He should have walked away and stayed away after their first breakfast together. Instead, he'd spent way too much time getting to know a woman he couldn't have. He needed to get his job done and get the hell out of town before he did something stupid like fall in love.
But hitting the road and heading for some unknown destination didn't seem quite as appealing as it once had. That would change, he told himself forcefully. As soon as he left Napa, he'd go back to being the free spirit he'd become.
After he finished showering, he dressed and sat down at his computer. He spent the next hour going over the hotel accounting reports his aunt had sent him, this time line by line. A few items jumped out at him; one was an order for very expensive sheets. His gaze drifted over to his unmade bed. Were the sheets in this room lower quality simply because he'd been given one of the worst rooms in the hotel? Or did the orders on the books not match up with what was actually in the hotel? Frowning, he made a note to check out the inventory of linens.
Then he opened up the file from human resources and started reading through the personnel reports. The worst reviews all seemed to come from Harry Stone. Every other department had what anyone would expect to see—good, bad, and in between—critiques, but Stone's reviews on the front desk employees were particularly harsh.
He saved Maggie's file for last, feeling a little guilty for invading her privacy, which was another reason why he shouldn't have gotten involved with her. He couldn't afford to get squeamish about looking at every detail in the hotel, including the beautiful desk clerk who got him all wound up every time he saw her.
Maggie was definitely on Harry's bad list. Stone felt she was too slow at check-in and check-out. She didn't keep enough boundaries between herself and the guests. She stepped outside her job too often, interfering with other departments to satisfy a guest's needs when she should have passed the task along.
Stone's last report had come in on Saturday, the day after he'd arrived. Stone reported the story of Cole's impulsive kiss in a very negative way, insinuating that Maggie flirted with the guests, going so far as to kiss someone at the front desk. Stone felt that Maggie was not a suitable employee and that termination should be considered.
His stomach turned over as he realized he'd put Maggie's position in actual jeopardy and the last thing she needed right now was to lose her job. But he wouldn't let that happen. Ultimately, Aunt Ida could overrule any of Stone's decisions.
As he ran through Stone's notes on Maggie, he realized there was a common theme behind them. Stone didn't like Maggie because she was sticking her nose in business that was outside the scope of her job. Was Stone worried that Maggie might catch him doing something he shouldn't?
He needed to talk to Maggie about her manager, and he needed to do that outside of the hotel.
Which meant he needed to see her again.
Excuse or not, he was going to take it.
* * *
A little before three o'clock, Cole headed downstairs. Maggie wasn't at the front desk, and he frowned. He'd thought he'd catch her before she left for the day. He picked up his pace, and jogged down the hall toward the entrance to the employee parking lot. As he turned the corner, he ran right into someone coming from the opposite direction. He threw out his hands to steady the woman, realizing happily that it was Maggie.
"Sorry."
"What are you doing out here?" she asked in surprise.
"I was looking for you. I thought I might catch you in the parking lot."
"Okay, but can you let go of me? I don't need Mr. Stone thinking I'm hooking up with a guest the second I get off my shift."
Cole tried to step back but found his wrist was caught on her sweater. "I'd like to let go, but..."
Maggie followed his gaze to where the threads of her sweater were tangled around the knob of his watch. "Damn. This is my good sweater."
Cole used his free hand to work on the tangle, but when his fingers came into contact with the soft curve of her breast, his mind had trouble focusing on the task at hand.
"Did you get it?" Maggie asked.
He shook his head, his throat a little tight. He didn't want to free his hand. He wanted to wrap the other one around her and lose himself in her arms, in her body.
"Hurry up," she commanded with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Mr. Stone could come by at any second."
"You worry too much."
"I really don't, not when it comes to my boss."
Okay, she had a point. Hadn't he just read her personnel file?
"Cole, please. This isn't the time or the place," she said.
"I know, but—I'm stuck on you." He gave her a smile.
She fought her response, but reluctantly her lips curved upward. "That's not funny."
"It is a little funny."
"Let me do it." Maggie pushed his hand aside and tried to see the problem. With some deft maneuvering, she finally untangled them. "There. You're free."
"Yeah, I'm free." As Cole said the word, a surprising heaviness settled around his heart. Being free was all he'd wanted for the past few years, but now the word rang hollow. He shook that thought out of his head. "Are you headed home?"
"Yes, but only to pick up Henry. The judging starts tonight."
She walked toward the parking lot, and Cole fell into step with her. "How are you going to get the pumpkin into your car?"
"I'm hoping my neighbor's son will help. He's supposed to be home after school today, and he has a truck."
"Why don't I help you? I'd like to see how Henry measures up to the rest of the competition."
"Don't you think you should spend some time with your aunt?"
"She's busy this afternoon. She's spending time with Antonio," he added.
That got Maggie's attention. "I was wondering how last night went, but I didn't see her today to ask her."
"It went very well. I stopped by her suite early this morning, and he was there looking at her closets and talking to her contractor. She said they were going to look at some cabinetry this afternoon."
"That's great. If he stays busy, he won't have time to talk to realtors. I'll get another paycheck on Friday, so I only need one more month to make my down payment."
"I'm not sure my aunt can keep him busy for a month." He also wasn’t sure Maggie would keep her job for a month if Harry Stone had his way, but he wasn't going to tell her that now.
"You never know. Your aunt can be quite charming. I just want him to see that he can still have a good life here in Napa even without his wife. And I'm not being completely selfish. He's told me before that he really doesn't want to go to Florida, that he hates the heat."
He smiled. "You don't have to rationalize it for me, Maggie. I get it. And I hope it works out for you."
"So do I."
He walked around her car as she unlocked the doors and slid into the passenger seat.
She glanced over at him as she started the car. "Every day I think I've seen the last of you, and then there you are."
"That day will come," he said lightly.
"I know, but I think it should come soon. I'm starting to like you a little too much, Cole."
He was both startled and impressed by her candor, but then Maggie wasn't one to play games. "I feel the same way."
"Does it scare you, too?"
"More than you might think."
"But we both know where we stand, so…"
"So let's go get Henry and see how he does. That's all we have to do today, Maggie. Anything else can wait."
Chapter Thirteen
Maggie's neighbor's son, Kevin, backed his truck into the driveway and then he and Cole managed to tie ropes around the giant pumpkin so they could transport him more easily into the back of the truck. Cole volunteered to ride in the back of the truck to watch over the pumpkin while Maggie followed in her car. When they got to the fairgrounds, Kevin and Cole managed to get the pumpkin, with the help of a dolly, into the judging area. Maggie thanked Kevin with a fifty-d
ollar bill and then walked around the judging area to see how Henry stacked up with the competition.
"He's not as big as some of the pumpkins," Cole commented.
"No, but he's more attractive. He has good round symmetry and his skin is free of gouges and deformation. He has nice color, too."
Cole laughed.
"What?" she asked.
"I just can't believe you're talking about a pumpkin's skin and symmetry."
She made a face at him. "Well, I'm sure every other grower here is making the same analysis."
"I'm sure you're right."
"I think Henry has a chance to win something. The super giant pumpkins in the next room get a cash prize, but I'm just hoping for a ribbon to wrap around him."
"Just like a woman to want to put a noose around a man's neck," Cole teased.
"Only you would see it as a noose. I look at it as a proud moment for both Henry and me."
"And then what happens? Does Henry's proud moment end with him being carved up for display and his insides made into a pumpkin pie?"
"Don't mention the word pie to me," she said with a laugh. "I would like to carve him up for Halloween, though. He'll look good on the lawn for all the kids."
"Will you dress up to hand out candy?"
"If I have Halloween off—definitely. Mr. Stone hasn't done the schedule for that weekend yet, and I doubt he'll do any favors for me."
"You told me about the woman and her dog, but does your manager have something else against you?"
She shrugged. "He thinks I meddle too much, and I ask too many questions. I think that means I'm invested in my job and trying to make sure everything is good for our guests."
"What do you think of him as a manager? Does he do a good job running the hotel?"
"I'm not that impressed." She paused with a frown. "Don't tell your aunt I said that. If it gets back to Mr. Stone, I'll be in more trouble."
"Whatever you say to me stays with me, Maggie. I found the man to be rude and condescending on first impression, and that impression hasn't improved much since then. I had a brief conversation with him yesterday when I asked for housekeeping to come to my room later in the day. He told me he'd have to see if that was possible, and I never heard from him again."
"He doesn't like it when anyone wants to upset the schedule in any way. But he definitely shouldn't have told you that, Cole. I'm sure if he knew you were Mrs. Stratton's nephew, he'd have a heart attack."
"That shouldn't matter. My stay at the hotel should be good whether or not I'm related to the owner."
She nodded in agreement. "Of course it should. I've dealt with guests who have been impossibly rude, who've damaged the room, who've harassed the staff, but I always try to be professional and hear their side of the story. Some guests are just terrible, and we hope to never see them again, but I'd say that's a very small percentage." She paused. "Karen told me that she thinks Mr. Stone might be having some marital problems. Apparently, he met with a divorce attorney last week. Maybe that's why he's been in such a bad mood lately."
"Have you met his wife?"
"Once at a holiday party. She wasn't very friendly to me, and she didn't seem too excited to be at the hotel with her husband, but they've been together at least ten years." She paused, seeing a judge step up to the microphone. "They're about to announce the winners. Wish me luck."
"Always," he said, slipping his hand into hers.
Maggie held her breath as the winners were called out starting in tenth place. When Henry's name wasn't called, she started to get worried. Had he not placed at all? But finally the fifth-place yellow ribbon was awarded to her pumpkin.
"Sorry it's not blue, babe," Cole said.
"It's fine. I like yellow." She tried not to be disappointed. It wasn't like growing a big pumpkin was a dream she'd had all of her life, but she had spent a lot of time nurturing Henry to get him where he was today.
"I don't believe you're fine." Cole gave her a thoughtful look. "What's that pumpkin really about, Maggie?"
"I guess it's a little about my mom, too."
"She grew giant pumpkins in addition to making apple pies?"
"No, but she was just so good at stuff like this. I know we talked before about me being me and not trying to be her. I just have to find a way to do that."
"You will. From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like you had a lot of time to sort through your grief and your anger. After your mom died, you were off to college, and your family was separated. You had to deal with a lot of emotions all by yourself."
"I didn't deal with them then."
"Which is why you're dealing with them now. It's a good thing, babe. You have to pull things out of hiding so you can look at them and get rid of them. Say good-bye to all the bad stuff. Let it go."
He was absolutely right. She hadn't realized how much of what she'd been focused on the last year had been about her mom, about her grief, her feeling of abandonment. She couldn't get her mom back, but she could make a life for herself that her mother would be proud of and that life really didn't need to involve pumpkins or pies.
She pulled her hand out of Cole's so she could put her arms around his neck and thank him with a kiss. "You're amazing. You probably just saved me thousands of dollars in therapy and pumpkin seeds."
He smiled. "Glad I could help."
"How did you get to be so insightful?"
"I made a hell of a lot of mistakes in my own life. I'm trying to learn from them."
"What kind of mistakes?"
"It's possible I've tried to avoid looking at myself by looking at other things."
"Like the open road?" she suggested, a gleam in her blue eyes.
"Exactly. Moving forward is all that matters. I don't really need a rearview mirror because I don't look behind me."
She stared back at him, realizing a sad fact. "I guess I'll be forgotten pretty soon then."
He didn't like her comment. "I didn't mean it that way, Maggie. I don't think I'll be forgetting you anytime soon." He paused and said, "So what do you want to do now?"
"I guess we should check out the rest of the festival."
"Sounds good." He took her hand in his. "Let's go have some fun."
She squeezed his hand and smiled in agreement. The clock was ticking down on their time together, and she was going to enjoy the last few minutes or hours or days—whatever they had left.
* * *
They spent the next two hours wandering around the fairgrounds, checking out harvest decorations, tasting wine, sampling fall treats, and listening to a soulful folk singer pour her heart out with her guitar and her voice. Cole was the perfect partner, Maggie thought. He was willing to try anything, and they found the same things either funny or amazing. They would often look at something and burst into laughter or send each other a questioning look. They were in perfect sync…for now.
But not forever, she reminded herself. She couldn't let herself fall in love with him, even though the butterflies flitting through her stomach told her she was already more than halfway there. Maybe Cole was right, though. The present was what mattered most. She'd put off whatever bad feelings might be heading her way until she had to deal with them.
They ate dinner at the festival, a delicious feast of butternut squash ravioli, salad, and pumpkin pie for dessert.
"Just think, this could be someone's Henry," Cole said, holding up his piece of pie. "Aren't you going to feel guilty eating it?"
"I have a rule. If I don't see the face, I can eat it."
He grinned. "I guess you've never gone fishing and cooked your catch."
"Nope," she said, taking a bite of pie. The cinnamon and ginger flavors were amazing. "I like pumpkin so much better than apple. I should have tried to make this pie instead."
He groaned. "Uh-oh. I feel another manic pie baking episode coming on."
She laughed. "I am not that bad, nor am I really that much of a homemaker. You've caught me in the middle of my nest-building phase. Be
fore I moved to Napa, it was pretty much order-out, and I hadn't put my hands in dirt since I was twelve years old."
"It's good to make changes in your life. You don't regret what you try. You only regret what you don't try. Someone wise said that—I can't remember who."
"At least you don't try to take credit for all your brilliant insights."
"Not unless it's due."
She finished her pie and said, "I think I need to walk off all the food we've eaten."
"I'm with you. We'll check out the booths we missed earlier on our way to the parking lot."
As she paused to check out an oil painting at one of the art booths, she suddenly saw a familiar face at the adjacent booth. As the man turned toward her, she pulled Cole around the corner of the booth, behind a large easel that blocked them from view.
"What's going on?" he asked in surprise. "Do you want to make out with me that bad?"
She frowned. "No, that's not what this is about. My boss is here."
"Harry Stone? Where?"
"Over there," she said, moving slightly to the right so he could see the booth next to them. Harry wore his usual navy blue suit, but he looked nothing like the rigid figure that hovered behind her in disapproval all day long. His tie hung loose around his neck, and he was talking with animation to a blonde woman, who appeared to be in her mid-thirties.
"Who's he with?" Cole asked.
"I have no idea. Oh, my God," she added when Harry put his arm around the woman and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips.
"I take it that's not his wife."
"Definitely not his wife. That woman is also a lot younger than him." She glanced at Cole. "I wonder if his wife knows."
"You said a divorce attorney came to the hotel, so I'm betting yes."
When she looked back at her boss, she saw him turn in her direction. "They're coming this way. I can't let him see me with you," she said, suddenly panicked that she'd trapped them between two booths and there was nowhere to hide.
Falling Into You (Bachelors & Bridesmaids Book 5) Page 13
