STOOD. A look of anger crossed his face. Bella was prepared for anything he wanted to throw at her. She hadn’t flown all the way out here to be rolled over by her dad and Travis Granger. This was the biggest and most lucrative deal she’d ever put together. There were eight inns across the country involved in this sale, and TransGlobal intended to add five more in the near future. She had the paperwork for the first seven signed by the owners and ready to go. Her father’s signature was all that stood between her and the final sale. It meant everything to her—not only the promotion, but it also affected her credibility in the eyes of high-end clients. Then there was the commission. It was enough to move her into a penthouse on the Golden Mile in Chicago, something she had worked hard to achieve. Something her mom would have been proud of and something her dad obviously did not completely appreciate...yet.
She was sure he’d come around once she had time to show him all this deal would mean both financially and emotionally to both of them.
She’d have to educate him on the finer elements of business, something her dad had never been very good at.
“Now maybe we can get these papers signed.”
She deliberately sat down across from him on one of the well-worn leather club chairs, and straightened out the documents he needed to approve, then she pulled out her Princess Grace De Monaco Mont Blanc pen. It was a pricey present to herself for putting this deal together.
The scent of pine from the blue spruce tree mixed with the aroma of the logs burning in the hearth exploded a memory that stopped her cold.
She couldn’t have been more than four or five years old. It was Christmas morning and she, her mom and dad had walked into their living quarters up on the third floor to open presents. It was the year she’d gotten her first grown-up doll, one all dressed up in a black business suit, high heels and carrying a briefcase. She remembered how disappointed she’d been when she opened the box and how excited her mom seemed to be about the doll. Bella had wanted a grown-up doll dressed like a cowgirl, with tiny cowgirl boots, a cowgirl hat, carrying a lariat. She’d specifically asked Santa for that doll, and had cried for days over not getting it.
That was the Christmas she’d stopped believing in Santa.
“I’m not going to sign anything I haven’t read first.”
Her father used his stern, unwavering voice, but it didn’t scare Bella. When she was a kid, that voice had always struck a chord of fear inside her and she’d instantly relent to his demands.
But she wasn’t a kid anymore.
“Don’t be silly. I have your best interest in mind.”
“That’s your mama talking.”
“She was right. You should have sold the inn years ago. It’s been nothing but a money drain. Because of this deal, you’re getting more than market value. You stand to make a very nice profit.”
She placed her pen down in front of him. The tiny pink topaz stone on the clip caught the light from the fireplace and she thought about what a good purchase that pen had been, that she’d deserved to have something this pretty after all the long hours and hard work she’d put in. At least she’d learned perseverance from him, and for that she would always be grateful.
“That may be true, but it’s my offer to read before I sign.”
Agitation clawed at Bella’s stomach as a clock tick-ticked in the background, a truly annoying sound. “I don’t have time for this, Dad. We need to be on our way out of here in less than two hours.”
“And who’s going to run my inn when I go running off to Orlando?”
“Tampa.”
“Whatever.”
“You should have closed it weeks ago like I asked you to.”
“I couldn’t. I have guests booked who are looking forward to their stay.”
“That’s not your problem.”
Her dad shook his head. “It’s Christmas, Bella. I can’t do that.”
“Surely there’s someone on your staff who can take charge.”
“Wouldn’t be fair to my employees. What you’re asking me to do is impossible. I can leave for one or two nights, but not like this. Not for good. And not a week before Christmas. They all have their own families to attend to. They can’t be doing my job as well as their own.”
She rose and began pacing the wooden floor, each step echoing throughout the lobby. She walked over to the baby grand piano in the corner, then back again. There had to be a solution to this dilemma. She refused to stay in this town one more minute than she had to. Already she could feel her resolve waning, especially after her encounter with Travis. His very presence had tugged on her heart.
The front door opened and a young couple walked in, smiling and nodding their greeting as they headed up the stairway at the back of the lobby, the old wooden stairs creaking as they climbed.
Bella waited to reply to her dad until the guests were far enough away. Then she said, “Pay them time and a half for a couple days.”
“I won’t be solving this by throwing money around. Besides, what’s the hurry? I might be able to get someone to take charge in a couple days at their normal pay once that person prepares for it, but not today. And didn’t you tell me this would be a smooth transition and my guests would never know the difference? Throwing them out only days before Christmas isn’t exactly a ‘smooth transition.’”
She’d been having some emotional trouble with that aspect, as well. TransGlobal had decided to gut each inn in order to give them their own unique look. That would require shutting down Dream Weaver Inn during the renovations, something she wasn’t exactly ready to spring on her dad just yet. She had envisioned never telling him the details of the sale, figuring once he was settled in his fabulous new condo, enjoying the warm weather and the sandy beaches he’d never think about this silly inn again.
She was counting on it.
“Dad, this wouldn’t be a problem if you had cancelled all the reservations and told your guests the truth. TransGlobal is a customer-satisfaction company, meaning the customer always comes first. They pride themselves with five-star service and ambiance.” She hoped her logic and calmer disposition would have the effect she needed.
“Well, then, taking their lead, there’s no rush to boot everyone out of here and make them uncomfortable.” He picked up the paperwork. “I’ll just take these here documents up to my room and start reading. We can meet tonight at Belly Up for a steak and I’ll hand over the signed docs. But first we should apologize to Travis. He put a lot of work into this place. TransGlobal’s getting a nice piece of property.”
She wasn’t liking any of this, especially the part about kowtowing to Travis Granger. She didn’t want to see him again, much less tell him she was sorry for anything.
“If you want to apologize, go right ahead. I still contend this is none of his business. And as far as my staying, that’s out of the question.”
“You can go on ahead and leave if you want to. But you’ll be leaving without me or this deal.”
She watched as he walked
