by Karen Booth
“Yep. It’s going to be tight, but we should be all ready by that last weekend in August.”
“It’s like a month away.” Mack drew in a breath so deep it made his shoulders rise a few inches.
“It’s a little more than that. A month and two days. Don’t worry. We’ll make it.” Grey was eager to change the subject. It seemed like it was doing nothing more than stressing out his brother. “So, Opal left today.”
“I heard.” Mack and Grey strolled back out through the barn door and took off their hard hats. “What was the upshot?”
“I haven’t had a chance to fully absorb everything in her initial report, but I’d say there’s quite a bit more money gone than we first thought. Maybe as much as a million.”
Mack slowly shook his head in disbelief. “We’re going to need to talk to a lawyer at some point, aren’t we?”
“I’m thinking lawyers, plural. Somebody needs to go to jail if this all bears out. More importantly, this is going to take longer than we first thought.”
“She couldn’t find what she was looking for?”
Grey shook his head. “Let’s just say she’s frustrated. Every time she thinks she has an angle, evidence shows up and points her to a different department. Whoever is behind this is very clever with numbers so it’s going to take longer than we hoped. But don’t worry. She has photocopied everything and will work on it from home. There are still major pieces missing.”
“Do we have a rough timeline?” Mack asked.
“It could take a few more months. Luckily, you now sign off on everything, so the money flow should stop.”
Yet more concern clouded Mack’s face. “I have to ask you a question, but I don’t want you to freak out about it, okay?”
“You know I don’t make a habit of that.”
“Is there any chance that Autumn could be involved?”
“No. Absolutely not.” Even Grey was surprised by the speed with which he gave his answer, but he was completely certain of this. “Autumn does not have access to billing or receivables. She hands everything off.”
“Okay.” Mack nodded.
“That’s it? Just okay?” Grey needed to know if there was even a small chance that his brother was not convinced. “I know Autumn. She would never, ever do something like that.”
“I believe you, Grey. You believed me when I said Molly had nothing to do with this. I’m trusting your instincts. Calm down.”
Grey realized his heart was hammering away in his chest like a woodpecker on a sugar rush. “I am calm. I just want you to know that I know she would never do that.”
Mack placed his hand on Grey’s shoulder. “I don’t think she would do it, either. I just had to ask. In part, because I felt like it was part of our due diligence. But also because I wanted to find out what’s going on with you and Autumn.”
“Nothing’s going on. I mean, nothing beyond what you already know. We like spending time together.”
“Sure. I know that. I also know that your car isn’t at your cottage a lot of nights. And that you two had a picnic somewhere on the grounds today.”
Grey narrowed his sights on Mack. “Are you spying on me?”
“No. But Molly and I are all over this property every day. It’s not hard to figure out.”
“We’re just spending time together. There’s no crime in that.”
“I know. I’m just making sure you’re cognizant of what you’re doing. Or how deep you’re getting. Because judging by the way you just defended her, you’re in deeper than you think you are. I know that because I would absolutely defend Molly in the same way.”
Grey dismissed the notion. “Autumn and I are fine. We’re just right. She’s not as crushed by her broken engagement as you think she was. She sent her ring back to her ex today. Said she wanted to fully close the door on that part of her life.”
“Do you think she’s wondering if another door will open? Or maybe it already is open?”
Grey didn’t see it that way at all. He saw it as a perfectly natural act for someone who was very good at accepting things and moving on. “No. I don’t think so.”
“Okay.” Mack kicked at the ground with the toe of his shoe. “Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if Pops hadn’t had his brain episode?”
“Man, you are really being philosophical today, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been thinking. So sue me.”
Grey sucked in a deep breath. “Not really. I mean, I wished many times that it hadn’t happened. Or that he could recover more quickly. But I didn’t think about what life would have been like if it hadn’t happened. In part, because I think life would’ve just gone on being the same.”
Mack looked Grey straight in the eye. “Right. Which means that you and Travis and I wouldn’t have been communicating with each other. We would’ve been on the same hamster wheel we’ve all been on for the last ten plus years.”
Grey hadn’t looked at the situation that way, and it knocked the breath right out of him. “Not really going anywhere.”
“Maybe it’s just the effect of Molly on me, but I’m trying to be better about looking at the bright side of things. As scary as it’s been to see Pops struggle with his health, I do think some good has come out of this.”
“Especially if we can get Travis back here.”
“Yes. Absolutely. We need the time with Travis that you and I are having right now.”
“I agree.”
“Good. I’m glad. Because right now, I think you two are only set to overlap for my wedding. And that’s just not enough time, especially considering that it’ll be crazy busy.”
“Are you asking me to stay beyond the end of the summer? Mack, we originally agreed to a couple of months each. Then when we discovered the financial problems we changed schedules again to stay longer. Next you asked me to skip a trip back to New York to fix a huge problem at my company. There’s only so much I can do. I’m leaving Labor Day. Period.”
Ten
Autumn had never really liked her birthday that much when she was growing up. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d liked it before she was old enough to realize what was going on with her parents. Before that, her birthdays were magical events filled with balloons and fancy cupcakes, sparklers for candles and gifts far too expensive for a little girl. But once she turned twelve, she started to notice the venom between her mom and dad—the ways they would whisper terrible things to each other, argue, and eventually, ignore each other. Even after Autumn had gotten out of the house, her parents used her birthday to compete for her affection, trying to outdo each other with gifts. It was a sad, sad game.
The last few years in Asheville had been different. She’d had simple birthdays out with Molly. They’d grab a cocktail somewhere, then go out for dinner or maybe go see live music. It was always fun and most important, easy. As she’d predicted, Molly felt a little too weighed down with everything she needed to do before the wedding. Instead of their usual routine they spent the afternoon getting mani-pedis and then had a quick lunch that ended with them splitting a huge piece of chocolate cake. Then her grandparents called from Australia, where they were spending the summer. They sang “Happy Birthday” to her and promised to see her soon. And the best was still yet to come.
Grey had invited her over so he could cook for her and they could have a quiet and romantic evening drinking wine out on his patio. It was going to be perfect. As soon as Autumn could decide on the right dress.
She’d tried on several different ones, trying to decide which one was right. She wanted to be sexy for Grey. Actually, she wanted his eyes to fall out of his head. Luckily, when she put on the last one she’d pulled out of her closet, she knew it was right. It was black with thin straps, a plunging neckline, and a bias cut that draped over her hips perfectly. Most important, the fabric was silky smooth against her skin, and
she knew Grey would think it felt great under his hands.
She gave Milton an extra rub on top of his head, and was about to walk right out the door when a floral delivery person was marching up her front walk.
“Autumn Kincaid?” the man asked. He was carrying a lovely arrangement of all purple flowers—iris, tulips, salvia and coneflower.
“Yes. That’s me.” It seemed odd that Grey would send her flowers, especially since she was set to see him in a few minutes. But she took the vase and walked back inside with it. When she opened the gift card, her heart sank. The flowers were from her dad.
Autumn, I know I haven’t always been a good father, but I want you to know that I will always cherish you as my daughter. Happy birthday. With much love, Dad.
To say she was torn would’ve been an understatement. Her mom had completely forgotten her birthday, which did happen from time to time. And it wasn’t like her father had done anything directly to Autumn. But he’d done horrible things to her mom, to other women, and most important, he was the reason their family was in shambles.
She pushed the flowers to the center of her kitchen island and rushed out the door to go to Grey’s. As soon as she was in the driver’s seat, her grandmother’s voice was in her head, telling her that she should never let a gift go unacknowledged. She wasn’t prepared for a phone conversation with her dad, but she could send him a text.
The flowers are lovely. Thank you so much. She hit send, deciding that was plenty sentimental, but she hardly got her car started before he replied.
I’m on the Sunday Hour at the end of August. I hope you’ll watch. You’ll hear my side of the story.
Autumn couldn’t imagine anything worse. Her dad on national television, telling his side? The thought turned her stomach sour. But that was weeks away, and tonight was supposed to be fun. She didn’t reply to her dad. Instead, she drove straight to Grey’s. When she walked around to the patio, she saw a setting that took her breath away. Grey had his back to her, lighting candles on the table, which was set with a crisp white tablecloth. His usual chairs weren’t there, but instead there were lush upholstered ones Autumn recognized from the main inn. A bottle of wine was on ice. The fireflies were out. And Grey looked good enough to eat in dark trousers that made his butt look amazing and a light gray dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
“Hey there,” she said, coming up behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders.
He turned, all smiles, warming her from head to toe. Not even a heartbeat went by before he had his arms around her. “It’s the birthday girl.” He kissed her softly, then looked down at her, his eyes blazing. “How are you?”
“I’m great now that I’m here.” She smoothed her hand over his chest, drawing in a deep breath. Her body was already on fire from just a single embrace. One kiss.
His hands roved up and down her hips. “Ooh. I like this fabric.”
She laughed. He was not helping the fact that she didn’t care about dinner. All she really wanted was him. “I thought you might like that.”
“I love it. And I can’t wait to take it off of you later.” He kissed her on the forehead. “But first, dinner. You sit and I’ll be right back.”
Autumn did as he asked, and a minute later, Grey brought out an artful salad with mixed greens, goat cheese, candied pecans and edible flowers. “It’s so beautiful. And delicious.”
“I’m more than just a pretty face,” he joked, adding a wink before he took a sip of wine.
“So I’m gathering.”
Grey got up to bus their plates, then disappeared inside. Autumn took her chance to enjoy the night. It was a bit warm for the mountains this late in the evening, but the breeze made it extremely pleasant. Grey returned with two similarly good-looking bowls of pasta. The aroma coming from the dish was incredibly appetizing.
“It’s hand-cut fettuccine with wild local mushrooms, lemon zest and parmesan.”
“You made pasta?”
He shook his head and took his seat next to her, refilling her wine. “I cheated. I bought pasta sheets at the store and cut them. Have a bite. It makes a huge difference.”
She spooled the noodles on her fork and took a bite. It was a symphony of flavors, all perfectly balanced. “You are amazing. It’s absolutely perfect.”
“I wanted your birthday to be nice.”
Autumn couldn’t help it. Her eyes got watery. Her nose twitched. She wasn’t going to cry, but it struck her as such a beautifully simple sentiment. “Thank you so much. It’s better than nice. It’s perfect.”
Grey smiled, then dug into his pasta, and Autumn did the same. It didn’t take long before they were both sitting back in their chairs, full and happy. “I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself.”
“You should be.” She got up from her chair and collected his plate.
“Whoa. Wait. What are you doing? I’m supposed to wait on you.”
“Come on. Let’s go clean the kitchen. I need you to take off this dress.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He rushed inside behind her.
Autumn shouldn’t have been surprised that Grey was the sort of guy who left the kitchen neat as a pin after cooking. “Where’s the mess?”
He placed their bowls on the counter. “I clean as I cook. There’s a sauté pan in the sink. And the bowls need to go in the dishwasher. Otherwise, it’s all done.”
“That sounds like things we can get to later.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. He didn’t seem to need any more of an invitation.
She sat him down on the edge of the bed, standing between his knees. He looked up at her and drew in a deep breath through his nose, seeming to grapple with a few urges. Good. She’d been fighting a whole lot of her own. She reached down and unbuttoned two of his buttons, just to get a better view of his sexy chest. She couldn’t wait to spread her hands all over his bare skin. She wanted to get lost in him.
His confident smile made an appearance—the one that said he was smart and he knew it. Sexy and he knew that, too. She wasn’t going to begrudge him any of that. It was all so true.
He placed his palms on her hips, the heat from his hands nearly searing her skin through the dress. He curled his fingertips into her flesh and tugged her closer until her knees were flat against the side of the mattress. His face was close enough to her breasts that her nipples went hot and drew tight without a single touch. He trailed one hand to the center of her back and dragged the zipper drown. Electricity zipped along her spine as his fingers grazed her skin along the way. All the while, her need for him became more immediate. More impossible to tame.
One by one, she slipped the dress straps from her shoulders. The dress slid down the length of her body to the floor, turning up the heat another notch. Their gazes connected as she undid her strapless bra and wiggled her panties down her hips. Without a stitch of clothes, she was still wearing her heels. She put a foot on the bed and let him undo the strap. Then the other. All the while, Grey’s eyelids were heavy with need, making her want to give him everything and anything he ever asked for. Autumn placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back on the bed, then planted her knee on the mattress between his legs.
“I like this side of you,” he said. “The one that takes what she wants.”
“It’s very simple, Grey. I want you.”
She removed her glasses and set them on the bedside table, then she leaned down and tugged his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. One by one, she undid the remaining buttons. The second his chest was bare, she stretched out alongside him and let her fingers roam, swishing her fingertips back and forth across his warm skin.
Grey rolled to his side and curled his hand around her nape, his fingers hot and needy. They kissed like they were both drowning and this was the only way to be saved. Their mouths were eager and open, ready and hot. Grey rolled her to her ba
ck, his thigh firmly rocking against her center, making heat flame between her legs. She’d never wanted him more. Maybe because she knew very well now what was in store.
He shifted to his knees and tore his shirt from his body, launching it across the room. She unbuckled his belt, then unhooked his pants and pulled down the zippers. She already felt the heat and tension radiating from his body. It was like the sun on an August day. He pushed his trousers past his hips, but that wasn’t good enough for Autumn. She didn’t want to wait. She sat up and tugged down his boxer briefs and took him in her hand, stroking lightly, letting her palm roll over the smooth skin of the tip with every pass. He groaned so deeply that the room nearly shook. Her other hand trailed down his taut stomach. She knew every carved contour, every incredible dip.
Grey hopped off the bed and got rid of the rest of his clothes, quickly climbing back onto the mattress. He pulled Autumn into his arms, kissing her intensely as their legs tangled. Their hands traveled everywhere—hers skimmed down his back to his magnificent backside, and his along the curve of her hip, then up to cup her breast. He rolled her to her back and their gazes connected as he drew delicate circles around her nipple. Blood and heat rushed through her body. Autumn felt like she might explode. It was as if he was touching her hard between her legs.
“Grey, please put on a condom. I want you. I need you.”
He smiled and reached over to open the drawer and pull out a packet. He tore it open and rolled it over his length, never taking his eyes off her. Autumn felt both exposed and blissfully open. Needy and content. How did he do that to her? How did he put her in conflict with herself and make her happy to be there?
On his hands and knees, Grey hovered over her, then dipped his head lower. “What do you want for your birthday?” He huffed the question into her ear.
“I want you to set my world on fire.”
* * *
As much as Grey wanted to look at Autumn, his eyes clamped shut as he sank down into her. The warmth and gentle pull of her body was familiar and had been in reach all this time, but tonight it felt as if he’d gone without her forever. The sensation made a sharp breath leave his chest, made his abs pull tight, but then air filled his lungs and he felt the tension give ever so slightly. Just enough to let him enjoy every second of being with Autumn.
