Their Second-Time Valentine

by Helen Lacey

  “He’s not the only one,” Brady said. “I don’t think I’ve slept the night through in the last six months.”

  “Well, being a parent to a pair of four-year-olds can’t be easy.”

  When Brady’s best friend and his wife had died in an accident six months earlier, his brother had become legal guardian to the couple’s four-year-old twin boys. Kane had to admit that Brady had certainly stepped up to the plate in the parenting department. Recently, Brady realized it would make sense for him to be closer to his extended family, so that the boys would be able to grow up around more family—just as he and Kane had—and he had relocated with the twins to Rambling Rose. Of course, Kane and Adam were delighted their brother was in town and gave him as much support with his kids as they could.

  “Where are the boys, by the way?” he asked.

  “With Adam for a couple of hours. I haven’t quite mastered grocery shopping with both boys yet,” Brady said and grinned.

  “Maybe you should think about getting a nanny,” Kane suggested.

  Brady shrugged. “Yeah, eventually. I need a job, too. The boys can be a handful so I’ll have to figure something out soon. Right now we’re just working on getting settled. They’ve had so much change lately I want them to feel some stability. Thanks for helping me out with them last weekend, by the way. I know you’ve got a lot going on with the hotel at the moment, so I appreciate you watching the boys on Saturday.”

  Kane nodded. “Family first, remember.”

  Brady slapped his shoulder affectionately and then Kane noticed another man standing by the reception desk. Jay Cross worked at the hotel as part of the Fortune management training program. Kane had befriended the other man, but Jay was a quiet, private sort of guy, who seemed to keep his reasons for being in Rambling Rose pretty close to the vest. Still, he worked hard and had so far proven himself to be an asset to the hotel.

  Kane spoke to both men for a few minutes and was interrupted when his cell pinged. He pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen.

  Hi. I owed you a message. What time tomorrow? Layla.

  His gut rolled over as he slowly worked through the words and a familiar dread rattled through him for a moment. Kane took a breath and didn’t give the uneasiness too much traction. It was only a short message and he had an app that turned text to speech and used it when he was in a hurry or on a deadline, although he usually avoided the app when he was in company. Even nearly twenty years after his diagnosis with dyslexia, he still sometimes felt the stigma associated with the disorder. Not from his family and friends, since those closest to him were well aware of his issues, but the struggle he’d endured through his school years sometimes lingered when he was in social situations. And he wasn’t familiar enough with Jay to reveal something so personal.

  He excused himself and stepped away, checking the message again. Layla. It had been a long time since he’d any inclination to hang out with someone and he was very pleased she’d texted—since he wasn’t sure she would. In fact, early that morning, since he hadn’t heard from her, he’d convinced himself she wasn’t going to accept his invitation.

  Kane took his time and texted back, adding the formal invitation to the opening in an attachment. A few seconds later she responded with a thumbs-up emoji and he was foolishly pleased.

  He quickly rejoined the two men. “Sorry about that.”

  Brady raised a brow. “You’re grinning,” his brother remarked. “Any reason for that?”

  Heat crawled up Kane’s neck. He was? Kane didn’t want to admit that Layla’s friendly text was behind his expression. “Nope.”

  Brady laughed. “I gotta go, catch you later.”

  Once Brady left, Kane discussed a few minor issues that needed to be addressed before the following day with Jay. The other man agreed to see to a lingering problem with the door in the restaurant kitchen before he clocked out for the day. Kane left the hotel around four thirty and, instead of going to the gym as he usually did, headed for his brother’s place.

  Adam was home and greeted him with a smile and one of his famous home-brewed craft beers. Kane was close to all his siblings, but he had a particularly good relationship with Adam.

  “Didn’t expect to see you today,” his brother said as they sat in the kitchen, and Larkin chuckled happily from his spot in his high chair. “I thought it would be all hands on deck at the hotel this afternoon, since the big opening is tomorrow.”

  “Everything’s on track to go smoothly,” Kane replied. “I bumped into Brady at the hotel—he said the boys were here?”

  “Laurel settled them in the living room with a DVD,” Adam said.

  Kane nodded and took a sip of the beer. “This is good,” he remarked, and shook the bottle a little. “A new blend?”

  Adam had a keen interest in craft beer and was working toward setting up his own brewing company. “Yeah, it’s the best yet I think.”

  “Agreed.”

  “So, how do you think tomorrow will go?” Adam asked. “Is Callum ready for the big reveal?”

  “He’s concerned,” Kane said, and shrugged a fraction. “Natural, I guess, considering what happened last month. The last thing we want is another thing to go wrong at the hotel, particularly on opening day. But every precaution has been taken and I think it will be a good day tomorrow.”

  “Valentine’s Day,” Adam said, and grinned. “A nice touch. Your idea?”

  He laughed. “You know me. Mr. Romantic.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt, you know,” Adam said a little more seriously. “Might make you less of a workaholic.”

  “You mean romance?” he said, and laughed again. “Actually, I...” He paused and shrugged again. “Nothing.”

  Adam’s gaze sharpened. “What?”

  “I met someone,” he said quickly before he lost his nerve. “Or at least, I think I might have.”

  “You think?”

  “She’s a parent at Larkin’s day care,” he admitted, heat rising up his collar. “A single parent,” he clarified quickly. “I met her when I picked him up the other day.”

  “A single mom?” Adam chuckled. “I’m impressed. Sounds very grown up.”

  Kane raised a brow. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “Well, you gotta admit, you usually date women who aren’t any more interested in settling down than you are.”

  Kane scowled. “Neither did you until you married Laurel.”

  “That’s because I’ve been in love with Laurel since college,” his brother remarked. “What’s your excuse?”

  “Okay,” he said, and drank some beer. “You got me. I’m obviously afraid of commitment.”

  “Not surprising after you got your heart busted up by that Swedish girl.”

  “That was high school,” he said, and frowned, recalling the exchange student who’d captured his heart in senior year and then summarily broke it when she said she had no intention of settling for a dumb jock. Her criticism had stung and although his heart had recovered quickly, he’d never quite gotten over being labeled that way. “It was just kid’s stuff and a long time ago.”

  “To prove my point, though, just how long has it been since you’ve had a serious relationship?” Adam inquired. “Since Jane, right?”

  “Janine,” Kane corrected.

  How long had it been since he’d thought about Janine? A long time. After high school and throughout college he’d avoided anything serious, and then he met Janine and they’d dated for a while. But it didn’t last. With Kane, it never lasted. He sidestepped commitment like it was the plague. The moment Janine had pressured him for more, he’d pulled back. He knew it was illogical—Janine was a nice woman and they’d had a lot in common. But something held him back. His inability to commit had waved like a red flag between them. Something was missing from their relationship. He didn’t know what.
..but he knew enough to get out before things got too serious.

  “Kane, is my husband hounding you about your singledom again?” Laurel asked as she appeared in the doorway.

  He looked up and grinned. “Yes. Save me, will you?”

  She came into the room and outstretched her arms toward her son. “Ignore him, he always gets sentimental around Valentine’s Day.”

  “That’s true,” Adam agreed. “So, tell us about this mystery woman.”

  Kane finished his beer and got to his feet. “See for yourself tomorrow,” he said. “I invited her to the hotel opening. Right now, though, I have to bail. See you at the party.” He said his goodbyes and headed home.

  His bungalow was small and neat, not far from the center of Rambling Rose and Provisions restaurant, where Adam was the manager. Since his brother had moved out and into the guesthouse on Fame and Fortune Ranch with Laurel and Larkin, Kane had bought some new furniture and painted the kitchen.

  After he showered and zapped a frozen dinner in the microwave, he sat down with a root beer in front of the television. Not exactly a wild Friday night, he thought as he ate. Truthfully, his isolation had become a regular thing since he’d relocated to Rambling Rose and Adam had moved out. The notion made him think of Layla McCarthy and Kane realized she was the first woman he’d been attracted to in longer than he could remember. He looked forward to seeing her again, and the thought quickly made his Friday night seem a little less lonely than usual.

  * * *

  “Ah... Hailey,” Layla said Friday afternoon after she hit the send button on a text she’d written to the man she’d come to think of as Hot Uncle. “Do you know Kane Fortune?”

  Hailey swung around the side of the spa’s reception desk. “Of course, he’s Dillon’s cousin. Why?” she asked, one steep brow up.

  Layla shuffled a few things on the desk. “No reason...but I met him the other day and he seemed...” Her words trailed off as she was reluctant to incriminate herself.

  “Nice?” Hailey finished for her. “He is nice. He’s a good guy. In fact, Dillon reckons that if it wasn’t for Kane, the new hotel wouldn’t have really gotten off the ground. Even though Callum is generally considered the checkbook, the whole family is working on or at the hotel and Kane has been helping get the place ready and the big opening is tomorrow,” she added,

  “I know,” Layla admitted. “He invited me.”

  “Really? A date?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure it’s a real date. He invited Erin, too.”

  “That’s sweet,” Hailey said. “How did you meet?”

  Layla quickly explained the circumstances and then sighed. “I thought Erin might enjoy the party.”

  “Just Erin?” Hailey queried.

  She colored hotly. “Me, too, I guess. The truth is, I haven’t been on anything resembling a date since Frank died. I’m not sure I even remember how to act on a date—if that’s what this is—or if I’m even ready to start thinking about dating again.”

  “Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Hailey said, and smiled. “And Kane is a great guy. I think you should go for it.”

  Layla glanced at her phone, waiting for a reply. She knew it was time she came out of her self-imposed hibernation. Even if it was simply to get out of the house and enjoy herself with some male company. It’s not like she had to see him again after the party. What harm would it do? When the reply came, she ignored the way her nerves tingled a little at the thought of seeing him again.

  Later that evening she was sorting through her wardrobe, looking for something suitable to wear to the event. She had a cute red-and-white outfit picked out for Erin, and flicked through her own clothes, smiling when she came upon a dress she hadn’t worn in years. It had been Frank’s favorite, she recalled as she pulled it from the wardrobe and held it against herself. But no, she thought as she placed the dress back into the wardrobe. Living in the past wasn’t healthy. She pulled out another dress, one she hadn’t worn before and had purchased on a whim a couple of months earlier. Perfect, she thought, and hung the hanger on the top of the door to let any creases fall out.

  Erin woke up early Saturday morning and Layla dragged herself out of bed to attend to her daughter. After breakfast, she did a load of washing and once the supermarket trip was done, Layla headed home, got ready for the event at the hotel and drove into town.

  The multistory hotel was certainly a welcome addition to Rambling Rose. Like Paz Spa and the restaurants and cafés that had popped up in the last year, the hotel would obviously bring jobs and more dollars into the local economy. The scaled-back construction was an architectural beauty that seemed to fit in perfectly with the town. Even the gardens were breathtaking, and she slowed down to get a better look. The building loomed ahead, a row of adobe brick archways greeting her as she drove past the front entrance and followed several signs indicating guest parking. There were dozens of cars already there and people were walking toward the rear of the hotel. She parked the car, pulled the stroller from the back and quickly got Erin settled before she followed the throngs of guests.

  The gardens at the rear of the building were equally lovely and she spotted a huge white rotunda and several large tents set out on the grassy area behind the swimming pool. She checked her watch, noticed that she was on time and looked around for someone she might know.

  I should text Hot Uncle and tell him I’m here.

  She didn’t, though. She wandered around a little, smiling at a few people she recognized but didn’t know by name. She considered messaging Hailey to see if she’d arrived yet, but quickly changed her mind. Instead, she pushed Erin past the rotunda where a lectern and microphone were set up, along with a few chairs that were clearly for VIPs. Then she headed for the tents with gourmet food stalls and several small carnival-style rides. She noticed one of the tents housed a collection of little tables and chairs where children were seated, coloring pictures with crayons. She pushed the stroller into the tent and quickly sat Erin at one of the tables.

  “Hey there.”

  At the sound of the deep male voice, Layla straightened and turned, finding Kane Fortune standing behind her. The breath rushed from her lungs and she managed a smile. “Hi.”

  “You came?”

  She nodded. “I said I would.”

  His gaze traveled over her. “You look lovely.”

  Foolishly pleased he liked her dress, Layla tried to ignore the heat wrapping itself around her limbs. Because in navy cargos and a white shirt and dark jacket, he looked so darn hot she felt like someone had lit a fire under her dormant libido.

  “Thank you,” she managed to say. “And thank you for the invitation. It’s nice to get out and celebrate something. The hotel looks amazing. Like, boutique style, but bigger, if that makes sense.”

  “It does,” he replied, and nodded. “That was the idea. I’ll give you a tour later, if you like?”

  She nodded. “I remember reading in the local newspaper how much resistance there was to the hotel being built, but by the look of everyone here today, there’s no more of that.”

  “Not like there was,” he said, and looked relieved. “It was definitely a tough sell in the beginning. But I think that something new and different always gets people’s attention. And you may have read about the accident last month.”

  She nodded again. “An employee was injured, right?”

  “That’s right, Grace Williams. Thankfully she’s okay. In fact, Grace is now the general manager and she’s dating my cousin Wiley, so she’s obviously not holding a grudge.” He smiled and the action made her belly somersault because he had one hell of a sexy smile. “Your daughter looks like she’s enjoying herself.”

  Layla glanced down at Erin and saw she was content with her drawing and ignoring the other two children now sitting at the small table. “She’s something of a loner,” Layla said, and
sighed. “At day care she’ll take herself off into a corner with a book or a toy and stay there for an hour or so. Well, I’m not that great at making friends, so maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” he said quietly. “You’re doing pretty well so far.”

  Layla laughed and it felt good. She didn’t laugh anywhere near enough. “You make it easy.” Surprisingly, she held his gaze. “I asked Hailey about you,” she admitted.

  “My soon-to-be cousin-in-law,” he said, and grinned. “There are a lot of cousins in this town. So, what did Hailey say?”

  “That you were nice,” she replied. “A good guy.”

  “I always did like Hailey,” he said, and grinned again. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked, and gestured to the food and beverage vendors.

  “That would be great, but I don’t want to monopolize you,” she said, and glanced at the lanyard around his neck. “I’m guessing you’re on duty today.”

  His gaze narrowed. “What is it you think I do here?”

  “With those shoulders, I guess I figured you were in security or something,” she said, and quickly realized how provocative she must sound. God, I’m so out of practice at this. “Sorry...that sounds like I’ve been ogling you or something.”

  He chuckled. “Now you’re blushing,” he said, still grinning. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Layla watched him walk away, noticing the confident way he walked, like he was a man who knew exactly who and what he was. And those shoulders...phew...they were the stuff of fantasies. She shook off the notion and turned her attention back to Erin, who was still happily drawing. When Kane returned a few minutes later, he carried two sodas and a mini juice box.

  “Thank you,” she said, and took the drink for Erin.

  Her daughter surprised her by getting up from the small seat, grabbing the paper she’d been drawing on and promptly holding the drawing out to Kane.

  He looked down. “Is that for me?”