What The Heart Finds

by Gadziala, Jessica

  “No one else seems ready to leave yet,” Anna said, her tone almost squeaky. “And Eric promises to be on his best behavior.” She looked over at him, an eyebrow raised. “Don’t you, Eric?”

  “Oh yeah,” Eric said, smiling at her sweetly. “Perfect angel.”

  Lena rolled her eyes, looking up at him. “Alright, fine,” she said with the same enthusiasm as if he told her he was taking her to get a tooth pulled. “Sam,” she said, turning back, her voice pleasant. “I had a really great time. And Anna… it was… enlightening,” she said carefully.

  Eric extended an arm out as if inviting her to go with him. She looked at him sideways for a second before falling into step beside him. “Nope, this way,” he said as they rounded the house, putting his hand on her lower back.

  She felt the pressure, her spine straightening against the flutter she felt in her stomach. He had to stop touching her.

  “So are you enjoying some of our small town charm?” he asked.

  “Some parts more than others,” she said, stepping out of arms-length. “Anna is really nice,” she said, knowing it was cruel and silently cursed herself for saying it.

  “Yeah,” Eric said, looking at her from under lowered lashes. “she is. So you want to be dropped back at the inn?” he asked, opening the passenger door of a black pick-up truck.

  “Yeah I have a lot of work to do,” she said, her eyes widening. Good one, Lena. “You know… on my laptop.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?” Eric asked, sliding into the driver’s seat and turning the truck over.

  Lena pulled her seat belt, feeling it get stuck. “Yeah. But… I can never leave work at work,” she said, pulling harder at the belt.

  “Yeah, I can see that being true,” he said, his voice teasing. “Here,” he said, leaning across the seat, reaching for the stuck seat belt.

  And then her was right there, his face lowered down eye-level with her breasts as he reached behind her for the belt. She held her breath, looking down at the top of his head, his hair shiny. One of his hands was planted on the seat right next to her hip, pressing against her leg. The other was on her other side, pulling until the belt finally released. “There,” he said, turning his face up toward her, his cheek grazing her breast. His face was serious for a moment, his eyes seeking hers. “Breathe, Lena,” he said, her name like a secret on his lips. He looked at her for another short second before clicking the seat belt into the holder and moving abruptly away from her.

  As soon as he was back in his seat, Lena let the painful air out of her chest, feeling more than a little frazzled. She turned away from him, watching out the window as they slowly moved down the road. She opened the window, the wind feeling good on her suddenly flushed face. By the time they passed the other small farm, the silence was getting uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat, reaching for the stereo.

  “Nuh-uh, darlin’,” Eric said, slapping her hand away. “No one touches the radio but me.”

  She looked at him, one pale eyebrow raised expectantly.

  He glanced at her for a second then smiled, switching the radio on and turning the volume up. Lena sank back against the seat, feeling some of the tension slip away. She needed to get a grip. Pull herself together. She wasn’t the kind of woman to get so worked up over some random man.

  It wasn’t like she was some starry-eyed virgin, capable of being charmed by any silver tongued devil that crossed her path. She had had a few flings in her time.

  But, she reminded herself silently, in those situations she had always been the one in charge. The one to initiate, the one to lay down ground rules. She wasn’t used to being pursued or whatever it was that Eric O’reilly was trying to do.

  “So what kind of work do you do? Judging by the clothes, I am assuming it is in an office.”

  “What is wrong with my clothes?” Lena looked down at herself. She was always put together, neat. Professional.

  “Just an observation,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t go getting your panties in a twist.”

  “You have no effect on my panties,” she said, looking at his profile.

  He glanced at her quickly, his eyes intense. “Don’t I?”

  And, damn him, he did. But there was no way she was going to admit to that. “Nope,” she said, thankfully seeing the inn coming into view.

  Eric pulled up front, cutting off the engine and hopping out of the car, crushing any hope she had that he was just going to let her hop out and leave. Before she had even unbuckled herself, Eric was there opening her door. He reached a hand up to her.

  “I can help myself down,” she said, reaching for the door handle and lowering her feet down onto the narrow step-up bar. The slippery underside of her heels slipped on the metal surface and she felt a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, knowing she was going to fall.

  “You sure about that?” Eric asked, grabbing her and hauling her against his chest. He held her there, her feet dangling just a few inches above the ground.

  “You can put me down now,” she said, her voice breathless and she knew it was from more than the fear of falling.

  “Sure, I could,” he said, but didn’t.

  “And you aren’t because…”

  “Because I don’t want to,” he said simply, smiling down at her for a second before finally putting her back down on the ground.

  “Right,” she said, smoothing her hands down her shirt. “well… thank you for the ride,” she said, moving onto the sidewalk, feeling awkward.

  “Anytime,” he said, his eyes suddenly far away. “Well baby, go catch up on work. I’ll see you around.”

  And then he was gone, taking off on foot back toward his shop. She looked at his truck for a moment, before shaking her head and going toward the front door.

  She needed to get some kind of information to send back to EM.

  Five

  She ran up to her room, slipping into a pair of flats, before making her way back down to look around a bit. She still hadn’t seen Emily; the young man was at the front desk, his fingers flying over the keypad of his phone.

  Walking past him, she made her way down the hall. Past the dining room which was empty except a server sitting at a table carefully counting out his tips.

  Lena reached the door to the staff quarters, trying the doorknob and finding it unlocked. She felt her heartbeat whooshing in her ears, loud and disconcerting. She wasn’t the kind of person meant to be sneaking around. The thick threat of nausea settled in her throat, hard to swallow through.

  She stepped down the hallway, finding a small closet full of cleaning supplies. There was only two other doors on either side of a window.

  “Can I help you?” Emily’s voice broke in, sharp, irritated.

  “Oh,” Lena said, jumping before turning to her with a clumsy smile. “Emily. I was looking for you. Sorry. I didn’t know where I could find you…” Emily had her arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised as if suspicious. “I haven’t seen you all day. I was… excited about the tour of the grounds,” she said, hoping her voice was steady enough to be believable.

  Emily eyed her suspiciously for an agonizing moment before releasing her hands to her side, and forcing a smile. “Of course. We can go do that right now,” she said, leading her back into the hallway. “Devon here,” she said, waving a hand at the young man at the desk. “is really just decoration.”

  “Yes,” he said, finally looking up from his phone and smiling charmingly. “I just brighten up the room, don’t you think?”

  Emily smiled at him, opening the front door and Lena fell into step beside her. “I don’t know why he insists on working here,” she said, filling the awkward silence. “he’s actually from one of the richest families in town. I guess it gets him out of the house.”

  Lena looked back over her shoulder at him and he winked. She turned back to Emily, laughing. “How old is he?”

  “Oh, he’s a baby,�
�� she said, affectionately. It occurred to her then that everyone in this town knew each other. Probably right from the cradle. Like a big family. “I think he’s about twenty now. He’s working on some kind of art project. Hence the phone all the time. If you ever need anything, don’t feel bad interrupting him. He’s just lost in his own world. He’s actually happy to help.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Lena said, silently wondering what it must be like to be lost in a world that wasn’t dictated by outside forces. Her whole life was controlled by the company she worked for.

  “If you follow the white ribbons,” Emily said, pointing to trees wrapped with ribbons. “they will lead you through the woods and bring you out on the other side of town. They are walking trails only. We have separate ones for the horse trails. Come on, I’ll show you the stables.”

  Lena had never had much of a chance to see animals outside of pet stores growing up. Living in a city where wildlife was severely controlled, she hadn’t ever actually seen a horse up close and personal.

  “Oh wow,” she said, stepping into the barn, smelling strongly of fresh hay.

  “Yeah,” Emily agreed, reaching into a bag hanging on the wall and offering the closest horse a sugar cube from the palm of her hand. “there’s nothing like a good horseback ride to clear your head. You interested?”

  “Oh,” Lena said, looking over at the animals with a sinking feeling. “I don’t…”

  “Come on,” Emily said, smiling encouragingly. “you only live once, right? You can scratch this off your bucket list.”

  Lena laughed. “But it wasn’t on my bucket list.”

  “So you write it on your bucket list and then scratch it off,” Emily said, rolling her eyes comically. “Alec,” she called off into the stable though there didn’t appear to be anyone around.

  “Comin’,” a voice came from somewhere in the back before appearing out of a stall.

  Alec was tall and thin with long dark brown hair, pulled back and in a messy bun toward the crown of his head. He had a wide face, his strong bone structure hidden slightly underneath a short, neat beard.

  Lena turned to Emily, shaking her head. “Please tell me there is at least one ugly man in this town.”

  Emily laughed, the sound coming out husky and deep. “Not a one,” she said, still smiling. “Alec, this is Miss. Edwards. She would like to learn how to ride.”

  “Well… I don’t…”

  “Great,” Alec broke in, stepping close. He had almond-shaped eyes the color or deep, bright green moss. “Thank you Emily,” he said, his tone pointed. You are dismissed.

  “Mmmhmm,” Emily said, her eyes bright. But she quickly excused herself.

  “So for a beginner,” Alec said inspecting her body in the least-sexual way possible. She felt like a specimen under a microscope. “I usually recommend riding someone tame like Toby,” he said, moving to stand in front of a gray horse with white spots. “he’s gentle. Come over here,” he said, suddenly smiling at her, amused at her reluctance. “he wont bite.”

  Lena walked closer, her hand reaching out tentatively. “Promise?” she asked skeptically.

  “Miss. Edwards,” he started, looking amused. “I am more likely to bite you than he is.” He stepped behind her, putting his hand on her wrist and leading her toward the soft gray coat. “See? Gentle giant.”

  Lena felt Alec’s hot breath on her neck and fought to suppress the shiver she felt down her spine. “Okay,” she said, her tone a little too sharp. “what’s next?”

  “Next we take him out and show you how to get on him,” Alec said, reaching for the lock on the stall.

  She didn’t think she would like it. She genuinely thought she would see it as a complete gratuitous waste of time. But as soon as she lowered herself down on the saddle, she felt like it had been something she had been missing from her life. There was a moment, goading Toby into a slow, comfortable canter, where she remembered work. What EM would think if he knew she was taking an afternoon off to learn to horseback ride. But it was his absurd plan that she pose as a guest and get information. Guests took horseback lessons. It was research, she comforted herself, knowing EM would never see it that way and suddenly, for the first time, not caring.

  She returned to her room just before the first dinner seating, happily taking an awkward bath in the tub that only allowed about half of her body in the water at a time. Sitting down to her laptop, sore in places she hadn’t worked out in ages, she opened her work email, her heart sinking at one from EM himself with a simply question mark as the subject line.

  I expect more information than the state of the wallpaper and tile. - EM

  Lena closed her eyes, an uneasiness settling in her stomach, making her lose her appetite altogether. She had to get her stuff together. Yeah, it was nice to have an afternoon to herself just enjoying an activity. But that wouldn’t ensure success in her career. It wouldn’t pay her bills. It wouldn’t make her look like a strong, competent employee to Elliott Michaels. She needed to get her head in the game.

  Sorry. Had car trouble. Lost a day. Will have more results by morning. - LE

  She waited until the last dinner service had finished and went downstairs, plopping herself down in the sitting room with a book on local history opened on her lap. Emily pranced around the main floor in her usual hyper-level of energy: tiding up the desk, running back and forth with linens, re-shelving books. She eventually sat down in one of the captain’s chairs, tapping her fingers furiously on the arm for a moment before jumping up. Like it wasn’t possible for her to sit still.

  “Alright, I am going to make some coffee,” she declared. “want some?”

  Lena closed her book, looking over at the clock. “Oh, no. I’ll be up all night. I think I am going to go take a walk before bed, but thanks.”

  Emily smiled, “Alrighty have a good walk,” she said before bouncing off to the kitchen to make coffee for energy she obviously did not need.

  Lena waited a few moments, walking over to the front door and slamming it. She walked carefully down the hall, listening for a sign as to where Emily was. There was nothing but silence for a moment before, “Damn it to hell,” came from the kitchen, followed by a smashing sound. Like a mug breaking on the floor.

  Lena quickly scurried past, slipping down the staff door and making her way down the hallway. As she turned the knob for the office again, she was one-hundred percent certain she was never meant for a job spying or stealing or anything that required back-handedness. Her heart was hammering in her chest, she felt cold and hot at the same time. Freezing hot. She felt a hysterical giggle lodge in her throat at the thought.

  She dashed inside the office, leaving the door open a crack so she could hear any activity in the hall and turning on the light. It was a typical office, small and cramped with a cheap wooden desk and metal filing cabinets. It displayed much of the same organized chaos as the desk up front and she wondered if that was all Emily’s doing.

  Lena made her way over to the filing cabinets, opening the first drawer and pulling out a manila folder with Devon’s name on the front. Inside she found hiring papers, copies of tax documents, medical forms. She scanned the page, looking for the information EM wanted to know. What was his salary?

  She had just found the number when she heard the hallway door open. Lena pushed the file back into place, closing the door most of the way, and throwing herself under the desk.

  There was an insistent jingling, the keys that Emily always wore attached to her waist. She was rummaging around in the cleaning supply closet, presumably to get something to clean up the mess she had made in the kitchen. But then she was coming closer, her footsteps just outside of the door.

  Lena put her hands over her face, silently praying she would stay secret, her own breathing sounded louder than usual and she wondered if Emily could hear.

  The door swung open slightly, but Emily stayed in the hall. “Hmm,” she said to herself, reaching in
and turning off the light.

  Lena had about three seconds of relief before she heard the door close. And lock. From the outside.

  She waited underneath the desk for an agonizingly long time before she was sure that no one was going to come back. She crawled out slowly, reaching in front of her in the dark to make sure she didn’t knock anything over. She looked around hopelessly for a moment before noticing a small crack of light. There was a window.

  Lena made her way over, moving the shade up, and looking out so see if anyone was around on the porch. Seeing no one, she slid the window half way up, sliding onto the sill, straddling it for a second, her foot not quite reaching the ground on the other side.

  “That’s an interesting way to exit a room.”

  Six

  Lena’s heart leaped into her throat. Losing her careful balance, she fell hard onto the porch. Great. Just great. She was caught. She pushed herself onto her knees, rubbing at her sore elbow when she heard the laugh. The slow, deep, unnecessarily sensual laugh.

  She quickly jumped up on her feet, closing the window quietly, and turning to face him. “Don’t you have a home?” she asked, finding him strolling across the lawn. The moon peeked out from behind a cloud, making his hair shine and casting half his face in shadow.

  “You know baby,” he said, smiling slightly. “it’s pretty rude to sneak out on a guy when he’s sleeping.”

  Lena leaned forward, brushing the dirt off her clothes as an excuse to not have to look at him. “Have a lot of experience with women sneaking out, do you?” she asked, pleased that her tone was even.

  Eric look downward, shaking his head, his hand at the back of his neck. Bashful, almost. “I’m usually the one doing the sneaking,” he admitted, looking up at her with a glint in his eye.

  “Oh, Mister. Pillar Of Morality… please teach me how to see the error of my ways,” she drawled, watching with growing anxiety as he turned and starting walking toward the porch. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? “How is my car?”