Page 12 of The Workaholic Down the Hall

He nodded, his smile widening. “Of course.” He lifted the flap of his messenger bag and pulled out a stack of brochures. “You can have these, in case you do decide to suggest my place to them.”

I took the brochures and looked at the first one. “A salt spa?”

“It's great for anyone with allergies, bronchitis, a cold, or any kind of nasal congestion. It's good for everyone really. It's incredibly relaxing. You should come by sometime. I could give you a free session, so you can confidently recommend it to your guests.” He glanced down at my belly. “Your husband could come, too.”

My cheeks warmed. He wasn't the first person to assume I was married, but it never got any easier. “I'm not married. No boyfriend. Just me.” I patted my belly, feeling increasingly awkward. “And baby, of course.”

He didn't seem to notice my awkward. In fact, he looked oddly happy about my single status. “Great. Come by anytime. Even if you just want someone to have lunch with.” It was his turn to be awkward, as he shuffled and lowered his eyes to the floor. “If you need a friend, I mean. I'm new to town.”

“So am I.” I felt zero attraction to the guy, but he seemed nice and I could use a friend. I could even use a date, if that's what he was offering. I needed to forget Noah and move on. “I might just take you up on that.”

He looked up and met my gaze. His eyes were a deep, dark brown, with tiny flecks of amber. “Great.” He gestured at the door. “I should get back to the spa. Let me know what your boss thinks of sending customers my way at a…How's a ten percent discount sound?”

“Perfect.” I waved him off and he left. I felt an unreasonable bubble of happiness. I'd just made a friend. I had a job I liked. I had Nora and May to help with the delivery and the baby, and I had a friend. Everything was going to be okay. I could do this. I ignored the nagging doubt in the back of my brain and the shred of my heart that reminded me how much better this would all be with Noah in my life, with him loving me and our baby. It was an impossible dream.

I pushed back my shoulders and held onto that bubble of happiness with everything I had.

The bell over the door chimed as it opened again and Nora walked in. “Oh, dear,” Nora said. “You look exhausted, Aubrey. Why don't you take the afternoon off?”

I smiled, trying not to feel annoyed. “I'm actually feeling great today, Nora, but I appreciate your concern.”

Instead of arguing with me like she usually did, she smiled. “Wonderful. I'd like to show you where you'll be staying this weekend if you feel up to it.”

My stomach flipped. My room at Nora's Inn might be tiny, but I'd gotten used to it, was comfortable there, and this felt like Nora kicking me out. “I can't stay here?”

“No, dear.” Her eyes lit with excitement. “We're all booked up for the weekend, so I'll need your room.”

“We're all booked…But I thought we only had six guests?”

“It's family weekend at the university and one of the hotels in town overbooked.” Her smile widened. “To our benefit. I hate to ask you to leave, but my friend has an adorable hunting cabin in the mountains that you will just love.”

“Will it be a long drive back here?”

She frowned. “Why would you need to drive back here?”

“To work,” I said. “You'll need me if you're completely booked.”

“But you've worked all week, dear. No, I want you to take the weekend off to rest.”

Ugh. Knocking around an empty hunting cabin for forty-eight hours didn't sound like my idea of fun. Not even a little bit. “I'd be happy to help here. I'm feeling really good.”

Nora's frown deepened. “Once that baby arrives, sweetie, rest will not be an option. You should take every opportunity for sleep now while you can. Why don't you just come with me and see the house? When George gets here, he can help carry your bags to the car.”

“He's here. In the kitchen with May.”

“Wonderful,” Nora said, practically rubbing her hands together. “I'll speak to him, while you pack.”

I had a bad, bad feeling about this entire situation. Since I'd started working for Nora, I'd seen another side to her. She liked the world to operate on her schedule and according to her ideals, and that world centered on me. We didn't often disagree, but when we did, Nora had attempted to get her way by distraction and uber-sweetness. Of course, she was the boss and she was doing so much for me, so I let her get her way.

I didn't want to do anything to push her away from me, but especially from my daughter. I understood how tenuous relationships could be, how easily they could break, and I was determined to do nothing to break the one I was forming with Nora. So, I didn't argue. I went to my room and I packed.

George appeared as I was finishing up and he grabbed my bags without a word. I followed him outside and watched him load my bags in his truck. He already had the boxes I'd brought with me in the truck bed. “All of that can fit in my car,” I said.

George didn't meet my eyes. “It's already in the truck. Nora said you were coming back to work.”

I was confused.

“That's right, dear,” Nora said, stepping up behind me. “We'll ride with George so you can see the place, and then we'll come back here until you're ready to head home for the night.”

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