Page 44 of Cold Winter Nights

I’m so glad you’re back,” she yelled, rushing over to him and bringing with her the scent of way too much Estee Lauder, hair spray, and eagerness.

“I’m not back, so don’t ask me anything,” Royal said, not slowing down.

“Oh, come on, Royal,” she pressed, walking fast to keep up with him. “You’ve always been spot-on with oil stocks. Do you really think Pinecreads is gonna dip further, or should we just cut our losses and move into Lumen Petroleum?”

Royal let out a long slow breath before he stopped and looked at her. “I said, I’m not back.”

His sharp tone must’ve alerted her to his annoyance because Lisa’s big blue eyes widened before she took a couple of steps back with her hands raised.

“You need a vacation, man, you’re losing it,” she muttered then turned on her four-inch heels.

No one bothered to ask how he was. If he was feeling better after the medical scare. Where he’d been for almost a month. They didn’t even notice the sadness in his eyes. Instead, the moment he appeared on the floor, all they saw was opportunity.

Royal rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a headache brewing. He aggressively ignored any further inquiries until he made it to the main conference room where he was supposed to meet Charles and Sinclair.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and for a moment he thought it might be Stone, but it wasn’t. It was Sinclair’s assistant telling him that he’d be an hour late for their meeting.

Damnit. Of course he will.

Royal called Bo, but once again it went straight to voice mail. He texted to let him know he’d left a voice mail.

Royal pulled out his laptop and got to work. He had several ideas to maximize Sinclair’s portfolio, but it was going to take a few days, at least. And he wasn’t going to let his expertise and inconvenience come without a steep price.

He’d not only hit up his boss, Charles, to invest money in Windeville, but he’d given Sinclair an opportunity as well. Royal said he’d be willing to remotely monitor this deal for the next sixmonths,ifthe billionaire would give the money he requested to Windeville…free and clear.

Everyone would benefit from the deal.

Royal typed and calculated faster than he ever had in his life.

The clock was ticking.

Stone

The silence in Stone’s cabin was oppressive, a living thing eating at his soul. The only sounds were the faint buzz of his refrigerator, the creaking of the floorboards when he moved, and the crackling of the embers in his fireplace.

The storm that’d blown through last Friday had left its mark in more ways than one.

Royal was gone, and Stone was still reeling from it.

He stared at the muted television, watching the sameVikingsepisode for hours that he couldn’t even remember the name of. The bloody battles and betrayal of an ancient people were a mindless backdrop to the thoughts plaguing his mind. He didn’t care about the show, or what happened to the characters in it. His thoughts were on the way Royal had ohh’d and awwed at the settings, and the way he’d gripped Stone’s arm during the torture scenes.

It'd been three days and he hadn’t left his cabin. The walls were closing in on him, stifled with the pain welling up inside as evening grew nearer, knowing he’d have to get into that empty bed…that still smelled like Royal.

Stone had tried to hold it together and convince himself that maybe it wasn’t that bad. Maybe Royal needed space, and it wasn’t a final goodbye. He’d left his job so suddenly, maybe he had to go back and tie up some loose ends.

Deep down, Stone didn’t want to know.

He hadn’t been able to touch his phone since Jojo told him that Royal had left. The text and missed calls—each one was like a slap in his face of how he’d let that one slip through his fingers.

“Stone, let me be there for you. Just don’t shut me out, okay.”

If only he hadn’t been so consumed with the town and had paid more attention to Royal that morning instead of doing exactly what he’d asked him not to do. He’d shut Royal out and had shown him he’d be second in his life.

What person wanted to know that?

It’s my fault he’s gone.

Stone had turned off the phone when it wouldn’t stop ringing and pinging with notifications. So many people were calling, but he didn’t want to hear from them. He didn’t want to be laughed at for thinking he could land a virile, intelligent man like Royal. He was Ivy League-educated, gorgeous, and had style for days. Even his winter clothes from Jessie’s Duds had been sophisticated and trendy, and they’d come from the same store everyone else in town shopped at.

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