An Unexpected Love Story (Love Story Book Two)

by Schurig, Rachel

  He pulled out a wallet and removed the two cards, placing them directly in my outstretched hand. As his fingers touched my palm, I felt a little tingle spread across my skin.

  This was getting out of hand.

  I entered his information into the computer, acutely aware of his eyes on me. According to his ID, his name was John Franklin. I liked the name John—a strong, classic name. It seemed appropriate for him.

  As I worked, neither of us spoke for a minute, and the silence seemed to be filling slowly with a delicious kind of tension. “So,” I finally said, unable to take it anymore. “What brings you to Alpena?”

  “I have some business in town,” he replied. I didn’t press for more information. “But I’m hoping to be able to relax as well. You’ll have to tell me what’s fun to do around here.”

  It was my turn to raise my eyebrow as I looked up at him. “It’s pretty quiet this time of year.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. “I could use some quiet right about now.”

  “You came to the right place then.”

  I finished entering his information and pulled a key from below the desk. John looked at it in surprise. “I can’t remember the last time I had an actual key at a hotel.”

  “Consider it part of our small-town charm,” I replied. “Did you have any luggage? I can call for a porter.” In my head, I frantically tried to think of someone that I could draft into porter duty.

  “No, that’s okay,” he said. “I just have a duffle bag out in the car. I can get it later.”

  “Well then, follow me.”

  I came around from behind the desk and led John over to the staircase. “Lobby’s out here,” I said, gesturing around us. “Help yourself to any of the books or magazines. There should be some playing cards and board games on the shelves as well.”

  “Charming,” he said, his voice sounding ever so slightly amused. Was he making fun of the inn? Normally I would be offended, but something about John just made me want to giggle right along with him.

  “Restaurant is in through there,” I said, pointing through a set of double doors as we reached the stairs. “We serve three hot meals a day and there’s a bar.”

  “Great,” he said, more genuinely this time. “I could use a drink.”

  “Did you have a long drive?” I asked as we made our way up the stairs. The suite was on the third floor, and I cursed my lack of athletic prowess. I was practically out of breath already.

  “I drove up from Chicago,” he said.

  I whistled. “Wow, you must be beat. Well, the restaurant staff is happy to do room service if you’d rather. There’s an info card by your phone with a number for the hostess. She’ll be happy to take care of you.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “But I might like to get out a bit. Keep me from falling asleep too early, you know?”

  We had now reached the third floor. “Well, here you are,” I said, turning to face him. I felt my breath catch as I realized how near he was. He must have been following me rather closely.

  “Thank you,” he said, looking down at me, a slight smile on his face. His eyes made it hard to think straight—they were dark and warm with little flecks of gold in them. I had to force myself to look away.

  “No problem,” I said, taking a step back. “You can call the front desk if you need anything at all.”

  “But there’s no one at the front desk,” he said, smiling. “Remember?”

  “The phone will ring back to my office if it isn’t answered.”

  “Right.” I figured he would put his key into the lock, but he just stood there, looking at me. I felt my face color again. “And who should I ask for?” he finally said. “If I need to call, I mean.”

  I felt confused for a moment, before it hit me. Was he trying to ask me my name? I looked back at his intense eyes, at the small smile on his mouth, and wondered if he was trying to flirt with me.

  “You can ask for me,” I said, hearing my already raspy voice dip slightly lower. Damn it, why did it always have to do that to me? Most girls got sweet and girlish when they flirted with a guy. My naturally low voice went straight to sex-phone operator. I cleared my throat. “Brooke Murray. I’m the manager.”

  His smile grew a notch, and he held out his hand to shake mine. I practically trembled as our palms met. His hand was large and warm and was doing ridiculous things to the nerve endings in my skin. “Well, Brooke Murray, I hope I’ll be seeing you around.”

  * * *

  “Brooke!”

  I looked up from my desk, surprised to see Kellie standing in the doorway to my office. She had a huge grin on her face and her cheeks appeared slightly flushed.

  “What’s up?”

  “You are never going to believe what just happened,” she hissed, looking over her shoulder as if she wanted to be sure that she wouldn’t be overheard.

  “What happened?” I asked, feeling less than expectant. Kellie had a tendency to be very overdramatic. Add to that a flair for gossip, and you could see why she got along so well with my dad. And why I took her less than seriously now.

  “Can I come in?” she asked, looking over her shoulder again. “This is big, Brooke.”

  “Sure,” I said, gesturing to the seat in front of me. Anything to get it out of her system so she’d leave me alone. I had a mountain of work to get through before the conference that night. And my recent run in with Mr. Gorgeous upstairs was doing little to help my focus.

  Kellie rushed into my office and sat down across from me, leaning over my desk with a look of glee on her face.

  “Okay, so I was in the restaurant, you know, seating the last of the lunch crowd—”

  “Hang on,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “Who’s seating the lunch crowd now?”

  “Well,” she said, looking slightly uncomfortable. It was as if she had just realized that I was her boss and she was effectively skipping out on her job right now to gossip with me. “I asked Paul to keep an eye on things. Only for a second, I swear.”

  “Fine,” I said, leaning back in my chair. The lunch hour was practically over anyhow, no need to be a bitch-boss. “So what happened?”

  “So we had a bit of a lull,” she said, reanimated as she continued her story. “And I was kinda daydreaming a little bit.” She glanced at me again, but I merely grinned at her. Like I didn’t know she spent half her shift daydreaming. She smiled sheepishly back and went on. “And out of no where this face appears in front of me. Seriously, Brooke, the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.”

  I felt my stomach sink a little. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

  “So I gasp a little, and he smiles, and oh my God, Brooke, I almost fainted. That’s how good-looking he was. Like Jude Law. Or maybe a darker Brad Pitt. We’re talking that gorgeous. I have no idea who is but he’s definitely not from around here. Probably just passing through, so you better hurry.”

  “Hurry?”

  “Yes, hurry! To come see him before he disappears! He’s in there right now eating a roast beef sandwich.”

  I smiled ruefully, almost afraid to tell her. “Actually, Kellie, I have seen him. I checked him in this morning.”

  It took a moment for my words to sink in. “Hang on,” she breathed. “Are you saying he’s a guest here?”

  “Yup,” I said, starting to enjoy myself. Since Emily had left, I didn’t spend much time with girls. I had forgotten how much fun the effect of a cute boy could be.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped. “He’s staying here? In the hotel? Holy crap. Does that mean I might be able to see him again?”

  “That depends,” I said. “Are you working this weekend?”

  Kellie squealed and clapped her hands together. “Oh, this is so awesome. There hasn’t been eye candy this good in all the time I’ve worked here.”

  “Well, enjoy it,” I said, turning back to my computer. Being silly with Kellie was fun for a minute, but I had some real work to do now. “But don’t let your ogling get in the
way of your job.”

  “I won’t,” she said, standing. She paused at my doorway. “Are you seriously not going to come out here and check him out? I know you’ve seen him, but God, when someone looks that good, one look is not enough.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Talk to you later, Kel.”

  Once she was gone, I tried to focus on my work. When the inn was full, there were a million things to worry about. Making sure we had enough food ordered, making sure I was staffed appropriately. It could be overwhelming, and I wanted to be done with everything well before the convention guests got here.

  Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t make it any easier to actually do the work. John’s face kept flashing through my mind, unbidden. And the way his eyes had twinkled when he teased me. And the feeling of his fingers brushing mine. His hands were definitely strong, not namby-pamby the way some guys were. I wondered what he did for a living. I wondered what those hands would feel like on my arm, or the small of my back, or…

  Okay, maybe a little break was in order. I stood and stretched. I’ll just go check out lunch service, I told myself. I am the manager of this place. It’s not like it would be weird for me to be in there. I am not going just to look at the eye candy.

  Once in the dining room, I couldn’t help but strain my neck looking for John, though I tried not to be obvious.

  “Looking for someone?” Paul asked, coming to stand behind me. Apparently not as smooth as I thought.

  I turned to face him. “No,” I said quickly. “Just checking things out.”

  He shook his head. “You’re as bad as her,” he snorted, pointing in Kellie’s direction. I could see her at the hostess stand, leaning over her podium and staring dreamily at the area behind the bar. Sure enough, a slight turn of my head revealed John sitting there, seemingly oblivious to her longing.

  I looked back at Paul. He was smirking, and there was a knowing look in his eyes. Well, there was no point in trying to deny it now.

  “Shut up, Paul,” I said, going to sit at the bar.

  He jumped up on the stool beside me. “Seriously, Brooke. From Kellie, I can understand, but you’re supposed to be a grownup. Not some teeny-bopper lusting after an older man.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “Kellie is twenty-one years old,” I told him. “Hardly a teeny-bopper. And who said I was lusting?”

  “You obviously are. What’d you do, come running in here as soon as Kellie told you about our new diner?”

  I winked at him. “Here I was, thinking I had waited a respectful amount of time.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry,” I went on. “I actually checked him in this morning, so I’ve already previewed the goods.”

  “He’s a guest? Don’t tell me—the president of the video gamers club, here early to check out the wireless capabilities.”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Nope, just a guest. So you better be nice to him, Paul.” I realized something. “Speaking of guests, is there a reason you’re on this side of the counter?”

  “Yeah, cause there’s barely anyone in here,” he muttered, but he stood all the same and moved to the other side of the bar. “Did you want something?”

  “Glass of white wine,” I said, getting more comfortable on my stool. If I turned just a little, I could see John’s table…but John wasn’t there. Before I had a chance to get over my disappointment, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

  Spinning around, I came face to face with him. If I had thought the morning of work would be enough to lessen the impact of his gorgeousness, I was wrong. Once again, he took my breath away.

  “Hi, Brooke,” he said, smiling broadly. I felt a ridiculous thrill that he had remembered my name. “I saw you sit down. Are you on your lunch break?”

  “Mmmhmm,” I said, not quite able to form real words yet.

  “Would you like to join me?” He pointed in the direction of his table. Before I even had a chance to think of all the reasons this would be a bad idea, I was nodding and following him over to his table. As I reached for the chair, I suddenly remembered Paul.

  “Oops,” I said, feeling embarrassed. “I forgot my wine. One sec.”

  I rushed back over to the bar, ignoring Kellie’s mouth-open gape. Paul was shaking his head at me, a glass of chilled white wine in front of him.

  “Never thought I’d see the day,” he said, amusement and irritation mixing in his voice. “Brooke Murray actually speechless over a guy.”

  “I was not,” I hissed, grabbing my wine.

  “Mmmhmmm,” he simpered, mocking me as he batted his eyelashes.

  “Oh, shut up.”

  “It’s just funny is all,” he said, leaning over the bar to me. “Now you know what it’s like for all those poor saps that follow you around like puppy dogs.”

  “Do I look like a puppy dog to you, Paul?” I asked, standing up straight, my embarrassment fast turning to irritation. Paul just laughed.

  “Enjoy your lunch.”

  Back at John’s table, I grabbed a chair and set my wine down. I caught sight of Mary, one of the servers, across the room and motioned for her. “I’ll have a steak sandwich, Mary,” I said when she approached. “And a plate of fries, please.”

  I was happy that Mary didn’t seem at all interested in the fact that I was eating with a customer. I guess it wasn’t all that odd—my parents and I often ate in the dining room. Just not usually with someone quite this gorgeous.

  “So, how’s your room?” I asked, turning my attention back to John.

  “It’s very nice,” he said, setting his sandwich down. “Not what I was expecting.”

  “You weren’t expecting nice?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  “No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s obvious this is a nice place. You take great care of it. I was just expecting more of a…a hunting, forest theme, I guess.”

  “A hunting forest theme?” I asked, grinning in spite of myself. “What does that mean? Stuffed animal heads on the wall? Camo-patterned wallpaper?”

  He laughed. It was a great laugh, deep and warm. It made my toes feel tingly. “No. I was thinking more like wood paneling, lots of plaid. You know.”

  “You mean kind of like down here,” I said, looking around the dark dining room morosely.

  “Hey, it works,” he said, catching my expression. “I’m just saying the suite is a lot more sophisticated and minimalist than I would have expected.”

  “It used to be pretty much how you described it,” I admitted. “I got to redecorate the third floor last year after some flooding. For the first time it was my design decision, not my parents.”

  “So I should be happy I’m not slumming it down on the second floor?”

  I laughed. “If you’re not crazy about animal-motif curtains.”

  John reached for his drink and took a sip. I couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t touched his sandwich since I sat down. Again, I felt a little thrill.

  “Why did you get design decision-making power?”

  “It was the first redecorating that needed to be done since I took over the management,” I explained. “I’ve only been the manager for four years.”

  “And what did you do before that?” he asked.

  “I was in school.” Just then Mary appeared with my sandwich. After I had thanked her, I got to work spreading steak sauce on the bread. “I love these sandwiches,” I told John. “We have the best cook for miles around.”

  “Mine is pretty good,” he agreed, looking down at his sandwich as if he forgotten it was there. He looked up at me and grinned. “But I have to tell you, it pales in comparison to the company.”

  I was surprised when I felt myself blush. I rarely blushed, and John had made me do so three times now in one morning. His grin grew bigger. “You were saying something about school?”

  “Umm,” I said, feeling slightly dazed from the combination of his compliment and his grin. “Uh, yeah. I grew up here and then went away to school. I was planning to get my degree a
nd move somewhere much more exciting.”

  “What happened?” he asked, leaning an inch or two closer.

  “My dad broke his hip. It was tough on them trying to handle everything with him out of commission. I came home to help out for a while when I graduated…”

  I trailed off. I didn’t like the idea of telling this stranger what I had found when I got back and got my hands on the books. As cute as John was, he was still a guest. He didn’t need to hear the gory details of missed tax payments, vendors threatening to sue…I didn’t think my parents even realized how close to ruin they had been.

  “And the rest is history?” John asked when it was clear that I wasn’t going to continue. I smiled at him gratefully.

  “Let’s just say I couldn’t bring myself to leave.”

  We finally turned our attention to our food, eating in silence for a moment. I tried to keep from thinking about the state of the place when I’d returned. It had taken so much work to bring it back from the brink. I had put my heart and soul into the success of this inn, and I was more proud of it than I had ever let on.

  “What about you?” I finally asked. “What do you do?”

  “I’m a lawyer,” he said. Well, that explained the fancy clothes. “I have a few meetings in the area through Monday.”

  “Is your practice close by?”

  He laughed. “Only if you consider Chicago close.”

  “Oh, that’s right, you said this morning you drove up from Chicago.” Of course I had remembered that tidbit, but there was no sense in letting him know how much I’d been thinking about him already.

  He didn’t offer up any more information, and I didn’t want to pry, so I let it go. “Well, let me know if you’re looking for something to fill up your free time when you’re not in your meetings.”

  He looked up from his sandwich, raising one eyebrow. It suddenly hit me how my words must have sounded, and I flushed even darker than before. “Because I know the area and I can give you some tips,” I said quickly.

  John’s eyes flashed again, as if he was trying to keep from laughing. Mortified, I took a large gulp of my wine. Real good, Murray, I thought.

  “Brooke,” he said. Something in his tone made me look up. His gaze was more intense than I was expecting, and he was leaning even closer across the table. He smiled, a slow, seductive smile. “I promise you’ll be the first one I call.”