“Really? Why’s that?”
She looked so cute when she tipped her head like that, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth and making him think about things he had no business thinking about an employee.
“Just focused on work, I guess.” He glanced back at the TV, needing a distraction from his reaction to her. “There’s a lot of projects to keep me busy during the off-season, but when we’re gearing up for our busy season, the work seems never-ending.”
“I kind of envy that, to tell you the truth.” She took another sip, her eyes locked on the TV. “Being busy means not having to think about all the things you’d rather forget.”
He knew there was a story there, but since she didn’t seem willing to share, he didn’t feel he had the right to ask.
The bartender brought a bowl of nachos and dip over to them. “I thought you might want a snack.”
“Thanks.” Brady noticed the bartender’s gaze linger on Claudia a little too long, confirming his suspicion that he’d had an ulterior motive for interrupting them. “Uh, Dan, this is Claudia. She’s going to be filling in as a waitress for a few days while I look for someone else.”
His smile spread as he took the hand she offered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too.” She cleared her throat before standing abruptly. “Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.”
Brady hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s right behind the pool tables.”
“Thanks,” she muttered. “Be right back.”
“Well, I should get back to work,” Dan said when a few guys walked in from the parking lot entrance.
The sports bar and restaurant were open to patrons who weren’t staying at the inn, so when there was a game on, especially at night, the bar was usually filled to capacity.
“Before you go,” Brady said, glancing at the guys crowding around the bar. “When you started here, I told you I don’t like my employees dating each other. Even though Claudia’s only here for a short time, the rules still apply. Got it?”
“Oh, sure, boss.” Color crept across Dan’s face as he pushed his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes. “I wasn’t, I mean, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay,” Brady said, raising his hand to halt his excuses. “I just want to give you a friendly reminder.”
As he watched Dan walk away, he analyzed the real reason he’d warned off his bartender. It was the same reason his stomach clenched when Claudia mentioned Mandy’s father. He was interested in her and hated the thought of anyone else making a play for her.
As he stared at the screen, feeling nothing when the opposing team batted in a run, Brady tried to remember the last time he’d cared enough about a woman to warn off other guys. It had been a long, long time. Which confirmed what he already feared—he was in trouble with Claudia.
When she returned, groaning when she noticed the score, she said, “Ugh, what’d I miss?”
Instead of talking about the game, which would have been the smart thing to do, he said, “Dana brought up a good point earlier.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” she asked, loading a nacho. She popped it in her mouth as she reached for a paper napkin.
“Well, since I don’t have a waitress and you don’t seem to have a plan for the summer, maybe you could stay on here.” When she looked a little wary, he added, “It would give you time to save up for a decent set of wheels. The money’s pretty good here when the tourists start rolling in.”
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea, Brady.”
He wanted to ask why, but instead of pressuring her, he said, “That car you’re driving looks to be about ten years old. Am I right?”
“Yeah.” She glanced at the screen. “My husband and I always talked about replacing it. We just never got around to it.”
“Have you had to put a lot of money into it?” He was trying to make her see that buying a newer used car would be in her best interest, though his reason for wanting her to stick around for a few months was purely selfish. He didn’t want her to go yet. It was as simple as that.
“Some.”
“My future sister-in-law’s family owns a car dealership in town. I’m sure she could get you a good deal on a new set of wheels.”
“Oh, I couldn’t afford new. That would take forever to pay off.”
Since her employment situation was tenable, he could understand why she didn’t want to take out a loan. “But staying here with no expenses, you could save up a few thousand each month. That should buy you something decent by the fall.”
“It would be nice to be able to save,” she said, looking thoughtful. “And having a better car would make me feel safer. It would be one less thing to worry about.”
He didn’t want her to feel backed into a corner, so he said, “Take some time to think about it. Let me know what you decide, okay?”
“Thanks.” She smiled, touching his knee. “For everything. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you.”
Chapter Four
Claudia was a week into her waitressing gig and starting to feel like a real pro when she approached a table that made her wish she hadn’t taken Brady up on his offer of seasonal employment.
“Hey, you must be Claudia,” the man said, standing to offer his hand. “My brother told me all about you.”
“Your brother?” Claudia feigned confusion, but it was obvious, from his facial features and build, the man was Brady’s brother.
“Yeah, I’m Chase Wright, Brady’s brother.” He sat down beside a beautiful dark-haired woman. “This is my fiancée, Shay. And our son, Nick.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed when he looked at her, and that’s when Claudia’s world bottomed out.
Oh no, he lives in Brockville…
“Hey, don’t I know you?” Nick asked.
She’d seen him in passing when she dropped into the local convenience store where one of his friends worked.
“Chase, Shay, it’s so nice to meet you,” she said, ignoring Nick. “Um, Brady told me to keep an eye out for you guys. He said he wanted to talk to you about the wedding.” Brady had mentioned that he’d be hosting Chase and Shay’s wedding at the end of the summer, so at least she had a believable lie to get Nick alone. “You’ll find him outside by the gazebo, if you want to go and talk to him before you place your order.”
“Oh, he probably wants to talk to us about the ceremony,” Shay said to Chase. “I told him I wanted to exchange our vows in the gazebo. Come on, let’s go see what he wants.” She looked at their son. “You want to come with us?”
“No, you guys go on ahead.” He held up his phone. “Adam just texted me. I want to see what he wants.”
Claudia waited for his parents to leave before she said to Nick, “I’m sorry I ignored you like that. I just don’t want anyone to know about…” It still wasn’t easy for her to talk about it, but she knew she had to if she expected Nick to keep her secret. “The accident.”
“Why?” he asked, frowning.
She pinched her lips together, staring out the window. “Nick, the reason I left Brockville is because I could never forget what happened while living there.” Though she and Nick didn’t know each other personally, everyone in Brockville knew about the tragedy she’d endured. It had been all over the local papers, and most of the town had shown up to the funeral. “Everyone was so wonderful, trying to help me through it. But everywhere I went, there were reminders.”
“I get that,” he said, his voice low. “I’m really sorry, Claudia. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like losing—”
“It was terrible,” she said, trying to hold back tears. “No question about it. But being here, with people who don’t know my story, is helping a lot. I finally feel like I can breathe.”
“So that’s why you don’t want my uncle to know? You think he’ll treat you differently if he knows what you’ve been through?” Nick shook his head when Claudia nodded. “Brady is a good guy. If anything, he’ll t
ry to be there for you, to support you—”
“That’s just it,” Claudia said, gripping the pen harder. “I don’t want him to feel as though he has to help me pick up the pieces of my life. That’s not his job. Being here, away from everything and everyone I know, is the best thing for me right now. Brady and I have become friends, and I want it to stay that way. Please, promise me you won’t tell Brady what happened back in Brockville.”
“Okay,” he said, looking hesitant. “I don’t like keeping secrets from him, but I guess it’s your call.”
Claudia’s hand shook as she dialed the number to the old farmhouse where she’d grown up. She’d sent her parents an email the night she arrived to let them know that she’d had a little car trouble but was doing fine.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Claudia, oh, sweetie, we’ve been so worried about you. How are you? Where are you?”
No way would she tell them she was only staying an hour away. They’d hop in the pick-up truck, thinking she needed to be rescued. “I’m fine. I told you in my email that you didn’t have to worry. I’ve got a waitressing job. Like I said, the car gave out on me, but I’ve got a plan to buy a new set of wheels.”
“What kind of plan?”
“The inn where I’m working…” She hesitated, wondering if that was too much information. No. There must be a hundred inns within a thousand-mile radius of Brockville. “The owner offered me a job for the summer. Free room and board as part of my compensation. I make minimum wage, and all the tips are mine to keep.”
“Really?” She hesitated. “Is it a nice place? Safe?”
Claudia was sitting on the small patio outside her room, facing the grounds dotted with perennial flowerbeds and neatly trimmed shrubs. “It’s lovely.”
“You should send me some pictures.”
Claudia knew better than that. Her mother would put on her detective’s hat and visit the website for every inn within a day’s drive until she found pictures that matched those her daughter had sent her. “Maybe.”
“What happened to your cell phone? I tried calling, but I got a message saying you’d disconnected it.”
“I got one of those pay-as-you-go ones,” Claudia explained. “I didn’t know where I’d end up, so I thought that would be a better option.”
“Honey, please tell me you plan to come home before the school year starts. I ran into your principal, Mrs. Saunders, at the market the other day, and she told me she’s holding your job for you in case you change your mind about coming back.”
Claudia didn’t want to think about any doors being open to her in Brockville. She would, of course, go back to visit her family from time to time, but she had no intention of living there again. “I wish she wouldn’t do that. There are a lot of people who would love to have that job. Tell her to give it to one of them.”
“Sweetie, everyone feels so terrible about what happened. They just want to do whatever they can to help you.”
“I know that.” She’d heard as much from every single person she knew. “But there’s nothing anyone can do, Mom. You know that. I just have to work through it on my own.” Claudia held her breath when Brady rounded the corner. “Um, I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Sorry,” Brady said, glancing at the phone in her hand. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t. I was just talking to my mom. To be honest, I was looking for an excuse to get off the phone.”
He pushed his sunglasses up on his head as he stood in front of her. “Why’d you tell Chase and Shay that I wanted to talk to them about the wedding?”
“Oh, uh…” She should have known that would come back to bite her. “I’m sorry.” She’d promised herself she wouldn’t lie to Brady. He’d been so good to her, and he didn’t deserve that.
“That’s it?” he asked, frowning. “No explanation, just an apology?”
She took a deep breath, knowing she couldn’t maintain her silence and expect him to go on being her friend and employer. “Look, Brady, being here has been really good for me. You’ve been really good for me.” His slight smile gave her the courage to continue. “I found a friend in you when I needed one the most.”
“Are you going to tell me what you’re running from?” When she couldn’t respond, he said, “Please tell me it’s not the law.”
“It’s not,” she said quickly, trying to put his mind at ease. “It’s…” How could she make him understand without telling him her whole sad story? “I guess I’m running from bad memories and heartbreak.”
“Does this have something to do with your husband?”
“It does.”
There was so much more to the story, but she knew if she shared all of the details, he would never look at her the same way. He’d feel sorry for her, wonder what he could do to help, how he could make it better. Just like all of her family and friends back home had done. But no one could fix what was broken inside her because the damage was irreparable.
“I don’t want to pry—”
“Then please don’t.” She knew she was asking the impossible of him. If their situations were reversed, she would want to know what was haunting him. “I don’t mean to sound harsh. If I thought telling you would help, I would. But I honestly believe it would only make things worse. You’ve given me a safe refuge here, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that.”
He knelt in front of her, his hands resting on the side of her chair as he looked into her eyes. “You have to know how hard this is for me. I want to help you. I want to know what’s eating you up inside because I…” His eyes dipped to the hands folded in her lap. “I care about you. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I can tell you’re a sweet girl who’s been through a lot. If I can make you—”
“Smile again,” she said, finishing his thought the way it suited her. She touched his face, crossing a line she probably shouldn’t but unable to hold back. Brady made her feel good, and two weeks ago, she wouldn’t have imagined that was even possible anymore. “You have. You’ve made me smile again. You’ve made me laugh again.”
She breathed deeply before looking around, taking in the mature trees that shielded them from the sun as she enjoyed the peace and tranquility of another day in a world-weary traveler’s paradise.
“I never expected to find a place like this. It’s been like medicine for my soul. The people here are all so sweet, and ending every night with dinner and a nightcap at your cabin has been amazing. It’s been months since I’ve slept this well.”
He smiled, reaching for her hand. “I’m glad. I just want you to know you’re safe here with me. I don’t know what or who you’re running from, or if you’re afraid someone is going to come here looking for you, but you need to know that I’d never let anyone hurt you.”
“I do know that.” Only one other man in her life had ever made her feel as safe as Brady did—her husband. The love of her life. “And thank you.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know, and long after I leave here, I’ll always remember you.”
Something flashed across his face as he stood, but she couldn’t read it as he slipped his sunglasses back in place. “Goes both ways.”
Brady returned to his office to find his brother waiting for him. “Hey, what’re you doing back here?”
Chase held up his sunglasses. “Forgot these on the table. Where were you?”
“I was just talking to Claudia,” Brady said, claiming the seat behind his desk. “She apologized for sending you guys on a wild goose chase looking for me.”
“Did she tell you what that was all about?” Chase asked, propping his boot up on the desk.
“No, she didn’t.” He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to make of that girl. Sometimes I feel like she’s letting me in; other times I feel like I’ll never really get to know her.”
“But you want to?” Chase asked. “Get to know her?”
�
�Yeah, I do.”
“Brady, I couldn’t help but notice she’s wearing a wedding band. What’s the deal, man?”
“I wish I knew.” Brady opened the water bottle he’d left there earlier and tipped it back. “She won’t talk about him. Just says they’re not together anymore.”
“Then they’re separated?” When Brady shrugged, Chase said, “I can’t imagine she’d still be wearing the ring if they’re divorced.”
“You wouldn’t think so, would you?”
“Gives the impression she’s hoping to reconcile with him, doesn’t it?”
Brady thought the same thing, which was making him crazy. Every day he felt like they were getting closer, yet knowing some nameless, faceless guy may or may not come back for her forced him to keep his guard up.
“I don’t know. She says things that make me think she’s into me too, but how do I know she’s not looking for a distraction from her problems? You know, a summer fling.”
“You’ve never had a problem with that kind of arrangement before,” Chase pointed out. “In fact, you’ve been all about short-term, no-strings relationships.”
Brady couldn’t deny his brother was right, but something about Claudia made this feel different somehow, like maybe she could be special. “Normally, you’re right, I’m looking for casual, but for the first time, I’m building a friendship with a woman and loving every minute of it.”
Chase looked at him a long time before shaking his head. “Why didn’t I see it before? You’re really falling for this girl, aren’t you?”
“No.” His denial rang with dishonesty, so he said, “I don’t think so. Heck, I don’t know. Maybe I am. But how can I when I don’t even know the deal with her husband? You know that’s a line I’d never cross.”
“And you can’t just come right out and ask her what happened with her marriage?”
“Here’s the thing,” Brady said, rubbing his eyes. “She’s pretty secretive about her past. She talks about it in general terms, but she won’t give me a lot of specifics.” He considered what she had told him and realized he knew a fair bit about her. It was just the details about her marriage that she’d left out. “This is what I do know: she grew up in a small town a lot like Landon, was raised on her family’s farm, homeschooled ‘til she reached high school, married her first love, and became a first grade teacher.”
Small Town Boss Page 4
