What The Heart Knows (16 page)

“Fat,”
Hannah said, laughing. “This baby needs to get out of me. I'm
huge and hungry and moody. Elliott claims he has a lot of work to do,
but I know he's just trying to stay out of my warpath.”

“Oh,
that man loves you,” Emily said, hearing the wistful sadness in
her own voice and cringing at it.

“What's
wrong?” Hannah said, a sudden silence on the other end of the
phone as she muted whatever she was watching on TV.

“Nothing,”
Emily said, wondering what had possessed her to call the only person
in the world who would know something was up.

“Don't
you lie to me,” Hannah said and Emily smiled at her predictable
haughty tone. “The only other time I heard your voice sound
like that was when you first found out that Marion was sick. So what
is going on?”

“Really.
Nothing. I'm stranded at the lodge,” she paused, not sure she
wanted to spill the whole truth. “with James. He has great
timing. We hit a huge snowstorm on the way here this morning.”
There was silence on Hannah's end and Emily knew she was just waiting
for the whole story to unravel. “Aria told me that she got a
strange call from town this morning, requesting the last room with
two beds...”

“Maude?”
Hannah asked, sounding amused.

“Maude,”
Emily agreed, her voice in mock anger. “That woman needs to
learn to stay out of people's lives.”

“Yeah
that's never going to happen,” Hannah snorted. “she'll be
meddling in the love lives of our generation of kids. Hell, probably
even our kid's kids.” She paused for a second, taking a breath.
“So you and James slept together...”

“What?
I didn't say...”

“Oh,
please,” Hannah laughed. “Why do you think James is there
handling this whole inn acquisition?”

There
was a long pause, the truth dawning on Emily slowly. Hannah had sent
James. “You didn't.”

“Oh
hell yeah I did,” Hannah said. “I thought that if there
was anyone in the world who could handle you and your fit throwing
over the inn... it was James.”

“Yes
well,” Emily sputtered. “all he has wanted to handle
since he got here... is me.”

“Well,
you are his type,” Hannah giggled, enjoying her little plan
unfolding like she had wanted it to. Emily had needed a man in her
life that wouldn't cower from her or fall down and worship at her
feet.

“You
conniving little bitch,” Emily said, shaking her head but
smiling. “you're as bad as Maude.”

“You've
had a tough year,” Hannah said. “I thought you could use
a little fun. James is like... the epitome of fun. I always have such
a good time with him.”

“He
held a staff meeting without me,” she complained. Hannah stayed
silent, waiting for the whole story. Emily sipped her scalding coffee
before she went on. “Alright fun... I was hella hungover and
may have threatened castration, but still.”

“Widow
Makers?” Hannah asked.

“Widow
Makers,” Emily agreed, swearing off all of Maude's alcoholic
beverages for the foreseeable future.

Hannah
was silent for a long time, before gushing out all at once, as if
afraid she wouldn't have the nerve to ask if she didn't do it
quickly. “How was the sex?”

“I
may have seen through the fabric of time for a minute,” Emily
admitted, closing her eyes against the memory. “but that's not
the point.”

“Your
priorities are messed up if that isn't the point,” Hannah said,
sounding like her mouth was full.

“No,
the point is now I have to deal with him every day and try to
maintain a professional relationship with him...”

“To
hell with a professional relationship,” Hannah snorted. “Who
there is going to care if you and James are screwing around? Meggie?
Dev? Come on, they're your friends just as much as your employees.
They don't care who you have sex with.”

Emily
was silent for a long time, trying to see if she had the nerve to say
what she had been thinking for the past few weeks, what she had been
trying to bury and deny and ignore. “I like him,” she
said simply, closing her eyes against how silly and girly that
sounded.

The
chewing on Hannah's end of the phone stopped suddenly. “What?”

Emily
took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

“Well...
damn,” Hannah said.

“Yup,”
Emily agreed. “Well, whatever. I just have to deal with this
for the next few months. Or however long it is before he heads out
somewhere else. Then things can just... go back to normal.”

“Sureeee
they can,” Hannah said and Emily could practically hear her
rolling her eyes.

“Shut
up. This is all your fault. And Maude's,” she said, spotting
the woman walking over toward her. “Speak of the devil,”
she said. “I got to go. Talk to you later.”

“Mmmhmm,”
she mumbled. “enjoy the sex.”

“Pop
that baby out already. Your hormones are messing with your brain,”
she said, starting to stand to confront Maude. “Love you,”
she said, hanging out without waiting for the reply. “You,”
she accused as Maude walked up to grab a cup of hot chocolate.

“Oh,
don't worry, girl,” Maude said, looking positively victorious.
“I didn't hear a thing. Had my TV up real loud.”

Emily
squinted her eyes at the women. “Then how did you know there
was anything to be heard?”

“Yes,
well,” Maude said, fighting to hold back a smile. “it is
not my fault that you scream like a banshee with a man.”

“Oh.
Good. God,” Emily groaned, her cheeks heating up. She just
wanted to fold up inside herself and disappear. Or for the end of the
world to happen right that minute and suck her into the molten core
of the Earth. She looked down at her feet, wondering how the hell she
could ever look Maude in the eyes again.

“Pish
tosh,” Maude said, reaching out and patting Emily's arm. “There
aint nothing wrong with a woman enjoying a man. Hell, what's the
point of them if they aint pleasin' ya in bed? I'm just saying...
you might want to muzzle it when you're back at the inn.”

“There
isn't going to be any more sex,” Emily objected.

Maude
titled her head to the side, looking into her eyes for an unnervingly
long time. “Keep telling yourself that. You might actually
believe it,” she said, moving to sit down at the the table
Emily had vacated. “Your man is awake by the way,” she
told her. “he'll probably be looking for you soon enough.”

Emily
nodded, walking back toward the staff quarters and letting herself
in. At least it was one place to could finally get away from him.

–

James
woke up alone, completely naked on top of all of the bed sheets. He
reached out to touch the empty space next to him, finding it still
slightly warm. She hadn't been gone long. He waited a moment, seeing
if she would emerge from the bathroom. When she didn't, he pushed
himself up and sat at the edge of the bed.

He
hadn't meant to fall asleep. He should have known better to let her
lay there awake and have the doubts creep back in. Or for her to
remember just how much she resented him for being a part of her work
life. She was probably off somewhere cursing him, but more likely
herself, out.

Which
was stupid. They had both wanted to get into bed since pretty much
the moment they met. Three weeks apart had only straightened the
need. Absence and the heart and all that nonsense. Except it wasn't
the heart. It was just simple desire.

They
were both adults who had enjoyed sex in the past. If he was right
about her, she had definitely even enjoyed casual sex in her time.
Why did it have to be any different? Just two adults who were
attracted to each other, who had mind blowing sex, and planned to
keep doing so until one or both decided it was time to move on.

He
stood up slowly, dragging clothes on, planning on tracking her down,
dragging her to get some dinner and then taking her back to bed until
they were both too weak to walk. Hell, if he got his way, they
wouldn't get back to the inn for a week.

Outside
the window, the snow was just about giving up, barely fluttering down
at all. He grabbed his room key and started off toward the great
room. She hadn't gone anywhere. She had left all her winter gear in
the room. Knowing her, she needed coffee. Or a handful of sweet
desserts.

He
didn't see her in the great room. He ducked his head into the dining
room, the gift shop, the game room. She was nowhere to be found. He
made his way back out to the great room, getting a cup of coffee.

Maude
was sitting at a table by herself, elbows on the table, head resting
on her steepled hands, watching him. He sent her a half smile and
moved to sit down with her.

“It
was about time you got that girl into bed,” she said, making
James choke on his coffee. “Don't go given me those innocent
puppy eyes. I know everything.”

“Because
you're a psychic,” James agreed, not exactly believing, but not
disbelieving either.

“Exactly.
Plus, you two made quite a racket.” Maude laughed at the smile
playing at his lips. “Proud of yourself, are ya?”

James
laughed, shaking his head. “We had a good time.”

“Mmmhmm,”
Maude said, tapping her hand on the top of her mug. “Now what
are you gonna do?”

“What
do you mean?”

“Well,
Emily is obviously hiding from you,” she said, watching his
eyes widen a bit.

Hiding?
Like actually hiding from him? How did she think that was going to
work out? They came up the hill in the same car for goodness sakes.
And there were no other available rooms.

“Look,”
Maude said, reaching across the table for his hand. “Emily aint
like the girls you are used to. She's... progressive. She likes to be
the one in control and making the decisions.”

“She's
always been the one in control,” James said, shaking his head.
“if I was the one in control... this would have happened a
month ago.”

“She
doesn't feel like she's the one in control here though.”

“Because
I'm the boss,” he said, watching Maude purse her lips and nod.
“Did she tell you this?”

“No,
darling, this is just plain old common sense,” she said in a
tone that suggested he was an idiot for not coming to the conclusion
himself. “But right now she's off somewhere trying to figure
out how to take control back,” she paused for a second, tilting
her ear upward as if listening for something far away. She laughed,
smiling at him. “and now she just decided the way to do that is
to pretend your little romp never happened. And never let it happen
again.”

“Oh,
like hell...” he said, shaking his head.

“Control,”
Maude said, squeezing his hand. “you need to make it seem like
she has the control. The next time, it has to be her idea. Her first
move.”

“You
want me to make her beg for it, huh?” he asked, his eyes bright
and boyish.

Maude
sighed, a long-suffering sound only mothers and grandmother's can
pull off well. “Something like that.”

James
winked at her. “I think I can handle that.”

Maude
got up, nodding at him. “Better work on it fast. The roads will
be clear by morning.”

“You're
amazing,” James said, shaking his head at her.

“Oh,
I know,” Maude said, not bothering to look back at him as she
walked away.

Fourteen

The
only problem was, he couldn't find her anywhere to give her power
back to her. Or whatever he was supposed to do. He couldn't do it
because she was nowhere to be found. He lapped around the building
twice. He went back up to the room, changed into his winter gear, and
went outside to look for her. But she was nowhere.

He
went back to the room, changed, and went down to the dining room for
dinner. He had just finished signing his bill when he saw the woman
who had checked them in, Aria, walk out of the kitchen with a huge
plate piled with muffins and cookies.

Bingo.

He
hopped up out of his seat, following the unsuspecting Aria as she
made her way through the great room and down the hall past the game
room. There was a door at the end marked “Staff Only”. He
waited a moment after she went through, seeing if she would reemerge.
But she didn't.