From Now On: Atlanta Belles Read online

  Chapter 6

  It was a busy Monday morning at Atlanta Belles. The hum of blow dryers, the loud chatter of her staff and patrons, along with constant activity helped to keep Whitney from dwelling on Cash. What had she been thinking, or not, was more like it, to have let him walk back into her life and pick up where he’d left off seven years ago? She should’ve known better than to let that happen.

  With twenty minutes before her next customer, she went into her office to call her mortgage broker. It was a quick call that left her optimistic that she’d be able to get a larger loan. On her way out, she ran into Dixie, who seemed a little ticked off.

  The redhead crossed her arms over her chest. “I called you three times yesterday. I understand being busy with your boyfriend, but geez, you couldn’t take five minutes to call your best friend?”

  Whitney grabbed her and pulled her out the back door. Once they were out on the porch and alone, she hissed, “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s not anything to me other than a jerk.”

  Dixie’s thin brows shot up. “I take it dinner didn’t go too well.”

  It was amazing how quickly things changed in the course of a day. “Dinner was fabulous and for that one night, I thought I might have a future with Cash. But yesterday destroyed everything. I never should’ve trusted him. He’s no different now than he was before.”

  “What are you talking about? What happened?”

  Whitney gripped the porch railing and stared out at the backyard. “Cash is trying to buy this place. He’s trying to ruin my life and business. That’s what happened.”

  Dixie gasped. “I don’t understand. How is that even possible? I thought you had a deal with your landlord allowing you to buy it?”

  “Yeah, well, I had a verbal. So much for trusting people.”

  “What a snake! And Marshall seemed like such a nice guy.”

  “He is, and I don’t blame him. Cash offered twenty thousand over what I was going to pay. Who wouldn’t take that? That’s a lot of money. At least Marshall came to me before accepting and is giving me a chance to match it. If I can get prequalified, this place is still mine. I should know sometime this afternoon.”

  “I can’t believe Cash would do that to you.”

  “I never thought he’d leave Atlanta and break off our engagement either, but he did.”

  “I guess you just never really know someone.”

  “Yeah, you can say that again. Cash even stooped so low as to blame his uncle, saying he was the one who’d made the offer. Even if that’s true, someone had to tell Hunter about this place, and that someone was Cash.”

  Dixie shook her head. ‘This is crazy. What are you going to do if you can’t get the loan?”

  “I have no idea. I haven’t even thought about that. Right now I’m just praying that I get it. This isn’t all about me either. It’s about Mattie too. She loves it here. It’s her home.”

  “I suppose you’re not going to tell him about her.”

  “No. Of course not. And give him the chance to ruin her life too? No way.”

  “But don’t you think he’ll find out? Someone’s bound to tell him you have a daughter, and when he learns her age, it won’t take a genius to put two and two together.”

  “I have no doubt his mother will come up with some story to keep him from thinking Mattie is his. Eve’s very convincing. All she’d have to do is say I was involved with someone else… It’s not like Cash’ll ask for a paternity test. All he cares about is himself and Galloway Realty.” Whitney turned around when the back door opened.

  “Excuse me,” Allie said, looking a bit embarrassed, “I hate to interrupt, but your appointment’s here, Whit.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be right in.”

  Dixie squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this. You know I’m here for you. If there’s anything I can do, just ask.”

  “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Before Whitney went inside, Dixie said, “I don’t have any more appointments today, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to head out. I have a few things I need to do.”

  She offered Dixie a sad smile. “Of course. I’ll talk to you later.”

  * * * *

  Cash skimmed through ten listing sheets. He had a new client who wanted a house within walking distance of downtown Decatur. Normally, he’d find any number of properties that would meet that requirement. Today, though, he couldn’t focus on anything besides how miserable he was. He couldn’t even stand to be up front with Lee and Sally. They were too happy. So he holed up in a back office, alone with his misery.

  He’d expected Whitney to be upset yesterday. But he hadn’t expected her not to believe him. Maybe after a couple of days, he could try talking to her again and this time be able to convince her that he’d had nothing to do with the offer put in on her house. But he doubted it. One thing about Whit, once she made up her mind, it was near impossible to change it. She wanted nothing to do with him, and short of a miracle, there wasn’t a thing that would alter that.

  Cash leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, wishing he’d never come back to Atlanta. He might not have been in love with the hustle and bustle of New York City and the cut-throat deals, but if he hadn’t convinced his uncle to open an office here, Whitney wouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing her home and business. How could she start over? She’d poured everything into that location. For the first time in his life, he despised Hunter. Over the years, he’d made excuses for his behavior, but this time his uncle had crossed the line. If he managed to steal the property from Whitney, Cash would never forgive him. The man who’d been like a father to him would no longer be a part of his life.

  The ringing office phone shifted his thoughts back to what he should be doing—work. He picked it up, expecting there to be a client on the other end, so he made an attempt at a cheery hello, but when he heard his uncle’s raspy voice, his tone shifted to one of annoyance.

  “Marshall Porter left me a voice mail informing me that Whitney would be purchasing his property after all. She was able to get a preapproval, and he was accepting her offer.”

  “Good. That’s as it should be. I just wish that she didn’t have to pay twenty thousand more for the property.”

  “I called to bring you up to speed, not that we’re out of the running. As soon as I hang up with you, I’m calling him back and putting in a higher offer. One she won’t be able to meet.”

  “No, you’re not.” Cash ripped out the words impatiently.

  “Excuse me.” His uncle’s vexation was evident.

  “You heard me. You’re not calling Marshall back, because if you do, you’ll have to find someone else to run this office. And that’s not all. I’ll open up a competing brokerage, and put your Atlanta branch out of business. And you know that’s true, because you trained me. Even said I was the best out there.” Cash paused to take a breath, expecting Hunter to cut in, but when he didn’t, Cash went on. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’ve looked up to you my entire life, wanting to be just like you, until I realized you were not only cold and heartless, but cruel too. I never want to be like that. And I never will. I’ll cut my ties with you, and I won’t look back.”

  “Are you finished?”

  “Guess so. I don’t have anything else to say.”

  “Well, I do.” His voice was cold as ice.

  Cash stiffened, waiting for the attack.

  “I think of you as my son,” Hunter went on to say. “I raised you to be tough and independent. To speak your mind and not be intimidated by anyone.” There was a long pause, and for a moment, Cash wondered if his uncle was still on the line, then he heard him clear his throat and say, “If you can stand up to me and make me change my mind, then I taught you right. You’re everything that I hoped to be, but never came close to. I’m proud of you, Cash. This Atlanta office is yours. Do what you want with it. Let me know when you find a property. And one more thing. Don’t let that girl get away.”

 
Cash was speechless in his surprise, and before he could find his voice, the phone went dead. He sat there for a moment with the receiver in his hand before hanging up. Hunter was many things, but today he demonstrated kindness, and he wasn’t the only one who was proud. Cash was proud of him too.

  Still in a cloud of disbelief, he didn’t hear the door open. It wasn’t until Lee said, “There’s someone named Dixie hear to see you,” that Cash came back down to earth.

  “Dixie? Okay. Thanks. Tell her to come back here.” He closed his laptop, then straightened his tie. What in the world could she want?

  A minute later, he heard the clicking of heels against the wood floor, and then Whitney’s best friend appeared.

  Her straight glance seemed to be accusing. “Is it true that you didn’t have anything to do with Galloway Realty wanting to buy Whitney’s house? And don’t you lie to me.”

  He held her stare. “That’s right. I had nothing to do with it. It was my uncle who wanted the property, not me.”

  She plopped down in the chair across from him, her heavily glossed lips puckered with annoyance. “Whitney doesn’t believe you, but I had to find out for myself, because it’s hard to think that even you could do something that despicable. I saw the way you looked at her when she was cutting your hair, and unless I’m blind, you’re still in love with her.”

  “That’s true. But she thinks I’m a monster.” He shuddered inwardly at the thought. “Hopefully now that her offer has been accepted and this craziness is over, she won’t hate me.”

  Dixie’s eyes widened. “You mean she’s prequalified?”

  “Yep. I hung up the phone with my uncle just before you got here. He wanted to put in a counter offer, but I threatened to quit, along with a few other things if he did. So the house is Whitney’s, and I couldn’t be happier for her.”

  The tense lines around Dixie’s mouth disappeared. “Thanks for doing that.”

  “I wish I could’ve done more, like made sure that none of this happened in the first place.”

  Dixie stood. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”

  He smiled at her. “Thanks.”

  After she left, he sat there awhile going over in his mind the scene at Whitney’s yesterday. He’d never seen her look more heartbroken and was glad that he had a hand in bringing her some happiness today. It was nice to think that with Dixie on his side, Whitney might forgive him. But he wasn’t putting much stock on it.

  * * * *

  Whitney listened to the cicadas sing, and their gentle serenade mesmerized her. After such a stressful day, she needed this relaxation. Although elated that she was getting the loan and that Marshall accepted her offer, a part of her kept waiting for another bomb to drop. If she knew anything at all about Cash, it was that he hated to lose. But instead of dwelling on the negative, she’d decided to remain positive, so after everyone left for the day, she went out on the patio with her laptop to enjoy nature and go over the proofs that Travis had sent her. Yesterday when she’d been in the process of doing that, Marshall arrived with the devastating news. Hopefully today nothing would happen to prevent her from selecting the picture that would become the poster for her charity event. Time was ticking and Travis needed to get to work on that if he was going to have it ready in time.

  She’d called him a little while ago, and he’d apologized for getting upset when she couldn’t have dinner with him. Whitney was glad they were back on good terms. She valued his friendship and would hate to lose it.

  Clarice jumped up from beside her and started barking when the back door opened. Whitney closed the lid of her laptop, then turned around to find Dixie coming down the porch steps.

  “You look like you’re in a much better mood than when I left you.” Dixie dragged a chair across the patio, setting it beside her, and then sat down.

  Whitney grinned. “I’m buying the house.”

  “I heard.”

  “You did?”

  There was a tense moment of silence before Dixie said, “Cash told me.”

  Whitney stared at her with her mouth wide open.

  “I went to see him. I’m sorry, Whit. I hope you’re not mad, but I couldn’t imagine Cash stabbing you in the back like that. And I was right. He didn’t. It really was his uncle’s doing. Cash didn’t have anything to do with it. In fact, Hunter wanted to put in a counter offer, but Cash threatened to quit Galloway. So you see, not only was he telling you the truth, but he got his uncle to agree to look for another place.”

  Whitney was caught off guard by this. She sat there blank, amazed, and suddenly quite embarrassed. She’d treated Cash horribly yesterday, the memory of her harsh words ringing in his ears. “Looks like I owe him an apology.”

  “You’re darn tootin’. That man is in love with you and deserves a second chance.”

  She chewed her bottom lip. “I know. I just need a little time. So much has happened…”

  “Sure. But don’t take too long. And you need to tell him about Mattie too. It’s the perfect time…while you’re starting over.”

  Whitney knew Dixie was right, but she was going to have to dig deep to find the courage to tell Cash he had a daughter. She opened her laptop and clicked on the file with the charity event photos. “Which one do you like best?”

  “The one where we’re all laughing.” Dixie pointed to the last shot taken.

  She offered a broad smile of approval. “That’s my favorite too.”

  Chapter 7

  The next few days were filled with preparations for this weekend’s charity event Thankfully, Allie reminded Whitney that she had an eleven o’clock meeting at the public library this morning. She’d been on the board of the Kirkwood Business Owner’s Association for years. Meetings were held monthly, and she enjoyed the hour or so break they gave her from the salon. That was especially true today. Not that she didn’t enjoy the congratulations that had been pouring in ever since word got out—thank you very much Dixie—that she was buying the house. But it all seemed a little overwhelming considering what she went through.

  Footsteps sounded behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see who had entered the room. She took a quick breath of surprise that it was Cash. As their eyes met, a new and unexpected warmth surged through her. There was an empty seat next to her that she had her handbag on and one across the table next to Kay, a pretty brunette. Whitney quickly took her bag off the chair and set it on the floor, then pointed to the empty seat. Cash hesitated a moment before heading over to her, and for a second, she thought he might ignore her.

  “You don’t mind if I sit here?” His tone was subdued.

  “Not at all. I hope you will.”

  He gave her a half smile as he sat down. “Whit, I’m so sorry—”

  “I’m the one who should be sorry,” she said, cutting him off. “And I am…deeply. It was wrong of me not to believe you and to accuse you of trying to steal my property.” She lowered her gaze, afraid to look any more deeply into his gorgeous blue eyes and find the love that had once been there was gone. “Dixie told me what you did—how you stood up to your uncle. You risked everything that you’d worked so hard for, and you did it for me.”

  “And I’d do it again.” He moved his leg so that his thigh brushed up against hers.

  Her heart jolted and something intense flowed through her. Before she could continue the conversation, the association president opened the meeting, and then the secretary read the notes of the last one. After that, the membership chair introduced Cash.

  “I’d like y’all to meet our newest member, Cash Galloway of Galloway Realty Atlanta,” he said. We’re glad to have you, Cash. Do you happen to know what committee you’d like to be on?”

  “I’m the co-chair of the Wine Walk,” Whitney whispered.

  Cash flashed a dazzling smile. “I do. I’d like to work on the Wine Walk.”

  “Noted,” the secretary said, smiling back at him.

  The rest of the meeting went by in a blur. The nearne
ss of Cash along with the heady scent of his cologne were major distractors.

  Afterwards, as they walked out together, Whitney said, “I’m having a charity event on Saturday. It’s a cut-a-thon and mixer.” She glanced up at his hair. “Obviously you don’t need a cut, but there’ll be a barbeque out back, and Jimmy Sayer will be playing. He’s a favorite around here.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Two o’clock okay?”

  “It’s perfect,” he replied.

  Cash leaned in toward her so that she could feel his breath on her cheek, and for a moment, she thought he might kiss her, but a couple of giggling teenagers walked by and the moment passed.

  “I’ll see you Saturday.” The smoldering flame she saw in his eyes sent a tingling to the pit of her stomach.

  She watched him walk away before getting in her car and heading back to Atlanta Belles. When she got there, as usual, the salon was abuzz with activity.

  Chantilly, her massage therapist, came rushing over. “We’re out of lavender essential oil. That’s Mary Sue’s favorite, and she’s due here any minute.”

  Whitney put a hand on her shoulder. “Relax. There’s a box of oils in my office.”

  “Thanks! You’re a lifesaver,” she proclaimed as she raced down the hall.

  Allie left the reception desk to give Whitney a huge cardboard tube. “This came while you were gone.”

  She knew immediately what was inside—the event poster. With Allie’s help, they unrolled the four-foot-by-six-foot image of the Atlanta Belles’ staff. The high-resolution glossy photo was so lifelike that Whitney could almost believe that the women were really standing there.

  Dixie came out of the cutting room and stopped to stare. “Travis is a genius. These get better every year. This is my favorite by far.” She glanced over at Whitney. “And you look amazing. Not that you don’t in person, but look at your eyes, they’re like emeralds.”

  Whitney laughed. “Travis must’ve used some fancy photo manipulation.” And to Allie, she said, “Let’s get this rolled back up before it gets damaged.” When the poster was back in the tube, she handed it to the receptionist. “Would you mind putting it on the desk in my office?” Then she turned to Dixie. “Got a minute?”