Page 14 of Wild Nights

"I love Joey, Mr. Wilde. I'm happy to help out whenever you need me."

Maeve was saving for college and applying for scholarships. I was worried she wouldn't have enough money and would decide not to go. "Have you heard anything about your financial aid form?"

Maeve opened the door. "Not yet. But I got into a couple of schools already."

"I'm sure it will work out."

She smiled. "Me too. See you tomorrow."

I watched while she headed toward her car; I didn’t close the door until she'd backed out and headed home. If Maeve wasn't able to cover her expenses, I'd talk to Eli about creating a scholarship for her. We usually donated to various charities each year, and I was positive I could convince the rest of my brothers to help her. She'd been a lifesaver when I needed someone to watch Joey, and he adored her. I'd do anything I could to help her.

I headed back to the kitchen, grabbing the thawed ground beef in the fridge. I'd learned to cook when we were kids. My mom thought all of us should learn, but my recipes were basic at best. Not that Joey minded. He loved hamburgers and fries. If he ate fruit or veggie with it, I'd call that a win.

"Can I help?" Joey pulled up a chair and stood next to me.

"You can't help me with the patties, but you can put the fries on a baking sheet."

"I can do that."

He'd done these kind of simple tasks a billion times before.I was grateful that he was eager to help out. I hoped that desire didn't wane as he got older.

I helped him open the bag of frozen fries, and he dumped them onto the pan. Then we talked about his day while I formed the patties.

Once the fries were in the oven, I grilled the patties on the stove. I only made a few since it was just the two of us, and Joey barely ate anything. His main food group was ketchup, even though I wanted it to be protein.

When I sat down to dinner, listening to Joey talk animatedly about how he’d be jumping rope in gym class tomorrow, my heart was full. My job fulfilled me, and I loved that I was lucky enough to work for my family's business. But at the end of the day, I wanted to come home to Joey. It was just me and him.

When Joey was in bed and I'd finished my work for the evening, I pulled up the text exchange with Carolina. We had one amazing night, but what if the memory didn't hold up to reality? What if it was a one-time thing that couldn't be repeated? Flings were never supposed to become anything more.

Carolina was clear she didn't want a relationship, and I had been too. I didn't date much. I assumed most women wouldn't want to deal with the fact that I had a young child. Joey would always come first. So that night with Carolina needed to stay in the past, where it belonged.

I should delete her contact information, but I couldn't. I saved it to her name, then clicked out of the text exchange before I did something stupid like message her again.

The only problem was, it was her face I saw when I closed my eyes at night, her black hair spread over my pillow, and I couldn't get her scent out of my head.

Chapter Five

CAROLINA

Summer and fall were busy with conferences. I was almost grateful I didn't have to be in Colorado for a few months. It gave me time to try to put that night with Oliver out of my mind.

The only problem was, whenever I'd go out on a date, I'd compare every one to Oliver. Even though we only spent a few short hours together, he'd made an impression on me. He was a gentleman that night, always making sure I was on the same page as him.

I couldn't seem to make a connection with anyone. I was afraid that Oliver had ruined me for other men.

In November, I was back in Telluride for a bridal conference. These were always huge events, and I was excited I'd started getting more of them. There were a ton of vendors, and they all had specific requests for what they needed at their booths.

It was my job to ensure that everything ran smoothly. I ensured that the vendors got their wares to their booths, they were able to set up without any issues, and that the guests could easily navigate the room.

It was my job to make sure everyone was happy. The onlydifference with bridal shows was that the guests could be more high-strung. Some of the brides tended to be a bit more demanding than, say, someone at a conference to see an author.

I prided myself on being the calm in the storm, to anticipating everyone's needs and ensuring they were met. Everyone left happy. That was my motto. And I wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in my way.

I rolled my suitcase up to the entrance of the resort, my hands trembling and my heart racing. Would I see Oliver on this trip? Or would I be able to avoid him? I'd been here a few times before, and I couldn't remember ever seeing him.

I suspected he kept to his office and only spent time in the bar or restaurant when his family was present. I vacillated between wanting to see him and needing to avoid him. I hoped I'd built everything up in my head, and that it wasn't as amazing as I remembered. I couldn't forget he was just another guy. One who hadn't called or texted since our last exchange in April.

He wasn't as attractive as I remembered or as attentive. He'd made me feel like what we had was different, special. And I hadn't been able to completely let go of it.

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