Duty Or Desire

Wallace Blue had been her father’s protégé. The man Elias Hollister had groomed for years to replace him at the company whenever that time came. At least her father had the good sense not to make Baron his successor, recognizing at an early age that her brother lacked the skills, knowledge and compassion to ever head a company the size, depth and magnitude of Hollister Enterprises.

Her father thought his only son’s lack of character stemmed from Baron having been raised by his mother, who’d been Elias’s first wife. He thought Charlene had raised her son to be just as callous, calculating and cruel as she was. Myra hadn’t known just how true those allegations were until her involvement with Rick Stovers.

She should not have been surprised that Baron’s behavior would get worse after her parents died unexpectedly. The first thing Baron had done was go after Wallace, who’d been in place to head the company. Rumor had it that Baron, along with his devious mother, had gotten to the stockholders after obtaining damaging information on their pasts. Baron and Charlene had threatened to expose the information if the stockholders didn’t vote Wallace out and put Baron in as Myra’s father’s replacement.

“It’s a burner phone and I wanted to check to make sure you’re okay,” Wallace was saying. “Your brother is more devious than ever and I think he might have put a tracker on my regular phone. He’s desperate to find you.”

Myra could believe that because in two months, when she turned twenty-five, the entire company became hers and there was nothing Baron or the stockholders could do about it. It was Baron’s intention that she not show up at that meeting where she would take control of the company, appoint Wallace as the CEO and show Baron the door. How he planned to stop her was anyone’s guess, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

“I can’t understand why you’re still working there,” she said.

“Because while I’m here I can make sure Hollister Enterprises stays profitable until it’s time for you to take over. Otherwise, Baron will bankrupt it. All Baron’s friends are working here and they don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”

Myra believed Wallace. Her father had said often enough that Baron had no business sense and as far as Myra was concerned the men he hung out with, mostly frat brothers, were just as bad. “Well, let Baron continue to look for me. I think this is the last place he’ll think to look. According to Cleo, he thinks I’m somewhere in Spain, which is why Charlene tried to have my passport revoked so I couldn’t return to the States.”

“Don’t put anything past her, Myra. Over the years she’s been known to have bed partners in some pretty high places.”

Myra could believe that. Baron even bragged about his mother’s past lovers and how she could get some of them to do just about anything for her. Baron and Charlene disliked Wallace because they saw him as taking Baron’s place in Elias’s life. Baron and Wallace were nearly the same age, and yet as different as day and night. Wallace, whose father had been Elias’s best friend since childhood, always carried himself with professionalism and honesty.

“So, what’s going on with you?” Wallace asked her, breaking into her thoughts.

She shrugged, not surprised he’d asked. She considered him the big brother Baron had never been. “Not much. Paula needs to turn this house back into an Airbnb for the holidays, so I’ll be moving out in a week.”

“And going where?”

“Not sure. There’s a woman I’ve met who relocated from Savannah,” she said, thinking about Bella Westmoreland. “She owns a private B and B. I plan to talk to her about moving into one of the rooms there for two months. Just till Christmas. I told you why I’m avoiding hotels.”

“Yes, because Baron could trace your whereabouts if you don’t,” Wallace said. “I just hate you’re on the run like this. If your father was alive, he—”

“But Dad isn’t alive, Wallace, and we need to carry out his wishes like he would want us to do. I’m fine, just a little inconvenienced.”

She and Wallace knew the truth. She was being inconvenienced a whole lot. It was never her desire to get tied to the family’s business. Her father had always respected her decision. But she’d known, because he’d told her, that if anything happened to him and her mother simultaneously, the company would become hers. He’d instructed her to make sure Wallace was CEO so he could run things. And that was what she intended to do. Her twenty-fifth birthday couldn’t get here soon enough. Now, if she could only stay hidden from Baron until then.

“You still working on your thesis?” Wallace asked her.

She moved back to the table to sit down. “Yes, but not as much as I should.” Then, because she wanted to share her disappointment with someone, she said, “I interviewed for a nanny position last week.”

“That’s great. How’s that working out for you?”

Knowing Wallace figured she’d gotten the job, she said, “I wasn’t hired. The guy thought I was too young.”

“Too young?”

“Yes. I think he was looking for an older, matronly woman.”

“Too bad, it’s his loss. You’re good with kids and would have been a great nanny.”

She believed that, too. At that moment her doorbell rang. “Thanks. I have to go. Someone is at the door.”

“Okay. Make sure you check to see who it is before opening it, Myra.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.” She clicked off the phone and headed for the door.

Pete couldn’t believe he was here, but it had taken his best friend Derringer Westmoreland to help make him realize that just like Bonnie had said, Myra Hollister was the best person to be nanny to Ciara. Besides, he was running out of time.

Bonnie would be leaving town next week and so far, the women he’d interviewed had been so lacking in certain skills he’d quickly shown them the door. Then there had been Ciara’s reaction to each of them. She had taken one look and started screaming her dislike.

According to Derringer, Jason’s wife, Bella, and Myra Hollister had become friends. Bella had invited Ms. Hollister to one of those Westmoreland family chow-downs, something the Westmorelands got together for every Friday, and the one thing they’d all been amazed about was how the Westmoreland kids had taken to Myra and she to them. It was as if she was a modern-day Mary Poppins.

Something else Derringer had said had helped Pete see reason. If he truly wanted what was best for Ciara, then he would get the best. It would be up to him to keep things professional between him and his nanny. He had to agree with that. All he had to do was remember his relationship with Ms. Hollister was strictly business.

He intended to make sure it stayed that way.

So here he was on Myra Hollister’s doorstep with Ciara in tow. It was his day off and he hoped Ms. Hollister was still interested in the job. He glanced down at his niece who was smiling happily at him.

Suddenly the door opened and Myra stood there with a surprised look on her face. “Good morning, Sheriff Higgins.”

He was about to ask if he could come in when Ciara released a happy scream and all but jumped out of his arms into Ms. Hollister’s. He tightened his hold on his niece as she tried twisting out of his arms.

“You can let her go. I have her,” Myra Hollister said. Ciara not only went to the woman but wrapped her arms around her neck as if Myra Hollister was her lifeline.

He’d seen the interaction between Bonnie and Ciara numerous times and had seen the bond developing between them over the months. But he hadn’t been prepared for this, although he’d been forewarned.

“Hey there, Ciara, how are you, sweetie?” Myra asked her, and that’s when Ciara pushed back to look up at the woman while smiling brightly.

Myra Hollister lifted her eyes over Ciara’s head to look at Pete, who could only stare back at her. Today she looked even younger. The legal drinking age in Colorado was twenty-one, and he could see her getting carded easily. Few would believe she was twenty-four without proof. She was wearing her hair down and around her shoulders as she had the other day, and he wondered if the curls were as fluffy as they looked.

“Would you like to come in, Sheriff Higgins?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter, propping Ciara on her hip.

“She’s heavy,” he said, reaching for his niece once they were inside. Again Ciara rebuffed his outstretched hands and clung to Myra.

“She’s fine. Come in by the fireplace. Glad to see you have her dressed properly.”

“Of course,” he said, taking off his Stetson and hanging it on the hat rack by the door.

It was October and the temperature was below freezing. Did she think he didn’t know to dress his niece for the cold weather? Granted, he would admit Bonnie had made it easy for him by laying Ciara’s clothes out the night before.

“Would you like something to drink, Sheriff Higgins? I have tea, hot chocolate and coffee.”

When she sat down on the sofa with Ciara, he sat in the chair across from her. “No, I’m fine.”

He knew from Bonnie that Myra was leasing this home. He liked the community and recalled it had once been his area to patrol when he was a deputy. The people were friendly and because of a neighborhood watch program, crime had been practically nonexistent.

“I want to apologize for my behavior the other day. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He decided to get it out there. He wished he wasn’t noticing how good she looked sitting there in her leggings and pullover sweater. Or how at eleven o’clock on a cold Monday morning she reminded him of a bright ray of sunshine.