Love Walks In

by Samantha Chase

  “How dare you talk to me like this!”

  “No. How dare you,” she hissed. “A parent is supposed to love their child unconditionally. That’s never been the case for you, and you know what? I’m tired of having to prove myself to you. I’m never going to be what you want me to be, so let’s just call it a day and move on, all right?”

  “Aubrey…” he warned.

  “No, I’m serious. I’m sorry you wasted your time calling tonight. Should you want to talk to me like a normal parent, I would love to hear from you, but if you’re only calling to point out my shortcomings, please don’t. I’m done.” He said her name again but Aubrey ignored it. “Good-bye, Dad.” She hung up the phone.

  And turned it back off.

  Well, that had gone well. She leaned on the balcony railing and took several deep breaths to try to calm her racing heartbeat. After a few minutes, she straightened and looked up at the stars in the sky, hugging herself as she began to cry.

  * * *

  Hugh knew he should have gone inside the minute he heard Aubrey talking on the phone, but part of him couldn’t turn away—especially after hearing the pain in her voice.

  From the side of the conversation he could hear, her father sounded like a major jackass. Hugh couldn’t imagine what it must be like for her to have to deal with such disapproval. In all his life, Hugh couldn’t remember a time when his father hadn’t backed him up and cheered him on. Hell, Ian Shaughnessy was probably one of the best dads in the world. Hugh realized now how lucky he was.

  Did they agree on everything? No. But Ian had never been one to remind his kids of their faults or their mistakes—and there had been plenty. Hugh’s heart squeezed as he couldn’t help but remember what his mistakes had cost his family. And yet…his father had never said one unkind word to him about it.

  Sometimes he wished he had. It would make the guilt a little easier to deal with.

  Pushing those thoughts aside like he always did, Hugh leaned against the French door leading out to his own balcony and sighed. The sound of Aubrey’s sobbing was killing him, and he was completely torn. He didn’t want to embarrass her by stepping out into the open and admitting he’d heard her conversation, but at the same time, the need to comfort her was nearly overwhelming.

  “Aubrey?” he said quietly, walking out onto his own balcony so she could see him.

  She quickly wiped her tears away as she faced him. “What… What are you doing out here?”

  “I came out to get some air and I heard you crying. Are you all right?” He expected her to politely lie and wish him a good night.

  “No,” she said softly. “I’m really not.”

  Hugh gauged the distance between the two balconies and knew he couldn’t simply jump over. It would have been cool as hell, but he’d be no use to her if he misjudged the distance and fell. Instead he walked back through his room and the living room, letting himself into Aubrey’s room. She hadn’t moved from where she was, so he strode out onto the balcony and took her in his arms.

  And simply held her while the last of the dam broke.

  She cried as if she were brokenhearted. She clutched at his shirt as if she had needed to do this for far too long. He didn’t have any words. He wouldn’t have spoken if he did. For now, this was what Aubrey needed—someone to hold her. Someone to comfort her. Someone to simply accept her.

  * * *

  Aubrey woke up the next morning and instantly groaned when she realized last night wasn’t a dream. She had cried all over Hugh until she had practically collapsed. Then he had carried her to her bed and gently put her down, kissing her forehead. And just when she thought he had taken his chance to escape, he was back with a glass of water for her. He made sure she was comfortable, kissed her gently again, and then he was gone.

  Ugh. The poor man must be wishing he had just let her rob his office and not interfered. She was a mess. A stinking hot mess. How in the world was she supposed to face him this morning, knowing he must think the same thing of her? Aubrey eyed the balcony, but it was too high to escape that way.

  “No more running,” she murmured as she climbed from the bed, still wearing last night’s clothes. It wasn’t particularly early—eight a.m.—but she wasn’t sure if Hugh was an early riser or not. Hopefully he was already down at the office. She’d shower and get herself feeling human again before seeking him out.

  Thirty minutes later, dressed in one of her new outfits—black capris and a sky-blue sleeveless blouse—Aubrey stepped out into the living room. And froze.

  Hugh was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper. “Good morning,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you were big on breakfast, so I had them send up an assortment of food—fruit, cereal, muffins, that sort of thing. If you’d like something hot like eggs or pancakes, we can have them sent up, too.”

  He wasn’t asking her to leave.

  He was offering her breakfast like everything was completely normal.

  Nervously tucking her hair behind her ear, she straightened in her spot. “Listen… Hugh, about last night…”

  He waved her off. “Today is a new day,” he said with a sincere smile. “Okay?”

  There were so many things Aubrey wanted to say, but she took the lifeline he extended, returning his smile. “Okay.” She walked over to where the breakfast tray was. Her practical side told her to have some of the fresh fruit, but the other side urged her to have one of the giant muffins.

  “There’s banana nut, blueberry, and chocolate chip,” Hugh said as he watched her.

  “As much as I would love the chocolate chip one, I don’t think it’s quite right for breakfast,” Aubrey said, sighing as she picked up the plate of fruit. Before she knew it, Hugh was beside her, taking the plate from her hands. “What are you doing?”

  He leaned in and spoke to her in an exaggerated whisper. “You’re technically on vacation. It’s okay to have chocolate for breakfast. Besides, I won’t tell.”

  She looked at him and couldn’t help but giggle. “It just feels so wrong.”

  Now it was Hugh’s turn to chuckle. “It’s okay. Live a little.” Without a word, Hugh put the muffin on a plate, handed it to Aubrey, and took her by the shoulders, directing her to the breakfast bar. “Sit. Eat.”

  And she did. It was quite possibly the best muffin—or breakfast—she’d ever eaten. It felt completely decadent, and it wasn’t until she was halfway through it that she realized Hugh was staring at her. Swallowing the last bite, she looked at him. “What?”

  His face was resting in his hand and he was smiling—he seemed to do that a lot. At least, he always seemed to be smiling at her.

  “It’s good to see you enjoying a meal.”

  Aubrey looked at him quizzically. “What are you talking about? I always enjoy my meals.”

  Hugh shook his head. “I know I can’t speak for how you normally eat, but since you’ve been here, you’ve been very reserved while you ate. This muffin? It was a completely different experience.”

  She wanted to be a little bit offended by his observation, but couldn’t. “If you can believe it, that’s the first time I’ve ever eaten baked goods for breakfast. It was never allowed.”

  Hugh’s shocked expression was almost comical. “How is that possible? What about bagels?”

  Aubrey shook her head.

  “Donuts?”

  “Definitely not.”

  “Toast?”

  She laughed. “That’s not a baked good.”

  “Technically, it is. Bread is baked, therefore toast is a baked good.”

  Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Okay, then to be clear, I’ve never eaten the kind of baked goods one would find in an actual bakery for breakfast.”

  “That borders on child abuse.”

  She had to agree. “My parents were very regimented and sticklers
for rules. They didn’t believe in indulging in things that weren’t good for you.”

  “Is that why you don’t drink?” he asked, suddenly serious.

  “No. I just never acquired a taste for alcohol—any alcohol.” She shrugged. “I was the permanently designated driver. It wasn’t a bad thing.”

  “So you don’t drink, you don’t indulge in sweets—”

  “Correction,” she interrupted, “I don’t indulge in sweets for breakfast.” With a giggle she added, “My parents weren’t aware of the other times.”

  Hugh laughed out loud and emptied his cup of coffee. “You’re a rebel, Aubrey!” He stood and walked to the sink to rinse out his mug before placing it in the dishwasher. “So I was thinking we’d head down to the office and finish up your employment paperwork, and while you’re doing that, I’ll gather all of the files and brochures I have handy on the other properties so you can start studying them. What do you think?”

  “I think it sounds like you have everything in order.”

  He frowned. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”

  “No. No!” she said more adamantly. “I just meant you’re very organized and you know exactly what needs to be done. Being organized isn’t a bad thing, Hugh. If anything, it’s going to be very helpful to me.”

  Her response seemed to satisfy him, because he visibly relaxed and nodded. “Let’s head to the office.”

  * * *

  Two days later, Aubrey was on a flight back home. The weekend had been so much more than she ever could have imagined. She and Hugh were in sync in so many ways and so far, they worked very well together.

  The campaign was already taking shape. After they had worked in the office on Saturday, Aubrey had spent the bulk of the day Sunday thoroughly exploring the resort and talking to employees and guests to get a firm understanding of what people were looking for and what would work when they held the launch there.

  Hugh had given her access to everything she asked for—VIP suites, private rooms, the kitchens—and Aubrey had no doubt he was going to do the same at each of his locations. The thought of going to other places as luxurious as Napa was enough to make her giddy. This was her time. This was her chance to finally break out of the sheltered life she’d been living.

  All Aubrey knew was that she was going to make this campaign a success. By the time they were done, people would be seeking her out for more than just the local charity functions and fund-raisers she had been doing for years. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy organizing them—she did—but it was time to branch out and do something more.

  For the first time in days, Aubrey didn’t completely regret flying with Paul to Napa. If it hadn’t been for that one decision, she never would have met Hugh or Bill or gotten this job.

  Silver linings.

  Once she was back at her town house, she immediately sprang into action. There was laundry to do and clothing to sort through. This time she would be certain to have an outfit for every occasion and not get caught having to shop at the resort boutiques just to look presentable. Aubrey may have been out of work—not by choice—when she left for Napa, but she still had a fabulous wardrobe.

  It didn’t take long to have everything sorted and coordinated. There were dresses, skirts, slacks, jeans, sandals, stilettos, and lingerie.

  Her obsession.

  She blushed as she remembered how Hugh had dug through her suitcase less than a week ago. Now that she thought of it, she had packed a ridiculous amount of underwear. But in her defense, she was supposed to have been on her honeymoon, and though she wasn’t particularly attracted to Paul, Aubrey had hoped by at least dressing sexy she’d feel motivated to have a real wedding night.

  Now the thought of it made her stomach turn. She was so thankful she hadn’t followed through.

  And more so since meeting Hugh.

  Now there was a man Aubrey wouldn’t need any additional motivation to get physical with.

  She blushed at the thought. She had to stop thinking of him like that. He was her boss now. There was no way she could get involved with him. Ever. This job with him was temporary—but a long temporary—and quite possibly it might turn out to be only part-time. After all, once she toured all the resorts, the remainder of the work wouldn’t take very long. She would implement all of the plans and then his staff would take over.

  She pictured the Montana launch, doing a big “I told you so” dance in front of her parents. That one made her laugh. Ultimately, she knew no matter how things panned out with this campaign, she would still need to find other work. She couldn’t possibly drag this out indefinitely, but it would open doors for her. Who knew? Maybe eventually she would consider moving away from her hometown and finally making it on her own.

  That was the dream.

  Part-time, temporary, it didn’t matter. The fact was she had a job doing something she loved. And no matter how long it lasted, Aubrey was grateful she had something to look forward to.

  She’d just have to learn to look at Hugh as if he wore a big “hands off” sign.

  How hard could it be?

  * * *

  Hugh was not having a good day.

  As he stalked off the jetway, he mentally cursed every person in his way. The flight to West Palm Beach from San Francisco had been delayed, there’d been a crying baby and a loud drunken man seated in first class with him, and he hadn’t been able to get a damn thing done on the entire flight.

  He’d like to blame it all on the airline, but unfortunately, his day had started off crappy. There had been a delivery error from their produce carrier, which meant The Vine was going to have to make some last-minute changes to their menu for the next couple of days. There was a stomach bug making its way through the staff and they were short-handed in nearly every area: reservations, front desk, concierge, housekeeping. Everyone was scrambling to cover the extra shifts, but Hugh wasn’t happy about how this would affect the overall level of customer service they offered their guests.

  He was supposed to hold interviews for Heather’s position while he was here in Florida, but none of the applicants seemed impressive. All of the scheduled events were being covered, but Hugh knew it was only a matter of time before something new was booked that no one knew how to handle.

  And on top of it all, Riley had called and told him he was going to be in Miami this week and planned on driving up to West Palm to see him. Normally, Hugh would have loved that, but this was not the week for it. For starters, he was too distracted with business, and secondly…there was Aubrey. Hugh wasn’t ready to let her meet his rock-star brother.

  While Hugh was aware Aubrey wasn’t his and there wasn’t anything going on between them, he also wasn’t ready to dangle temptation in front of her in the form of his swaggering little brother.

  He’d have to find a way to keep the two of them apart.

  By the time he was down in baggage claim, he felt mildly more in control. Since he had arrived late, he assumed Aubrey had taken their reserved town car and gone on to the resort. Hugh was fine with it—he could easily grab a cab and get there on his own. As soon as he had his luggage he’d—

  “Hugh!”

  Turning around, Hugh saw Aubrey smiling and waving as she walked toward him. He wasn’t sure if he was happy to see her or if this was just more of today’s bad luck. She looked so hopeful and excited, probably happier than he’d ever seen her.

  And sexy as hell in a black pencil skirt and matching stilettos.

  He’d bet a small fortune there was a black lace thong as part of the ensemble, and cursed himself for letting his thoughts go in that direction.

  She stopped in front of him, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey! Glad you got in safely.”

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, confused. “I thought you left here hours ago with the car Dotty reserved.”

  “She cal
led to let me know you were delayed and told me I could go on without you, but…I didn’t want to. I’m a bit nervous about getting started, so I thought it would be better if we showed up together and you introduced me to everyone.”

  Hugh noted she was speaking a little bit faster than normal—another telltale sign she was nervous. “And the car?”

  “I just texted the driver to let him know you arrived. He should be here in fifteen minutes.”

  Hugh wasn’t sure if he should be impressed by her ability to take care of a situation or annoyed that she’d made changes to the itinerary without anyone’s permission.

  He opted to be impressed. He was tired of being in a bad mood. Maybe for a few minutes he could let himself relax and hope that when they arrived at the hotel, he wouldn’t be met with the same kind of issues he’d just left behind in Napa.

  “Sounds great,” he finally said. “I was just going to call a cab to take me over to the resort.” The luggage turnstile buzzer rang out and Hugh walked over to wait for his bags.

  “So I did a lot of research while I was home, and I’ve already mapped out the preliminaries for each of the events based on the information you gave me. I was thinking we could—”

  Hugh chuckled and held up a hand to stop her. “Aubrey, take a few minutes to relax. You’re not on the clock yet and we’ll have plenty of time to talk about it. It’s been a hell of a morning and if it’s all right with you, I could stand to talk about anything else, as long as it’s not work related.”

  “Oh, okay. That’s fine. I just didn’t want you to think I’d been slacking off.”

  “You were home and on your own time. I didn’t expect you to spend every waking moment working on this project.” He leaned over and grabbed his first bag before looking at her again. “You’re entitled to have time to yourself. So did you get everything taken care of at home? Someone watering your plants? Checking the mail, that sort of thing?”

  She nodded. “There wasn’t too much to do. I pretty much have a black thumb so all of my plants are artificial, and the mail is taken care of. I left my itinerary with some friends and…here I am.”