She turns to look at me after a time, and there are more tears shinin' in her eyes. "Oh, Clay," she breathes. "This is just how I imagined it would be when we tried to set up a museum. It's so perfect." Her hands go to the front of my T-shirt. "Thank you so much, truly. You don't know how much this means to me."
That's the thing. I do know just how much it means to her. It means she has a fightin' chance of bein' able to support her dad with this place instead of scrapin' pennies together. It means less to worry about. It means she might be able to have a life instead of givin' everythin' up to a cranky old man like some kinda martyr.
But all I say is, "Glad you like it."
"I love it." Her enthusiasm fades a little as she looks around the expanded gift shop. There's a section that sells baked goods and coffee and has a few tiny tables set up like a miniature cafe. Slocum thought she might get more traffic through the gift area if she had a reason for them to linger, and I think it's a good idea. "I'm just not sure how one person is going to manage all of this, though. I'll need to be in three places at once." She thinks for a moment, and then adds, "Four, actually. I've still got to look after Dad."
The thought makes me ill. She still thinks she has to do all this herself? "Actually," I drawl, "I've hired an actress to sell tickets at the front and give tours. She'll take care of that aspect. Got a script memorized and everythin'." I don't mention that I've agreed to finance a movie she's writin' that will star her and it'll end up costin' a pretty penny. Nat would be upset. "And then there's an employee to run the gift shop, and I talked to Slocum and a local baker is gonna use this section over here"-I point at the cafe-"to sell fresh goods. She runs the counter and charges a markup and you get fifty percent of the profits because you have a place for her to run her business. Works out for both of you. And then, of course, there's a cleanin' crew that'll come by nightly to tidy the place up. It's all taken care of."
Her eyes widen. "Then all I have to do is take care of my father."
Or me, I want to say. Or you can spend your time with me. "Mmm."
"How much is this all going to cost you, Clay? I worry you're getting a bad deal here." Her pretty blue eyes look worried. "We need to talk about this, because I know it's not an open-ended agreement and I don't want you to think I'm raiding your wallet-"
"Well, now," I tease, pulling her against me. "Anal's still on the table, you know."
Her face colors bright red.
"Maybe not that, then," I murmur, leaning in to nibble on one of her tasty little ears. "Maybe we find a quiet corner and I lift up your skirts and explore your pussy with my moustache, hmm? Been workin' real hard to regrow it for you."
I can feel her tremble against me. "My bedroom is upstairs," she whispers.
Even better. I like the thought of pushin' deep into Natalie on her girlhood bed. Makes me feel like a dirty scoundrel, all right. "Lead the way."
She takes my hand in hers again and leads me through the back of the house, to a set of stairs along the back wall. We head up, and it leads into a long hallway that stretches across the second floor. She turns immediately toward the first door, giving me a small smile over her shoulder that promises naughtiness.
"I want to see my daughter," calls out an imperious voice. "I know you're keeping her from me!"
Natalie hesitates, and I know the moment is gone. Damn it. She looks back at me, concern on her face. "I should go see what's going on."
"You should let the nurses handle it," I tell her, but it falls on deaf ears. Nat's soft heart isn't going to let her ignore her elderly father.
She releases my hand and heads further down the hall toward the massive set of double doors that clearly leads to Chap Weston's room.
I sigh and cross my arms over my chest, followin' behind her. Like I got a choice. I'll go wherever this girl leads, if nothin' else to protect her from anyone that'd try to take advantage of her.
She knocks on the door, and then waves me back, indicating I should stay out of sight. Well, fuck that. I stroll forward as she enters the room. "Hello?" she calls.
"Natalie?" Her father's voice is strong despite his age. "Why did you leave me with these terrible people?"
I move toward the doorway, leaning casually just in sight so I can survey the situation. It's easy to see that Chap Weston hasn't deprived himself despite being broke. There's a massive TV on the wall, his bed is a carved monstrosity on a raised dais, and there's expensive lookin' furniture all over the enormous room. Off in one corner is a minibar and a refrigerator, and a ten-foot-long fish tank full of colorful, exotic fish. Somethin' tells me that if I went and checked out Nat's room, it'd be plain and sparse. But that's how things have always been with Chap Weston and his daughter. He treats her like she's one of the staff-unimportant and there for his convenience-and she lets him.
"Mr. Weston," one of the nurses says, patience in her voice. "All I'm trying to do is get you to change into your day clothing. It's not a good idea to sit in bed all day. You need to get up and move around. It's good for your heart." It's clear from her tone that she's had this conversation with him plenty of times before.
"I don't want to get up," Chap Weston snarls at them. "I want to wallow in bed like the forgotten old man that I am." When that doesn't elicit a response from the nurse, he turns to Natalie. "You see how they are? They act like it's a crime for me to lie in bed. They harass and poke until I'm exhausted."
"Dad," Nat says in a gentle voice. She moves to his side and extends her hand to him. "The nurses are just trying to do what's best for you. Alice is right. It's not good for you to lie in bed all day. You'll feel better if you get up and move around-"
He slaps her hand away feebly. "Don't tell me what to do! You've abandoned me!"
"I haven't," Nat protests. "You know I've been busy, Dad. We talked about this last week. I have a new job and my new boss has been very understanding, but he needs me to spend my time with him."
"Do I have to hire my own daughter to look after me?" Chap asks in a cranky voice. "Is that what this is coming to? I'm going to have to pay my daughter to spend time with her father?"
Oh please. What a dramatic old bullshitter. "You couldn't afford to buy her away from me," I call out, a cocky drawl in my voice. Nat shoots me an unhappy look, but I don't care. Maybe I'm lookin' to pick a fight with the old bastard. Maybe I'm just darin' the guy to keep treatin' Natalie like she's thoughtless, because I want her to see what an asshole he is.
Chap Weston's gaze moves over the room and fixes on me. He squints in my direction, frowning at the sight of me leaning casually on the doorframe. "Who is that?"
"That's the man I'm working for," Nat says vaguely. "Now, Dad-"
"Clay Price," I call out. It's clear he didn't recognize me, and it's clear that Nat's not going to volunteer the information, so I'm going to. I want to see if he remembers who I am and how he dicked me over.
The old man's eyes narrow. "The trashy boy? The one that tried to steal my daughter away?"
"That's the one," I drawl before Natalie can respond. Trashy boy. Fuck him.
"Dad," Nat scolds. "Clay's a billionaire now. He's a good man and he's not trash. He's helping me out of the mess we're in by hiring me."
"He's probably just hiring you to get under your skirts, Natalie. I know what men like him are like." The scowl on his face isn't that of a father as much as that of a child being robbed of his favorite toy. "You should spend time with me and not him."
"I'm working for Clay," Nat says again, her voice firm, and I'm fuckin' proud of that. At least, for a moment I am, because then she continues with, "I'll be back at your side again shortly. It's just a temporary contract."
Temporary, my ass. Does she not want to make a go of this thing we have? I try to keep a neutral expression on my face, but I'm gettin' frustrated.
"I see." Chap Weston's tone is disapproving. "So you'd rather spend your time with trash than your ailing father."
"That's not it at all-"
"No," I cut in. "That's exactly it. She'd rather be with me."
Everyone shoots a glare in my direction. I don't care. I'm gettin' annoyed that this old man's whining and they're all fallin' for it.
"He's not good for you, Natalie. Haven't I warned you about men like him in the past?" Chap Weston shakes his head. "You're going to have to pick between a man that's using you and your father."