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Ty sat across from me and laid his paperwork on the table. “Mr. Nash, I’m here at my father’s behest.”
“I guessed as much,” my father grumbled. He glanced our way for the first time and slowly made his way to the table. “You should know, before you waste any more time or breathe, the hotel isn’t for sale.”
Leaning back in his seat, Ty smiled and laced his fingers together. “With all due respect, sir, everything is always for sale. Sometimes the owner simply doesn’t know it yet.” He winked and I wanted to straddle him. Right there. In front of my father. The confidence he exuded was intoxicating.
“Was there any respect in that remark? I say no sale. You argue.” He laid a hand over his chest and I honed in on the action. He’d been known to fake heart palpitations to end an uncomfortable situation on numerous occasions.
Ty’s brow furrowed and he glanced at me. I knew he worried over the heart condition too. “Mr. Nash, I’d ask you to at least hear me out. I’m just a son, trying to win his father’s approval.” He shrugged. “I’m sure you remember what that was like, trying to impress your father.”
Dad tugged on his chin and leaned back. “I do. It was a long time ago. I’m not sure my father was ever proud of me.”
“Oh, you had one ofthosedads.” He nodded knowingly. “Here’s the good news. You’re a grown man. You’ve lived a good life. You’ve built an amazing property here.” Ty leaned in. “Today, I had my first lobster roll ever in the restaurant. Amazing!”
“Yes, chef is incredibly talented.” He sighed and glanced at me.
I wasn’t sure where I stood on the potential sale of the hotel. Part of me feared the change, but mostly I thought about the freedom which would come if I didn’t have this job. Instead, I could chase my passions. Design could be my future. Vegas could be my past. I stared off in the distance as thoughts raced through my mind.
“This place is my legacy.” My father’s voice was weak. The color had drained from his face. A sweat had broken out over his lip and his forehead. I barely thought about it as I absently pulled a tissue from my purse.
“This place has become your prison.” Ty leaned toward my father. “Don’t you feel it? When was the last time you managed to get away, to truly take a day off, to enjoy the money you’ve earned?”
Dad dabbed at his forehead. “There’s more to life…”
Ty shook his head. “There should be nothing more to life than living.” He looked my way and smiled. “I plan to truly live.”
My heart fluttered and I could feel my face growing warm. I bit my cheek and looked away. The way Ty spoke. The way he looked at me. I couldn’t help but hope I might be involved in the life he imagined. This thrilled and terrified me.
13
Ty
“Iwon’t sell. This hotel is all I have left.” Mr. Nash crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Kate.
“You’re being ridiculous. You know better.” She sighed and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“I know you don’t want to give up this place. The hotel has been your life and your livelihood for over thirty years.” I reached into the file and pulled out the offer I’d carefully prepared. My habit had always been to start low, but this time, I had opted to begin closer to my max budget. If he was too upset, I didn’t want to draw out negotiations. If we were too far apart, I was prepared to walk away, despite my father’s orders. I slid the paper across the table top until it was directly in front of Mr. Nash. “Let me know what you think of those numbers.” I watched him glance at Kate and huff.
“It’s not just about me,” he grumbled.
With a nod, I hoped to reassure him. “We wouldn’t come in and shake up the staff, if that’s what worries you. Kate and the rest of your employees could keep their positions. There would be no layoffs.” I leaned back confidently.
“I don’t want this job,” Kate blurted out.
A vein popped out on Nash’s forehead. He spluttered. “What do you mean you don’t want this job? I’ve kept this place running for you. Everything I’ve done for the past fifteen years was all about you, so you would be taken care of, since you don’t have a husband! Hell, you’re not even dating.”
I frowned. Kate would’ve been a teenager. What the hell was he talking about?
She blew out a breath. “I know, but this was your dream, not mine. You never thought to ask what I want. And, for the record, I don’t need a man to take care of me.” Kate licked her lips and sucked in her bottom lip for a few seconds before speaking again. “I love design. I love houses. I hate hotels and I mostly despise Vegas.” She shrugged sadly.
“Of course, you don’t need a man because you have this hotel…that you don’t want.” He shoved his chair back from the table and struggled to his feet. “Like a knife to my chest. My own daughter…”
My brow furrowed. What did he say? I frowned at Kate. “Are you his daughter?” Then I glanced at Nash, who had brushed past my chair. “Mr. Nash? Are you okay?” His face had gone completely pale. As I watched and before I had an answer from either of them, his knees buckled and he dropped to the floor.
The conference room door opened and a woman started to walk through carrying a pitcher of ice water as Kate jumped to her feet and rushed to Nash’s side. Janet stood frozen. “Call 9-1-1!” I shouted the order even as I dropped to the floor to assess the man’s condition. I rolled him until he was flat on his back. Then I leaned low and listened long enough to make a determination. “He’s not breathing,” I announced. Beside me, Kate gasped.
“Daddy, you’re too stubborn to die.” She swiped at her eyes.
“We need to do CPR, Kate. Do you want to blow or do chest compressions?” I watched her for any hint of a response. “Okay, I’ll do chest compressions. You get over to his head, tilt his neck to open up his airway. Get ready to blow.”
