letter, but she had a faxed copy of the letter in question in her hand.
And a head of steam that threatened to blow like a geyser.
She was dragging her shoes back on when Hayley popped in, the baby on her hips. "David says dinner's . . . whoa, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. " She snatched the letter up from where she'd tossed it on the bed. "Here's what's wrong. That miserable, snake-spined son of a bitch has tried my patience once too often. "
" 'The admittance of individuals of lower-class backgrounds and mixed ethnicity,' " Hayley read, holding the paper out of Lily's reach. " 'Staff members of dubious character. Demeaning intimacy between staff and members, substandard service. ' " Her eyes were huge as she shifted them back up to Roz's face. "You didn't write this. "
"Of course I didn't. And I'm going to take that letter, find Bryce Clark, and stuff it down his lying throat. "
"No. " Hayley jumped to block the door, her move so fast it had Lily laughing and bouncing in anticipation of another ride.
"No? What do you meanno ? I'm done taking this. Finished. And he's going to know it when I'm done with him. "
"You can't. You're too mad to go anywhere. " The fact was, she'd never seen Roz this angry, and Stella's term of a little bit scary was currently bumped up too many levels to count. "And I don't know much about this sort of thing, but I'd bet a month's pay this is just what he's hoping for. You need to sit down. "
"I need to kick his balls blue. "
"Well, yeah, that'd be great. Except he's probably expecting it, and he's probably got something worked out so you'll get arrested or something for assault. He's playing you, Roz. "
"You think I don't know that?" She threw her arms out as she spun around, looking for something to kick, to hurl, to punch. "You think I don'tknow what that bastard's doing? I'm not going tostand here and take it anymore. "
The shout, the fury in it had Lily's face crumpling, her little mouth trembling an instant before the wail.
"God, now I'm scaring babies. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Here, let me have her. "
Lily continued to sob as Roz took her out of Hayley's arms and cuddled her in her own. "There, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad at your mama. I'm so sorry, baby girl. " She crooned, and nuzzled while Lily clung to her. "I'm mad at this no-account, slimy-assed, cocksucking son of a bitch who's doing whatever he can to complicate my life. "
"You saidcocksucking ," Hayley whispered. Awed.
"Sorry. She doesn't know what I'm saying, so it won't hurt her. " Lily's tears were down to sniffles as she began to pull at the ends of Roz's hair. "I shouldn't have yelled like that in front of her. It's the tone that scares her, not the words. "
"But you saidcocksucking . "
This time Roz laughed. "I'm so mad," she said, walking the baby, and calming them both. "Just so mad. And you're right, and that's just annoying. I can't go tearing out of here and going after him. It's just what he's looking for. It's all right, it'll be all right. He can't do anything that can't be fixed. "
"I'm sorry Roz. I wish I could go kick his balls blue for you. "
"Thanks, honey, that's a sweet thing to say. We'll just go down to dinner. " She held Lily up, blew on her belly to make her laugh. "We'll just go down to dinner and forget all about the asshole, won't we, baby girl?"
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely. "
"Okay. You know, I don't know as snakes have spines. "
Roz blinked at her. "What?"
"You saidsnake-spined - before, when you were raving about Bryce. I'm not sure they have actual spines. Maybe just some sort of skeletal cartilage. Could be wrong, though. I don't much like snakes, so I haven't paid a lot of attention. "
"You never fail, Hayley, just never fail to baffle me. "
Chapter Fifteen
ROZ PUTMITCHoff for a day, then for two. She wanted her head clear, her temper calm, and it wasn't happening quickly. She needed a meeting with her lawyer, and felt obliged to schedule another with William Rolls at the club.
She hated, absolutely hated, being pulled away from her work, particularly at the very start of high season. She could thank God for Stella, as always for Harper, and for Hayley as well. She could be confident that her business was in the best of hands.