A Dangerous Inheritance. Leona Karr
Читать онлайн книгу.
was astounded to find kooky Willard’s niece to be a petite, shapely young woman whose steady blue eyes regarded her with clear assessment.
Marci quipped in a light, not-so-amused way, “So Josh played the hero and waded through rain, wind and lightning to save you.”
Stacy nodded, thinking that it didn’t take a psychic to know that Marci Tanner wasn’t pleased about her having spent the night at Josh Spencer’s house. There was jealousy sparking every word. Impulsively Stacy gave Josh a smile that could mean anything. “Yes, he was very hospitable.”
“Oh, Josh doesn’t pay any attention to what people think, do you, handsome?” Marci came back with deadly aim. “He was one of the few townspeople who didn’t go around talking about your uncle’s stupidity when he had a heart attack carrying a huge hunk of marble up the hillside all by himself.”
Stacy knew that her uncle had died of a heart attack, but the lawyer hadn’t elaborated. What else didn’t she know?
Josh gave Marci a silencing look as he urged Stacy back in the truck.
“I’ll see you later, Josh, won’t I?” Marci queried in a suggestive tone.
“Don’t know,” he answered shortly. Marci was still standing there, watching as they pulled away from the curb. Damn, he silently swore. Women!
He saw Stacy swallow hard as if trying to get control of her emotions. Marci’s remarks about her uncle had hit home. No telling what she was going to have to face when he delivered her to that abominable hotel. Josh had sworn he never wanted to lay eyes on the place, and he had purposefully avoided it after Sheriff Mosley had concluded his halfhearted investigation into Glenda’s death and Malo Renquist’s disappearance.
“Time for a midmorning coffee,” he said as much for himself as for her. Without waiting for her nod of agreement, he pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant at the western edge of Timberlane named Alice’s Pantry.
“I’ll wait for you,” she said with a determined lift of her chin.
“Is that what you plan to do? Hide out and run scared?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Then you’d better figure it out,” he said flatly. “Unless you forge your own path and reputation, you’re going to be stuck with your uncle Willard’s. Is that what you want?”
“I don’t care what other people think or say about me.”
“Maybe you should,” he answered flatly, wondering why in the world he was bothering to try and steer her into making her own impression on the town. Just because she’d plowed into his bridge didn’t mean that he had any responsibility toward her. He’d never been one to stick his nose in other people’s affairs, and what happened to Stacy Ashford and her blasted inheritance was none of his business. “Have you ever lived in a small town?”
“No, I was born and raised in Garden Grove, a suburb of L.A. After I graduated from Stanford with a business degree, I took a job in a California marketing firm.” She gave her dark head a toss. “And that’s where I’ll be heading back as soon as I fulfill Uncle Willard’s will and claim my inheritance.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” he agreed, “but small towns can be vicious sometimes when it comes to outsiders. Why don’t you let me introduce you around? Might make your stay more pleasant. Better to let everyone have a look at you before the grapevine gets hold of the news that you’re in Timberlane.” Without waiting for her answer, he got out of the pickup, walked around to her side and opened the door.
Stacy hesitated, then straightening her shoulders, she gave him a wry smile. “All right. Lead me to the slaughter.”
Chapter Three
Alice’s Pantry was a mom-and-pop café crowded with town folks laughing, chatting and sitting, both in booths and at scattered tables in the middle of the floor. Nearly every eye in the place seemed to swing in the direction of the open door and its tinkling cowbell when Josh and Stacy entered.
The hum of conversation perceptibly lowered, and some man audibly swore. “I’ll be damned. Spencer’s got himself a new woman.”
Heat flared in Stacy’s cheeks. She shot a quick look at Josh. Was that why he’d brought her here? To show off the woman who’d spent the night at his house? She fought the impulse to turn on her heel and march out the door.
Josh must have read her thoughts because he put a firm hand on her arm and eased her into the first empty booth. She sat there stiffly, wondering why on earth she’d let him parade her around like this. Josh’s new woman, indeed. Never in her life had she felt so uncomfortably on display.
Almost immediately a tiny woman in her forties, who had been standing behind the cashier’s counter, came bustling over to them. Wisps of graying sandy hair framed a freckled face, and her eyes twinkled with a friendliness that matched her wide-tooth smile.
“Josh, what a nice surprise. What are you doing in town? Someone said you really got a pounding from the storm up your way. Is Gramps all right?” Her bright brown eyes darted to Stacy. “Who’s this pretty lady?”
Josh gave a deep chuckle and with obvious gentle amusement sorted out her barrage of questions. “Yes, Alice, Gramps is fine. Ornery as ever. The storm hit us hard, the river’s running high, and our bridge is nearly out. And this pretty lady is Stacy Ashford. She got caught in the storm, nearly lost her car in the river and spent the night at my place.”
“Land’s sake, sounds like it was a blessing that Josh was around.” Alice smiled at Stacy and held out her hand. “My husband, Ted, and I own this place, and we’re longtime friends with Josh and his grandpa.” Her eyes clouded slightly as she added, “And Glenda, too.”
“I’m glad to meet you,” Stacy replied, beginning to relax. Maybe Josh had been right about introducing her around. After all, she couldn’t very well hide herself away in an isolated empty hotel for any length of time.
“We stopped in for a cup of coffee before we head up the canyon to Stacy’s place,” Josh said casually.
Alice’s forehead puckered. “Oh, what place is that?”
Stacy replied quickly before Josh could answer, “My uncle left me some property, a small hotel. I understand it’s a few miles up Devil’s Canyon. The Haverly Hotel?”
Alice put a hand up to her cheek. “Oh my, oh my.” Her rounded eyes fixed on Stacy. “Are you…are you going to tear it down?”
“No, I’m going to see to its renovation.”
“But…but…” Alice stammered. “Josh, haven’t you told her about…about Glenda?”
“Yes, I’ve told her. Unfortunately, Stacy can’t claim her inheritance until she completes the renovations that her uncle started.”
An impatient customer standing at the cashier’s counter called out, “Alice, are you going to take our money or what?”
“Yes, yes.” Throwing Stacy a bewildered look, Alice hurried away.
“Alice and Ted invested a lot of their time and love in Glenda,” Josh explained grimly. “When she ran away from home at sixteen, they gave her a waitress job and let her stay with them in their apartment upstairs. As it turned out, they weren’t able to handle her any better than Gramps and I.” A deep hurt was in his eyes.
“At least she had people who loved her and tried to help,” Stacy offered.
“A lot of good it did. Glenda went her own way, finally ending up living at the Haverly Hotel. I’ve tried to tell Alice and Ted that what happened wasn’t their fault, but they feel that they failed her.” His mouth hardened. “Just the way Gramps and I failed her.”
“It sounds to me as if she made her own bed,” Stacy replied. “Sometimes