Chapter 21 Gwen
GWEN
Igulped as the car rounded the bend and Carmel Luxe came into view. I was way, way, way out of my league.
“Home at last,” Harrison sighed.
I’d already stalked the website and knew about every detail, from the handmade Italian featherbeds to the five-star chefs in the three restaurants scattered around the property, and I was excited to check into the luxurious resort.
I tried to temper my excitement for Harrison’s sake.
He was navigating family drama, and I needed to be there for him.
“You okay?” I reached over to squeeze his hand.
He didn’t look actively unhappy, but he didn’t exactly look thrilled, either. “Passable.”
I raised his hand to my lips to give it a kiss. “Hey.”
He finally looked at me and managed a mostly genuine smile. “Hey yourself.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I said softly. “I’m here with you, ready to run front and keep things light. Consider me your court jester, linebacker, and sex doll.”
“Not all at the same time, I hope,” Harrison joked.
“Not my kink, but who knows? Just try to keep up with me, Ashford.”
The car came to a stop in front of the expansive white building, and the valet in white gloves sprinted to open the door.
“Showtime,” Harrison said under his breath as he stepped out into the still-bright sunshine.
“Mr. Ashford, welcome back,” the young man said reverently. “Mr. Ashford is waiting for you just inside.”
“Fantastic, thank you, Jimmy.”
The valet bobbed his head at me.
If I was nervous before, the scope of the place switched it into overdrive.
It wasn’t like I’d never been anywhere fancy before, but it was quite a different experience off the clock.
I wasn’t here to hover in the background and work; I was actually a guest this time around.
A guest of Harrison’s family, who I was now going to meet in their entirety.
Talk about high stress. But at least I’d picked a very pretty place to have my first heart attack.
The hotel was an airy mix of Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial, with arched doorways and cool terracotta accents. The lobby was engineered to make sure every guest knew exactly how prime the real estate was because the rear wall was completely open to views of endless blue sky and ocean.
“There he is,” Harrison said under his breath.
I refocused on him as he walked over and shook hands with the man that had to be his brother.
They looked eerily similar, both about the same height, with matching noses and striking eyes.
But while Harrison had the perma-furrow that went along with running a high-demand business, Drew managed to hide any stress behind a fixed customer service smile.
I wondered if the Ashford tendency to grump out was just percolating below the surface.
“Drew, this is Gwen Ackland.”
I felt a jolt as he focused his attention on me, because damn the man was intense despite the smile. I could feel him cataloging everything about me, which wasn’t unexpected. Harrison had just gone through a messy divorce. Any woman he brought around would be treated with wariness for a while.
“Gwen, such a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he took my hand in both of his. “You’ve managed to pull off the impossible and actually made my brother look like a decent human being on the world’s stage. Kudos. We’re going to pamper you this weekend. You deserve it after dealing with him.”
Then he winked at me.
If I wasn’t already a goner for Harrison, it would be tough resisting this Ashford, insult aside.
He made me feel like I was the only person in the room, like he would gladly do everything in his power to make my stay at his resort blissful.
But I wondered if the charm was hiding the same bosshole tendencies that lived in Harrison.
“It’s absolutely stunning,” I replied. “And there’s no need to thank me. I’m enjoying being part of the Ashford team.”
“Well, we’re lucky to have you,” he answered. “Harrison, how about a quick nine before dinner? Logan is ready and willing if you are. Unfortunately, I can’t join you. I’m dealing with some…challenges.”
“Wish I could,” Harrison answered. “We’ve already got dinner plans, and we need to get ready.”
“Okay. Here on the property?”
Harrison had already warned me that if we wanted privacy, we needed to eat elsewhere.
“No, down at Surfside.”
Drew bobbed his head. “Great spot.”
“So what’s the drama?” Harrison asked. “Something with Dad?”
“No, worse.” He sighed. “Our event planner left abruptly, and not only am I dealing with Dad’s party solo, I also have fully booked weekends for the foreseeable future.
Weddings, birthday parties, quinces, bar mitzvahs, corporate events…
” Drew shook his head. “I need to find someone to replace him, but in the meantime, it’s all on me. ”
“Why the hell would he leave without giving you notice?” Harrison asked. “He’s been here for a year—I thought things were going well?”
Drew moved closer to us and lowered his voice.
“It’s not that simple.” He glanced around.
“Brian was working on a major society wedding with a massive guest list. And it turned out that the bride-to-be was far too busy basking in the spotlight to notice that the groom was getting very involved in the wedding planning. Specifically, the wedding planner.”
I moved closer, because I wasn’t expecting the world’s juiciest gossip. How unprofessional would it be for me to ask for their Insta handles, so I could see the drama for myself?
“Are you kidding me?” Harrison said. “What happened?”
“Gone,” Drew snapped his fingers. “They disappeared together the night before the wedding. I guess Brian knew how it would play with me, so he didn’t give me any sort of notice. The bride and bridal party had to piece it together based on a cryptic note the groom left.”
“Well, damn,” Harrison said.
“Yeah, now we’re all true love’s roadkill, I guess. Which tracks.”
I frowned. Another Ashford with a padlock around his heart.
“What can we do to help?” I asked. “I’ve worked events in the past. Point me in the right direction, and I’d be happy to pitch in.”
“Absolutely not,” Drew laughed at me. “You think I want an honored guest getting her hands dirty? I’ve got it. For now.”
“It had better be just for now,” Harrison said, frowning.
“You’ve got enough on your plate. Don’t overdo it by adding another person’s workload on top of yours.
” Then, realizing that he’d sounded like an overprotective big brother, he was quick to add, “I’m worried for all of the people who’ll have to deal with you instead of someone trained to smile through the stress no matter what.
Your pleasantness has an expiration date. ”
“Well thanks, bro,” Drew snarked. “Maybe I’ll find my very own miracle worker,” he said with a nod in my direction. “Or maybe I could steal her away from you?”
He said it lightly, as a way to poke fun at Harrison, but I sensed tensions rising.
“I know people. Event planners,” I said quickly. “I’ll put out my feelers for candidates in the area.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Drew replied. “Anyway, I’m off to confirm final headcount for tomorrow. Here’s your suite key card, enjoy your dinner.”
I studied Harrison as he took the key from his brother. There was something wistful about the exchange, and it made my heart hurt for both of them. It felt like Harrison missed a person who was still in his orbit.
Were these brothers ever close, or were they really only capable of showing care indirectly, by poking at each other?
Harrison was quiet as we made our way through the resort, which gave me a chance to take it all in. The decor was geared toward relaxation, with a warm color palate and soothing touches like bubbling water features and low-slung, overstuffed khaki couches in every communal area.
Our room—what a treat to say “our” after the previous hotel debacles—was beyond what I could’ve imagined. I’d checked out the “premier” rooms on the hotel’s website, but I guess the Carmel Luxe kept one extra extra VIP room in reserve.
“Damn,” I breathed out, hovering in the doorway.
“Come in, close the door,” Harrison said briskly.
“Can I stay here forever?” I asked as I tiptoed in.
It was open and airy, with a balcony that ran the length of the place, but still cozy thanks to a lit fireplace. I ran to check out the primary suite.
“Oh my God, Drew had a female interior designer, right?” I shouted to Harrison as I jogged into the bathroom.
He came up behind me, frowning. “I believe so, yes, but what makes you say that?”
“So many little touches.” I pointed to the shower head in the glass-walled walk-in shower.
“It’s not a rainfall shower head. They’re terrible because you have to get your hair wet, and there’s no way to rinse off without ducking your head under.
” I pointed to the vanity. “Multiple plugs, for dryers and other tools. Plus there’s a huge open space for toiletries.
And a little stool! And this mirror situation?
” I walked over and pretended to primp. “The lighting is perfect.”
Harrison moved closer behind me and kissed my neck. “You’re perfect, you know that?”
I turned and kissed him. “You think so?”
He nodded, then leaned down to kiss me while inching my dress up. “Our dinner reservation,” I murmured between kisses.
“They don’t take reservations at Surfside; it’s first come, first served. And they know me, so…”
“So we’ll wind up at the chef’s table with a special menu?”
He shrugged. “Before we worry about that, let’s christen this room.”
I hopped up on the counter and moved my legs apart so Harrison could nestle closer between them, and we were off.
To the first of many orgasms to come, I hoped.
A couple of hours later, we were finishing up our meal at Surfside, a perfect little locals-only restaurant that turned out to have shockingly good food. The wine, low light, and beachy vibes had soothed Harrison’s tension, and it finally felt like we were on a mini vacation together.
I’d been successful for a little while in making him forget about the family stress waiting for him back at the resort.
“Are we thinking dessert?” the waitress asked us. “Do you have room?”
“Of course they have room,” a man said as he dragged an extra chair over to our romantic table for two.
Harrison scowled as he swung his head toward the uninvited guest, then relaxed into a smile once he finally clocked who it was. The waitress walked away as the reunion unfolded.
“Logan,” Harrison stood up and gave his brother a side hug. “How did you find us?”
“I know how you operate,” he answered as he slapped Harrison’s back. “I figured you’d skip the resort tonight, and Drew confirmed it. So here I am, crashing your party.”
It was similar to the stilted greeting between Harrison and Drew, but different at the same time.
There was more palpable tension between the two older Ashford brothers, while this relationship felt tamer.
Still not great by any stretch, but I got the sense that Harrison didn’t feel in competition with his youngest brother the same way he did with Drew.
Logan turned to me. “And I’ve heard all about this superstar. Dad went on and on about you, then Drew, and of course I know you were behind my brother’s televised apology tour.”
We shook hands, and once again I was confronted with yet another handsome Ashford. But “handsome” didn’t quite cover it. Logan was magnetic like his brothers, but there was a different quality to him I couldn’t put my finger on.
It had to be the youngest-child syndrome at play. Most likely, Harrison took all the hard knocks as the oldest, Drew was the ever-steady middle son, which took the pressure off of Logan so he could do whatever the hell he wanted. He was even fairer than his brothers, a literal Ashford Golden Boy.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied as we shook hands. “And I keep telling everyone that Harrison is the reason things went so well with Scarlet. I can only take about twenty-five percent of the credit.”
“Well, the two of you are quite the power couple,” Logan said as he plopped down at our table uninvited.
Harrison met my eyes at the word “couple,” but he didn’t refute it.
Maybe Sarah was right? Maybe I should lean in and enjoy the weekend without overthinking everything. And I had a job to do: keeping Harrison in a decent mood despite the undercurrent of family drama.
Maybe Logan would be the antidote as well? He didn’t seem as direct as his older brothers.
I opted to steer the ship. “I hear you’re a golfer.”
“Not really,” Logan chuckled. “At least not anymore.”
“Logan was on the team in college, which means he’s better than all of us, but since his handicap isn’t a ten anymore, he thinks he sucks,” Harrison explained.
“You almost beat me last time we played,” Logan exclaimed. “That was a fucking wake-up call for me. I need to be more consistent.”
“Are you and Dad going to play?”
I saw Harrison’s expression tighten as he asked the question.
“Probably.” Logan reached over and popped a leftover french fry from Harrison’s plate in his mouth. “But he’s been sort of off since he got here. I think he’s having a hard time with this birthday.”
More tension. Wonderful.
“Do you think that’s all it is?” Harrison asked his brother. “Because I’ve picked up on some weirdness as well.”
“You could just ask him about it,” Logan said.
Harrison snorted. “Yeah, right, Dad loves talking about his feelings. He’s always been great at emotional regulation.”
“Yeah, true enough,” Logan agreed as he stole another fry.
“Where did our waitress go?” I asked as I craned my neck to pretend to search the tiny restaurant. “She said something about dessert…”
“Yeah, I’d love a glass of port,” Logan said. “That is, if you don’t mind me hanging with you a little longer.”
I watched Harrison’s face as he answered.
“You’re family,” he said. “Always welcome.”
Welcome, maybe. But appreciated? Understood?
I was less sure of that. These Ashfords had no idea how to genuinely connect, and that made me hurt a little for all of them.
I reached for Harrison’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.
Whether or not he felt like he had his family on his side, I wanted him to know he had me.