Chapter 19
19
Brian tilted his head to the side and frowned at the screen of his computer. The door to his office was open, and Natalie stopped at the threshold. Her brows lifted and a worried expression covered her face.
“Uh-oh. Don’t tell me there’s something wrong with the order for tomorrow.” She crossed her fingers on both hands.
Brian’s frown deepened, and he sat up straight. “It shouldn’t be. I put everything in and got the delivery arranged.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “Good. When you’re frowning like that I always worry that something has gone wrong. We don’t need that order to mess up.”
“Nah, we’re good. Believe me, if there were a problem I’d be doing a lot more than frowning. Plus, I’m helping with the installation. We’re good.”
They’d gotten the contract to supply and install landscaping at one of the recently renovated office complexes in town. It was one of the largest orders they’d had this year. It was why Brian insisted on helping to install the plants after the issue they’d had on a previous job. He didn’t need to hire extra help for this job, but if he landed another job around the same time he would’ve needed extra hands. He’d only recently offered installation, so he wanted to make sure that this expansion of services was something sustainable.
“Well, if the project tomorrow is good, then why are you frowning?”
He sighed and pointed to his screen. “I’m working on my notes for the presentation in the entrepreneurship class tomorrow. I don’t know if my talking points are any good.”
She walked over and stood next to his chair. “You’re only talking about what we’re doing here as far as payroll and stuff, right?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
She scanned the notes onscreen and then nodded. “This is good. You touch on all the key things to consider. What’s to worry about?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m nervous about presenting.”
She sucked her teeth and put a hand on her hip. “Don’t even give me that. Didn’t you model or try to be an actor once? How are you nervous about presenting?”
“That was different. I was playing a part.”
He didn’t know how to explain the difference. When he’d chased the dream of being a model, he could get lost in what the photographer wanted him to be; he took on a role. This wasn’t a role. This was him and what he’d built. Standing in front of a group and hoping he sounded like he not only knew what he was doing but that what he’d done was worth hearing. The boost of confidence he’d gotten from his brother’s pep talk had worn off the closer he got to the actual presentation.
“And tomorrow you’re playing the part of a successful nursery owner. How hard is that?”
“You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t. Because this should be a piece of cake.”
“I want to make sure it’s not a waste of anyone’s time. This is basic stuff.”
“Basic to you maybe, but not to everyone. Especially people starting their own business. HR issues are time-consuming. You’ve got a good system here. I bet you’ll say something that will help others.”
He nodded and looked back at his notes. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I know I’m right. Now, here.” She held out the stack of papers she’d brought in. “Sign this contract for the new inventory system. I’m more than ready to get it implemented.”
Brian took the contract and put it on his desk. “I’ll check over it and sign. You good with it?”
She nodded. “I am, but check it out. Sometimes you see things I miss.”
His cell phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but it had a local area code. He always answered local numbers just in case it was a potential customer. “I’m going to take this.”
“Go ahead. Bring me the contract when you’re done.”
He nodded and swiped the green button on the screen. “This is Brian. How can I help you?”
“Brian, hey, it’s me.”
His body tensed at the sound of Renee’s voice. He closed his eyes and bit back a curse. He tried to remember his mom’s words, that he should at least be cordial with Renee. After all, at one point in time they had loved each other enough to get married. But knowing she was calling him about the drama with the man she’d cheated on with him made it hard to extend her any grace.
“What is it, Renee?”
“I thought you were going to hang up on me,” she said with a light laugh.
“No, but I am wondering why you called. I already told you I’m not in the fight between you and your husband.”
“I know, but I… I need to see you.”
He was shaking his head instantly. “No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. Brian, I’ve got to talk to you. About what happened last time—”
“There’s no need to go into last time. It was a one-and-done mistake. Our divorce is final, and I’ve moved on.”
“But have you, really?” Her voice dipped into the low, sultry tone that used to make him hard in an instant. Her “sexy” voice no longer had that effect.
“Listen to me when I say I’m really done, Renee,” he said in a calm, confident voice. “We can be cool if we’re ever both in the same place, but I’m not going to be taking your calls or trying to see you again. I’ve moved on.”
“What if fate isn’t done with us?”
Brian looked to the ceiling and laughed. “Fate? Since when do you believe in fate?”
“Since fate kept pushing me back to you.”
“That isn’t fate, Renee. That was just because I didn’t have any willpower.”
“It’s not about willpower. And even if it were, you can’t resist me.”
The confidence in her voice made him laugh. She really didn’t get it. He could only blame himself. How many times had he gone back to her when they were together? But for her to declare with her whole chest that he couldn’t resist her? If he wasn’t already done with her then, he would be now.
“Wow, damn, for you to come out your mouth with something like that means I really did act the fool for you.”
“We love each other.”
“Loved. Get it straight. Look, Renee, I’m not doing this. I’m seeing someone right now.”
He and Tracey weren’t officially together, but they had agreed to not sleep with other people during their friends-with-benefits arrangement. That would have to count.
Possessiveness entered Renee’s voice. “Who?”
Brian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Renee had a whole husband and was still thinking she could question him. “It doesn’t even matter. Just know that you and me, we’re done. Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency.”
“But I want to see you.”
“Why?”
She hesitated a heartbeat. “To tell you something. I want to see you when I tell you.”
Brian closed his eyes and sighed. She’d said that the last time they were together. That she had to talk to him alone and in person. She said she loved and missed him. That she’d made a mistake. His heart had weakened, and he’d crawled back in her bed. He’d made that mistake once. He wasn’t about to make it again.
“Anything you can tell me you can do over a text. Bye, Renee.”
“But—”
He hung up before she could finish then dropped his phone on his desk. He waited to see if regret or guilt would come. Feelings he usually had whenever he put a hard line between him and Renee. But all he felt was relief. Relief and a bit of pride in himself. He’d told his friends and himself that he was done, but he really and truly was no longer under her spell.
He looked back at the notes on the screen and smiled. He’d get to see Tracey tomorrow. Part of the reason he wanted his talk to be on point. He wanted to impress her. He knew they were just doing the friends-with-benefits thing, but he was enjoying the hell out of the benefits. Renee didn’t need to know he wasn’t in a relationship with Tracey or anyone else. For the short-term, Tracey was the woman in his life.
***
“You did really well on your presentation the other night,” Tracey told Brian. It was Thursday night, and they’d met at his place.
Tracey felt she’d redeemed herself from the last time she was there. When she’d arrived, the thoughts that had invaded her mind the last time she was there had been pushed away by her excitement to be in his arms again. She’d focused on receiving pleasure and the way Brian touched and kissed her. Brian seemed intent on making sure she enjoyed whatever he did to her. The entire experience was something so new and different that she looked forward to being with him again.
Now they were in his bed snacking on apple slices and drinking water. The television in his room was off, and his attention was on her. She liked that about him, too. After they were done he didn’t just roll over, slap her on the ass and say Good job . He also didn’t seem to want to rush her out of his space. He acted like he enjoyed her hanging around and talking.
“You think so?” he said looking bashful. “I didn’t ramble on too much?”
She shook her head. “Nah, you didn’t. You touched on your points and gave some good advice about managing payroll and scheduling. Stuff I hadn’t considered before. You’ve got me thinking about switching to a new payroll system at the inn.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The one I have works okay, but it doesn’t make it easy to tie to the schedule. I haven’t thought about shopping around since opening the place. It’s a good time to see what my options are.”
“Cool. I’m glad it helped. I was hoping it wasn’t just stuff people already know.”
She raised a brow. “If you really thought everyone in class already knew what you were talking about, then you need to get your head checked because you obviously hit it. Only a few of us in class have businesses. The majority are thinking of starting. It’s good to hear from other small business owners. Helps give ideas.”
“I guess I was just nervous. My brother told me not to worry about it.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
He ran his hand over her bare leg and squeezed her thigh. “But hearing you say I did a good job, that’s all the praise I needed.”
His touch sent a delicious shiver across her skin. She couldn’t believe she was getting turned on again. She hadn’t felt like this in years. “My praise is all you need? Really?”
“Yeah, I wanted to impress you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what for.”
“Because we work together. I can’t have you thinking my business is jacked up. You might switch to another nursery.”
Tracey laughed. Even if Brian had stumbled through his presentation, she wasn’t going to pick a different nursery. “Not happening. You deliver on time, and your rates are good. Plus, you put up with me and my last-minute scheduling. You’re staying hired.”
“Well, I didn’t know I had your business on lock. Can I get that in writing?”
Tracey smiled and rolled her eyes. “Never that. I don’t need evidence that I’m praising you.” He laughed. A few seconds later she said, “I liked the way you talked about why you started the nursery. How working with plants helped ease your mind and made you think about what it was like working in the yard with your dad. It made your story resonate a lot more.”
His thumb made lazy circles on her leg, but his gaze was distant. “My dad had a green thumb. He could make anything grow. Including plants in the house. He loved plants. My brother hated working in the yard or watering all the plants, but I liked helping him with that stuff. The times I helped in the yard were some of my best memories growing up. After he died, I thought about how he said if he ever needed to clear his mind and make a decision that he’d go put his hands in the soil. I started doing that, and it worked. He was right. Putting my hands in soil and growing plants made me slow down and think. It brought me solace when my brain was in chaos. I was tired of the life I was living in California. I thought about what I could do that was completely opposite and would make me happy.”
“And opening a nursery back home in Peachtree Cove was at the top of the list.”
He chuckled and nodded. “It was. I thought about the times I was most peaceful and happy and remembered going to the nursery and working in the yard with my dad. Plus, I wanted to be close to my mom and brother. It kind of worked out.”
She nodded and took a bite of her apple. Brian tapped her knee and raised a brow. “What about you? You always wanted to own an inn?”
“Actually, no.”
He leaned back and raised his brows. “You didn’t?”
“Nah. Back in high school and after, I wanted to be a lawyer.”
“Really?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
He lifted a shoulder. He looked so sexy leaning against the headboard smiling at her. He handed her another apple slice. “I don’t know. You didn’t seem the lawyer type.”
“Do you remember Mr. Fulmer back in middle school?”
His brows drew together before he nodded slowly. “Yeah. He taught science, right?”
“He did. He told me once that I would argue a point so hard until the other side was exhausted and that I should be a lawyer. It stuck with me. Thought about how much money a lawyer can make, and my mind was made up. It was going to be my ticket out of Peachtree Cove.”
The dream had also been her way to shake off the stigma of her family. That she wasn’t going to one day be seen as the daughter of a drunk and a whore. That she’d make a name for herself and force everyone in town to respect her.
“What happened?”
She let out a humorless chuckle. “I looked at the cost of college and then law school. I thought about years of student loans that I wouldn’t be able to pay back, and I decided law school wasn’t for me.”
“You could have gotten grants or scholarships,” he offered.
“Maybe, but not enough. I even worked up the nerve to say I wanted to be a lawyer to the guidance counselor my senior year. She worked out so that I got to job shadow at the law firm in town. That really sealed the deal. Boring as hell.”
He laughed. “For real?”
“Yeah. I may like to argue a point, but I quickly realized I didn’t want to be a lawyer.”
“Then, what made you decide to open an inn?”
“I majored in business. Came home, married Bernard and worked part-time as a manager at one of the hotels in Augusta. Turned out that I really liked working there. Meeting new people, learning about their lives and stuff. I had a knack for it. I started playing around with the idea that I could open my own hotel one day.”
“How did you get Old Man Sullivan to give you his place?”
“That’s the thing, I didn’t. He reached out to me. But I think I know why.” When Brian gave her an expectant look she sighed and told him the story. “Okay, so you know that me, Halle and Imani used to work for him in the peach fields back in the day, right?”
“Right.”
“So he was always nice to us. When I started selling some of his peaches on the side, he let it slide. Honestly, I think he kind of felt bad for me. One day my dad came to pick me up when I was selling peaches at Mr. Sullivan’s stand. Dad was drunk. God only knows how he made it there to get me. Mr. Sullivan saw that, took his keys, and drove me and my dad home. My mom only picked me up after that.”
“And that’s why he gave you the house?”
“Not just that.” She smiled and laughed. “One time he ran into me and Bernard in the grocery store. He asked how I was doing and if I still wanted to be a lawyer. I said no and that I wanted to open my own hotel.” Her smile faded, and she scowled. “Bernard laughed when I said that. Basically said it was a dream and then walked away.”
“He did that in front of Mr. Sullivan?”
“Sure did. Mr. Sullivan looked at me just like he had when my dad came drunk to pick me up. Told me he hoped I opened a place one day. Before he died, he called me up and said he would sell the place to me for five thousand dollars.”
Brian sat up straight. “Wait, what?”
“You heard me right. The house and the land. I thought maybe it was old age and he didn’t mean it. Or that his kids would get mad, but they didn’t want it. They’d moved on and really didn’t have anything to do with him. But he wanted me to get it before he died so that they couldn’t take it from me. When I asked why, he said he’d always thought the place would make a nice bed and breakfast. I didn’t ask Bernard for a dime, went into my savings and bought it. Once the title was in my name, I started on my business plan and saving up to get a small business loan. I let Mr. Sullivan stay in the house until he passed. Then I quit my job and opened the bed and breakfast.”
“Damn. What did Bernard say?”
“Oh, he was pissed. Swore that I had something going on with Mr. Sullivan and said the inn wouldn’t survive. But it did. I proved him wrong.” Pride filled her voice with the last sentence.
“I think you did.”
She smiled. “It’s funny, I wasn’t afraid to open the place, but I am nervous about expanding and doing more.”
“I can understand that. You’ve been successful, expanding is a risk. But I tell you one thing.”
“What?”
“You’ve come this far. I wouldn’t bet on you failing. I can only see you continuing to soar.”
“You really think so?”
“I do. Tracey, you’re way more capable than you give yourself credit for. It’s about time you started to be the badass that everyone else sees in you.”