Heartbreaker: A Workplace Friends-To-Lovers Romance (Paths To Love Book 3)

by Grahame Claire

“Are they staying in a hotel?” Muriella asked, appearing perturbed at the thought.

  “Yes. Stone always liked the Four Seasons, so I told her to get a suite there.”

  “No way. They’ll stay with us too.”

  I glanced at Stone for help, but he gave a little head shake, warning me to give in or else. “Muriella, that’s too much. Besides, she has to work with me all day. I’m sure the last thing she wants to do is be stuck with me during her time off.”

  “We’ll figure it out. Tell her to cancel the hotel.”

  Damn, she was bossy. But in a way that couldn’t be argued with. I hadn’t been too keen on Holly and Firecracker staying in a hotel indefinitely, but I hadn’t seen another choice. Turned out Muriella was good at making decisions for everyone.

  “I’ll try to be out of your hair as soon as possible—”

  “You’ll stay as long as you need.” She lit up as she tightened her grip on Stone’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re coming to New York.”

  “I wish I could say the same.” I flashed her a wry smile.

  “If your brother can adjust, so can you,” she encouraged.

  “That’s why you brought the horse,” Stone deduced. I nodded. “When are you gonna tell them?” He flicked his chin at the table where our family was socializing.

  I let out a long sigh. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “Want me to do it?” he offered. My brother always volunteered to tell our family the stuff I didn’t want to, because he was just a damned good guy. Stone would take on the world for me, and I loved him for it. And now I understood why he’d adored Muriella for so long. She was the same. She loved fiercely and somehow, I’d already earned that unquestioning ally. Amazing.

  “I need to do it.” I leaned back. “When are y’all headed to New York?”

  “Sunday afternoon. I’ve got to be back on set Monday. You can hitch a ride with us on Daniel and Vivian’s plane. Guarantee you it’s fancier than the company jet at your disposal.”

  “It’s not at my disposal, and I’d appreciate a lift if they don’t mind,” I said with more huff than I meant to. It was hard accepting these favors, since I liked taking care of myself, but once again my family was making my burdens a hell of a lot easier to bear.

  “They won’t. Now we better get back over there. We’re already getting curious looks.” Stone stood and helped Muriella out of her chair. “I’m proud of you, Mulaney.” I hesitated halfway out of my seat, surprised. I couldn’t think of anything I’d done lately for him to be proud of. “Hell, you’re looking at me like I just told you I was going to steal that wild horse of yours.” I gave him a withering look. “You haven’t complained once about moving.”

  “Just give it some time, and I’ll start bitching,” I tossed back the rest of my drink.

  “Have some of these.” Muriella reached into her purse and gave me a handful of miniature chocolate Mars bars.

  “Thanks.” Stone was looking at Muriella like she’d just given me something valuable. “Am I missing something here?”

  “Daniel and Vivian discovered these goodies when they were in New Zealand forever ago. We’ve all been hooked ever since,” she explained. I didn’t get it. It was chocolate candy. “Just try it.”

  “If you’re not going to, give them back,” Stone demanded. He was serious.

  I unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it in my mouth. The chocolate and caramel melted on my tongue, whiskey only barely tainting the flavor. All right. It was good. I ate two more, and she held out her hand for my trash.

  “Keep those hidden from me.” I’d end up snacking on the entire bag if left to my own devices.

  “I’ll remind you that you said that,” Stone said smugly.

  I crossed the dance floor to the tables, where everyone else was seated. My steps faltered when I saw Easton talking with my grandfather. After our conversation earlier, I hadn’t had much time to consider he’d be at the bar. When his gaze landed on me, it was guarded. I couldn’t tell if he was still angry or not.

  “Glad to see you, Loretta.” I smiled and plopped in the empty chair right next to Mrs. Carter, kissing her cheek. She looked thinner than the last time I’d seen her, but the way she chatted with my mom gave me hope she was feeling better. Underneath all that fight, I could tell the cancer was taking its toll.

  Juliana’s mother drew mine into a conversation about the upcoming chili cook-off, leaving Mrs. Carter and me on our own to chat. She glanced past me toward Mama. “They’re going to miss you, and I am too, but New York will be an adventure. Give yourself a chance to try something new. You and Easton will have to take care of each other.”

  She’d never once tried to push Easton and me together, though we always ended up sitting next to each other when we ate dinner at her home or other events she coordinated. I never considered it intentional, but there was something in her blue eyes that gave me pause.

  “I wasn’t looking for anything new, but I guess I got it anyway,” I said. “I should have been by to see you. These last few weeks—”

  She put her hand over mine, effectively shutting me up. “You’ve had a lot to take care of, and you’ve done more than enough for me.” I couldn’t do the one thing I wanted more than anything—cure her of this vicious disease. Going with her to her chemo treatments and running errands for her when she wasn’t up to it seemed inadequate. “We’re not going there tonight. It’s Christmas.”

  “Think you could make it to New York for a visit? Maybe New Year’s?” The Carters were my family in Houston. I spent the most time with Mr. Carter, but they had me over for dinner once a week, and Mrs. Carter and I lunched regularly. I admired her, and she was my friend. “Bring Grandma Carter too.”

  Hope bloomed in her eyes. The haunting thought that this could be her last trip to New York seemed to cross both our minds, and I hated it. I couldn’t think like that. No place for negativity in the fight for her life, but sometimes those poisonous little fuckers took shape in my mind before I could stop them.

  “I’ll talk to Harris about it. That’s actually not a bad idea. It will give me an excuse to check on my sons—”

  “You’re moving to New York, Mulaney?” Daddy’s voice boomed across the table, his stare accusatory.

  “So much for perfect timing,” I said under my breath.

  “Now you don’t have to figure out a way to tell them,” Stone said oh-so-helpfully.

  Daddy pointed at Stone. “You knew about this?”

  “For all of five minutes. She’s scared to stay at a hotel by herself, so she’s going to live with Muriella and me.”

  I shot Stone a murderous look. He grinned at me.

  “She is not,” Muriella argued, coming to my defense.

  Mitch leaned toward her. “Best not to interfere between those two.” He pointed between Stone and me.

  Muriella leveled him with a look. “I’m not going to let Stone give her a hard time about this.”

  Everyone looked at me. I usually came to my own defense, and now that I had backup from an unlikely source, it threw me off.

  “It’s bad enough you being in Houston away from the family, but New York? I’ll be damned if I let you go there by yourself,” Daddy said like I was a teenager making a stupid decision.

  “Easton will be there with her,” Mrs. Carter volunteered, and a silence enveloped the table as everyone looked at him.

  “She doesn’t need me,” he said easily, his cool gaze focused on me. I returned it, though something about the way he was looking at me set me on edge even though I knew the reason why.

  “Hello? I said she was moving in with Muriella and me, so unless we suddenly don’t count, then Mulaney won’t be by herself,” Stone said.

  “And we’ll be there too,” Vivian said, her husband Daniel nodding. They were Stone and Muriella’s best friends and lived in the same building. I hadn’t figured out what exactly Daniel did for a living, but I’d gathered from my brother if there was information t
o be found about anything, he was the man to do it.

  “Now that the Mulaney’s ‘going to New York bomb’ has dropped, I’m going to get a beer. Anybody else want one?” Mitch asked, getting to his feet.

  “I’ll go with you,” I said, practically jumping out of my seat. “I’m leaving my horse here with y’all too.” I walked away before anyone could respond.

  “They already hate how far away you are,” Mitch said as we headed to the bar. “They’re proud of you, but you know how they are. If it were up to Mama and Daddy, we’d all live on the ranch as one big happy family.”

  “We are one big happy family, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah. They just miss you. You’re only eight hours away in Houston, but we rarely see you.”

  “I don’t need a lecture right now,” I snapped, signaling for the bartender to bring us another round.

  “Not trying to. Just telling you the truth. I know you’re doing the best you can. That’s why I never say anything about it, but it would mean a lot to them if they saw your face in person instead of hearing your voice most of the time.”

  Mitch might as well have punched me in the gut, to the point I wanted to double over. I’d let down the people I never wanted to disappoint by not getting home as often as I should. I was busy. Hell, I barely had time for myself. But what was I sacrificing in return? Precious time I’d never get back. I swallowed hard. Ruby and Granddaddy were in their eighties. They wouldn’t be around forever, though I couldn’t imagine either of them being gone. I couldn’t handle it if they thought I didn’t want to be here.

  I loved my career—it was part of me—but I loved my family something fierce. Maybe I hadn’t shown them that.

  “What do you propose I do?” I asked curtly, taking out my frustration on him.

  “Just . . . come see them instead of everyone always coming to you.”

  “I’m doing the best—”

  “I don’t want to upset you. Let it go.” He held up a fresh beer in a truce.

  “Fine.” I clinked my glass with his bottle. There was a damn good reason I hadn’t been around much in the last few months. It had been wiser to stay away. They knew me too well. And I couldn’t bear to see their disappointment.

  Mitch ambled over to our table, and I followed, dragging my feet.

  Easton intercepted me. “Truck drive okay?” His eyes were warmer now, full of genuine concern.

  “It’s practically new,” I sassed back.

  “Nice hat.”

  I’d forgotten all about his ball cap perched on my head. I fought the urge to rip it off and cover up his gorgeous dark mop. “I’ll return it and the truck tomorrow.”

  “No rush.”

  “Thanks for the cold drinks,” I said, as if it pained me. It kinda did.

  “You’re welcome. I figured they’d come in handy for the drive. Before you give my truck back, check the glovebox. There’s something in there for you.”

  “Whatever it is, I don’t want it,” I said callously. A flash of hurt crossed his face, and I looked away unable to stand it. “Excuse me.”

  I tried not to run to the safety of the crowd, willing my steps to be measured and deliberate. I’d barely talked to my nieces since I’d arrived home, so I wedged between them. “Can we scoot the two chairs together and make a seat big enough for three?”

  They made it work so we were sharing their chairs. Leona had been sort of quiet all night, more so than usual, but hell, being a seventeen-year-old was reason enough to sulk. It just wasn’t her typical nature.

  “Can I come see you and Uncle Stone in New York? It’s so cool you’re moving there,” Gabby said. She had aspirations to follow in her uncle’s footsteps and dreamed of being an actress.

  “You better come see me. I’ll be pissed if you don’t.”

  “Could you watch your mouth around them, Mulaney?” Mitch scolded.

  “I bet you’ve cursed in front of them more than I have today.”

  “Children,” Mama said, ending that argument.

  “Anyway . . .” I exaggerated, making a face at their dad that got me a few giggles. “Seeing you guys will give me something to look forward to.”

  “Why are you going if you don’t want to move?” Leona asked, and I wondered how teenagers could sometimes be wise beyond their years.

  “I made a commitment to Mr. Carter and his company. That means there are things I have to do I don’t always like or aren’t always easy, but when you make a promise, you have to keep it.”

  “Great-granddaddy told you that, didn’t he?” Gabby asked, tilting her head, her eyes bright with the innocence of youth.

  “Yeah, and if he hadn’t, Ruby would have.”

  A hand gently touched my shoulder, and sparks blazed right to my core. I twisted my head to look behind me, although I already knew exactly who it was.

  “Dance with me,” Easton said, his voice pure seduction as he gazed intently at me. Gabby scrambled out of her seat, but Easton kept his eyes locked on me.

  “Sorry,” I said, not sorry at all. “My dance card is full tonight. All saved for my granddaddy.”

  “What about me?” Daddy protested. We’d captured the interest of the whole table.

  “I’ll save you one too.” I beamed at him, and he winked. Fortunately, he seemed to have dropped his frustration about my move to New York.

  “I’ll give that nice young man one of my turns,” Granddaddy said, and it took all I had not to fire him a dirty look. He waggled his brows at me, all mischief, and I took a sip of my drink to keep from saying something smart-assed.

  “Aww, come on, Mulaney. The guy asked you for a dance, not for you to marry him,” Mitch said, and I choked on my drink, coughing and spluttering much to everyone’s amusement.

  Easton patted my back until I stopped, then he held out his hand in a silent invitation. Or maybe it was a demand.

  “Fine.” I shot to my feet, ignoring Easton’s hand and pointing around the table. “But all y’all should remember this is Christmas, and you’re supposed to be nice to people.” That got a few more chuckles.

  “That goes for you too, darlin’,” Ruby said, giving me a pointed look. The whole damn lot of them were ganging up on me.

  I stalked to the dance floor where no one—I mean no one—was dancing anymore.

  I could feel curious eyes on us as Easton gathered me in his arms. When I didn’t move, he put my arms around his neck. One song transitioned into another, the raw, raspy voice of Chris Stapleton sang for me to fire away. Easton flipped the ball cap I had on backward.

  “That’s better.” His lips turned up as he studied me. “Relax, Heartbreaker.”

  Easton had called me that from the beginning. Coming out of another man’s mouth, it would have been infuriating, derogatory even, but when Easton said it, he somehow made the word flirtatious and reverent at the same time. He never used the nickname when anyone else could hear, like it was private, only for us. I’d never figured out why he’d bestowed the name upon me, but every time he used it, I felt special, even when I didn’t want to.

  I gave him a frosty look. “You’re trying to make me uncomfortable in front of my family,” I said, and he closed the small gap between us, our bodies now flush. Mine came alive.

  “I wanted to dance with the most beautiful woman here.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what? You’ve been putting me off, and I’ve let it go on too long. It stops now.”

  “You’re the one that hung up on me earlier,” I pointed out. “I’m not having this conversation with you here.”

  “Then let’s go somewhere else,” he offered easily, gesturing toward the door.

  I glared at him. “Not today.”

  “See, that’s the problem. Tomorrow never comes with you.”

  “You know how to fix this,” I hissed, our faces so close I could feel his warm breath against my skin.

  “Your way isn’t an option.”

  “It is. You just don’
t want to see it that way.”

  His jaw ticked in frustration. Tension vibrated between us, yet somehow we swayed in time to the music.

  Here we were, arguing again when Loretta was over at the table possibly enjoying her last Christmas.

  I rubbed his back and saw the frustration evaporate. “She’s strong.”

  He let out a long sigh. “I know.”

  “I—” Words escaped me. All I knew was I couldn’t stand to see him hurting.

  We made a slow circle around the dance floor, letting the music fill the silence between us.

  “Did you mean what you told your nieces?” he asked when the song was almost over. I looked at him quizzically, and he clarified. “About commitment? Keeping your promises?” Fucker. He was going to make me eat my own words. “You’re a lot of things, but hypocrite isn’t one of them.”

  “Easton . . .”

  He leaned closer, his lips only a whisper away from my ear. “I’ve been patient. I’m not giving up what’s mine. And I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep it. To keep you.”

  The threat sent a shiver down my spine. When the song finished, he leaned in close. The soft kiss he left on my cheek before he walked away nearly broke me. Not here. Not now. Easton knew I wasn’t a hypocrite, and he wasn’t a liar. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep it. To keep you.

  I had to do everything I could to resist . . . everything I could to stay true to my heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  Easton

  Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

  The feel of the hammer hitting the nail as I drove it into the wooden plank was satisfying. The middle step on Grandma Carter’s front porch had split, and I’d been all too eager to get out of the house and fix it. Christmas Day had had a heavy cloud hanging over it in my brother’s absence. We’d all missed him, especially Mama, and it was either take out my frustration with the hammer or call Drew to say some things I couldn’t take back. But I couldn’t entirely blame my mood on him. Repairing this step had proved to only be a minor distraction before my mind was quickly consumed with Mulaney again.

  She’ll come around.