“Yes. Was our relationship just a ploy for Akron to get its claws into Hearts Bend?”
“Ben.” Cami’s whispered voice broke. “There’s no ploy, I promise. I’m not out to get you or the inn. I can’t believe you’d think that about me.”
“It’s clear you cannot protect this place from your dad.” He knew what he had to do. “I want out of the deal.” The words came out like a sword and dagger.
“Are you serious? What about Sydney?” Her sweet voice oozed with compassion and concern, but why should she care? The tenderness only added fuel to the anger burning inside Ben.
“I’ll figure it out, but the deal is off.” He’d have Mr. Graham look over the contract, find a loophole.
A beat. Two. “If that’s really what you want, Ben, fine. I’ll cancel the contract. I won’t be able to pay the earnest money since?—”
“I don’t care about the money. Just make it happen.” Ben ended the call before she said something else in her calm, tender tone. She sounded sincere. She sounded hurt.
He found Dean and his man walking the property and taking pictures. “There’s been a change of plans. The deal is off, and Akron won’t be purchasing this property. You can leave now.”
Dean reached up and scratched at his hair under his ball cap, then pulled the bill back down. “I told you someone from Akron needs to call.” His phone pinged, and he glanced at it. “I guess you’re right.” He held up the phone to show an Akron number. “Have a good day.”
When they’d gone, Ben made his way to the pond. Man, he probably owed Cami an apology. He hadn’t realized how much being left here as a kid had defined him.
If anyone lied to him or put one over on him, he never trusted them again. But he should call Cami, try to work things out. He lifted his phone, but before he could call her, Jordan rang.
“G’day,” Ben said. “It’s early there. Please tell me you have good news.”
“We need a new head of housekeeping. Jenna resigned. Her husband has been transferred to Perth. I’ve listed it but wanted to keep you in the loop.”
Sirens sounded in the distance, growing closer.
“Can we promote someone under Jenna?”
“We have a few who want to apply. I think we can fill the position from in-house. Ben, the place is looking amazing. You won’t believe the progress since you were here.”
“You deserve all the credit.”
The sirens cut off, and Ben focused on finishing up the call.
“Oh, there’s one more thing, Ben. The men’s sauna isn’t functioning, and the company is sending a replacement, but it won’t be here until after we open.”
“Send the information. I’ll try to speed things up.” He hung up and headed for the kitchen. He needed another iced tea and a cookie. And to make sure the sirens didn’t herald more bad news.
He bumped into the fire chief and an electrician. “What’s going on here?”
Walt, wrapped in his big, stained apron, stepped around the chief. “Just a small fire. Nothing to worry you about.”
“Except I’m shutting down the kitchen,” the chief said. “The electrical is out of code, and your appliances are at the end of life. Between the two, you’re lucky this place didn’t burn to the ground years ago.”
“Are you shutting us down? We’re hosting a big wedding next week.”
“You can still have guests, but you won’t be serving any meals from this kitchen until the wiring is updated and the appliances replaced.”
Ben thanked the chief and the electrician, then turned to Walt. “Please don’t tell me you knew about this.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.”
“He knew,” Myrtle May said. “So did your Granny. It was in that inspector report.”
How could Ben have forgotten about that? Why hadn’t he done something about it? Ben headed to the coffee bar and poured a cup of Walt’s rock-gut. They’d formed a conspiracy. Granny, Walt, Cami, Jim and Jordan, Ray, the bullfrog who sang outside his basement window every morning at five. God. Surely He was involved somehow.
He stepped into the office and slammed the door before sitting at the desk, trying to shed his frustration. He could use the money from the wedding to cover the rewiring and the new appliances. Then what?
