18
Brook
It’s too soon, but I hope you know I’m already planning forever with you. If the past few months have been this good, I can’t even imagine what a lifetime of loving you will feel like. I can’t wait for you to get home. -O
Back at the apartment.Everything going okay there?
I rolled my eyes when I read Dane’s message. It didn’t matter how many times I told him he didn’t need to worry, it seemed to be his nature. And I should be happy that he cared enough to check in with me.
Yep. Things are good.I decided it’d be best if I didn’t mention that James was back. It was only a matter of time before the thug patrol started hanging out at the edge of the parking lot again. They hadn’t set foot inside the inn since Dane threatened one of them the day after my confrontation, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think they’d given up on pressuring anyone close to James for the money he owed.
The lull between checkout and check-in time was miserable with Dane out of town. Normally I’d putter around the breakfast room and library while chatting with Dane about what we’d do that night. Today I rushed through the work and had nothing better to do than hold down the stool behind the front desk. I knew Dane had a lot to accomplish in the first two days he was home, but I was bored so I texted him.
Packing going well?
Yeah. Grady’s cracking the whip. The sooner we get done here, the sooner we can get back to his place.
My chest burned at the reminder Grady was helping with the move. Logically I knew they were good friends, but the insecure part of my mind couldn’t forget they’d once been more. He’d been reluctant to tell me about their past at first, but when he saw how much it bothered me that he was sharing more about his plans with Grady than he had with me, he’d come clean. The whole while he’d reassured me that he wasn’t trying to keep me in the dark, but Grady’s wife was the person doing all the hard work.
And why hadn’t he told me he was staying at Grady’s once they packed his place? Or had he and I hadn’t paid attention? Hell, there’d been so much going on in the past few days, I didn’t trust my memory at this point.
My heart raced and a pit formed in my stomach when I noticed the black SUV pulled alongside the curb near the entrance to our parking lot. I shivered, the sense of being watched making the hairs on the back of my neck stand out. I’d been expecting their reappearance, but not quite so soon.
“James, your friends are outside,” I called out to him. It was well past time for him to man up and own the mess he’d created.
“Thanks.”
I jumped at the proximity of his voice directly behind me. Now was not the time to let my guard down.
“Why don’t you take a break while I handle this? Maybe you could go down to that mailbox you’re always talking to me about and see if there are any interesting notes. You don’t even need to punch out.”
I pressed my lips into a fine line, trying to bite back a snarky response. In all the years I’d worked for the Montgomery family, James had perfected the art of mocking my obsession with the mailbox. The fact he now encouraged me to walk down there in the middle of my shift told me he was just as nervous as I was about the SUV.
Despite knowing it’d be the smart thing to do, I didn’t want to leave James here alone. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
James clamped his hands on my shoulders and pushed me to the edge of the desk. “Please, do as I ask. I’m going to try holding them off, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to buy any more time.”
Just a few more days.My heart ached for Dane, wishing we could fast-forward to his return because he’d assured me he had a solution for the problem. Unfortunately he’d also made me promise not to say a word to his uncle about his plans.
“James—”
“Brook, this isn’t your fight,” he insisted, his hands still on my shoulders.
When I shook free from his grasp, I spun around, ready to lash out at him. He was damn right that this wasn’t my mess.
Without me to hold him up, he nearly crumpled to the floor. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to earn my brother or nephew’s forgiveness for what I’ve done, but I’m certain it’ll never happen if you’re harmed because of my mistakes. I will do everything I can to save the inn… for them, not for myself. My father doesn’t deserve me tarnishing his legacy.”
I hated that James managed to make me feel bad for him. Whatever happened, he’d brought it on himself, and yet the thickness of his words, as though he struggled to admit his mistake shut me up.
I reached out to him, shaking him gently until he almost met my gaze. “They’ll forgive you. It’s going to take time, but once the dust settles, they’ll see that you did some really stupid things because you were thrown into a situation you weren’t equipped to handle.”
“I hope you’re right.” The bells tied to the lobby door jangled before either of us could say anything else. Beads of sweat dotted James’s forehead, and his body went stiff at the sight of the goon I’d kicked out of the lobby previously.
“Please, Brook, go. Give me an hour and come back.”
“Okay.” With our unwelcome visitor, it was easier for me to walk away. I’d already pissed the guy off once; no need to push my luck again.
Trouble in paradise.I typed out a quick text to Dane before jogging down the steps that led toward the beach.
