Chapter 22
EVE
Iwas drowning in details, estimates, and predictions. It made it hard to breathe at times, and I hadn't been sleeping well. I'd taken to working late and getting up early to start it all over again. And if I couldn't sleep, I might as well work.
I was upset that the pipe had burst and that Angela was out of her store during the busiest shopping season of the year.
If only we'd had the shop buildings inspected and we hadn't bought the town as is. I should have done the inspections when Ford started work on the inn. There were so many what-ifs; my mind was running a million miles a second.
The situation made everyone on Candy Cane Lane on edge. I'd had more meetings than I could count with owners concerned that their shop was next. Most were demanding inspections.
I wanted to make that happen, but at the same time, I wanted Hudson focused on Angela's store to get her up and running as soon as possible.
The incident had somehow emboldened certain shop owners, Bill and Merry, to think that I wasn't qualified. Bill said I was going to ruin the town, which only made me want to work harder to prevent anything like this from happening again.
Then there was the infighting. The flood had only seemed to spark more fights between owners about whether we needed a lingerie shop at all. I’d signed Angela to a short-term lease to appease Bill.
Bill had stopped by to mention adding a morality clause to any new leases or extensions. I thought my head was going to explode when he told me that.
The fact was that we hadn't had any complaints from customers. People were used to seeing lingerie stores in malls. What was the difference?
If you didn't want your kids to be inside the shop, then don't bring them in. It was as simple as that.
It was hard to believe my only concern a few days ago was when I'd see Maddox and Sofia again. Now I was running from one issue to the next, never sure when I'd be able to slow down. I'd barely been able to do more than text Maddox at the end of a long day.
Tonight, Maddox had asked that I stop by at midnight again. I wasn't sure what that meant. I thought we'd moved on from our late-night liaisons. But maybe he missed them, or he just missed me.
I worked until I needed to drive to his house.
When I arrived, I was still wearing my work outfit: a silk blouse, skirt, and heels.
As soon as he opened the door, he pulled me inside with a growl, lifting me against the nearest wall.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, content to finally be near him.
He kissed me, grinding his cock against my center. Then he pulled back, freed his erection, slid a condom on, and moved my panties to the side.
His pulsing dick nudged my entrance, and all I could do was let my head fall back. He plunged inside me in one thrust.
"You feel so good," I murmured as his mouth captured mine.
He was uninhibited tonight, ferocious in his desires. He couldn't even wait to get me into his room or his bed.
He set a brutal pace, moving as if he was chasing something, and I wasn't sure what that could be. All I could do was hang on.
We were both almost fully dressed, and I suspected it meant I wouldn't be staying the night.
Then I felt a twinge of guilt because it meant I could get back to work that much more quickly. He bit my neck as he let go.
He braced one hand above my head against the wall, and the other brushed over my jaw. "Thanks for coming over tonight."
"Of course." The rest of the words got stuck in my throat. This was nice. I missed you. I wish we could spend more time together.
Then he pushed off the wall and turned the knob. "But you probably need to get back to work."
"I have a lot to do," I agreed as I stepped onto the porch into the cold. It wasn't lost on me that he'd only managed to move my panties before we fucked. There hadn't been anything else. He'd only needed to stuff his dick into his pants and zip up.
It was quick, and I was grateful for that. But I also felt a little weird about it.
"Night, Eve." He flashed me a smile before closing the door.
I'd been dismissed, and I should be upset, but I had a pile of insurance paperwork waiting for me in my inbox.
Maybe when this flood thing was behind me, the rest of the town was renovated, and the holidays were over, I'd see Maddox more often.
A voice in my head asked if it would be too late, and I pushed it off. He would understand. One of my buildings flooded. Anyone would understand that it was an exigent circumstance. I had to be there for my renters. They were counting on me to get this right.
I'd promised Angela I'd get back into her store as quickly as possible. I still felt like a failure because it wouldn't be possible for it to happen before Christmas.
Bill was calling for a town meeting to discuss the intelligence of letting Angela reopen her shop. I'm pretty sure he was insinuating that I was stupid.
I had so much to do, but stopping by Maddox's house was a nice diversion. It was hot. As long as I didn't think too hard about what it meant. Why had we gone back to midnight meetings? Why hadn't he bothered to take me to his bed? Why did it feel like a booty call when it never had before?
Did he not want a relationship with me anymore? I didn't have time to consider the possibilities.
I drove to the office. Inside, it was as if I'd never been gone. I sat at my desk and opened my email, downloading the necessary documents. I read through the contracts and digitally signed them. Then I went through Hudson's plans to repair the shop and his notes on a few of the other stores.
At some point, my head met the desk, and I fell asleep.
When I woke, it was light out, and my neck hurt. I couldn't believe I'd let myself fall asleep at my desk.
When footsteps sounded on the wood stairs, I straightened my hair and clothes as best I could before Bill stepped inside.
It was too early in the morning for him.
He burst into the room, standing in front of my desk, holding a copy of the Christmas Town newspaper, open to the front page with the headline "When will Tempting Dreams Reopen?"
"You have to stop Angela from reopening her store. No one wants it here. It doesn't match the theme of the other shops, and it's completely inappropriate for young kids.
I ran a hand through my hair, hoping it didn't look like a rat's nest. "So you've said."
He placed his hands on his hips. "And you're not going to do anything about it?"
"I believe you called a town meeting to discuss it," I said dryly.
"You won't do anything though. It's a joke. This town is a joke—"
I stood then, anger winning out over my exhaustion. "I care deeply about this town. I'm working night and day to make things right for Angela and to inspect the rest of the buildings."
His face screwed up. "If you cared about this town, you wouldn't let someone open a smut shop."
I rolled my eyes. "It's a lingerie shop. If you don't like it, don't go inside."
"Oh, I don't."
He only harassed Angela on the sidewalks and in other stores. "I'm happy to discuss this at the town hall. But for now, I have work to do."
He harrumphed and left the room.
I let out the breath I'd been holding. I wasn't sure how much longer I could control myself around him. He was infuriating. I was sure that Angela was getting it worse than me, but if I could shield her from it, I wanted to.
I took a shower in my bathroom at work and changed into an outfit I kept here for that purpose. I brought in multiple outfits each time I went home. It was a good thing I didn't have a pet. I wouldn't be able to take care of it.
By Saturday, I was ready to go home and snuggle in my sweats.
It was one thing after another. The shop next to Angela's had sprung a leak, so we were on a mission to stop any more from happening.
Apparently, the pipes were all installed around the same time, so it was likely they'd malfunction, one after the other.
That was just my luck.
Then I had a meeting with a few concerned shop owners. I rubbed my temples. The headache was a constant now, and pain medication didn't do anything to curb it.
There was a knock on my door. "Come in."
Sofia ran into the room.
"Sofia, I missed you," I said even as my eyes hurt from the strain.
"Daddy said you've been really busy." She stopped next to my desk.
"It's Christmas, and we've had an issue with pipes bursting. It's one thing after the other." I glanced at Maddox, but he'd moved to the window, watching people pass by below on the sidewalk.
"It's crowded today," he said simply.
I stood and walked around the desk. "We're in our busy season now. We won't have a chance to relax until after New Year's."
His face was pinched as he turned to face me. "I wanted to give you an early Christmas present."
"Oh, what is it?" I hadn't even had a chance to shop for his or anyone else's. I'd been too busy with everything.
He handed me an envelope, and I assumed it was a gift card. "You don't want to wait until Christmas to exchange presents?"
"This one has to be opened before Christmas," Sofia said excitedly.
I opened the envelope. "Did you help pick it out?"
"I helped with the research."
"I don't have any idea what it could be," I opened the card, and an advertisement for a bed-and-breakfast was inside. "Oh, how lovely."
I still wasn't sure why it had to be opened before Christmas though. I needed to figure out what to get him because this was a bigger gift than I'd expected for a newer relationship.
"I made reservations for this weekend. I wanted you to get away before Christmas. We can't go during the holidays, so this was the best time."
I lowered the card. "This is lovely. But I'm working through Christmas."
"You can't take one night off? It's the only weekend my parents can watch Sofia. They're traveling after the holidays."
I closed my eyes. "This is a trip for just the two of us?"
"Yes." He stood by the window, and Sofia was looking at me with excitement in her eyes.
I felt the heavy press of their expectation.
I was supposed to be happy about this. "I don't see how I could get away.
There are the flood damage and Hudson's inspections for the rest of the town's buildings.
Then I have to prepare for a town hall because the shop owners can't get along.
I just don't see how I could possibly get away right now. Maybe after Christmas."
"The reservations are for this weekend. Take your time and think about it." Maddox walked past me toward the door.
"You'll have so much fun," Sofia said, but her excitement was dimmed, and it was all my fault.
I didn't want them to leave. I wanted them to stay and talk about the bed-and-breakfast, but my phone was ringing.
"Eve Palmer. Town Coordinator," I said into the speaker as Sofia slipped through the door after her father.
I wanted to hang up this call and tell them to come back. But I couldn't. There were too many people depending on me. Maddox would understand. His job was demanding in its own way.
After I met with a few shop owners to ease their fears about the pipes in their buildings, I read through my texts.
Natasha: I heard Maddox got the promotion. Congrats to him! How are you celebrating?
Eve: I hadn't heard about it.
Natasha: Oops. Maybe he was waiting to tell you in person.
Was that why he was here this morning? He wanted to tell me the good news and go away for a weekend to celebrate? I was such an idiot.
Natasha: How are the plumbing repairs coming?
Eve: There are more issues popping up all the time. I'm just trying to keep up with it.
Natasha: Getting Angela's store reopened is the top priority.
Eve: There was another leak next to her shop.
Natasha: Ugh. Seriously?
Eve: But don't worry. We've got everything under control. Hudson's on top of it.
I was relying on him to discover which buildings needed work first. It wasn't in our plans to do this work at the same time as the inn renovations, but we didn't have a choice. I couldn't have any more burst pipes, especially during our busy season.
Natasha: I'm so glad you're handling it. We're booked to capacity. As soon as Ford finishes a room, it's reserved.
Eve: Is everyone liking the updates?
Natasha: Yes! We've had so many comments since we posted the updated pictures.
Eve: Don't worry about anything in town. I've got it.
Natasha: I know you do.
I wanted to consider Maddox's gift, but I had to sort through the estimates Hudson sent over for a few of the buildings. I was almost scared to look at the results. The repairs were going to be extensive. And Morgan was evaluating the electrical.
I couldn't think about going on vacation. It was a little absurd that he thought I could do that right now.
I wanted Natasha to focus on the inn. That meant the town was my responsibility. That was our deal, and I wouldn't back out now.
I might have time for quickies against Maddox's door, but that was it until after Christmas and maybe even New Year's.
We'd be busy with after-holiday shopping through the end of the year.
I planned on the light trail being open for the duration, and I was researching plans for an ice rink in January.
I wanted to keep the momentum we'd built going. That meant capitalizing on our increased traffic and bringing them back for more. I wasn't ready to concede that we had a slow season. At least not yet.
I didn't think about the look on Sofia's face when I said I couldn't go away for a weekend. Surely, Maddox would explain it to her. I had responsibilities, people who depended on me. I was the one who had to be present to deal with the aging pipes and flood damage.
I'd put everything into this place, and I couldn't let up, not even for a second.