Chapter 24 #2
“I feel like that locks you in.”
I lifted my hand to cup her chin. “I want to be locked in,” I assured her.
Nellie
Noah’s words kept playing over in my mind for the rest of the day.
After lunch, he went down to his office to do some paperwork and when he left me alone, I texted Sage in a half panic, letting her know about how at any time, I’d be meeting with Damien and Noah intended on telling him he was the father of my baby.
Sage told me to roll with it, that if Noah wanted to be involved—and it really sounded like he did—to let him.
Noah’s reassurance and Sage’s encouragement settled my racing heart and thoughts a little, and I toyed with the moon-shaped pendant on my neck.
I wasn’t used to letting people in. Especially men.
I’d guarded my heart up so tight, protecting myself from everyone who I felt could cause me harm.
It was different with Sage. I knew I’d found a friend for life in her, my kindred spirit.
It wasn’t easy to tear down the wall I’d hidden behind for years, if not decades, for a smooth-talking man with a reputation as a playboy.
The dryer chimed, and I automatically stood up to go switch the load. I was in the middle of folding a load of towels when the back door opened, and Damien walked in. His hat and winter jacket were covered in snow. He stomped the snow off his boots outside, sending me a tight smile.
“Ready for that meeting?” he asked, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the hook. His voice was gruff, but his expression was neutral—no scowl present.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, fumbling with the last towel in my hand. I refolded it and added it to the pile, trying to disguise my shaking hands. Thankfully, Damien was too busy taking off his snow-covered work boots and putting on a pair of indoor shoes to notice.
“Great. I’ll go get Noah. Meet us in the dining room.” He took off toward the door that led into the back hallway.
I paused at the desk to grab my water bottle, then walked into the dining room.
A few minutes later, Noah and Damien walked in.
Damien had a folder in his hand, and I inwardly panicked, fearing it was my resignation packet.
Noah’s relaxed smile eased some of my anxieties, but I shifted in my seat anyway, antsy and uncomfortable.
Damien sat across from me while Noah walked around the table.
His blue eyes locked on mine as he pulled out a chair and sat down beside me, and I felt a gentle swirling unlike anything I’d felt before.
With the table blocking Damien’s view of my lower half, I held my palm to my lower abdomen, expecting the sensation to go away. It increased, and my breath caught.
“So, we’re calling this meeting because it seems like you and Noah have decided to see each other. While we don’t have any official rules or regulations about employee relationships, I still wanted to touch base with you and make sure this was something you wanted.”
“I…what?” I was confused.
“Noah is in a position of authority, and I want to make sure you’re not agreeing to see him because he’s your boss,” Damien clarified, his voice as gruff as ever.
Noah sent his brother a dark look, as if offended at the insinuation.
“No, I want to see him,” I said hastily. “I wasn’t sure if that was allowed or not.”
Damien nodded slowly. “Like I said, we have no rules against it. But Charlotte did draw up some paperwork in case things turn south for you guys. Obviously, we hope that’s not the case, but we can’t be too careful,” he said, opening the folder and organizing the papers inside.
He handed a stack to Noah, and one to me.
“A contract?” I said, my eyes widening. Sensing my alarm, Noah put his hand on my knee and gently squeezed.
“It’s basically a voluntary agreement between the two of you that acknowledges your relationship is consensual, and a guideline that outlines expectations for employees in romantic relationships, as well as an agreement to follow the resort’s policy on public displays of affection.
It looks like a lot of paperwork, but it’s not.
There are three copies. One for you to have, one for Noah to have, and one for us to have on file,” Damien explained.
“Okay,” I tried not to let the panic overtake me. We went over the paperwork and signed where we were supposed to and handing one of the copies back to Damien, who put it back in the folder.
“If that’s everything?” Damien asked, looking between Noah and me.
“Well, there’s something else.” Noah glanced at me, as if silently asking me if I wanted to take the lead.
“I’m going to need a half day off once a week for the foreseeable future.”
Damien’s brow furrowed, like this news irritated him immediately.
“I’m…I’m pregnant, so it’s to go to my obstetrician appointments.”
Whatever Damien had been expecting me to say, it clearly wasn’t that.
“You’re pregnant?” he repeated, glancing at Noah for an explanation. Seeing that Noah wasn’t surprised by the news, he sat back in his chair and ran his hand over his jaw. “Congratulations. That’s great news. When are you due?” Damien’s tone was a lot more gentle and less gruff.
“Thank you. I’m due July nineteenth. It’s uh, a rather unexpected situation.” I could see the wheels spinning as Damien took in that information. “I know that kind of leaves you guys in a lurch for the summer.”
“We’ll figure all that out later,” Noah assured me, squeezing my knee again discreetly under the table.
“Yeah, don’t worry about that.” Damien nodded in agreement. “That’s a ways off still. Let me know in advance when your appointments are so we can make sure someone is covering the phones.”
“I am trying to make sure they don’t book them for Fridays, since that’s one of our busier days. But I’ll make sure I keep all my appointments as consistent as I can. My next appointment is Thursday afternoon.”
“I’m going to need that afternoon off too,” Noah said.
“Okay.” Damien nodded, his eyes flitting back to Noah for a beat. “I’m sure Charlotte can handle the office. I’ll put her on the schedule.”