Love Me

by Quinn Ward

  “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”

  It was possibly the worst option, but we didn’t exactly have many to choose from at this point. One way or another, Jen and Pax would be arriving at the hotel tomorrow, and in order to make everything look believable, they were going to need a room.

  “Once I get down there, we’ll work on a better long-term solution,” I reassured him. “But for now, just like with everything else, we just need to buy ourselves a little bit of time. If you hear from James again, tell him you talked to me, and he needs to be at the hotel tomorrow morning if he wants this problem to go away.”

  I lay back on the bed, closing my eyes as I imagined how Brook would react when I told him the part of the plan I hadn’t already. There was a good chance he’d be so upset with me for lying to him that everything I’d gone through this past week would be for nothing. A pit formed in my stomach and I pushed off the mattress, ready to sprint to the bathroom if I was about to lose the little bit I’d eaten at dinner.

  “I might’ve already hinted that to him,” Brook admitted. “I know you didn’t want him knowing what was happening before you got back, in case things fell apart, but Dane, you didn’t hear him on the phone this afternoon. He sounded so defeated. And I know it might be wrong of me to feel bad for the guy, but I wasn’t even thinking about him.”

  Hearing confirmation of James’s mental state had me pacing the room. I didn’t want this, didn’t ask for any of this. It was hard to believe that as little as a month ago, I’d only cared about myself, but now I was terrified for what James was going through even as I was pissed off at him for dragging the rest of us into his mess.

  “Babe, I’m not mad. You did what you needed to do, and you’ve already done so much more than any employee should be expected to do.”

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized how cold and distant they sounded. “I didn’t mean it like that, babe. You have to know I don’t see you as an employee anymore. You’re everything to me. The only reason I’m dealing with all this is because I can’t imagine what it’d be like to walk away from you.”

  “I know.” The words were right, but there was a palpable difference in the cold delivery of his response. This was why I didn’t do relationships. I absolutely sucked at knowing what to say and when to say it. I wished I was already back home, taking Brook in my arms and begging him to forgive me.

  “There’s something else I need to tell you,” I said, resigned to the fact that I’d already put myself on Brook’s bad side. “Jen tried to make the numbers work so I could buy the inn from my uncle free and clear, but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t ready to give up without a fight, so when Grady suggested that they help me come up with the rest of the money, I agreed. At the time, I told myself it was the right thing to do, but I think even then, I knew it was wrong to make a decision like that without talking to you first.”

  “Thank you for telling me.” Again, his words were clipped, and I wondered if I’d be walking back into the inn as a single man, trying to escape the ghost of a relationship that could have been amazing. “I won’t tell you I’m not upset, but you had no responsibility to discuss your financial situation with me.”

  “You’re wrong,” I insisted. “Don’t you understand that I’m doing this for us? The only reason I’m trying to save that place is because of you. Yes, a small part of it is wanting to continue the legacy that my grandfather tried desperately to build for himself, but the inn has become more than a building or business to me. Everywhere I look when I’m there, there’s a memory of you. Please, Brook, let me fix this.”

  “It is not your job to fix everything for everyone else,” Brook argued. “And I’m not saying there’s anything to fix here either. But I need some time to figure out how I feel about you being business partners with your ex and what that means for us.”

  I might not be experienced with relationships, but I knew that typically when one person asked for time, it meant they wanted to be left alone. It meant taking a break. I slid down the wall, fighting back tears, hating myself for how badly I’d screwed this up.

  “Okay.” It killed me to think of Brook walking away, but I respected him enough to honor this wish. That didn’t mean I was going down without a fight. “Before you get yourself all worked up thinking Grady’s trying to get back together with me, I’d like for you to get to know him and his family. Believe me. If there was any chance of a future between me and him, it would have happened long ago. Even before he met Jen, I think both of us knew we were little more than good friends who liked getting off together.

  “Not once did he make me feel the way you do. There was a brief moment when I thought I was in love with him, but all it took was meeting you to realize it was a platonic love.” I dragged my fingers through my hair, hating that we were so far apart right now. This was even worse than the night I’d walked out on him at the restaurant, and this time there was no way for me to walk up to him and demand that he hear what I was saying. “You’re the one I love, Brook. You’re the one I want to spend my life with. And if you give me the chance, I promise I’ll spend every day trying to prove that I’m worthy of your love, even when I don’t believe that myself. You can do so much better than me, and no matter what happens, I will always be grateful to you for showing me that sometimes falling in love is worth the risk.”

  There was a long enough silence over the line that I pulled the phone away from my ear to see if Brook had hung up on me partway through my rambling profession of how much I loved him, but the call was still connected.

  “Say something. Please. Tell me we’ll eventually be okay.”

  “We will.” For the first time during our call, Brook sounded like he missed me as much as I missed him. “Once we get through this and I have time to stew in my pettiness, we’ll be fine. I love you too, Dane. God knows, you’re challenging on a good day, but I don’t want you thinking I’m giving up on us. And on the bright side, I’d say this is a damn good challenge to figure out if we’re strong enough to get through the hard times together.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Jen poked her head inside. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but if we’re going to head out, we need to get ready. Grady’s outside shuffling stuff around so there’s room for Pax.”

  I held up a finger to let her know I’d be out in a minute. “Babe, it sounds like Jen’s anxious to hit the road. We should be there early tomorrow morning if we don’t hit traffic.”

  “Drive safe, Dane,” Brook pleaded with me. “I’ll keep everything under control until you get here. Not sure how, but I’ll manage.”

  “I have no doubt you will. I love you.”

  “Love you too.” Brook sounded less irritated than he had earlier, giving me hope we really would be okay.

  20

  Dane

  I still remember the first time I saw you. I wish I’d pulled out my phone so I could have a timestamp of the moment my life changed forever. You have no idea what’s about to happen tonight, but I hope you’ll say yes and make me the happiest man alive. -E

  After breakfast the following morning, I left Jen and the baby at the diner waiting on a cab to the inn. I’d argued that I should wait with them, but she’d won the battle when she countered that it’d be harder to sell the story that she was just an early-arriving guest if we pulled up at the same time.

  As I crested the top of the bridge leading to the barrier island, I was overcome with a sense of home I’d never felt before. Not since the authorities raided my dad’s house when I was a teen had I felt so deeply rooted to a place on the map. And the comfort washing over me had nothing to do with the inn and everything to do with the man who waited for me behind the front desk.

  I’d hoped to get into town early enough to sneak Jen and Pax into their room before slipping into bed next to Brook for at least an hour, but a bad accident had closed the interstate completely just south of Washington, D.C. Now, I’d be lucky if there was time for a stolen kiss in
the alcove between customers.

  My heart raced as I pulled into one of the reserved stalls beside the building. James’s car was there. Did that mean he’d come back? Probably not, since anyone who’d met the guy had to know better than to trust him to follow wherever they took him. God, I hoped I hadn’t gotten back too late and there was still time to get his signature on the paperwork so I could bail his ass out for the first and last time. I left everything in the truck; the only thing I needed was already inside.

  Instead of walking in the main door, which would be a sure way to distract my boyfriend, I snuck around to the deck, spying on him through the french doors. Brook was busy checking out a family with two kids on the verge of a meltdown. As he processed their paperwork, he spoke to the kids, who were captivated by whatever story he told them. It was a sentiment I understood well. Once they waved goodbye, I quietly opened the door, hoping to sneak inside.

  “You’re really here!” Brook squealed as he rounded the desk. I barely had time to brace myself as he leaped into my arms. It was hard to decipher what he was trying to say with his lips pressing repeatedly into my skin, but I got the message loud and clear.

  “I told you I’d be back as soon as I could,” I reminded him. I nearly added that it sucked being away from him, even for a single night, but didn’t want to come across as a complete sap.

  “I know, but you have stuff you need to do back home. I’m sorry I panicked yesterday. It’s probably nothing.”

  “You were right to call me,” I reassured him. If something had happened to Brook and I hadn’t known he needed me, I’d never have forgiven myself. “Grady and I already had the apartment packed when you texted me last night. My work there is done.”

  “But your dad. He was counting on you being there when he gets out. I don’t want to pull you away from your family, Dane.” Brook released me, planting his feet on the floor. As he spoke, he ran one hand through my hair and the other over my chest. God, how I wished I could drag him up to our suite for a proper reunion. Later. We could get as freaky as we wanted once I knew the inn was safe from my uncle’s lack of common sense.

  I cupped Brook’s face in my hands and trailed my thumb over his high cheekbone. “It’s funny. The whole time he’s been in prison, I’ve thought about what it’d be like when he got out. I imagined my lonely, miserable self driving into the prison and explaining all the ways he’d fucked me up as we left.”

  “I’d never envisioned any other scenario. I was angry, first because I thought he was this monster who’d done all the things he was accused of, and later because he refused to fight for his freedom,” I admitted, pinching the bridge of my nose. I felt as though I was talking about someone else, not my own anger that’d been a constant companion. Since the first time I’d walked into the inn, the anger had receded like the tide. Unlike the ocean, I had faith it wouldn’t come crashing back over me. “Maybe it’s better if I’m not there to pick him up. When we’re reunited, it’ll be on neutral ground. A place without any bad memories. He’s not the only one getting a fresh start.”

  Brook gaped at me. “Who are you, and what have you done with my boyfriend? You look like Dane Montgomery, but the words coming out of your mouth… they don’t compute.”

  “Very funny.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were alone before swatting Brook’s ass. “If you’d like, I can go back to being the grumpy asshole I was when I came down here. Personally I think there’s something to the idea that living near the water is good for the soul.”

  “Oh, it’s the beach that did it?” Brook teased. He ran his tongue across his lower lip, and I wished I could drag him upstairs.

  Unfortunately another family chose that moment to descend the staircase, so I settled for a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m going to run upstairs and shower. I want to get today over with so we can move forward.”

  “That sounds like the best plan ever.” Brook let out a huge breath. “I know he’s your family, but James has made an absolute clusterfuck for all of us to clean up. I’ll be happy when he no longer has any control over the business. You think he’ll agree to sell?”

  “He doesn’t really have a choice, does he?”

  The family I thought was coming to check out took a detour to the breakfast room, giving us a few more minutes alone.

  As much as I wanted a shower, I needed to be close to Brook, so I pulled up a stool behind the front desk. “My bigger concern is how you’re feeling about Grady and Jen buying in. Are you still upset about that?”

  Brook shrugged. “I’m irritated that I was in the dark, but it makes sense. You did what needed to be done to save the inn, and at the end of the day, it’s not fair of me to expect you to discuss how you’re going to spend your money.”

  “You’re wrong about that,” I insisted. “I’m not just doing this for me. I’m doing it for us. I meant it when I said I want the inn to become our legacy and you should be allowed to have your say. Maybe it’s a bit premature of me to think that way already, but it’s how I feel. And I’m done living my life waiting for everything to go wrong. For once, I’m enjoying looking into the future and seeing clear skies.”

  “Awww, you’re getting all sappy on me.” Brook finished whatever he was doing on the computer, then draped his arms over my shoulders and kissed the side of my face. “Things between us have progressed quickly, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s not up to us to question the timing when the universe puts people in our path. And that’s what happened with us. Given the choice between wondering where you see this relationship heading and knowing, even if it is a bit daunting at times, I’ll take certainty.”

  “Not to be a buzzkill, but did James ever call back last night?” I needed to know, wanted time to prepare myself for how today might go down.

  “He called this morning,” Brook responded. “I told him you were on your way back to town and that you wanted to meet with him this afternoon. He’s said he’d talk to ‘his friends’ and call back. I swear, it’s like living in some cheesy mobster movie with bad acting. Part of me wonders how he’ll wind up spinning this in the future to make himself out to be the victim.”

  I kissed the top of Brook’s head. “Not our problem, babe. Jen should be here soon, and between the two of us, I’m confident he’ll sign over his claim, and then he’ll be free to screw up his own life, but never ours again. Were you able to find her a room?”

  “Yeah, she’s going to take the one I’d blocked off for your dad. I’m not sure where we’ll put him when he gets here, but I suppose he can stay with us for a bit.”

  That wasn’t an option. I wanted him at the inn so he was close, but I also needed my space. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to worry about being too loud because the old man was sleeping on our couch. I’d rather have Grady’s family up there with us; that’d be less embarrassing than my father knowing about my sex life.

  Brook must’ve noticed the way my lip curled at his suggestion, because he quickly added, “But if we have a cancellation, I’ll block it for him.”

  “Sounds good. When Jen gets here, tell her to get settled and then come up to the room.” Everything had been a whirlwind for the past twenty-four hours, and I wanted to sit down and talk with her a bit about how to handle this meeting with James.

  “Will do.”

  Another couple came downstairs to check out, so I eased my way past Brook, leaving him to work.

  “Man, it’s no wonder you love it so much down here,” Jen gushed as she stretched out on one of the lounge chairs. Pax was down for his nap, giving his mom a much needed break. “Fair warning, once Grady gets down here, he might not want to leave.”

  “I’d be okay with that.” I hadn’t mentioned the idea to them, figuring they’d never go for it, but having Jen closer would benefit all of us. She could take over the financials, maybe look through the past years to make sure James hadn’t done anything else that’d come back to bite us in the ass.

  “
Yeah? Because I’d love to get out of the city, but I don’t want you thinking it has anything to do with us worrying about how you’ll run the inn. We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think it could be a success.”

  “Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that. Sometimes I wonder what I’m getting myself into and worry I’m making an emotional decision rather than a logical one,” I admitted. A month ago, my life was on a very different course. No matter what I’d told Brook earlier, there were times I questioned what I was doing. If not for him, I could have easily walked away and let James deal with the situation he’d created. “And yes, I’d seriously be cool with you guys coming down here.”

  Jen shrugged. “Well, let’s get through today first, and then we can talk about who’s living where. Maybe once Grady and your dad are here, we’ll peek around at houses in the area. Can’t hurt to think about it.”

  Jen closed her eyes, and a few minutes later, she was snoring, even though I knew she’d deny it. As carefully as I could, I moved the umbrella we kept on the balcony so she didn’t wake up with a nasty sunburn, and went inside. It’d been a long night without any decent sleep; maybe Jen had the right idea.

  I stretched out on the couch, knowing better than to lie in the bed. If I did, I’d crash hard and not wake up if Pax or Jen needed me. I’d just fallen asleep when the door to the suite opened, and I startled awake.

  “It’s just me,” Brook announced. I pulled myself up and looked over the top of the couch. “Crap, did I wake you?”

  “Yeah, but it’s okay,” I reassured him. “What’s up?”

  “James called. They’re going to be here in about twenty minutes.” He shuddered, and his shoulders tensed. “I get why someone’s escorting him here, but damn, I’m sick of seeing that dude with the beady eyes.”

  So much for resting. I pushed off the couch and wandered into the bedroom, trying to find something more business casual than beach bum. Even if this meeting was with my uncle, I intended to walk in there and have him know I meant business.