Bride & Seek

by Samantha Chase

  “Did we…did we know each other back then?”

  Her blush was utterly adorable, and he had a feeling she really hadn’t meant to say what she had.

  “I…I knew who you were,” Cammie finally said. “Obviously, I was the new kid, but…everyone knew who you were.”

  “I wouldn’t say everyone,” he replied lightly, still trying to comprehend that she remembered him from high school.

  “Trust me. It didn’t seem to matter where I went or who I hung out with–your name came up. You were considered the nicest guy in school. Everybody’s friend.”

  “Well…clearly not everybody since you and I weren’t friends,” he said reasonably.

  She sighed and then let out a small laugh. “Anyway…”

  He took the hint. “Anyway, how do you like being back? I’m sure it’s a lot different from living in Raleigh. Or any big city.”

  “There’s a lot more stuff going on here now than when I was younger, but I came back to visit my folks often enough that it wasn’t such a shock. Still, it’s good to be back, and I’m thrilled to be working here at the resort. It’s a great place. So beautiful.”

  Cade heard everything she said, but it was what she wasn’t saying that stood out more. He stared at her for a long minute until she started to squirm. “Okay, that was the Miss America version of an answer, I believe,” he said finally.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means it was all very politically correct. Trust me, the owners don’t have the place bugged and the drill sergeant can’t hear you. You don’t have to give the ‘go team’ speech.”

  “That wasn’t what I was going for,” she said, her tone a bit defensive.

  He quirked one dark brow at her in disbelief.

  “Okay, fine. This wasn’t my first choice of places to live. If I had gotten married, we were going to be living back in Raleigh. Actually, we were living there and already had our house being built for when we got back from our honeymoon. I loved it there. It was close enough where I could still come and visit my parents without having them right in my backyard.”

  “Is that really such an issue for you?”

  Cammie sighed. “No. Not really. But it was a bit of a blow to my ego to have to move back home after… well… after.”

  Now he understood. It wasn’t that she had anything against the Emerald Grove area, just the circumstances that brought her back. “Are you staying with your folks?”

  She shook her head. “I did for a week, but it got old fast. I enjoy my independence and my privacy, and so do they. It was better for everyone.”

  “So let me ask you something,” he began cautiously. “If you and your ex were going to be living in Raleigh–and essentially already were–why is he here in the mountains looking for a place to get married?”

  “That’s the million-dollar question,” she murmured and quickly finished her water. Cade watched as she glanced at the clock on the wall and stood. “I should probably start heading back. Hopefully, they’ll be gone and I can get back to work. Plus, I’m sure you have other things to do rather than sit here and listen to my tale of woe.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “Tale of woe? That’s a new one for me.” Walking around the desk, Cade took the bottle from her, put it in his recycling bin, and then led her from the office.

  “You really don’t have to walk with me,” she said as he did just that. “I’ve monopolized enough of your time.”

  “I have some areas to check out over this way,” he reasoned. Actually, he didn’t, but he enjoyed talking to her and wanted to make sure the coast was clear for her to go back to work.

  Along the way, he pointed out areas of interest. “Over there is the employee entrance to the laundry facility. And if you look over there, that’s where we store all the tents and larger equipment for outdoor events–during the day, there’s a side door that’s almost always unlocked. To the right is a fairly private path that is far enough off the beaten path where you can hang out without being bothered.”

  Cammie stopped in her tracks. “So essentially, you’re pointing out some alternate hiding places.”

  Nodding, he said, “Guilty as charged.”

  But rather than being offended or arguing with him, she laughed. “Oh, Cade, you are certainly a wealth of information that I never thought I’d need.”

  He playfully nudged her shoulder with his–or tried to. He was easily six inches taller than her. “Stick with me, kid, and you’ll know every escape route in the place.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied, still laughing.

  They approached the rear entrance to the lobby and walked inside. The air was cool and fragrant, and Cade realized he didn’t have any reason to be inside except to walk her back to her office.

  “Thanks for the escort,” she said as they got closer to the office area. “I appreciate the company.”

  “You sure he’s gone? Wouldn’t want you to go back in there and feel ambushed.”

  “They should be. I know Dixie had another appointment coming in and she doesn’t like to keep anyone waiting. I can’t imagine she’d let anyone monopolize her time or cut into another client’s time.”

  “Okay,” he said. “So…I guess I’ll see you around.”

  Cammie nodded but didn’t seem in any hurry to leave. “Yeah. I guess so.” She turned and looked over her shoulder toward her office and he immediately noticed her stiffen up.

  “Cammie?” He looked beyond her and saw a couple walking toward them. They were in a relatively open area with tile floors that would undoubtedly echo if she ran across them in her heels, which he took a brief second to admire.

  She began to look around wildly for a way to get away, and rather than watching her run, he did the only thing he could think of.

  He hauled her into his arms and kissed her.

  3

  It took all of three seconds for Cammie to get entirely on board with Cade’s kiss. She knew exactly why he was doing it, and should she ever decide to come up for air, she’d thank him.

  Her hands instantly raked up into his hair to hold him to her. Not that she needed to–those strong arms of his banded around her waist and she was pressed against him from head to toe.

  Wow.

  In her teenage fantasies, Cade Taylor kissed her. And it had been sweet and romantic and lovely. This kiss was all that on steroids. She went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye, and if they weren’t in the middle of the resort lobby, she’d be tempted to climb him like a tree!

  Cammie was vaguely aware of voices around them, but even that was forgotten the moment Cade’s tongue touched hers.

  Then it started all over again.

  Heat.

  Need.

  Sex.

  Yup. Her brain was pretty much fried right now. And if she could just get them to move a little to the left, then maybe…

  “I think they’re gone,” Cade said against her lips.

  Huh. So that’s what a bucket of ice water feels like, she thought to herself. Slowly she stepped away but couldn’t make herself look directly at him. She was sure she was fifty shades of red and wished the floor would just open up and swallow her.

  “So…uh…thanks,” she muttered. “I um…I need to get back to work. See ya.” Turning, she all but ran down the hall and back to the safety of her office.

  Pulling open the door, she walked right into Dixie.

  “Oh!” they both cried.

  Reaching out to steady her, Dixie asked, “Sorry about that. Are you okay?”

  “Huh? What?”

  Her boss studied her for a moment. “You’re all flushed. Are you all right? Did you run into Preston and Whitney out there?”

  “Preston and…”

  Without a word, Dixie took her gently by the arm and led her back to her office. Once they were inside, she closed the door and motioned for Cammie to sit.

  Great. Now she was going to be reprimanded because Cade Taylor had kissed her st
upid and she couldn’t form a complete sentence. Could this day get any worse?

  “Can I get you some water, Cammie?”

  She shook her head. “No. Really. I’m fine. Thanks.”

  “Are you sure? You sort of came through the door like a linebacker. You’re all flushed and out of breath. I just figured you must have run into your ex out there. He and Whitney just left a couple of minutes ago.”

  “I… I saw them,” Cammie began nervously. “But they didn’t see me.” Although she couldn’t know that for sure, but it seemed logical. Maybe they had seen a couple kissing in the lobby, but she doubted Preston would realize it was her.

  “Oh,” Dixie said, sounding relieved. “Well, that’s good. But…”

  Unfortunately, Cammie knew where this was going. “But they’ve booked with us.”

  Nodding, Dixie explained, “I know it’s going to be awkward, but I promise you won’t have to have direct interaction with them. Anna May and I will handle all the one-on-one stuff, and you’ll strictly be behind the scenes.”

  Nodding, Cammie couldn’t help but feel more than a little sad. Just when she thought she was starting over, and over the humiliation of being cheated on, she had to deal with this.

  “I’m really sorry.”

  Taking a steadying breath, she straightened in her seat. “I’ll be fine. Really.” Then she paused. “Can I ask when the wedding is going to be?”

  “Three months. End of the month,” Dixie replied softly. “A Sunday brunch.”

  She nodded again, trying to process the information even though she didn’t want to. Then she thought about something Cade had said earlier. “Um…did they happen to mention what made them come to Emerald Grove for the wedding? Preston’s family is primarily in Raleigh, and from what little I know of Whitney’s family, they are too.”

  “Well, we are fabulous,” Dixie said, going for light and humorous.

  Cammie forced a smile.

  “Look, remember what we said the other morning about brutal honesty? Well, here it is–Preston mentioned knowing a woman who used to live here. That made his fiancée make a face like she’d sucked on a lemon and we quickly changed the subject. I don’t think either of them knows you work here, but…”

  “Preston’s never been cruel. Inconsiderate, yes, but not cruel. I don’t think he’d choose to have a wedding here just to rub it in my face. Whitney might. She’s that type of person.” Feeling like a complete fool, she said, “Either way, I promise it won’t affect my work.”

  “I’m really sorry this is all happening. Not the greatest way to start off a new job, huh?”

  That had Cammie laughing softly. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I just feel like an idiot because you and Anna May had to witness this.”

  “Believe me when I say we all have a history and it doesn’t always come out at the best time.”

  “Thank you for being so gracious.”

  “We’ll all get through this together,” Dixie replied with a smile. “Anna May mentioned she sort of pushed you out the door earlier. Where’d you go?”

  “Oh…um…I just sort of walked around a bit outside.”

  “The grounds here are awesome, aren’t they? Every inch of it is perfectly manicured.”

  Cammie swallowed hard, trying hard not to think of Cade. “Yes, they are.”

  “The crew who takes care of it is amazing. You know it gets done because nothing is ever overgrown and everything is always so pristine, but they’re really never in the way about it. The guests all comment on it–how much they enjoy not seeing and hearing lawnmowers and trimmers buzzing around. Honestly, I don’t know how Cade and the boys get it all done.”

  A small shrug was Cammie’s only response.

  Dixie’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’re getting all flushed again.”

  Dammit. “I’m fine. Really. I…I should get back to work. I have that seating board idea I wanted to present at the meeting tomorrow morning and I need to finish it up.”

  “Okay…but if you need to step outside or leave early, let one of us know. We have a light schedule this afternoon, so we’re good.”

  With a murmured thanks, Cammie let herself out and made her way to her desk and picked up the nearest piece of paper she could find to fan herself with.

  It was overcast with the threat of some rain, and Cade and his crew were doing their best to get their work done and the equipment put away before it hit.

  “Hey, Cade!” someone yelled out. “We’re getting ready to put number five away, but we’ll need to look at it. Something’s clanking!”

  Nodding and giving the okay sign, Cade made a mental note to look at the equipment maintenance schedule and get the mower looked at as soon as possible. He had a team of mechanics who handled most of the repairs, but occasionally he did have to take things up to Asheville for work. Either way, it would get done. It always did.

  A breeze blew over him, and rather than relaxing him or cooling him off, Cade realized it irritated him. Okay, maybe not the breeze itself. If he were honest, he’d say he’d been relatively irritated for over a week.

  Cammie.

  He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her since he’d kissed her in the lobby.

  And he was still a little out of sorts over the whole thing. At the time, he simply acted on instinct–hadn’t thought it through at all. But once she started kissing him back? Hell, he could not have cared less about who saw them. As much as he kept reasoning with himself that he was doing it to help Cammie out, the truth was…damn. The truth was it stopped being a distraction tactic the second her lips opened to his.

  A rather un-masculine sigh came out before he could stop it.

  Now he’d gone and scared her off. He was lucky she didn’t report him to Dixie or the owners for sexual harassment. Looking back, Cade realized he could have just as easily taken her by the hand and walked in another direction and pretended to be doing something else. There were a dozen different places they could have gone in a pinch to get her out of the way of her ex. But no. That would have been too easy. Nope. He had to go and take something simple and complicate the hell out of it.

  Which meant if anyone did come after him about it, he’d just have to plead stupidity and hope they all understood. Maybe they’d…

  “Hey, Cade! You got a minute?”

  Cade didn’t need to turn around to know who was calling out to him.

  Dixie Cruz. The Drill Sergeant.

  And she didn’t look like she was here to reprimand him over kissing Cammie.

  “Oh…hey, Dixie,” he said, doing his best to sound casual. He walked over to where she was standing and smiled. “What brings you by?” Hopefully he was the only one who could hear the nervousness in his voice.

  “I was hoping you had a few minutes where I could pick your brain.”

  “Oh?”

  She nodded. “My husband and I recently bought a house just outside of Asheville. We’re looking to spruce up the property and I wanted to talk to you about it and see if you could give me any advice. I’ve been playing around with some designs and wanted to get some more colors and textures around the place, but I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  A wave of relief washed over Cade. Work. She wanted to talk about work! If it wasn’t completely inappropriate, he would have hugged her!

  And that would have been beyond awkward.

  Focusing on the website Dixie had pulled up on her phone, Cade tuned back into what was being said.

  “…so everything’s just more brown than green and it’s all overgrown. I want to get it cleaned up and add some sturdy plants and some flowers to add some color. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s totally doable. Do you any plants and flowers that you want to use or do you need me to come up with some? I can give you some suggestions and then you can go to the nursery and custom pick what you’re looking for. That would be my personal choice. This way, you can see them, feel them, and really get a better
idea of what you’re going to have and maybe incorporate them into your designs so your husband can see them too. And then…”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dixie said, chuckling. “Slow down. You’re speed talking. Are you all right?”

  “What? Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m good. Really. I’m fine. It’s good.” Smooth, dumbass. Why don’t you say ‘good’ one more time for good measure?

  The look on Dixie’s face showed she wasn’t entirely convinced. They’d known each other for a long time–they both started working here at the resort at the same time–and…hell, maybe he really did just need to talk about it.

  Even though it could lead to a lot of trouble for him.

  With a weary sigh, Cade asked, “You got a few minutes to talk?”

  Clearly surprised, she nodded, and the two of them began to walk toward Cade’s office. While on the way, they talked about resort business–equipment maintenance and upcoming events requiring a little specialized care from the grounds crew. Once they were in the office, Cade handed Dixie a bottle of water, and they both took a seat.

  “So what’s going on?”

  “It’s about Cammie.”

  “Cammie Parker?”

  He nodded.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “There could be…”

  “Uh-oh…do I need to call someone from human resources in here with us?”

  Cade rested his elbows on his desk and sighed. “Can we sort of make this…off the record?”

  “Shit, Cade. Come on. What’s going on?”

  Cade gave her the basics on how he had first met Cammie and how he knew her ex was getting married at the resort and how she’d been trying to dodge him.

  “That doesn’t really sound like an issue. She hid out in the tool shed,” she said matter-of-factly. “I suppose it could be an insurance issue if she had gotten hurt, but…”

  “I’m not done,” Cade interrupted wearily. “We were walking back through the lobby last week, and as we were heading toward the office hallway, her ex and his fiancée were heading our way. It would have been obvious if she took off running and…I panicked.”