The Daughter Dilemma. Ann Evans

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СКАЧАТЬ the kitchen. Not great to have a leak moving from one floor to the next, but still, the problem was manageable. “Then call the plumber. See if you can get Tom Faraday. He won’t charge a fortune for coming up the mountain at night.”

      “The leak in Number Five is coming from the bathroom in Number Ten. Sofia said she went in there to make up the room and the water was three inches deep. She had to build a dike with every spare blanket we have to keep it from escaping into the bedroom.”

      Number Ten was above Number Five. If the water leak encompassed all three floors, they were looking at the possibility of serious damage. “Did you turn off the water valve in Number Ten?” Nick asked quickly.

      “That’s why I’m calling you. We’re like weak little birds! Sofia and Tessa went to town to return that dress. Renata and I, we turned the knob a little, but we need a man’s strength.”

      “If you’d just listen to me—” Nick heard his father complain in the background.

      “Samuel, I know you can shut it off,” his mother said to her husband. “But how am I to get you up there? Carry you piggyback?”

      His father’s movements were confined to the downstairs part of the lodge now, and most of the time it wasn’t a problem. While his parents argued, Nick imagined the entire third floor turning into one big disaster zone.

      “What about George?” Nick interrupted, referring to the fellow who acted as both front desk clerk and bellman.

      “George left early today. His parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary is tonight and he has to pick up decorations. He’s such a devoted son…”

      “Mom, focus!” Nick said in the sharpest tone he could ever use with his mother. “Who else is around?”

      “The Binghams. I think they’re in the hot tub. No one else.”

      “That’s perfect. He’s probably still in a bathing suit and barefoot. Ask him to go upstairs with you and try turning the valve.”

      His mother gasped. “I can’t do that. They’re guests. You don’t ask paying guests to do maintenance. What are you thinking, Nicholas?”

      “I’m thinking that unless he wants to find his own room flooded, it doesn’t hurt to ask. It’s turning off one valve, not cleaning up after Mardi Gras. Look desperate. If he balks, tell him we’ll comp his room for one night. I’ll be up there as soon as I can.”

      He hung up the phone before his mother could say anything else. Damn, damn, damn, he thought. Can this week possibly get any worse?

      Pulling the keys to his Jeep out of his desk’s top drawer, he hurriedly explained the problem up at the lodge to Addy. He was just jerking into his worn leather jacket when he noticed a car pull into Angel Air’s parking lot.

      A young woman got out and hurried toward the office. The afternoon sunlight was still strong enough to reveal that she had a lanky body—lithe and long—with an athletic swing to her walk. She was dressed for hiking, with khakis and boots and a heavy-looking backpack slung over one shoulder. Her blond hair had been stuffed under a baseball cap and spilled out the back in a long, swinging ponytail.

      “Who the hell is that?” he wondered out loud.

      Addy shrugged. “Could be our ten o’clock that didn’t show, I suppose.”

      “She’s too late if that’s the case.”

      The woman reached the office door, stuck her head in first and smiled at both of them. “Hi,” she said brightly.

      This close Nick could see that she was passably attractive—with a dainty arch to her nose, a charming smile and pretty teeth that indicated somebody had paid a dentist a bucketload of money.

      When she looked at him there was a certain sparkle in her green eyes that made his gut take a wild, stray turn. He didn’t like the feeling and banished it pretty quickly. After a day like today, he wasn’t in the mood for foolishness.

      Honey, don’t bother, he thought. Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.

      CHAPTER TWO

      TWICE SHE HAD ALMOST turned around and headed back to the interstate.

      Kari Churchill was a Florida girl, used to the flat, undemanding landscapes of Palm Beach. At home, the closest thing to mountains were the sand dunes she could see from the balcony of her oceanfront condo. But here, all the roads twisted and turned back on themselves, and if you thought you could figure out where you were by watching the sun, you had another think coming. These darned mountains. Beautiful and awe-inspiring, but always in the way.

      But she was here now—two years and thousands of miles from the moment she’d made the decision to come. She’d carved out some time at last, though not much of it since her last assignment in Philadelphia had unexpectedly run longer than she’d planned and the next one in New Zealand was right around the corner. Snaking mountain roads, missed highway markers and fluttering nerves were not going to prevent her from keeping the promise she’d made to herself.

      No more excuses. No turning back. No matter what.

      Right now, however, Kari could see that she might have one last obstacle standing in her way. This man in the Indiana Jones bomber jacket, the strong chin and the tight-lipped smile that practically shouted “Welcome. Now please go away.”

      From the moment she’d opened the door to Angel Air, she’d sensed a slight tension. The woman, a little younger than the man and a lot more friendly looking, had immediately approached the counter. The man hadn’t so much as moved a muscle.

      “Can we help you?” the woman asked with a salaried-receptionist smile.

      She had the kind of great looks that didn’t call for much makeup and a tumble of black hair that sifted prettily across her shoulders every time she turned her head. The name tag over her left pocket read “Adriana.”

      “I’m Kari Churchill,” Kari said, extending her hand. “I was supposed to be here this morning for a flight. I know I’m dreadfully late.”

      “By seven hours,” the man said.

      She looked at him more closely as he approached the counter with a slow rippling of muscles. She couldn’t help noticing that he was almost offensively healthy looking. As darkly handsome as the woman was beautiful. Kari had a feeling these two were related, but she’d also bet their personalities and management styles were completely different. Adriana looked sympathetic and eager to please, while the hunk here seemed to be silently willing her to vanish.

      She stopped focusing on the woman and concentrated on winning over the man. He was obviously the one in charge.

      “I know,” she said. “And I’m so sorry. First my plane was late, then I got lost. I took my chances that you’d still be open and able to take me to Elk Creek Canyon before nightfall.”

      “We close at five,” he said. Nobody in the room had to look at their watch to know it was nearly that now.

      Rule followers! Why did she have to run into one today? Kari suspected flirting would be wasted on him, and she was too tired to try. But it couldn’t hurt СКАЧАТЬ