Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
“ I can't believe he's making you work right before Christmas," Becca said as Ellie set drink refills down in front of her, Trudy, Rory, and Savannah.
The women were gathered for dinner as they tried to do once every couple of weeks.
Savannah shrugged. "Well, Christmas is the whole point of this one. And he hasn’t said this is my last chance, but I’m starting to think it might be.”
“He’ll fire you if you don’t do this?” Trudy asked, reaching for her beer.
Trudy Sinclair was from Autre but had lived in Colorado for ten years before coming home. She was a teacher with Becca. Savannah felt like Trudy understood her a bit better sometimes than Becca did, because at least Trudy had gotten away from their charming, but tiny , hometown for a little while.
“Probably not,” Savannah said. “But he won’t put me in charge of big acquisitions. I’ll just be given a few properties to oversee.”
“Would that be so bad?” Becca picked up a fried pickle and popped it into her mouth.
Savannah smiled at her friend. Becca loved her life in Autre. She saw her family and most of her friends every day. She was marrying a guy who’d been her best friend since she’d moved in next door to him when they’d been ten. Okay, she and Beau might not have known they were best friends right away, but they had been.
Becca’s life was simple and exactly what she wanted it to be.
Savannah’s life…wasn’t.
She hadn’t found a place that made her content like that yet. She was still searching for something .
Becca claimed she understood when Savannah explained that, but she didn’t. Not really . Still, she was supportive.
“It wouldn’t be bad ,” Savannah said. “It just wouldn’t be enough. I know all the properties. It wouldn’t be satisfying to just manage them. I want to find new ones in new places.”
“I know.” Becca gave her a smile. “You would be restless if you had to just keep doing the same thing over and over.”
Yeah, that’s what she was afraid of.
“You have to go to this one for Christmas though?” Rory asked.
Rory Robins was another woman Savannah was so glad she’d gotten to know. Rory was not from Autre. At least not originally. She’d moved to the tiny bayou town when she’d decided to makeover her life. And hide-out from her con man dad. Then she’d fallen for a guy who was also not an Autre native. That was almost unheard of in the not-so-little circle of people Savannah hung out with here. Drew had been in town for the holidays, and they’d fallen in love in Santa’s Village.
“Yes,” Savannah said, infusing her voice with enthusiasm. “It’s an actual inn. It’s got twelve rooms. But they also have a Christmas tree farm, and real reindeer. And have sleight rides, and ice skating on their pond, and they do this elaborate light display that people drive from miles away to see. Since this is their busiest time of the year, they wanted me to come to see it all decked out and the kinds of crowds they attract.”
“We have real reindeer here,” Rory said, with a grin. “And tons of lights.”
“And people dressing up like elves,” Trudy teased.
Rory threw a fried pickle at her, but she was laughing.
Rory was one of those people. She’d actually met Drew when he’d brought those real reindeer to town. She’d been dressed in a tiny elf dress, candy cane striped stockings, and her hair had been dyed green.
Savannah grinned and nodded. “I know, but there’s no snow here.”
“You need snow?” Becca asked. “Really?”
Maybe. She wasn’t sure what she needed. She just wanted to do something new this year.
“It’s important to the owners that we keep everything else going along with the B&B. So I have to check it out now during their busy season, because that’s the part I’ll really have to sell Steve on.”
“He won’t like that part?” Becca asked.
“Reindeer? And big gaudy light displays?” Savannah said with a laugh. “Not really Steve’s style.”
“But you have a plan to make the whole thing somehow next-level luxurious?” Trudy asked.
Savannah opened her mouth, then shut it and shook her head. “Not really, no.” That was a problem. She kind of liked what she’d heard about it as it was. “But I hope to once I see it.”
“You’ll come up with something,” Becca said, always the true, supportive best friend.
Savannah would have thought so too a couple of months ago. But her experience with the bayou cabins had shaken her confidence. Not her confidence in her ability to see a property and it’s surrounding location and understand what made it special and what would draw people to it, but her assurance that she could convince Steve her ideas were what he wanted and needed for his business. She picked up her Pimm’s cup and took a long drink.
"Well, at least he’s trusting me with another big project,” she said, trying to tell herself it was a good sign. “Though…”
“What?”
Savannah grimaced. “Mark is going to be there.”
Becca frowned. “Wait, what ? His son? The one who hit on you a few months ago?”
Savannah nodded. “Steve didn’t want to come along because of the holidays, but he doesn’t totally trust me, I guess. And Mark offered.”
“Oh, I’m sure he did,” Becca said with an eye roll. “The two of you at a B&B in North Carolina… just the two of you? At Christmas? And him with the upper hand because he knows how much you want his dad to approve this project?” She shook her head. “Gross. That all just feels super creepy.”
It really did.
“I can handle Mark.” Savannah had told Mark in no uncertain terms that if he ever touched her ass again, she would be skipping HR and his father, and going straight to the cops.
Steve might have raised a creepy, entitled prick, but she knew he would not be okay with Mark treating her the way he had when they’d gone to see a property together in May.
Becca nodded. "I know. But…"
Savannah studied her friend. "What are you thinking and not saying?"
"Just that…” Becca sighed. “I think you would have refused this trip if it was at any other time of year.”
Savannah frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you normally wouldn’t even pitch a property with reindeer and crazy light displays to Steve. And you definitely wouldn’t agree to a trip with Mark again. But it’s Christmas and this is a great excuse for why you can’t go to New York for Christmas. It’s also going to be pretty easy to extend the trip—something can come up with the deal, or you’re just having such a great time, or the weather is a problem—so you can’t make it back here either.”
Becca gave her a don’t-bother-lying-to-me look.
Trudy and Rory just lifted their drinks, not saying anything.
Savannah studied her best friend. Sometimes it was tough having someone who knew her so well. Those had been exactly some of her thoughts.
The big meeting with the family that owned the farm and B&B was supposed to take place on the twenty-third, but they insisted she stay over at least one night so she could see the entire light show, the crowds, and how that all worked.
She was supposed to fly back to New Orleans on the twenty-fourth. But she would admit, to herself and maybe Becca, that the thought had crossed her mind that she could easily extend her trip through the actual holiday and have a good excuse not to be here in Autre, surrounded by Landrys, who would very much try to include her as part of the family but would inadvertently make it even more obvious that she wasn't with her own.
And then of course there was Theo Taggart. The adopted add-on Landry.
Okay, Theo was an even bigger part of her not wanting to be here than she would admit even to Becca.
She’d spent some great Christmases in Autre. The Landrys weren’t the problem.
Theo was.
And how much she still wanted him was.
And the fact that he was always fucking around so she couldn’t forget about him or get over him.
She wasn't sure how she had missed the fact before spending the night with him. It had been two months—okay, nine weeks and two days—since then, and she swore that she had run into him more in that time than she had in all the time she'd been coming to Autre before October.
Maybe he really had always been around. He tended to be quiet and just sit back and watch and listen, but now she was so aware of him. The minute he walked in the door, her entire body seemed to go on alert.
Like right now.
She groaned.
Theo ambled from the front door of Ellie's through the bar to the back table where all the Landry’s and their significant others and friends were seated. She didn't even have to look. She felt him.
Then, of course, everyone had to greet him enthusiastically. It was like he was Mr. Fucking America.
She didn’t remember that part from before October either, but it had probably been true. Theo was very well liked.
She just hadn’t realized how much she liked him.
"Theo!"
"Good to see you, man."
“Hey, man.”
“Got your text.”
"You’re late," Zander told him.
"Yeah, just got off my last call," his deep rumbling voice reached her.
Her logical brain, and her wounded pride, and okay a little bit of her heart were the only parts of her body that disliked him and remembered why.
The rest of her reacted to the fact that he was here, and his voice, like a little kid hitting the gates of the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild petting zoo. Excitement, anticipation, and memories of overwhelming pleasure coursed through her.
Her nerve endings were jumping, her nipples were hard, and her panties were definitely wet.
And this happened every damned time.
She’d only been here five times in those nine weeks. And usually it was only to see the girls for a meal. But she’d run into Theo every one of those times.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Becca asked.
Savannah looked at her friend. Becca still didn't know about her night with Theo back in October.
Savannah felt bad about that. She and Becca told each other everything. But talking about it wouldn't change anything. She didn’t need advice. She wasn’t looking to relive it. She didn’t want to get girlfriend-giddy over it. She wasn't going there again. He made her feel way too many things. Things she didn't want to have to deal with.
If it had just been a one-night stand, a quick, dirty fling, she would've told Becca, Rory, and Trudy all about it. Or if she thought she and Theo might actually date for a little bit, she would have filled them in. Of course.
But neither of those were options with Theo.
She didn't think anything would be casual with Theo. It wouldn't just be sex. It wouldn't even just be a casual dating relationship.
He’d made her feel soft things she didn’t want to feel. She’d been vulnerable. She’d felt cared for. She’d felt close to him in a way she hadn’t felt to anyone in a long, long time. She’d felt like he just got her .
All in one night. They'd slept together once . Sort of accidentally.
And the next morning, she’d been given a taste of the kind of heartbreak Theo Taggart could dish out to her.
Okay, since October she’d been able to admit that she’d overreacted some.
But still…what would it be like if they actually had a relationship for any period of time, got even closer, she opened up even more, and decided she could settle down? Thought maybe sleeping every night in that bed, in that cabin, in his arms was pretty fucking great? Thought she could wake up there every morning? Thought she could stay, could put down some roots?
And then what if one morning she woke up, looked around, and felt stuck? Realized they never went anywhere? Realized she wanted more and he didn’t? That would be really unfair. She knew he didn’t want more than his life in Autre. He hadn’t hidden that or lied about it. So if they got into a relationship it would be because she thought she could be different. And what if she changed her mind? And what if she panicked then ?
Basically, what had happened that morning but on a much, much larger, more serious, more painful level?
“Savannah?”
"What?” She really tried to focus on Becca. "Sorry, I'm really distracted with this trip."
"Yeah, the trip," Becca said with a nod. "I was saying that you are thinking about turning that work trip into a very good excuse to miss the holidays here, right?"
"Not necessarily," she tried lying.
Becca gave her a come on now look.
Savannah sighed. "Maybe. But I've never been to North Carolina. And hey, I'll be on a reindeer and Christmas tree farm. That’s so…Christmas-y.” She laughed. She knew Steve was never going to go for this place, but it sounded fun, and charming, and… different . “Why not stay there? It’s a new experience. You know that I like that."
"You're already getting bored of spending time in Autre?" Becca asked. She was smiling, and her tone was light, but Savannah noted the tiny hint of hurt in her friend's voice.
She shook her head. "Of course not. But you know that I'm always looking for new experiences. Autre’s adorable. Totally quaint and charming. I've had some awesome Christmases here. But I haven't had snow at Christmas in a few years. I just think it could be kind of fun in North Carolina for a change."
"Well, you know, Theo can give you all kinds of tips on that," Zander said.
Her stupid heart flipped over at hearing Theo’s stupid name said out loud.
She looked over with a frown. Zander was sitting at the end of the table closest to their table, but Savannah hadn't realized that he'd been eavesdropping. "Tips about what?" she asked.
Then she regretted it. It was really better not to encourage any conversation about Theo at all. Because she was actually curious. Because he fascinated her even though she was still kind of mad at him.
She immediately corrected that thought though.
She wasn’t mad at him.
She was scared of him.
And what he could do to her heart.
And because if she was ever going to speak to him again about anything she was probably going to have to lead with an apology.
She wasn’t very good at apologizing.
That’s why, even though she had actually picked up her phone and dialed all but one of the digits of his phone number at least a dozen times over the past two months, she’d always hung up before completing the call.
"Yeah,” Zander said. “His mom and dad live in North Carolina. He can give you all kinds of trip tips."
She knew his parents lived in North Carolina.
That had nothing to do with her decision to check this property out. She hadn’t wondered at all if his parents lived anywhere near this Christmas farm.
Okay, she hadn’t wondered about that more than three or four times.
Savannah worked on keeping her expression neutral. "You don't even know where I'm going. It might not be anywhere near where his parents live."
Zander nodded. "True.” He looked over at Theo.
Savannah had been stoically keeping her eyes from the big man sitting two seats down from Zander.
"Savannah is going to North Carolina for work. Right before Christmas,” Zander said to his friend.
Savannah could feel Theo’s eyes on her. "Is that right?" he asked, his deep voice rolling over her and making her feel like she’d taken a shot of bourbon.
Becca sat forward in her chair. "Oh my gosh, Theo, are you going to see your parents for Christmas? That would be amazing." She looked at Savannah. "Maybe Theo could go with you."
Savannah scowled at her. "Why would he do that? Why would I want him to do that?"
"So you don’t have to be there alone with Mark and so you’re not alone for Christmas.” She reached out and grabbed Savannah’s hand. “I hate that idea.”
Okay, that would be nice. Escaping to a snowy, Christmas farm for the holiday sounded nice and she could do that alone. But it did sound lonely. Being alone was fine. It wouldn’t kill her. She’d done it a lot and generally enjoyed it, honestly. But there was something different about being alone on Christmas.
And spending the first couple days of the trip with Mark did not sound fun.
“Who’s Mark?” Zander asked.
Either he’d missed that part of their conversation, or he wanted them to repeat it for Theo’s sake. She suspected it was the latter. Savannah almost rolled her eyes.
“Her boss’s son. He has a thing for Savannah,” Becca supplied.
"You’ll be in North Carolina with some guy who's trying to get you into bed?" Theo asked.
Savannah tried to ignore Theo. It was tough when he used that firm, commanding tone of voice that made her nipples hard though. She stoically kept her eyes on Becca. "His father is sending him to get a second opinion on this property.”
She had a feeling Steve was sending Mark to check her work because of her crazy idea for the cabins here in Autre.
Steve wanted to know if the inn and the land were worth the purchase and how the locals would respond to new management. But he would not keep it as is. He would definitely sell off the reindeer and shut down the light show.
This was a test from Steve, and she knew it.
If she came back and tried to talk him into keeping all the unique, quirky pieces that he thought were tacky and off-brand, he’d know she wasn’t cut out for the position of property acquisitions for his company.
The thing was, she already loved the idea of reindeer and light shows and sleigh rides and definitely wanted to talk him into keeping them. She also knew they were a huge part of the inn’s success. If he cut them, the inn would be like all of the others in the area. Could it be profitable? Probably. But it wouldn’t be…special and fun.
She sighed.
She was going on this trip less because of her job and more because she wanted to go on a sleigh ride through snowy hills with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her lap and a cup of hot chocolate in hand.
But the idea of Mark being there and insisting on being beside her in that sleigh…
She looked over at Theo. " Are you planning to visit your parents?"
They made direct eye contact for the first time in two months.
Savannah felt the impact rock through her entire body. She was instantly hot and tingly. Her stomach flipped. Her pussy fluttered. Her heart rate sped up.
“As a matter fact I am," he said.
Theo would be nice and warm to cuddle up against during a snowy sleigh ride .
Yes, yes he would.
Was it fate?
Good luck?
Whatever it was, she could admit it would be really nice to have Theo by her side when she was stuck overnight with Mark there.
Okay, it would be nice to have Theo there anyway.
She liked him.
She’d thought of him almost constantly for two months.
She just really didn’t want to break either of their hearts.
But this was a specific…mission. He was going to accompany her as a friend on a trip out of state. She was going for work. He was going for family. It was simple and straightforward.
He was watching her. Now with a gaze that held a myriad of emotions.
One of them actually seemed like…challenge.
Oh, he was daring her?
This would be a challenge for him too.
If Theo Landry could actually leave the state of Louisiana, and be a little adventurous, she would be really proud of him.
"Well, there's just one problem with you coming with me," she told him.
"Just one?” he asked, the corner of his mouth curling.
Fair enough.
“The biggest and most immediate,” she amended.
“Hit me," he said.
"I'm flying there. On an airplane."
It was clear he instantly registered her return challenge.
Theo Taggart had never flown anywhere.
This would be his first time.
They held each other’s gazes for a long moment. Then he gave her a single nod. “I assume we’re going first-class."