16
Brook
I believe deep in my bones that I was supposed to meet you but the time wasn’t right. Being apart hurts, but I have faith we’ll meet again. Only fate knows the place and time, but when that happens, I’ll be right here waiting… -J
I was pathetic.Completely and utterly head over heels in love with Dane. The man who’d put distance between us since the blow-up with his uncle. Last night was a brief reprieve, but even that was clouded by his behavior over the past week. This morning, that distance had become more than metaphorical when he’d slipped out of bed before dawn to catch a flight home. I’d known it was coming, known he’d only be gone long enough to be there when his dad was released from prison, but that didn’t make my heart ache any less. I hated reaching out as I woke up and coming back with nothing but cold sheets.
Maybe I was weak for pretending to stay asleep when his alarm had gone off, convincing myself that if we didn’t say goodbye, maybe he’d still be there when I woke up for my shift. If I’d opened my eyes and rolled over, I could have tasted his lips one last time, begged him to fuck me hard enough I’d still be aching when his return flight landed. But I hadn’t, telling myself it would have made it harder for him to leave rather than dwelling on my own feelings.
I tossed back the covers, taking in the gray morning before me. It seemed fitting that nearly every day we’d been together had been sunny and warm, and the day he left was dreary. Shuffling to the bathroom, I spied a note tented on the vanity.
In case I haven’t said it, thank you for everything. You’re an amazing man. It sounds cheesy, but you’ve taught me so much over the past month and I’ll never forget that. It’s because of you that I finally have hope. Everything will turn out exactly as it’s supposed to.
Please be careful. The situation is being handled, but it’s going to take a bit more time.
Love,
Me
I reread the words until I had the note memorized. Last night, as we drifted off to sleep, he’d run through his plans with me, telling me repeatedly that he’d be back in five days. But the note he’d left this morning felt like goodbye. I dialed his number, hoping to catch him before his flight was in the air, needing reassurance that I was being stupid. Needing to remind him how much he meant to me and hearing that he felt the same. When the call went directly to voicemail, I didn’t bother leaving a message. Once his plane landed in New York, he’d have enough to deal with. I had to believe his plans hadn’t changed overnight.
I went through my morning routine on autopilot, skipping coffee until I got down to the lobby because I couldn’t stand another minute alone in the suite Dane and I had made into our sanctuary. I stumbled downstairs, trying to pump myself up for another long day of dealing with people. The new employees would be in later in the day, but breakfast was all on me.
Except as I reached the first floor, I smelled freshly brewed coffee and noticed the lights were on in the breakfast room. Even though it was impossible, I jogged down the last few stairs and across the lobby in case Dane’s plans had changed and he’d let me sleep in this morning. My heart sank as I took in the empty room.Maybe he did this before he left?
“Ah, there you are.” My shoulders tensed as I cautiously spun to see James leaning against the front desk. He was dressed in a shirt and tie like always, but his appearance was rumpled, as though he’d fallen asleep behind his desk. His hair stuck out at odd angles and there were dark circles around his sunken eyes. In short, the guy looked like hell.
While it was nice to see James hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth, his presence while Dane was gone made me nervous. Yes, I’d complained to Dane that he was being overly protective and needed to trust me to take care of myself, but that was before. Looking at James, I wasn’t sure I could look out for both of us if those guys came back again. And Ireallydidn’t want to call Dane and let him know they’d beaten the shit out of James for still not having their money.
“What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I took a step back. I wanted to understand why James had borrowed the money he had, but now that I’d had time to think about the entire situation, I was pissed. He’d put my life on the line, both by inviting the thug patrol to hang around, trying to get through to him, and because if his nonplan fell apart, it would have meant the end of my job. Good intentions didn’t mean much this morning, not when I was hanging on by a frayed emotional thread. “Shouldn’t you be hiding under a rock somewhere?”
“Brook, I wanted to apologize. I’ve made so many mistakes I’ve lost count, but you have to know I didn’t expect it to take so long to get Dane down here. If we’d been able to settle the estate in time—”
I bit my tongue because James was an idiot. Even if Dane had been here when his grandfather died, the estate wouldn’t be settled by now.
“You’d still be in the same predicament.” I cut him off because I had neither the time nor the desire to hear his bullshit logic. “The problem is you didn’t think any of this through. If you had, you’d have called the contractors, explained the situation, and asked for them to void the contracts Phillip signed. And they would have. Do you think this is the first time someone has died before work was completed?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but I cut him off. “The answer you’re looking for is no. You didn’t think about that. You were so intent on proving to your dad that you weren’t a screwup, that you truly cared about him, that you almost destroyed everything. Now that he’s gone, you’re trying to make up for everything you did wrong when you were younger.
“It’s too late, James. You can’t honor your dad’s wishes posthumously as recompense. Now, you have to trust that Phillip knew what he was doing when he left half the inn to Dane. He’s the only hope you have for saving it.”
I felt no joy watching James deflate as I railed on him. He jumped when the door opened behind him, nearly doubling over when he realized it was only the housekeeper coming in for her shift. I waved as she passed, shaking my head when she stopped to say something to James. This wasn’t a good time; I’d catch up with her shortly and come up with some sort of explanation.
“You love my nephew, don’t you?” James asked once we were alone again. That was an understatement, but I wasn’t about to give James any information he could use to exploit Dane. Hell, the only reason I’d reached out to Dane in the first place was because James had hoped I would help him gather information he could use against Dane.
“What I said has nothing to do with him,” I spat out. “Deep down, I think you know how special the inn is. That’s why you were willing to gamble to save it. I’m angry right now because this place feels like home to me too. That’s why I’ve stayed as long as I have even if the pay isn’t great.”
“Once things are settled down, I was planning to give you a raise.”
I snorted at his interruption. The man was one unpleasant visitor away from losing the inn and still he was wheeling and dealing, trying to save his ass.
“Stop, James. That’s not what this is about. Like I was saying before you interrupted me, I’m not here because I don’t have options. Before Phillip died, I saw his vision and I wanted to be part of something magical. Year after year, the same families came back and they’d stay here because Phillip remembered them. He never forgot a name. What seemed cheesy when I was a kid started to have meaning as I got older. And now I love watching the families walk through the doors, seeing how much their kids have grown, hearing about their lives. That’s what makes the inn special and you’ve done your damnedest to ruin it. Not just for yourself. Not for Dane and his dad. Not for me. For everyone. You’ve put them in danger by borrowing money you didn’t have a solid plan to repay.”
“You’re right. Nothing I can say will make it better. Whether or not you believe it, I’ve learned a valuable lesson, and this is the last time something like this happens.”
Before I could lay into him yet again, little footsteps stomped down the stairs, the sound echoing through the lobby. I waved James toward the office and raced behind the desk.
The first family of the morning was one of those I’d just been telling James about. Their oldest was only four, but the parents had been visiting every year since their honeymoon. Phillip had been overjoyed the year they’d walked in and Lucy looked ready to deliver any day. The following year, he’d insisted on throwing an early birthday party for Hunter, their little girl who was born just weeks after they left the beach. It was somber greeting them this year, knowing how excited Phillip had been when he received an email from Lucy, letting him know they’d need a crib in their room this year.
These were the reasons I’d never forgive James for what he’d done, no matter the reasons.
