Enchanted enough, p.25
Enchanted Enough, page 25
“Perfect. I’ll call you when I get home.”
“Okay. Have a good day, Beck.”
“I will. You too, sweetheart.”
The call ended, and I put my elbows on the desk and dropped my head into my hands. “Today is going to suck.”
By the time I got home, it was nearly ten-thirty at night. I had already texted Avery that I was running behind. She was so understanding, and that made me miss her even more. Dropping everything on the table the second I got in, I started for the kitchen. I pulled out a beer and started to pull my tie off as I walked to my bedroom.
Kicking off my dress shoes, I pulled my shirt out of my pants as I took a long drink. Setting it down, I called Avery.
“Wow! You have to be exhausted.”
“You have no idea. The last meeting was at a restaurant, and I swear to God, the way these men drink, it’s a wonder they get any business done at all.”
“Did you drink?” Avery asked.
“No. That’s one thing my grandfather always told me, stay sharp no matter what. But I don’t want to talk about my day. Tell me what you did,” I said, lying back on my bed.
When she started talking, I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Emily and I had a business meeting at my house over some takeout Chinese. We’ve got another few rows of seeds and seedlings to plant in Mom’s greenhouse, then we’ll be finished. I’m so glad she is here to stay! My father got a contractor over to give us a bid for the high fence we’re going to put around our garden.”
“Mmm,” I said, barely hearing what she was saying.
“Beck?”
“I’m here.”
“Thought I lost the signal for a minute. I’m going to move into the apartment above the boutique this weekend. At least I’ll have an easy commute to work, but not to the farm, but that’s okay. It will be worth it to have my privacy.”
Her voice started to slowly grow more distant, until the only thing I heard was…nothing. Blissful silence.
Chapter Twenty-Six
AVERY
“Beck? Are you still there?”
The sound of light snoring caused me to smile. Poor guy was so tired he fell asleep while on the phone. I hung up and sent him a text.
Me: You fell asleep. If you wake up and see this, I hope your alarm is set.
When I didn’t get a reply, I sighed. So much for FaceTime tonight. I lifted my cell and took a selfie, being sure the phone was out far enough to get the lingerie I was wearing, then sent it to Beck.
Me: Rain check?
I plugged my phone in and slipped under the covers, falling asleep and wishing I was with Beck, or better yet, he was here with me.
Just as I was falling asleep, my phone went off with a text.
Beck: Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m exhausted. You look insanely beautiful, and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again. Sleep tight. XoXo
Grinning like a fool, yet feeling like my heart was tearing in two, I sent him a text back that said goodnight. It took everything I had not to type those three words.
“Avery? Avery?”
Jumping at the sound of my name, I glanced over to Emily.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if Beck had a chance to add that one page to the website?”
Rubbing my eyes, I stretched, then yawned. “Yeah, he said he was going to add it today. I think he might actually get a tiny break. His grandfather has been running him ragged.”
Emily gave me a knowing smile. “I know what’s it’s like to have your guy working all the time. When Doug was doing his internship, I swore he slept more at the hospital than he did at home. Do you know when he’ll be coming back up for a visit?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s been three weeks now, and Beck said his grandfather’s doctor hasn’t released him to work full time yet, even though he’s at the office now. Beck’s still trying to pick up the slack.”
“What about the ex?” Emily asked.
One night, during dinner out with Emily, Mackenzie, and Lily, I’d shared details about Rachel. Her answering his phone that first night, and the fact that she kept asking Beck out, even after he’d said he was seeing someone, and also rejected her during a surprise visit to his office. He’d told me about all of that, and reassured me he wasn’t interested. Still, I hated that she was there with him, and I wasn’t.
“I’m hoping she’s leaving him alone.”
The door to the greenhouse opened, and my father walked in. “Mackenzie said I’d find you both in here.”
“What’s up?” I asked as I pulled off my gloves.
He quickly looked at the rows of flowers that were already growing, and smiled. “This is just after a month? Wow!”
Emily and I both grinned. It even looked like Emily puffed her chest out some.
“The soil will be warmed up enough by late May to start planting out in the field. Since we’re in April now, I wanted to make sure you girls have created your supply list, so you’ll have everything you’re going to need to start planting when the time comes.”
“Beck was going to email me a spreadsheet he’s been working on. I sent him all the information, and he made a rotation schedule for planting.”
Dad smiled. “Does the boy ever find time to sleep?”
I felt a pain in my chest. Beck was constantly falling asleep while we were talking on the phone.
“He’s always falling asleep when we talk at night,” I admitted, and my father shook his head.
“Any clue when he’ll be back?” Dad asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure and I don’t think Beck is sure either. I guess when the doctor releases his grandfather to go back to work full time.”
My father’s eyes narrowed, and he gave me a sly smile. “Well, I have an idea about that.”
“What’s that?” I asked, as I pulled the hose down from the roller and started to water one of the rows of cosmos and snapdragons. Emily was watering the rows of strawflower, peonies, and salvia.
“I think you should fly to Texas and surprise him.”
I laughed. “Dad, every penny I’m making at the boutique is being poured into this business. I can’t afford to fly to Texas.”
He raised his brows. “Did you forget Brock has a private plane?”
Turning the water off, I frowned. “What?”
“I spoke with Brock about using his plane for a short weekend getaway. He doesn’t plan on using it anytime soon, and said you’re more than welcome to it.”
Chewing on my lip, I said, “Dad, Beck’s so busy. I’m not sure he’ll have the time for a break.”
“He’ll find the time, trust me. What do you say? Want to do something crazy?”
The inner turmoil was unreal as I weighed the pros and cons. The only real con I could think of was Beck might not be able to get away from work. “I don’t know.”
My father walked up to me and took my hands in his. “Princess…I was talking to your uncles, and we all agree that something doesn’t smell right with Beck’s current situation. I researched his grandfather’s business when he first came to Montana—”
“Dad!”
He held up his hands. “I told Beck all about it. Anyway, it’s a multibillion-dollar company, and there is no way his grandfather is relying on Beck to run the entire show. I think he’s playing him.”
“What do you mean?” Emily asked.
My father looked to her, then back to me. “I mean he’s actively trying to keep Beck from coming back to Montana.”
“Do you have proof of this?”
He raised a brow. “Do you think I’m wrong?”
I chewed on my thumbnail. “Can I ask Beck first about going down there for a visit? I don’t want to just show up.”
He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “Of course. Just let me know as soon as you can, so Brock can get his pilot lined up and the flight plan filed.”
Nodding, I said, “I will. Thank you, Daddy. For everything. And I’ll send you that file so you can look over the supply list.”
He winked, then smiled at Emily. “Good seeing you, Em.”
I watched as my friend and business partner blushed. Lifting her hand, she said, “You too, Mr. Littlewood.”
When he raised his brows, she giggled and corrected herself. “Dirk.”
When my dad left, I looked at her with an appalled expression.
“What? I can’t help it if your dad makes me blush! He’s hot as hell.”
I laughed. “He is a good-looking man.”
Later that night, I sent Beck a text to see if he was home. He instantly called.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi! How was your day?”
“It was okay. I got home a little bit ago and just made some dinner. I got your website updated with the Q&A page Emily asked for.”
“Thank you so much. Um…listen…my father suggested something today, and I wanted to run it by you. If it doesn’t work out, that is totally okay.”
“Tell me,” he said, his mouth full of whatever it was he’d made for dinner.
“He said Uncle Brock offered to let me use his private plane to fly down there and visit you. Since it’s been almost a month, and you’ve been working so hard and all…”
“Avery, that’s a great idea! When would you come?”
“Whenever is best for you. But I know you’ve been working weekends.”
“I’ll have Kelsey clear my schedule this Friday and Monday. We can head out to the ranch and spend the weekend there.”
My stomach did a little dip, and I felt my entire body tingle with anticipation. “Are you serious? I would love that!”
“If that works for you, I’d love for you to come this weekend. I can introduce you to my grandfather. We’ve got an upcoming meeting to talk about him coming back to work full time.”
“Oh, that’ll be nice. What will that mean for you?”
He paused for a moment, then said, “I’ve been waiting for him to get the all clear before I tell him I’m going to be taking an extended leave of absence.”
I sucked in a breath. “Beck…can you do that?”
He laughed. “My grandfather has so many people on his payroll, all of them more qualified than I am to run this business. The longer I’m away from you, and everyone else up in Montana, the more I realize that’s where I want to be.” His voice lowered. “I had a dream last night that I built a place on my father’s land. Your log cabin you want.”
Drawing my knees up to my chest, I hugged them with the arm that wasn’t holding my phone. “It’s your land now, Beck.”
He exhaled. “I know. Listen, make all the flight plans. If you fly in Thursday afternoon or evening, maybe I can pick you up. I’m not sure what my schedule looks like, but I’ll try to make it work.”
Feeling a true sense of excitement for something other than flowers for the first time in a month, I said, “Okay! I’ll talk to Uncle Brock tomorrow.”
Uncle Brock’s private plane taxied to a completely different area of the airport. I was escorted out of the plane, and when I saw a white Toyota SUV, and a woman in her late twenties or early thirties standing beside it, I figured she was waiting for someone else.
“Avery?” she called out as she walked toward me, her hand outstretched to shake mine.
“Yes?”
We shook hands, and she gave me a beaming smile. “You’re even more beautiful than Beck said.”
I felt my cheeks flush, and I put my hand over one of them.
“I’m Kelsey, Beck’s assistant. He informed Mr. Dahlstrom that he needed this afternoon off, but apparently, there was a situation that needed Beck’s attention.” She rolled her eyes. “So here I am! Is this your only luggage?” Kelsey asked, as she pointed to my small bag.
“Yes, that and my backpack.”
She went to grab the suitcase, but I got it before she did. “Please, let me get it. I’d feel weird, having you carry my luggage.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “That’s my job, Avery.”
“For Beck, not for me.”
Something like admiration passed over her face, and she gave me a quick nod. “Let’s get it in the back seat then.”
After getting my case in the back, along with my backpack, I slipped into the front passenger seat.
“Beck asked me to bring you to his place. I went ahead and ordered some food to be delivered in about…” Kelsey looked at her watch and nodded. “In about an hour or so. They have the key code to get into the building, so they’ll knock on your door. I didn’t want you to be surprised.”
“Thank you.”
She glanced at me and smiled again. “Beck has been talking about you nonstop. Well, when Mr. Dahlstrom isn’t working him to death, that is.”
“Is it normal for Beck to work so much?”
Shaking her head, she replied, “I mean, he would work long hours sometimes, but these last few weeks, he’s been so busy he hardly has time to sleep. Between you and me…” she said, pausing for me to respond.
“Of course, between us.”
“I think his grandfather is doing it on purpose. He’s trying to keep him busy so he forgets all about his family in Montana.”
I wasn’t about to tell her Beck’s uncles and my father had come to the same conclusion.
“Has Rachel still been stopping by his office lately?”
“You mean stalking him? I’m so glad Beck told you about her. I believe it’s important to be honest and upfront in a relationship.”
Nodding, I said, “Me too.”
“She hasn’t, and stalking was a strong word. Sorry. I just don’t like her after what she did to Beck.”
I had no idea what she’d done to Beck, because he’d never told me. I knew I shouldn’t ask, but this was my chance to get answers.
“What exactly happened between Beck and Rachel?”
She quickly looked at me. “You don’t know the story?”
With a shake of my head, I replied, “He was about to tell me one night, but he never did. We got distracted by…something else.”
I could see the corners of her mouth twitch with a hidden smile. “Well, I’m not sure I should gossip about my boss, but you are his current girlfriend, and it’s kind of like a girl code to inform the new girlfriend about his sneak of an ex.”
My eyes went wide. “Wow.”
Kelsey nodded. “Beck and Rachel were pretty serious. He was tossing around the idea of marrying her and had started looking at rings.”
I tried to ignore the instant rush of jealousy.
“Then one day, she told him that she wasn’t in love with him, and six months later, she was engaged to the VP of another division of the company. Real estate. That’s the side she works on.”
“Goodness, that must have broken Beck’s heart.”
Shrugging, she replied, “He was upset about it, but I think he was more hurt that she’d obviously left him for someone whom she assumed had a lot more money. Anyway, she split up with that guy not too long ago, and she’s had her claws out for Beck ever since. Just a warning. He can handle her, but she’s…well…the only word I can think of for her is viper. She’s a viper.”
I cleared my throat. “Um, thanks for letting me know. I won’t be seeing her, will I?”
“Oh, gosh no.”
Kelsey started pointing out places in Dallas as we drove downtown. My hand was clutching onto the door handle so hard, my knuckles were turning white. I thought Paris traffic was bad, but Dallas was insane. Of course, Kelsey drove like one of the taxi drivers you find in New York or Paris. Like a bat out of hell.
“That is the building that Mr. Dahlstrom owns. Well, one of them. Beck works there. And he lives in this one.”
I looked up at the tall glass building that disappeared as Kelsey drove into the garage. She parked in a marked spot, and we were soon riding up the elevator to the top floor.
Kelsey walked up to a door, slipped the key in, and opened it. Then she handed the key to me. “This is for you. Come on in, and I’ll show you around really quick.”
The moment I stepped inside, I sucked in a breath. “Wow. This wasn’t what I was expecting.”
Kelsey laughed.
The door opened to a long hall with beautiful wood floors and stark white walls.
“Bathroom number one is here to the left. Then you walk right into the kitchen. It’s not big, but perfect for a guy like Beck.”
The appliances were all top of the line, and the backsplash was white tiles with black grout.
“The little eat-in table is the only one to eat at unless you go outside; there’s a table and two chairs on the balcony. It’s still pretty decent weather, so you can sit out there and not sweat.”
We walked farther into a good-size living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed a view of downtown Dallas.
“That is one heck of a view.”
Kelsey gazed out and nodded. “It is.”
I glanced around the room and noticed there wasn’t a TV in the living room. There was a sliding barn door on the one wall that led to another area of the apartment, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was the only country thing in the very contemporary home.
“In here, behind the barn doors, is where all the bedrooms are.”
My mouth gaped when she pulled back the barn door to reveal a spiral staircase in the middle of the room. Kelsey totally ignored it, pointing to a door to the left. “That room is a guest space. This room is Beck’s office,” she said, as she opened a door to reveal a stunning office with rich browns and creams.
“And here’s Beck’s room.”
We walked in, and I slowly spun in a circle. Tall ceilings with exposed beams made the space look bigger than it really was. More floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much light, I wondered if there were room-darkening blinds so he could sleep.
The bed was a stunning antique sleigh bed that had crisp white bedding and a red and white quilt at the bottom. I put my suitcase down and followed Kelsey into the bathroom.
“Holy shit,” I said, as Kelsey laughed.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“It’s nicer than the spa I used to go to in France.”
