Amelia laughed, surprised to find her throat tight with emotion. “You can still like him. I still like him. I think.”
They chatted a bit longer about Josh, how he’d still gotten the resort despite starting the bid with a lie. By the time they’d been caught up on the turn of events, Amelia felt depleted and ready for a nap.
After all, her vacation was officially starting. She’d just assumed she might be more ready to kick back and relax and leave work behind.
But work was at the forefront more than ever. And she wouldn’t be able to truly rest until she explored her options to the fullest extent.
Which meant paying Colin Forest a visit immediately.
16
While Josh counted the minutes of his agreement to give Amelia time away to think, his father decided to fly to Cedar Grove personally to celebrate Josh’s victory.
He arrived via private helicopter—his favorite mode of transportation—at a small, not-often-used helipad tucked away at the back of the Cedar Grove property. Plenty of people came out to witness the surprise arrival, including Stan himself. Josh stood back and watched as his father came out of the helicopter, waving at everyone like the damn president himself.
Norm Denton was all smiles as he headed for Josh, his salt and pepper hair moving in the draft from the slowly chopping blades.
“Son! Merry Christmas!” Norm barked, hugging him briefly. Josh led him toward the small group of people gathered.
“Stan, please meet my father, Norm Denton.”
“What a pleasure.” Stan shook Norm’s hand vigorously, looking at him with the gaze that seemed like he was meeting a celebrity. “I’ve long been an admirer of your chain of hotels. This is an honor.”
“We’re happy to have your stunning resort on board.” The three of them began a brisk walk back to the hotel. The path was powdered with snow that had fallen while they’d been waiting for the helicopter. “I’m sure Josh has told you what a special place Cedar Grove holds in our hearts.”
“Absolutely,” Stan said, and the two of them fell into a conversation about winter memories. Josh followed them on the path, thinking instead about Amelia. She’d been at her parents’ house for twenty-four hours, and it felt more like an entire week. This wasn’t a good sign.
Inside the hotel, after sending Stan off with a handshake, Josh led his father to the restaurant, where they’d planned to celebrate.
“Boy, I’m so proud of you. You really pulled it off.” His father adjusted his glasses, taking them off to inspect the lenses. “Let’s get one of everything to celebrate. And a shot of everything behind the bar.”
Josh laughed, unfolding his napkin over his lap. That was always the way his father proposed celebration: with excess. If his arrival in a private helicopter wasn’t a good indication of his father’s tastes, then nothing was.
“I’ll definitely take one of every dessert,” Josh cracked, looking over the menu. The murmur of the conversations around him drew his attention, and he let his gaze drift around the restaurant. All he could think of was Amelia. And in so little time, even this place—where they’d dined a handful of times—had become linked with her.
The entire resort now had her memory associated with it. Just like his mother. It seemed like a sign. Either that he was going crazy, or that Amelia might really be the one—he wasn’t entirely sure which.
“Josh?” His father looked at him with an arched brow.
He came to attention, realizing he’d missed what his father was saying. “What’s that?”
“You drifted off.” His father cleared his throat, lowering his own menu. “I said Mitch won’t be joining us this year.”
“Why not?” This didn’t surprise him though. His older brother was as much of a workaholic as the rest of them.
“He’s taking Christmas out of state. He didn’t exactly explain. When will you be coming back to the city?”
They had plans to celebrate Christmas together, but driving away from Cedar Grove during this tenuous time with Amelia seemed unwise. He didn’t want to leave, because if he did, he feared he might never see her again.
“In a few days, unless…something comes up,” he said cryptically, sipping his water. His dad searched out his son’s gaze.
“Boy, what’s going on here? We’re supposed to be celebrating, but instead you’re sulking like you didn’t just pull off the greatest acquisition of the year.”
His father’s words warmed him some, but they couldn’t get past the deep freeze of Amelia wanting to leave.
“I’m happy. I am. Just having some…interpersonal problems, let’s say.”
His dad grunted. “Lady problems?”
Josh deflated slightly. “Yeah. You could say that.”
But he didn’t want to get into it, not now. Not when he was supposed to be happy. Because if he got into it again, he’d travel that same dark road that he’d been traveling the last twenty-four hours: toward the suspicion that Amelia was just using the time away to figure out how to tell him, “Sorry, but no.”
He and his father had a decent dinner, and by the time Norm was ready to fly back to the city, he’d managed to weasel a few more details of Josh.
“Listen,” Norm said as he shrugged on his long, wool coat in the lobby. “If you miss her so much, just make sure she knows it.”
“She said she needs some time apart.”
“Yeah, and maybe she does. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reach out. Remind her of why she fell for you in the first place. You know, one time in the beginning with your mom, I did something to piss her off real bad. I mean, she got hot. So what did I do? I didn’t take her flowers. Hell, no. Instead, I went to her daddy’s house and told her parents how I’d messed up. Told them that I loved her. And asked for her hand in marriage on the spot.”
Josh laughed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Dad, I don’t think that’s gonna work this time.”
“Well, it’s an idea.” He pulled Josh into a gruff hug. “Love you, son. See you soon.”
Josh wandered back to his suite, his morose gaze falling over everything with a sense of something lacking. This hotel, the suite, hell, even his future—all of it looked better with Amelia in the picture.
Maybe his dad wasn’t entirely off base with that story about his mom. He might not ask for Amelia’s hand in marriage, but he might do well to show up at her parents’ house and offer up even more of himself and his pride.
Because one thing was for certain. He wanted Amelia. Nobody else came close to making him feel this way. Never before and probably never again.
He’d give her one more day.
And then if by Christmas Eve, he hadn’t heard from her?
He’d be paying her parents a visit.
17
Amelia darted down Main Street at noon the day before Christmas Eve, feeling a lot like a thief on the run.
She didn’t want to be seen. Not by anyone. Because every inch of her crawled at the thought of what she was on her way to do. But it had to be done.
She needed to face down the Colin Forest beast and hear his offer, from top to bottom.
If not, she wouldn’t be able to rest. She might wonder for the rest of her days if she’d truly thrown away the opportunity she’d been searching for.
It wasn’t that Denton Hotels was horrible. Far from it. She loved her job with Josh. She just knew that her trajectory didn’t stop there. And after his unwillingness to put her in for promotions over the past year—always having some new excuse or some way of writing her off—she’d grown resentful.
It didn’t mean she wouldn’t be happy climbing the ladder there. She just wanted to know what the other side looked like. Maybe Forest Family Hotels would be a better fit. Maybe it would look like a nightmare.
She just had to know.
Amelia scooted into the downtown diner. The scent of burgers and coffee filled the air, and she immediately spotted Colin tucked into a booth in the far corner. He waved as she app
roached, and she slid into the red high-backed booth, breathing heavily.
“Hi there.” She tucked some hair behind her ears, drawing a deep breath. “Wow. I feel like I ran a mile or am betraying the person I’m closest to in the entire world. Maybe it’s both.”
Colin’s cool smile didn’t waver. “Betrayal is a strong word. Josh would understand if you took a competitor’s offer based on sheer practicality. We pay more and offer better benefits, because we’re a company that still values morality over corporate-level profits.”
Amelia smiled up at a waitress who stopped by to offer a menu and a glass of water. “Just coffee, please.” She handed the menu back.
“And furthermore, we don’t ask our employees to lie. For any reason.” Colin offered a small smile. “I heard about what happened with the Cedar Grove deal. I’m shocked Stan Lewis chose to reward that style of business negotiation, but I’m sure there was some sort of kickback engineered that I’m unaware of.”
Amelia frowned. There had been no kickback. And Colin clearly missed the memo about Josh coming forward to admit his deception. But defending him right now was beside the point. She was here for the potential job.
“I can’t imagine what would compel a man to lie like that to begin with,” Colin went on, sounding more and more self-righteous. He sniffed, sipping his coffee. “You can rest assured that our deals are never underhanded.”
“His mother,” she blurted and then realized she’d spoken without meaning to. She cleared her throat, heat creeping up her neck. “He, uh…he has an attachment to the hotel because of his mother.” She wouldn’t say more, so she just offered a pathetic smile.
“Hm. Well, let’s talk about the new gig, shall we?” He launched into a rundown of the position he was offering: location scout for the newest New England division. She could remain based in NYC, even working from home most of the time, with only occasional trips to Chicago required. The bulk of her work would be scouting new property listings and assessing them for feasibility in long, complicated reports. The more Colin explained the job, the more she realized it sounded not too different from what she was doing already.
Just a better pay level, with a more impressive title and not as much travel as she would have hoped.
After Colin had gone through all the major selling points of the offer, he waggled his eyebrows at her over his mug. “So? What do you think? We can verbally commit here and now with a contract to follow. I don’t even care that tomorrow is Christmas Eve—I can have it in your inbox by tomorrow morning.”
The man seemed almost too eager to hire her on. And Josh’s words came back to her. Power play. At first she’d thought that Josh wanting to keep her on had been all about him not wanting to lose to Colin. But now? She sensed the same coming from Colin. That poaching her from Denton Hotels was just an ego play. One more attack on the competition with the hope of coming out on top.
Besides, Colin’s attitude about what Josh had done was, while deserved, a little harsh. At least to her ears. She understood why Josh wanted to get Cedar Grove added to the roster of Denton Hotels. Why it was so important to him.
And maybe that made her just like him. But now? She didn’t even care.
“I appreciate you meeting with me,” she said, sipping her coffee. She hadn’t wanted to trap herself here for an entire meal, especially if things went south. And now, she was grateful.
Because she wanted to get away from Colin.
“Do you have any questions?”
“No, I think that covers everything.” She offered a smile as she scooted out of the booth. “I’ll take some time to think about your offer.”
Colin didn’t look convinced. “We have a lot of fun at Forest Family Hotels. You won’t regret coming to join us.”
She had a sinking suspicion that she would. She hurried out of the diner, gulping down the fresh air once she hit the cold day outside. As she walked down the sidewalk, hands jammed into her pockets, she mulled over the situation with Josh.
Forest Family Hotels wasn’t the secretly amazing opportunity she’d been hoping for.
And Josh probably wasn’t the bad guy who’d lied to her about everything for the past two years.
By the time she’d made it back to her parents’ house, her heart felt heavier than ever. There was just something entirely off about life now. Nothing felt right. And the more time dragged on, the more she wanted Josh.
There weren’t many days left until everything changed. She knew Josh would make good on his promise of a promotion. And yes, she was excited for that. But she didn’t want to go back to Denton Hotels without knowing that she and Josh still had a chance.
He wanted to try something with her. His words at the bar haunted her, were often the first thing she thought of when she woke up. Josh was right—their chemistry was real, and it was intense.
She’d be making a huge mistake not to act on it.
When her mom came into the front hall to greet her, the sight of her made emotion well. Fighting tears, Amelia said, “I think I made a mistake.”
“What is it, honey?”
“Josh. I told him we should spend some time apart, but now I realize I was wrong, and he’s back in New York, and I just want him here.” She stomped her foot, feeling every bit a whiny little girl.
“Oh, honey.” Her mom swept forward and wrapped her in a hug. “You did the right thing by asking for your space. And it’s okay if you don’t want it anymore.”
“Maybe I can drive—”
Her mom held up a finger in a sharp but silent rebuke.
“None of that talk. There’s a snowstorm on the way, and you are not missing Christmas with the family. We don’t get enough of you as it is. If you go back to the city today, we won’t see you until the Fourth of July.”
Amelia sighed, knowing her mother was completely right. “Fine. I’ll stay. But I’m going to act like a heartsick little girl until I figure out what I want to say to him.”
“That’s fine,” her mother said, squeezing the sides of her arms. “Now let’s go have some potato salad.”
18
On Christmas Eve morning, Amelia awoke with a start in her childhood bedroom. Gray light filtered past the white curtains, and she looked around for a few moments, trying to get her bearings.
She’d been dreaming. That much was sure. But something else had stirred her to consciousness. She yawned, stretching. The clock on the nightstand read 8:15. This was the definition of sleeping in. As she turned over, enjoying more of the warmth of her bed, she picked up a bass undertone from a conversation downstairs.
Her eyes shot open, and she lifted her head a little, listening as hard as she could.
Her mother laughed.
More bass.
Parts of her dream came back to her. Josh had been there, speaking to her. She couldn’t hear him in her dream though. It was like he was too far away or mumbling or something. She pushed up onto a hand as the voice continued, and then she could hear the tones of her father’s voice.
Someone was here, that much was certain. But who?
It’s probably just a neighbor. She rolled out of bed, tugging on clothes as she did. It was ridiculous to hope that it was Josh and even stupider to think that her dream had somehow been right.
She continued listening as she headed toward the bathroom. Searching out sounds of a toddler shriek—which would signal Rob and Rebecca—or the notable guffaw of their elderly neighbor, Mr. Jones.
None of that.
In fact, now? Total silence.
Still, Amelia hurried to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she headed downstairs, she noticed a foreign pair of shoes by the door.
Alligator shoes. Shiny as hell. And very expensive looking.
She swallowed a knot in her throat as she walked down the hall. Nobody in the kitchen. As she rounded the corner into the living room, the sight there about stopped her heart.
Josh sat on a couch, facing both of her parents on the adjacent so
fa. He had a grin a mile wide on his face, and when he spotted her his entire face lit up.
The way her heart started racing told her everything she needed to know. Tears immediately came to her eyes, and she drifted into the living room, unable to speak.
“Wh—”
“Oh, honey!” Her mother twisted around to see her. “Good morning! Your Christmas Eve surprise is here!”
Josh was off the couch a second later, making big, confident strides toward her. He was dressed in slacks and a button-down, his dark brown hair expertly styled and sexy. The second those icy blue eyes found hers, the strength in her legs disappeared. The intensity of his attention was enough to knock her over.
“Amelia,” he breathed as he wrapped her in a hug. She clung to him, wonder and disbelief cycling through her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, pushing against his chest so she could look up at him. To make sure he was real. “I thought you went back to New York.”
He shook his head, running his fingers along the shell of her ear. “I was going to, but I didn’t want to leave you. Even though you wanted some time. I hope a few days was enough because that’s all I could manage.”
“Awww,” her mom cooed from the couch.
“Why didn’t either of you come wake me up?” she demanded, peering around the gorgeous wall of man in front of her.
“We were talking!” her mom insisted.
“Your boyfriend here wanted to make sure we were all clear about what happened at the hotel,” her dad added.
Amelia couldn’t fight the smile. She narrowed her eyes at Josh. “My boyfriend, huh?”
“Their words, not mine.” He slid a hand along the slope of her waist, down over the small of her back, cinching her closer. “But I’m not opposed to the title.”
“I might have told him about our conversation last night,” her mother quipped.
Amelia dissolved into laughter, burying her face in his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed as tightly as she could. “Oh jeez, Mom!”
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