“I’m honored to be the one to help you escape,” he told her with a wink. Open pastures and fields filled with herds of cattle glided by on either side of the highway. Similar to the trail ride with Megan and Kane, this drive gave him another glimpse into the Texas landscape, and the sheer scope and size of it gave him an unexpected sense of peace. How was it that a self-described city slicker could feel such a connection with wide-open spaces?
“You’re being nice again,” she said, a teasing lilt to her voice. “While I appreciate it, I’m sure you have better things you could be doing tonight than this.”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “Driving down the highway with you tops my list.” He made the comment casually, because he didn’t exactly want to share how much this moment meant to him.
“If that’s the case, I bet you’re champing at the bit to get back to your regular life.”
“I’m enjoying the break.”
“Really?” She shifted in her seat to look at him more fully. “Tell me about Chicago. The city must be so exciting. I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“The pace is definitely different than you have around here, but not necessarily better. Just different.”
“What would you be doing on a normal weekday night if you were in the city?”
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “Most likely I’d still be at the office.”
“Describe it,” she said. “Did you decorate it yourself?”
He chuckled at her attention to detail. “Not really, although I worked with the firm’s interior designer to choose paint colors and a few pieces of generic art. If my diploma weren’t hanging on the wall, the space could belong to anyone.”
“But you spend a lot of time there. Are you part of a big firm?”
He nodded and explained how he’d interviewed with several law firms during his final semester at law school and chosen this one because of its size and the variety of clients. At the time, Wiley had been captivated by the thought of working in an office with a dozen other associates. He’d assumed he’d have the chance to work with myriad different types of clients, although in reality the work was more monotonous than varied.
As Grace peppered him with questions about his coworkers, his hobbies and his friends, he realized how one-dimensional he’d allowed his life to become. Much like a robot, he functioned on autopilot. Not that daily life in Rambling Rose was a roller coaster of excitement, but observing his siblings for the past week, he realized that they’d managed to create rich, layered lives filled with friends, new ventures and sometimes love.
He had very little to share that made his life sound fun. Hell, he’d even gotten into the habit of ordering the same rotation of meals from the carryout restaurant around the corner from his condo. He had all the freedom in the world, he realized, but took advantage of none of it.
As quickly as possible, he turned the conversation toward Grace’s life. She recounted in more detail the aftermath of her brother’s car accident and what it had meant for her. She didn’t complain about having to leave college to help with Jake’s recovery, and he admired her dedication to her family and her positive attitude.
He wanted to ask more about her time at the cowboy-themed amusement park his relatives ran in the small town of Horseback Hollow, but she suddenly sat forward in the seat. “Get off here,” she told him, and he veered onto the exit ramp, although he hadn’t even noticed a sign for services along the empty stretch of ranch land.
“We came here when I was a kid,” she told him, looking around with a sentimental gleam in her eye.
“Where exactly is here?”
“Turn right off the exit.” She pulled her phone from the purse she’d looped around her shoulder. “Shoot. I don’t have service, but I’m pretty sure there’s a restaurant about a mile down the road.”
“In the middle of nowhere?” He grinned at her. “Should I be concerned about what they might be serving on the menu?”
“It’s part of the adventure,” she told him. “Let yourself go crazy, Counselor.”
“So long as crazy doesn’t end up with either of us hugging the porcelain throne later tonight.”
She laughed at that, and the sound reverberated through him like music. He still couldn’t tell what it was about Grace, but Wiley felt completely at ease with her.
The road wound in a gentle curve, grand oak trees flanking it. He liked the differences in the north Texas landscape. The way the scenery could change from wide-open fields to rows of trees standing sentry, their bare branches reaching toward the heavens.
Suddenly, a small house—or inn—appeared in a clearing. The decades-old structure was painted deep purple with a yard filled with whirligigs and metal lawn art out front.
“That’s it.” Grace clasped her hands together. “I remember the sculptures. I was fascinated with watching them move when we came here.”
He pulled into the gravel parking lot, which was half-filled with cars. “I can’t believe you found this place,” he said, grinning at the happiness in Grace’s blue eyes. She looked like a kid about to enter her favorite candy store.
“I can’t believe it, either.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “It must be a sign.”
He lifted a brow. “Of what?”
“This is the moment my luck changes. No more cheating boyfriends or accidents or dead-end jobs. This place shows that I can find something great if I trust my instincts.”
Wiley turned over his hand so their palms touched, once more amazed at how soft her skin felt against his. He wasn’t certain he believed in luck or signs, but he knew enough to savor this moment and his time with Grace.
“Then let’s go try your luck with the Oak Tree Inn.”
By the time he pulled her crutches from the back seat and made his way around the car, Grace had climbed out, gazing at the inn’s clapboard front like it was the entrance to Shangri-la.
She adjusted the crutches under her arm and started toward the building, stumbling slightly when the bottom of a crutch slipped on a large rock.
“I’ve got it,” she said before he could offer assistance.
Her quiet independence was a new experience for Wiley. Although he kept his romantic life casual, he definitely had a type. Gorgeous, young and happy to have him take care of everything from planning dates to choosing menu items and definitely setting limits on how close he would get. He tended to go out with women whom his sisters liked to describe as damsels in distress. It wasn’t as if he purposely sought out the role of “knight in shining Italian loafers” but that was often the position he found himself in.
He expected things to be the same with Grace, especially given what she’d been through. Her injuries were the perfect excuse to sit back and let him pamper her, which he would be happy to do.
But the more time he spent with her, the more he understood that making her own way was important to Grace. She didn’t want to be handled or coddled, despite all the stumbling blocks life had put in her way. Her determination captivated him. Maybe that’s why he found himself becoming more and more fascinated by her with every passing minute.
* * *
Grace couldn’t remember a night when she’d had more fun than she had spending the evening with Wiley.
They sat near the firepit on the back deck of the cozy inn, the only two people who’d ventured out from the dining room. Dinner had been even yummier than she imagined, with the chef offering simple dishes with an Italian flair.
Her frustrations and struggles with work and her family seemed a million miles away. To her great relief, Wiley appeared just as relaxed as she felt. The inn’s owner had given them a couple of thick fleece blankets to take out with them, and they sat close together on an outdoor love seat.
“This is how I want people to feel when they stay at the Hotel Fortune,” she murmured, her breath catching as
Wiley shifted so that their thighs pressed against each other.
“Blissed out on good food?” he asked with a wink.
“Happy,” she answered simply.
Her response seemed to catch him off guard, and he gazed into the fire for several long seconds before speaking.
“I feel it, too.” His voice was a quiet rumble and did funny things to Grace’s insides. “Happy.”
He bent forward to place his wineglass on the stamped concrete patio.
“But I think my happiness has more to do with you than this place.” He gestured to the building behind him. “Or the food and drinks, although everything was fantastic.”
Pleasure swirled through her at his words, because she felt the exact same way. Grace reminded herself that she not only didn’t believe in love at first sight, but she wasn’t interested in anything that would take her focus from her position at the hotel and the potential of earning the coveted general manager promotion.
“But if we can offer our guests—both local and out-of-town visitors—an experience that lets them forget the troubles of regular life so quickly, they’ll definitely come back over and over.”
Her lips tingled when he placed a gentle finger against them. “I thought we agreed no work talk tonight.”
She gave a shaky nod, then wrapped her fingers around his. “Yes, but you know I’m right.”
He chuckled. “You’re right,” he conceded without hesitation. “This night is special.”
Then he leaned close and brushed his mouth over hers. It was a tentative kiss, a question of sorts. Grace couldn’t tell which one of them he expected to answer. Her body had no doubt, however, and she reached up and wound her hands around his neck, needing to be close to him.
A low groan escaped Wiley’s lips, and it felt like a gift that she could affect a man like him. He cupped her face between his big hands, angling her head and deepening the kiss. Their tongues met and melded, making heat shoot through Grace’s body in a way that shocked and thrilled her. No simple kiss had ever stirred her in this way.
Normally, she would wait for a man to push for more, but Wiley seemed content to savor her and the moment like they had all the time in the world to discover each other. Within moments, Grace lost herself in the sensation.
After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, Wiley pulled away. He stared into her eyes without speaking, but his gaze told her everything she needed to know. “Wow,” he murmured, one side of his mouth curving.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” She went to shift closer and banged her foot on the edge of the love seat, and muffled a yelp of pain. Nothing like the reminder of her injury to put a damper on the most romantic interlude she’d had in forever.
“Are you okay?” Wiley’s hand immediately went to her leg, and Grace lost all ability to think coherently.
“Fine,” she managed, trying not to wheeze. “But maybe you should kiss me again and make it better.”
He flashed a wolfish grin and claimed her mouth again.
Grace jerked back when she heard the sound of voices headed in their direction. Two older couples were walking toward the firepit from the restaurant.
“We should probably go,” Grace said, although she didn’t want the moment to end. She didn’t want anything about this night to end.
“Will your parents be worried?”
She shook her head. “I texted my mom while you were in the restroom so she doesn’t worry. It’s weird to be an adult and still check in, but she appreciates it.” She stifled a yawn. “I wish I had my normal energy.”
“You’re overdoing it.” Wiley immediately shrugged off the blanket, stood and then scooped her into his arms.
Grace sputtered out a shocked protest. “I’m not that tired.”
“Could you hand me those crutches?” Wiley asked one of the men from the group that circled the other side of the firepit.
The stranger did as he was asked while the two women looked on with similar expressions of fascination. “That’s so sweet,” one of them told the other.
Color rushed to Grace’s cheeks. “You can put me down,” she said into Wiley’s ear.
“Young love,” the second woman responded. “If Carl tried to pick me up like that, he’d pull out his back.”
The women laughed as Wiley started down the back steps and around the side of the inn. They’d already paid their bill so didn’t need to return inside.
“Wiley.” Grace squeezed his shoulder. “You don’t need to carry me.”
He paused and kissed her again. “I know you’re more than capable on your own, Grace. But please let me hold you for a few minutes.”
Well, when he put it like that, how could she refuse?
Reassured that he wasn’t taking pity on her, she settled into his embrace for the short walk to the parking lot. He was warm and strong, and she couldn’t resist tracing one finger along the strong column of his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“You’re going to cause me to stumble, and we’ll both hit the ground,” he said with a gruff laugh.
“I trust you.”
His arms tightened around her for a few blissful seconds, and then they were at the car. He deposited her on the ground and rested her crutches against the back door.
“Thank you,” he said, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“I think I should be thanking you.” She grinned. “As should those two women at the firepit. From the sound of it, you made their night with your heroics.”
His gaze darkened. “I’m not a hero. I just wanted an excuse to wrap my arms around you.”
“Do you need an excuse?”
He turned his head, as if he needed to look away in order to gather his thoughts. “I like you, Grace. A lot. From the moment I saw you at the birthday party, there was something...”
“I know,” she said, lifting a hand to his jaw. “I felt the same thing.”
He met her gaze once again. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
Please, her body screamed silently. Take advantage.
“I’m a big girl, Wiley.”
“I’m only in town until the hotel’s grand opening,” he reminded her, as if she could forget.
“That gives us a few more weeks.”
One side of his mouth twitched. “What exactly did you have in mind during that time?”
Heat pooled low in her belly, but there was no way she could articulate all the things she had in mind for Wiley. Her uninjured leg began to ache, an outward sign of her current limitations. The cast was going to make anything physical between them awkward at best.
Then she realized that as much as she desired the man standing in front of her, she liked talking to him and just being around him as much if not more. He made her feel smart and capable. Right now she wanted—needed—more of that in her life.
“We could hang out,” she suggested. “Like tonight.”
“Tonight was a date.”
The words sent pleasure spiraling through her. “Then we could date more.”
His thick brows drew together. “Until the opening?”
She nodded. “You’re returning to Chicago, and I’m focused on my career. Neither of us has time for anything serious, but we have fun together. Right?”
“So much fun,” he murmured, still teasing.
“It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.” Grace held her breath as she waited for his response. In truth she barely recognized herself, suggesting a short-term fling with a man like Wiley. The brother of her bosses at the hotel.
There were so many reasons it might be a bad idea, not the least of which was the way he made her heart stutter and her body ache when he looked at her. And when he kissed her...
She couldn’t focus on the risks. Grace had spent so long playing it sa
fe. Her vow when she’d returned to Rambling Rose had been to live life to the fullest, to push herself out of her comfort zone. This was definitely ticking off those boxes.
Wiley’s dark gaze searched her face for several seconds, and then he nodded. “This is the start of a few weeks of as much mutually beneficial fun as we can manage.”
Chapter Eight
Wiley followed the sound of construction toward the hotel’s back patio two days later. He’d spent most of the previous day holed up in his bedroom suite at the ranch, on a never-ending stream of calls and videoconferences. Working remotely was turning out to be more of a challenge than he’d expected, but the thought of returning to Chicago held little appeal, especially when staying in Texas meant spending time with Grace.
He’d walked her to her parents’ front door after their dinner together, and the urge to kiss her again had been difficult to resist. At least until her father opened the door as they climbed the porch steps, giving Wiley a look that clearly communicated Mike’s disapproval.
After taking the crutches from him with a sigh, Grace had balanced herself on her uninjured leg and leaned in for a quick peck on his cheek and a murmured thank-you before disappearing into the house.
Her father had slammed the door in Wiley’s face before he’d even had a chance to say goodbye. He’d climbed in his car and started toward home, pressing two fingers to the place her lips had touched, feeling like a lovesick teenager for wanting to vow not to wash that side of his face again.
Although Grace’s mother seemed to approve of their friendship, it bothered Wiley that her dad and brother clearly wanted no part of him in Grace’s life. He didn’t date seriously, but Wiley had met his share of parents over the years, and all of them seemed inclined to support their daughters getting serious with an attorney, especially one who came from a well-to-do family. Wiley’s stepfather, David, had made a fortune in the video game industry. He and his siblings were intent on carving their own path, yet there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that they came from a good family.
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