15. Laurie
Chapter fifteen
Laurie
The apartment manager slides a form across her desk.
"So you're all set. Move-in is confirmed for Friday."
I blink.
"Friday? You said it wouldn't be ready until the end of the month."
She taps her pen against the paper.
"We expedited some repairs. Got the flooring done early. Mr. Thorne was very insistent that we prioritize the timeline."
The room tilts.
"Mr. Thorne."
"Yes. He covered the outstanding deposit, and made sure we had everything we needed to get you in on schedule."
My hands go numb.
"He paid the deposit."
"Well, yes. He said you'd had some financial delays and wanted to help smooth things over. Very generous of him."
She looks at me. "Mrs. Bennett? Is there a problem?"
I shake my head because I cannot form words.
"Great. Just sign here, and we'll have keys ready Friday morning."
I sign.
***
I sit in my car in the coffee shop parking lot and stare at my phone.
Grant paid the deposit.
He called the apartment manager. Explained my situation. Fixed a problem I never asked him to fix.
My hands shake.
I scroll through my texts with him. Looking for the moment he mentioned this. The conversation where he asked if I needed help.
Nothing.
He just did it.
Like I was another item on his operations checklist.
Lodge inspection: handled. Laurie Bennett's housing crisis: handled. Legal optics: handled.
I close my eyes.
The kiss.
The skating rink.
His hands steadying me on the ice, his voice low and warm when he said my name.
Was any of it real? Or was that just another strategic move? Keep Laurie happy. Keep Laurie compliant. Make sure she doesn't become a liability before the next court date.
I sit in the parking lot and replay every moment since the foundation event.
Grant's hand at my back. His voice when he asked me to maintain the engagement. The way he looked at me in the kitchen after we skated.
All of it feels different now.
Not romantic. Not real.
He sees me as a project.
A widow who needs rescuing. A woman too proud to ask for help, so he just takes over and fixes things behind her back because that's what powerful men do when they think they know better.
I start the car.
***
I drive back to the lodge with my hands tight on the wheel.
Bethany is in the kitchen when I walk in.
She takes one look at my face.
"What happened?"
"Grant paid our apartment deposit without telling me."
"Oh."
"That's it? Oh?"
Bethany sets down her highlighter.
"Mom. You seem upset. But isn't it a good thing? He's just trying to—"
"Trying to help? Trying to protect me? Trying to make sure poor Laurie Bennett doesn't embarrass herself by being homeless?"
"Mom—"
"I am not a project, Bethany."
"I know that."
"Does he?"
She doesn't answer.
I sink into a chair and press my hands against my face.
Bethany sits beside me quietly.
After a long moment, she says, "Did you tell him how you feel?"
"What?"
"Your feelings, Mom. Did you tell him?"
"No."
"Maybe you should."
"Why? So he can fix that too?"
Bethany sighs.
"Or so he knows this matters to you as much as it clearly matters to him."
"I need some air."
"Mom—"
But I am already walking toward the door.
The cold air stings my face.
I stand on the porch and stare at the tree line, at the property Grant is fighting to keep, at the lodge I have been bringing back to life.
And I realize the truth.
I fell in love with a man who sees feelings as problems. Including me.