cold questions.
What was he doing? He knew the whole time his father would take the lodge, so was it that important to take her to bed? Or was that just something he and his father worked up to make things that much worse and give them that extra bit of satisfaction?
Max seemed so sincere, and she’d told herself he really cared.
Another chill passed through her, telling her how wrong she was. That was always his part of the family plan. He was the face, and his father was the brains and muscle. She was the sucker, the patsy, the pigeon.
She sobbed until she had nothing left, her face burning with salty traces of countless tears. Exhausted in body and soul, she was left with a beaten spirit.
She had to admit that she never had a chance against a man like Eaton Hunter. She guessed Sally was right; some people just aren’t cut out for business, and she was one of them. If that was what it took to have a successful business, to be a person like Eaton or Max Hunter, then she wanted nothing to do with it.
Even the townsfolk were all so ready to turn their backs on her and each other. Was that success? Was that survival? That was not the person she was or wanted to be.
It was only then she flashed on the sad fact that it had been in that very bed that Max had finally won her over. She’d given herself to him, readily rushing in like the simple fool she’d always been. That first night and every night since had been gripping and thrilling, which made it more twisted and spoiled the memory. She allowed him to have her in every way: heart, body, and soul. He’d taken the last dream of her childhood, and her hope for a happy future.
A hot wave pulsed through her, new strength surging in her tissues. “No,” she told herself, “I will not let Max get me down.” The man tried to destroy her. She would not let this dream die, especially not because of the Hunter men. There had to be a way to preserve her legacy, and she would find it.
The lodge door opened downstairs with a distinctive thunk. It reminded her that she was still the owner and general manager of the resort and her place was down there to greet her guests, keep up appearances, and carry on.
She almost vomited when she saw the young, handsome man standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“No, Max.”
“Please, Lauren, give me a chance to explain.”
“A chance to lie more convincingly? You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here like this.”
“Listen, Lauren, hear me out. There’s something going on, something more complicated than we know.”
“Yeah, and I wonder who’s behind it? You and your father?”
“Not me, Lauren, not me.”
“You knew about that loan document my father signed.”
“I thought I’d gotten him to quash it. If I thought it might have been relevant, I’d have told you.”
“Relevant to whatever scheme you two are cooking up?”
He moved closer. “Look, I wasn’t happy or proud of it, but I knew if I could get him to withdraw it, it would never be a threat to you. That’s all I cared about, then and now.”
“Yeah, and you think I’ll just decide to trust you again, believe in you? I mean, even if you don’t know exactly what’s going on with your father, you’re still his pawn.”
“I was always trying to steer things in the right direction. Why wouldn’t I? I’m in love with you. I always have been, and I always will be.”
Lauren crossed her arms in front of her chest, hoping her growing doubt wasn’t showing.
“You thought you could just swoop in and marry me and get the lodge for free.”
Max shook his head. “I can see how that would be your perception. I guess, all things considered, I’d think the same thing if I were in your position.”
Lauren shook her head a bit, but it brought her no clarity. She searched for the answers to the riddles surrounding her. “You said he’d given us his blessing. Was that a lie, or were you just wrong?”
“I watched him tear up the contract, though he says now it was just a copy, and I don’t doubt that. I took him for being sincere at the time; at least, I wanted to. Remember me saying it worried me, and I didn’t trust him.”
Lauren remembered words to that effect when they