“Come home, Isabelle. We need to keep you safe.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll figure something else out.”
“No, Hank. I’m fine. Don’t worry.” She fingered the diamond heart hanging from her neck. Her chest heated at the thought of letting him down. She’d had no idea he’d taken personal financial risk. He’d seen the potential in her. She couldn’t let it be for nothing. “The cops think it’s likely random crime. I’m in good hands. I promise.”
The words were technically true, even if she didn’t believe them herself. Hank had inherited the private research center several years ago. While he didn’t have the academic background to research himself, he had a love for all things ocean. He shared that passion with the community by offering a donation-only aquarium and tide-pool tours. She’d almost refused his offer to hire her since he also was her uncle. But having family in the place she settled down was so appealing.
When he’d hired her, he’d bent over backward to help Isabelle in any way he could to pursue any hypothesis she wanted. The way he’d believed in her endeared Hank to her like a second father.
“Oh. Random crime? Good,” Hank said. “I mean, crime is not good, but that makes me feel better. Are you sure you’re okay? You have enough money to last the week?”
“I’ll be fine.” Somehow she would be, even if that meant living on the remaining granola bars and gummy bears in her suitcase. “Good night, Hank,” she said tenderly. She hung up and lifted her gaze.
Matt stood at the kitchen entrance, holding two mugs, his face ashen.
* * *
She was taken. Figured. Why it bothered him so much, he couldn’t pinpoint. But the love on her face was undeniable. He wouldn’t ask about this Hank guy, though. He had no right and no reason. Isabelle was just a friend and would remain such. She’d be out of his life once again in a week.
He cleared his throat. “I made you some hot chocolate.” He set the mugs on coasters on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Her eyes lit up. “Sounds perfect.” She sat down on the cushion next to him.
“You can take it to the desk if you have more calls.”
“No, I think I’m okay for now. Thank you.” Her face transformed at the sight of the mug. “Whipped cream and...” She tilted her head. “Cinnamon stick?”
He nodded. “It’s a recipe one of our restaurant chefs passed on. You make the cocoa from a dark chocolate bar with cinnamon and sugar to taste.”
“Oh? You have close friends within the hotel?”
The way she said friends made him smile. Was she trying to sniff out if he had a girlfriend? “Yes, I suppose. But I don’t blur the employer-employee relationship.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “No, of course not. I wasn’t implying—” She leaned forward to pick up the mug.
“But I don’t judge people who do.” He shook his head slightly. Why did that have to slip out?
Her hands froze in midair. She regarded him with a curious look on her face. “I guess it’s different for me. The institute has practically turned into a family business.” She pulled the mug up to her lips and took a tentative sip. “Oh, Matt, this is delicious.” She leaned back into the cushion.
“Family as in future husband, then?” He clamped his jaw shut. Why couldn’t he let this go?
She laughed, and a puff of whipped cream floated to the coffee table. “Sorry.” She leaned forward and used a napkin to wipe it up. “No. Hank is my uncle. I’d do anything for him. I try to separate the family from the business, so I don’t call him uncle, but he’s made the place feel like home.” She twisted to look at him directly. “You know, I’ve always dreamed of getting to settle down in one place without having to move.”
Matt did know. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer would always be, “I don’t care as long as I don’t have to move.” Apparently she found the career to match her brilliance, and he couldn’t help but be happy for her.
She took another long sip. “Hank even invited me to spend Christmas with his extended family. It’s been so nice.” Whipped cream lined the top of her lips. He reached over and brushed it off gently with his thumb. He yanked his arm back at the realization of what he’d done. Her eyes widened and her lips parted, but she said nothing.
“Sorry.” He tried to form a joke about good customer service but decided it was best to move on. He bent forward and grabbed one of the napkins. “Here you go.”
She blotted her lips with it. “I guess when you’ve spent as much time as we have together...”
She never finished her sentence. Matt really wanted to know the rest of her thought, but he didn’t want to focus anymore on his faux pas. He took his own drink of the cocoa, taking care to make sure the whipped cream didn’t leave a mark on him. “Let’s talk about tomorrow.” He needed to change the subject before the heat in his chest made its way to his cheeks. “Can you access the conference schedule online?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Let’s figure out where you might be vulnerable. To avoid moments like today.”
“You’ve done enough, and—”
“Isabelle, humor me.”
Her blue eyes hit him. The intensity in her gaze disarmed him, and he felt sure for half a second that she could see his very thoughts. She smiled, and he fought the urge to ask her a million questions about their years apart, to experience the same connection they’d once shared. Isabelle stood and brought over the laptop, typed an address into the browser and pointed at the screen.
Their shoulders touched as she settled back into the couch cushions. The ends of her hair brushed against him, and he remembered how she used to lean her head on his shoulder and tell him all about her day at school.
This Isabelle sat rigid, though. “So, as you can see, I’ll be inside the conference center for the entirety of the day.”
“Except for lunch.”
“Well, yes, but I wasn’t planning to leave the building.”
Matt pictured the conference area in his mind’s eye. Attendees would likely flock to Rosario’s or the Amaya Deli, but Isabelle had no wallet, so she wouldn’t be joining them. If he offered room service for breakfast and a sack lunch from the restaurant for lunch, he felt sure Isabelle would refuse. But he couldn’t let her starve. Matt made a mental note of what time the conference started to ensure his staff would deliver both before she left.
Transportation was another problem. Taxis were expensive. While he could afford a few out of his personal funds, he kept to a tight budget so he could pay off his student loans faster. But what he didn’t have in cash, he could access through his network of connections. Both times, Isabelle was attacked on foot. So if she had the advantage of wheels, maybe that would be enough, especially if he knew the drivers. He’d start making phone calls as soon as he said good-night.
“So, aside from the employer-employee relationship, do you have friends here?”
Her question pulled him out of his thoughts like a slap. “What? Friends? Yeah... I guess. Sure.”
Isabelle raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound so sure.”
He pointed to the computer. “Deep in thought is all.” He sighed. “I talk to plenty of people each day.”
“That’s not what I asked.” She slumped a bit until her head rested on the top of the back of the couch, and she stared at the ceiling. “The Matt I used to know had tons of acquaintances but very few gut-level friends.”
“True. I still talk to a couple of the guys back home. That’s enough for me.” He didn’t want to admit that it got lonely at times. As long as he stayed busy, it didn’t bother him until the hotel began running so smoothly he had no excuse not to take off a few evenings each week. He wasn’t unhappy, but he did wish he had someone close enough to want more than “I’m good” as an answer to how he was doing.
&nb
sp; “What about you?” he asked. “I seem to remember the same could be said about you.”
“I was hoping you’d forgotten that.” She winked. “It was easier back when I had the four crazy McGuire brothers as neighbors to entertain me and pull me into their crazy antics. No excuses, though. I’m working at building friendships. I keep reminding myself that I don’t have to move—” Her voice cracked ever so slightly. She straightened and blinked rapidly. “As long as I have a job, I get to stay put, you know? So I’m trying hard. I’m trying to make roots and push myself to make deeper connections with people. I get along great with my coworkers and the volunteers.”
In other words, she was just like him. “No one else?”
She rolled her eyes. “You weren’t supposed to turn my line of questioning on me. I’m trying. I just joined the women’s Bible study at church.”
He nodded. The first thing he’d done after getting settled was join the men’s study at the closest church. Maybe she was better at lowering her walls than he was.
She squeezed her eyes closed and released a yawn.
That was his cue to call it a night. “Let me walk you to your room.” His eyes caught something on the screen he hadn’t noticed before. “What’s this dinner thing tomorrow?”
She leaned forward. “Oh. An awards dinner for all attendees, which means another great chance for me to find some potential investors.”
“At the Tower of the Americas? You’ll need someone to walk you to the entrance. A taxi can get you close but not right up to the door.”
“You’ve gone up the tower?”
“I’ve been meaning to, but haven’t had a reason to go in yet.”
She bit her lip and gave him a sidelong glance. “We could solve both our problems with my plus-one ticket.”
He laughed. “Smooth, Izzy.”
A lovely shade of mauve bloomed over her face. He used to be able to make her blush often. He’d forgotten how much he loved that.
“You don’t have to,” she said quickly.
“No take-backs. I’m already planning on it.” He grinned. “Let’s get you up to your room. I can’t have my future reviewer not getting enough sleep. She might think it was the fault of the hotel.”
They walked in silence to the front desk to retrieve her rolling suitcase. He enjoyed watching the reactions play on her face as she took in the ornate chandeliers all the way to the elevator. Not that he was responsible for the beauty of the hotel, but he was proud to work there. It wasn’t his dream, but it was a satisfying job.
When they reached the sixth floor, he insisted on checking the room himself.
Isabelle whistled at the room. “Nice digs, Matt.”
“Okay, there is a personal safe in each hotel room. It’s big enough for your laptop. It even has an outlet so you can keep it charged. You can pick your own code to lock it, but feel free to bring it down to the front desk if you’d like. When I leave, use the dead bolt and the bar. Stick the door wedge underneath for additional safety.”
Her forehead creased slightly as she nodded. “Thank you. For everything.”
He racked his brain for anything else that might be useful. “If anyone knocks, even if it looks like a hotel employee, call me.” He grabbed the hotel notepad and jotted down his direct line. As long as she was without a working cell phone, they would have to rely on the direct lines. In the morning, he’d see about a replacement. “Don’t open the door for anyone.”
Her eyes widened, and his attempt at reassuring her seemed to have had the opposite effect. “You can rest easily now.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe here.”
As he left her room, he prayed he had told her the truth.
FIVE
Isabelle stared out the window of the catering van. Her head pounded with the stress and busyness the day had brought, especially after a sleepless night. She had flinched at every sound inside and outside the hotel’s walls.
The morning had started with Matt knocking at her door. He’d brought her breakfast, coffee and a gourmet sack lunch to take with her. And to top it off, he’d arranged for his linen supplier to drop her off at the conference free of charge and a local caterer to return her.
She could see him now, standing next to the valet at the hotel driveway, waiting for her arrival. He beamed at the sight of her, and Isabelle wasn’t sure how to process all the emotions hitting her at once. She’d forgotten what it was like to have someone so thoughtful in her life, someone who smiled at her very presence. And yet she needed to push down the all-too-familiar attraction. He’d always seen her as a friend and nothing more. That had to be at the front of her mind.
Besides, even if there were mutual attraction, it wouldn’t work. She had what she’d always wanted in Oregon, a permanent home. There was no future for them besides rekindled friendship, which would be more than enough. It had to be.
Matt waved his thanks at the caterer and led her inside. He wore a classic-fit suit in a shade of blue so light, it was almost silver, and it emphasized his wide shoulders and the brass highlights in his hair and eyes. “How was your day?”
“Filled with countless workshops and lectures.” Without her tablet, she found it hard to keep up with note taking. She’d left her laptop in the room’s safe and planned to keep it there until her presentation at the end of the week. So for now, she used hotel pens and notepads to fill in the gap. “Thanks again for making it so easy to get to and from the conference. I’ll just be a minute and then I’ll be ready for the awards dinner.”
She hustled to her room and changed into a power suit, a red jacket with gold accents and black pants. In five minutes flat, she was back in the lobby. Except, Matt was engaged in a conversation with someone. It was the same man who seemed to have been following them in the hall the night before. She took a step closer and stiffened.
Matt stood with his arms crossed over his chest. “Well, Mr. Frazer. Let me know if you have any questions.”
The man looked over Matt’s shoulder at her. Isabelle glanced away so she didn’t appear to be eavesdropping. She spotted the security guard near the front door, and it helped calm her heart.
“I will,” the man replied. “I just like to get the feel of a place before I get serious about booking. Doing it in all the other locations, as well. Don’t look now, but it seems like an attractive lady is hoping to get your attention.”
Her cheeks heated. Apparently she wasn’t as nonchalant as she thought.
Matt glanced at her and did a double take. It wasn’t lost on Isabelle that he seemed to appreciate the change in her outfit. He smiled. “Yes, well, I get to escort her to dinner tonight.”
“Ah, young love,” Frazer replied.
Isabelle hated being talked about as if she weren’t there. And now the man’s assumptions could embarrass Matt. “It’s business,” she interjected.
Matt frowned and turned back to Frazer. Was he irritated she’d joined the conversation? He pulled out a business card. “Take your time looking around. Enjoy a free coffee on me.” He turned around, and they fell in step toward the glass doors.
“So, he wasn’t following us last night?”
“I honestly don’t think so,” he said. “It’s not unusual for people to want to see if our accommodations and service are as good as we promise on the websites. He’s checking out the hotel for a possible future event. If he gets serious, I’ll give him the tour.” He waved to the driveway. “Shall we?”
A taxi waited underneath the awning. “I don’t have any mo—”
“My treat,” he answered. “Like you said, I’ve never been to the Tower before.”
It might’ve been her imagination, but it seemed Matt paled a bit. The driver wove rapidly within traffic, and they sat in silence for the five-minute ride. At the parking lot drop-off, Matt place
d a hand on her back and looked around wildly while keeping an almost impossible pace to the Tower doors.
Once inside, she recognized other conference attendees waiting in line for the elevator. A man wearing a white polo shirt waved them in and welcomed them to the Tower. Her introvert tendencies kept her from engaging with the attendees outside the actual workshops, which was counterproductive to finding investors.
She took a step closer to Matt as the doors closed. Her stomach flipped as the elevator shot upward. Almost instantly the glass walls revealed a beautiful view of San Antonio. As the recorded voice piped in interesting facts about the building, she marveled at the sight. Matt’s rigid form didn’t move an inch. His gaze remained on the button panel.
She bit her lip. She’d forgotten he was terrified of heights. Whenever he’d worked with his dad in construction, he’d kept both boots firmly on the ground. It was why he’d never followed in his dad’s footsteps. No wonder he’d hadn’t visited the Tower before now. But why did he agree to go with her? Just to keep her safe? Her heart swelled, but she didn’t want to embarrass him in a box full of people.
She needed to keep his mind off it. She stepped closer to him. “So, tell me—what’s the hardest part of your job?”
His shoulders relaxed slightly, but his gaze never wavered. “Making sure conference attendees can live in harmony,” he answered quietly. Just above a whisper. “The year I started working there, both the Texas Democratic Party and the Young Republicans were scheduled to hold meetings at the hotel in the same week. So now I watch out for a bad match. Wouldn’t want a jewelry convention at the same time as a kleptomaniac convention.”
She laughed but noticed his face was pale. “Funny.” She put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to ground him. The heat radiating from his strong arms took her off guard, though, and her own knees felt a little weak.
Texas Takedown Page 5