The Workaholic Down the Hall

by Katharine Sadler

  I wanted to. God, did I want to punch him, to beat the living shit out of him for daring to talk about Aubrey that way, for daring to think about Aubrey that way. I loosened my grip on his neck, but I didn't immediately lower my fist.

  “He's not worth it,” Jill said. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked over to stand next to my desk. “Let him go.”

  I released Alex and sat. “Is this all a joke to you?” I asked. “Are you actually interested in the Brantley properties? Or did you just come here to talk shit and waste my time?”

  Alex smoothed his shirt, looking completely unfazed by me almost killing him. “Of course, I want the Brantley properties, Reynolds. Everyone wants the Brantley properties. And we all know you must be desperate as hell if you're willing to sell them. I'm here to find out just how desperate you are.”

  “I told you on the phone we won't drop the price thirty percent,” Jill said. “You didn't need to come here.”

  Alex shrugged. “Your brother asked me to.”

  Jill glared at him. “And I've never known you to do anything just because it's what someone else wants. In fact, you usually do the opposite.”

  Alex's smile was cold. “I wanted more information. Your brother's going to be a daddy soon and the company is failing. Selling the Brantley properties is just putting off the inevitable.”

  I leaned back and let Jill take over the conversation with Alex, because it was taking everything I had not to leap back over the desk and finish what I'd started.

  “What's the solution?” Jill asked. “Selling the whole company to you?”

  Alex's gaze narrowed and his good-ol' boy act vanished. “That's exactly the solution. Your abilities are wasted here, Jill. You should be at the helm of a solvent, successful corporation. Sell to me, your brother can go play daddy full-time, and you can live your dreams, actually do something besides trying to make money from nothing.”

  “You have got to be—” Jill started.

  Alex stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. She froze, her glare intensifying. “Just think about it,” Alex said. He walked out of my office like he already owned the place.

  Jill slumped into the seat he'd vacated.

  “Is he right?” I asked. I knew my sister was talented, knew she was one of the only reasons the company hadn't folded long ago, but I thought she liked working here.

  Jill, who never hesitated or second-guessed herself, hesitated. “Of course, it would be nice to be at the helm of a company that had some actual assets to play with. I could —” She sighed. “But it doesn't matter what I want, Noah. This is the family business, and we can't allow it to fail.”

  “It should matter,” I said, the realization dawning even as it hurt to admit it. “It should matter what you want. Would you even choose to work in the hospitality industry if you had a choice?”

  She twined her fingers together in her lap and shrugged. “I've never given it a lot of thought, but I know this market and I enjoy the industry. There's no reason for me to leave. Alex Owings is just trying to scare us because he wants to buy us out.”

  She wasn't wrong, but Alex Owings wasn't wrong either. We were in trouble and selling the Brantley properties wouldn't solve anywhere near all our problems. Even so, selling to Owings wasn't a decision I'd make alone. “We need to talk to the family.”

  Jill's eyes widened. “You can't be serious, Noah. You can't honestly be considering selling to him.”

  “I am.” As much as I hated Alex Owings, his suggestion to take the company off my hands had filled me with an undeniable sense of relief. I'd given so much to the company, but maybe there was a way I could get something for everyone, make everyone happy, and change my life, my future. “I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I've been putting everything off, putting everything on hold so that I can devote every moment of my time to trying to save this company. I'm tired of it. I want to find that passion you went on about the other day.”

  “We could get another CEO.”

  I shook my head. “What kind of CEO are we going to convince to take on this mess?” I stood and crossed to kneel before her. “Just think about it, Jill. Think about it and then run the numbers. Figure out what the future of the company is if we manage to sell the Brantley properties for fair value, if we have to short-sell them, or if we sell the whole company to Owings or someone else. God knows I'd rather anyone but him take over the company. I'll do my own research and, in a week or two, we'll go to Catalpa Creek and we'll present the information and the options to Mom and the others.”

  Jill nodded, her eyes damp with tears. “I hate this.” She straightened her shoulders and shook her head. “Honestly, I've been so focused on saving this company, for Dad and for the family, I haven't considered the possibility of doing anything else.”

  “So, figure it out,” I said. “We've given enough to Dad's dream. It's time we figured out our own.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Aubrey

  It had been three weeks. Three weeks since I'd seen Noah. Five days since I'd spoken to Noah. Two days since I'd received a text from him that said he was coming back to Catalpa Creek for some big family meeting he'd told me nothing about. He'd stopped trying to convince me we should be together, had stopped asking about anything but my health and the baby's health. I knew it was over, and I looked forward to having some closure almost as much as I dreaded it.

  I logged off the computer at the sound of laughter from the front of the house. Business had been good at Nora's Inn. In my free time, I'd been working on planning events for the house, and coming up with ways for us to get more involved in the community, to make guests feel like Nora's Inn was a destination, not just a place to sleep. I tried to imagine what my ideal vacation lodging would offer and figure out a way we could do it without raising rates or going bankrupt. Not all my ideas had panned out, but most of them were feasible and it would be up to the guests to say how well they worked. The planning kept me busy and kept me from dwelling on Noah and how much I missed him.

  I smoothed my wrap dress over my enormous baby bump, in the last few weeks it had expanded at an alarming rate, took a deep breath and left the safety of the office. I followed the sounds of laughter to the front of the house and found May, Cody, Nora, and Carrie welcoming Jared and Jenna.

  “Hey, Aubrey,” Jared said with a warm smile. He looked so much like Cody, he could have passed for his twin if it weren't for the extra laugh lines around Cody's eyes. “You know what this family meeting is all about?”

  I flinched at the question. I should know what the family meeting was about, I should have at least received a phone call to let me know when Noah was going to be in town. As the mother of his unborn child, I figured I deserved at least that much. “I'm as much in the dark as the rest of you,” I said. “You'll have to fill me in on the secret after the meeting.”

  Jenna shifted in her seat and frowned. She was rail-thin with thick dark curls that fell to midway down her back. “You'll be at the meeting, won't you?”

  I bit back the urge to scream in frustration. “My understanding is that this is a family meeting.”

  Jenna's lips thinned. “And you're part of the family.” She shook her head and smiled. “I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way. I was thrilled when Mom told me about it.”

  “Thank you,” I said, my hands immediately going to my belly.

  “Yes,” Jared said. “Congratulations.” He stood and gestured to his seat. “You should sit.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I should make sure lunch is on track. The others will be here soon.”

  “I'm sure it's fine, dear,” Nora said. But I'd already turned and left the room. I walked to the kitchen wishing I could just go home, curl up under the covers, and stay there until this was all over.

  “Noah's an idiot,” May said, following me into the kitchen. I stirred the chili in the crock pot. Nora had made it, had been cooking all day. There were s
everal loafs of bread from a local bakery. There was nothing in that room that needed to be done. No use for me. Maybe I could escape.

  I turned to face May, hating the pity in her eyes. “I'm not feeling that great,” I said. “I think I might take the afternoon off.”

  May narrowed her eyes, but she wasn't about to argue with a pregnant woman. “Okay, honey. Of course you can go if that's what you want. Noah will be sorry to have missed you.”

  “I doubt that,” I mumbled under my breath.

  May wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “I don't.”

  “I think I'm just going to sneak out the back way. Will you tell the others I'm sorry not to get to spend more time with them?”

  May gave me a full-body hug. “I think you should stay, sweetie. Remind Noah what he's been missing.”

  “I love you. But I need to go home.”

  She released me and gave me a light shove toward the door. “I'll let everyone know you weren't feeling well.”

  “Thanks.”

  My coat was in the front hall, which would require me to walk through the living room and past Noah's family, so I hurried outside without it. The cold November wind whipped against me, but the baby growing inside me kept me warm. Even outside, I could smell Nora's chili. It mixed with the crisp, clean air of the mountains, and I wished I'd made myself a bowl to take with me. I waddled to the car and got into the driver's seat. My belly was so big, I could barely reach the steering wheel around it, but I managed.

  The wheel was icy cold. I turned the key in the ignition and turned the heat to high, even though it probably wouldn't kick in until I'd pulled down my own driveway. I yanked my sleeves down over my hands as far as I could, so that the cold of the steering wheel didn't burn my fingers, and pulled out of the driveway.

  Luckily, I made it home without seeing Noah's car. Looking forward to the warmth of my home and to curling up on the couch for a mid-afternoon nap, I hurried inside.

  I toed off my shoes and went straight to the couch, where I plopped down and pulled a blanket over me. Closing my eyes, I sighed, ready for the oblivion of sleep.

  Except sleep wouldn't come and my eyes popped open of their own accord. I was dying to know what the family meeting was about and I was on edge just knowing Noah was in town. He was in town and it was highly probable I wouldn't see him at all.

  A sharp knock had me rising to my feet and my heart beating faster. My first thought was of Noah and I almost tripped over my own feet getting to the door. Before I turned the knob, I took in three deep breaths and plastered a stoic expression on my features. He could only hurt me if I allowed him to. He could only break my heart if I gave it to him. I had no intention of giving him anything.

  Oscar waited on the porch holding two pizza boxes. I bit back my disappointment, both that he wasn't Noah and that I hadn't managed to feel anything other than sisterly toward the kind and attentive man.

  “Hi, Oscar.” I stepped to the side and gestured him inside. “Come on in.”

  He smiled and walked in, closing the door behind him. “May called and said you might need food and a friendly distraction.”

  “She was right.” My stomach growled as the scent of the cheesy goodness in his hands wafted my way. “You and whatever food you choose to bring are always welcome here.”

  He set the pizzas on the coffee table. “I'll get plates. You sit and relax.”

  In no mood to argue, I sat. He returned a moment later with plates and napkins. He handed me a plate with two slices, covered in mushrooms, pepperoni, and olives, just like I liked it, and got a slice of ham and sausage for himself.

  We ate in companionable silence. He was a good man, he always showed up when I needed something even though he had a business to run, and he loved kids. “I wish I was attracted to you,” I said. I set my empty plate on the coffee table and leaned back, propping my swollen feet next to it.

  “Thanks,” he said with a wince. “You just reminded me why I come over here, the necessary downsizing of my ego.”

  I grinned. “You aren't attracted to me either and you know it.”

  He grimaced. “Not even a little bit. Which is unfortunate, because the dating pool around here is not huge.”

  “Really? It's a small town, but there's got to be someone for you. You probably just haven't found her, yet.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I've spent so much time and energy focused on getting my degree and opening my business, I haven't focused on dating and I'm ready. I'm ready to meet the love of my life.”

  I laughed. “Really? The love of your life? That's ambitious.”

  He smiled. “What's up with you? Why did May send me over here?”

  “Noah's in town, but he's not here to see me. He's having some secret meeting with his family.”

  “Idiot.”

  “He's not an idiot. He's just not the right guy for me, at least not as far as he's concerned.”

  “He's an idiot if that's true, and he's an asshole for not being open and upfront with you. Whether the two of you are a couple of not, you and your daughter are a part of that family now.”

  I waved a hand. “I don't want to talk about it. I'd rather not even think about it.”

  ***

  I was on the couch, my feet in Oscar's lap, when Noah walked into the living room. Someone laughed on the movie we were watching and it made the whole real-life scene feel that much more surreal. I sat up, pulling my feet from Oscar's lap, and struggled to get to my feet.

  Oscar gave me a small push and I managed to stand. “Noah?” I said over the movie.

  Oscar grabbed the remote and muted it. “I should go.”

  “You don't need to leave,” Noah said, his voice gruff, his jaw clenched. He spoke to Oscar, but he hadn't taken his eyes off me. “May said you weren't well. I knocked lightly in case you were sleeping. I got worried when you didn't come to the door.” He took a step back. “I'll go. I'll call you later.”

  Oscar was already on his feet and halfway across the room. He slapped Noah on the back, murmured something to him, and left. “I'll check in tomorrow, Aubrey,” Oscar called back, before the front door snicked shut behind him.

  I sat and gestured for Noah to do the same. “I'm fine,” I said as he sat in an armchair across from me. In the dim light from the paused movie, he looked exhausted, his face drawn. I got back up and flicked on a lamp, before settling. “I was just tired and came home to rest.”

  “Good,” he said. “I'm glad you're able to rest when you need to.” He glanced toward the front door before returning his attention to me. “And that you have friends to keep you company.”

  I suspected he was fishing, attempting to find out the nature of my relationship with Oscar. I didn't feel like discussing it with him. I was just as happy with him thinking I'd already moved on. “How did the family meeting go?” I was capable of fishing, too.

  He frowned, but nodded. “It went better than I'd anticipated. So well, in fact, that I'm going to have to head back into the city tonight.”

  “Tonight?” I struggled not to show my disappointment. “Fast visit. I'm sure Nora will be sorry to see you go so quickly.”

  “And you?” he asked. “Will you be sorry that I'm not staying longer?”

  I was so tired. I was tired of fighting him, but mostly I was tired of getting my hopes up and being disappointed. Which was all my own fault, I was fully aware of that. “Why are you here?”

  His eyes widened just a bit and he had the good sense to look nervous. “What?”

  “Why are you here? If you want to know about the baby, I can show you ultrasound pictures and tell you about the doctor's visits you've missed. If you want to know how I'm doing, I already told you I'm fine.”

  He leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees. “I'm sorry I wasn't here for your doctor's appointments. I wish I didn't have to miss so much, but I'm trying to make some pretty major changes to the company and it's taking all my time.”

  I could f
eel myself becoming a bit irrational, but I was angry and hurt, and there was no slowing down for reason to sneak in. “I've been busy, too, Noah. I've been busy building a human, and working and trying to figure out how I'm going to raise her as a single mom.”

  “A single mom? No matter what happens with us, you won't be doing this alone.”

  “I'll probably need more than a thoughtfully worded text message every three days after she's born.”

  “I've been busy,” he said, sitting up straighter. I could see that he was getting frustrated, and I wished so hard that things were different. “And you asked me to stop texting you.”

  Damn it. I really was being irrational. “You're right. You've done nothing wrong. Honestly, though, everything is fine here. There's nothing for you to worry about.”

  He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Come back with me to Atlanta tonight.”

  It was my turn for my eyes to pop wide. “What?”

  “Come back to Atlanta with me. I'm going to be slammed for the next couple of weeks and I hate being so far away from you, especially so close to your due date.”

  “You want me to go with you to Atlanta so that you can be sure you won't miss the birth of your daughter?” Maybe it was baby brain, but I was having a hard time understanding what he wanted.

  “Yes,” he said. “No. I mean, of course I don't want to miss the birth of our daughter, but I want you with me. I want to be able to see you every day. I've missed sleeping with you.”

  Hope, that fickle bastard, reared his head for a brief moment, before sense smacked him down with the sledgehammer of reality. I pulled in a deep breath and tried to respond carefully and rationally. “My doctor is here, I have a job here and friends. Your family, our daughter's family, is here.”

  He just stared at me for a long moment, like my words surprised him. “You had a doctor in Atlanta, just go back to her.”

  “No.”