7. Emma
Icertainly didn’t expect to be up as early as I was. Then again, everything about the last few days had been unexpected. Between the excitement of running into Jaime and staying up late with Caroline, I fully expected to sleep like the dead, but here I was at the mahogany secretary’s desk going over financials for Get Outdoors, the Travers’ outdoor sports tour business.
I could still hear Caroline snoring softly from the bedroom as I focused on the figures before me like my life depended on it, though it was futile because all I could think about was Jaime.
I still couldn’t get over running into him here, of all places. Pine Crest had been a big bone of contention for us back in the day. I worried that he’d believed I was just doing my father’s bidding by choosing my family over him. But this resort was important to me—not because of the money it made my family, but because of what it meant to my mom and the way it supported the local community since it was built 30 years ago.
Silverpine was still a small town, thanks to our elected officials. They’d refused permits to big box stores and limited development of strip malls. The vacationers who came in droves to the resort had no choice but to frequent the small family-run businesses and boutique shops. I was proud of that. This resort helped fuel the community that my mother had spent her life adoring and serving.
I”d been terrified to lose Jaime back then, but was even more fearful of losing my mother, and now here I was without either of them. At least I”d gotten those final few years with my mom. It made me think about Jaime’s mom, Esmeralda. She’d always been such a spitfire. Her not remembering her past or her children tore at me. I could only imagine how difficult it was for Jaime, Sofia and Maria to watch her slowly decline.
I felt so helpless when my mother was sick and dying, but at least Lydia Carter had full control of her faculties right up to the very end. My heart ached for Jaime and his sisters and what they were going through. And with their father gone, they were going to be orphans at a much younger age than most facing the same situation. At least I still had my dad.
Though lately it felt like I was losing him, too. I could understand why there was no light in his eyes anymore. If it wasn’t for Abby and Caroline, I’m certain the light in my eyes would’ve been snuffed out as well. But I felt like I was spending most of my time fighting for his attention, to hold on to the best parts of him. Sometimes I worry all those good parts died with my mother.
“Come on Emma, focus,” I schooled myself as I tried to reexamine the numbers before my tired eyes. I needed to have a solid understanding of these figures before I had dinner with Andrew Jr. this evening and I hoped to God he’d be prepared to talk business, unlike the other night. Socializing was always a part of the deal, but I wasn’t interested in escorting an overgrown frat boy for the duration of this trip. All my father wanted was to secure this merger, but I wanted to make sure we were actually making a sound business decision that wouldn’t come back to bite us later.
As I sat working on some figures, I could hear birdsong through the suite window. I smiled to myself when the song struck a chord and grew closer. I jerked my head up and spied a brown-capped rosy finch.
A grin stretched across my face—it was one of my mom’s favorites. We would spend hours on the trail, hiking through the beautiful woods behind the resort, and she would point out all the birds, imitating their calls. Later, when Jaime and I became friends, we would sneak out to the same spot and I would educate him on the birds and plants. I remembered telling him about my mom’s favorite bird on one of those hikes.
I swallowed around a lump of emotion at the memory, then looked down, frustrated at the spreadsheet in front of me. It was no wonder I couldn’t focus. I had all this beautiful land waiting to be explored, and I was stuck inside staring at numbers.
I scooted back from the desk and dug out my hiking boots and comfy clothes from my suitcase. Before I’d gotten on the plane to Denver, I scolded myself for bothering to pack them because I wouldn’t have time to enjoy the serenity of woods. It would be work, work, work after all. But now I was grateful for being stubborn enough to keep the clothes in my suitcase.
In minutes, I was dressed and out the door. I left a note for Caroline, reminding her to have the Denver Omelet for breakfast since it”s our specialty.
The halls were quiet this time of morning, so I didn’t have to interact with too many people as I headed out for my hike. I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the bar as I passed by, even though I knew it wouldn’t be open for hours. Still, knowing I would see him again soon sent a thrill of excitement through me. Between that and the first gulp of fresh mountain air I inhaled as I stepped outside, I felt high.
I needed to get out more. It was so easy to hide away inside in LA. While there was amazing scenery there too, the smog and crowds kept me from enjoying the outdoors.
Once I was deep in the woods, though, all the worries I’d been carrying seemed to melt away. I spotted two more songbirds and a golden eagle, and the further I walked, the more it became a game to see what I could spot. I’d just spied another finch when a strong breeze blew through, rustling the leaves on the trees and the scent of my mother’s perfume overwhelmed me. “Mom?” I breathed, then felt instantly silly.
But when the finch started singing, it didn’t seem outside the realm of possibility that it was Mom saying hi. By the time I returned to the resort, I felt dizzy and euphoric from the fresh air.
I marched back to my room with a fresh wave of determination and feeling more at peace than I had in a long time. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so crazy that I’d been reunited with Jaime. This place could be magical as long as you respected it and knew when to be still. At least that’s what my mother always told me. She’d said one of the hardest things in life to figure out when it was time to shut your mouth and just be still.
When I opened the door to the suite, Caroline was still in her bathrobe, sitting on the couch eating breakfast and watching Let’s Make a Deal.
“Oh my God, I have been worried sick about you,” she said around a mouthful of Denver Omelet.
I didn’t bother to hide my amused smile. “I see that. So worried, you could barely eat,” I teased.
She swallowed her food hard, then sniffed at me. “We all have our ways of coping. Where have you been?”
“Didn’t you read the note? I went for a hike.”
“Yeah, but that was like two hours ago.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “So? That’s not that long. How long do you think a hike should take?”
She pulled a face. “How the hell should I know? The last time my people hiked was to get the hell out of Ireland. Sullivan thighs haven’t hiked shit since the potato famine.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m pretty sure you’re full of shit, my dear.”
She huffed. “Fine. These thighs haven’t… well, I take that back. I had to hike to get to those nosebleed seats for that Backstreet Boys concert, but it was totally worth it,” she said with a smirk.
I laughed. “Well, I think you would find this ‘totally worth it’ too. I can’t believe I’d forgotten how beautiful it is out there. I can take in a deep breath of fresh air and not start hacking and coughing. It’s amazing. Plus, the birds were in fine form singing this morning. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow—you should come with me.”
Caroline’s eyes widened. “Whoa now, I’m glad you enjoyed your little communion with nature, but let’s not get too wild. Besides, I have my eye on some cute little boutiques that are calling my name, so I guess you could consider that my birdsong.”
I smiled at her, not surprised by her protestations. “Let me get cleaned up, and we can hit the town. You can get a first-class tour from your own personal Silverpineian… Silverpineite? Shit, what do we call ourselves?”
“Nuts seems appropriate,” Caroline teased. “I’m all for a girls’ day out, but I’m surprised. I thought you had to get ready for your business dinner this evening.”
I waved a dismissive hand. “I have bored myself to tears looking at those numbers. Besides, if it means I have to stay a little longer to get the merger done, it’s no big deal. You need the time away, and I could use some more time in the mountains.”
“Mm-hmm,” Caroline said as she set her breakfast plate back onto the room service cart. “And more time with a certain bartender?”
I looked at her sharply, but decided not to conceal the smile that was overtaking my lips. Instead, I shrugged nonchalantly. “We’ll see what happens.”
Caroline grinned. “That’s the Emma I remember… this is going to get interesting.”
I certainly hoped so.
***
Sitting in The Lounge across from Andrew Jr. later that evening, I was grateful for my hike this morning and that Caroline and I had spent the day having fun. She’d been skeptical about how much fun could be had in a place as small as Silverpine, but I easily put her doubts to rest.
It was the first time in a long time I allowed myself to just let loose and it made me realize how little time I’ve taken for myself since my mom died.
While I wasn’t expecting to have fun at my business dinner with Andrew, I couldn’t believe one person could be so boring. We had yet to discuss the merger because he’d been too busy distracting me with stories about his ski trips to Aspen and reunions with his frat brothers, which was more exciting than sleepy little Silverpine. “Not that there is anything wrong with this place,” he added quickly, a nervous laugh in his voice, “it’s just… so small.”
I raised a brow. “Indeed it is, and that’s the way we like it. Despite its size, I have some figures here that show the impact Pine Crest Resorts has on Silverpine and the surrounding communities. Our profit is everyone’s profit. And since Get Outdoors has an established brand, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to expect a profit within the first year of operation,” I said as I pulled out a folder of projections.
I opened the folder, intending to summarize the reports, when Andrew reached out, covering my hand with his own.
I resisted the urge to tug my hand away. “Do we really need to look at those boring old figures? I mean, what are we really talking about here, Emma?”
I couldn’t hide the stunned look on my face. I had to deal with a lot of business tactics over the years, but his question was unsettling for reasons I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It wouldn’t be the first time a business associate tried flirting to get their way, but there was something about his tone that made a chill go up my spine.
I pulled my hand out from beneath his and placed it safely in my lap. “We’re talking about creating a boutique version of your family’s store and putting it right here in the resort.”
“No, no, darlin’, think big picture. A scaled-down version of our store is a great first step, but there’s so much more we can do here… together,” he said expansively, a soft smile curving his lips. He leaned forward across the small table and at that moment, I’d wished to God we’d been seated at a less intimate table. He was way too close—close enough for me to smell whiskey on his breath. “Emma, this is the merging of two families. I’m not just talking about business… I’m talking about our families, our legacies. We have an opportunity to make our mark as one. You just have to open your mind and consider possibilities you haven’t allowed before.”
I scooted back into my chair as far as it would go, feeling uneasy with the turn this conversation was taking. Furrowing my brow at him, I replied, “please spell it out for me, Mr. Travers. What possibilities haven’t I considered?”
Andrew sat back then, deciding his up close and personal tactic wasn’t having the effect he intended. “Well, I suggested last night there is a wide expanse of land that has yet to be explored, but you shut me down.”
“That’s correct, and respectfully it sounds like I need to do it again because you don’t mean explore, do you? You mean expand, develop, tear down and build, right?”
He laughed nervously. “You make it sound so destructive… I think you’re missing out on how exciting something like this could be. We’re not taking away from the land—we’re making it better.”
I held back a laugh. I’d heard that spin on development more times than I care to count from money hungry investors. How Andrew thought he could make the landscape behind the resort better by demolishing it confounded me.
“While I respect your opinion, I ask that you respect mine. The land is non-negotiable. It belonged to my mother, and she made it very clear when she left it to me it not be used for profit. She revered this land and I intend to see that legacy through. There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind.”
Andrew studied me with his mouth open like a dead fish for a moment before he composed himself and said, “well hey, I can respect your convictions. I just think everything doesn’t need to be so black and white. That doesn’t mean we can’t come to a compromise that would make everyone happy. There’s still more than enough to work with here.”
I looked at him speculatively, unsure of how to move forward. My instinct was to make my stance even more clear, but I could practically hear my father in my ear cautioning not to ruin the deal with my temper.
It was then that the server came to refill our glasses, and I excused myself to the restroom. As soon as I was in the bathroom, I texted Caroline:
Me: Hey, I need an SOS call to get out of this dinner. Call me in five minutes?
I breathed a sigh of relief when she answered almost immediately.
Caroline: On it. Five minutes starting now.
Thank God for Caroline. I smoothed a hand over my hair and made my way back to the table. Andrew was busy chatting away on his phone, glancing at me as I sat back down and mouthing “sorry.”
As he wrapped up his conversation, I pushed the food around on my plate with my fork, not bothering to eat any of it.
“I’m sorry about that. Sometimes all this networking can be downright exhausting. Now, where were we? Ah yes, we were talking about merging,” he said, drawing out the last word and I smiled tightly, trying to hide my disgust.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, my phone rang.
Thank you, Caroline.
“Excuse me… you know how it is. I have to take this,” I said, slipping my phone from my clutch and stepping into the lobby. “Hello?”
“Hello Ms. Carter, an emergency requires your attention. Now before you say anything, I need to know… are you okay getting rid of this guy on your own, or do I need to come down there with a crowbar? Be honest.”
I bit back a laugh. “That won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the concern.”
“Of course. What are friends for? I expect a full report when you get back, though.”
“You got it,” I promised before I hung up the phone. I glanced up and my eyes landed on the bar where Jaime was helping a guest. He looked up at that exact moment, and our eyes caught and held. After all this time, he could still make me feel weak in the knees.
A slow smile stretched across Jaime’s lips, and he winked. I smiled back like a teenager with a crush. He turned his attention back to his customer, and I immediately felt the loss of connection.
I walked back to the table, looking apologetic. “Andrew, I am so sorry, but there’s an emergency and…”
“And you need to go,” he finished.
I nodded, forcing a sheepish expression. Andrew nodded in understanding. “I get it—I always have a lot of fires to put out. I assume I’ll hear from you tomorrow to set up another time to meet?”
“Of course,” I promised, already dreading it. Andrew opened his arms for a hug, but I stuck out my hand. He laughed awkwardly and shook my hand before telling me goodnight and slinking out of the restaurant.
I hovered near the table until I was sure Andrew was out of sight, then escaped into the bar, relief pouring over me being back in Jaime’s presence.
I headed straight towards Jaime, who was grinning at me.
“What happened to your fancy business dinner?” he asked as I slipped my butt onto a stool.
I shrugged. “It was a bust, which is why I could use a Gin Fizz right about now.”
“Coming up,” he replied as he grabbed a shaker. “I would feel bad that your dinner didn’t go well, but selfishly, I’m glad because you’re here earlier than I expected.”
I felt myself blush. “Well, those dinners are boring and I would rather spend my time talking to someone interesting.”
His eyebrows shot up. “And you think I’m interesting?”
I huffed out a laugh. “So modest… you know you’re usually the most interesting man in the room.”
He barked a laugh. “Isn’t that the guy in the Dos Equis commercial?”
“I’m just saying you could give him a run for his money.”
Jaime leaned closer—close enough that I could smell his cologne. He smelled like cedar with a hint of bergamot, and something uniquely Jaime.
That’s when my stomach growled. Loud. I felt my face color with embarrassment.
“Was that…” he started.
I nodded. “Yes… and that was totally embarrassing,” I lamented.
“Did you not eat at that fancy dinner tonight?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
I shook my head. “Kind of lost my appetite having to deal with that blowhard…” I began before stopping myself as Jaime listened with amusement. “I mean having to deal with that promising investor,” I amended, slapping an exaggerated smile on my face.
He chuckled. “Well, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you work on getting a little less gin and a little more water into your system and I’ll go make you something to eat.”
I shook my head. “Oh no, Jaime, I couldn”t ask you to do that…”
“You didn’t, I’m offering,” he said with a grin, before something caught his eye over my shoulder. I turned to find Caroline with a feline smile on her lips as she glanced between the two of us.
“Well hello there,” she practically sang as she slipped onto the stool beside me, reaching her hand out to Jaime. “I’m Caroline, Emma’s best friend. You must be Jaime,” she asserted.
Jaime shook her hand, his grin widening. “Hello Caroline, it’s nice to meet you. I was just going to rustle up something to eat for my starving soldier here. You wouldn’t happen to be hungry, would you?”
Caroline’s eyes lit with amusement as she rested her chin on a fist. “Oh Jaime, that’s my eternal state of being.”
Jaime laughed, and the rich sound sent shivers down my spine. “Okay—two Jaime specials coming up,” he said, throwing a towel over his shoulder. “You two sit tight and I’ll be back before you know it.”
As soon as he was out of sight, Caroline looked at me in wonder. “Oh. My. God,” she marveled, “he’s cooking for you already. I see why you’ve been pining after him for so long.”
“Caroline,” I hissed, “keep your voice down. You have the subtly of a freight train.”
She made a face. “Uh, I hate to break it to you, Emma, but there’s nothing subtle about this whole situation. I mean, when I walked in here, that man looked like he was two seconds away from swallowing you whole.”
A happy warmth spread through me at her observation, but I didn’t say anything.
“Besides, you had to know I was going to come check on you after that SOS call. I’m assuming your associate had to have been behaving like a total creep to make you call me.”
I sighed. “Well, maybe not a total creep, but he was fast approaching,” I paused, turning to face Caroline. “It’s weird, before I would have breezed through that dinner no matter how uncomfortable I was, in order to get the deal done. But there’s something about being here… I don’t know, I just didn’t have it in me to put up with it tonight.”
Caroline nodded sympathetically. “Maybe Mama Carter’s spirit is reminding you it’s not your job to take everybody’s shit.”
I laughed. “I can’t imagine my mother putting it like that, but maybe you’re right… and based on our recent experiences, it would seem we both need to embrace that sentiment.”
Caroline grimaced. “Amen to that.”
It was then that Jaime returned with a tray in his arms. “Ladies, dinner is served,” he said, presenting us with two plates that each held a burger with all the fixings, a side of fries, and little cups filled with ketchup.
My eyes widened as the smell hit my nostrils and my empty stomach. “Is that….” I started.
“Oh it is, Mabel’s secret recipe,” Jaime announced with relish. “It’s been a long time, but I know that recipe like the back of my hand. I only wish I could get my hands on a couple of chocolate milkshakes and then you could have the full experience.”
I couldn’t stop the grin that took over my mouth. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
Jaime shook his head. “Anything for you, Bella,” he said in a low voice, and prickles of pleasure raced down my spine at the mention of the nickname he’d given me when we were younger. I still remember the first time he’d called me that, explaining it meant beautiful.
Our eyes held for a long moment before Caroline’s moan interrupted. “Wow, you were not lying about this burger, Emma,” she mumbled around a mouthful of burger.
“Well, tell me if it still holds up,” Jaime said, gesturing towards my plate.
I picked up the hefty burger, my mouth watering from the smell, and when I took that first bite, a flood of memories assaulted my senses from the taste.
My eyes shut in rapture. It tasted heavenly, but knowing Jaime’s hands created it made it all the better.
I opened my eyes and met Jaime”s, watching me hungrily. I swallowed hard around the bite of food, a different appetite being awakened.
Caroline cleared her throat loudly. “You know, as fun as this has been and as much as I would like to get to know the legendary Jaime, I think it might be better to take this in a doggy bag.”
I looked sharply at Caroline, feeling the need to tell her, “you don’t need to do that.”
She winked at me before saying, “I assure you, no one needs to witness me consuming this burger—it’s about to get wild. So if you’ll excuse me, I think my burger and I need to be alone.”
Jaime had already pulled out a cardboard box and was helping Caroline pack up her food and gave her a complimentary cocktail for the road.
“Well Jaime, it was lovely meeting you and I hope we can talk more later, but right now I have a date with this burger,” Caroline declared.
“Totally understand. It was nice to meet a friend of Emma’s.”
Caroline beamed at Jaime—my normally suspicious friend had been charmed. She rose from her stool and hugged me. “I will catch up with you later.”
“Enjoy that burger,” Jaime said, his sexy smile further crumbling my resolve. God, that smile used to make me feel all the things, and it had only magnified in power in the years we’ve been apart.
It was then that Joey rushed to the bar. “Jaime, I’m sorry to interrupt but we have a situation with a guest I need your help with.”
Jaime shot us both an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back,” he said before stepping around the bar and following Joey.
Caroline looked at me, eyebrows drawn up. “Emma,” she exclaimed, “I thought you were being a little dramatic all these years, but girl, you definitely undersold him. And for the record, that man has plans for you.”
I shook my head. “Would you calm down? We’re old friends catching up on lost time. That’s all,” I said, not sure who I was trying to convince, Caroline or myself.
She huffed out a laugh. “You can tell yourself that all you want… but from my vantage point, you are two shakes away from doing it on this bar.” She stopped cold and a wicked grin stole over her mouth. “Now wouldn’t that be a picture for old Daddy Moneybags?” she asked, using the nickname she’d given my father, a man she wasn’t particularly fond of given how he’d been acting lately. “And as a token of my love and admiration,” she continued, “I’m delaying the consumption of this burger to stop by the front desk and get my own room.”
I felt a weird combination of panic and excitement threading through me at her suggestion. “Caroline, that’s really not necessary. I seriously doubt…”
She put up a hand to stop me. “Save your breath, Emma. All I’m asking is for you to keep an open mind and this way you can’t use me crashing in your suite as an excuse…I refuse to be a cockblock.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Caroline just grinned, snatching up her to-go cocktail and box and giving me a wink before floating out of the bar and into the lobby.
Despite the confusion her “analysis” was creating for me, I was grateful she was here. Being back here without my mom and reuniting with Jaime has brought up so many feelings. I don’t think I could manage it without my best friend’s counsel.
I just wish she hadn’t pointed out Jaime looked like he wanted to swallow me whole.
I shivered at the thought. That Jaime might want me in that way made me feel dizzy with anticipation.
As if my thoughts had summoned him back, Jaime reappeared behind the bar. “Sorry about that,” he said, slightly breathless.
“They must have had you running. I hope everything’s okay.”
His smile widened, and he leaned on his elbows, his mouth inches from mine. “I”m not out of breath from running back over here…”
“You’re not?” I squeaked.
“Nope. It’s because when I rounded the corner, I saw Emma Carter sitting on one of my barstools.”
I felt my cheeks flush. “Jaime Acosta, are you flirting with me?” I teased, although I knew better. Jaime had never been a flirt, just unfailingly honest and a little intense, with no filter. He wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind, or ask for what he wanted. It’s something I always admired about him. I spent my life biting my tongue and verbally dancing my way around social interactions and uncomfortable situations.
Jaime’s eyes drifted to my mouth again, and I had to work to suppress the shiver that danced down my spine. “Emma, you know that’s not my style,” he said in a low voice.
“I know,” I whispered.
He tilted his head, looking at me curiously. “You know, I’ve been going on and on telling you all about what I’ve been up to, but you have yet to tell me what’s been happening with you.”
I don’t know why his words made me feel like there was a rock on my chest. Maybe I didn’t want to admit to him I’d spent most of the last twelve years doing my father’s bidding. So, I sucked in a deep breath and stuck to safer topics. “Well, um, I went to Stanford.”
“I heard about that. I was surprised you went that far away,” he said idly as polished glasses.
There was that heaviness again, but the truth was, I hadn’t expected to go to California either. I wanted to stay close to my mom and Jaime, but after he and I… well, after everything went down, I needed to get away to some place that didn’t remind me of everything I’d left behind. So I traded in the snowy mountains of Colorado for the beaches of California and hoped the change would be enough to distract me. I’d been wrong, but I built my life out there anyway.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, it’s not where I expected to wind up, but life’s funny that way,” I said. His eyes caught on mine and all the old hurt came rushing back, socking me in the chest. I’d been walking around in agony all of this time, thinking I was alone. And yet, based on the look in Jaime’s eyes, I hadn’t been the only one feeling that way. Had he been hanging on all this time the way I had?
Needing a break from the intensity of the moment, I huffed out a nervous laugh. “I, um, rowed for Stanford too. We won a few championships—not to toot my own horn.”
His expression relaxed into an easy smile. “Toot away, that’s awesome. You were always a talented athlete. I’m glad to hear you kept it up.”
“I’m hoping to get out to Silver Lake before I leave.”
“And how long do we get to keep you here?” he asked.
I swallowed hard at his question because there was something in his tone that had me thinking about the soon to be empty suite upstairs.
“I’m not sure yet. A few days, maybe a week? This negotiation is going to be a little trickier than I first thought.”
“Well, I wish I could say I’m sorry that it isn’t going more smoothly but selfishly, I’m happy to hear it,” he said, leaning closer. Suddenly the bar felt impossibly small and despite the voice of reason in my head screaming to create some space, I couldn’t look away from Jaime and those soulful brown eyes. They still seemed to see right through me.
There was no hiding from this man—there never was. I hadn’t been able to hide from him twelve years ago, so why did I think I’d be able to resist him now?