Stealing Home (12 page)

T
he din was unbelievable. Maddie closed the door to the kitchen, where she’d set up a temporary office space for herself now that the Hartley place was officially theirs. Thanks to more of Helen’s wizardry, the phone had been installed by nine this morning and all the contractors were on the job doing demolition work. Why she’d thought she would get anything done in the chaos was beyond her. The sound of sledgehammers was giving her a headache.

“You got a minute?” Mitch asked, opening the door cautiously.

“Sure. Come on in. How do you stand the noise?” she asked him, rubbing her temples.

He grinned. “I’m usually making some of it myself, so I hardly notice. For you, I’d recommend earplugs, or working at home till we get the rest of the demolition done.”

“When will that be?”

“Next week. Then we’ll be sawing and hammering all day.”

“You’re not wasting any time, are you?”

“According to Helen, we don’t have any to waste.” He eyed her hopefully. “Just how firm is that deadline? Any wiggle room?”

She grinned. “If you’re expecting me to give you a reprieve, think again. I report to Helen, too, and believe me, once her mind’s set on something, that’s the way it’s going to be.”

He laughed. “I figured as much. I guess it was just wishful thinking.”

Maddie sobered. “Even so, we don’t want you cutting any corners on quality just to meet the deadline, Mitch.”

He gave her a wounded look. “I don’t cut corners, not ever. What would that do to my reputation? We’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done and get it done right. My wife will kill me if I don’t. She wants to sign up the minute you’re ready to start taking memberships.”

“Tell her she can come by next week,” Maddie said eagerly. “The sooner we can let people in here so they can start the buzz on what’s happening, the better.”

Mitch held up his hands. “Whoa! Not a good idea. This is still a construction zone, Maddie.”

“Which is why I’m going to direct people around the outside of the house to that door right there,” she soothed. “I noticed you’re stacking your materials on the other side. They’ll never step into the area where you’re working or get near the stockpile of materials. I won’t even let them peek into the main part of the house unless you give me an okay.”

He was still frowning, but he finally nodded. “I suppose that would be all right. I just don’t want any accidents on this site, especially not involving people who don’t need to be here.”

Maddie nodded. “I understand, but I’m on that same timetable you’re on. Not only does the construction have to be completed by June, but I have to hire employees and sign people up for memberships. Otherwise all we’ll have is a beautiful, empty and very costly building.”

“Fair enough,” he agreed, then grinned at her. “You know, Maddie, you all think Helen is the tough one, but you’re not half-bad at negotiating yourself.”

“Thank you,” she said, allowing herself to bask in the unexpected praise for a skill she’d forgotten she possessed. “Now I’d better get back to this pile of catalogs on fitness equipment and spa treatments. I am in way over my head.”

“You know, you could ask Dexter. That gym may be a rundown disgrace, but the equipment’s first-rate.”

“Yes, I’m sure Dexter would be pleased as punch to help out the competition,” Maddie replied. “He’s already scowling at me every time I go in to use the treadmill. I’m surprised he hasn’t banned me from the premises. I’ll be glad to get at least one piece of equipment up and running in here so I don’t have to face him first thing in the morning.”

“Are you still paying your dues over there?” Mitch inquired wryly.

Maddie nodded.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” He rose and headed for the door, then turned back with a wink. “And as long as you’re there, don’t ask Dexter anything, just jot down the manufacturer of the equipment.”

“You have a very sneaky mind, Mitch. I like that.”

After he’d gone, she regarded the stack of catalogs with renewed dismay and came to a quick decision. She wasn’t quite ready to risk Dexter’s wrath by taking notes in his gym, but there were some fancy spas over in Charleston she could visit. Maybe Dana Sue could take a break and go with her.

Unfortunately, Dana Sue wasn’t at the restaurant and she wasn’t picking up on her cell phone. Helen was undoubtedly in court. Which left who? Surely there was someone who
wouldn’t mind going to a couple of spas on the pretense of looking into a membership. The only person who came to mind was her mother. She’d been full of surprises lately, so maybe she’d accept Maddie’s impromptu invitation. Before Maddie could change her mind, she picked up the phone and dialed.

“What?” her mother said abruptly, a sure sign she was caught up with a new painting.

“Mom, it’s me,” Maddie said, her enthusiasm waning. Her mother hated being interrupted when she was working. Maddie could remember a hundred times as a child when she’d been scolded for daring to intrude. The sting of it had stayed with her.

“Oh, Maddie, hello. How are you? And what on earth is that awful noise?”

Maddie debated for an instant, then decided she might as well ask, since she’d already dragged her mother away from her painting. “We’re in the throes of demolition at the spa, which is exactly why I’m calling you. I need an excuse to get out of here. I’m going to run over to Charleston. I thought you might want to come along.”

“Really?” her mother said, sounding shocked and perhaps even a little pleased by the invitation.

“If you’re too busy with your painting, I understand,” Maddie told her, ready to be rebuffed.

“Frankly, I can use a break,” her mother said, surprising her. “The fine details are getting harder and harder on my eyes. What’s on the agenda in Charleston?”

“I want to check out the competition, see what the spas offer over there.”

“Sounds like fun,” her mother said. “Why don’t I call Chez Bella and see if they can fit us in for facials. My treat.”

Maddie shook her head. “Mother, you are a constant source of amazement to me.”

“Because I offered to treat you to a facial?”

“No, because you’ve heard of Chez Bella. It’s the most exclusive spa in Charleston. I’ve read about it in magazines, but I’ve never even set foot inside and until the other day I thought you thought places like spas were a waste of money.”

“True enough but whose paintings do you think hang in the lobby?” her mother said with a hint of pride. “Bella says they provide just the right note of local color and serenity.”

Maddie knew that there were businesses and private homes all over the world in which her mother’s paintings hung. She’d long since lost track of all of them.

“You’re kidding me,” she said. “That’s wonderful. I can hardly wait to see them. I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

“Make it a half hour. I’ve been working, remember? I have to get the paint off and change into something presentable, if I’m walking into Bella’s. I do have an image to maintain.”

Maddie laughed. “Yes, I know how much you care about your avant-garde image. Try not to choose anything too outrageous.”

As she hung up, she tried to recall the last time she and her mother had done anything together just for the fun of it. She couldn’t. Well, maybe it was time to start.

Chez Bella was everything Maddie knew she didn’t want The Corner Spa to be. It was too pretentious, too elegant, too exclusive. She knew it the moment she stepped into the lobby with its pink-marble floors, flocked wallpaper and expensive antique furnishings. Her mother’s paintings, a collection of botanical prints, all signed and numbered, were some that
Maddie herself owned. Here, however, they had been framed in ostentatious gold-leaf frames that overpowered the delicacy of her mother’s work. She bit back a groan when she saw them, then glanced at her mother, who looked a little shell-shocked as well. Obviously she’d never seen them on display, either.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” her mother muttered. “Framed like that they could be hung in a brothel.”

Maddie had to bite back a laugh as they were joined by a perfectly dressed, perfectly made-up, perfectly coiffed woman who beamed at her mother.

“I am so honored that you have finally taken me up on my invitation,” Bella Jansen said. “And what do you think of your artwork? It is perfect for this room, is it not? Our clients comment on the beauty of the paintings all the time. I send them straight over to the gallery that handles your work.”

Maddie noticed her mother’s hesitation and wondered if she would thank her or cut the woman to ribbons for her tastelessness.

“I’m always pleased to see my works being enjoyed, and if that translates into sales, all the better,” Paula said at last. “Bella, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Madelyn.”

“Ah, Madelyn, I see the resemblance. You have your mother’s flawless skin. I promise it will glow when you leave here today.”

“Thank you for fitting us in,” Maddie said politely, though she could hardly wait to get out of the place.

Bella hurried them into the back of the spa, which was just as tasteless as the lobby, though crowded with women willing to pay its very high prices. Still, as they were whisked into treatment rooms that smelled faintly of lavender, gowned in
soft pink robes that bore the spa’s insignia, she sensed that she was about to be pampered in an extraordinary way.

The beauty technician who gently massaged and exfoliated and creamed her face was a magician. Maddie nearly fell asleep under her ministrations, though she desperately wanted to make mental notes on everything from the products to the techniques.

“Tell me about these products,” she asked.

“They are the top of the line,” Jeanette assured her in a soft South Carolina drawl. Her dark hair was cut pixie short, which emphasized her creamy complexion and huge brown eyes. “I studied for a few months in Paris and worked in other places, and I’ve never found any better. Bella insists on quality. That’s the only reason I came here.”

Maddie thought she heard a faint hint of dissatisfaction in the woman’s voice and wondered if she would be even remotely interested in making a change. Poaching employees at Bella’s spa while getting a facial struck her as especially bad manners, though.

“Do you have a card, Jeanette?”

“Of course.”

“Would you mind putting your home number on it? I’d like to discuss something with you, but I’m afraid now’s not the time.”

The young woman gave her a puzzled look, but shrugged and jotted down the number.

“I’ll be in touch,” Maddie promised, giving her a generous tip, even though her mother was paying the bill. She wanted Jeanette to remember her when she called.

Back in the lobby, her mother signed the credit-card receipt for an exorbitant amount of money, then gave Bella a dutiful peck on the cheek.

“Thank you so much,” she told her. “It was very gracious of you to take us at the last minute.”

“I hope you’ll come again,” Bella said. “I would love to brag that the incredible Paula Vreeland is one of my regulars.”

“I’m sure I’ll be back,” Paula replied, then tucked her arm through Maddie’s and hurried her outside.

As soon as they reached the sidewalk, Paula shuddered. “I certainly hope you girls have better taste than that woman. Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to rip my paintings off the wall and walk out with them?”

Maddie grinned. “I’m actually a little surprised that you didn’t.”

“I didn’t want to embarrass you, or Bella, for that matter. She’s a nice woman, just a little misguided in the taste department.”

“She does seem to have a very loyal clientele, though. The place was bustling.”

“Did you discover anything that might be helpful?”

“How not to decorate,” Maddie said at once. “And an excellent technician who might be interested in making a change. I have her card in my purse.”

Her mother grinned. “You impress me.”

Maddie basked in her approval. “You’re the second person today to say something like that to me.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I guess I am. I’ve spent so long being a wife and mother, I wasn’t sure I’d ever had any real business sense. I’m discovering that I do remember a few things from that expensive education you and Dad paid for.”

“Didn’t I tell you that one of these days you’d start seeing all the good things to come out of this divorce?” her mother
said, regarding her with delight. “You’re finding yourself again, Maddie. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Maddie thought about that, then asked, “You never lost yourself when you were married to Dad, did you?”

“Never. He wouldn’t have allowed it.” A nostalgic smile curved her lips. “Then, again, neither would I.”

Maddie wished she’d been that wise during her own marriage, or perhaps that Bill had been a different man. Maybe it wasn’t too late to make up for that.

Cal picked up the phone to call Maddie Townsend, then hesitated. For several days now he’d been telling himself he needed to speak to her again about Ty, but a part of him knew that his desire to see her was about something else entirely. He put the phone back in its cradle and nervously drummed his fingers on his desk.

There were plenty of women out there who weren’t mothers of teenage kids. There were more than enough females his own age who came without baggage or complications. And probably even in Serenity, there were a handful that wouldn’t get his principal’s knickers twisted into a knot. But not one of them made him hunt for an excuse to see them again.

He rolled his eyes at his uncharacteristic loss of confidence. He
had
an excuse to see Maddie again. The perfect excuse, one so innocent that no one would see through it, least of all Maddie herself. He was a coach worried about a member of his team. She was the kid’s mother. That gave them plenty to talk about. And he already had plenty of indications that she valued his viewpoint when it came to Ty.

So what if she was miles out of his league financially or older than him by ten years or so? It wasn’t as if he planned
to ask her to marry him. It wasn’t even a real date. He was going to suggest coffee. He was planning to talk about Ty, compare notes on how he was getting along. What could be more innocent and uncompromising than that? He was friendly with other parents, had even had dinner in some of their homes.