Page 40 of Just a Distraction

“Still. You weren’t expecting me, and—”

He’s so tentative, so worried about putting me out. I want Benson to feel like he’s a part of things. It would be cool if, eventually, it were that easy. I just want all of us to get along.

“You’re my brother,” I say. “Why wouldn’t I want you to come?”

Benson blinks rapidly. “I appreciate it.” He hesitates. “Did you know the Mavericks-Suns game was tied with eight minutes left? Not sure what’s happening at this point.”

Sports. I can do sports.

I grin. “I’ll pull it up on the big screen.”

There. We can ease into sharing the same space by using the great equalizer: the magical world of sports. I can do that.

But it doesn’t stop me from thinking about Rose’s letter sitting in the desk drawer. And before I go to bed, I slip it from the drawer and take it into my room with me. I’ve got to figure out how to finish it. There’s a lot that needs to be said. And that can’t wait any longer. I owe it to her to get these latest developments out there between us.

After the line that says:I’m sure being a parent is a complication I can’t even begin to understand,I continue on,hoping she’ll understand how much I like her without crossing any lines.

If you change your mind about going on a date with me, I’ll be here. In the meantime, I’ll look forward to any and all letters you’re able to write. And to running into you around here on occasion. Hopefully, I won’t run into your cleaning cart again, but I’m not making any promises.

Milo Knickknack Tate

Chapter 16

Rose

“What?” I demand playfully as I stand outside the penthouse suite of the Longdale Lake resort. Something’s up with Claudia.

I came to check on her, one of my new hires, after I’d assigned her this morning to clean the penthouse suite. I’d gotten word from Sebastian Tate himself that it needed a deep clean, and part of me worried about putting someone so new on the job. But Claudia’s good. She’s always showing up early and hasn’t been afraid to work a little longer than her shift to make sure things really shine.

And now that I’m poking my head in the door, she’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

My gaze flicks around the entryway of the suite. This is unlike any of the other guest rooms I’ve seen. The monochromatic darkwoods and gold furnishings are above and beyond the already over-the-top luxury of the suites.

“It could be nothing to do with you, but . . .” Claudia concentrates on the mop as she swishes it around the entry. “When I dumped out the garbage in the main living area, I saw something.” She rests the mop in the corner and motions to the clear plastic garbage bag hanging on her cart.

“Oh?” I’m sure there’s lots of crazy stuff in the garbage cans around here.

“When I saw the name Rose on this paper, I thought it might not hurt to take a look . . .” She reaches a gloved hand into the bag and pulls out a piece of paper, loosely crumpled. It’s the same stationary Milo uses.

Dear Rose . . .

I take in the handwriting I’ve come to enjoy, and I read silently. Claudia was right, this is meant for me. But not really, since it was in the garbage and partially wadded up. I read it, and it’s about my lips being like a rosebud and now, all of the sudden, I’m all flushed. It’s hard to find my breath.

This is an attempt to write me back. But he discarded it, and I feel guilty reading it. It’s short, though, only one sentence. And it did have my name on it . . .

“It looks like there could be others,” Claudia says in a sing-songy voice, jamming her hands through the trash to pull out two more papers, both wadded up into balls. “Do you want them?”

I remember this is my job. I don’t think I’m supposed to concern myself with anyone’s trash that’s in their rooms.

Still, I snatch them out of her hands. “Thanks.”

Once she leaves the suite, I debate over whether to smooth them out and read them.

There wasn’t a letter from him when I arrived at work an hour ago. Which shouldn’t matter because we’re both busy. We’re notdating. Still, he found out I’m a mom and that things truly are more complicated than he’d known, so I guess I’d been hoping for some sort of sign from him that he wasn’t freaking out.

But these papers are here. The question is, though, did he write them before he knew about Callum? Or after?

And this means he’s probably staying here, in this gorgeous suite.

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