Page 5 of Release You

“Heard what?” I asked through gritted teeth. I couldn’t lose this hotel.

“Well, you see, back in 1869 when the hotel was built, or rather, renovated, um…” He dug through more papers. I stepped toward him, and he put up his hand. “Here it is. There are two deeds. You see, the hotel was originally two houses. After the big fire and the renovation, they were combined into what we know today as the Cavalier Hotel. See?” He pushed the copies of the two deeds and the hotel blueprints toward me. My great-grandfather’s signature at the bottom caught my eye. The architectural design was his.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Two deeds, two owners. Is that what you’re telling me?”

He wiped his forehead and reached for another tablet. “Yes, Henry. I realize this is unconventional, but back then paperwork had a way of falling through the cracks. Who knows? Maybe this is how the Cavaliers wanted it. It’s hard to say. Either way, Mr. Cavalier had every right to sell the property as two separate entities.”

“Except”—I squeezed the back of the chair—“the property is justonehotel.” Fuck.

“I’m sorry, son.” He offered me a weak smile while he smoothed out his cheap suit. “I spoke with Ms. Swift this morning. She’s a very nice lady. I’m sure if you ask, she’d have no problem selling you her half of the property.”

Yeah, a very nice lady, indeed. Except I didn’t have the money to buy her out. “He knew, didn’t he? When he gambled the deed. You know what? Forget it. I’ll handle this.” I headed out and slammed the office door behind me.

He was a dead end.

Back at the construction site, Russ caught up to me before I reached Main Street. “Hey there, boss. Got things sorted out?”

“Almost.”

“Survey’s done. Just so you know.” He winced.

“Out with it.” I halted and turned to face him.

“We’re good out here. There’s a small fracture out on Main Street, though. Right next to your hotel.”

“Okay. Let’s go fix it. That’swhy we’re here.”

Fixing sewage lines beneath the street was a hassle, but we already had the entire block turned upside down. One more hole wasn’t going to break the bank.

“Yeah. ’Bout that.” He stepped back, rubbing the back of his head. “The woman?—”

“Right. Just get her out.” I turned to leave but then stopped. What if this was the thing Ms. Swift needed to realize she didn’t belong here? “On second thought, I’ll handle Ms. Swift. You get the crew together.”

Russ nodded. I got in my Chevy truck and drove the half mile up to the hotel. Just as I thought, Ms. Swift had parked her little Mercedes right at the front door, like she owned the whole place. I pulled over a block away and walked the rest of the way. Once Ms. Swift learned about the true condition of the hotel, she’d have no choice but to sell me her half. No doubt our “honorable” mayor had omitted a few details from the contract when they closed the deal. Why else would she be here, completely unaware of the construction going on?

I peeked through her car window. A designer bag sat on the passenger seat. Full-size suitcases that matched her purse crowded the back seat. I rolled my eyes. Who was she? Some rich girl trying to stick it to Daddy by buying a condemned hotel? That made no sense at all. I pushed away from her car and sauntered to the front door, which was wide open. I should’ve changed the lock when I moved in. But how was I supposed to know Jonathan would pull a stunt like this? No. I should’ve known. This was his style, all right.

I shouldered the door open and barged into the hotel lobby. If Ms. Swift had the face of an angel, she had the mouth of my construction crew after a few rounds of beers at the Speakeasy Bar. She also had a hell of a temper. As I’d thought before, she was all kinds of trouble. When I glanced up at her, glass shards scattered across the floor and toward me. What thehell?

“Fuck my life,” she said again as she picked up another counter stool and threw it against the mirror— the very old, antique mirror that’d been in the Cavalier family for three generations. She spun in place, with rosy cheeks and pouting lips. Her gaze darted around the room, searching for more things to throw at the mirror. When she saw me, she calmed down and shoved sweaty strands of hair off her face, forcing even breaths.

Christ. I’d never seen a woman this angry before, or this beautiful. Unless I counted Hipolita, my first so-called love.

“If you’re here to tell me I can’t be here, let me tell you.You’rethe one who can’t be here. In fact, you’re trespassing. Leave. Now.” She stalked toward me in those tight jeans and super-high heels. Still furious. Holy shit.

I brought my hands up to my hips. Two could play this game. “I’m not here about the little stunt you pulled back there. But let’s talk about the trespassing part.”

She pressed her lips together, something between a pout and a frown as her hot blue gaze zeroed in on me. Why did it feel like she could read my thoughts?

With a deep sigh, she extended her arms. “As hard as this may seem, I am the lucky owner of this fine establishment. Ain’t that fucking grand? So you see? You’re the one trespassing.”

I barked out a laugh. The math wasn’t that hard, especially if I factored the mayor into the equation— threw in her fancy car, fancy clothes, and her pissed-off mood. Yeah, the “Honorable” Jonathan Cavalier had duped her too. That sleazeball.

“So what are you mad about? The condemned building or the fact that you’re not the sole owner?” I asked.

“What?” Her head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, it may not be apparent to you, but I live in this fineestablishment. As it turns out, this entire hotel is actually two separate houses.” If she didn’t know about the two deeds, then she was just pissed off about the condition of the place. Maybe buying her out was an option. I didn’t care if I had to borrow from the devil himself. She couldn’t stay.

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