“When is Aiden getting in?” Alec asked Cordie. “Did he say?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him.”
“You didn’t call Aiden?” Regan looked dumbfounded.
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t call any of your brothers.”
Alec was frowning at her, and Cordie understood why. Whenever there was anything going on, good or bad, Cordie always insisted on including Aiden. Had her foolish crush been that transparent? Apparently so, she thought.
She decided to turn their attention. “Are you hungry? There’s all sorts of food in the refrigerator.”
“I could eat,” Alec replied.
“Me, too,” Jack said as he dried the last pan and set it on the counter.
Cordie went to the refrigerator and started bringing out covered dishes, but Alec took them from her and turned her toward the living room. “We’ll take care of this. Why don’t you three go sit down and talk?”
Grateful for the suggestion, Cordie headed to the sofa, dropped down in the center, and put her feet up on the ottoman. Sophie sat on her right and linked her arm in Cordie’s, and Regan sat on her left with her arm around Cordie’s shoulder. The three friends couldn’t be more different—acquaintances usually categorized Sophie as the uninhibited one, Regan as the sensitive one, and Cordie as the scholarly and practical one—yet when they were together, they were an unshakable unit.
“Tell me something happy,” Cordie said. “How was Bermuda, Sophie?”
For the next few minutes, Sophie gave her friends a very romantic account of white-sand beaches and warm tropical nights with Jack, listening to the sound of the surf under a starlit sky. When it was her turn, Regan told them all about London. She and Alec had been involved in projects to help at-risk youth in Chicago for a couple of years and were attending a conference in England with representatives from several European countries with similar goals. Her excitement was obvious as she talked about the success of the conference and the new ideas that were shared.
No matter how hard Cordie tried to keep the subjects light and upbeat, the conversation eventually turned to her father.
“Do you realize how remarkable he was?” Sophie asked. “When you were a baby, he was a mechanic, and when he died, he had just sold Kane Automotive for millions of dollars.”
“From one little shop to more than twelve hundred across the country,” Regan added. “Your dad was amazing.”
“Yes, he was.”
“Did he know you were with him?” Regan asked. Tears were already flooding her eyes. “In the hospital . . . did he know?”
“Yes, he knew. We talked for a little while, and then he drifted off and was gone. It was very peaceful.”
“What did you talk about?” Regan asked.
Cordie didn’t want to cry, and so she made light of the question. “He told me where all the bodies were buried.”
Regan wasn’t amused. “That’s not funny.”
“Yes, it is,” Sophie said, smiling. “Your dad was such a stickler for the rules. I’ll bet he never got so much as a speeding ticket in all the years I knew him.”
“That’s true,” Cordie agreed.
“So no surprises?”
Cordie paused and took a breath before answering. “Just one.”
THREE
Aiden Hamilton Madison didn’t suffer fools easily, and after spending twenty minutes with Lester Chambers, he had had enough, but his brother Spencer had dragged him into this deal and was really pushing it. For that reason Aiden held his patience as long as he could.
Lester Chambers and his cousin, Congressman Mitchell Ray Chambers, had inherited Rock Point, a pristine piece of Oregon land overlooking the ocean, and after lengthy negotiations had agreed to sell the property to the Hamilton Hotel chain for quite a tidy sum. Aiden and his brothers planned to build another one of their exclusive resorts on the site.
There was another property available about 250 miles south of Rock Point, and Aiden much preferred that area of coastline. As CEO of Hamilton Hotels, he made most business decisions, but he’d agreed to let his brother, a partner in the company, make the choice this time. Both Lester and his cousin had verbally agreed to all the terms. Aiden had the papers drawn up, and as far as he was concerned, the deal was done.
The hotel was going to be a godsend to the economically depressed area, and perhaps that was why Spencer had pushed so hard. Word had already spread that the acclaimed five-star hotel was going to be built near the small, struggling community of Fallsborough, and men and women desperate for work were once again hopeful about the future. Spencer wanted to expand, and this property was slated to become an all-inclusive resort, a luxurious retreat where the stressed-out could go to decompress.
The brothers flew to Fallsborough in one of the company jets. The tiny airfield was in dire need of resurfacing, but Aiden would let Spencer deal with that issue once construction was under way.
A car was waiting for them. It was cold and windy and damp, but neither brother wore a topcoat. On the way to Lester’s office, Spencer suggested a bet. Aiden hadn’t met Lester or his cousin, but Spencer had. He told Aiden exactly how Lester would introduce his cousin. Aiden took the bet, certain his brother was exaggerating.
When the brothers walked into the lobby of the building where Lester had offices, they were all but ambushed by the local news. A reporter, microphone in hand, and a cameraman a few feet behind chased Aiden to the elevators.
The reporter was a young woman named Kalie. “Is it true?” she asked, stretching her arm so that the microphone was close to Aiden’s face.
“Is what true?” he asked.
“You’re Aiden Hamilton Madison, aren’t you? And standing next to you is Spencer Madison.”
Aiden smiled. “Yes, that’s true.”
She was very nervous. The microphone was shaking. “No, I mean is it true that the Hamilton Hotel is coming here? That you’re going to build on Rock Point?”
“That’s the plan.”
Smiling, she said, “Oh, that’s wonderful news. When will you start building? Do you have a target date?”
“No date yet. We’ve agreed to terms and we’re here to get the papers signed. Spencer has the timetable. You should talk to him.” He glanced to his left, where his brother had been standing.
“He already went up in the elevator,” Kalie explained.
Aiden laughed. Spencer hated doing interviews almost as much as Aiden did. He would have taken off if he’d had the chance and left Spencer to field questions, but he wasn’t fast enough this time.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .”
“Just one more question, please. How did you find out about Rock Point? This is such a remote area,” she explained.
“Mayor Green,” he answered. “She waged a relentless campaign to get Spencer to come look.”
Kalie thanked him, motioned to the cameraman to stop filming, and then followed Aiden to the elevator. “Will you be staying in town tonight?” she asked.
His answer was abrupt. “No.”
“I could take you out for a drink . . .” Her voice was wistful.
He smiled to soften the rejection, then said, “No, thank you.” The elevator doors closed before she could ask another question.
The meeting was set for four o’clock. They were fifteen minutes early—Aiden couldn’t abide being late for anything—but apparently the Chamberses had a more relaxed notion of meeting schedules.