Chapter Nine
Arnie checked his watch. This day couldn’t drag any slower.
He was anxious to take ownership and get into the café.
His new menus were already being printed.
He would take great delight in throwing away Goldie’s menus, which hadn’t been changed in years.
He wanted to change everything about the place, as per the plan, he reminded himself.
Everything going on at the café would be top secret until his grand opening. Both his and Malcolm’s idea was to surprise the residents of Dry Gulch. He just had to make sure that no one saw what the crime boss was up to. Arnie couldn’t wait to get started—and neither could his wealthy benefactor.
As he walked over to the café, he saw the closed sign on the door, the for-sale sign gone from the window. Goldie had closed early, he’d been told, so she could clean out whatever personal things she had before they signed the papers.
Standing under the Goldie’s sign, all he could think about was getting it down and putting up his own sign. He’d ordered it in Billings. It should be arriving tomorrow.
Tomorrow, once the Goldie’s sign was gone, she would be gone too. He needed her gone and her former boyfriend the sheriff none the wiser about what was planned. That wasn’t his job though. He’d leave that to Malcolm and Donovan, if Donovan hadn’t disregarded Arnie’s warning and taken off.
Fortunately, the little red sports car was still parked outside the hotel. Maybe Donovan Cole was smarter than he looked.
Now all Arnie had to do was secure the purchase of the café and start his renovations.
His benefactor was sending a crew to help him make the café exactly like he wanted it inside and out.
Goldie’s was his ticket to what he really wanted.
In the meantime, he ignored the disapproval he saw on the faces of the residents.
Everything would go as planned—once he signed those papers and made Goldie’s his.
Glancing at his watch, he felt his pulse quicken in anticipation as he headed toward the hotel. It wouldn’t be long now. He’d overheard talk around town from some of the residents who were betting on Goldie backing out of the deal at the last minute.
He couldn’t let that happen. Too much was riding on this.
Including his life.
GOLDIE PULLED DOWN the blinds at the café and checked to make sure the front door was locked one last time.
By tonight, her café would no longer be hers.
The thought tore her up almost as much as losing Max had done.
But with Max, she’d been so sure she could get him back.
Once she signed the papers, the café would be gone for good.
She no longer held out hope that Max would stop this, that things would go back to the way they’d been, that she would wake up tomorrow in Dry Gulch and never have to leave. Except she didn’t want to go back to the way things had been, she reminded herself.
“I hope you don’t mind,” said a male voice behind her. “I came in the back door.”
She turned to see Donovan standing in the kitchen doorway, looking as anxious as she felt. “There is no reason for you to stay in Dry Gulch. It’s over.”
“It’s not over. When you sign the sale agreement tonight, you’ll be a rich woman,” he said, taking a step toward her. “Are you really ready to give up on your lawman?”
Goldie let out a snort. “He’s the one who gave up on me.
He’s made his feelings abundantly clear.
” She could see that Donovan didn’t want to believe it.
“I’m just going to get my things out of here because I won’t be coming back.
Arnie plans to occupy the café before the ink has dried on the contract. ”
“I’m sorry,” he said as he stepped to her. “I feel like I’ve let you down.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t. You played your part well.”
“Who said I was playing?” He grinned, mischief in his gaze.
Why couldn’t she fall for this man and let Max go?
She could keep the café, she could stay in Dry Gulch, she could— Was she really that big of a fool?
Donovan wouldn’t want to stay here and help her run the café.
Even if he would, she couldn’t bear seeing Max every day.
“I’ll pay you, but there is no reason for you to stay,” she said and moved past him deeper into the kitchen. Everywhere she looked, she saw the small touches she’d added to the café over the years. Was there anything here, though, that she wanted to take with her?
DONOVAN COULD SEE that she’d pinned all her hopes on Max stopping her from selling Goldie’s. The café was her line in the sand. It wasn’t too late. The sheriff could come riding in on his horse and stop her from signing the contract, he thought. But Donovan didn’t think that was going to happen.
What was wrong with Max Lander? Either the man didn’t love her or he was a stubborn jackass who didn’t realize what he was throwing away.
Without the café, Donovan could see that all of Goldie’s hope would be gone as well.
He was going to be without a job, not to mention it appeared Arnie and his boss were planning on the sale going through.
Whatever Malcolm had planned, this wasn’t over by a long shot, he realized. The thought sent a shudder through him.
“I’m staying. I’m not through with my job.”
Goldie looked up in surprise from where she stood in the kitchen. “It’s a waste of your time. Max doesn’t care what I do.”
“I care. Let me buy you dinner tonight at the hotel. Or if you want, we can drive to Billings and go dancing.” He felt a little guilty since he had a bad feeling about Arnie, the café and Malcolm.
It made him nervous having the cook here in town, but he didn’t have enough money yet to walk away.
At least that’s what he told himself. As he looked at Goldie, he knew money wasn’t the only reason he was staying.
She studied him. “Why do you care?”
He shrugged. “You deserve better.” That much was true. “Why don’t we try to have some fun while I’m here?”
Goldie looked anything but enthused about the idea.
“Who knows what could happen.”
She shook her head. “Why do I suspect that you’re more interested in all that money from the sale of my café?”
He clutched his chest over his heart. “You wound me.” Not that he hadn’t thought about helping her spend her windfall, but that was before Arnie showed up, before Malcolm had complicated things, before Donovan found himself wanting more from this woman.
“If you change your mind, I’ll be in my room keeping the champagne cold. ”
“Right now,” Goldie said as she picked up one of the café aprons with her name printed on it, “I just need to be alone to say goodbye one last time.”
MAX SAW THE closed sign and beyond it the light coming from the kitchen. He knew Goldie would be there. He recalled how she loved to go in early to work when it was quiet so she could start her day. Because of that, he assumed she would be alone.
Except when he came around the back through the alley, he saw Donovan Cole leaving and swore. For a moment, he hesitated. But what he had to say to Goldie couldn’t wait. He hung back until Donovan disappeared down the alley before he entered the café through the back door.
“Goldie!” he called out, not wanting to startle her.
He could hear no sound as he headed toward the kitchen and that worried him.
“Goldie?” Max knew that if she was here, she must have heard him and yet she still hadn’t answered.
A feeling of dread settled in his stomach.
He had no idea how Donovan and Malcolm Mandeville were involved, only that they were. If something had happened to Goldie—
As he came around the corner, he pulled up short. She was standing in the middle of the kitchen facing him. Her expression was one of hope and that alone broke his heart.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice strained.
“I need to talk to you.”
She nodded, looking both emotionally and physically exhausted. “Just tell me whatever it is.”
Who could blame her after all this time of him saying nothing to her at all? He’d handled this so badly and had no excuse. Just the sight of this woman made his heart ache. “Could we maybe sit down?”
Goldie shook her head, her blond ponytail wagging. She crossed her arms. “I’m fine right here for whatever you have to say.”
Max already felt off balance. He knew this conversation wasn’t going to go well. Given that she was already angry, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. “All right,” he conceded as he glanced around the kitchen. He saw that she’d been pulling down some of her personal things from this place she loved.
He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, knowing he was responsible for this.
Earlier, he’d seen hope. But it had been quickly dashed, as if she knew he hadn’t come to reconcile.
Now there was anger and more pain than he’d ever seen in her eyes.
He swore under his breath. The bad news he’d brought was only going to make this harder.
“I understand that a man by the name of Arnie Adams is buying the café.” She said nothing, waiting impatiently.
“Did he mention where he learned to cook?” Her eyes narrowed to slits.
“Prison. Recently he’s been working as a cook for Malcolm Mandeville, a known crime boss living outside of Laramie, Wyoming.
I suspect Arnie is being backed in his purchase of your café by Malcolm and I’m not sure why. ”
Her lips had drawn into a straight line. He noticed also that her right hand had dropped to the counter behind her, closing around the handle of an iron skillet.
He rushed on, afraid she wasn’t going to let him finish before she started swinging. “He isn’t the only one who’s associated with the crime family. Donovan Cole has been dating Lolly Mandeville, Malcolm’s daughter—that is, until he showed up in Dry Gulch.”
Her eyes widened for a moment, then quickly narrowed again. A flush had come to her cheeks. He could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest but had to tell her his greatest fear.
“For some reason, Malcolm has taken an interest in our town, and I fear Donovan is going to involve you,” Max said. “Whatever is going on, it could get dangerous.” He stopped and the room fell deathly quiet.
“That’s what you had to say to me after all of these months apart?” she asked in a whisper as she picked up the iron skillet. “After all this time of not being even able to look me in the eye, that’s what you just had to tell me today, of all days?” she demanded, her voice rising.
“Goldie,” he said, holding up his hands as she advanced toward him.
“Get out. Get out, Max. Now.”
He took a step back. “Goldie, I had to warn you. I’m not sure what they’re up to but I fear you’ll get caught in the middle.
Whatever is going on between you and Donovan Cole, at least help me stop Arnie from whatever he has planned.
Maybe Donovan isn’t part of it. But maybe he is. If you’re close to him maybe—”
“You want me to spy on my lover?”
He winced, the word was like an ice pick jabbed into his eye and straight into his brain.
Lover? He didn’t want to believe it had gone that far, but he’d seen the change in her.
If putting the café up for sale and Donovan was about making him regret breaking up with her, then it had worked.
He was miserable seeing her with another man let alone even considering that she might leave Dry Gulch and never come back.
“That’s all you have to say to me after five years together?” She flung the skillet at him. It ricocheted off the wall next to him before thumping to the floor.
He saw her looking around for another weapon. “Goldie—” Breathing hard, she’d picked up a huge metal bowl and winged it at him like a Frisbee.
If only he had stopped all of it before it had gone this far… But he hadn’t. He’d stubbornly held on to his determination that Goldie was better off without him. He’d driven Goldie into another man’s arms. Possibly a very dangerous man.
He ducked. The metal bowl clanged against the wall next to him before joining the skillet on the floor.
“I’m leaving,” he said, holding up his hands.
There was so much more he needed to say, but now wasn’t the time.
He’d never seen her like this, he thought as he quickly turned and rushed down the hallway to the back door.
He could hear her behind him throwing things, her rage turning to angry tears as he reached the back door.
As he opened it, he turned to look at her and felt his heart shatter.
She stood at the end of the hall as broken as he felt.
He loved her. She was the only woman he would ever love and all he’d done was hurt her.
For a moment, he couldn’t leave her like this.
He desperately wanted to go back, take her in his arms and promise her that everything was going to be all right now.
But he couldn’t do that for so many reasons, he told himself as he stepped out into the alley, closing the door behind him and bending over in pain as he tried to catch his breath.
How had he ever let her go? It was as if the bullet he’d taken months ago had rattled his brain and frozen his heart.
How could he have pushed her away for good?
He wanted Goldie back more than he wanted his next breath, but she no longer trusted him, no longer could stand the sight of him and he didn’t blame her.
He’d put her through hell and now she would never forgive him.