Love Walks In

by Samantha Chase

  “Oh, don’t do that. Which would you prefer?”

  “Surprise me.” Aubrey yawned loudly. “I hate to hang up but I really am exhausted. It’s been a long day. Can I call you tomorrow?”

  “You can call me any time you want, sweetheart,” he said softly.

  “Mmm…” she purred. “I like that. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay. Good night, Aubrey.”

  “Good night.”

  * * *

  Hugh lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a long time after he and Aubrey got off the phone. She was coming to meet his family. Was that good or bad? Was he ready for it? Was his family?

  Great, now he had a headache.

  While it would be great to whisk her away to some exclusive resort for a long weekend, Aubrey was right—he lived his entire life out of hotels. It could be nice to be a little more domesticated and stay at the apartment Aidan had over his garage. It wasn’t much—just a two-room apartment—but they wouldn’t need much more. Just a roof over their heads, a bed…and for his family to keep their distance a little bit.

  Hugh had a feeling with work beginning on the family house, he was going to be expected to pitch in since he was in town. He couldn’t do it. It was one thing to mow the lawn or prune some trees, but there was no way he could willingly start stripping wallpaper or tearing down cabinets.

  His brothers were welcome to it.

  Aubrey would be the perfect distraction. Not that it was his only reason for wanting her here—he just…wanted her here. His father and brothers would take pity on him, he’d take their good-natured ribbing, and in the end, he’d get to have his time alone with Aubrey.

  Not a bad plan.

  Of course there was the potential for things to go wrong. Once he asked Aidan about the apartment, he’d get the third degree. Then Zoe would want to meet Aubrey. There would probably be a family dinner and the equivalent of the new-relationship interrogation.

  Crap.

  Hugh stopped himself. He was doing it again. Plotting. Planning. Trying to work everything out in his head rather than just waiting to see what happened. Old habits and all. Not that Hugh thought he had to change his habits—just tone them down a bit.

  He sighed. This was exhausting.

  As his eyes began to drift closed, Hugh made a promise to himself. Tomorrow he was going to let everyone know Aubrey was coming to spend the weekend. And he’d see how they responded. Hopefully Aidan would offer the apartment, and he’d accept like he hadn’t already thought of it.

  Then he’d reiterate that he was going to be in charge of the landscaping part of the renovations. Nothing more. No painting. No demolition. If pushed, he’d play the girlfriend card and hopefully it would shut everyone up.

  Maybe.

  If he was lucky.

  If not, he’d have a plan B ready. He just needed some sleep first.

  Chapter 8

  “So the refrigerator is stocked and there are clean linens on the bed. If you need extra towels, they’re here in the linen closet.” Zoe walked around the small apartment with a wide smile on her face. “We have cable and there are extra pillows and—”

  “Zoe?” Hugh interrupted.

  “Hmm?”

  “We’ve got it. The place isn’t that big. If it’s not here, we won’t need it.”

  She made a face at him. “I’m just making sure you’re comfortable. So sue me.”

  He put his arm around her and kissed her on the forehead. “That won’t be necessary. But seriously, we’ll be fine.” He looked at Aubrey. “Right?”

  She nodded. “I can’t thank you enough for letting us stay here. I know we could have gone to a hotel, but this is much cozier.”

  Zoe seemed to visibly relax. “It’s a great little place. And we don’t get to see Hugh nearly enough. He’s normally globe-trotting someplace.”

  “Well, you won’t be seeing too much of me this time either. I’ve got some property to look at and I plan on helping Dad out with the yard. I want to show Aubrey around town, too.”

  “Just make sure you make time for dinner tomorrow. It’s my only request. I’m forcing everyone to take tomorrow off to come here for dinner.”

  “Who’s everyone?” Aubrey asked.

  “Ian, Aidan, Quinn, Anna, the two of you…” She stopped. “If you were going to be here next weekend, you could have met Darcy and Owen. They’re both going to be in town.”

  Hugh looked at her quizzically. “I didn’t have any idea. Why didn’t anyone tell me? I would have put off my visit for a week.”

  “It just sort of happened that way. Darcy wasn’t due to come home, but when she heard about all the work going on at the house, she got anxious to see it, and Owen didn’t need much prodding when Aidan told him what was going on. ”

  “Oh dear Lord,” Hugh said with a chuckle. “Don’t let him use any power tools.”

  “Why?” Aubrey asked. “He’s not handy?”

  “My brother is a brilliant scientist. His brain works in ways that constantly baffle me. But he’s got two left hands and he overthinks everything. He’ll end up hurting himself without lifting a finger.”

  Zoe chimed in. “Owen has his own skills.”

  “Oh, I completely agree. And as long as he sticks to pencils and paper, typing on the computer, and looking through a telescope, we’re all going to be fine. Trust me, Zoe. Give him simple tasks—raking leaves, picking up lunch—but don’t let him actually do anything.”

  She sighed. “Fine. I’m sure Aidan is aware of this already, right?”

  Hugh nodded. “Just tell Aidan to have extra helpers on hand while Owen’s here so it looks like he’s really not necessary. No need to make him feel bad.”

  “Aww…look at you being all concerned for your brother’s feelings. That’s very sweet.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “You are amazing.”

  “And that is my cue to leave.” Zoe made her way to the door. “You have my number if you need me. I have to head into town to check on a job. Aidan won’t be home until after five. If you want to join us for dinner, text me. But no pressure. Enjoy yourselves.” And she was gone.

  It was funny—for a man who thrived on being in control, he felt anything but. No sooner had the door clicked shut than he had Aubrey in his arms, his lips on hers. “This is madness,” he growled as he reacquainted himself with the taste, the feel of her.

  “I know,” she panted, doing her share of exploring.

  The thought of making love to Aubrey had been in the forefront of Hugh’s mind pretty much since he’d last seen her. He’d lost count of the fantasies that had run through his mind in the few days they’d been apart.

  Sex on the living room carpet wasn’t one of them, but as he and Aubrey slowly sank to their knees, kissing ravenously, it seemed like the perfect way to start.

  They rolled, they kissed, they touched.

  “I need you,” Aubrey sighed, her nails raking his scalp as his mouth nipped and kissed her chin, her throat, the vee of her blouse. “Now.”

  His brain wasn’t functioning. It was the only thing Hugh could say to excuse the fact that he was behaving like a horny teenager alone in the house with the girl of his dreams. He wasn’t civilized. He wasn’t gentle. Hell, he barely remembered where they were. The only thing that mattered was feeling more of Aubrey’s skin.

  “Now works for me just fine,” he growled as he sat up and quickly began to undress. Aubrey did the same.

  Then, there were no words. Only sighs.

  * * *

  “The breeze feels wonderful, don’t you think?” Aubrey asked. They were walking hand in hand around the semi-cleared property Anna Hannigan had brought them to see. They’d been wandering around in silence for several minutes and the quiet was starting to get to her. She had a feeling Hugh was simply mulling things over
in his mind. She would have given him some space, but he wouldn’t let go of her hand.

  Looking over her shoulder toward Anna, she noticed her shrug.

  “So.” Anna cleared her throat. “This tract of land consists of 236 acres. I know it’s a lot larger than your other properties. But depending on where you build the main resort, you could definitely ensure privacy for your guests. There is approximately fifty acres of buildable uplands with an additional ten-acre island.” She paused. “The island could really be a selling point.”

  Aubrey gasped as inspiration struck. “Oh, you could build a spectacular venue on the island for weddings or other high-profile events. Just think of all the possibilities. Glass enclosures, beautiful lighting, the sense of being someplace far, far away…” She sighed.

  “What was the land previously going to be used for, Anna?” Hugh said, seemingly unfazed by Aubrey’s exuberant plans for the island.

  “The previous developer had an approved plan for eighty residential lots with accompanying boat slips on the river.”

  “And why did it fall through?”

  Anna began to furiously scan through her notes. “Um…it looks like it was a financing issue. The city was on board with the plans, but the developer couldn’t come up with the proper financing to make it happen.”

  “If the city was on board with a residential plan, what makes you so sure they’d be on board with this being used for commercial development?”

  With a confident grin, Anna pulled a sheet of paper out of one of the folders she was carrying. “I’ve already been in contact with the city to secure the necessary paperwork, and talked to the local businesses. It looks like everyone agrees with the type of project you would be doing. Had you wanted to come in here and do a theme park or some sort of monstrosity, they probably wouldn’t have been on board. But your reputation speaks for itself, Hugh.”

  He smiled as he took the paperwork from Anna’s hands. “You’re good, Anna,” he said. “And confident, too.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know about that. You’re really my first commercial client.” Her hand flew to her mouth and she blushed. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

  Hugh smiled. “Knock it off. We’re practically family. I know you’re just starting out. If anyone else had brought this property to my attention, I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought. But when Quinn called and told me about it…”

  “Quinn called you?” she asked. “When?”

  “I don’t know. A week ago? Maybe two?”

  She muttered under her breath.

  “Why? What’s the problem?” Hugh asked, confused.

  “I thought he mentioned it to you when you got here. He didn’t say he’d jumped the gun. I told him to wait until I was ready with all of the research before saying anything, and he just went ahead and did whatever he wanted anyway.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Well, it still worked out, right? I mean, he told me about it, but we didn’t talk until this morning so…no harm done.”

  She glanced at him. “I know you’re right. I just wish…”

  “Quinn would listen to someone other than himself?”

  She laughed. “Exactly. I know he wants to help me. He’s a good friend. I just think sometimes he doesn’t really pay attention to what I say.”

  “If it’s any consolation, he doesn’t listen to anything anyone says. It’s not just you,” Hugh said softly. Reaching over, he put an arm around Anna and pulled her into a brotherly embrace, planting a loud, smacking kiss on her head. “He’ll catch on eventually.”

  “Sure he will,” she grumbled, stepping away from him.

  Aubrey stood back for a moment and watched in fascination. What had just happened here? What had she missed? She knew Hugh’s and Anna’s families had been friends for years, Hugh had told her that much. But clearly there was some sort of thing going on with Quinn she hadn’t been brought up to speed on. She made a mental note to ask Hugh about it later when they were alone.

  They came to a stop. Aubrey had lost track of where they were or how far they had walked. She looked around and saw a whole lot of nothingness around her, but one look at Hugh and she could almost see his mind at work.

  It was fascinating.

  “I have an information packet for you as well,” Anna said. “Demographics, information on local construction—you know, just in case working with Aidan isn’t a possibility—and things like that.” She hesitated. “I made a small PowerPoint presentation that we can look at back at my office if you’re interested. Or I can send it to you.”

  He smiled at her, the breeze blowing his hair slightly. “That would be great.” Looking around one last time, he grabbed Aubrey’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s a lot to think about.”

  Together, the three of them began their trek back toward the car. Anna had picked them up at Aidan’s place earlier and given them a quick tour of the area on their way in. It wasn’t the type of decision that could be made on the spot. Aubrey knew that, and yet she had a feeling a commission like this would mean a great deal to Anna.

  “You coming to dinner tomorrow?” Hugh asked after a few minutes.

  Anna nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it. Zoe’s an amazing cook.”

  “Says the woman who makes some of the best burgers in the world. Just say the word, Anna, and I’d set you up in any one of my resorts,” Hugh joked.

  Aubrey looked over at Anna. “You’re a cook? I thought you did real estate.”

  Anna gave Hugh a playful shove before answering. “I used to manage the local pub. They had a kitchen and I helped them change up their menu from barely edible to somewhat enjoyable.”

  “She’s being modest,” Hugh interjected. “It used to be a run-down greasy spoon, and when Anna came in, she cleaned the place up and took on the kitchen. People come from miles around for her burgers. She won’t tell us the secret to them, but I’m telling you, they’re borderline addictive.”

  “Now I’m intrigued,” Aubrey said, smiling brightly. “I do love a good burger.”

  “Well, maybe while you’re in town I’ll have you over for dinner. Which reminds me, how long are the two of you going to be around for?”

  Aubrey hesitated. “I was really only planning on staying the weekend. Hugh and I will be traveling more and I haven’t been home much. I’ve got to get my stuff in order and get packed before we hit the road again.”

  Beside her, Aubrey could feel Hugh stiffen slightly. They hadn’t talked about how long she was going to stay. She’d just thought it was a given. No doubt they’d talk about it tonight.

  “I planned on being here through next weekend,” Hugh said pleasantly. “But plans can change.”

  “Well, if either of you are around, my schedule is pretty flexible and it’s never a hardship to light the grill and whip up a meal, so let me know.”

  “Any idea what Zoe’s making? Does she have a specialty?” Hugh asked.

  “Oh, you are going to love it,” Anna said as they approached the car. She unlocked it remotely and they climbed in. “She’s really gotten into your mom’s cookbooks and has been coming up with something new every week—dishes everyone says they haven’t eaten in years. I don’t know what’s on tomorrow’s menu, but the last couple of weeks have been a real treat. She made your dad cry that first Sunday.” At Hugh’s horrified look, she quickly corrected herself. “In a good way! Honestly! Sorry! I meant it was just a good memory and he hadn’t realized how much he missed some of those dishes.”

  Aubrey patted Hugh’s shoulder from the backseat. “I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful. I can’t wait.”

  “So about those demographics,” Hugh said, effectively changing the subject.

  * * *

  Mindlessly, Hugh’s fingers played with Aubrey’s hair as they watched a movie. It was late. They’d had dinner a
nd were relaxing, but his mind kept going in a bunch of different directions.

  The property.

  It was a fabulous piece of land and the potential was more than he’d ever let himself think about. It would give him the opportunity to expand in ways he hadn’t thought he wanted to and yet… Maybe it was time to do something a little different. He knew he wouldn’t stray too far from the formula that had proven successful for him in the past, but he could expand on it.

  Aubrey.

  She’d only planned on the weekend? Why hadn’t they discussed it? It made sense. He knew that. And yet…dammit. Just the thought of watching her drive away again was already eating away at him. He had no idea why he was struggling with it so much. It had never been an issue before. There had to be a way to overcome it and get a grip.

  Then he remembered they were going to be traveling together for the better part of the next month. There’d be no need to worry about it because she wouldn’t be driving away from him. Just the thought made him relax a bit. And then he remembered…

  The dinner.

  So Zoe was breaking out his mother’s old recipes. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Hugh had gotten used to the way he lived his life in regards to honoring his mother. He stuck to the schedule she had lovingly made for her family—it didn’t matter if it wasn’t new and exciting, it brought him comfort. Of course, he had a business to run and business dinners to go to, so he wasn’t completely faithful to the schedule.

  Somehow he doubted Zoe would be able to completely re-create all of the recipes exactly. It wasn’t possible. So he’d go and he’d eat and he’d thank her. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate her effort—on some levels it was very sweet. But those were his mother’s things. Not hers. Maybe if Darcy had taken an interest in it he’d feel differently, but she hadn’t.

  He sighed loudly and Aubrey turned to look at him. “You okay?”

  Great. How did he explain the ridiculous conversation he was having in his head? “Yeah. Sure.”