“If memory serves, you accused her of some pretty horrible stuff when the reality was that her family was freaking awful. I’m guessing Maisie’s family is kind of the same way; otherwise, why would it be so dire for her to get this job?”
Walker didn’t respond because he was too busy glaring back at him, but Axel had no regrets about what he said. The truth was his friend had been really hard on Harlow when they were first dating. He spoke and acted without thinking or even knowing all the facts, so who was he to be giving Axel advice?
“Look, I get it,” Axel said because he couldn’t stand the silence. “You made mistakes, and you’re trying to keep me from doing the same.”
“Exactly.”
“I wouldn’t even know what to do. She hasn’t shared anything about her life. I don’t even know where she lives. Normally, I’m okay with that sort of thing. I prefer keeping things casual, so I have no idea how to go about finding out anything about her without pushing her away.”
“Well…maybe you should ask Milo to do a little digging,” Walker said carefully. “You know he’s a damn whiz when it comes to searching for information online. If you called and asked…”
But he was already shaking his head. “No. That’s an invasion of privacy. I can’t do that. It feels wrong.”
“How else are you going to find out anything if she won’t tell you?”
“I don’t know, but…I don’t want to be that guy. It’s like being a stalker.”
“No, it’s not. If you’re legitimately concerned about her, then you should try to find out more about her background. I’m not saying get her credit report and have someone follow her, but you can at least get her address.”
“Why don’t we have that? With the contract, I thought that would be important information.”
“Her company has a P.O. Box in Westchester, but that doesn’t mean that’s where she lives.”
Axel rolled his eyes. “No, but it’s a start, right?”
They were interrupted when one of their foremen came over to ask Walker about some of the furniture for their owner’s suite. When they walked away, he decided to go over and say hello to Maisie. She was studying something on her tablet but looked up and smiled when she saw him getting closer.
“Hey,” she said softly. “I was curious if you were going to say hello, but you looked pretty intense over there with Walker. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just talking about some stuff that I might need to do.”
Way to be vague…
“By the look on your face, you’re not happy about it.”
He shrugged. “It’s not anything I want to do, but…I think I have to.”
Tilting her head, she gave him a sympathetic look. “Anything I can help with?”
You could tell me about your damn life so I wouldn’t have to snoop!
Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “No, but thank you.” He glanced around at all the work going on around them. “Everything going okay in here?”
“It is! Oh my goodness, I love seeing the rooms come together! Would you like to see one?”
“Uh…sure.”
“Come on.” Taking his hand in hers, she led him through the stacks of boxes and the workers hustling about. She led them down the hallway they had used that first night in the storm, but she kept going all the way down to the end. They stopped outside one of the doors, and she faced him again. “This room is a suite. It’s got a little more detail and personality, and I think it’s going to be a favorite with your guests.”
All he could do was nod because he wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Ready?” she asked, and he nodded again. Stepping in front of him, Maisie opened the door with a playful little push, stepping aside so Axel could be the first to cross the threshold. The room smelled faintly of cedar, paint, and new fabric—the kind of scents that cling when something’s been built with care.
Inside, the space glowed. Weathered wood planks lined the walls, their texture softened by creamy drapes that swayed gently from the air conditioning blowing through the vents. Edison bulbs cast a honeyed light across the rough-hewn beams and the stone fireplace on the far wall.
Glancing at her in mild surprise, he asked, “When did we put in fireplaces?”
“Oh, it’s an electronic one. It’s really just for show. I mentioned it to Walker, and he loved the idea. We only put them in a handful of suites. But isn’t it fabulous?”
