Just for Fun (31 page)

It also included being able to play chess, being able to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch, and being willing to listen to country music. Specifically, old country music like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson because Doug Junior hated it and Senior could only listen when he was gone.

Some who came in about the job were professionals, some had experience, some seemed very nice. Unfortunately none of them were perfect.

She knew she was expecting a lot but, well, this was a guy she was starting to love… and she wasn’t talking about Doug Junior.

Douglas Miller Senior deserved the best.

She was willing to work on this as long as it took.

As long as she found someone in a week.

Morgan dropped her head to her desk. A week.

Two days ago, Jonathan had called, wanting her in California the following Wednesday.

She knew what that meant.

It was the final test.

She and Todd would both be there to listen to the proposals from the architectural firms Jonathan was considering for the new resort. Then he’d want their thoughts. Whoever impressed him the most in those meetings would get the job. Finally.

Morgan really wanted Doug to go with her.

Not because Todd would be there—Todd held no attraction for her, at all, any more—she just really wanted Doug to go. She didn’t want to be away from him and she thought it would be good for him especially. Now she’d seen how hectic and demanding his life really was and how he gave and gave and gave. If anyone deserved a couple of days of rest and relaxation it was him. She was certain everyone else in his life would agree. He’d confessed his friends had been enthusiastic about him going to Chicago with her. Surely they’d feel the same this time.

The other part—the part she didn’t let herself think about much—was that she didn’t know what would happen with them if she moved to California.

He couldn’t move to California. She knew that. No matter how much help they hired, Doug would never leave his family.

And she wouldn’t want him to. It went beyond the fact that they all needed him—his family made him who he was, the man she loved.

Which meant there were two options—one, she turn down the California promotion, or two, they have a long-distance relationship.

She could turn down the job. Of course, she could. Jonathan would let her stay in Omaha, working for him, at a job she liked and was good at. But that was as far as she could go in Omaha.

Which was fine. It really was. Or it should be.

She made a great living, she liked the people who worked for her, she was proud of the job they all did here.

But…

There was always a but. Every frickin’ time she went over this in her head she came back to the but.

And it was all Doug’s fault.

His words in Chicago about all of the things that could go wrong, that could affect her stability in her job had, apparently, sunk in. Every day she added more reasons to her list of reasons why she shouldn’t stay in Omaha.

Omaha was not a huge city. The city worked hard to bring people to town, but it was no Chicago or Boston or Dallas. They didn’t have a big-time professional team of any kind, they didn’t have an international airport, they didn’t have…a lot of things. It was hard to draw people to Omaha and her hotel—her job—depended on people coming to Omaha.

The economy could change, someone else could build an even bigger and better hotel, the big companies in town could decide to relocate cutting down on the people traveling in for meetings and conferences.

The truth was, her job was dependent on a lot of factors that would be more secure in a bigger city. And if something terrible would happen to the Britton empire, her experience with the new resort would serve her well if she needed to move on.

Ironically, Doug’s story about what had happened to his father had made her more aware of all of these things and how truly out of control of her financial stability she truly was.

Really, going to California was the responsible thing to do.

But she really wanted Doug. Too. More.

Which left option three—having both Doug and the job.

She was more than willing to try a long-distance relationship.
More
than willing. She had a private jet at her disposal. There had to be a way to make it work.

“Ms. James?”

Morgan lifted her head. A good-looking twenty-something guy stood in front of her desk. He wore blue jeans and a T-shirt that said,
I’m destined for greatness… I’m just pacing myself
.

Oh. Wow.

“Can I help you?” Surely no one would show up to a job interview in a shirt like that.

“I’m here about the home health job.”

That about summed up her day.

“I didn’t realize I had any more interviews today,” she said.

“I didn’t schedule an interview,” he told her.

Of course he hadn’t.

He stepped forward, swinging his backpack out of the way and stuck out his hand. “I’m Jay Thomas.” Then he flashed her a grin.

And she realized why Jay Thomas got away with wearing shirts like that.

He was a natural born charmer.

After hanging out with Doug and his friends, she could spot one at twenty paces.

Oh, what the hell? “Have a seat, Jay. Tell me about yourself.”

“I’m a physical therapy student,” he said as he took a seat, “at the University Medical Center. I’m doing one of my internships with the home health agency you talked to. I overheard some of the therapists talking in the hallway.”

This was going to be easy. “I’m sorry, Jay, but I’m looking for a licensed professional.”

“I’m done with school in December,” he said quickly. “I’m the perfect choice. I don’t have any evening commitments. The job is seven to seven, right?”

“Yes, most of the time but—”

“I’m almost done with school. I’m in the top five percent of my class and I can provide references about my knowledge base.”

He had a point. It wasn’t like Senior was an invalid. Maybe just a basic working knowledge of strokes and their effects. She sighed. Hell, Jay knew more about strokes and their effects than
she
did, for sure.

“You’ve studied strokes?” she asked.

“Of course. I did a rotation at a rehab hospital where one whole floor is dedicated to stroke patients.”

Oh, he definitely knew more than she did.

“Why do you want this job? Besides the money?” she asked.

“I’m going to be out of school and looking for a job soon and I’ll need the experience and references,” he said. “But…” He gave her that charismatic smile again, “…I am trying to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend without going any further in debt than my student loans have put me. I’m eager to do a great job.”

Uh-huh. But she couldn’t help smiling back at him.

“Truth is, Ms. James, it’s tough to find a job that fits around my school hours. This just sounded right up my alley so I thought I might as well stop by and see.”

He looked like he was in good shape, so lifting and transferring Senior wouldn’t be a problem.

Not that it was a huge concern.
She’d
been able to help him enough. Jay was also a friendly guy, he was making eye contact and he was giving well-thought-out arguments.

“I’m requiring a background check and drug screening along with your references,” she said.

He smiled. “Great.”

“No promises. I’m not the final decision maker.”

“Okay.”

“What questions do you have?”

“Tell me about the guy I’ll be hanging out with.”

She liked that he referred to it as hanging out with instead of taking care of, for some reason. She leaned in with her forearms on her desk and started telling him about Doug Senior—what he could do, what Jay would need to do, the general set-up with the family and how hard they all worked to pitch in.

“He has some trouble talking,” she said.

“He’s aphasic then?” Jay asked. “What kind?”

“Um…” She had no idea.

Jay grinned. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure out the hand signals and stuff.”

“Do you play chess?” Morgan asked.

“I’m better at pitch, but that’s hard to play with two people. I can muddle through chess.”

Pitch? She stared at him. “As in thirteen-point pitch?” Wasn’t that the game Kevin and Senior had taught her on the first enchilada night?

“I love thirteen. Ten is good too,” Jay said.

Wow. “How do you feel about Gatorade?” she asked, almost sarcastically.

He gave no indication that he thought the question was weird. “Blue’s my favorite.”

Of course it was.

“What are you doing Saturday night?”

Jay shook his head. “Nothing special.”

“I’m having a party here. I’d love to have you stop by and meet Senior and his family.”

“Great. I’ll be here. Will I need to wear a suit?”

“Actually, no,” she said. “Wear your favorite T-shirt and jeans.”

Might as well show everyone else how well he’d fit in from the very start.

Chapter Ten

Dooley watched Morgan coax his dad out onto the dance floor in his wheelchair.

No one else on the planet would have been able to do that.

He sat back with one ankle propped on his opposite knee and took a drink of champagne—
champagne
no less—and watched all of the people he loved dance and drink and laugh.

Sam and Danika and Mac and Sara were there. Ben and Jess had shown up late but they’d made it too. Even his sisters and their husbands were there. Morgan had hired sitters to watch movies and eat pizza with the girls in one of the suites upstairs. He sighed. Even though she’d spent money, including the limo that had picked them all up, she’d understood how great it was for his sisters to relax but not be too far from their kids, how great it was for them to all be there and not worry about driving, parking and unloading. Heck, he didn’t even have to worry about drinking and driving—the limo would be waiting whenever they were ready to leave.

His friends, of course, were eating this up. The champagne flowed, the food was amazing, the whole environment was classy but fun, sophisticated but entertaining. He didn’t remember the last time his sisters would have danced with their husbands. He didn’t know that any of them had ever ridden in a limo. He loved watching them all smile and talk and laugh.

Having a chance to dress up and go out was something none of them ever did and, yes, it was fun.

“I can see why you like her,” Lance said, dropping into the chair next to him as Lisa and Sara made their way to the ladies room.

Lisa and Sara had met before but never spent time together. Dooley wondered if Lance knew the
expensive
influence Sara could have on his wife.

“What do you mean?” Dooley asked. He liked both of his brothers-in-law but he and Lance got along best. It was probably the cop and paramedic thing.

“Morgan’s gorgeous and loaded, what could be better?” Lance asked, cutting into a piece of cheesecake.

“She’s not loaded,” Dooley said. “All of this is a perk of her job.” At least he didn’t think she was loaded. He knew she made good money. Likely really good. But only because he knew it was important for her to have that to feel secure. Everything she’d spent or done for him or his friends was part of the job. He didn’t know her personal financial situation. She dressed nicely and drove a nice car, but he’d never even been to her apartment.

He frowned at the realization. It wasn’t like he was opposed to going to her place. It just worked better for her to come to his house. She didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to like it. She’d stopped over the other night when he wasn’t even there and then readily agreed to stay with his dad when he needed her.

He’d hoped all of that meant she was comfortable there. Maybe even feeling at home. Maybe even like staying was an option…

“You’re dating exclusively?” Lance asked.

“Absolutely.” He’d realized right after seeing
I love you
in her text message, after she’d taken care of his sick father and then had phone sex via text with him, that there would never be another woman for him.

“She know that?” Lance gestured toward the arched doorway leading from the hotel lobby into the Grand Ballroom where they were now.

Morgan was there with a tall, good-looking young guy. She was smiling as if she’d never been happier to see someone and then hugged him.

The only thing that kept Dooley in his seat was that his dad sat right next to Morgan in his wheelchair. She turned and clearly made introductions. The other man gave his dad a warm smile and even reached for his good hand for a handshake without blinking.

“She knows that,” Dooley said to Lance.

She did. He was sure of it.

Not that he wouldn’t take the first opportunity to remind her.

“So who’s the guy?”

“I don’t know.” Dooley forced himself to keep his seat as he watched them. She’d be over soon. She’d been meeting and greeting, chatting and flitting amongst the guests all evening, but every so often she’d stop by and sit with him, talk, touch him, lean in for a kiss, and then she’d be gone again.

It was fine with him. She was in her element taking care of people, entertaining them, making sure they had a great time, which was fun to watch. She was beautiful like this.

Until now, he hadn’t had a single urge to interrupt a conversation or hone in. But something about this guy made him notice. It wasn’t just that he was good-looking. There were a lot of good-looking guys here tonight. Obviously the clientele that frequented the Britton believed in looking good at all times. There was something else about him.

He didn’t seem to fit in here. He wore a sports jacket but it was over a T-shirt and jeans and he didn’t look a bit uncomfortable. But he was almost too warm, too genuine. The way he acted—truly tickled to be here, to be invited and get to enjoy the luxury because it was a novelty—reminded Dooley of how his sisters had been acting all night.

Dooley frowned and watched the guy talk with Morgan and his dad and realized that was it. If he watched close enough he could tell which people were used to fancy parties like this and who weren’t. This guy was in the latter category.