As Carter escorted Hannah and Addi to the front lobby, he felt a strong urge to go with them—to escape from all his stress and responsibilities and be with the two ladies who made him feel happy. But since he’d taken off the afternoon yesterday, he was too behind to even think of such a thing. Brenda would no doubt strangle him if he tried.
After seeing them into his car, the driver holding an umbrella for them as they got in, he turned around and walked slowly back to his office. This had turned into something of a nightmare.
Brenda looked up as he walked past her desk a few minutes later. “Well, is everything okay?”
“No. My mother was traumatizing Addi.”
“What?” Brenda stood and walked around her desk. “Tell me you’re exaggerating.”
He shook his head and stopped to get a mug of coffee. He seriously needed some caffeine, especially since he felt a headache coming on. “I wish I was. You know those little wish bracelets she’s been wearing?”
“Yes. She wished to see a mermaid and make friends. It about broke my heart to hear that second one when she was telling me about it.”
“My mother cut them off.”
“No! Even she couldn’t go that far.”
Carter took his coffee into his private office and shut the door as soon as Brenda followed him through. “I assure you she did. I’m just guessing, but from the way she was raving when I got up there, I’m pretty sure it was more of a power-play over Hannah than anything else.”
Brenda nodded and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “She feels threatened by her.”
“How do you mean?”
“Not only is Hannah now the one taking care of Addi, a role she’s always had, but she’s probably worried about Hannah having a bigger role in the future, in both Addi’s life and yours.”
Carter stared across the desk at his assistant, not sure how to respond to that. He thought about denying the conclusions Brenda had obviously drawn about his feelings for Hannah, but there was likely no point. “Am I that obvious?”
“Blatantly. I know you’re holding off on pursuing anything with her, and I recommend you continue to do so as long as you’re employing her, but no doubt your mother has still picked up on your intentions.”
Leaning back in his chair, Carter put his hands behind his head. “Actually, I haven’t done such a good job of keeping things professional.”
“Since when?” Brenda asked. Her expression reflected both surprise and disapproval.
“Since yesterday, actually. I sort of lost my head. And then my mother walked in on us kissing.”
Brenda looked at him, her expression unnaturally stoic. Then she burst out laughing. “You really are in a jam.”
“Especially now that my mom freaked Hannah out so that she’s holding me at arms-length until my mom leaves. Hey, any way you could help me convince the old dragon and her oh-so-charming sidekick to shove off early?”
“I doubt it. You know how your mother is once she’d determined on something. I’d say the best you can do is stay really busy and avoid all these women like the plague for the rest of the week.”
Carter laughed. “You just want me to get my work done.”
“Maybe,” Brenda said. “You have about two hundred emails and a meeting with your investors tomorrow. You usually like to prepare for those.”
Carter heard the tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I’m ready, except that I’d like to know what to tell them about the house on the beach. Do we have any new information about that yet?”
“A bit more. Apparently, the previous owners passed away and they left it to their oldest child. She lives in Boston and stays here only occasionally for vacations.”
“So she uses it for rental income?”
“Not that we can tell.”
“Do you mean it’s standing there vacant most of the time? But she still won’t sell?”
“No, it’s not vacant. Someone lives there. We just can’t figure out who. And the taxes were paid a few days ago, so there’s nothing there to use as leverage.”
“I’m going to have to go over there and knock on the door.”
Brenda shifted in her chair. “Well, we’ve tried that of course, but whoever lives there is always gone during the day.”
Carter shrugged. “I’ll go in the evening then. I’ve been distracted lately, I’ll admit, but it’s time to wrap this up.”
His phone rang. When he saw it was his mother, he almost ignored it but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. Instead, he sent her a text asking what she needed—partially because he knew she hated texting.
Her response was perfect payback though since it irritated the fire out of him: Dinner tonight at seven. Don’t be late.
***
He’d sent a quick text to Hannah earlier to ask if Addi could stay at her house until bedtime. At least he could spare his daughter from the evening if not himself. Dressed in a suit and tie, he headed down to the lobby to meet his mom for dinner. He hoped that Jenelle wouldn’t be going as well, but he wasn’t surprised to see her sitting next to his mom on a couch near the reception desk. They stood as he approached, both smiling warmly at him. He nodded and smiled faintly at Jenelle, determined not to give her higher hopes than his mother no doubt already had. To his mom, he merely said, “Shall we go? Where do you have reservations?”
“At Nautilus of course. I want to try your restaurant.”
“It isn’t my restaurant, precisely.”
“No, of course not. But it’s to your credit that you brought a five-star restaurant here.”
“Then we can dispense with the car. It’s only a short walk across the property.”
He endured the rest of the night the best he could. At the ladies’ request, he ordered for them. He conversed as politely as he could manage and tried to enjoy the food at least. For the most part, though, he deflected the conversation away from anything personal and avoided the open invitation in Jenelle’s eyes. When at last they were through eating and he’d signed the check, he escorted the ladies as far as the lobby where he’d met them.
“I’ll say goodnight to you here, ladies. I’m expecting my daughter home any minute now.” He expected his mother to express a wish to see Addi too, but she surprised him.
“I raised you to be a gentleman and see a lady to her door,” she said, motioning with her eyes to Jenelle.
Carter swallowed. How to get out of this? He couldn’t without being rude. So, he nodded and followed behind them as they led the way to their condo. It was one of the lower units on the east side. His mom opened the door and said, “Come in here a moment, Carter.”
“What is it?”
Jenelle trailed in behind him and lowered herself down on the couch, settling herself as if she was posing for a magazine shoot.
His mother went over to the window and pointed out into the darkness beyond. “You need to get rid of that house down there. It’s ruining the view. No wonder we were able to get a condo at the last moment. How many are empty right now?”
He clenched his teeth, all his frustration growing—both at his mom and at the owner of the house. “Several. I’m working on it, believe me, but some things are out of my control.”
“Nonsense. I advise you to make a stronger effort to remove it. Now, I’m going to bed. Good night, dear. Good night, Jenelle. Don’t worry about me. I’m putting earplugs in and going to sleep.”
To Carter’s dismay, within a matter of seconds, he found himself in a dim room alone with a woman who had been undressing him with her eyes all night. If only he could switch out the woman in this particular scenario, he’d be ecstatic. As it was, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up and his eyes locked on the front door as his means of escape. Well, this condo was only three stories up, so maybe the balcony was an option if things got desperate.
“You’ll pardon me for leaving early too,” he said. “I need to be getting back.”
“Surely you can stay for a little while. Isn’t that why you have a nanny?”
He considered all the ways he could continue to make excuses, but finally decided it was best to get everything in the open. “Jenelle, I’m sorry if my mother has given you certain hopes towards me, but I want you to understand that I’m…not available.”
Jenelle laughed, a deep throaty chuckle, and stood up. She glided toward him, saying, “Your thing with the nanny, you mean? Don’t worry. I understand all about those type of affairs.. It won’t bother me at all. I just want to get to know you better.” She reached up and put a hand on his chest, running her fingers down the edge of his lapel, then looking up at him under her lashes.
Carter brushed her hand away firmly. Maybe if he’d never met Hannah, never known what it was like to admire a woman for more than her looks—for her tenderness and warmth and zest for life—he might have been more tempted by what Jenelle was so obviously offering him. As it was, it left him cold and even repulsed. “Good night, Jenelle.”
Then he turned and strode out of the room. As he shut the door behind him and went to the elevator, he brushed at his suit as if he might brush away the lingering pollution that still clung to him from her touch. As he went into his own condo, he felt his whole body relax while at the same time igniting as he heard Hannah’s voice in Addi’s room. He took off his suit coat, laying it over the back of a chair, and moved silently to lean in Addi’s doorway. He didn’t say anything, just listened as Hannah finished the bedtime story.
“And they lived happily ever after,” he teased as Hannah put the book down.
They both looked up when they realized he was there, smiling at him… though Hannah bit her lip trying to hide hers.
“Look, daddy. I have new wish bracelets.”
“That’s great, moonbeam.”
“Hey, that’s what Miss Hannah calls me.”
He grinned. “I guess it’s rubbing off on me. What did you wish for this time?”
“The same things. I want them really bad.”
Hannah smiled and smoothed back her curly hair. “She still won’t tell me what the third wish is.”
Addi lay back on her pillow and covered a yawn with her hand. “I’ll tell you if it comes true. What’s your wish for, Daddy?”
He pulled up the cuff of his shirt and twisted the band on his arm. “Mine is secret too.”
Hannah smiled and eased herself off Addi’s bed. “Those are the best kind.” She bent and kissed Addi’s head. “Sleep tight, moonbeam.”
“Good night, Miss Hannah. Good night, Daddy. Love you.”
Carter stood to the side as Hannah passed by him, the scent of coconut and roses scent washed over him, sending his pulse into overdrive. “I love you, too.”
As he turned and followed Hannah to the door, he clenched his teeth against the urge he felt to tell Hannah he loved her too. Was it too soon to feel this way about her? Even if it was, now that he had admitted it to himself, there was no going back to believing he was just attracted to her.
Hannah turned at the door, and he hoped for a minute that she might reach for him. Instead, she said, “Would it be okay with you if I watched Addi at my place this week so I don’t have any more run-ins with your mom? I live in walking distance and can bring her back any time you need me to.”
He nodded his head. “No problem. Addi will probably like that, and I can make sure my mom spends time with her in the evenings. I’d like to be there to monitor that anyway. But after my mom goes home, you won’t have any reason to avoid my condo, right?” He stared hard into her eyes, searching for a hint to her feelings.
“I hope not. Goodnight.”
It almost hurt to close the door behind her as she left. He turned the wish bracelet on his wrist. “I hope you work.”