Yours Completely(61)

“One more drink, and then I think you're good for the night,” Ella said, pouring him a fresh glass of whiskey. “This one's on the house.”

“Won't the boss lady be angry?” Charles asked. He looked up at her with blue eyes. They didn't have the green that made Jace's so beautiful, but they had enough of Jace in them to make her smile with memory of him.

“She's always angry with me,” Ella informed him.

Charles lifted his glass. “Sounds good to me, darling.” He took a nice deep sip. “You seeing anyone? You'd be a great match for my son.”

Ella nearly dropped the bottle of whiskey.

“Your son?” Ella repeated. “What makes you say that?”

“You make me smile. You make Madelyn smile.” Charles looked up at her with red rimmed eyes. “He needs someone who can make him smile. And who isn't afraid of the boss.”

Ella topped off his drink. “Don't tell the boss.”

Charles laughed and took another sip. “I don't think she wants to hear from me anyway.”

Ella picked up her dishrag and kept finished wiping down the bar with a smile on her face.





Chapter Twenty-Six


The hotel hallways were deserted as she walked back to her room. Her phone had a message from Jace. He'd sent it an hour ago and it wasn't anything crazy, just a hello with a smiling icon. Still, it made her pulse race. He followed it up with a message about breakfast before his flight left.

Her fingers paused over the keypad, trying to find the best words to say what she felt. She bit her lip, waiting for inspiration to strike. She wanted to type more than just “yes!” because that felt too simple. She wanted to make his heart race as much as hers did.

“What do you think you're doing?”

Delores stepped out of her office and directly into Ella's path. She nearly dropped the phone in surprise.

“Going to bed.” Ella turned off the screen without responding back to Jace. The last thing she wanted was for Delores to see her texting the man who'd scorned her's son.

“It's no longer your day off.”

Ella sighed. One encounter with Delores today was more than enough. “I don't want to do this right now. I just want to go to bed.”

“Do you want this inn or not?” Delores narrowed her eyes. They were full of a cruelty that frightened Ella. “All I have to do to stop you from getting this piece of crap is to say you didn't put forth the effort required. You don't magically get this place at twenty-two.”

“You wouldn't,” Ella gasped. The idea that anyone would believe her stepmother was ridiculous, but she'd heard enough horror stories about inheritances and lawyers to make her frightened. If anyone could pull off something that evil, it was Delores.

“Give me your phone,” Delores demanded, holding out her hand.

“No.” Ella took a step back. “I'm going to bed.”

“Give me your phone,” Delores commanded again. This time she reached out and took it directly from Ella's hands. The scent of rum filled Ella's nose, overpowering her for a moment. Ella fought to keep the phone, but Delores had the element of surprise and a viciousness that Ella wasn't prepared for.

“You can't take that!” Ella growled, lunging for the phone, but Delores was ready and simply moved out of reach.

“You are back on my time, Ella. Your day off is over. You want this inn? You have to earn it.” Delores slid the phone into her dress where Ella couldn't get it. “All it takes is one bad word from me and you get nothing. I own you.”

Ella stared at her stepmother for a moment. The woman was obviously drunk. And angry. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, thought Ella. And despite the fact that Ella had nothing to do with the scorning, she was going to take the brunt of it.

“What can I do for you, Stepmother?” Ella asked. Perhaps if she just did as Delores asked, the old woman would just calm down. If Ella was lucky, Delores would pass out at her desk in a rum induced sleep within the hour and she could get her phone back then.

“I want you to go to the cellar and get more wine for the bar.” Delores crossed her arms. “You should've noticed we were low while you were back there cleaning.”

A cold settled in Ella's stomach. Delores had seen her at the bar. No wonder the woman was crazy with rage.

“Yes, ma'am,” Ella replied meekly. Delores wasn't in a rational place right now. Far better to just appease the dragon for a few hours. Ella had weathered Delores Storms like this before. This was the worst Ella had ever seen, but it would blow over. “May I have my phone back?”

Delores pointed her finger in the direction of the cellar. “When I can trust you to do your work and not sit around being lazy.”