Stray (7 page)

“What business?” she asked.

“I’ll speak to him about it when he gets back. When will that be, by the way?”

“I don’t think I should say. If you still want to know where Erin went, she said she was craving Starbucks. She’s probably at the resort.”

Now I had a dilemma. I wanted nothing more than to join her for coffee, but if Ashleigh was awake, there’d be too great a chance that she would see us and make a big deal of it. This was turning out to be an extremely frustrating day. I needed that couple of hours of skiing to release the adrenaline I was building up. Fuck it, I’d go to Papa’s and get a cup of good, plain American coffee there.

Megan had stomped all over my last nerve this morning, so I took a rare coffee break, telling her I was craving Starbucks. I didn
’t really want to go all the way to the resort for a cup of coffee, though, so I went to Papa’s instead, hoping to clear my head before returning to give her a lunch break. My morning cereal had left me hungry, so while I was at it, I ordered the green chili burrito that Jon had recommended yesterday evening.

Why hadn’t I accepted his invitation? I was sure it meant nothing, just an impulse. But, with Megan’s and Doc’s warnings ringing in my ears, I’d been too afraid to be seen with him in public. It wasn’t worth ruining everything I was working for here, just to spend a few minutes with a man with whom I had no chance of a relationship. Even if I wanted one, which I didn’t, I hastened to add to my thoughts. That, of course, was a lie. I was lonely, and a man’s company would be wonderful, if only a shallow physical relationship to chase away the memories of Greg.

I really needed to get a grip, and sitting here moping wasn’t going to accomplish that. When my burrito came, I attacked the heavenly goodness with a ferocious appetite. I was shoveling in a big forkful when Jon walked through the door at the same time I realized I had a mouthful of food that was way too hot. For a moment, my life passed before my eyes as I agonized over whether to continue to burn my mouth, or let the food drop out and endure the worst humiliation ever. I settled for partially closing my mouth and panting, hoping to cool the food before it slipped unchewed down my throat and choked me to death, a fate I was devoutly hoping for.

When the pain subsided, I chewed and swallowed, vowing not to touch the rest of my meal as long as Jon was in the room. Which appeared was going to be a while, as he signaled Papa and sat down uninvited at my table.

“Hi,” he said, a sardonic grin on his face.

“Hi,” I returned, wishing I could pull a Harry Potter and disapparate back to the clinic. Too bad I had no floo powder, or for that matter, no fireplace.

“So, your receptionist is Chuck Simmons’ daughter,” he said, apropos of nothing. I nodded, my mouth still clamped firmly shut after its near-death experience. “I’ve been trying to reach him. She says he’s somewhere in the Yucatan, playing archaeologist?”

I wouldn’t have given him that information, but since Megan had, I thought it was okay to confirm it. I nodded again.

“Cat got your tongue?” he inquired, in the same tone of voice. That made me laugh, but since my mouth was still clamped shut, it came out as a snort. Jon’s beautiful smile broke out. “Glad I could get some reaction out of you.”

I reached for my glass of water, certain that coffee would finish the job that the burrito had started, and took a cooling sip.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t expect that burrito to be so hot.”

“How long have you been here? All green chili burritos in Colorado are pretty spicy, and most are served straight out of the ovens of hell. You have to wait at least twenty minutes to eat them.”

“Now you tell me,” I muttered.

“Megan wouldn’t tell me when her parents would be back. I don’t suppose you would?” he asked, after chuckling at my discomfort.

“Why?” I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question. He was asking for semi-confidential information; surely he would be willing to explain why he wanted it.

His face darkened. “Business,” he bit off, as if I’d asked him an impertinent question.

“I’m sorry, but if Megan wouldn’t say, then I’m not sure I should, either. I’ll talk to her, see what she thinks, but that’s the best I can do.”

“Just tell me if we’re talking days, weeks or months,” he pleaded.

“Months,” I conceded.

“Damn, that’s too long. Okay, thanks. Hey, Megan said you were craving Starbucks, what are you doing over here?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I was hungry and I remembered you’d said the green chili burrito was good here.”

“Oh. Can I bring you a Starbucks this evening when I come back to see Max?”

“I don’t drink coffee in the evening. Keeps me awake,” I said, somewhat ungraciously.

“Okay, sorry. Have I done something to offend you and Megan?” he asked, catching me off-guard.

“No! Well, not me, anyway. You contributed to Megan’s bad mood on Friday because she was late getting off work, and she holds a grudge, let me warn you.”

“Whew, I thought I was going to have to make it up to both of you. What will it take for her? Candy? Flowers?” He was joking, I thought, but the idea of a man of his age, which I guessed to be in his mid-thirties, even mock-flirting with a nineteen-year-old made me sick.

“I’m sure I have no idea,” I answered, my tone frosty. His look of surprise and hurt stabbed me in the heart, but I couldn’t explain what had set me off without giving him the wrong idea. Or the right idea at the wrong time. What the hell was wrong with me? It seemed I had no control of my emotions around this man, and it was beginning to piss me off.

“We close at five today,” I said, “and I have plans afterward. I won’t be able to meet you late. If you want to see Max, it will have to be during business hours.”

Jon looked at his watch, gave a start, and stood up. “Darn, I’m afraid I have appointments all afternoon. I guess I’ll have to catch him tomorrow.” He threw down a $20 and left, making me wonder if he’d meant to pay for my breakfast or whether he always tipped more than four-hundred percent. I asked Papa for a to-go box, my appetite spoiled. When I tried to pay, he pointed at the twenty and said it was taken care of. I couldn’t read his expression, but now I wondered if the rumor would start that I was fraternizing with the enemy. This was getting worse and worse.

I had been gone far longer than I intended when I got back to the clinic, and there were a couple of walk-ins waiting, a cat for immunizations and a dog with a torn ear from a fight. I told Megan she could go to lunch and took the cat first, since the dog’s stitches would take longer. Before she left, Megan followed me back to Cat A and hissed at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a date with him?” she demanded. What? What date? With whom? I was completely lost.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s all over town that you had lunch with Jon Miles,” she accused.

“Whoa, I just went over there for a late breakfast, and he showed up. I didn’t have a date with him,” I felt defensive, though I didn’t know why I should.

“So why did he pay for it?”

“Are you telling me that the gossip mill in this town knows all about my morning less than five minutes after it happened?” I asked, indignant and more than a little astounded.

“I told you not to get involved with resort people. I’ll be surprised if some of our regulars don’t start going to Boulder,” she snapped, turning on her heel and leaving with one parting shot. “I’m going to tell my dad.”

Oh, great. First some guy forces his way into my life without my permission, and now the boss’s daughter is going to tattle. Could it get any worse? Oh, yeah, it could. Because the random guy forcing his way into my life was also forcing his way into my every waking thought, hot bod and all.

Angry and frustrated, I jabbed the poor kitty with a little more force than necessary, getting scratched for my efforts, but at least she would be safe from any hazards of disease for another year. I reminded her owner that if she wasn’t going to be an indoor cat, she should probably be spayed soon, since hazards of love and lust couldn’t be vaccinated for. Much to my own distress.

I didn
’t know Mrs. Padgett well, since she was older than my mother but still not of my grandmother’s circle. She had lived in Sunshine for as long as I remembered, but was still considered by some to be a come-here. That she was wealthy made it worse, and that she had a cattery, whatever that was, made her a butt of the jokes among my set when we were in our teens. To my shame, I’d been the originator of some of the more outrageous jokes and rumors about ‘the cat-lady’. I was barely accepted myself, since I was here only during the summers, but my grandfather’s standing in the community made the other parents force their kids to be friendly.

Now I devoutly hoped that Mrs. Padgett had been unaware of my part in it, if not unaware of the jokes altogether. She was my next appointment, and she had enough shares to make it imperative that I win her over, or without Doc McGraw’s cooperation my takeover bid was dead.

“Come in, young man, come in. I hope you like cats,” was Mrs. Padgett’s greeting at the door of her elegant home high on the south-facing slope of the upper canyon. Frankly, I was a little surprised that she answered the door herself. Maybe it was the butler’s day off. When she ushered me into her library, however, I began to wonder if she could keep help at all. Everywhere I looked were cats. There must have been fifty of them, all Siamese or that kind with the squashed face, lying or sitting on every flat surface, even high on the bookshelves.

“Wow,” I said involuntarily. Fortunately, she took it as a compliment.

“Yes, indeed, they are impressive, aren’t they?” she said, a proud smile beaming from her wrinkled face. “Come, dear, I have tea waiting in the drawing room.”

I followed her into a room not far from the library, where a silver tea service and two delicate china cups and saucers sat on a small round table. Mrs. Padgett indicated I should sit on one side of the table, and I concealed my impulse to check for cat hair before I sat. When she was settled, with a cat on the back of her chair and one in her lap that she petted absently, she poured a cup of tea that I didn’t want but would drink anyway.

“Now, young man, what can I do for you?”

I knew better than to launch straight into my proposal. Now that I was inside her house, I realized that all of our jokes and rumors were inaccurate…because they weren’t wild enough. If I wanted to charm this old dear, I’d have to ask about the cats.

“I’ll be glad to get into that soon, Mrs. Padgett, but first tell me about your cats. I can see that some are Siamese, and what breed are the dark gray ones?”

“Persians, my dear. The noblest of the cat breeds. And the darker brown ones with Siamese-like markings are Burmese. I’m afraid the kitties you see here are not show-quality, so I’m unable to sell them, but I love them all, so they have a home here until they pass over the Rainbow Bridge.”

“That’s admirable, Mrs. Padgett. But, don’t they multiply rapidly?”

“Oh, no, silly. I have them neutered as soon as I can see they won’t be show quality. And some go to homes that just want a beautiful cat, not to show. But, I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss my cats, though you are sweet to ask. Please tell me your business. As you can see, I’m quite busy. And call me Mrs. P, all the young people do.”

The sudden change from dotty old cat lady to shrewd businesswoman left my head spinning. If I could charm her as thoroughly as she’d just charmed me, we’d be great friends.

“Mrs. P it is, then,” I said, flashing the smile that never failed to get a response. Her response was to raise one delicate eyebrow, as if to say, get on with it.

“May I ask how you feel about the more recent developments at the Sunshine Resort?” I began. There was no point in going on if she thought they were great. I couldn’t be sure, as I could with the old families. To a man, woman and child, the old families were up in arms about the latest hotel. But Mrs. P, though she’d lived here for forty years or more, was a different breed. I had no idea whether she valued the ecology of the canyon or not. Maybe not, considering she must have a ton of cat litter to dump every month. I held my breath as I waited for her answer.

“I have mixed feelings,” she said finally.

“Mixed feelings?” I said, encouraging her to elaborate.

“Well, on the one hand, it will increase my quarterly dividend nicely,” she explained. “But, on the other, they’re all rather ugly, aren’t they? And I know the townspeople are angry about it. Why do you ask?”

“I’ll tell you. You knew my grandfather, didn’t you?” Seeing her nod, I went on. “Well, you may or may not know, but I own about thirty percent of the shares of Miles-McGraw Enterprises. It’s afforded me a very nice lifestyle, but at the same time, it’s destroying a bit of nature that I love.”

“Do tell,” she said. “I knew you were a Miles from Sunshine, but I didn’t know you were raised here. I don’t remember you.”

“I was here in the summers, visiting my grandparents, until I was about sixteen. After that, not so much. But I have fond memories of this area, even of the resort as they first developed it. The newer phases of construction are ill-conceived, though, and will end up destroying the canyon and the value of the shares of the company, if the current management isn’t reined in.”

There, my cards were on the table. I waited for her response.

“I agree with you. But, I too have too few shares to make a major difference. What would you have me do?”

“Mrs. P, many of the people in this town don’t trust me because my father was involved in the deception that led to this state of affairs. But, if you will trust me to do the right thing, I’d like your proxy for your shares. If I can gather enough, I’ll force a takeover for CEO and Chairman of the Board, and I’ll put a stop to the next hotel they’re planning.”

“I think you’ll have an uphill battle, young man.”

“I know I will. But, something tells me that with you on my side, I won’t lose it. What do you say, Mrs. P? Will you help me save the canyon?”

“I’d be a fool not to, wouldn’t I? The worst you can do is fail, and things will stay the same as they are now, which will happen anyway if you don’t try. Yes, dear, I’ll support you, on one condition.”

Elated at her answer, I recklessly agreed. “Anything. What is it?”

“I’d like an apology for all those nasty rumors you started, Jon.”

Stricken, I stared at her. “You said you didn’t remember me.”

“And your father said there would only ever be one hotel for the resort. Which is the worse lie?”

“Mrs. P, you’ve got me there. And I do, sincerely, apologize for anything my friends and I did that hurt you back then. I can only plead the folly of youth.”

“Jon, I may be old and dotty, but I have eyes in my head. You were thinking earlier today that the rumors and jokes were all true. But, I am well aware of my responsibilities toward these animals, and I think you’ll agree that I’m not your run-of-the-mill crazy cat lady. Your apology is accepted. I’ll have my attorney draw up the proxy papers tomorrow. Will that be soon enough?”

Completely chastised and feeling terrible, I nodded. “Mrs. P, may I come and visit again? Socially, I mean?”

“Certainly, dear. I hope you will. As long as you don’t bring that dreadful Ashleigh Egren with you. I can’t abide her father, and she’s a little minx. I’d recommend you find a nicer girl for your affections. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

I genuinely wanted to see more of the redoubtable Mrs. P. She had outgunned me on every level, was even aware of gossip that usually would be above the notice of the townspeople. Happy to have her on my side, I practically skipped down the front entrance stairs to my car. With her cooperation, I now needed only Dr. Simmons or Dr. McGraw’s bloc of shares, one or the other, to secure the success of my bid.

Doc McGraw had made his position clear. I needed to know how to reach Dr. Simmons. If he wasn’t returning for months, I couldn’t wait that long. But for now I had to scoot for the resort and my afternoon ski date with Ashleigh.

~*~

I was five minutes late. Just five minutes, but Ashleigh was already gone. Her note in lipstick on the bathroom mirror spoke volumes, despite its terse message:
find me
. This time, I knew I
’d have to locate her on the slopes or face the consequences. I quickly changed into my ski gear and walked awkwardly to the ski in-ski out area. I clamped into my skis and pushed off to cruise by the bottoms of each run, hoping to spot Ashleigh coming down before she got any madder. I might as well not have bothered; when I found her half an hour later, flushed from her first run, she was already in high dudgeon and not in the mood for my apology.

“I’m sorry, Babe. I got hung up at my last appointment, but I’m here now. Let’s just have some fun.”

“What
was
your last appointment, Jon, going to see that mangy dog again?”

“No, of course not. You knew I had business to attend to on this trip. Why are you acting this way?”

“I wish I’d killed that dog when I hit it. Or run it over again before you went all white-knight on me. What is the attraction, Jon? I can’t believe you’d choose to spend time with a dog instead of with me. Or is it the veterinarian?”

I froze. Who had told her about Erin? But that wasn’t the worst of it. She wished she’d killed the dog? Or finished him off? I knew she was cold, but that took the blue ribbon for hard-hearted bitch of the year.

“I can’t believe you just said that to me.”

“What, that you might be attracted to the pretty vet? You don’t fool me, Jon. I know you cheat every chance you get, but this is low. You’ve spent hardly any time with me since we got here, and you’re visiting that stupid dog and buying the vet lunch instead.”

That was the first time I realized that the Sunshine rumor mill had an outlet among the resort employees. I had to think fast.

“I just happened to run into Dr. Timms at Papa’s when I went in for coffee. I thought it would be polite to buy her lunch. What difference does it make? I’m with you, not with her. And I resent your accusation that I cheat, especially after finding you snuggled up to that ski instructor last year.”

“Don’t change the subject. Are you or are you not attracted to the vet? Don’t lie to me.”

“I think this conversation is over. I’ll see you when you’re rational. Text me.” I skied off, seeing red. Because I was indeed attracted to the vet, my only defense was a good offense. I went back to the suite and packed my bags, then called the front desk.

“Have you seen Ms. Egren?” I asked.

“Yes, Mr. Miles. She’s at the spa. She booked a ninety-minute Swedish massage and a facial. Would you like me to have a phone brought to her?”

“No, don’t bother. Do you have any extra rooms?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Book me into one and send a bellhop to move my luggage, will you? Ms. Egren will be staying here.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Don’t be.”

I was willing to bet that Ashleigh would be livid over my doing the same thing to her that she’d done to me, but I didn’t care. I was done, even though it would mean a scramble to get the rest of the proxy votes that I needed. The first thing I’d need to do was reach Simmons, and it couldn’t wait. As soon as the bellhop arrived, I took the key to the new room that he gave me, tipped him and left him to move the luggage I indicated. I needed to get to the clinic before closing time.