by Jaclyn Hardy
This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Book design and layout copyright © 2019 Dragons & Fairy Tales Press
Cover design copyright © 2019 Dragons & Fairy Tales Press
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2019 by Jaclyn Hardy
For My Family
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
About the Author
I want to thank my friends, my family, and my fans for all of your amazing support.
Thank you to my mom who kept me writing, Sarah, Amy, Lisa, and all my other beta readers. You’re the best!
Thanks so much for everything!
Austin slammed the door to the limo and loosened his tie as he strode toward his house. He should have known better than to trust that his grandma would leave him alone at his grandpa’s wake that night. His mom had assured him of that.
The words his grandma had spoken ran through his mind over and over. “Your grandpa loved you dearly, Austin. He wanted the best for you. But he’s gone now, and I’m over the estate. I don’t want you wasting our money like you did your own. Until you’ve settled down with a wife, you won’t see a dime of it.”
Austin was the only one who had visited his grandpa in the hospital. The only one who cared to make sure the man was taken care of in the rest home. Grandma had been off with her friends on a cruise while her husband lay dying. And now he was being punished for not being married?
It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to be married. He’d been so close more than once. But when it became clear that they were only in it for the money, he’d walk away again. At that point, he wanted nothing more than to sell everything he had and start over on a ranch somewhere. No one would bother him there.
Austin stopped at the desk in the entryway and picked up his mail. It had been a few days since he’d been home, so the bills had piled up. Phone, gas, requests for him to attend galas—as long as he paid for a spot at the table—always the same. It was these parties that got him into money trouble in the first place. Junk mail. He sighed and dropped them back onto the table. His accountant could pay the bills later.
A letter dropped to the ground as he walked away. He bent to pick it up and frowned. He hadn’t noticed this one before. It seemed to be an invitation, but he didn’t recognize the return address. He slid his finger along the envelope to break the seal and pulled out a card. The couple in the picture seemed happy, and the girl was vaguely familiar. Austin glanced back at the envelope and his eyebrows shot up. He’d grown up with her. Lacey had been a good friend until about junior high when her family moved across the country.
The wedding would be at a small bed and breakfast in southern Idaho at the beginning of June. Austin stared at the announcement. As far as he knew, he wasn’t doing anything that weekend, and he hadn’t seen her for a while . . . Austin shook his head. The last thing he needed was a wedding. Right now, he just wanted a quick jog and a hot shower to get rid of the stress from the wake.
He changed quickly and waved at his butler, Charlie, as he headed out. “I’ll be back in half an hour so could you make sure dinner is ready by then?”
Charlie Ames raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to dinner with your mother?”
“No, not tonight. Tell her I’m sick. Or dying.” Austin left the house to the sound of Charlie’s deep laughter. This wasn’t the first time Austin left with those same instructions.
The evening breeze coming off the Cape Cod bay was cooler than he’d expected. The temperature had to have dropped twenty degrees since he’d gotten home. Austin pulled the hood up on his head and stretched. His run would have to be a lot shorter than he’d planned. These late winter storms were so unpredictable.
Neighbors waved as he passed by. He didn’t know most of them, but they knew his family. That was enough. Austin tugged on his hood again, wanting to hide. Maybe he should have tried his treadmill instead.
By the time he finally made it back to his house, Austin was gasping for air. The breeze had turned icy cold, taking his breath away. He ran up the steps and had to fight the wind to get his door shut once he was inside.
“Good run, sir?” Charlie stood in the entryway with a water bottle.
“Always. I’ll be down in a bit.” Austin took the steps two at a time, ignoring the burning in his lungs. The faster he could get in the shower, the faster he could get warm. He turned the shower up as hot as it would go, then climbed in, allowing the water to soothe his sore muscles.
His phone buzzed as he climbed out. Austin checked it and sighed. Five missed calls from his mom. She wasn’t about to give up. After changing into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, he dropped onto his bed. The phone rang again before he could dial.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call all night. Why aren’t you here at the country club? I told you we had important clients here.” His mom had to yell to be heard over the music in the background.
“I figured you’d have it taken care of. Besides, you know I avoid that place on Friday nights.” Austin kicked at one of his dress shoes he hadn’t put away.
Mom huffed. “And this is why—”
“Don’t say it or I’ll hang up.” Austin could still hear the unspoken words. “You’re not married.” They’d been over this way too many times.
“Well, it’s the truth. It’s not like—”
“I’m getting any younger. I know. I’m going down to have dinner. I’ll see you at breakfast on Sunday.” Austin stood and grabbed his shoes to put them in his closet.
Mom sighed. “Very well. At least tell me you’re going next week.”
“Uh . . . going where?” Austin mentally went over everything he had scheduled, but besides work, there was nothing.
“The wedding, dear. I assume you got the announcement.”
Austin stared at his phone for a moment before answering. “You’re the one who gave her my address?”
“Of course, dear. I knew you would be disappointed if you missed out.”
“Thanks. I think.” Austin sighed. “I don’t know that I can take off work to go.”
“Nonsense. You’re not missing this wedding for a job you don’t even care about. I’ll take care of the airplane tickets. You’ll fly out on Friday. And Austin? If you try to make plans, I’ll make sure they’re canceled.” The call dropped.
Austin stared at the phone. Typical of Mom. He opened the bedroom door to head down to dinner and found Charlie standing there ready to knock.
“There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you’d make it downstairs before your food got cold. Shall I bring it up for you?”
“No. I’m coming.” Austin glanced at his phone again before shoving it in his pocket and following Charlie down the hallway. “And Charlie? I’ll need a new tux for the wedding. Can you set something up with the tailor?”
Charlie nodded. “Already set. You’ll meet with them next Monday and it will be ready in plenty of time. Your mother called when she couldn’t rea
ch you.”
“Sorry about that.” Austin shook his head. “I suppose you know all about the trip then?”
“I do. And I must say I’m glad you’re going.”
Austin raised his eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Charlie was silent until they reached the table in the dining room. He finally cleared his throat. “You spend too much time between work and the night life in the city. It’s about time you get away from everything and learn what you really want out of life.”
“I . . .” Austin blinked. “I know what I want.”
Charlie placed both hands on a chair and leaned forward. “I apologize for being so forward, but I really don’t believe you do.”
Austin picked up his glass and took a drink, not knowing how to even respond. Charlie never argued with Austin. Ever. He’d never argued with Mom or Dad when he was their butler. Was he right? Only one way to find out. He’d go on this trip and prove both Charlie and his mom wrong.
Austin pulled his bags out of the trunk and waved to Charlie. The airport was packed with travelers heading to their various destinations. He stood there for a moment, debating whether he should walk inside or if he should flag a cab and go back home.
One thing Charlie was right about. He wasn’t used to doing much more than work or being home. And the thought of getting on a plane to go see his childhood friend get married was far beyond what he was comfortable with.
Definitely a reason for him to get on the plane. Austin crossed the street and went inside to check his bags. It was a good thing he could bypass the regular line for the VIP line. He’d shown up late and didn’t have much time to catch his flight.
He bent down to get his ID out of his bag and was nearly knocked over by another passenger. Whoever it was hadn’t been so lucky. Austin grabbed the passes and wallet off the floor, then turned to help the person up.
“Chloe?” Austin froze when he recognized the woman dusting off her jacket. His heart skipped a beat at seeing her there. “I thought you were in Europe or something.”
Chloe jerked her head up to meet his eyes. Her eyes were the same brilliant blue he remembered from high school. “Austin? What are you doing here?”
She was the younger sister of Austin’s best friend Mike and he hadn’t seen her for a couple of years. She’d been off modeling or something while he was here getting his degree and moving up in his company. The one his grandpa had started from nothing decades ago.
“I’m getting on a plane.” Austin handed the papers over to her and moved out of the line so that the grumpy man behind him would stop shooting him nasty glares. “How long are you home?”
Chloe sighed. “Long enough to make it through another wedding and then I’ll head back.”
“Wait.” Austin glanced at the ticket in her hand. How was that possible? “You’re going to Lacey’s wedding?”
“We’re cousins.” She tipped her head to the side. “I thought you knew that.”
Austin blinked. He’d had no idea, but that would make sense why Lacey always hung out with he and Mike. “Nope. But I have to say I’m a little relieved I won’t be going by myself. I’ll actually know someone there.”
“What do you mean? Your mom isn’t going?” Chloe pulled her bag closer to her so people could walk by.
Austin checked his watch and moved into the line. He wanted to talk to her, but if they didn’t go soon, they’d miss their flight. Not that it would have been such a big deal if he did.
“Oh, she’ll be there. I just plan to be on the opposite side of the room from her the entire time. I don’t want to hear one more thing about me being single.” Austin moved forward to hand off his luggage and then stepped to the side to wait for Chloe. He just hoped they were somewhere near each other on the flight.
Chloe set her ID and pass back into her bag and met Austin so they could go through security. “So, my mom isn’t the only one badgering about that? All I’ve heard since I got home is how I missed out on all the beautiful European men by working the whole time I was there.”
“The nerve. You worked? While you were there for your job? “Austin chuckled as he went through the next line. He’d forgotten how much he liked hanging out with Chloe. Not that Mike let that happen much.
“Right?” She chuckled. “Man. I still can’t believe it. I almost took a later flight so I could sneak in a nap. I’m glad I didn’t.”
Austin nodded. “I’m pretty glad you didn’t either. What seat are you in?”
“I’m near the back. That’s what happens when you book last minute. What about you?”
“First class.” He grinned sheepishly. He hadn’t flown coach in years.
She sighed. “Bummer. But I guess we’ll see each other when we get there, right?”
“I could always swap my tickets.” Austin waved his pass in the air.
“Um, no. Why would anyone actually want to give up their first-class seats?” She shook her head. “We can always hang out during the layover in Denver, right?”
She was right. Why would Austin actually give up his tickets? “Okay, sounds good. But then you have to fill me in with everything you did in Europe. I heard a few things about you getting your own clothing line or whatever, but I want to hear more.”
She grinned. “Okay. And then you can tell me what you’ve been doing all these years. Now go. You’re supposed to be boarding.”
Austin waved and jogged over to the line. When he got to the front, the stewardess’s jaw dropped. She looked at him, then his pass, and back at him. He sighed.
“You’re Austin Quinn.”
“Yes, that’s what my ID says.” He flashed her the smile that had made him ‘New York’s most eligible bachelor’ as his publicist had told him to do, and walked away.
He glanced back to where she stood frozen for a moment before she shook her head and continued scanning passes. He hated that title. It was actually amazing that he hadn’t been recognized before her, but it was somewhat of a relief. Maybe she’d be the only one to know him and he could sit peacefully in his first-class seat. While Chloe was stuck in the back.
This was why he tended to stay home instead of attending parties. He didn’t like the notoriety. Dinners at the country club were bad, but going out in public and getting recognized was even worse. At least in Idaho, no one would know him, right? That was definitely a perk.
The flight would take almost five hours, so it was a good time to get some work done. He had limited wireless, but he was determined to find out more about Chloe before they landed in Denver. He had followed her career for a while, but then she went into hiding or something and he hadn’t heard much since then.
There wasn’t much that he could find. A few pictures of her having lunch at a cafe or walking her dogs in the park, but otherwise she’d dropped out of the public eye. Something Austin could totally relate to one hundred percent.
He closed his laptop and leaned back in his seat to catch a quick nap. There were two more flights before he got to Idaho, and then another hour drive after that. He mentally thanked his mom and Charlie for pushing him into this. Now that he was out of his comfort zone of his house and work, this trip seemed like the perfect way to get away from it all. Even if his mom was waiting for him when he got there.
Austin stood in the crowded terminal, waiting for Chloe to appear. With her in the back of the plane, it would take a bit, so he leaned against a column and yawned.
“Didn’t get much sleep on the flight?” Chloe’s voice made Austin jump. “I didn’t get to sleep because the nice guy next to me wouldn’t be quiet about his weight lifting awesomeness.”
“I actually slept pretty well. I just didn’t want to wake up when we landed.” Austin pushed off the column. “Weight lifting awesomeness, huh?”
Chloe grinned. “Yep.”
“Still making up words, I see.”
She shrugged. “Why not? Shakespeare did.”
Same ol’ Chloe. Bookworm and fashion designe
r rolled into one. “Sure. Okay, I think we need to go down a few gates to get to our next flight.”
“Yeah, but we have a couple of hours. Let’s go find some food.” Chloe scanned the hallways. “Oh! A grill. Let’s go there.”
Austin let her pull him by the arm through the crowd, her touch sending tingles everywhere. She let go when they got out of the crowd, and the absence was noticeable. He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. They were seated immediately, and he looked through the menu before ordering a steak and a Coke. Chloe ordered the same thing before the waiter went off to fill their orders.
“So, really. What were you up to in Europe?”
Chloe grinned and picked up her backpack. She grabbed a few books from it and dropped them on the table. “This.”
“What do you—” Austin’s eyes widened when he got to the author picture in the back. It had been altered enough that most people wouldn’t know who it was, but he’d recognize those eyes anywhere. “You wrote these?”
“Yep. I needed a break from the spotlight and decided to go underground.” Chloe rested her chin on her hand. “Now I get to make up words for a living.”
Austin held up one of the books. “I’ve heard of this author. Well, you. I assume the pen name was to hide who you are?”
She nodded. “I didn’t want to be published just because people knew who I was. I wanted it to be because my books are good. As soon as my first two were published, I quit doing fashion shows and started writing more instead. I still design. I just don’t run the circuit anymore.”
“That’s so cool. I’m impressed.” He handed back the book and rested his arms on the table. “What did your family think of that?”
Chloe grimaced. “They don’t exactly . . . know yet. Mike would disown me, and my parents . . . let’s just say they have enough disappointment from the fact that I haven’t given them a son-in-law or grandbabies yet that I don’t want to add to it.”