I roll my eyes at his predictable quip. “I really am proud of you, Ben.”
“Want to know something?” he beams. “I’m pretty fucking proud of myself too. And to think it all started at dinner with my fake fiancée.” He nuzzles my neck. “Remind me to thank Milton the next time I see him.”
I giggle. “I will. You know he’s bound to be there for the ribbon cutting.”
“Jeez, that guy. I’m worried I might find him sitting in the lobby every morning, reading those guest books.” Ben snorts. He pushes up, rolling to the edge of the bed. “Do you want to shower first while I make you some coffee?”
My heart melts. From day one this man has put me first. “No, baby. This is your big day. I’ll get the coffee going. You go shower.”
He gives me a sexy wink before sauntering into the bathroom, only to return moments later. “And it’sourbig day.” He heads toward the shower, the view of his rock-hard ass makes me wish we had time for round two. His words cut through my lusty haze from the other room. “I can’t wait until my beautiful wife has her handmade soaps lining the gift shop shelves and placed in each and every guest room.”
God, I love him.
Ben
I’m pacingback and forth in the kitchen when Grace spots me, instantly becoming alarmed.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is your mom okay?”
“What? No, she’s fine. Everything’s fine. Why?”
“Because you’re about to tear a hole through the linoleum marching back and forth like that.”
I ball my hands into fists on my hips and give her a playful smirk. “First, it’s travertine, not linoleum. And second, I’m nervous as hell.” I’ve sunk so much of my time, sweat, and personal equity into this resort. The pride over making it to opening day is being replaced by the fear my business could go bankrupt if no one books rooms. It just has to be successful.
Grace comes closer, wrapping her arms around me. “It’s going to be great. I mean, it’s opening day, and you’re already sold out through the rest of the month.”
I admit that fact alone shocked me when the hotel manager I hired shared the news. Not sure how it happened given how late in the game I got around to advertising. Turns out, building it was the easy part. Letting the world know, well, that’s an area I need to leave to someone much more qualified.
My momentary relief fades as anxiety kicks its bony ass. I check my pockets again on instinct before shaking my head. Good grief, man. It’s been over a year. It’s not there. Just move on. I rub the center of my chest where an ache has bloomed until I see the worried expression on my wife’s face.
Why am I like this?
It was only a stupid little good luck charm. And I believed it to be lucky merely because I wanted it to be. I carried it with me to exams, my mother’s wedding to Charles, my first day driving… anything that made me the slightest bit nervous. But Grace is my lucky charm now.
She’s all I need.
“I should’ve gone down the same path as my stepfather and Devon. They’d done all of the heavy lifting and have so much money it’d be no big loss to them if it fell through. But, no. I had to carve my own path.” I turn to take her hand in mine, only to discover she’s not here.Shit.Was it something I said?
Grace rushes back into the room, thrusting her balled fist in my direction. “Here. This might help.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s something I found. I meant to take it back. But now I’m thinking you might need it more than the owner.” As her clenched fist unfurls, the tarnished brass compass comes into view. Flipping it over, I mouth the words.
Follow your heart.
Tears well in my eyes.“I can’t believe it. Where did you get this?”
She pauses. The exuberant smile falling from her face. “It was in the back of the truck I rented.”
Lost in the shock of finding my father’s compass again I completely miss what she’s saying. “What?”
“The day I rented my moving truck, I found it in the front seat. I put it in my pocket, planning to return it with the truck. But life got in the way and I completely forgot about it. So I put it in the jewelry box you got me for Valentine’s Day.”
My mind goes back to a time when I was trying to move on with my life after my ex-girlfriend and I hit the skids. And to think I was sosure I knew what my future looked like back then. Then entered Grace and her broken down truck.
“This was my father’s. I used to carry it around everywhere. It was like having a small piece of him with me.” I dust my thumb over the dull surface. “I don’t remember much about him now. What his smile looked like. Or the sound of his voice. I was only five when he died.”
