Claire excused herself. Tim arrived, handed them both glasses of wine and wandered off, too, leaving them alone.
Lori took a sip of wine, trying not to be too obvious as she glanced at the large-built man with the broad shoulders and narrow waist. No flab there. He definitely did physical work for a living.
“How long have you lived in Destiny, Mr.… Jace?”
“About six months, and I’m hoping to make it permanent.”
She didn’t look away. “I’m sure things will be straightened out tomorrow.”
“I’m glad someone is optimistic.”
She sighed. “Look, can’t we put this away for the evening? I’ve had a long day.”
He studied her with those deep blue eyes. “If you’d rather I leave, I will. I was only planning to drop my daughter off.”
In the past few hours Lori had learned more about Jace Yeager. She knew that Lyle probably had the upper hand with the partnership. “As long as you don’t try to pin me down on something I know nothing about. It isn’t going to get us anywhere except frustrated.”
He raised his glass in salute. “And I’m way beyond that.”
CHAPTER TWO
TWO hours later, after a delicious pot roast dinner, Lori stood on the back deck at the Keenan Inn. She’d said her goodbyes to everyone at the front door, but wasn’t ready to go upstairs to bed yet.
She looked up at the full moon over the mountain peak and wondered what she was doing here. Couldn’t she have had a lawyer back in Colorado Springs handle this? First of all, she didn’t have the extra money to spend on an attorney when she didn’t have a job and very little savings. She needed every penny.
So this was the last place she needed to be, especially with someone like Jace Yeager. She didn’t want to deal with him. She only planned to come here, sign any papers to her father’s estate and leave.
Now there was another complication, the Mountain Heritage complex. She had to make sure the project moved forward before she left town. She didn’t need to be told again that the project would mean employment for several dozen people in Destiny.
“Why, Dad? Why are you doing this?” He hadn’t wanted her all those years, now suddenly his daughter needed to return to his town. How many years had she ached for him to come and visit her, or to send for her. Even a phone call would have been nice. The scars he’d caused made it hard for his daughter to trust. Anyone.
She felt a warm tear on her cold cheek and brushed it away. No. She refused to cry over a man who couldn’t give her his time.
“Are you sad?”
Hearing the child’s voice, Lori turned around to find Jace Yeager’s daughter, Cassie.
Lori put on a smile. “A little. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. A lot of memories.”
The young girl stood under the porch light. “I cried, too, when my daddy made me come here.”
“It’s hard to move to a new place.”
“At first I didn’t like it ‘cause our house was ugly. When it rained, the ceiling had holes in it.” She giggled. “Daddy had to put pans out to catch all the water. My bedroom needed the walls fixed, too. So I had to sleep downstairs by the fireplace while some men put on a new roof.”
“So your dad fixed everything?”
She nodded. “He painted my room pink and made me a princess bed like he promised. And I have a horse named Dixie, and Ellie is my best friend.”
Her opinion of Jace Yeager just went up several notches. “Sounds like you’re a very lucky girl.”
The smile disappeared. “But my mommy might come and make me go away.”
Jace Yeager didn’t have custody of his daughter? “Does your mom live close?”
The child shook her head. “No, she’s gonna live in England, but I don’t want to live there. I miss her, but I like it here with Daddy, too.”
It sounded familiar. “I’m sure they’ll work it out.”
The girl studied her with the same piercing blue eyes as her father. “Are you going to live here and teach second grade? My school already has Mrs. Miller.”
“And I bet you like her, too. No, I’m not going to teach in town, I’m only here for a visit. My dad died not too long ago, and I have to take care of some things.”
“Is that why you were crying, because you’re sad?”
“Cassie …”
They both turned around and saw Jace.
“Oh, Daddy,” Cassie said.
Jace Yeager didn’t look happy as he came up the steps. “Ellie’s been looking for you.” He studied Lori. “The rest of the girls took the party upstairs.”
“Oh, I gotta go.” She reached up as her father leaned over and kissed her. “‘Bye, Daddy, ‘bye, Miss Lori.” The child took off.
Jace looked at Lori Hutchinson as his gaze locked on her dark eyes.
Finally Lori broke the connection. “I thought you’d left.”
“I’d planned to, but I got caught up at the front porch with the Keenans.”
He had wanted to speak to Paige, hoping she could give him some encouragement. She’d said she’d work to find a solution to help everyone. Then she rounded up her husband, Sheriff Reed Larkin, leaving her daughters Ellie and Rachel for Grandma Claire’s sleepover.
The other sisters, Morgan and Leah, kissed their parents and thanked them for keeping the kids. He caught the look exchanged between the couples, knowing they had a rare night alone. The shared intimacy had him envious, and he turned away. He, too, planned to leave when he spotted his daughter on the back deck with Lori.
“And I was finishing my coffee.” He’d had two glasses of wine at dinner. He had to be extra careful, not wanting to give his ex-wife any ammunition. “Well, I should head home.”
She nodded. “Your daughter is adorable.”
“Thank you. I think so.” Jace had to cool it with Lori Hutchinson. “I just wanted to say something before tomorrow.…”
She raised a hand. “I told you, I’ll do everything I can to get your project operational again.”
He just looked at her.
“Whether you believe it or not, I don’t plan to cause any more delays than necessary.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
“After the meeting, how about I come by the building site and tell you what happened?”
He shook his head. “The site’s been shut down. Until this matter is settled, I can’t afford to pay the subcontractors. So you see there’s a lot at stake for me.”
“And I understand that. But I still have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow, or what Lyle Hutchinson’s plans are. It’s not a secret that I haven’t seen the man in years.” She blinked several times, fighting tears. “He’s dead now.” Her voice was hoarse. “And I feel nothing.”
Jace was learning quickly that Lyle Hutchinson was a piece of work. “Okay, we can both agree your father was a bastard.”
She turned toward the railing. “The worst thing is, you probably knew the man better than I did.” She glanced over her shoulder. “So you tell me, Jace Yeager, what is my father planning for me? For his town.”
*