“I’m a grown man, Maureen.”
“And I’m still the owner of this company. It’s time I reminded Adam of that once again.”
Arm in arm, they walked into the office where a man in a tailored suit paced back and forth in front of the wall of windows like a caged tiger. His head snapped up when he heard the door open, his face twisted into a furious snarl, only to balk when he saw his mother. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to fill you in on a few things I handled while you were on vacation.” She gave Rupert a wink before releasing him and crossing the room to straighten her eldest son’s tie. “And how was Maui?”
“It-it was nice,” he stammered before turning to Rupert. “Bates, what the hell happened with the Humboldt Park residence? We were on course to demolish it and—”
“Adam, dear, don’t yell at Rupert. Yell at me.” She flicked a bit of fuzz off of his shoulder. “I’m the one who overrode your orders.”
“I’m not going to yell at you, Mom.”
“Then why are you yelling at him?” She sat down in Adam’s desk chair, crossed her legs, and swiveled in a not-so-subtle hint that she was, indeed, still the one in charge.
“He knew what my plans were for this property.”
“And thank goodness he alerted me to a possible neighborhood violation.” She stilled and gave her son the same sweet smile she’d given him when he was a child throwing a temper tantrum. “You see, this property has significant historical value, both as a greystone and as a prime example of Freemasonry from the turn of the century. Once the local alderman realized that, he declared it an historic site, which meant you couldn’t demolish it.”
Adam crossed his arms and glared down at her. “And I wonder who tipped him off?”
She played innocent. “Surely, you don’t mean me?”
“We could’ve made a killing on that site. Dad bought it back in the seventies for next to nothing, and that neighborhood is up and coming. We need to strike while it’s still hot and cater to the young professionals moving into it.”
“And we are, while still preserving the home.” She pulled up Gretchen’s sketches on her phone again and handed it to Adam. “As you can see, I’m already working with a designer.”
He flipped through the drawings, each swipe growing less and less resentful. “Did you know about this, Bates?”
“I just received Ms. Sternhold’s drawings not ten minutes ago, but I’m familiar with her work on similar homes.”
Adam returned her phone. “I see you’re proposing we turn it into three flats.”
“I am. That way, we both get what we want.” She rose from the chair. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I made reservations for Rupert and me at Blackbird, and I’d hate to be late.”
She nodded to Rupert as she made her way to the door. “Come along. We have so much to discuss over lunch.”
Rupert gave her a smile that was a mixture of defiance and amusement. “I’d hate to upset Mrs. Kelly,” he said before following her out the door and into the elevator.
Once they were on their way to the parking garage, he patted his chest. “Oh, bother, I forgot my coat.”
She prevented him from pressing the button to go back up. “My car is still warm from the drive down. It’s just a quick dash from the valet to the front door. Besides, do you really want to be cornered by Adam right now?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then forget about the coat. Besides, it’s not that cold outside. Just a brisk twenty-seven degrees.”
“Which is still below freezing.”
“We can warm you up with an aperitif when we get to the restaurant.” She kept moving toward her car as soon as the elevator opened. “Or, if you want, you can settle for plain, ordinary tea.”
“There is nothing plain and ordinary on the menu at Blackbird.”
“Of course not. That’s why I love eating there, too.” She stopped in front of her Tesla Model D and waited a split second for the door handle to pop out. “Come along, Rupert. We have ten minutes to get there, and you know how traffic can be at this time of day.”
“Just one moment.” He stopped to do something on his phone before climbing into the passenger seat. “I forwarded Adam the email from Gretchen, along with the email from our engineer and the approved permits from the city.”
“Nothing for him to worry about now other than writing the checks.” A shiver of anticipation shimmied down her spine from the prospect of working on the home. “And thank you again for suggesting Gretchen. I met with her yesterday, and she was an absolute delight. Even better, she understood my vision for the home, and that has me so excited to begin.”
“I’m very glad to be of service.” In contrast to his relaxed manner on Saturday, he sat uneasily in the seat. Too rigid. Too stiff. Too restrained.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No, nothing wrong. It’s just that I worry that lunch may take too much time away from your other plans.”
“Nonsense. I have no other plans today until two, when I’m meeting with Gretchen to look at paint and tile samples.” Worry began to swirl in her stomach as she continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye. “Are you saying you don’t want to have lunch with me?”
“Of course not. As you said, I love dining at Blackbird, and you already know how much I enjoy your company.”
His posture said otherwise.
Thankfully, the drive to the restaurant was short, and by the time he got out of the car, he seemed to be more like his usual self. He opened the door for her and filed in behind her as they made their way to the maître d’. A minute later, they sat at their table, and the tension between his shoulders appeared to have loosened.
But it wasn’t completely gone.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He picked up his menu and hid his face behind it.
“I know you, Rupert, and I can tell when something is troubling you.”
He lowered the menu enough to peer over it. “My apologies, Maureen. I was inside my head for too long.”
“And what is going on inside your head?”
“More than a penny’s worth,” he replied with a wan smile. “However, I’m looking forward to lunch.”
“Consider it my way of thanking you for stepping in for Emilia this weekend. I had such a wonderful time.” That strange and familiar flittering sensation restarted in her stomach as she said it. When she met Rupert’s gaze, it intensified. Her cheeks flushed.
I haven’t reacted this way to a man in years.
The realization unnerved her to the point that she sought refuge behind her own menu. The words all blurred together when she tried to read the list of entrees. She fought the urge to press her hand to her chest to slow the rapid pitter-patter of her heart. She was a woman in her sixties, not a silly teenager. She’d been married and widowed and still missed Mike every day, yet lately, whenever she spent time with Rupert, she found herself facing these unnerving reactions to his presence.
The waiter appeared at their table and ran over the specials. Once he finished, she’d managed to gain control over herself. Rupert was a dear friend, and she was thankful to have him. She gave her order to the waiter and focused on remaining calm.
“I took the liberty of pulling some photos from the era of the greystone for you to look at,” Rupert said after the waiter left. “I apologize for not having my tablet with me, but we can access the cloud on my phone.”
She retrieved her reading glasses and slid her chair closer to his so they could share the screen. He started with pictures of the neighborhood in general, followed by family photos of a period greystone in pristine condition.
“As you can see in this one, wallpaper was very fashionable back then,” he said, pointing to a colorized photo he’d found.
“Yes, but I doubt that would go over now.”
“Agreed. But if you were aiming for an authentic restoration of the home, that
would be something to consider.” He flipped to the next photo, which was a scanned image from a ladies’ magazine from the turn of the century. “I thought this was interesting because it described the popular colors for home décor at the time.”
She leaned in to read the small font and caught a whiff of his cologne. It was a subtle mix of bay leaf, leather, and pepper—masculine without being overwhelming. It suited Rupert.
“I would defer to Gretchen on this matter, but many of the colors that were popular when the house was built in 1893 are coming back into fashion. Creams, slate grays, mossy greens.” He flipped through a few color postcards from the period to demonstrate each color.
She nodded, unable to speak due to her acute awareness of him. It was the same sensation she’d gotten when he’d caught her the other night after she slipped. And it was only natural to feel such things when he had been holding her in his arms. But they weren’t even touching right now. And yet, she couldn’t shake the spring of giddiness welling up inside her.
She needed to get her mind off him before she said or did something that made him even more uncomfortable. She started by shifting her chair back to its original position, far enough away from the scent of his cologne or the warmth radiating from his body. “I appreciate the effort you’ve put into this project.”
“Let’s just say I share your passion for older homes.”
The word passion spiked a resurgence of the heat in her cheeks.
The waiter saved her from embarrassment by bringing the first course to the table. She could easily blame the color in her cheeks on the steaming soup she sipped.
“I have a feeling these condos will be a hit,” Rupert continued. “I’ve crunched some preliminary numbers on them, and I see us easily making two hundred and fifty thousand on each unit.”
“Adam should be pleased with that.” She mulled over the period photos Rupert had shown her, and her excitement about the project returned. “There’s part of me that’s almost tempted to sell my home and downsize to a condo.”
Rupert nearly dropped his spoon. “You can’t mean that.”
“I said part of me. Let’s face it—it’s an awfully big home for just one person.”
He nodded. “But there’s still part of you that wants to stay, I assume.”
“I suppose so.” She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin and held back the tears that still threatened to spill over when she remembered her husband. “Mike and I had many happy years there, and I dreamed of the day when my grandchildren would fill it, but I’m slowly coming to terms that won’t be the case.”
“Are you suggesting you’d rather have all seven of your sons living at home again?” he asked with a teasing smile.
That earned him a laugh from her. “No, I’m very proud of what my boys have achieved. I just wish they weren’t scattered all over the place. Selfish of me, huh?”
“Not at all. You’re a mother, and I believe most mothers feel that way. My mum was quite gutted when I moved to America. But we can’t expect them to remain children forever, and now that they’ve become men, you are free to focus on other things.”
“Like this restoration, I suppose?”
“And outwitting opponents in bridge tournaments.” He smiled at her, and some of her sorrow faded.
Yes, she’d done her part as a mother. And now that she had more time on her hands, she could focus on the endeavors she’d always labeled as selfish in the past.
“Speaking of which…” Rupert retrieved his phone and pulled up a new file. “I thought you might find these interesting.”
She looked over the new bridge strategy and grinned. Small things like this made her happy, and he knew better than anyone else how to make her smile.
When she met his gaze again, it wasn’t the same flustered rush she’d experienced before, but a warm glow that left her calm and hopeful.
And wondering why she’d never realized what a gem of a man Rupert was before.
The rest of the meal did little to dull her feelings. They talked about everything from sports to tea until his phone rang during dessert. Rupert frowned when he saw the number and apologized before taking the call.
Frustration tugged at his features as he answered with a series of one-word responses, followed by, “I’ll be right there.”
After he hung up, he apologized again. “As much as I hate to end our time together, it seems one of the properties in Wicker Park has some frozen pipes that require my attention. I need to run back to the office for my coat and keys.”
“I understand, Rupert.” She rose from the table with him and placed a kiss on his cheek, breathing in his warm scent again and jump-starting her pulse in the process. “Can I give you a ride back to the office?”
“It will be faster for me to take a cab. Besides, I’d hate to keep you from enjoying your dessert.” His attention lingered on her even after she pulled away. A hint of smile shone through his normal all-business demeanor as he said, “Thank you again for a lovely meal with even lovelier company.”
The flush returned to her cheeks with full force, and she pressed her fingers to them once he walked away.
After all these years, could I be falling for Rupert Bates?
Chapter 6
The first thing Rupert did when he returned to his office was fill his electric kettle and turn it on. He’d spent the last hour in the bitter cold discussing damaged pipes with a plumber. Right now, he needed a cup of tea.
The kettle reached the boiling point right as Adam knocked on his door. “You look half frozen.”
“I am.” He poured the hot water into his cup and tossed in a tea bag. It was nowhere on par with the exquisite tea Maureen served, but necessity called for convenience. “We’re looking at four thousand dollars at least to fix that burst pipe at the Wicker Park property. I went ahead and gave the plumber the green light to proceed with the repairs and to invoice us for the costs.”
“Thank you.” Adam sat down in one of the leather wingback chairs that were reserved for clients. “When were you going to tell me about my mother’s plans for the Humboldt Park property?”
Rupert’s back stiffened, and warning bells went off in his head. “I wasn’t under the impression I had to tell you anything at all. She is the owner, after all, and she came to this decision while you were away.”
“How very convenient.” Adam drummed on the arms of the chair. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say there was something going on between you and my mother.”
The tension between his shoulder blades doubled, but he focused on straining the water out of the tea bag and tossing it away. Did Adam know about his feelings for Maureen? “What do you mean?”
“I find it more than just happenstance that my mother suggests I take Lia on vacation the same day she applied for a historic landmark designation on that house. And she wouldn’t have even known that the house was in danger of being torn down if someone hadn’t brought it to her attention.”
Rupert found himself walking a very tight line. “Mr. Kelly, I’ve worked for this company for over two decades, and I’ve known your parents for just as long. You were barely out of your nappies when your father hired me to assist him in maintaining the day-to-day operations for what was then in his property portfolio so he could focus on new projects. I’m still performing the same duties today, but I also haven’t forgotten who is really in charge.”
Adam arched a haughty brow as though to say it was him.
“If you wish to review your father’s will, you’ll see that he left all of his holdings to your mother, not you. It is her name on the deed, and as owner, she needs to be aware of certain proposals that may go against her wishes.” Rupert took a sip of tea and watched his response sink in.
“So, you’re admitting that you went behind my back to halt my idea.”
“I am admitting that I thought it prudent to inform the real owner of the property of the proposed changes. She is responsible for everything that followe
d.” He set his cup aside and crossed his arms, standing over his employer. “Never forget that your mother is an intelligent, vivacious, driven woman who will work around the clock for something she feels passionate about. She found a cause in that house, and she is beyond ecstatic to be able to restore it while at the same time turn it into the condominiums you thought would be commercially viable in the area. Just because she loves the historic charm of the home doesn’t mean she wishes to ignore your proposal for meeting the community’s and the company’s needs.”
Adam sat stock still, and for a brief second, Rupert worried he might be terminated for his speech.
Instead, Adam said, “You speak very highly of my mother.”
“Because I know it to be true. She is a remarkable woman, which is why your father adored her. And if you forgive me for saying this, she deserves every ounce of respect you can give her. She put aside her career, her dreams, to raise a family, and it would be beyond disgraceful if you interfered with her plan now, especially since she is already upset that none of your brothers are coming home for Christmas.”
Adam’s eyes widened. “What?”
Even if he could give Maureen only three or four of her sons home for Christmas, it would fill her holidays with joy. And the perfect way to do that was to recruit the eldest to his plan. “Yes, your poor mother has been quite distraught with the prospect of no one visiting her for the holidays. She hasn’t even started decorating the house.”
“She hasn’t?”
He nodded, noting Adam’s distress over the news and wondering when the last time was that he had visited his mother. “Furthermore, she was musing today about selling her home and downsizing to a condo.”
“She can’t!” Adam bolted up from the chair. “We grew up there.”
“Yes, but now you and your brothers are adults and have moved away, leaving her all alone in that massive house.” He moved around his desk, cup in hand, and unlocked his computer screen. “Perhaps if you and your brothers gave her a reason to hold on to such a large home, say by filling it up for Christmas, she might consider holding on to it.”
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