountain—practically wedged into the rock and
trees—was the main building. It wasn’t very big, from what he could
tell, but it was damn fine with floor to ceiling windows. Nearing
the hotel, he could see massive interior wooden beams, leather
furniture and recessed ceiling lights, in addition to a huge metal
chandelier, round in shape with candle-shaped lights on it. There
was also a fountain inside. Outside, stone steps lead up to the
entrance, heavily landscaped with native rhododendron and colorful
hydrangea.

Troy let out a low whistle. “Dad gum,
this must have cost Mr. Harris a ton of money.” According to his
mother, the inside was even nicer than the outside. She was here
for the double wedding ceremony between the hotel’s owner Nick
Harris and Miss Delaney who got hitched alongside Cal Foster and
Casey’s mom, Annie Owens. Afterward, Troy’s mother took a tour of
the property, claiming the décor was straight out of a fancy
designer home magazine, complete with huge river rock fireplaces
and four-poster beds in every guestroom. Troy bet they were
charging a bundle for people to stay in that place. He laughed
under his breath. To stay in Podunk, Tennessee, no less. Who would
have guessed it? While he loved his hometown, Troy never imagined
anyone paying top dollar for the chance to hang out around here.
Until now, the local two-story hotel downtown was the fanciest
thing they had going.

Cal Foster came into view. An elegant
man with fair-skinned looks and mild-mannered behavior, Cal
appeared every bit the professional in his khaki dress pants and
pale green button-down shirt. Pushing out through the entrance, he
jogged down the natural stone stairway.

Troy’s heart pitched. Time to call in a
favor.

Taking a deep breath, he waited for Mr.
Foster to notice him. When he did, his face lit up.
“Troy!”

The warm welcome loosened the knot
twisting in his chest. “Mr. Foster,” Troy called back and hurried
over.

Cal greeted him, hazel eyes dancing as
he dove a hand in for a firm handshake, followed by another hand to
Troy’s shoulder. He squeezed. “How the heck are you
doing?”

Heartened by the familiar tone, he
replied, “Fine, sir. Real fine.”

“
When did you get back in
town?”

“
Yesterday.”

“
Travis tells me you’ve been
working in Kentucky.”

“
Yes sir, I have.

“
Did you come home for the
summer?”

Troy stumbled and replied vaguely,
“Taking a break.”

To his relief, Cal didn’t question him
further. “Have you seen the new hotel?”

“
I haven’t sir, but my momma
told me all about it. Said it’s the nicest one she’s ever
seen.”

Cal accepted the compliment easily,
satisfaction glimmering in his eyes. “Malcolm and Nick do top-notch
work, there’s no question. Would you like a look
around?”

Standing beneath the shade of trees,
Troy removed his hat, brushed the hair from his brow. Malcolm Ward
was Nick’s partner in the hotel business. Originally he came to
Tennessee to help Mr. Harris get the rights to use the property but
stayed on after he met and married Casey’s aunt, Lacy Owens. Troy
didn’t know him that well, but he seemed like an allright guy.
“Well, I’d like to, but I don’t want to bother you,
sir.”

He patted Troy’s shoulder and said,
“It’s no bother at all.”

Troy hesitated. He had more pressing
issues on his mind than touring the new hotel. “Actually, I’m here
to see about a job.”

“
A job?”

“
Yes, sir.”

The hand slipped free from his
shoulder. Hesitation entered his friendly gaze. “What kind of
job?”

“
With horses, sir. I
understand you have some mighty fine stables, and I’d like to see
if there’s a space for me.”

“
Well, actually,” his
expression closed a shade, nipping at Troy’s confidence, “Delaney’s
in charge of the stables.”

Troy could feel him slipping from his
grasp. “Miss Delaney?”

“
Yes, but...” Clouds
gathered in his gaze. “Have you talked to Casey?”

“
Yes, sir. Saw her at Fran’s
Diner earlier today.” Cal didn’t say anything, evidently waiting
for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, the older man simply nodded,
as though turning it over in his mind. Once again, Troy was struck
by the nagging sensation there was more to the question. “Well,
like I said, I’m here to see about a job.”

Cal looked at him queerly, as if Troy
had morphed into some kind of weird creature. It was beginning to
grate on him.

“
Mr. Foster?”

Chapter Three

Cal Foster shook whatever fog had
overcome him and snapped back to his senses. “Well, you’ll have to
speak with Delaney about a job in the stables. I don’t have any say
over the hiring and firing when it comes to the horses.”

Troy didn’t understand. “But you’re the
boss, aren’t ya?”

“
Not over Delaney, I’m not.
You want a job working the stables, you’ll have to go through
her.”

Troy sensed Cal had been trying to
crack a joke, but the humor never made it to his eyes. All of a
sudden, the man seemed uncomfortable to be around him. His biggest
ally in the past was paddling backwards at a hefty pace. Which was
strange. Only minutes ago Mr. Foster seemed real pleased to see
him. Troy shifted restlessly. “Well, is she here?”

Cal pointed a finger behind him. “That
trail over there will take you straight to her. She’s in the
stables.

Troy followed his line of sight and saw
a trail. Familiar with the property, he knew it led to the original
Ladd homestead, the one that existed a hundred years ago. When they
were riding horses one day, Felicity had showed it to him and
Travis, explaining how it had been home to her great-grandfather.
There was nothing to see when they rode through, except for a few
piles of old bricks and rotten logs. Troy remembered an eerie
feeling as they walked the area, like maybe there were ghosts or
something lurking in the woods, watching them. He shook a mild
shudder from his body and firmed his resolve. Miss Delaney liked
him. If Cal wouldn’t give him a job, she would. “Thank you, sir.”
Troy slipped his hat in place. “I’ll go and talk to her right now,
if you don’t mind,” he added, inferring that he couldn’t go on that
guided tour of the hotel.

“
Listen, Troy. I don’t know
if she’ll give you a job, but if she does, make her see what I
see.” Surprised by the seriousness in his voice, Troy idled in
place as Mr. Foster added, “Don’t let her down.”

A little more than insulted, Troy
rebuffed, “I don’t intend to, sir.”

“
I know you don’t,” Cal
replied quietly. “But you have a lot riding on this. Don’t blow it.
You know I’ll give her my best recommendation if she asks, but it’s
up to you to prove your case.”

“
Yes, sir. I understand.”
Troy assumed he was referring to the drinking episode, yet he
couldn’t shake the feeling there was something else at play.
Something deeper was ground into the brown-eyed gaze staring back
at him.

Cal placed a hand to his shoulder and
squeezed. “I hope you do. For all our sakes.”

Troy straightened, pulling himself a
little taller. “Mr. Foster, I’m good with horses. I know I’ve made
mistakes in the past but I don’t aim to repeat them. I’ll make Miss
Delaney the finest ranch hand she’s ever seen.”

“
You’re preaching to the
pastor, Troy. I believe in you.” His gaze softened. “I’m glad to
see you still do, too.”

Troy took the trail as instructed,
hiking the newly graded terrain in the direction of the stables.
Gone were the uneven rocks and roots, the hard clay smoothed for
easier passage and lined by a sparse covering of meadow grass.
Overhead, trees provided a canopy of shade, the air temperature
several degrees cooler than in the open sunshine. It was a tranquil
walk, but Troy couldn’t shake the sudden change in Mr. Foster’s
demeanor. He said he believed in him, enough to give him a second
chance if the choice were his. Said he’d give Miss Delaney a good
recommendation if she asked. Why so many ifs? It was the
uncertainty that was driving him crazy. First Casey, then Travis
and now Mr. Foster. It was like the world had flipped upside down
and people had lost their marbles. Like their brain cells had
dribbled out of their heads into a sea of nothing. Everybody
started off normal enough and then switched, like a light bulb had
been turned off—or on—Troy couldn’t figure out which. They acted
weird, like they didn’t know if they were coming or going or if
they even should.

Troy shook his head. No
matter. Miss Delaney wasn’t like that. She was a straight shooter.
Damn accurate, too. If something was going on, she’d tell him
straight up. As the trail opened up into pasture, Troy looked
uphill, struck by the sight of brand new stables he took a step
back.
Whoa
. He
surveyed the wide open space of rolling green, the brand new
fencing that led up to a distant line of stables. He tipped his hat
back and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Stables as nice as
any he’d seen. Murfreesboro had been a top notch operation, the
group out of Kentucky a step above most, but this? Seemed Miss
Delaney had a top of the line establishment on her hands. He could
only imagine what it looked like up close.