“She just rented a room. She’s the crime boss’s daughter?”
Max nodded. “Something is going on, and all trails seem to lead back to Donovan Cole and now the new owner of the café, who is also connected to Mandeville. I’m scared that Goldie is right in the middle of whatever it is. She seems to have fallen for this man, and I fear she has no idea what she’s gotten involved in.”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but under the circumstances…” His brother hesitated. “Goldie paid Donovan’s hotel bill for a week in advance.”
Max stared at him. “What?”
“She made the reservation and paid the daybeforeDonovan arrived in Dry Gulch.”
He swore. How was that possible? Where would she have met him? This didn’t make any sense unless… “I need to talk to Josie.” If Goldie had confided in anyone, it would’ve been her best friend. “Unlessyouknow what’s going on with Goldie and this man.”
Cordell lifted both hands. “Boundaries. Josie probably knows, but she isn’t telling me.”
“Hopefully, she’ll tell me,” Max said, heading for the door.
WITH HIS MOUTHdry as sawdust, Donovan stood flat-footed staring at Lolly. He’d been surprised when Arnie had shown up here. Hadn’t he feared Lolly and her father wouldn’t be far behind? He’d convinced himself that she didn’t care enough about him to track him down.
“Lolly?” His voice broke, making him sound guilty.Guiltydidn’t even describe it. “Lolly,” he said and took a step toward her.
She waved a hand through the air. “You have a room here?” He nodded. “Let’s see it.”
He hesitated, unsure what she was doing here and why she’d want to go to his room. The one thing he knew for sure was that she had a gun in her purse. She didn’t go anywhere without it. But if she was going to kill him, it probably wouldn’t be in his hotel room. “Right this way.”
They rode up in the elevator, both keeping their distance, neither speaking. He figured, knowing Lolly, she would fill him in on what she was doing here once they were alone. Holding her tongue had never been something Lolly Mandeville had needed to manage. He doubted she was going to start now.
Stepping off the elevator, he led the way down to his room on the third floor. “It has a nice view of the swimming pools the owner is putting in,” he said, hating how nervous he soundedas he opened the door. But how could he not be nervous considering what he was letting into his room?
The moment she stepped in, she let out a sigh, but said nothing.
He waited, not sure what to expect as he closed the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”
She turned to face him. “My father sent me.”
Oh, that doesn’t sound good.Nor did she look any happier about it than he felt.
She lifted one dark eyebrow, tilting her head. “But you wouldn’t know anything about that, right?”
He shook his head. No one was more in the dark than he was. He’d thought he’d gotten away from the Mandeville family free and clear—until Arnie showed up in town. Now the crime boss had sent his daughter after him?
“He wanted me to deliver a message to you.”
Suddenly Donovan felt as if he needed to sit down. He offered Lolly a chair that she declined before he stumbled to the end of the bed and dropped onto it as she reached into her bag. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she had come out with the gun and shot him.
“He wanted me to give you this.” He blinked as she pulled out a long white envelope and held it toward him. “He wrote it, whatever it is.”
Donovan cleared his throat. “Your father wrote me a letter?”
She walked over, shoving the envelope with his name printed on it at him. “Want to tell me why he’d do that?”
“Trust me, I’m more surprised than you are.” He took the envelope with trembling fingers as he thought about Arnie’s visit. He couldn’t imagine what was inside it, but whatever it was, it couldn’t possibly be good.
“I’m sorry for leaving the way I did,” he said, looking up at her. “I—”
“I’m pregnant.”
He couldn’t even pretend right now not to know.
“You knew?” She looked mildly surprised. “Weren’t you worried it was yours?” She laughed. “Of course you weren’t. Did you tell my father?”
