Free Losing Ladd by Dianne Venetta Page A

held a deliberate goad. “Of
course. Why else would I be here?”
    Cal could name a thousand reasons,
none of them good, but refused to give her an ounce of
satisfaction. “Of course. A woman of your intelligence knows
there’s only one place worth staying in this part of the country. A
Harris Hotel.”
    Jillian’s smile hardened but remained
intact. “Yes. You would say so, wouldn’t you?”
    Genuine pleasure coursed through him.
Seems he’d struck a chord. “Facts are facts,” he said, adding
without pausing, “and we’ve got the booked schedule to prove it. Do
you have a reservation? If so, I’d be happy to assist you with your
check-in.”
    “ I do.”
    Too bad. Cal extended a hand toward
the hotel “Shall we?”
    Cal followed Jillian as she walked to
the lobby, employing a full hip swagger, most likely for his
benefit, though he wasn’t interested. She could shake and shimmy
all she wanted, Cal preferred his woman down-to-earth and real.
Neither of which applied to Jillian Devane.
    While he didn’t find her presence
threatening, there was no mistaking the look in Troy’s eyes when he
spotted her. He was not happy. Knowing Jillian, Troy had a right to
be upset. With a new wife and baby on his hands, the last thing he
needed was Jillian working to upset the mix—a real possibility,
especially if she was working in cahoots with Jack. Wasn’t it
enough Jack was taking Troy to trial? Did his brother need to
provoke tension between Troy and Casey by re-injecting Jillian onto
the scene?
    Troy was under a lot of pressure these
days. Trial was scheduled for week after next and without a job,
the boy had nothing to do but think. Think about everything he
stood to lose should he receive a guilty verdict. Think about his
wife and new baby going it alone without him. Think about his
horses. Cal was glad he hadn’t lost Spirit. Granted, it wasn’t
technically his horse, but Troy connected with the animals,
treating each and every animal he worked like it was his own. Troy
built layers of trust, bonding with the horses in a way most people
never experience. He’d given up drinking, but Cal knew how hard a
battle it could be. It was a job you attended every day of the
week, every week of the month, every month of the year. Sober
himself now for nineteen months, Cal understood the challenge.
Desperation pushed a man to his limits. It made him shift
priorities. If Troy broke under the pressure, he could easily seek
relief from a bottle.
    Troy wasn’t the only one caught in a
vise-like grip at the moment. Cal’s daughter Emily was arriving in
Chattanooga this evening. His ex-wife had agreed to allow the
visit, a week-long stay that could turn into two, provided Emily
was in agreement. Cal was excited. Nervous, excited, he was set to
drive to the airport in a few hours and meet Emily at the gate.
Annie wouldn’t be joining him. She decided it was best if he and
his daughter took the initial reunion solo. There’d be plenty
enough time for visits with her new family during her
stay.
    A visit complicated by the likes of
Jeremiah and Jillian. Jeremiah had made a point of threatening
Annie during his last trip to town. If he had thoughts of repeating
the gesture, Cal was going to make him wish he’d done otherwise.
Her too, Cal mused, following Jillian as she ascended the front
steps to the lobby. It wasn’t a coincidence Jillian was in town. Or
that Jack’s lighter was found outside the stables. The two had been
seen together. Lighter. Fire. A shudder passed through him. Jillian
set fires. Jack was facing jail time. Sure, it was possible he’d
dropped the lighter back when he attacked Delaney, but if it was in
good condition and relatively unscathed, it could be the clue that
put Jack in the guilty seat more recently.
    Someone deliberately set those horses
free. Someone who knew the animals, someone with a
motive.
    Opening the door for
Jillian, more out of habit than courtesy, Cal decided that someone
could be his