“I’m good, thanks. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time?”
“No, I was just about to start my shift. What’s up?”
“Oh good, then you work the day shift today?”
“I do. Why?”
“I was just wondering whether you’d like to join me and Ainsley for a drink tonight. You were such a big help with the fundraiser, and we’d like to thank you.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. It was my pleasure.”
Shay was quiet for a second. “If you’re not up to going out, I understand. But we’d really like to get to know you better.”
When had she become so anti-social that she immediately shut down the offer of a drink with two women who were kind enough to welcome her to town? “I’m sorry. I’d love to. Just tell me where and when.”
“We’re going to Rusty’s.” She laughed. “Also known as the local watering hole. But since you don’t have a set of wheels right now, I can pass by and pick you up around eight, if that’s okay?”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks.” It also meant she wouldn’t have to decide whether to spend tonight with Brady, assuming he planned to issue another invitation after her hissy fit.
Chapter Nine
Brady nearly bit his tongue when he saw Claudia crossing the lobby in a cute little form-fitting black dress and shiny flip-flops. Her hair was blown out in full waves that cascaded down her back, and she was wearing more makeup than usual. Where was she going all dolled up?
“Hey,” he said, crossing the lobby in a few strides. “I was just about to call you. I was hoping we could grab a quick dinner in town, but it looks like you’re already heading out?”
“Yeah, Shay and Ainsley invited me to go to Rusty’s with them. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out, you know, socially. So I thought it would be good for me.”
Brady loved their quiet dinners at his place, but he suddenly realized that moving forward, he’d have to put more effort into courting her. Assuming she wasn’t still entertaining the idea of bailing on him.
“Sorry I didn’t have a chance to say this earlier, but I didn’t mean to upset you at breakfast,” he said. “Mandy’s a sweet girl, but she’s never been more than an employee to me, and she never will be.”
“Not that she wouldn’t like to be,” she said, her gaze zeroing in on her bronze-painted toes.
“How do you know that?”
“She asked me today whether there’s anything between us. She said she wanted to invite you to some Founder’s Day party in town next week, but she wouldn’t if we were a thing.”
Brady had never pursued Mandy, but he could see how she might have misinterpreted his harmless flirting. He’d have to set her straight first chance he got. “And? What did you tell her?”
“The truth. That you’re free to date anyone you want.”
Which meant she was too. That didn’t sit well with him at all. The last thing he needed right now was competition for Claudia’s time and attention. “I think maybe we need to talk about that.”
Before she could respond, Shay’s car pulled up to the front door. She honked her horn, waving and smiling when she caught sight of them.
“Sorry, I have to go. Have a good night, Brady.”
He wanted to ask her to stop by his place when she got home, but she didn’t give him a chance. With a heavy sigh, he approached the desk. “Hey, Dana. Have you seen Mandy around? I need to have a word with her.”
“She said something about having her nails done at the spa before she leaves. She should be done soon. Why? Is there a problem?”
“There could be,” he said, glancing at Shay’s car through the window as the girls pulled out of the parking lot. “Let’s just say things with me and Claudia are getting more…” Serious wasn’t the right word, was it? “We’re, uh, kind of seeing each other. And it seems Mandy was thinking about asking me out. I just want to let her know I’m not interested in anyone else right now.”
“Mandy’s a sweet girl, but she’s too young for you. Come on, Brady. She’s nearly ten years younger than you!”
“Did I say I was interested in her?” Brady asked, feeling more defensive than the situation warranted. “No! I said she was interested in me.”
“Enough about that,” Dana said, waving. “I want to hear more about you and Claudia. I knew you two had been spending a lot of time together, but I wasn’t sure you were ready to label it, so I tried not to ask.”
There was a very good reason she would assume he didn’t want to “label” a relationship. Because he never had before.
“We’re still getting to know each other, but I like her. A lot.”
Dana smiled, rolling her tongue in her cheek as she adjusted her silver-framed glasses. “You like her a lot, huh? You sound like my eighth grade grandson talking about the girl he plans to ask to the dance.”
He leaned into the high counter, dropping his head forward. “Come on, give me a break here. I’m doing the best I can.”
“I’ve seen your best,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not good enough for a woman like Claudia.”
Scowling, Brady asked, “Meaning?”
“I’m not saying you’re not good enough for her, honey. I think you’re wonderful. You just need to make more of an effort to impress her. You’re so used to women falling at your feet and I don’t think Claudia’s like that.”
“So what do you suggest I do to impress her?”
“You could start with flowers,” she said, smiling. “I don’t know a woman who doesn’t appreciate a beautiful bouquet of flowers for no reason.”
“Good idea. Anything else?”
“Take her out, someplace nice.”
Brady chuckled. “We’re in Landon, remember? It’s not like this is the Mecca of fine dining.”
“I’m not saying you have to take her to a five-star restaurant,” she said, pursing her painted lips. “I don’t think she’s the kind of girl who needs that anyhow. Just take her somewhere nice, talk to her about your life, and more importantly, ask about hers. Women like to feel the man they’re with really cares about who they are and where they came from.”
Brady wondered if it would be too painful for her to talk about her children. He wanted to know about them. He wanted to hear funny stories that made her smile. He wanted to see pictures, to see if they looked like her.
“Funny you should say that. I was just thinking about taking her out to dinner tonight. Turns out she had other plans.”
“I know. She told me she was going out for drinks with the girls. Still, you could think about picking her up from Rusty’s, since she doesn’t have a car yet.”
“You don’t think she’d feel like I was checking up on her if I passed by asking if she needed a ride home?” Brady wasn’t used to feeling so out of his element with a woman, second-guessing every move he made, wondering if it would help or hurt his cause.
“That depends,” Dana said, tapping a painted fingernail against her lip. “Would you have good reason to be there? Let’s say you were in town visiting your brother, maybe? He doesn’t live too far from Rusty’s.”
Brady smiled, reaching into his back pocket for his phone. “I’ll text him and see if he’s gonna be around tonight.”
“Good idea.”
Just as he finished sending the text to Chase, Mandy approached the desk. “Hey, guys.” She nudged Brady with her hip. “You got a minute, handsome?”
Brady cringed inwardly, wondering why he hadn’t noticed Mandy flirting with him so openly. Probably because he’d been too caught up in work, or recently Claudia, to pay her any mind.
“Yeah, why don’t we talk in my office? Have a good night, Dana.”
She glanced at Mandy before shooting him a sympathetic smile. “You too, sugar.”
“So listen, Brady,” Mandy said, linking her arm through his. “Next weekend is the town’s Founder’s Day party, right? I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.”
Mandy was a bea
utiful redhead with bright green eyes, and a dusting of freckles. She would be any college kid’s dream, but Dana was right—Claudia or no Claudia, Mandy was way too young for him.
“Uh, step inside,” he said, gesturing for her to enter his office ahead of him before he closed the door and leaned against it. “Look, Mandy, I think you’re a sweetheart, but you and I? That’s not gonna happen.”
She pouted while crossing her arms. “Is it because you’re my boss?”
“No.” Mixing business and pleasure wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had, but if he claimed that was the reason he didn’t want to go out with her, he’d sound like a hypocrite when she found out he was dating Claudia.
“Is it because I’m too young for you?”
“You are.” He raked a hand through his hair, chuckling when she scowled at him. “Hey, don’t get mad at me. You know it’s true.”
“I happen to like older men.”
“Fine, find an older man. I’m just saying it can’t be me.” Knowing he had to come clean before she heard about it from someone else, he said, “Look, the truth is, Claudia and I are kind of seeing each other.”
She frowned, dropping her arms to her sides. “But when I asked her, she said it was cool if I asked you out. In fact, I suggested my father ask her out, since he seemed so into her when they met.”
“Wait. What? I thought your father was dating Brenna,” he said, referring to the owner of the local hair salon.
“Nah, they broke up weeks ago. She was pressuring him to buy her a ring, and he said he wasn’t ready.”
“So you told him to ask Claudia out?” he asked, remembering the comment Claudia had made about Dave when they met. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, how was I supposed to know you two were seeing each other? When I asked her, she made it seem like there was nothing between you.”
“Well, there is something between us, so you can tell your old man to back off.”
“Uh, it might be a little too late for that.”
“Meaning?” Brady asked, trying to hold his temper.
“Dad popped in to grab a drink earlier, and I told him that Claudia was going to be at Rusty’s with some friends tonight.
“How did you know that? Claudia told you?”
She nodded. “Anyhow, I suggested Dad pass by there after work and ask her out.” She shrugged when he glared at her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stir up any trouble, boss.”
“I gotta go,” he said, reaching for the door handle. Dana’s suggestion that he pass by Rusty’s to find out if Claudia needed a ride home was sounding better all the time.
Claudia sipped her drink while Shay and Ainsley each enjoyed a glass of white wine. They were both working on their second glass after claiming that was their hard limit, since they both had to work early in the morning.
“You are so lucky.” Ainsley sighed. “I swear, if Brady wasn’t like a brother to me, I’d have asked him out years ago.”
Shay giggled, nudging her friend. “Would you stop? You’re talking about my future brother-in-law.”
Claudia smiled, thinking how much she’d missed a little girl talk.
“Oh, come on,” Ainsley said, rolling her eyes. “You can’t tell me you haven’t wondered whether all the rumors you’ve heard about Brady are true.” She wiggled her eyebrows comically. “I’ve heard some stories about…” She giggled before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Never mind.”
Shay pushed against Ainsley’s shoulder. “Would you stop! I’ve known Brady since he was, like, twelve years old.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, he’s not a kid anymore.” Ainsley laughed. “You’ve seen those six-pack abs he’s sporting, haven’t you?”
Shay covered her ears. “I can’t listen to any more of this. I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
Claudia smiled as Shay slipped out of the booth, rolling her eyes at her bestie.
Ainsley turned to Claudia. “So are you guys a thing?”
When Claudia’s eyes dipped to her drink, Ainsley must have sensed something was off. “Okay, what’s wrong?”
Claudia winced, thinking about how long it had been since she’d dished with the girls about her love life. Years. Many, many years.
“I’m crazy about him,” she admitted, pressing her palms against her cheeks. “Or maybe I’m just crazy, I don’t know.”
“Crazy to have a thing for Brady?” Ainsley asked, shaking her head emphatically. “No way! Who wouldn’t be? He’s gorgeous, hard-working, smart, sweet...” She sighed. “Reminds me of someone I know. Someone I’d rather forget.”
“Uh oh, sounds like there’s a story there,” Claudia said and took a sip of her drink.
“There is. He’s Chase’s best friend and business partner, actually. We dated all through high school. He broke up with me when he went away to college.”
“But you said you were married, right?”
“Yeah, that didn’t work out.” She got the waitress’s attention, letting her know she’d like a water. “It’s not like I had a thing for Bryce all that time. Believe me, I didn’t. Well, not really. Anyhow, he came back to town awhile back, and we kind of re-connected, or so I thought.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah, well, he was gone the next day.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t care. In fact, I should hate him. I do. I hate him.”
Claudia recognized denial when she heard it. “There’s no one else around here who interests you?”
“Not really,” Ainsley said, wrinkling her nose. “But I’m not giving up hope.”
“Ladies.”
Claudia looked up to see Mandy’s father, who owned the landscaping company that tended to Brady’s inn. “Oh, hey, Dave.” She smiled. “Nice to see you.” She glanced at Ainsley. “Do you two know each other?”
Dave laughed. “Yeah, my kid brother went to school with Shay and Ainsley. Had a huge crush on them, and they both shot him down.” He laughed. “Smart girls.”
“How’s Brenna?” Ainsley asked. “Last time she did my highlights, she was talking about the possibility of a spring wedding.”
Dave winced. “No, not gonna happen. In fact, we broke up.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Ainsley said, smiling at the waitress who set down her drink. “You two were cute together.”
A Garth Brooks song came on, and Dave offered Claudia his hand. “I love this song. Care to dance?”
The last time Claudia had danced with a man, it was her husband and they were at a friend’s wedding. That was almost two years ago. Knowing she had to take baby steps to move beyond her memories, she forced a smile and accepted his outstretched hand.
“Sure, I’d love to. You don’t mind, Ainsley?”
“No, you guys go ahead. I’m sure Shay’ll be right back anyhow.”
After crossing the small dance floor, she settled into Dave’s arms. “So have you worked at the inn long?”
“A few years. My father used to run the landscaping business, but I took it over when I moved back to town a few years ago.”
“Oh.”
“I wanted to be closer to Mandy and the rest of my family,” he explained. “Her mom and I were really young when she was born. Anyhow, we divorced when she was ten, and I moved out to California to pursue a career in law enforcement.”
“That must have been an interesting line of work.”
“It was, but I realized my daughter was growing up without me, and I couldn’t live with that.” He linked his hands at the base of her spine. “It wasn’t an easy call, since I loved being a cop, but in the end, it was the right one.”
“That’s good.”
“How about you? What brings you to our little town?”
“It happened by accident, actually. My car started acting up, and I was barely able to pull into the parking lot at the inn. Thankfully Brady needed some extra help, so he offered me a job for the summer.”
“Ah, so you’re only here for the summer?”
�
�I’m not sure yet.” She still wasn’t sure Landon was where she belonged long-term, but every time she thought about leaving, it stirred up all kinds of emotions—mainly sadness.
“Well, it’s pretty quiet around here in the winter. You think you’ll be able to line up other work if Brady can’t keep you on at the inn?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. She’ll have a place with me just as long as she wants it.”
Claudia gasped at the sound of Brady’s voice before turning to face him. “What are you doing here?”
He gestured toward the bar. “I passed by Chase’s place to hang out with him for a bit. He texted Shay and she told him to pass by. I figured you could use a ride home.” He nodded at her dance partner. “Dave.”
“How’s it going, Brady?”
“Not bad.” He glanced at Dave’s hands on Claudia’s hips. “You mind if I cut in?”
“No,” he said, stepping back. “Have fun, guys.”
Brady watched Dave walk away before he took Claudia in his arms.
“Are you okay?” she asked, feeling his tension when she rested her hands on his biceps.
“I’ve been better.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Did he ask you out?” Brady asked.
“Who?”
“Dave.”
“No, why?”
He was obviously annoyed, though Claudia wasn’t sure what she’d said or done to trigger the reaction. Brady didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d get jealous if she danced with another man, even if they were in a committed relationship. Which they weren’t.
“I heard he was going to.”
Since only one person could have told him that, Claudia asked, “You’ve talked to Mandy?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“And?”
“She knows where we stand.” He pulled her closer. “I made it pretty clear I’m into you. No one else.”
“Oh, okay.” She rested her head on his shoulder as the previous night filtered through her head. “I’m sorry I flew off the handle this morning. I guess I was just feeling a little overwhelmed by everything that happened last night. Overwhelmed and confused, actually.”
Small Town Boss Page 9