Starting Over (Nugget Romance 4) (22 page)

They loaded Emma and her twenty-pound diaper bag into the car and hit the road. Gold Mountain was a fifteen-minute ride on Highway 89. The place was a thriving community of cabins built around a lake that the same families rented summer after summer. The owner, a man in his nineties, had recently died and his children wanted to sell. The property required too much upkeep and they didn’t have the money or inclination to bring it back to its former glory.

Nate had both. What he liked most about Gold Mountain was that it was fifteen minutes from Glory Junction, a small, quaint tourist town that catered to one of the most popular ski areas in Northern California. The place reeked of money.

When they got there, Nate could see just how badly the old man had let Gold Mountain go. As they wandered through, pretending to be guests, he noted that the cabins, badly weathered, and the pool, a concrete eyesore, needed updating in the worst way. The rec room had ancient Ping-Pong and foosball tables and the children’s playground was full of rusted swing sets and monkey bars. The resort—Nate used the word loosely—reminded him of a 1950s trailer park.

Nevertheless, the place was packed and it was only June. People lounged at the pool and canoed and kayaked on the lake—the only part of Gold Mountain that remained pristine.

“Wow, this place needs work,” Maddy muttered. “It’ll take a good chunk of change to make it shiny again. Why do you think all these people still come?”

“Because they’re getting the same rates they got in 1975,” he said, having looked at Gold Mountain’s profit and loss statements.

“That’ll be a problem. As soon as we raise the rates to pay for improvements, we’ll lose all these regulars.” Maddy motioned at a group playing volleyball.

“Maybe not. There’s a chance they’ll be happy for the upgrades. If we winterize the cabins and run a shuttle service from here to the ski slopes, we could keep this place open during the cold months.” Right now, Gold Mountain only ran from April to October.

Maddy gave him a lingering glance. “This doesn’t look at all like your cup of tea, Nate. Way too
Kumbaya, let’s sit around the campfire
for your taste.”

“My taste is to make money, and Gold Mountain could be a gold mine.” He took off for the lodge.

“Where are you going?” Maddy followed, bouncing Emma in her pack to keep up.

“I want to see if there’s a barn on the property.”

“A barn? What for?”

“Sam says barn weddings are huge right now.”

Maddy looked at him like he’d grown a horn out of his head. “So?”

“We could do events.” Nate followed an overgrown bike trail that wound around the perimeter of the property. “Doesn’t look like they have one. But we could build a barn.”

“Stop,” Maddy said, out of breath. “The place has a big old lodge. Why would we build a barn?”

“I told you, Sam seems to think it’ll attract events. She wants to use Lucky Rodriguez’s place. I don’t know how good I am with that.”

“But you’re
good
with Sam?” She waggled her eyebrows.

“No. In fact, I’m sure she’ll quit any day now. It doesn’t mean I can’t steal her ideas.” They wandered back to the car. So far, Emma had held up like a trooper, but knowing what Nate did about babies, it wouldn’t last too much longer.

“Nate, did you do something to her that’ll make her want to quit?” Maddy huffed.

“Now why would you say that? I’m the ideal boss.” Yeah, when he wasn’t sticking his tongue down Sam’s throat.

“Then why are you so sure that she’ll leave?”

He gave Maddy a long look, then opened the car door, took Emma from her, and buckled her into Lilly’s car seat.

“Oh. My. God.” Maddy held her hands up and lifted her face to the sky. “Kayla! That’s what this thing is with you about Sam. You’re comparing her to Kayla. Nate, Kayla was a complete and utter whack job. Do not compare the two.”

“How do you know they’re not similar? They have the same exact backgrounds.”

“Because they’re not. Sam is responsible. She’s committed. She’s . . . she’s so not Kayla. From the first minute Claire and I met Kayla, we knew she’d been beaten by the crazy stick. The only reason we didn’t jump for joy the night she dumped you is because you were so completely in love with her. The last thing we wanted to do was hurt you more. But, big brother, you dodged a Teflon-coated bullet. That woman would’ve made your life a living hell. My guess is that she’s either living on an Israeli kibbutz or owns a sex-toy boutique on Newbury Street.”

“Last I heard she was an interior decorator,” Nate said.

“Well, how many minutes ago was that? Because by now she’s probably working for the Department of Defense or trying her hand at macrame.”

Nate had to laugh at that one. Maddy got in the passenger seat and shut the door while Nate started the engine.

“Did Mom and Dad hate her too?” he asked.

“Hate is a very strong word, Nate. But yes. They did.”

For no reason at all, he wondered what they would think of Sam.

“Sam is nothing like her,” Maddy said, as if reading his mind, because sisters could do that.

“Oh yeah, then why do you think she left her fiancé flat?”

“Owen says he was beating her,” Maddy said, suppressing a laugh.

Nate highly doubted that. The woman would’ve kicked his ass. God knew she challenged Nate at every turn.

“If you’re interested in her, why don’t you just ask her?” Maddy said. “And while you’re at it, you should do something nice for her, given all the work she put into your house. Your place is now gorgeous.”

“What do you think of Gold Mountain?” He desperately wanted to change the subject.

“I think it has possibilities. Would we buy it on our own, or with investors?”

“That’s why I’m interested in it. I think we could swing it on our own.”

“I still have the money from my divorce settlement. Rhys won’t have anything to do with it. ‘
I don’t want to see any of that goddamned money coming through our household. I support our family
. ’” She mimicked him in a deep Texas drawl. “The guy is such a Neanderthal.”

“But you love him, right?”

“More than anything in the world, except Emma.” She turned to the backseat. “Right, girl? We love your daddy.”

He was happy for his sister. After her ex, she deserved the best.

“I want to get a few estimates on what it would take to spiff the place up before we make an offer,” Nate said.

“That sounds smart. We’d need a full staff to run it. Between Emma and the Lumber Baron, I’ll have my hands full.”

“Yep. I’ve thought about that. It won’t be easy, but we’ll find the right people.” He certainly couldn’t keep up this back-and-forth situation without killing himself.

They returned to the inn, where Maddy came in to meet Brady, but couldn’t stay long because Emma was having a volcanic meltdown. Nate hid in his office, looking to avoid Sam. He knew she still wanted to show him her spreadsheet, which despite himself he found cute. Tracy had left three more messages. Nate decided he’d better call her back before she had a volcanic meltdown of her own.

“What’s up?” he said over the phone.

“Um, only that I’ve tried to call you a million times.”

Nate could do without Tracy’s lip. “Well, you’ve got me now. So what’s the emergency?”

“The emergency is that I quit.”

“Tracy, stop with the theatrics. I’m not at your beck and call, so you quit?”

“No. I quit because I got a better offer.”

“That’s great,” he lied. Nate intended to play hardball, because he didn’t think for one minute she’d really leave. Not with what he paid her. “So you’re giving me your two weeks?”

“Nope,” she said. “That ship sailed an hour ago when you didn’t return my calls. I’m outta here, Nate. Today. Right now.”

Uh-oh! He’d certainly miscalculated that one. But he’d be damned before he begged the prima donna to stay. “Can I trust you not to steal the computers, or should I have Security escort you out?”

“Screw you, Nate!” She hung up before he could ask about the opera gala file.

The opera gala. How the hell was he supposed to pull that off now?

“N
ot now,” Nate told Sam as she shadowed him down the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” The man had been gone most of the day and she wanted to show him her spreadsheet and prove to him that partnering with Lucky on the barn weddings would be sound business.

“Tracy just quit. Didn’t even give me two weeks.” He kept walking.

“As far as I can tell, she did you a favor,” Sam called to his back.

He spun around and glared at her. “You think leaving me in the midst of planning a huge event is doing me a favor?”

“All I know is that she couldn’t care less about that expo. For most of it she disappeared to flirt with some man from the Simpson Hotel Group. And when she was present, she was rude to people. She couldn’t even be bothered to give out simple information.”

Nate folded his arms over his chest. “And you waited until now to tell me this?”

“Everyone said she’s your pet. The rumor’s that you’re engaged. I thought that you would think I was being catty.”

“For Christ’s sake, Sam, I told you there was nothing between Tracy and me.”

Yeah, and there was nothing between Royce and half the women under thirty on the East Coast
.
The dumb cow is nothing more than a for-show wife
, rang in her ears.

Nate turned and continued down the hall.

“Where are you going?” she called to him.

He stopped again. “To the men’s room. Did you want to come?”

“I’ll help you with whatever work she left you.”

“Thanks, Sam, but I’ll manage.”

Whatever. She was just trying to be a team player. But if Nate didn’t want her help, then he could fend for himself for all she cared. She had last-minute touches to make on Emily’s wedding anyway. In her office she grabbed her purse, then headed out, got in her car, and drove to McCreedy Ranch.

She found Clay and Emily on the expansive front lawn, looking at her diagram, pacing off the measurements of the tent.

“You sure we’ll fit everything in, Red?” Only Royce had ever called her that before. On Clay’s lips it sounded much more endearing. Sam got the sense that Clay wasn’t the type to call someone by a nickname unless he liked her.

“It’ll all fit,” she assured him. “I mapped everything out.”

“Even the porta-potties?” he wanted to know. They’d ordered deluxe ones in trailers, which could pass for fancy powder rooms.

“I have those down there.” She pointed to an area adjacent to the front lawn that afforded a little more privacy.

But Clay still looked doubtful. So Sam walked them through it, describing where the big tent would go, as well as various food stations and the band’s stage and dance floor. The actual ceremony would take place between two oak trees on the property. Emily had told Sam that Clay had planted one of the trees in honor of Emily’s missing daughter.

The chairs would be delivered the night before the wedding and Sam would be on hand to make sure they were set up just right for the ceremony and reception.

“I don’t know how I could’ve done this without you,” Emily said. “Everything feels so organized.”

“That’s because it is,” Sam said. “I don’t want you to worry about a thing. It’s your day and I want you to enjoy it.”

“You’ll make sure the florist does the centerpieces and the chair boughs correctly, right?”

“Absolutely. I have everything sketched out.” Sam showed Emily and Clay her folder filled with diagrams, drawings, and sticky notes.

“I don’t know what Nate’s paying you, but you could make a fortune organizing these types of shindigs,” Clay said, and Sam laughed. It was nice to be appreciated.

“This is my first wedding,” she confided. “But have no fear. I’ve organized enough large-scale garden parties that I could do it in my sleep.”

“You’ve got the touch, that’s for sure,” Clay said. “If it’s all right, I think I’ll leave you ladies to the rest of it. I’ve got cattle to feed.”

Clay kissed Emily goodbye. It was just a peck, but there was so much sizzle between the two of them that Sam felt like a voyeur standing there. For a second, Sam’s thoughts flashed to Nate’s kiss, but she forced the memory out of her mind. The man was a schizoid. Half the time he was flirting with her, the other half he was pushing her away.

“Are you bringing a date?” Emily asked.

Now where would she find one of those in Nugget? “I’ll be too busy.”

“You should come with Nate. Maddy says he’s not bringing anyone and he’s so handsome.”

“I see enough of him at work.” Sam sighed.

“Well, there’s that.” Emily tilted her head in question. “I thought there might be a spark between you two.”

Sam shook her head. “More like a hail of gunfire.”

“So it’s that way, huh?”

“It’s not that bad,” Sam admitted. “We have our good moments.” If only Emily knew. “He lost an employee today, so he’s being testy. I suppose we could at least sit together.” It made sense, since they’d probably be the only single people at the wedding, and since Sam was in charge of the seating arrangements she’d also make sure to put Lucky Rodriguez at their table. That way Nate could get to know Lucky better.

Emily’s lips tugged up in a sly smile. “I think it’s a great idea that you two sit together.”

“Don’t get any ideas, Emily.” Sam shook her head. “I better get going. Is there anything else you can think of that you need between now and the wedding?”

“I just need to pick up my boots. Other than that, I think I’m good. How did Brady do today?”

“Great. I have a good feeling about the guy. At first I thought he might be standoffish, but this morning he jumped right into the conversation. Seems like Nate likes him too.”

“Good,” Emily said. “I’d invite him to hang out with the Baker’s Dozen, but we’re all women. I don’t know if it would be weird for him.”

The Baker’s Dozen was a local cooking club and Nugget’s unofficial chuck wagon. Community potlucks, celebrations, funerals—you name it, they cooked for it. They also traded as much gossip as they did recipes when they met at the Lumber Baron kitchen for their monthly meetings.

Sam had sat in once or twice for that reason. That and the fact that they fed her.

“I get the feeling that if Brady felt weird about it, he would tell you. He seems pretty straightforward.”

“Should I invite him to the wedding?” Emily asked. “I know he hardly knows me, and Clay not at all, but I feel like everyone in town has been invited and that we’d be excluding him.”

“How about you just let him know that he’s welcome and leave it up to him?”

“That sounds good,” Emily said. “I’ll say something to him about it tomorrow during the breakfast service at the Lumber Baron. He’s meeting Rhys there to get the keys to the duplex.”

“Great. Then I’ll see you tomorrow and we can go over any last-minute details you think of tonight.”

“Thanks, Sam. I really don’t know how I would’ve done this without you.”

Sam gave Emily an air kiss on each cheek—a habit she couldn’t seem to break, even in Nugget—and went home. She didn’t see Nate’s car, but he usually parked it in the garage. Promising herself that she wouldn’t check every few minutes to see if he was home, she went into her house and scrounged through the pantry for something for dinner. Canned soup would have to suffice.

She made herself a bowl and ate in front of the TV. Midway through some reality show she couldn’t get into, the phone rang. She picked up, half expecting it to be her father.

“Did you hear about Tracy?” It was Lisa, her new Breyer Hotel best friend. “She just walked out. Didn’t even give Nate notice.”

“Nate told me,” Sam said. “What do you think happened?”

“Rumor is that he broke off the engagement and she was devastated.”

Everything sounded so much more intense in a Southern accent, Sam thought. “Yeah, I don’t think they were engaged, Lisa. According to Nate, they weren’t even seeing each other.” For some moronic reason she believed him.

“Do you think it has anything to do with that man she was slobbering all over from the Simpson Hotel Group? The one who looked as if he wanted to lick whipped cream off her boobs.”

Sam couldn’t help herself and laughed. “I don’t know. I’m sort of out of the loop here in Nugget.”

“Well, it’s all anyone here is talking about,” Lisa said. “Supposedly, Nate had Security escort her out of the Theodore.”

Ouch. That seemed rather harsh. Sam supposed it might be the appropriate move for someone who had been fired and might act out vengefully. But Tracy had quit. Why make a scene in front of all your other employees? It would make Nate look weak. But maybe Lisa was wrong.

“He didn’t say anything to me about calling Security,” Sam said. “Only that she quit without giving notice.”

“Are you planning to go for the job?”

Sam hadn’t even considered the idea. But given Nate’s reaction to her helping him pick up some of Tracy’s work, she didn’t think the position was on the table. At least not for her. “I hadn’t thought of it,” she told Lisa. “Are you?”

“I’m too new.” Lisa was only slightly newer than Sam. And the Belvedere was much larger than the Lumber Baron. “You were so good at the bridal expo and you’re so refined that I bet you can talk your way into the job if you want. Plus you’d be a much nicer boss than Tracy.”

“I’ve never been a boss in my life,” Sam said, leaving out the part that this was her first job, period. “What about Randall? He’s been with the company a long time.”

“I don’t think he wants the responsibility. The job requires a lot of OT. As sweet as your little inn is, don’t you want to come to the city? I would think it’s lonely there being a single woman.”

Sam loved the Lumber Baron, but being the event planner for the entire Breyer operation . . . It seemed like a dream job. She shook her head. When the heck had she become so ambitious? “Don’t you think Nate will bring someone in from the outside?”

“Maybe, but why not start lobbying for the position?” Lisa said. “You don’t know until you try. He likes you, right?”

Sam was pretty sure he liked kissing her. But as far as the job, she had no idea. Half the time he treated her like she was the world’s biggest flake. “Mm-hmm,” was all she said.

“Then throw your hat into the ring,” Lisa insisted.

“I don’t know, Lisa. I like it here and I have a lot of plans for the Lumber Baron.” Which she couldn’t even get Nate to sign off on. “Are you sure you don’t want to go for it?”

“Positive,” she said. “Call me tomorrow and tell me what you decide.”

Sam said she would, knowing full well that no matter what she decided, Nate wouldn’t give her the job. He’d made it clear that he thought she was a dabbler, and he’d want someone he considered “serious.” And experienced. Someone like Tracy.

“Well, look how well that worked out for you,” she muttered to herself while taking her soup bowl to the sink.

Unable to help herself, she peeked outside the window, looking for signs of life at Nate’s house. All his blinds were closed, so she couldn’t tell whether he was home. And she had no plans to ever go over there again. Not after the last time, when he told her that he was attracted to her physically.

In his lame way, he’d tried to make up for it by giving her the royal treatment at the Theodore. But the hurtful words still stung. They reminded her too much of Royce’s.

 

The next morning Sam arrived at the Lumber Baron to find Emily and Brady in the kitchen. For a guy who wasn’t supposed to start until next week, he’d become a permanent fixture at the inn.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “Coffee ready?”

Brady poured her a mug. “Will you bring one to Nate?”

“He’s here already?” Typically he went over to the Ponderosa first.

“Yep,” Emily said. “And he’s not a happy camper. Apparently, that employee you told me about yesterday left everything in a shambles.”

“Uh-oh.” Sam grabbed the other mug and started to carry it to Nate’s office.

“Hold on a sec,” Brady said, and handed her a plate with a slice of coffee cake. “You better bring him this too.”

Sam managed to juggle both cups of coffee and the cake and used her foot to knock on Nate’s door. “I come bearing gifts.”

He opened up and took one of the mugs from her. “Thanks.”

She put the plate on his desk and took a seat, uninvited. “Heard Tracy left you in a pickle.”

“That’s an understatement. All her files on upcoming events are a joke—no status updates, no nothing. I don’t know what she’s been doing the past few months, but I’d like to wring her goddamned neck.”

“Did you really have Security throw her out of the building?”

“No, of course not. Only an idiot would do that.”

“That’s the rumor,” she said.

He cocked his eyebrows. “Since when are you in the pipeline? I threatened to have her escorted out. It was a joke. But she probably told some of the employees I really did it.”

“Why did she leave in such a huff?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know, I can only speculate.”

“Speculate away.”

“She didn’t want to do the bridal expo—thought it was beneath her. She was having problems with the organizer of the city’s annual opera gala. I’ll grant you the woman is high maintenance, but that’s Tracy’s frigging job. Nabbing this event is huge for the Theodore—lots of San Francisco’s movers and shakers attend this thing. To make matters worse, Tracy was fighting with the Theodore’s chef about the gala’s menu.” Nate let out a sigh. “And I guess I wasn’t fanning her ego enough.”

“In other words, you weren’t paying enough personal attention to her?”

He threw his arms up. “I told you before, Sam, there was nothing going on between us.”

“But she would’ve liked there to have been?”