by Kori Roberts
Ethan moved his chair so that it was close to hers before he sat down and took her hand in his.
“I have to tell you how surprised and absolutely thrilled I was when you called and asked me to have dinner with you.” He smirked at her. “Especially after our last…encounter.” Rylee wanted to slap the look off his face as she eased her hand from his grip.
“Listen, Ethan. Let’s just get something straight. This isn’t a reconciliation dinner. I’m not trying to pick our relationship up where we left off.”
The smile slid from Ethan’s face. “Okay…since I was so obviously mistaken, why don’t you tell me what this is about?”
Rylee took a deep breath. “Your law firm is handling the Weisman estate in
Wisconsin.”
Ethan frowned. “Yes, we are. What about it?”
“The estate includes an old ranch that’s attached to a substantial piece of land,” she continued.
Ethan nodded slowly. “Yes, it does. Shortly after Mrs. Weisman passed away a few weeks ago, we started receiving offers on that property, and we haven’t even had it appraised to determine its full value.”
“Yes, I know,” Rylee told him. “I’ve already spoken to the Weisman family, and they directed me to their attorney. So…here I am.”
Ethan’s frown deepened. “I still don’t get it. What does my firm’s representation of this estate have to do with you?”
“Oh, come on, Ethan,” Rylee said. “I thought it would be obvious to you by now.”
When he didn’t respond, she sighed. “I want to buy the Weisman ranch, including the surrounding property, and I need your help to do it.”
Ethan stared at her for a long moment, before his head fell back, and he roared with laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Do I sound like I’m kidding, Ethan?” Rylee tried to remain calm, in spite of her increased irritation.
“Why in the hell would you want that place?” He questioned in between laughter.
“I have my reasons,” she said vaguely. than’s laughter stopped abruptly, and he stared at her through narrowed eyes.
“This has to do with that punk kid, doesn’t it?” His voice sounded hard. He didn’t wait for her to respond before he continued.
“Monica told me that she saw the two of you together. You’ve got a hell of a lot of nerve, you know that? You dump me, and then when you need something, you turn around and ask me to help you. Why should I? Give me one good reason why I should make it easy for you to be with another man?”
Rylee was so angry, she could barely speak. She clenched her hands into fists under the table as she fought the urge to claw his eyes out. Ethan had cheated on her during their relationship more times than she cared to remember, and now the son of a bitch had the audacity to try and act like he was the one being victimized.
“I knew this would be a mistake.” Rylee stood up from the table. As desperate as she was for his help, she knew she’d kill him if she had to sit there with him a moment longer and watch him play the jilted lover routine.
“I don’t know why I ever thought I could come to you for help.” She glared down at him. “Everything has always been about you — what you want, what you need — and to hell with anybody else.” Rylee’s voice raised, and she struggled to keep the tears at bay as several people in the restaurant looked in their direction.
I will not cry in front of this bastard. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath before she spoke again.
“You and I both know that we weren’t meant to be together, Ethan,” she spoke quietly.
“We were just using each other. You wanted an arm piece, and I wanted…to be wanted.”
She chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head. “But that’s not enough for me, not anymore. I need to be in love, and I need to be loved. And we both know there was never any love between us.” Rylee removed her jacket from the back of her chair and grabbed her purse off the table. “So, if you’re refusing to help me because you want to hurt me for ending our engagement, you’re wasting your time. And if you think it will stop me, you’re wrong.
Regardless of whether you help me or not, I will find a way to get this property.”
She walked away with her head held high, leaving a speechless Ethan still sitting at the table. Once outside, she hailed a cab. She’d just gotten in and was about to close the door when she heard her name.
“Rylee! Wait!” She saw Ethan running toward the cab.
“Fuck off, Ethan!” Rylee said angrily. “We don’t have anything else to say to each other.”
Ethan grabbed the door to stop her from closing it. “Just hear me out.”
Rylee glared at him for a moment, before she sighed in irritation. She released the door and slid across the seat to make room for him. Ethan got into the cab and closed the door.
“Make it fast,” she snapped as the cab pulled away from the curb. “We’re only ten minutes from the hotel.”
“You’re really serious about this property, aren’t you?” Ethan asked.
Rylee snorted and stared out the window. “Obviously I am, or I wouldn’t be sitting here subjecting myself to your bullshit,” she muttered.
Ethan chuckled briefly, and then he became quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “What does it feel like?” he asked.
“What are you talking about, Ethan?” Rylee asked in annoyance.
“What does it feel like to be so in love with someone that you’re willing to do anything, to risk everything, just to be with them?”
Rylee’s head whipped around, expecting to see the patented smirk on Ethan’s face, feeling certain that he was patronizing her and preparing to chew him a new asshole.
But her words died in her throat when she saw the look of genuine curiosity in his expression — mixed with a little envy, and a lot of longing — as he stared back at her. “It feels…right,” she finally responded. After a minute, Ethan gave her a brief nod.
“Well.” He cleared his throat and glanced out of the cab window. “We’re almost at the hotel. Let’s talk about how we can get you that Weisman property.”
By the time the cab pulled up in front of the hotel, they’d discussed Rylee’s plans for the place and her offer.
“So, you’re sure this is what you really want to do?” Ethan asked her again as they walked through the hotel lobby toward the elevators that led to her apartment.
“Yes, I’m positive,” she confirmed with a smile.
“Okay, I’ll contact the Weisman family tomorrow to discuss your offer. I’ll call you afterward to let you know how it went.”
They reached the elevators, and Rylee turned to him as she pressed the elevator button.
“I think I owe you an apology, Ethan,” she admitted. “I realize now that underneath that asshole persona there really is a decent human being.”
“Shh!” Ethan said in mock horror and took an exaggerated look around the lobby.
“Don’t let anybody hear you say that. It’ll ruin my reputation as a badass forever.”
Rylee laughed. “Fine, but I do want to thank you for agreeing to help me.”
“Don’t thank me too soon,” Ethan warned. “I still have to convince the Weismans to accept your offer. Although, I think they’ll like your plans for the place a lot more than the idea of some big time developer coming in and destroying it to put up a bunch of pricey town homes.”
“I’m not worried,” Rylee assured him. “I may have questioned your ability to be a good fiancé and husband, but I’ve never doubted your skills as an attorney and negotiator.”
Ethan’s face suddenly became serious. “I might not be as good a negotiator as you think. I mean, I couldn’t convince you to stay with me, could I?”
“Ethan…” Rylee was taken aback by the intense expression she saw on his face, and she didn’t quite know how to respond. “It’s fine.” He smiled suddenly, but Rylee noticed that his eyes remained sad.
“Thank y
ou,” she said softly.
Ethan’s hand reached up, and he caressed her face. “I hope that son of a bitch knows just how lucky he is.”
“I’m the one who’s lucky.” Rylee stepped away from his touch and into the waiting elevator. “Good night, Ethan. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Once the doors were closed, Rylee leaned against the elevator walls and tried to control the nervous excitement racing through her. Since the first moment she’d laid eyes on the ranch in Wisconsin, she knew immediately that she had to have it. It was the answer she’d been looking for, a way to continue the work she loved, and be closer to the two men she loved at the same time.
Rylee pictured the property and couldn’t help but smile. Everything about it was perfect, from its size to its location. And, with the right amount of renovations, it was going to make a great bed-and-breakfast. And, more importantly, it was only thirty minutes away from Nick and Noah.
Rylee sighed. At least one of the toughest parts was over now that she’d managed to convince Ethan to help her. Now all she could do was hope that he was as good at his job as she believed he was.
That thought brought on another round of worries. Rylee knew that even if the
Weismans agreed to sell the property to her, she’d still need more money to meet her own offer.
She thought about the part-time job she was going to start that week at a nightclub not far from the hotel. It was owned by an ex-boyfriend of hers, and he needed a manager to cover the weekends. Thankfully, their relationship had ended on good terms, and he still liked and trusted her enough to hire her for the job. The pay was extremely generous, and Rylee knew that he was paying her more than he should for the job she’d be doing. But, as badly as she needed the extra cash at the moment, she wasn’t about to complain about it.
The additional income she earned there would help supplement the line of credit she’d secured from her bank and the money from her own personal savings and investment accounts. It would give her more than enough money to cover her offer, and still be able to complete all of the renovations that she wanted to have done.
The elevator doors opened on her floor, and Rylee walked down the hall to her
apartment. As she let herself inside and headed toward her bedroom, Rylee couldn’t help but think that this was probably one of the last nights that she’d get a full night’s rest for a while.
But the lack of sleep would be well worth the sacrifice, if everything worked out in the end.
“When everything works out.” She spoke out loud in the quiet room. It just had to.
Rylee couldn’t afford to believe otherwise. The alternative was more than she could bear to think about.
Chapter Twenty-one
“Damn!” Noah walked into the house just as Nick swore and threw the cordless phone onto the couch.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he walked pass.
“Rylee.” Noah paused halfway to his room and turned to look at Nick.
“Please don’t tell me she’s working,” Nick heard the disappointment in Noah’s voice.
“Not this weekend.”
Nick just nodded as he sighed and sat down heavily on the couch. He rested his head in his hands. It seemed that lately, Rylee spent less and less time with them.
He’d been living for this one weekend, had barely been able to focus on anything past that one moment when he would finally propose to Rylee. Nick thought back to the weeks he and Noah had spent shopping for just the right ring, one that would be worthy of her, the way they’d planned every detail of their weekend with her, and now it seemed that their efforts were in vain.
Noah blew out a frustrated breath. “God, it seems that lately Rylee’s canceled more weekends than she’s actually spent with us.” He met Noah’s eyes. “We both know that Rylee is too good for us. I always knew that it was only a matter of time before she figured that out as well, before she woke up and realized that she could do so much better. And, I…” Nick paused and swallowed hard, feeling hesitant to put a voice to his real fears. “I just can’t help but feel like that day has arrived, and she’s finally gotten tired of being with us.” Jesus, saying those words hurt more than he would have imagined.
They both got quiet for a moment, before Noah spoke. “I don’t believe that, man. I can’t…” Noah shook his head. “I just think that this whole distance thing is getting to all of us. It’d be so much easier if we didn’t live so far away from her. Then, it wouldn’t matter if she had to work, because we’d still be able to see her.”
“That’s why this weekend was so important.” Nick ran his fingers through his hair.
“But, now…”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let it end here.”
Nick looked at the determined expression on Noah’s face. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked.
Noah nodded. “I think we need to take a trip to Chicago.” He stood up and headed toward his bedroom. “I’ve waited too damn long for this weekend to let it go to hell just because Rylee has to work.”
“Uh-huh.” Nick was right behind him. “If we can’t get our redhead to come to us, we’ll just have to go to her.”
*
“What do you mean, Rylee’s not working tonight?” Nick frowned at the receptionist.
“That can’t be right. Check it again. Are you sure?”
“Um…y-yes sir. I-I’m positive.” The flustered young woman stuttered out. “I’m sorry, sir. Ms. Putnam isn’t on the schedule for this weekend.” Nick turned and looked at Noah, who looked just as perplexed as he.
“Come on,” Noah motioned toward the restaurant in the hotel. “Let’s go and see if Drew’s working tonight. Maybe she’s with him.”
They walked away from the front desk without a backward glance and headed straight to the restaurant. Once inside, they maneuvered their way through the crowded room until they reached the bar. Nick tapped Noah on the shoulder and nodded toward Drew, who was busy making drinks.
“Yo! Drew!” Nick yelled out and waved his hand in the air to catch Drew’s attention.
Drew looked up and smiled. He finished the drink he was making and then headed over to where they were standing at the end of the bar.
“Hey, what’s up?” Drew reached out and shook each of their hands. Then, he looked around. “Where’s Rylee?”
Nick and Noah glanced at each other. “We were hoping you could tell us.” Noah spoke.
“But I take it you haven’t seen her?”
Drew’s expression immediately became concerned. “No…not since earlier today. She told me she was spending the weekend in Wisconsin with you two.”
“Yeah, well, she told us she had to work this weekend.” Nick’s voice was laced with worry. “We decided to surprise her and come here so we all could still be together this weekend, but we can’t find her anywhere. She’s not at work, she’s not at home, and she’s not answering her cell phone.” Nick could feel his anxiety rising as he tried not to envision Rylee lying by the side of the road somewhere between Chicago and Wisconsin.
“I could check with Mya.” Drew offered. “Maybe she knows where Rylee’s at.”
Nick glanced at his watch. It was already after ten o’clock at night. Mya was probably asleep already. He didn’t want to disturb her unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Nah, it’s okay.” Nick turned to Noah. “Let’s check her place again to see if she’s back.” Nick could see a customer trying to get Drew’s attention. “Listen, I gotta get back to work,” Drew told them. “But I get off work at midnight. Let me know if you need for me to do anything, or if you hear from her.”
Nick nodded as he and Noah headed out of the restaurant and back to the elevators that led to Rylee’s apartment.
Chapter Twenty-two
Rylee was so tired; it took all of her energy just to put one foot in front of the other without falling flat on her face.
“So, is this little job going to b
e enough to give you the extra money you need for the offer?”
She sighed and glanced at Ethan, regretting that she’d ever told him about her part-time job. He’d made a point to show up at the club on several weekends that she’d worked.
He always claimed he had something to discuss with her about the deal for the property that was so important, he couldn’t wait until normal business hours to talk to her about it.
Each time it turned out to be complete bullshit, and Rylee knew that he was only doing it so that he could spend time with her. Usually, she was able to get rid of him of him by the time the club closed. But tonight he’d gone a step further and insisted on walking her home.
And Rylee was just too damned worn-out to even argue with him.
“It’s fine.” Rylee’s response was short and clipped. The lack of sleep had her feeling downright pissy, and she was barely able to refrain from biting Ethan’s head off. Her body was running on fumes, and she felt like it was about to shut down on her at any second. All she could focus on was getting to her apartment and collapsing into bed for a few hours.
Well, you don’t look fine. You look exhausted.” Ethan told her as they reached the hotel elevators.
“What I don’t get is why this guy isn’t helping you.” She could feel Ethan studying her closely as she pressed the elevator button. Finally, he said, “You’re doing all of this, and he doesn’t even know, does he?”
Rylee ignored his question. “Look, Ethan. Thanks for walking me back. I’ll talk to you later.”
Ethan reached for her hand and held on tightly. He moved closer to her until their bodies were practically touching. “You know, I would have given you the money if you’d asked me.”
“I don’t want your money, Ethan.” Rylee pulled her hand away. “I never did.” God, why couldn’t he just let it go?
“Yeah, I know.” His laugh was filled with resentment. “Just like you don’t want me, either. Right?”
“Don’t do this, Ethan. You’ve shown me a different side of you these past few weeks that I really like. Please don’t make me regret trusting in you again.”