If he trusted his family, he’d ask them what time they were arriving, but considering no one bothered to tell him they were coming, he didn’t trust them to tell him what time they would get there. He was just opening his email when the first car came up. It was a black Ford pickup truck, which immediately identified it as Colin Carter.
He didn’t know whether that was a good thing or bad. He never liked Carter, but over the years, the man had grown on him. It was hard to hate a guy after you saw him play peek-a-boo with his three-year-old daughter. And it was hard to deny that Jean was in love with the son of a bitch.
In fact, if he had to pinpoint one of his sibling’s relationships that had him the most motivated to settle down, it would be Jean and Colin. Mainly because who the fuck knew that an ass like Colin could get a good woman to love him?
Nathan pushed the computer shut as Colin parked the truck. When they got out, no one reached in the back for the car seat, so he figured that Maeve wasn’t here. That sucked. His little niece made any family get-together a hundred times more fun. But if they were converging in on the property to stage an intervention, it made sense that kids wouldn’t be invited.
He waved when he saw them and Jean waved back, a bright smile on her face. Colin just scowled, which was par for the course for him. The guy probably wasn’t happy about the spontaneous trip to Maine.
“Welcome to Seal Cove,” said Nathan as he approached.
“Hey!” Jean gave him a tight hug. Jean was the sister he didn’t know he had until a few years ago, but looking at her, there was no doubt they were related. Besides the same dark hair and blue eyes, she had the same cheekbones and jawline their bastard of a father had passed on to them both.
Luckily, looks were the only thing her father gave to her. She had the rough and tumble attitude of someone who’d had to work hard her entire life, but a cheerfulness that not even Nathan could explain. Once she’d found out who she was, and about the large inheritance that came with it, she somehow hadn’t turned into a horrid person like some of the other heiresses he knew, but had just become cheerful squared.
And Nathan had finally come to terms with the fact that Colin was part of the reason for that cheerfulness.
“So want to tell me why you decided to make the sudden visit?”
Jean smiled in the way that told him that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. He was betting the family wanted to do this true intervention style by sitting him down and confronting him all together.
“I think we were just surprised about this and wanted to see what made you fall in love with the place.”
“We want to find out if you’ve lost your goddamn mind,” said Colin.
He had to appreciate someone who said it like it was. “Nice to see you too, Colin.”
Colin just nodded abruptly before he came around the truck with the luggage to stand next to Jean. He also reached to take Jean’s backpack so she didn’t have to carry anything. His sister, who he knew was too independent for her own good, didn’t protest as she handed him the bag. It was strange to see the casual way Colin and Jean constantly reinforced their relationship—touches, sticky-sweet stares.
Nathan had thought they were both crazy, but he’d seen the same strange bug make its way through all of his brothers lately. For the first time, he was starting to understand it. What he wouldn’t give to casually take Katy’s bag from her and have her hand it over without protest.
The idea that she would want his help. That she’d understand that helping her wasn’t some strange power play or way to make her feel like less of a person. He wanted to help her because it made him happy to make her happy.
He led Colin and Jean inside. He’d made the rounds and introduced himself to all the staff members that morning, so it was now the stage where the second he walked into the room, everyone would stand up straight as if they’d just been electrocuted. That would fade eventually and they’d go back to normal. He could assure them things wouldn’t change that much all he wanted, but actions went a lot further than words. Only time would let the staff be more comfortable with him.
Sheila was behind the desk this morning, and her smile was noticeably more stressed as they approached.
“Good morning, Sheila.”
“Good morning, Mr. Farrell.” She jumped to attention to stand behind the computer.
“This is my sister and brother-in-law, Colin and Jean Carter.”
“Welcome to Seal Cove Inn. Let me see what room we have you in and get you all set.”
“So what have you been doing while you’ve been up here?” asked Jean. She didn’t say what she was really thinking, but Nathan already knew. This wasn’t exactly his scene. No crazy parties or bars he could stay at until all hours of the night. Only Julie truly knew why he was here, and Nathan wasn’t about to try to explain it to his other family members.
At least not until he had made more progress with Katy.
But if Jean wanted something personal from him, he could at least give her something. “I’ve mostly been sleeping and relaxing. Not sure if you know, but I went through a messy-ish breakup and this has been a nice escape.”
Sheila gave them their room key and the pamphlet about the grounds before Jean’s pity levels could reach a hundred percent. Once they were on their way to the room, and out of staff earshot, Colin said, “Going through a bad breakup isn’t reason enough to buy a property on a whim.”
“No. But the ideal setting, overwhelmingly positive reviews from guests, and the solid management of the place are good reasons. This isn’t my first property purchase,” he reminded them.
They reached the room, the Plum Room, and Nathan took the key to open the door for them.
“Oh, wow.” Jean walked in. “This is charming.”
Like the name suggested, the room was accented by lots of purple colors, but whoever had decorated had managed to make it toned down enough so it wasn’t overwhelming. The walls were a natural beige, but the curtains, comforter, and a few other small touches had the dark purple of the room’s namesake.
This room was smaller than his, but it still had the connecting bathroom, and though the window wasn’t directly looking out at the water, it was still visible if you looked at an angle. Nathan wondered whether the rest of the family would be as impressed with the room.
Jean had grown up not knowing her wealthier relatives, so some of the finer things in life were new to her. The same couldn’t be said for his brothers.
“Just wait until you have dinner tonight. The food is amazing here.”
“I can’t wait,” said Jean.
Nathan could tell she meant it, but based off the scowl on Colin’s face, he wasn’t nearly as convinced. “So what do we do until then?”
“The front desk has an entire list of activities. Hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing. Even some great stables nearby if you want to do some horseback riding.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Did you want to go out to lunch with us? You can show us around the town.”
“I want to stay around to see who else shows up. But I’m sure we can arrange dinner.” He tried to see the parking lot, but from the angle of the room it was impossible. “You two get comfortable. I’m sure we’ll meet up soon.”
He left them to get settled and took the steps two at a time as he tried to get back downstairs before any other family members arrived, but he was too late.
Robert, Alex, Malia, and Ashley surrounded Katy.
Katy looked up at the two men in front of her and tried her best not to stare. Robert and Alex Farrell were both older than Nathan but they looked so...similar. It was as though the same eyes stared back at her.
Except these people had no idea who she was and probably thought she was one of those fan girls who couldn’t contain herself around someone as famous as their family was. Katy decided she’d have better luck if she focused on the women instead. She’d always had better luck connecting with women than men anyway
.
Their wives, Malia and Ashley Farrell, were polar opposites. Well, that wasn’t true. They were both beautiful and striking in their own way. Where Malia was tan with sun-streaked hair that was almost the same color as her skin along with dark-brown eyes, Ashley was pale and delicate. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white, and her eyes were a pale blue that seemed to match the lightness of her skin and hair.
“Welcome to Seal Cove Inn,” said Katy cheerfully. “My name is Katy Carey. I’m the manager here. Let me show you to the front desk so we can get you checked in.”
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Ashley held out a hand. She might look delicate, but she gave a firm handshake and Katy had to respect that.
“It’s gorgeous out here,” said Malia. “And you’re right on the water. That must be so pretty in the summer.”
“Summer and even winter has its own charm,” said Katy. “This truly is a little slice of heaven.”
“Do the occupancy rates stay up in the winter?” asked Robert.
Malia gave him a quick swat on the arm. “We just got here.”
“She’s the manager,” he pointed out.
Katy held up a hand. “It’s fine, really. Occupancy rates are lower in the winter, but they’ve been steadily increasing over the past few years. Winter weddings have been a great asset to the inn since we have fantastic heating in the Carriage House. The windows allow the wedding party to see the beautiful winter scenery but not freeze to death.” She had detailed figures and percentages about occupancy rates, but she had to remember that the Farrells didn’t buy the inn. Nathan did.
“How old is the Carriage House?” asked Alex.
“It’s about to be six years old. One of the first things I took on when I started was making sure we had a wedding venue that would attract people from all over the East Coast. Would you like to see it?”
“I think we’re all wedding-ed out,” said Ashley politely as she gave Alex a little look.
Katy was guessing that the women wanted to get up to the rooms and the guys just wanted to talk business. It wasn’t a short drive from the city to Maine, so she was sure all of them could use a break.
Katy started to lead the way toward the inn. “It’s only May. Have you already had a busy wedding season?”
“We both got married in the past year,” said Malia with a soft smile.
That was nice. Sometimes when dealing with newlyweds, they would talk about a recent wedding as though it was a battle they’d just won.
“We got married twice in the past year,” said Ashley with a similar grin.
Katy frowned but Alex said, “Long story.”
Before she could ask anything else about that long story, she saw Nathan running in their direction. She wished she could signal to him to slow down. It would only raise questions if he seemed to be stressed.
“Nathan!” called Ashley before she met him with a hug.
Katy stepped aside as the family all met and exchanged hellos. “I’ll let you all get on with it,” she said softly as she tried to make an escape.
“I was hoping to talk more about the inn,” said Robert.
Of course he did. “Of course,” she said, even as she looked to Nathan to see whether he had any different ideas.
“Katy has lots of important things to do. Any questions you have, you can ask me.”
Well, at least Nathan was good for something.
Katy started to turn away when Robert said, “Nonsense. I don’t care how much research you did or didn’t do—the manager is going to know more about every line on that financial statement than you. We can all talk together.”
She sighed. Also true. She stayed in place as Nathan moved to stand between her and his brothers. “Katy is an expert on everything related to the inn, but since you’re not an owner here, I don’t think you need to spend any time being briefed.”
She tried to defuse the situation. “I think that everyone can get a look at their rooms and—”
“I might not be an owner, but this is family business,” said Robert. “We’re here to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. Katy can help me.”
Yep. Now she was getting pulled back into things. Katy backed away. “I’m going to head back to my office. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask for me by name.” Katy turned and removed herself before any of the arguments heated up. Every part of her management side wanted to go back and help sort this out, but she knew she wasn’t qualified for this.
The Farrell family had a long and sordid history and she only knew the bare minimum. She’d told Nathan that he needed to deal with his family, and she wasn’t going to back away from that demand. He brought this on himself, and now he was going to have to deal with the consequences.
But instead of going back to her office, Katy decided she needed another dose of the ocean air to clear her head. She followed the path leading toward the back of the inn. Considering it was midafternoon, she wasn’t expecting to have privacy. Another stranger sat at one of the benches that overlooked the water. The woman was very pregnant and rubbed her stomach with one hand as she gazed at the scenery.
This was the kind of thing that made her job worth it. Allowing people to come here to relax. To refresh. Especially a new mother right before her world changed forever. One last getaway before the family expanded.
Katy wrapped her arms around herself as she savored the few moments of silence. Dean and Victoria were set to arrive in a few hours, and she was taking the evening off to go to dinner with them. Dinner far, far away from the inn.
The woman on the bench looked over her shoulder and Katy gave her a soft smile, walking the line between not intruding and not ignoring the guest either. Apparently the woman didn’t mind the intrusion. “Hello. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes.” Katy moved closer so they wouldn’t have to yell. “No matter how stressed I am, this view always seems to calm me.”
“It makes me wish I brought my swimsuit.”
“Oh no,” said Katy. “Even in the warmest months, that water is cold. It’s a look, don’t touch situation.”
“I don’t know. I’ve swam in some pretty cold lakes before.”
“A cold lake and a cold ocean are two very different beasts. And I say this only through experience. The water really does seem to call to you.”
“So are you a local?” asked the woman.
“An adopted local,” said Katy. “I moved here from the city after college. Now I can never imagine going back.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re from the city? That’s so interesting. I’m the opposite. I moved from the suburbs to the city and now I can’t imagine going back.”
There was something special about being able to call yourself a New Yorker. A pride and immediate acknowledgment that you were probably a little badass. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Katy Carey, manager here. Are you a guest?”
“My husband is just checking in now.” The woman glanced behind her as if to check to see whether said husband was coming back. “Katy Carey, you said?”
“Yes. If you need anything, you can always ask for me at the front desk.”
“So are you the woman Nathan came here for?”
Katy’s mouth fell open and she physically took a step back. “Um, excuse me?” she said, as though her reaction hadn’t given everything away.
“I knew Nathan came here for a woman, but I didn’t know anything about you. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to freak you out.”
“No. I mean, I’m not freaked. I just want to assure you that Nathan and I are purely professional. He didn’t come here for me.”
The woman narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, a big hulking man who could only be Logan Farrell showed up and set a protective hand on her shoulder. “Hey, babe. We’re all set and looks like everyone is here. They all want to see you.”
“You have a great day,” said Katy as she once again found h
erself trying to make a hasty exit.
“Wait!” called the woman.
Katy winced, but she did manage to force a smile by the time she’d turned back to face the woman. “Yes?”
She approached and held out a hand. “Here I forgot to introduce myself. Julie Farrell. This is my husband Logan.”
Logan had moved to stand behind Julie, but he didn’t do more than nod in greeting. Katy met Julie’s handshake.
“I really hope I’ll get to catch up with you later,” said Julie.
Her tone was so warm and...real. It actually did have a calming effect on Katy. It was nice to know that at least one of Nathan’s family members seemed to know the truth and wasn’t angry or accusing of Katy.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other. You have a great day.” Katy finally turned and went back to the inn. This time she didn’t give herself a chance to be caught up by any Farrells. Instead, she went right to her office and shut the door. The staff might worry because her door was hardly ever shut, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Katy fell into her chair and let out a deep breath. Okay. So most of Nathan’s family was now here. All she had to do was intercept Dean and lead him and Victoria away from the inn as quickly as possible and she could avoid any and all conflict.
Yeah. This was totally doable.
When the phone rang, she seriously debated ignoring the call. Knowing her luck, it would be Dean calling to tell her he was getting there early. Though she didn’t recognize the phone number, she answered it anyway. “This is Katy at Seal Cove Inn. How can I help you?”
“Hello, Katy,” said a masculine voice she didn’t recognize. “I trust you are making the best out of a stressful day.”
Katy blinked as she looked at the phone number again, but it didn’t look familiar. He spoke as if he knew her, but she had no idea who this was. “I’m sorry. To whom am I speaking?”
“I was supposed to be your new boss, but some things don’t work out like we want.”
Relentless (Fractured Farrells: A Damaged Billionaire Series Book 5) Page 11
