Love's Paradise (7 page)

“I see. Well, speaking with your uncle is certainly an idea. I'm sure he'll be able to mediate a resolution. But before you turn to such drastic measures, perhaps you'd allow me to possibly mediate a solution. Have you spoken to Jordan since this happened?”

“No, not really,” she said.

“Sometimes a nice quiet conversation is all that's needed in situations like this. I'll call and speak with him.”

“I doubt you'll get very far, Mamma Lou. Jordan Hamilton is the most, annoying, stubborn, insolent man I've ever met. He's a total jerk.”

“Is that so?” Louise said with added interest, trying her best not to appear as pleased as she was. To some without an ear for what was really going on, the conversation sounded hopeless. But she
knew better. Her plan was working out even better than she'd hoped.

“Well, aside from all that, I'll call and see what I can do. I'd like to also suggest that you contact him,” she added. Sheri began shaking her head. “Just one phone call, Sheri. It's asking so little to gain so much.”

Sheri finally nodded in agreement. “Okay, I'll do it. Thank you, Mamma Lou. Still, I wouldn't get your hopes up. But of course I appreciate whatever you can do.”

“Well, I'd better get out of here and get busy. We both have a lot of work to do. And if we could have some kind of solution by the sesquicentennial celebration, that would be wonderful.” She stood. Sheri walked her to the door. “Please keep me posted on your progress.”

“I will. Thanks again, Mamma Lou. I'll talk to you soon.”

Louise turned in the doorway. “Remember, we aren't always who we seem to others. Look below the surface and see the man I know is there. Call him. Talk to him. You'll work this out.”

Sheri nodded but knew there was no way she and Jordan Hamilton would ever be able to come to an understanding.

 

Jordan finally caught up with his brother Julian. He needed to vent and Julian was the perfect person
to listen. He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, what's up?” Julian said.

“It's been one of those days. How are Dena and Dillon?”

“Fine, Dillon's getting bigger and bigger every minute. I swear he's amazing. He begs to go to work with me every day and his eyes light up as soon as we pull into the lot. You know he wants his own desk at the office.”

Jordan laughed. It was the best thing he'd heard all day. “Yeah, now that's what I'm talking 'bout. Sounds like we already have the next generation of Hamilton Development ready to go.”

“Yeah, well, I'm doing my part.”

“All right, don't get all Mamma Lou on me.”

It was Julian's turn to laugh. “Well, it took her long enough.”

“What do you mean?” Jordan asked.

“You know she's had her sights on you and Darius ever since she found out I had two single brothers.”

“Nah, I've been blocking her for the past five months.”

“She's good, man. Trust me. If it wasn't for Mamma Lou I would have never met Dena. She changed my life and I realized that everything I thought I wanted wasn't what I needed. I've never been happier.”

“And I'm happy for you, man, but that's not me. I'm not the family kind of guy, you know that.”

“Yeah, but I remember saying the exact same thing. So, how's everything going there?” Julian asked.

“The deadline is going to be tight, but we'll meet it.”

“Excellent.”

“Now if I can just get rid of the distractions,” he added.

“What kind of distractions?” Julian asked. “Now you know that's never going to happen.”

“I can dream. It seems every other day I get a phone call from a member of the board of supervisors. Today I spent all morning and most of the afternoon listening to a couple of whiny politicians trying to alter my plans and then asking for handouts. Seriously, to hear them talk, you'd think it was their project.”

Julian laughed. “Come on, it couldn't have been that bad.”

“Trust me, it was worse. You know the drill, supervisors, board of directors, city hall politicians. They all want something for nothing. Today it was concessions and payoffs in exchange for smoothing the way with utilities, regulators and inspectors.”

“Yep, that sounds about right,” Julian said, chuckling. “So, what did these guys want?”

“You name it, they wanted it. Personal suites in
the resort, lifetime spa memberships, preferential treatment on-site, the works. Oh, wait, and my personal favorite, I've been asked if a few of my workers could stop by one of their homes and renovate their kitchen.”

Julian laughed again. “Free of charge, I assume.”

“Oh, you know that,” Jordan said, joining his brother's laughter.

“You know it's pretty much expected. We get these requests all the time. There are always one or two politicians in every city we've done business who want to make a side deal or get some kind of kickback. It's the nature of the business. I hope you were polite when you turned them down.”

“Actually, no, I wasn't in the mood to play nice.”

“Okay, what exactly did you do?” he asked.

“I told them what I thought. Perhaps I was a bit abrupt.”

“What does ‘a bit abrupt' mean?”

“I excused myself and walked out to take care of an urgent situation on-site. It's an old dodge, but it always works.”

“You know you have to do something about that. We need these people to get the job finished. You've played the game long enough to know that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll take care of it later,” he said drily. “That reminds me, a woman came by the site this afternoon…” Jordan began.

Julian started chuckling immediately. He knew
his brother too well. When it came to women he was the ultimate player.

“Believe me, it's not one of those stories. To tell you the truth, I'm really not sure what to make of her. My gut feeling tells me she's trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her name is Sheri Summers. She's from the local museum and she seems to think there might be some historical artifacts in a hole on the secondary site.”

“How does she know that?”

“That's what I was wondering. Apparently someone on-site told her.”

“So you dug them up?” Julian asked.

“No, we cleared debris and overgrown foliage last week then it rained a few days and eroded one of the holes at the secondary site. I had it drained and it looks like planks of wood began showing up, along with an old medicine bottle.”

“It doesn't sound like much.”

“I agree. It could be anything. But just in case, I'm gonna put a call into Kenneth and stop by an antique shop in town. The last thing we need is more legal delays.”

“Good idea.”

“So, how's it going in D.C.? Any word yet?”

“No word yet. But it's looking really good. We made it through to the final two cut. I think we have a really good shot at getting this bid. It's a
major contract and along with the Crescent Island project, it could very well set us up nicely for the future. The bid and proposal were right on target and the architectural renderings you did were exactly what they were looking for. I think we just might have this one.”

“Excellent,” Jordan said happily. He needed to hear some good news after the day he had. It wasn't that the company was doing badly or anything. But having the next project set up and waiting was always good business. With the economy still sluggish and the housing and commercial construction markets stalled, getting new projects was becoming more and more difficult.

He knew what the market had done to a lot of companies their size. Some were bankrupt and others were working on a shoestring with less than half their staff. Hamilton Development had been blessed. Their business had increased and they'd been steadily working and even hiring more workers. “That's really great news.”

“All right, I gotta go. Duty calls.”

“All right, man. Thanks, talk to you later.”

Jordan hung up feeling a lot better. He was ready to take on the world again. That included Nolan, the board of supervisors and, especially, Sheri Summers.

J
ordan went back to work after his brother's phone call. After a few hours of work he got up, grabbed a bottle of water from the office refrigerator and carried it to his desk. He sat down, opened it and took a long sip while thinking about his earlier altercation with Sheri Summers. He smiled. She was a lot different than he remembered. He reached over and turned on his computer as he began dialing the phone. A few seconds later Kenneth Fields answered. “Kenneth, it's Jordan.”

“Hey buddy, what's up? How are you? Where are you now?”

“I'm doing okay. I'm at the Crescent Island property.”

“How's the project coming?”

“Good. We've made amazing progress since you were last here. We should be finishing up soon.”

“Any more problems with the locals?” he asked.

“No, nothing too major, nothing we can't handle on-site.”

“Good, so what can I do for you?” Kenneth asked.

“I'm not sure if this is anything or not, but I wanted to keep you in the loop and I wanted your thoughts.”

“Sure, what's happening?” Kenneth asked.

“I just had a visit from a woman who works at the local museum. She was very upset and she seems to think that there may be some artifacts of historical significance at our secondary site. We're just about to get started in that area in couple of weeks, and with our tight schedule I can't afford any delays.”

“What makes her think there are artifacts on the site?”

“Some bush was cleared and a hole was dug earlier. We had a few days of hard rain and we came across some wooden planks and what looks like an old medicine bottle and a ship's bell.”

“Not exactly a smoking gun, but curious nonetheless. When the land was purchased a thorough title search was performed. Due diligence came up blank. We can only depend on the available rec
ords from local officials. The previous building and land maps showed no unusual certifications. At this point I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's not a legal issue. I will however make some inquiries on this end. I have a few friends in the Library for Research in African Culture. But do me a favor, keep track of everything you find and pull out of there. Write down specifics, time, date, location, who found them, et cetera.”

“Will do. Anything else?”

“Yeah, keep a close eye on the site for a while, maybe beef up security the next few days. If people think there's something of value out there, you might run into some trouble with the locals and those looking to cash in. Treasure hunting is always a draw for some.”

“Yeah, I already have security on it.”

“Good. Let me know if you have any other problems.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“What time are you getting in this evening?”

“Not until late. I have a few things to take care of before I leave, and Darius asked me to pick up some documents from Louise Gates.”

Kenneth started laughing. “That's pretty brave of you.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. The woman has matchmaking on the mind twenty-four-seven.”

“Didn't she already try to set you up a while ago?”

Jordan chuckled. “Yeah, but it didn't work out. We weren't exactly compatible at the time. Coincidently, she's the woman I told you about from the museum.”

“Interesting coincidence. Are you sure this isn't one of Louise Gates's matchmaking schemes?”

“Nah, not this time. She doesn't know anything about what's going on here at the site. And besides, Sheri Summer was just as adamant about staying single as I am. That's about the only thing we can actually agree upon.”

“Still…”

“Yeah, I know,” Jordan agreed. “I'm watching my back. I'll talk to you when I get there this evening.” Jordan closed his cell and took another sip of water. He saw the business card he had tossed on his desk earlier. He picked it up and read the raised lettering. He started typing in the web address but then stopped when his cell phone rang. He expected more drama. “Yeah,” he said gruffly.

“You got a minute? I'm on the main floor,” Ian said.

“On my way,” Jordan said. He grabbed the floor plans and went to the primary site. He ran into Ian and Cleveland talking on the main floor. The first thing he noticed was the faint smell of smoke.

“Everything okay in here?” Jordan asked, grimacing.

“Yeah, no problems now. We have a new generator and some oil spilled on the coils. It started smoking. Everything's under control now, but this shouldn't have happened. The coils were clean when the unit was installed two weeks ago.”

“Are we having problems again?” Jordan asked.

“I'm not sure,” Ian said.

“I'll up security and increase the foot patrol just in case,” Cleveland said. “If there's a problem, my guys will find it and take care of it.”

Jordan nodded and took a deep breath. “I guess it's going to be one of those days.”

“Oh, yeah, looks like it,” Ian added.

Jordan looked around with his usual critical eye. When it came to his work, everything had to be perfect. But now that this was a Hamilton Development Corporation–owned project he had to step up his game and take it beyond just perfection. The future of the company—everything—was riding on this. Hamilton Resort Complex had to be magnificent.

Everything seemed to be close to schedule. The drywall was up, the windows and doors were in, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems were all installed and operational. The flooring specialists were preparing to put in stone and hardwoods. He was pleased with what he saw. “It's definitely look
ing good in here. Minus any more drama, we just might pull this off.”

Ian nodded. “I agree. This is by far the most ambitious project to date and we're knocking it out of the ballpark. It's going to be awesome.” They discussed a few technical details then headed back outside. “So, I heard you made yourself a new friend today. Not bad,” Ian said, smiling broadly, obviously trying hard not to laugh.

“You heard that, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, I think everybody in the company did,” Ian said, giving in to his suppressed chuckle.

“Everybody?” Jordan questioned, turning to him.

“Well, maybe not everybody. There are a couple of workers off today. But I think someone sent them a cell phone video.”

“There's a video?” Jordan asked, surprised. He stopped walking then saw Ian laughing. “Damn, that's the last thing I need.”

“Man, you know with the internet and YouTube, everything we do goes public. So what was all the drama about?”

Jordan shook his head. “I don't know. Some woman, Sheri Summers, she works at the local museum and for some reason she seems to think there's something in that hole worth preserving.”

“Is there?”

“I don't know and the last thing I need right now
are last-minute surprises. I guess I'm gonna have to look into it, or…”

“Or what?” Ian asked then quickly answered. “No, don't tell me, let me guess. Or you'll just pour on the charm like you always do and have her eating out of your hand in no time.”

“I wouldn't put it that directly, but, yeah, something along those lines. I can handle women. That's what I do.”

Ian shook his head. “One of these days you're going to run into a woman you can't manipulate and charm. And she's going to capture your heart before you even know it. You're gonna be head over heels in love.”

Jordan laughed heartily. He knew there was no way he'd allow that to happen. He would never allow himself to fall in love. There had been other women in his life who had tried. They all tried and they all failed. There was no way it was going to happen. He guarded his heart too closely and no woman was ever going to get to him.

“Okay, you laugh now, but mark my words, one of these days it'll happen. Love will happen.”

“Trust me. That will never happen. You know I don't do the love thing. I leave that to Julian and Darius. Not me, never me.”

Ian shook his head. “You know better than that, never say never.”

“Never,” Jordan said defiantly.

“Now you're just tempting fate. But all right, you got that. In the meantime, I need to check on some supplies I ordered for the rest of the week. I'll be off-site the rest of the day. You headed back to the main office?”

“Nah, I'm gonna hang around here for the next few hours.”

“All right, I'll catch up with you tomorrow.”

“All right, I'll see you later,” Jordan said as his cell rang. He pulled it out and answered. “Jordan Hamilton.”

“Jordan, this is Nolan Chambers. I'm glad I caught you before you left for the day. I was wondering if you could stop by my office this evening. I think we need to talk.”

He didn't have to ask what this was about—he knew. But he wasn't in the mood to deal with Nolan at the moment. “I have another appointment this evening, Nolan.”

“I understand, but this is important. I believe our discussion this morning ended awkwardly to say the least. Neither one of us should be taking a hit for this. Now I'm going to help you all I can, but you need to meet me halfway. I'm sure a few very minor concessions aren't completely out of the question. After all we both want the same thing, for Hamilton Resort Complex to be a success. The board would like you to know that we have the utmost respect for you and your company. We'd like
nothing better than to have this Hamilton Development project completed with few to no unscheduled delays. And of course we'd love to have more projects here on Crescent Island.”

The veiled threat wasn't so veiled. “What do you propose?”

“If you could stop by my office we could talk privately. I'd like to explain our position in more detail.”

“Fine, I'll meet you tomorrow.”

“Uh, perhaps we can make it sooner, possibly this evening,” Nolan suggested.

Jordan stalled on purpose then finally agreed to meet him.

“Excellent, that will be fine. I had a meeting in Richmond today and I'm headed back to the island now. Can we make it let's say, six-thirty?”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Excellent, I'll meet you around six-thirty this evening.”

“Fine,” Jordan confirmed then hung up. He went back to the trailer office, sat down and opened his laptop. He took a deep breath and dived back in.

As an architect, his job was basically done. But as general contractor, he was responsible for building and seeing the project through to completion. He worked the rest of the day thankfully in nearly uninterrupted peace. He followed up on requests and orders, reviewed the budget, status and tech
nical reports and completed a number of tasks he had put off all last week. It was time to get back to work.

 

Sheri stared at the computer monitor for the next hour and a half. There were figures she had to identify and a report she needed to write, but it was no use. All she kept thinking about was seeing Jordan again. Her heart was still beating fast.

Genie was right. He was gorgeous. But he was also impossible. His absolute refusal to listen to her request was infuriating. It was like he intentionally dismissed her. She shook her head to try and refocus on the job at hand. She read the screen then revised a few paragraphs. A few seconds later she deleted what she'd written and revised it again. Just as she finished her thought her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID then picked up quickly. “Sheri Summers.”

“Sheri, hi, it's Jack.”

“Hi, Jack, thanks for getting back to me.”

“No problem. Look, I know what you're gonna ask me. I received all three of your requisitions. But I'm sorry I can't give you any more money than I already have. The building is falling down around you and it's only getting worse. The budget is extremely tight this year and we're struggling to make ends meet over here. Unfortunately, donations aren't what they used to be.”

“No, Jack, that's not what I need to talk to you about. I need you to contact legal with a formal request. We might have a situation here.”

“What's the problem?” he asked. She spent the next five minutes telling him in detail about the photos and what had happened at the work site. “What's the name of this construction company?”

“It's called Hamilton Development.”

There was a brief pause. “Wait, do you mean Hamilton Development out of Northern Virginia?”

“Yes, I think so. Do you know of them?”

“Yes, of course I do. They're very good friends of the museum here in D.C. They are very generous in giving to the museum's program sponsorship.”

“I'm guessing that changes things,” she said, already disappointed and knowing exactly where this conversation was going.

“No, not necessarily,” Jack said. “I'm sure we can work all this out amicably without contacting legal.”

“I already tried,” she said. “He won't listen to me.”

“Perhaps I should speak to Darius. He's my main contact.”

“But he's not the brother doing the work, it's Jordan.”

“Oh, then, I'm sure there must be some mistake. I've met Jordan. He's extremely generous with his time and talent both personally and professionally.”

“Jack, it's not about giving money right now, it's about finding the historical remains of a ship on his property, a very important ship, one that defined this island.”

“Yes, yes, I understand that. But perhaps we can find a better solution than bringing this up to legal. I suggest we take our time with this.”

Sheri rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She expected Jack to drag his feet. She just didn't expect him to completely wimp out on her. “We may not have time, Jack. They could bulldoze the area and cover that hole up any day now, if it hasn't already been done. We would have lost a major historical find in the process.”

“I'm sure that won't happen. Jordan is very sensitive to the museum,” he insisted. “I don't know if you remember this but we had a situation like this a few years back and—”