His Kindred Spirit

by Sloan Johnson

  “I’m buying him out,” I blurted. “I have to know, moving forward, that nothing like this is going to happen again. I don’t want to constantly worry that he’ll make another bad decision that could put the people I love in jeopardy.”

  The silence I got in response was deafening and settled inside of me like a black hole. I wasn’t sure how I’d expected Brook to react to the sudden knowledge that I could afford to lay out that type of money, but the pale face and blank expression wasn’t one I’d considered. Nor had I expected him to release my hand and walk to the railing. I sat a moment, trying to figure out why he seemed pissed off about my plan. When he spun around, bracing his hands behind him on the rail, there was no mistaking that he was upset with me.

  “You can’t just buy the inn, Dane!” He started pacing across the balcony, stopping to look out over the railing. I paused, letting out a frustrated huff because this wasn’t how I expected the night to go.

  “I can, and I will,” I responded defiantly.

  “Less than a month ago, you couldn’t wait to get out of here. This isn’t your life. Buying a business is a huge commitment.”

  “You think I don’t know that? I know exactly what I’m getting into.”

  “But why? What happened to the man who seemed pissed off that the grandfather who didn’t give a shit when he was alive willed him half of the inn?” Why was Brook fighting this so hard?

  “You happened,” I admitted, stepping closer, flinching when Brook sidestepped me.

  “You can’t uproot your entire life for us, Dane. What happens if you decide six months from now that you were happier being single? Then you’re stuck here with a hotel you hadn’t planned on owning and I’m out of the only job I’ve ever had.”

  “Wow, it’s good to see you have so much faith in us,” I replied bitterly. Sure, I hadn’t planned on anything life had thrown my way recently, but for the first time in my life, I wasn’t constantly obsessing over every way it could all be ripped away from me. Here I’d thought that was a sign this was the right thing to do, but apparently Brook had already figured out exactly how we were going to fail, right down to a timeline. “This isn’t only about us; it’s about building a new life for my dad and knowing his brother can’t do something stupid again in the future that’ll land Dad back in prison.”

  “It’s not that I think we’re doomed, but I’m trying to be realistic, Dane. This is a huge risk for you.” He inched closer, reaching out to brush his hand against the back of my fingers. “The past month has been a lot for you to take in. Pretty much everything you’ve known has been tipped on edge. What happens as life starts to settle down?”

  Okay, so his point was valid. But what he didn’t realize, maybe he couldn’t understand because he’d had a good, stable life, was that everything that’d happened was for the better, even the bullshit with James in a roundabout way. It wasn’t until everything came to light with James and his mess that I realized how much the inn meant to me in such a short time. If I ever quit being pissed off at him for what he’d done, I might eventually thank him.

  “When this is all over, I’ll tell you exactly what I will find.” I led Brook back to the loungers and pulled him onto my lap and kissed the spot behind his ear that I knew drove him crazy. “I’ll have a little apartment I hope to someday share with the man I love. My dad will be free and settling into his own version of a normal life for the first time in a decade. I’ll have a wildly successful inn, thanks in no small part to that crazy, sexy man who stole my heart. But above all else, I have the one thing I’d given up on ever having.”

  “What’s that?” Brook asked, his voice strained so much that he sounded almost as emotional as I felt.

  “Family and roots,” I told him.

  He craned his neck around to look at me.

  I reached up to busk my fingers across his defined cheekbones. “You’re a part of that, Brook. I love you. God knows, I never believed it could happen so quickly, but it did. You’ve made me want to lay down roots.

  “When I’m with you, I forget about the past. I don’t think about all the things that go wrong, because you’ve taught me that sometimes life does you a solid when you’re not expecting it.” I quit talking, already embarrassed by how I’d laid myself bare to him. But dammit, I wasn’t going to be talked out of the first decision I’d made in my life that truly felt right. Wasn’t going to let him plant the seeds of doubt about our future right before I had to step away from him for a few days.

  “Wow. Sounds like you have everything figured out.” Brook chuckled, flipping over so we faced one another. Dinner was quickly forgotten in favor of a languid make-out session. Luckily I’d already turned off the oven before Brook came upstairs, or we’d have burned the place down.

  Daylight was beginning to fade, leaving the sky painted in shades of pink and purple, by the time we pulled ourselves together. Before Brook, I couldn’t remember ever taking the time to truly appreciate the sunset. Now it was becoming one of my favorite times of the day.

  Chapter 16

  (Brook)

  I WAS pathetic. Completely and utterly head over heels in love with Dane. The man who’d put more distance between us with every passing day since the blow-up with his uncle. Last night was a brief reprieve, but even that was clouded by his behavior over the past week. This morning, that distance had become more than metaphorical when he’d slipped out of bed before dawn to catch a flight home. I’d known it was coming, known he’d only be gone long enough to be there when his dad was released from prison, but that didn’t make my heart ache any less. I hated reaching out as I woke up and coming back with nothing but cold sheets.

  Maybe I was weak for pretending to stay asleep when his alarm had gone off, convincing myself that if we didn’t say goodbye, maybe he’d still be there when I woke up for my shift. If I’d opened my eyes and rolled over, I could’ve tasted his lips one last time, begged him to fuck me hard enough I’d still be aching when his return flight landed. But I hadn’t, telling myself it would’ve made it harder for him to leave rather than dwelling on my own feelings.

  I tossed back the covers, taking in the gray morning before me. Fitting that nearly every day we’d been together had been sunny and warm, and the day he left was dreary. Shuffling to the bathroom, I spied a note tented on the vanity.

  In case I haven’t said it, thank you for everything. You’re an amazing man. It sounds cheesy, but you’ve taught me so much over the past month and I’ll never forget that. It’s because of you that I finally have hope. Everything will turn out exactly as it’s supposed to.

  Please be careful. The situation is being handled, but it’s going to take a bit more time.

  -D

  I reread the words until I had the note memorized. Last night, as we drifted off to sleep, he’d run through his plans with me, telling me repeatedly that he’d be back in five days. But the note he’d left this morning felt like goodbye. I dialed his number, hoping to catch him before his flight was in the air, needing reassurance that I was being stupid. Needing to remind him how much he meant to me and hearing that he felt the same. When the call went directly to voicemail, I didn’t bother leaving a message. Once his plane landed in New York, he’d have enough to deal with. I had to believe his plans hadn’t changed overnight.

  I went through my morning routine on autopilot, skipping coffee until I got down to the lobby because I couldn’t stand another minute alone in the suite Dane and I had made into our sanctuary. I stumbled downstairs, trying to pump myself up for another long day of dealing with people. The new employees would be in later in the day, but breakfast was all on me.

  Except as I reached the first floor, I smelled freshly brewed coffee and noticed the lights were on in the breakfast room. Even though it was impossible, I jogged down the last few stairs and across the lobby in case Dane’s plans had changed and he’d let me sleep in this morning. My heart sank as I took in the empty room. Maybe he did this before he left?

&
nbsp; “Ah, there you are.” My shoulders tensed as I cautiously spun to see James leaning against the front desk. He was dressed in a shirt and tie like always, but his appearance was rumpled, as though he’d fallen asleep behind his desk. His hair stuck out at odd angles and there were dark circles around his sunken eyes. In short, the guy looked like hell.

  While it was nice to see James hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth, his presence while Dane was gone made me nervous. Yes, I’d complained to Dane that he was being overly protective and needed to trust me to take care of myself, but that was before. Looking at James, I wasn’t sure I could look out for both of us if those guys came back again. And I really didn’t want to call Dane and let him know they’d beaten the shit out of James for still not having their money.

  “What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I took a step back. I wanted to understand why James had borrowed the money he had, but now that I’d had time to think about the entire situation, I was pissed. He’d put my life on the line, both by inviting the thug patrol to hang around, trying to get through to him, and because if his nonplan fell apart, it would’ve meant the end of my job. Good intentions didn’t mean much this morning, not when I was hanging on by a frayed emotional thread. “Shouldn’t you be hiding under a rock somewhere?”

  “Brook, I wanted to apologize. I’ve made so many mistakes I’ve lost count, but you have to know I didn’t expect it to take so long to get Dane down here. If we’d been able to settle the estate in time—”

  I bit my tongue because James was an idiot. Even if Dane had been here when his grandfather died, the estate wouldn’t be settled by now.

  “You’d still be in the same predicament.” I cut him off because I had neither the time nor the desire to hear his bullshit logic. “The problem is you didn’t think any of this through. If you had, you’d have called the contractors, explained the situation, and asked for them to void the contracts Phillip signed. And they would have. Do you think this is the first time someone has died before work was completed?”

  He opened his mouth to answer, but I cut him off. “The answer you’re looking for is no. You didn’t think about that. You were so intent on proving to your dad that you weren’t a screwup, that you truly cared about him, that you almost destroyed everything. Now that he’s gone, you’re trying to make up for everything you did wrong when you were younger.

  “It’s too late, James. You can’t honor your dad’s wishes posthumously as recompense. Now, you have to trust that Phillip knew what he was doing when he left half the inn to Dane. He’s the only hope you have for saving it.”

  I felt no joy watching James deflate as I railed on him. He jumped when the door opened behind him, nearly doubling over when he realized it was only the housekeeper coming in for her shift. I waved as she passed, shaking my head when she stopped to say something to James. This wasn’t a good time; I’d catch up with her shortly and come up with some sort of explanation.

  “You love my nephew, don’t you?” James asked once we were alone again. That was an understatement, but I wasn’t about to give James any information he could use to exploit Dane. Hell, the only reason I’d reached out to Dane in the first place was because James had hoped I would help him gather information he could use against Dane.

  “What I said has nothing to do with him,” I spat out. “Deep down, I think you know how special the inn is. That’s why you were willing to gamble to save it. I’m angry right now because this place feels like home to me too. That’s why I’ve stayed as long as I have even if the pay isn’t great.”

  “Once things are settled down, I was planning to give you a raise.”

  I snorted at his interruption. The man was one unpleasant visitor away from losing the inn and still he was wheeling and dealing, trying to save his ass.

  “Stop, James. That’s not what this is about. Like I was saying before you interrupted me, I’m not here because I don’t have options. Before Phillip died, I saw his vision and I wanted to be part of something magical. Year after year, the same families came back and they’d stay here because Phillip remembered them. He never forgot a name. What seemed cheesy when I was a kid started to have meaning as I got older. And now I love watching the families walk through the doors, seeing how much their kids have grown, hearing about their lives. That’s what makes the inn special and you’ve done your damnedest to ruin it. Not just for yourself. Not for Dane and his dad. Not for me. For everyone. You’ve put them in danger by borrowing money you didn’t have a solid plan to repay.”

  “You’re right. Nothing I can say will make it better. Whether or not you believe it, I’ve learned a valuable lesson, and this is the last time something like this happens.”

  Before I could lay into him yet again, little footsteps stomped down the stairs, the sound echoing through the lobby. I waved James toward the office and raced behind the desk.

  The first family of the morning was one of those I’d just been telling James about. Their oldest was only four, but the parents had been visiting every year since their honeymoon. Phillip had been overjoyed the year they’d walked in and Lucy looked ready to deliver any day. The following year, he’d insisted on throwing an early birthday party for Hunter, their little girl who was born just weeks after they left the beach. It was somber greeting them this year, knowing how excited Phillip had been when he received an email from Lucy, letting him know they’d need a crib in their room this year.

  These were the reasons I’d never forgive James for what he’d done, no matter the explanation.

  Chapter 17

  (Dane)

  DESPITE THE fact I’d told Grady it was no problem for me to Uber home from the airport, my phone started pinging with messages the moment I turned it back on as we taxied to the gate. He was possibly the only man I knew more stubborn than myself when he got a plan in his mind. In this case he was determined to pick me up and help pack my apartment. According to the messages, his car was already filled with empty boxes, packing tape, and padding for the breakables. I hoped he hadn’t bought all of that, because he undoubtedly went overboard. I didn’t own much, and a lot of that wouldn’t be making the trip south.

  Just getting to the gate. Be out as soon as possible, I texted as I waited for the passengers in front of me to wrestle their bags into the aisle.

  “Hey, man, you look good,” Grady welcomed me as I slid into the passenger seat a few minutes later.

  “It’s amazing what a bit of fresh air and no work can do for you,” I said, knowing damn well he wouldn’t leave the topic alone.

  “Not to mention having someone to share your bed with at night,” he teased. “At least now you can’t give me shit about Jen.”

  “Sure I can. But I won’t, because Jen could kick my ass.” Plus I needed to make sure I stayed on her good side. I owed that woman a lifetime of fancy dinners and spa days for everything she’d done to help me pull together the money to pay off my uncle’s debts.

  “But you have to admit, it’s nice to know there’s someone waiting for you.”

  Nicely terrifying was more like it. Yes, I looked forward to seeing Brook at the end of every day, but the pressure to bail out the inn weighed on my shoulders like an anvil. If my plan didn’t work, there was nothing else keeping me in North Carolina and the job prospects weren’t great in the area where he lived. I could ask him to move north with me, but even here I would soon be jobless without a place to crash. Not ideal circumstances for a new relationship, even for those who hadn’t spent their adult lives running from commitment.

  Plus I missed him. It hadn’t even been six hours since I kissed him on the forehead while he slept and snuck out of the room, and I already wished I was back there. Life was simpler when you didn’t have anything rooting you to anyone or anywhere.

  “Things still going well on that front?” Grady asked as he pulled onto the freeway.

  “Yep.” Given our history, it felt awkward talking to Grady about my relatio
nship with Brook. Grady was the past, Brook was my present and, if I was lucky, my future.

  “Dude, you’re so gone for this guy.”

  I slugged his shoulder, calling him an asshole under my breath.

  “That’s a good thing, Dane. I know you said you were happy on your own, but that’s a shitty way to live. I’m glad you’re not running this time.”

  “I haven’t run in the past,” I argued. Ironically, right before Grady told me he was ending the benefits to our friendship, I’d been wishing he wasn’t such a commitment-phobe.

  “Because you never let anyone hang around long enough to even think about tying you down.”

  “Sure I have, but not very often. A little bit of light bondage can be a nice change of pace from time to time,” I taunted him, just because I knew it’d make him squirm. Grady might be living the all-American life with his wife, kid, dog, and the picket fence, but I knew there were times he missed his single life.

  “I don’t need to hear about what you’re getting up to in the bedroom,” he groaned.

  “Then quit prying into my relationship,” I shot back. Bad move, Montgomery. I realized my mistake as a shitty smirk broke out on my best friend’s face. “Fine. You win. Yes, it’s a relationship. Things are going well. Yes, I’m happy. No, I’m not planning to fuck things up this time. Does that about cover it?”

  “Yep.”

  The rest of the drive to my place, we talked about the nonprofit Grady had arranged to pick up most of my furniture. I’d load as much of the smaller stuff as possible into the back of my Tahoe, and the rest would sit in his garage until I figured out where I was going to settle down.

  With nothing better to do, I spent those quiet minutes on the drive really looking at the town I called home. What struck me was the lack of attachment to anything here. There were no memories in the buildings we passed, no familiar faces walking down the sidewalk. No one would miss me once I packed up and left.