His Millionaire Maid

by Coleen Kwan

His face turned rigid. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”

  The blunt reminder put her in her place. She was good enough for a brief fling, but not worthy of official girlfriend status. Well, maybe she deserved it for her lies.

  Nina pressed her hands on the desk she was leaning against and forced herself to meet Joe’s eyes. The prospect of not kissing Joe again, of not sharing the sweetest intimacies with him, left her feeling hollowed out and more than a little abandoned. That scared her. Joe had become an important part of her life so quickly. How had she let that happen?

  “Maybe I should leave.” The words jerked out of her.

  “Leave?” He sounded bewildered.

  “Yeah. Maybe I should find another job.”

  She had to return to San Francisco after the Food and Wine Festival anyway, and now Joe had given her a convenient out. Even though it hurt like crazy, this wake-up call was a relief. Now she had a good reason to leave Hartley, and he’d never know who she really was. Her guilty conscience festered at the continued subterfuge, but what good could come from confessing now? He’d never forgive her if he found out, but this way she could keep her memories of him and of this little town and all the people she’d met.

  Joe’s eyes were dark. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “But it’s the best decision for both of us. I’ll wait until after the festival.”

  He shook his head but said nothing, just stared bleakly at her.

  She gulped, her throat raw. “We can still be friends while I’m here, can’t we?”

  “Friends.” He heaved in a breath. “Yes. Friends.”

  “And I’m still going to help you at the B&B tomorrow. I want to,” she added as he started to object. “You need all the help you can get.” And maybe it would ease some of her remorse.

  “Okay.” He sighed as if in defeat. “Thanks. I’d better go now.”

  She stood stiffly to attention and watched as he opened the door.

  “I’ll see you out there.” He tilted his head to indicate the public areas of the inn.

  “See you there,” she choked out.

  Then he was gone.

  …

  Nina was relieved when Vince turned up on Monday to lend a hand. She and Joe had driven out to his B&B in awkward silence, and as soon as they’d arrived he had given her the task of clearing the gutters of the back porch, a one-man job, while he had quickly disappeared somewhere else.

  He greeted Vince, and the two men started hammering something at the front of the house.

  Nina, perched on a ladder, continued scooping out handfuls of dead leaves from the gutters. Restoring this mansion would be a huge task, but she could see it would make a fantastic B&B. Already she could visualize it in all its restored glory, a gracious, elegant residence that was also relaxed and comfortable. Her fantasies grew wilder and included Joe and herself, working together to bring the B&B to life.

  She was so lost in her daydreams that it took her a while to notice the raised voices coming from the front of the house. She clambered down her ladder and hurried through the house. The front door stood wide-open, but when she saw who was outside, she skidded to a halt, her stomach diving.

  Two men in black suits faced Joe and Vince. The man in charge, the one who stood in front with shades balanced on his head, was instantly recognizable to Nina. He was Perry Stevens, one of her father’s smarmy, overambitious underlings, who made Nina’s skin crawl.

  And right now she could not let him see her.

  She shrank back into an alcove beneath the staircase from where she could still glimpse what was happening outside.

  “Come on, Joe,” Perry said in his usual oily manner. “It’s a generous offer. You’ll be able to pocket a handsome profit. All you have to do is sign this contract.” He held out a sheaf of papers, a smirk on his face.

  Joe stepped right up to him, rigid with fury, and thrust his head at Perry so that the smaller man faltered back. “The answer’s still no. Do I have to tattoo that on your dumb forehead before Carson Beaumont gets the message?”

  Perry tittered nervously. “Hey now, no need for that.”

  Joe grabbed the contract from Perry’s fingers and stuffed it into the guy’s jacket. “You have two minutes to get off my property.”

  “Maybe I’ll come back when you’re not so busy—”

  “Yeah, come back any time and say hello to my shotgun.” Joe jabbed his forefinger into Perry’s chest, causing the man to stumble back. “Now get lost.”

  Face pale, Perry turned and signaled to the other man. The two revved off in a cloud of dust.

  Nina pressed a hand to her mouth as she fought down nausea. She knew how her father operated. He’d tasked Perry to get Joe to sell, and Perry, always eager to suck up to her dad, would try just about anything. He was relentless, a Rottweiler who wouldn’t let go once he’d clamped his jaws.

  Joe and Vince were talking in low, tight voices, and before she could move they were in the hallway.

  “Nina?” Vince approached her. “Did you hear all that?”

  Nodding, she stepped out of the alcove. “I couldn’t believe it. That was awful.” Both men looked grim. She looked anxiously at Joe. “You don’t really have a shotgun, do you?”

  He shook his head, then sighed as he raked his hair, his frustration evident. “No, and I shouldn’t have sunk to that, but those Beaumont jerks are feral.”

  And she had Beaumont blood flowing through her veins. She shivered with dread at the thought of being outed.

  “Don’t worry,” Joe said, misinterpreting the reason for her distress. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

  Vince grunted. “Maybe you should think about getting a business partner.”

  “A business partner?” Joe raised his eyebrows at him.

  “Yeah. If you can’t get money from the banks, maybe you can find someone who wants to invest in your business.”

  “But I don’t want someone else interfering in my plans.”

  Vince lifted his shoulders. “Maybe not, but at least you’d have a business, right? Anyway, it’s something to think about.” He walked off, leaving Nina alone with Joe.

  “What do you think?” Joe asked her.

  She couldn’t answer for a moment. She was too busy thinking about her trust fund and how she would love to invest some of that money in Joe’s venture. But of course she couldn’t do that, not without revealing who she really was.

  “I think it’s worth considering,” she said slowly.

  He didn’t speak, and the atmosphere became heavy and uncomfortable. His face was drawn, as if he hadn’t slept well, and his dark eyes were enigmatic. But he was still Joe, and the hold he had over her was stronger than before. She longed to put her arms around him and comfort him. Wished she could bury her face in his chest and inhale his scent deep into her lungs. And when she caught the glimmer in his eyes, she knew he felt the same needs, the same regrets, and the same pain of denial.

  “It’ll be okay,” Joe said.

  She wasn’t sure what he was referring to—the problems of his B&B or their broken affair—but she nodded anyway. Maybe Joe was right. Maybe everything would work out okay, though she couldn’t see how.

  Chapter Twelve

  In the next few days, Nina had little time to brood as preparations for the Food and Wine Festival ramped up. Joe was busy with the organizing committee, while Sarah ruled the kitchen like a stressed kaiser, bawling out commands to her staff. The pressures on Joe must have been enormous, but he appeared to handle every minor and major crisis with aplomb, and she never once saw him lose his cool, though he must have wanted to at times.

  She didn’t see much of him, which was both good and bad. She missed his company. Missed his drop-dead handsomeness, and the flutter he gave her whenever she glimpsed him. But she also couldn’t stop worrying about how her father threatened Joe’s dreams and how Joe would react if he ever found out her true identity.

  In an effort to distract
her thoughts from Joe, she threw herself into her duties. The rooms at the Comet were immaculate as she polished every surface in sight and swept up every fleck of dirt. In the kitchen she volunteered for anything that needed doing and didn’t mind Sarah’s regular outbursts. She also found time to help Mrs. Stewart organize her stock for the charity stall. Her days passed in a blur of activity, and at night she fell into bed, exhausted. She didn’t mind. She liked being part of the team, knowing she was making a contribution, however small, toward the success of the festival.

  The festival began on Friday, and the crowds steadily built up over the weekend. Sarah’s special menu was a hit, and the bar and restaurant did a roaring trade.

  Saturday midmorning, Nina had just finished her cleaning duties and was heading out of the inn when Joe stopped her.

  “Where’re you hurrying off to?”

  “It’s my first shift at the charity stall. I don’t want to be late.”

  “But you haven’t had your break yet.”

  His brows drew together as he studied her in a way that made her self-conscious. She knew she didn’t look her best. She hadn’t been eating or sleeping well as each day ticked over and her departure drew closer and closer. She had asked Joe not to tell anyone she was leaving until the Monday after the festival. In fact, she planned to catch the early morning bus on Monday and be gone before anyone realized it. She hated good-byes, and the thought of having to say good-bye to Joe especially made her sick to the stomach.

  “Did you have breakfast this morning?” Joe asked, still frowning.

  She shook her head.

  “Wait here,” he said in a gentle yet commanding tone.

  She waited, and a minute later he returned with something wrapped in a paper napkin.

  “Here, eat this.”

  The savory tart in the napkin warmed her hands, and she found she had to blink back sudden tears. Tears because Joe had given her a tart?

  “Thank you,” she managed to say. This was the first exchange they’d had all week that wasn’t about work. She had tried to avoid being alone with Joe, and she suspected he had done the same.

  He shifted on his feet, pushing hands into pockets. “You gotta take care of yourself.”

  She battled the tears again. “You, too.”

  He was silent, and then someone came out, and the moment was over. Nina hurried off, slowly nibbling at the savory tart.

  The beachside park where the main festival was set up was already buzzing with activity. There were stalls selling wine, cheese, sausages, and lavender. A jazz band played. A pancake-eating competition was about to start.

  Mrs. Stewart greeted her warmly when she arrived at the stall. “Oh, am I glad to see you, dear. I’ve been run off my feet.”

  “Why don’t you take a seat?” Nina suggested.

  “You were right about those French dresses,” Mrs. Stewart said with a smile as she sat down. “They’ve been flying off the racks.”

  Nina was delighted. “Oh, I’m so glad.”

  “We might have to go back to the store and pick up the rest.” She waved to the throngs of people strolling around the park. “Can’t disappoint our crowd.”

  “I didn’t realize the festival would be so popular.”

  “It’s all thanks to the organizing committee and especially Joe. Hartley is a really nice little town. Not too big, not too small.” Mrs. Stewart beamed with pride. “I’ve lived in plenty of other towns, but this is the only place where I’ve wanted to put down roots. What about you? You seem very settled here.”

  “Well, I don’t know,” Nina said, caught unawares by Mrs. Stewart’s question.

  A few weeks ago she would have definitely thought she wasn’t cut out for small-town living, but now she wasn’t so sure. She liked the people here, and people seemed to like her. The regulars at the Comet Inn, Mrs. Stewart and her charity workers, Vince, Joe’s friends. They had all welcomed her. And none of them knew who she really was, so their friendliness had to be genuine. It would be nice to live here, to become a part of this community.

  But that was never going to happen. Come Monday morning, she was leaving as suddenly as she’d arrived, and a month from now Hartley and all its residents, including Joe, would seem like a mirage to her.

  And what would she be doing instead? She didn’t know, but she did know that she wouldn’t be working for her dad. How could she, knowing that he used attack dogs like Perry Stevens to bully people into submission? She didn’t have much influence over her dad, but she’d use every ounce of it to make sure he backed off from Joe.

  Sunday morning she dragged herself out of bed, her calf muscles already aching, and shuffled into the kitchen. She found Sarah preparing what seemed to be a mountain of spatchcocks.

  “Hey,” Sarah greeted Nina wearily. Her usually upright figure drooped, and there were deep shadows beneath her red-rimmed eyes.

  Nina gaped at her. “Have you been here all night?”

  The head chef shrugged. “I had a few hours’ rest in my car.”

  “But that’s insane. Does Joe know about this?”

  Sarah instantly jerked her head up. “No, and don’t you dare tell him.” She glared at Nina with her usual pepper. “The kitchen is my domain, no one else’s.”

  “Still, you could have asked for help.” Nina filled a kettle and switched it on before hauling out a coffee press. “You want some coffee?”

  “That’d be great.” A trace of appreciation flickered across Sarah’s face.

  Nina made the coffee, filled two mugs, and passed one to Sarah. After a few reviving gulps, Nina set down the mug and dusted her hands. “Tell me what I can do to help.”

  “Well, you could chop up walnuts and parsley. That way Chris can help me with the spatchcock when he comes in. But you need to pay attention to your work. The walnuts and parsley have to be evenly cut. No lumpy bits.”

  Nina spent several hours helping Sarah prep. She went upstairs to clean the rooms, then did another shift at the charity stall before returning to the inn. By then the lunch crowds were beginning to thicken, and the next couple of hours passed in hectic activity. The pace had slowed to a trickle when Sarah grabbed Nina by the elbow and almost frog-marched her out the back.

  “I just wanted to say thanks for all your help this weekend.” Sarah crossed her arms, frowning and looking uncomfortable. “I appreciate your help.”

  Nina waved her hand. “It was nothing.”

  “No, it wasn’t nothing.” The furrows on Sarah’s brow deepened, and she pulled at her lower lip. “We, uh, we got off on the wrong foot initially. I was convinced you wouldn’t last. Also, to be honest, I thought you were bad news for Joe.”

  “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Joe.” Nina’s throat tightened, and she couldn’t help adding, “Joe’s a great guy.”

  The other woman looked away as she shuffled her Doc Martens in the loose gravel. “Yeah, he is.” There was a long pause before she sighed. “I guess I’m defensive about Joe because I used to have a thing for him.”

  Dumbfounded, Nina turned her gasp into a cough. “Oh, really?” she spluttered.

  Sarah’s face had turned a deep red. “I’m over it now, but it took me a while.” She shook her head. “For years I held a candle for the guy and did nothing about it. You wouldn’t be so useless.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. You’re the type who wouldn’t hold back. You’d tell Joe exactly how you feel, then you’d probably drag him into bed, too.”

  A hot tide engulfed Nina’s face. God, if Sarah knew what she and Joe had been up to… But it was over now, she was leaving tomorrow, and she’d hate to damage Joe’s relationship with Sarah.

  Wiping her hands on her apron, she backed away a few steps. “You’ve got the wrong idea about me, Sarah. When it comes to men, I’m as clueless as the next girl. And I’m glad you’re over Joe.”

  “Like I said, it took a while.” Sarah’s lips pulled down. “But I’m fine now. Joe’s a great boss, and
I love cooking here. I’m glad I didn’t screw that up or I’d be left with nothing.”

  Nina’s stomach contracted. She had screwed up royally, and now she was left with nothing. Suddenly she couldn’t bear any further confessions from Sarah.

  Nina slipped back into the inn and hurried to the bathroom near her room, where she splashed cold water over her face. After a few deep breaths to calm herself, she left. She was walking past Joe’s office when he called out to her, and every nerve ending in her body jumped in response.

  He rose from his desk as she entered. “I wanted to say thanks for all your hard work this weekend, especially in the kitchen.” He rounded his desk to stand in front of her. “I know Sarah can be a hard-ass, so I’m glad you don’t hold it against her.”

  “Uh, thanks.”

  “I mean it, Nina. And it’s not just me. Everyone here appreciates the effort you put into it.”

  She couldn’t help flushing at his praise. “Yeah, well, guess I don’t break as many plates now.”

  “This is a tough mob to impress. I’m tough to impress. You’ve earned our respect.”

  She could tell he meant every word. She had earned their respect, and she’d done it without her name or wealth to confuse the situation. This respect was all hers. She’d achieved the goal she’d set for herself when she’d first wandered into Hartley, and nothing could take that away from her.

  “Thanks.” It was something to remember when she was far away from Joe.

  He rubbed his hands against his jeans. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

  She gaped at him. Her eyelids began to twitch, and she couldn’t help sniffing.

  “Nina? Are you okay?”

  No, she wanted to shout. I am not okay! This time tomorrow she would be miles away from him, and she’d never see him again. In what universe could that be okay? Her chest heaved, and to her horror her lower lip started to tremble.

  “Nina…” He touched her shoulder, and even through her turmoil she registered that his hand shook. “Maybe…you don’t want to go?”

  But she had to. She had to. Her heart twisted and turned like a captive bird desperate to find an escape.