The Desert Flowers--Rose, page 19
Weary, she made her way to the kitchen.
Juanita was there. “Buenos dias, Rose.”
“Morning.” Rose smiled, walked over to her, and gave Juanita a quick hug. She loved this woman who was always there for everyone, who wore a cheerful smile and had a big heart.
“You are troubled?” Juanita said, staring into Rose’s face.
Rose nodded. “I’m wondering if I’m being foolish thinking anything long-term could come from my seeing Hank. After Alec’s project is over, I’ll be in Las Vegas, and he’ll be in Atlanta. I don’t see that changing.”
Juanita was quiet, then she said, “The heart will find a way. Have faith.”
Rose shook her head, wanting to believe, knowing she shouldn’t. After being independent for so many years, she had no intention of giving up her freedom. Why had she fallen so quickly for Hank? But she knew the answer. She’d been attracted to him from the moment she’d met him as Papa B.
Rose accepted the cup of coffee Juanita handed her and sat at the kitchen table feeling as if she’d lost sight of her personal plans that served as a protection for her future.
Willow entered the kitchen, greeted her mother with a kiss, grabbed a cup of coffee, and plunked down at the table opposite Rose.
“What a day this is going to be,” sighed Willow.
“What’s up?” Rose asked.
“Brent, Trace, and I have been given an assignment. We each have to come up with a list of changes we’d make to the hotel.”
“Is that going to be difficult for you?” Rose asked. “You’re so knowledgeable about operations.”
“We also have to analyze the costs of any changes we’d make and how it would affect the various departments.” She swept her hair back over her shoulder. “I might as well be doing this for advance course credit.”
“It does sound like a lot of work,” Rose admitted.
“Yeah, I’ll be busy on my own. We have two weeks to do the project.”
“As hard as it sounds, I think you’ll do a great job.” She got up and went back to her room. While Hank was away, she was going to continue working on a secret plan she had of not only naming the new brand of hotels but suggesting what could be done to certain other hotels in the Blaise Group to join the Desert Sage Inn in the new collection. It was a bold move, but she thought it might bring attention to Alec’s wishes.
###
Rose was in the middle of work that afternoon when her cell rang. She checked caller ID. Hank. She’d told herself to let the relationship cool, but her rebellious heart pounded with excitement.
“Hi, Hank. How are you? How is Sam?”
“I’m fine, a little tired. Sam is recovering from a small tear in the uterus due to the surgery. The doctor promises it will heal on its own, but you know Sam. It’s become a big thing.”
“I’m glad it’s not worse,” said Rose, sensing his exhaustion.
“I’ve talked to the people at Blaise and told them I’d be here for a while. Duncan Armstrong wants to meet with me at the end of the week here in Atlanta.”
“Is the meeting something I should attend?” Rose asked.
“No. I told Duncan I’d handle this. But, thanks. Makes sense. You’re settled out there.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s one way to put it. You’re there, and I’m here.” Her words felt like a punch to her middle. She cradled her stomach, her fingers cold already. It was just as she’d thought. Away from the glamour of the desert, they were just two people who’d gotten together because they were lonely. And now the real business of handling the project was going to be done as strong adversaries.
“I’ve got to go,” Hank said. “I’ll call when I can. I’m in charge of Leah while Sam rests and Rob gets back to work.”
“Say hi to everyone for me,” she said. “And let me know how the meeting goes.”
“Okay. We’ll talk later about the campaign I’ve created for them.” The call ended with a note of finality.
Crushed by the suspicion that this was how the future would be—her fighting for a piece of the action as well as credit for the work she’d done—she plunked down on the bed and drew deep breaths. She couldn’t let the situation get out of control the way it had with a previous competitor on a hotel project in Las Vegas. Then, he’d seized control, left her out of meetings, and all but ruined her career. That’s why she’d formed the blog as an independent business to protect her future. Now, she wondered if it was happening all over again.
Disheartened by the turn of events, Rose got into a swimsuit, grabbed a beach towel, and headed out to the pool. A workout was exactly what she needed to let off the steam that was building inside her. In the past, other men in business had tried to elbow her out of projects. She’d had to work twice as hard to get the notice they’d tried to take away from her. Hank might be a nice guy, but he’d find out just how seriously she took her work.
She jumped into the pool and began to move in smooth, steady strokes, her arms slicing through the water with ease. She’d forgotten how relaxing this felt, how easy it was to push back her worries when she exercised like this.
“Looking good,” came a voice above her.
She slowed and glanced up into Alec’s smiling face. Pleased to see him, she stopped and climbed out of the pool. “Hi, it’s great to see you outdoors.”
“Yes, it’s a better day for me, and you know how much I like these early evening hours.”
“I remember,” she said, smiling. “Want a little company? I could use some.”
“Is everything all right?” he asked, slowly making his way to one of the chairs at the table under the protection of an umbrella.
“Not really. But I’m going to work on a new idea, a secret plan of mine.” She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her waist before joining him at the table.
As she explained what she was doing, Juanita brought out two glasses of iced tea and placed them on the table. “Can I bring you snacks?”
Alec looked to Rose. “Do you want anything?”
“No, thanks. This is lovely.” She lifted her glass of tea and took a sip, allowing the cool liquid to slide down her throat in grateful swallows.
After Juanita left them, Alec studied Rose. “I like that you’re so creative, Rose, especially when I know you’ve been hurt in the past. You have good instincts and a great mind. Remember that.”
Rose couldn’t hold back a sigh. “I don’t know about my instincts. But I want to make this work for you, Alec. Hank is away on family business, and I’m going to take this time to build contacts here for both my research for you and my use on my blog. I like it here.”
“It’s a very likable place to live. Having the ability to get away in the summer heat is a real plus, but even so, the desert is still livable in the heat as long as you allow nature to do her thing. And the misters help too.”
“You’ve been content to live here,” Rose observed.
“Yes, I couldn’t leave. I wanted to be close to them, you know?”
Rose knew he was talking about his wife and baby and nodded. She reached over and wrapped a hand around his. “Are you going to leave us directions as to how you want things done when you ...”
“Die?” he interjected.
“Yes.” The thought made her sad, but she knew he’d want things done his way.
“I’m not going to die just yet, but as time passes, I will get even worse.” He gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m glad you agreed to help me out. It makes me feel comforted just thinking of it.”
“All three of us are happy to do it. You’ve been kind to us in the past. Even when things didn’t work out, I always knew I could count on you as a friend.”
“One thing I want to make sure of is that Pedro and Juanita are well taken care of. They’re very special to me. And so is their daughter.”
“I like Willow a lot,” Rose said. “Lily, too.”
“All good women.” He smiled. “My Desert Flowers. I suppose many people would think it was condescending or sexist of me to call you that. I mean it, though, in the best of ways, for more reasons than anyone else would know. But to answer your questions, I’ve left instructions for you, Rose, to oversee everything after I’m gone.”
She felt the sting of tears and simply nodded.
They talked a bit longer about some of the happenings in town. Though he could no longer take part, Alec kept his eye on activities in the area as usual.
When Rose saw that he was growing tired, she helped him onto a chaise lounge, made sure he was comfortable and went inside.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
WILLOW
Willow rose early one morning, wanting time alone in the hotel to help her evaluate changes she’d like to see. She loved the hotel, always had since her parents had started working there. But that didn’t mean changes wouldn’t be welcome. Besides, this extra project was something she wanted to do for Alec. When she was done with her assessment, she intended to run the report by him. He might be dying, but Alec was still very aware of his hotel and what was happening there.
She quietly dressed, gathered her things, and snuck out of the house. She’d grab her morning coffee at the hotel. She climbed onto one of the golf carts they kept parked outside the garage and headed off.
The sky was shedding its dark cloak and was beginning to embrace the rising sun. Around her, birds were chirping in the trees, their songs a greeting to the day. Creatures on the ground were rousing. The cool air would soon turn warm, but, at the moment, Willow liked the feel of it against her skin.
At the hotel, she parked the golf cart in her assigned spot in the employees’ parking lot and walked around to the front of the hotel. That’s where she’d begin to assess the building itself.
She admired how the wide entrance welcomed guests to the hotel lobby, reached through a central courtyard with a statue everyone loved with its welcoming gesture. Large clay pots filled with colorful flowers added to the striking scene.
Inside the lobby, the floors shone from polish and long-term care. The décor was tasteful as always. She studied the arrangement of space and jotted down notes in the leather-bound notebook she’d carried with her.
She walked over to a corner of the lobby where a table held an arrangement of coffee and other beverages and helped herself to a cup of coffee. Taking grateful sips of the hot liquid, she studied her surroundings, observing the groupings of furniture placed for intimate conversations, separated by planters and decorative screens. The recessed ceiling and track lighting provided an ambiance of comfort and luxury. Anything she noted in this area would be minor, but she still wanted to view it from a guest’s point of view.
From there, she moved through Saguaro, the family restaurant, which was open from 7 AM to 10 PM every day. She waved to a few of the servers setting up a breakfast buffet and then went into the kitchen, which was a beehive of activity as the chef and her staff put finishing touches on serving trays and chafing dishes for display.
She moved quietly, like a shadow, from one public area in the hotel to another, checking the business center, the shops, and the large patio outside. She’d study the private staff areas another day. For now, she wanted to see the pools, tennis courts, and, of course, their well-known golf clubhouse. She could’ve taken the golf cart, but she found walking the property gave her a different perspective, allowing her to observe and carefully photograph more details and areas where improvements might be warranted.
At the golf club, she ran into Brent and Trace. They looked surprised to see her.
“What are you doing here?” Brent asked. “I didn’t know you played golf.”
“Now and then, I do,” she responded. “Not when it’s so busy.”
“We have an ‘in’ here at the club,” said Brent, giving her a wink. “A discount too.” He held up a golf club. “Isn’t this wedge a beauty?”
Trace studied her quietly. “Maybe we can play together sometime.”
She smiled. “Maybe. I’ll leave you to your fun.” To avoid any more conversation, Willow turned and left. She’d seen the brief look of dislike on the clerk’s face when Brent spoke and didn’t want to be associated with him. She’d hear about his actions later. There was no faster place for spreading news than within the staff of a hotel. So far, she hadn’t heard any gossip about Trace except that he was a hot guy. Nice too.
For lunch, she ate in the casual restaurant, Saguaro, trying to see it through a guest’s eyes. She made a few notes about the service staff, the menu, and the layout as she finished her meal and waited for her check. As soon as she could, she’d head back to Alec’s house to organize and write up her observations.
She looked up, saw Trace, and gave him a little wave.
He walked over to her. “May I join you?” he asked, giving her a smile that made her insides flutter.
“Sure,” she responded, trying to tell herself to stop being foolish. They might be working together for a while, but, in truth, other than that, they had little in common.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
LILY
Lily jogged along the path by the golf course lost in thought. When she’d mentioned she hoped to convince her sister to move out here, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted that to happen. She exchanged a lot of photographs with her sister and talked to Izzy as much as possible, considering the time difference. But it wasn’t enough.
She was so intent on her musing she didn’t hear Brian come up to her. Seeing him, she let out a little cry of surprise, stopped, and held a hand to her heart. “Oh, my! You scared me!”
He held up both hands and backed away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“No problem. How are you?” she asked. “Is it going to be another busy day?”
“Yes, I’ve got to be available for several more inspections. All part of the process.”
“Do you need me to join you?”
Brian smiled and shook his head. “No, thanks. It’s something I have to do alone. You’ve been working hard. Feel free to take the next couple of days off. We meet again at the end of the week.”
“Okay. In that case, I think I’ll use the time to look around. I like the idea of perhaps moving here one day.”
“Let me know what you discover.” He jogged away from her.
She watched him, marveling at how easy he made using a prosthesis look, but then he seemed such a capable guy in so many ways. She realized she was staring at his butt and laughed out loud. Though she didn’t want the other women to know, she hadn’t given up hope that he’d see her as more than Alec’s secretary.
She thought back to her earlier time at the inn and remembered how much she’d loved it. Maybe being here, helping Alec, was all about making changes in her life. Perhaps she’d get up her nerve to tell him she was interested in him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
ROSE
Rose headed out of the house prepared to act like a tourist so she could gather information for both her blog and her secret plan. Besides noting what attractions there were in the valley, she wanted to drive by other hotels for comparison purposes. If she could convince the people at the Blaise Group that there was more money to be made by upgrading the Desert Sage Inn instead of converting it to one of their ‘standard’ properties, she might even convince them to include one or two other properties. She’d studied their portfolio and thought there were two possibilities.
She drove her car along El Paseo, stopped at Starbucks for coffee, and headed east on Highway 111 through Indian Wells toward La Quinta, one of the areas she wanted to look at. As she traveled, she marveled at the growth that had taken place since she’d last lived here. But then, why not? The valley was a great place to visit in the winter, and more and more people were deciding to become year-round residents to escape a busier lifestyle on the coast or in colder climates.
The La Quinta Resort & Club was always a treat to see. It reminded her a lot of the Desert Sage Inn. She knew the history and reviewed it in her mind. San Francisco businessman Walter H. Morgan bought 1,400 acres of land from the native Cahuilla Indians in the early 1920s and enlisted the well-known architect Gordon Kaufman along with scores of artisan craftsman to turn his vision into reality. The adobe bricks and roof tiles were all made locally, she remembered. She drove down the long, majestic entrance lined with tall greenery and palm trees to the white-stucco buildings with red-tile roofs.
She was greeted by a valet attendant and happily left her car with him, eager to tour the property. She’d arranged to meet someone from their public relations department for coffee in Twenty6, a bistro restaurant with a 1920s art deco flair. On her way there, Rose breathed in the class, the style, the flavor of the hotel. This, she thought, is what they hoped to maintain at the Desert Sage Inn. Seeing this property, she vowed to fight hard for Alec even if it cost her the relationship she had been building with Hank.
The head of public relations for the resort was a pleasant young woman who reminded her of Willow. Friendly, informative, and attractive, she answered Rose’s questions, handed her several brochures and sheets of information, and made arrangements for Rose to return for a proper tour of the property and a heavily discounted stay at the resort.
Rose left the restaurant and took some time to look around on her own before returning to the front entrance to retrieve her car. She didn’t need a tour of the entire property at this stage. Just being here, seeing it again, she’d gained the inspiration she needed. And later, after the future of the Desert Sage Inn had been decided, she’d take advantage of the offer for an overnight stay so she could do the hotel justice for her blog.
She drove through other hotel properties in the area, including those in Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and Rancho Mirage, hotels like the J. W. Marriott, Hyatt Regency, The Ritz-Carlton, and Westin Mission Hills. She checked out new developments and shopping areas, getting a better idea of what had transpired in the valley in the last fourteen years. She’d read about the growth, of course, but as the saying went, a picture was worth a thousand words.
