Page 7 of Love Me Forever

Travis beamed, and I swear to God, my panties were on fire.

Why am I so into this guy all of a sudden? It’s so bizarre.

"Actually, if he were an opponent, I would do just that, but he's not. He's someone Iwantto work with." He paused, then added, “So I’m wooing him.”

The chatter of patrons was so loud that we both leaned slightly over the table to hear each other. I couldn’t get past how striking his green eyes were. He could possibly be the handsomest man I’d ever met.

"How come you want to ‘woo’ the manager of a small boutique hotel from a town with a population of two thousand to manage your big-city hotel in Chicago? I bet the clientele will be completely different."

"It will be, but he comes with a skill set I value. These small luxury retreats always know how to apply a personal touch, and that's exactly what I'm looking for. The hotel in Chicago will be small with only thirty rooms. The idea is to make it an exclusive destination, and this manager would know how to make that happen."

"Oh, thatissmall," I agreed. "Where's it going to be?"

He rattled off the address. It was on West Fullerton Parkway—one of the dreamiest streets in Chicago. The midcentury architecture was amazing. It was a mix of styles, and it was breathtaking.

"Oh, I know where it is. One of my favorite bookstores, The Happy Place, is actually at the ground level of that building."

“Really? My grandmother owns it.”

It took me a few seconds to put two and two together. "Maxwell of Maxwell Bookstores?"

His face was blank, but he nodded. Did it bother him that I knew his family? Of course, everyone knew that family; they were very famous in Chicago. In truth, they were very famous across the whole country, but more so in Chicago because they originated from there.

"I didn't know your family still owned bookstores." It was one of my favorite hangouts. Not just for the books, as they also had great accessories, unusual journals and cards, unique pens, and papers that could be custom printed.

"We don't. Gran just kept that one because it was the first one she opened with my grandfather."

I grew up hearing stories of the Maxwell family, though I never really followed them closely. I wasn't one for gossip magazines or sites. I left that to my mom; it was her guilty pleasure.

“Anyway, Gran owns the whole building," he continued. "The upper levels have been empty for many years. She's always hinted about how she wants to bring more life into that place.”

I tried to remember the size of the building. "Is it big enough for thirty rooms?"

"No. I bought the adjacent buildings."

Heboughtthem?I was stunned.

"That sounds like quite a project. How did you even decide to go into the hotel business?"

"I had a software company. I founded it when I was in college and sold it last year. Then I had a lot of time on my hands, and I got restless. I was looking for my next adventure, so to speak, and at family meetings, Gran mentioned the building now and again. One thing led to another, and now I'm opening a hotel.”

This man was amazing, and he was thoughtful to pick up on his grandmother’s interest.

He went on. "I like the idea of continuing something from my family's legacy. I was very young when they sold the stores, but I like to think that I would've liked to work in the family business."

I liked the way he spoke of his family and the obvious ties he had with them. I was just a tiny bit envious. I spoke with my dad on Christmas and our respective birthdays, and that was pretty much it. Mom mostly remembered she had a daughter when she needed money. It was obvious that Travis and I had grown up on the proverbial opposite sides of the tracks.

“What do your other siblings do?”

“Luke is an architect, Declan’s a lawyer, Tyler plays hockey, and Sam is a doctor. Tate has a huge wine business. His daughter, Paisley, is still young, but I bet she’ll follow in his footsteps.”

“Oh wow! You all are into something different. That’s nice.”

"Enough about me. How did you end up in a veterinary clinic?"

I shrugged. "I’ve always liked animals. I remember I was six years old when I took care of the first one. It was a lamb. He had fallen into a ditch, and his back leg was trapped between a rock and the ground. I helped him out. I was spending a lot of time outdoors back then. We lived in the countryside.”

Whenever Mom and Dad started yelling, I took refuge outside. I was outside a lot.

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