Page 15 of Hooked on Lane

“Yeah, I am going back to visit my mother and it's a great getaway. The lodge will be the perfect place for your binge-reading sessions. They even have a fireplace.”

Laura didn’t even give me a chance to reply. “Yes, she'd love to.” My eyes flicked to hers. “She needs to get out of this city and enjoy her holidays. Being cooped up in her apartment is no way to spend Christmas.”

Laura excused herself. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she would hear about it from me later.

“Why don't you come into my office and we can get a flight booked for you.”

I followed behind him but did not sit down once inside. We had been very good about keeping things professional since the bar, and even though Amesbury sounded wonderful, I wondered if this was a mistake.

“Are you sure this is okay? I mean…” I didn't lift my eyes. The burn on my skin told me he was looking my way.

“Don't worry, I will not cross that line. You made it clear, but that doesn't mean you should have to sit at home when you could enjoy yourself.”

Wait? I made it clear? So did that mean he wanted to be more than just colleagues? This man was sending me too many mixed signals, and it was hard to keep up.

“So, the best flight would be the first one out. It'll get us to Missoula in time to get one of the earlier buses to Amesbury. I'll be able to get you settled in at the lodge before I have to go get my mom in Sikita.”

So, now we were staying in the same place? As much as everything in me yelled to sayno, I nodded. “That'll be perfect.”

So now, instead of curling up on my couch, I would be stuck in a small town at a lodge with my hot boss. What could go wrong?

Chapter Fifteen

Lane

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to invite the assistant I had a crush on to my small hometown for Christmas, but what else was I supposed to do? I couldn't leave her alone in the city. She had invited me to Thanksgiving, and now it was time for me to do the same. I booked the first flight out of New York City so we could make it to Missoula in time to take a bus to Amesbury. We could take a cab, but it would cost a fortune. Jennifer was going to love the scenic route it took from the airport to my town.

It had been five weeks since I took over for Mr. Longford permanently, and chaos ensued. Clients were nervous about letting someone else take their cases. I have had to be more hands-on and accommodate their worries, which made me work longer hours. Being a good boss, I didn't require Jennifer to stay past six. Just because I had to stay didn’t mean she should have to. I wasn't Mr. Curran.

It was a few minutes past seven when I closed out of my email and headed over to the dive bar. Christmas lights hung from the ceiling. I ordered a draft beer and took a seat near the big-screen TV, watching unnoticed as the other patrons laughed and clanked their glasses together. I sipped my beer and letthe worries of the day fade away. There was a light tap on my shoulder, and when I spun around, there she was. “Guess you had the same idea, huh?”

“Work has been so hectic these last few weeks. I’m here to meet Laura, but she's running late… again.” She took a sip of her wine and set it back on the bar.

I nodded. “Yeah, Mr. Curran sure keeps her busy.” I cleared my throat, feeling an uncomfortable itch crawl up it. “At least you have me as a reprieve, right?” I tried to laugh, but it came out sounding forced even to my own ears.

She motioned to the bartender for another glass of wine and slid onto the barstool next to me.

“So, I don't want you to think…” I trailed off when my voice quivered, not sure how to phrase what I wanted to say without sounding too forward. “The trip to Amesbury is purely so you can get away from here if you want; there is no pressure on you to join us for Christmas or anything else. If you'd rather hole up at the lodge by yourself, that's totally fine.” I swallowed hard and waited for her response.

“I’ve been stalking your town online,” she confessed. “You have one of those town squares, like something out of a fairy tale or a Christmas movie.” Her eyes lit up as she described the main street with its old-fashioned shops.

It warmed my heart to see her excited about the trip. “It's not for everyone but for those of us who can appreciate a rustic main street, it's one of a kind.”

A man's voice rang out, his words dripping with venom. I turned to see Jennifer's ex-boyfriend Peyton, who had obviously had too much to drink, standing in the doorway. He jabbed an unsteady finger in my direction.

“You know this place only because I told you about it. Take your new boyfriend somewhere else.”

My hands balled into tight fists. I had always kept my cool, but I was getting angrier by the second. “You think you can just show up here and push her around? She's welcome anywhere she pleases, and you'd do well not forgetting that.”

“You think you are a tough guy? She's not worth it. You'll find out soon enough.”

The air was heavy with tension as the ex-boyfriend's words echoed through the bar. I could feel my rage boiling beneath my skin and before I knew it, I lunged forward and landed a powerful punch.

The bartender, Helen, let out a laugh. “Finally, someone got him to shut up. Don't worry about it, Jen. He had it coming.”

Two of his friends grabbed him by the arms and yanked him off the floor. They obviously knew he was in the wrong.

Jennifer crossed her arms. “You didn't need to step in.”

---