Beautiful Deception

by Morgan James

  He waited for me to meet his gaze again before continuing. “I missed it. I missed not working, not having a reason to get up every morning. You’re the same way. You’re letting dark memories hold you back from the future.”

  He placed one finger over my lips as they parted to speak. “It’s hard as hell to keep moving, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It’s going to take time to feel safe again, I understand that. And I’ll always be here for you. You need something, I’m just a phone call away. Jack and Mia are there, and they can’t wait to see you.

  “It’s time to go back to work, baby. It’s time to take control again instead of letting them win. Stay in your office all day if you have to, but you’ve gotta get out of this house.”

  I hiccupped a little sound, a combination between a laugh and a sob, and his huge hand lifted to cup my face. “Please, Jules. I’m not asking you to do this for me. I’m asking you to do it for you.”

  I closed my eyes against the stupid, irrational tears gathering there and nodded against his callused palm. “I know. I’m just... I’m a mess.”

  He lifted my chin, directing my gaze to his. “If that’s true, you’re the most beautiful mess I’ve ever seen.”

  I smiled despite myself. “Gee, thanks.”

  His other hand slipped around to my lower back and pulled me close. “You know I love you.”

  I melted into his embrace. I could hear those words every day for the rest of my life and it still wouldn’t be enough. “I know.”

  He dropped a kiss on my lips, then swatted my bottom. “Now, get that cute ass in gear.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled as I peeled myself out of his embrace. “I’m going.”

  I slipped my purse over my shoulder, then picked up my keys from where they lay on the table beside the door. I watched as Eric clipped the duty belt around his waist, then shrugged into his coat, all the while thinking about what he’d told me.

  He was right. I needed to take control of my life again. Though I hadn’t wanted to admit it initially, I’d been going crazy. Being stuck in the house was just as bad as the thought of going out in public, just in a different way.

  I’d grown up spoiled and, if not lazy exactly, complacent. I never had to work, didn’t even have to go to school. Everything had come to me. Clothes, tutors, money; I’d never had to work for any of it. But what I’d discovered when I got a job at Briarleigh was that I truly enjoyed working. I liked being independent, actually thrived on it. It was so different than anything I’d ever known, and now that I’d had a taste of freedom and independence, I wanted more of it.

  “Eric?”

  He didn’t even look at me as he palmed his keys and took a step toward the door. “Yeah?”

  I took a deep breath. “I want to do this myself.”

  That got his attention. “What?”

  Hazel eyes bore into my own, both bolstering my courage and making me feel incredibly bashful. “I... I think you’re right. I need to do this.” I paused. “On my own.”

  “Okay.” His head moved up and down in a slow nod. “You’re sure?”

  “I am.”

  He stared at me for another long moment, then closed the distance between us. “I’m proud of you.”

  That meant more than anything else he could have said. Eric was the bravest, strongest man I knew; for him to admire me was almost more than I could bear. I certainly didn’t deserve his admiration, but I would find a way to prove myself worthy.

  He cupped my chin in his hand and brushed his lips across mine. “Good luck today. And remember—I’m just a phone call away.”

  I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant by that. He wouldn’t come running to me at the drop of a hat. He would, however, be there to listen. If I was worried or scared he would make the time to listen to me, to offer encouragement. “Thank you.”

  With another soft kiss, he ushered me out the door. “See you after work.”

  I made my way down the mountain to Briarleigh, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. It was so strange to be surrounded by so many people, yet it was welcome at the same time. I loved Eric, and I truly enjoyed spending time with him. But I needed this. I fit in here, and I knew I was good at what I did. I thrived on the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.

  The employee door was unlocked, and I made my way down the hall to my office. I paused just outside the thick oak door and took a deep breath before sliding the key into the lock and stepping inside. I quickly closed and locked the door behind me, then moved behind my desk.

  My purse slid from my shoulder as I sank into the chair, and I dropped my head into my hands. Baby steps, I reminded myself. I’d made it here without encountering anyone; that was half the battle. Truth be told, I was more worried about that than anything else.

  What would people say? They knew I’d been kidnapped; Eric had told me of his tearing the town apart after the accident and trying to find me. I couldn’t stand to be on the receiving end of their curious or judgmental looks. I had a feeling Eric knew the same. It was probably the only reason he’d waited so long to force his hand. But gossip wouldn’t die down until I took control and showed my face in public. I needed to put on a happy appearance and pretend that it didn’t bother me.

  In reality, it was the farthest thing from the truth. Eric had been my saving grace over the past two weeks. He was there each time I woke from a nightmare, sweaty and screaming, the feel of the whip still fresh on my skin. He never offered me pity. To see that would have broken me. Instead, he’d coached me through each episode, using the comfort of his touch to slowly erase the nightmare I’d endured.

  For the past four nights, I hadn’t dreamed at all, and it felt like I was finally starting to move on. Though I’d resisted at first, I was glad Eric had pushed me to do this.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I booted up my computer and began to scroll through emails. I’d received hundreds over the past few days, and I carefully read through each one.

  An hour later, a soft knock came on the door.

  I warily made my way to the door, then unlocked it and opened it a crack.

  Mia peeked her head in, a bright smile on her pretty face. “Hey.”

  I smiled back. At least, I tried. I knew it felt forced, but she didn’t seem to mind as she slipped inside and I closed the door behind her. “I didn’t want to jump you right away on your first day back.”

  “You’re fine.” I tensed, waiting for the inevitable questions. But Mia surprised me.

  “The spa is almost finished. Want to go check it out?”

  A pang of disappointment thudded in my chest. The addition had been my baby, and I’d missed the completion of it. I would never get that time back, never...

  I shook off the thought. It was just a room. All that mattered was that I was here. Safe. I had Eric and all of my friends. We had another thousand moments just like this one ahead of us.

  “I’d love to.” I reached for the door, but Mia hesitated, looking more than a little uncertain. It immediately put me on guard, and I froze in place, one hand on the knob. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” She gave a tiny smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just...”

  She opened her arms slightly, her expression pleading. I didn’t realize how much I needed the hug until I found my feet carrying me forward of their own volition. Her arms locked around my waist, and I clutched her tightly. Her body shuddered, and the knowledge that she was crying brought tears to my own eyes. For several long minutes, we remained that way. She was my best friend, practically a sister to me. God, I’d missed her so much.

  She gently peeled herself away and swiped at her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “I’m sorry, I—”

  “No, really.” I blinked the moisture from my eyes. “You have no idea how much I needed that.”

  “I missed you.”

  Her blue eyes were sincere, and I realized just how difficult my absence had been on her, too. Though I’d been home
for two weeks, I’d refused offers to see anyone, including Mia. Now I regretted it deeply.

  “I’m sorry,” I said by way of apology.

  “Don’t be.” She waved away my concern. “I understand. I just want you to know how important you are—to all of us,” she added. “I knew you wouldn’t have just left. I knew something was wrong; I could feel it.”

  I nodded but still couldn’t bring myself to tell her everything. From the slightly curious look on her face, I suspected Jack hadn’t told her what had happened. Though I’d wavered in and out of consciousness, I knew he’d been there when they found me beneath the church. Eric told me that Jack had flown home the following day, but part of me was glad he hadn’t told Mia. I wanted to leave that behind. It was bad enough that I’d been kidnapped; I couldn’t bear to have her look at me with pity and sympathy instead of her usual cheer.

  Pasting on a bright smile, I tipped my head toward the door. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the spa.”

  Mia held the door for me and chattered excitedly as we made our way down the hall. “We kept to the original plans, and the tile finally came in last week. Everything came together really well. Now all we have to do is finalize the name and some last-minute details, and we’ll be good to go.”

  We’d been debating on a name for the past month but hadn’t come up with anything official. I almost hesitated to offer my opinion, because I didn’t want to sway Mia. This was the Prescott’s resort, and I wanted to make sure she was happy with it. “That’s awesome. What are you thinking?”

  She slid a look my way. “I kind of liked your idea.”

  “Which one?”

  “Rêverie.”

  I couldn’t help the tiny smile that formed on my lips. It had been my favorite as well. The last several months—for myself as well as Mia—had been a dream come true. She’d rekindled her love with Jack and found her place in her late father’s company. I’d been lucky enough to get this job at Briarleigh, create this amazing spa, and fall in love with Eric. It seemed fitting somehow that the spa be named for all the dreams that had come to fruition.

  “Well, it’s up to you. It’s your spa.”

  She hummed a noncommittal sound just as we reached the doorway. “You ready?”

  Butterflies kicked up in my stomach, battering against my rib cage. I was both excited and nervous—but mostly excited. I couldn’t wait to see it. “Yes!”

  She unlocked the door and swung open one of the heavy, carved oak doors. The lights were already on, and my heart clenched as I looked around the space. Gone was the plastic sheeting and drywall dust. In their place were gleaming dark wood cabinets and shiny marble tiles. I stepped inside and ran my hand over the gently textured wallpaper, marveling in how gorgeous it was. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The tiny samples we’d chosen from could never do the finished product justice.

  I glanced back at Mia, who stood in the doorway grinning hugely. “Gorgeous, right?”

  I turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. “It’s... perfect.”

  We spent the next half an hour walking around the space, investigating every tiny detail, delighting in the silliest of things like the soft-close drawers and doors on the cabinets.

  As Mia moved to turn off the lights, she looked up at me. “Hey, I have a meeting in a few minutes I’d like you to be there for.”

  “Are you sure?” My heart raced at the thought of being surrounded by people who would be scrutinizing every move I made.

  “Of course. Remember I told you we met with the lawyers in Spokane?” I nodded, and she continued as we moved toward the front door. “We need to firm up a few details about the spa, so it’d be great if you had time. It’ll just be the lawyer, Jack, Carter, and myself.”

  I hated feeling so weak and insecure. Swallowing down my discomfort, I straightened my shoulders and forced a smile to my face. “Sure. Why not?”

  Mia led the way back toward the small conference room. I smiled at the men seated around the table as I stepped inside, then waited while Mia closed the door. She gestured for me to take the seat at the head of the table while she slid into the chair next to Jack. Carter was situated to my left, and a man I didn’t recognize—the lawyer, I presumed—sat at the opposite end of the table facing me. He smiled benignly, and I returned it.

  Carter turned to me. “Welcome back.”

  “Thanks.” My cheeks burned, and I quickly turned my attention to Mia, who had begun to speak.

  “Thanks for coming, Mr. Jeffries.”

  He dipped his head in a slight nod. “My pleasure.”

  Mia pointed in my direction. “Mr. Jeffries, this is Jules. Jules, Mr. Jeffries.”

  I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You as well.”

  “Alright.” Mia clapped her hands softly. “Let’s get to it. Carter?”

  Glancing to my left, I watched as Carter withdrew what appeared to be some kind of agreement from a manilla envelope. He met my gaze. “Have we decided on an official name for the spa?”

  I flicked a look toward Mia, who nodded encouragingly. Why she was leaving it up to me to tell him I had no idea, but I relayed the information regardless. “We like Rêverie.”

  “Perfect. No changes necessary, then.”

  I lifted a brow. If Mia had already chosen a name, why had she asked my opinion? I started to question her, but Carter’s next words stopped me before I had the chance.

  “We’ve invited you here because we’d like to discuss something with you.”

  Caught off guard, my eyes widened, and I leaned back slightly in my chair. “Um... sure?”

  Carter peered at me. “Have you ever heard of a rent-to-own agreement?”

  I bit my lip, ashamed of my inexperience, and darted a quick look around the table. Jack and Mia offered reassuring smiles, and I returned my gaze to Carter. He gave no indication of making fun at my expense, just stared at me, waiting for my response. Slowly, I shook my head. “No. I don’t know what that is.”

  He gave a little perfunctory nod. “Let’s say you were leasing a space. Like the spa, for instance. Basically, you would pay rent throughout the lease, and a percentage of the payment would be applied to the purchase price.”

  My brows drew together. “Okay... But what does that have to do with me?”

  “Jack and Mia would like to sell you the spa on a sort of rent-to-own agreement.”

  They what? For a long moment I sat statue-still, too shocked to think. My mind became a blank void, and I struggled to formulate words. Finally, I managed to shake off my stupor. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

  “Typically a business would move into a particular space, then make payments over the duration. In this case, you would be buying the entire business.”

  Was he messing with me? A quick glance toward Jack and Mia told me that they were, in fact, very serious. I understood the logistics of what he was telling me, but I needed to hear the words. “You want me to buy the spa?”

  “Only if you’re interested. Look it over and see if it sounds agreeable to you.” Carter slid the sheaf of papers toward me, but I remained frozen to my chair, completely stunned. “Mr. Jeffries is here to answer any questions you might have, and I’ve reviewed it myself. It’s a great deal.”

  Still unable to believe it, I turned to Mia and Jack. “Why?”

  “Because we believe in you,” Mia said softly. “This was all your idea, and you deserve to be recognized for it.”

  I blinked. “You’re losing money.”

  They had to be. I’d only glanced at the first page of the agreement, but I knew the number listed as the purchase price wasn’t even close to the spa’s true value.

  “Consider it an investment. Mia and I have been discussing the possibility of expanding and constructing several more resorts,” Jack said, his dark eyes on me. “We’d like you to consider putting a spa in each of those resorts.”

  A spa in each resort? I gaped at them, completely blown
away. “I just...” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”

  “Actually, you are,” Jack interjected. “You did a phenomenal job in the pro shop, and the spa wouldn’t have turned out the way it did without your input. I think you’re very well qualified. This is common practice,” he added. “But instead of investing in a franchise of some billion-dollar company.... We’d rather invest in you.”

  His words brought tears to my eyes. I’d always thought of Jack as being intense and reserved, cold and hard, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. For the first time ever, I saw his true character, and I understood why Mia loved him so much.

  Mia smiled gently. “It’s your choice, of course. But we’d love to work with you.”

  “I... I don’t...” I swallowed hard, hot tears burning across the bridge of my nose and clogging my throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Carter grinned and tapped the document with his index finger. “Sign it, Jules. You deserve it.”

  My hand fluttered to my throat, and I shot a quick glance at the lawyer, who until now had silently watched on. “Is this for real?”

  He, too, grinned at me. “Very. And it’s a wonderful deal. I would advise you to take it as well.”

  I whipped my head back toward Mia and Jack, my gaze ping-ponging between them. “Are you sure about this?”

  Jack smiled widely and dropped an arm around Mia’s shoulders. “We’re positive.”

  “But take your time if you need to,” Mia quickly spoke up. “I don’t want you to feel like we’re pressuring you or forcing you into it.”

  If the price on the front page was accurate, then this was a total steal. Still... I bit my lip. “Would you mind if I spoke with Carter and Mr. Jeffries?”

  “I’d expect nothing less,” Jack said. “If you’d like to get your own lawyer just to make sure—”

  I was already shaking my head. “No, no. I trust you. I just... It hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”

  I wanted to make sure I understood what was required of me, and I needed someone to break it all down for me.