One Night with the Boss (15 page)

“Shouldn’t she have told you she was taking a vacation?”

“She probably did.” He tried to look as though this was business as usual and hoped he pulled it off. “I have a tendency to tune out everything around me when I’m focused on work.”

“Olivia told me that, too. And focus is good.” Now there was censure in her voice. “But sometimes you need to stop and smell the coffee.”

He’d said something like that to Olivia. “I thought it was roses.”

“That, too. Just saying...” She looked at her watch. “I really need to go. An appointment.”

“Thanks for your help. It was nice to meet you, Sally.”

“Same here. I hope you and Olivia work out your problems.”

So much for business as usual.

Brady stood and watched Sally get into her car and drive away. What could he do now? He still needed to talk to Olivia and decided to call her cell again. Again she didn’t pick up and he left a message to call.

The next logical step was to see her family. Surely she’d let them know where she’d gone. But it wasn’t even noon yet and they worked. Since there wasn’t anything he could do right this minute, he went back to the house and tried to accomplish something.

Six hours later he’d done nothing but wear a path in his office carpet and crush the hell out of his orange rubber stress ball.

When the clock said five, he breathed a sigh of relief. Surely someone would be home at the Lawsons’ now, since her mother taught at Blackwater Lake Elementary. Again he got in the car and this time went to the neighborhood where he and Olivia had grown up.

There was a car in her parents’ driveway and he was pretty sure it belonged to Ann Lawson. He parked at the curb and walked up to the door.

Brady lifted his hand to knock, but it opened before he could and his mother was there with Olivia’s mom.

“Brady?” Maureen O’Keefe was obviously surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Just like that, everything went from bad to worse. Getting information from Olivia’s mom was an acceptable risk, but his own mother involved in this meant he’d get more than he signed up for. But there was no bluffing his way out of anything now, and he was anxious for answers.

“I came to talk to Mrs. Lawson. Hi,” he said to Ann.

“It’s nice to see you, Brady. Come in, sweetheart. Your mother was just leaving.”

“Not anymore.” Maureen backed up so he could come inside. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you go straight to the bad place?”

“Hmm. I’m your mother and I don’t think I’ve ever heard that tone from you before. So I rest my case about something being wrong. You drop by to see me now and then, but never the Lawsons. Clearly something’s wrong, and my guess is that it involves Olivia.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up her hand. “Don’t even bother denying the obvious.”

The three of them stood in the entryway on the dark wood floor. A brass chandelier was suspended from the two-story ceiling and a stairway with white spindles was on his right.

Brady dragged his fingers through his hair. “Okay. I should know better than to try and bluff with you.”

“Darn right.” Maureen nodded emphatically. “It didn’t work when you were ten and you’re not any better at it now. And I guessed that something happened with you and Olivia, because she left on vacation suddenly and wouldn’t say where she was going.”

“You don’t know where she is?” He looked at Ann.

“She only said she’d be out of town for a while.”

“How long?” What he wanted to ask was how long until he could see her, talk to her.

“I couldn’t get her to tell me.” Ann held up a hand when he opened his mouth to ask more. “And she refused to say where she was going.”

That would have been his next question. Instead he asked, “How could she not tell her parents?”

“She said you’d probably come by and give us the third degree. Don’t be offended. She also said you have a way of charming things out of people.”

“He is persuasive,” his mom said. “And charming. Just like his father.”

His patience was so thin he expected it to snap any second. And this wasn’t a good time to remind him his father was gone and that his mother still missed him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Maureen smiled, some mysterious thing that only she understood.

Ann looked sincerely sorry for him. “Livvie said if we don’t know where she is, we can’t spill the beans. No matter how persuasive you are.”

“If you knew, would you tell me?”

“Probably not.” She slid her friend a sorry-’bout-that look. “My daughter is the most levelheaded woman I know. If she doesn’t want you to know where she is, I’m positive there’s a good reason for that. Even though she won’t say what it is.” She sighed. “Brady, I love you like a son and would help you if I could. But I wouldn’t ever betray Livvie, tempted as I might be. It’s a conflict so I’m glad I don’t know anything.”

“I understand.” He slid his fingers into his jeans pockets as he met the other woman’s gaze. He really didn’t like Olivia out there alone, where he couldn’t protect her. He couldn’t stand it if anything happened to her. “She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“Yes. And she promised to check in with her dad or me every day.”

“Good.” That was something, anyway. “Will you ask her to call me?”

“Of course. But I can’t guarantee that she will.”

“I know. Just tell her—” What? That he missed her? He was sorry? He’d make it right? How could he do that? “Tell her I’m thinking about her.”

Ann smiled. “I will, Brady. It’s good to see you.”

“Same here.”

“But you look like hell,” Maureen said.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome,” she said cheerfully. “Come on. We need to go and let Ann relax after a long day at school.”

It had been a hell of a day and he was more tired than after a full day when he’d actually worked. “You’re right. Bye, Mrs. Lawson.”

“Have a good evening, you two,” the other woman said.

When the door closed behind them, his mother slid her arm through his. “You’re here. It’s almost dinnertime. I always make too much. You should stay and eat. What do you think, sweetie?”

“I wouldn’t be very good company.”

“That’s okay. You might want to talk and I’m happy to listen. What’s family for?”

“I don’t think so, Ma. But thanks.”

“Okay. I know not to push.”

“Since when?” Her look of mock indignation made him smile, the first and only one all day. And that wasn’t normal. Every day with Olivia was filled with teasing and laughter. “It’s a good offer, but I’ll pass. Thanks anyway.”

“Okay, honey.” She stood on tiptoe and hugged him hard. “I love you very much.”

“Love you, too.”

Brady watched her walk safely into the house, then slid into his car. And sat there motionless. For a man who’d always known what he wanted, this was the first time in his life he didn’t know what to do, where to go.

He only knew that he couldn’t stand to go back to his house without Olivia there.

Chapter Fifteen

B
rady drove straight to his sister’s house. He stood on the front porch, wondering how she’d managed to keep going after her husband died. The grief had been shattering and was always there in her eyes, yet she’d somehow managed to put one foot in front of the other even though the most important person in her life was no longer there. He hadn’t seen Olivia for only two days and he missed her like crazy.

He knocked on the door and prepared to wait because Maggie might be busy with the baby. But in moments she was standing there with the little girl braced on one hip.

“Hi, bro. Come on in.”

“Hey. Sorry to drop in unannounced—”

“About that...Mom called.”

“What did she tell you?” he asked.

“Everything. Olivia’s gone and didn’t tell you. Her whereabouts are unknown. True?”

“Yeah.”

Maggie smiled sympathetically. “Get in here, Brady.”

“Ba-ay!” Danielle held out her arms as she always did.

Brady was happy to take her and grabbed his niece from his sister, then snuggled her close. “That’s the best thing that’s happened to me all day.”

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Then Maggie shook her head disapprovingly. “But you brought this on yourself.”

The little girl in his arms was running her hands over the scruff of whiskers on his face, then looked at her palms questioningly.

“Excuse me,” he said. “I could have sworn you just said this is my fault.”

“It is.”

“How do you figure that? You’re the one who helped her pull off a lie.”

“And I’d do it again.” His sister crossed her arms over her chest.

“Did we have the same parents?” Brady asked. When his niece squirmed and pressed her tiny, chubby hands against his chest, he set her gently on the colorful braided rug in the living room. Instantly she sat and picked up a stuffed doll from underneath the coffee table. “Because my mother and father taught me that it was wrong to deceive someone.”

“Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason.” She nodded her head sagely.

“Now you sound like Confucius. Or Yoda.”

“My parents taught me not to call people names.”

“Don’t throw my words back at me.” He was in no mood for anything other than a straightforward answer. “I’m your own flesh and blood. Why would you encourage Olivia to lie to me?”

“Because you needed a good shaking up.”

“What?” He stared at her. “Why would you say that? I was just fine, thank you very much.”

“I’ll give you an answer, but first I have a question.” Before waiting for the okay, she said, “What happened between you and Olivia?”

“Nothing.” The word nearly stuck in his throat and he couldn’t quite meet his sister’s inquiring gaze.

“Now
you’re
lying.” She turned away. “Do you want a beer or a glass of wine?”

“Wait a minute.” He followed her toward the kitchen. “First you call me a liar and now you’re being nice?”

“Of course.” She smiled wickedly. “What are little sisters for? Try to keep up.”

“Beer.” He shook his head to clear it.

“Okay, then.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a longneck amber bottle, then handed it to him to twist off the top.

Danielle toddled into the room after them and held out the soft, cuddly doll. “Ba-ay?”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” He took it from her and stared at the well-used toy. “This is the kind of woman I can handle. Does what you tell her. Never lies about a boyfriend. Always there when you need her.” His niece held up her arms and was moving her fingers in a way that meant
give me back my doll.
“Easy come, easy go,” he said, holding it out for her.

Maggie had poured herself a glass of red wine. “I have chicken in the oven. Want to stay for dinner?”

“Really? You’d feed your brother, a name-calling, lie-telling weasel who needs a shaking up?”

“Yes,” she said empathetically. “It’s the least I can do.”

“You got that right. And thanks. I’d like that.”

She glanced at the timer on the stove. “I just put it in, so we won’t be eating for a while.” There was an evil gleam in her eyes. “That will give us a chance to talk.”

She breezed past him and he looked heavenward because divine intervention for this conversation would be incredibly helpful. He followed his niece back into the living room, where she plopped herself on the floor and happily chattered away in a language no one else, with the possible exception of her mother, could understand.

When Maggie was settled in her chair, he sat at a right angle to her on the couch. “Okay, Brady, tell me what you did.”

“Really?” He blinked at her. “Olivia disappeared. Why am I the bad guy?”

“Oh, please. This is me.” She looked at him as if he was the most pathetic human being on the face of the planet. “This behavior is uncharacteristic for Olivia. She’s organized and responsible. She’d never take off without notifying work and especially without telling her parents where she’d gone. Clearly she doesn’t want to be found.”

“How do you know all this?” They stared at each other for several moments before he realized it was a stupid question. Maggie had already told him she’d talked to their mother.

“So what made her go?” Maggie persisted.

“You’re not giving up on this, are you?” Brady wasn’t really asking. He took a drink of his beer, then set it on the coaster beside him. “Okay. Just remember you made me. Because it’s really bad form. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell—”

Maggie’s eyes widened and she nearly choked on her wine. “You had sex with Olivia.”

He angled his head toward the toddler. “Little ears. Language.”

“She’s not even two yet. She doesn’t know what sex means.” Maggie set her wineglass down on the coffee table. “Finally! You and Olivia did the wild thing.”

Wild
wasn’t the way Brady remembered it. Being that close to her had been intimate and sexy and powerfully moving. It was a moment, with a capital
M.
And now everything was messed up.

“Yes,” he admitted. “Saturday night after the employee weekend officially ended, I took her to my suite at Blackwater Lake Lodge and we—”

“Did the horizontal hokeypokey.”

“Maggie—” His voice rose and the baby stopped playing to stare at him wide-eyed. “Sorry, sweetheart. Your mom is exasperating.”

“One of my best qualities,” she bragged. “What I don’t get is why you’re so peeved. Obviously you two have some chemistry going on.”

Brady couldn’t deny that. It was by turns the best and worst night of his life. Now he was two parts miserable and one part really ticked off.

“I want to unring that bell and I can’t. Everything has changed and I want it back the way it was. Damn it—”

“Language. Little ears,” she said, pointing at the baby, who looked up. “Tone makes her pay attention and I’d prefer she not blurt that out at next week’s play group. If she does, I’m blaming it on you.”

“Might as well add that to my list of sins.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I really messed up, Mags.”

“Oh, Brady.” She leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry I teased. I’ve never seen you like this. What happened?”

“She confessed all to me about Leonard, told me that she’d made him up. Then she admitted why, that it was to help her stick to her guns and leave the company.” In for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well give her the whole truth. “She said she’s in love with me and has been for a long time.”

“Hip, hip, hooray and hallelujah. It’s about doggone time.” Maggie’s smile faltered when she noticed he wasn’t feeling the joy. “What did you say to her?”

“Nothing. I was stunned.” Did he look as miserable as he felt? It was probably best not to reveal that this conversation had taken place in bed while they were naked. But he would never forget the hopeless, unhappy expression on Olivia’s face before she’d grabbed her clothes and left. He would never forgive himself and hated that he was responsible for making her look that way. “The next thing I knew she’d walked out.”

“You didn’t go after her?” There was a note of astonishment in his sister’s voice.

“I thought she needed space. I didn’t know what to say to her.”

Maggie pressed her lips together, clearly disapproving. “
This
is why you needed a shaking up. And that’s why I played my part in Olivia’s lie.”

“You were manipulating me.”

“That’s kind of a harsh word,” Maggie said. “Let’s call it helping you see the light.”

“About?” He stared at her. “What the heck are you saying?”

Maggie tapped her lip thoughtfully. “More importantly, what are you going to do about Olivia?”

“Even if I wanted to—”

“Oh, you do.” His sister smiled knowingly. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to her parents. But please feel free to continue digging yourself in deeper.”

“I repeat, even if I wanted to, there’s nothing I can do because I don’t know where she is.”

“There are so many things wrong with that statement I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Give it a try, because I don’t have a clue.”

“That’s pretty clear.” She drew in a deep breath. “Let’s start with this. You’re a computer genius, Brady. If you can’t find her, she can’t be found.”

He hated to admit it, but Maggie was right. He should have thought of that, and would have if he hadn’t been thrown off balance by everything. It was a state that had started when Olivia got his attention with a boyfriend that wasn’t even real.

“I knew that,” he said sheepishly.

“Here’s the thing...I love you and want to see you happy. The last thing I want is for you to end up unloved and alone. For years you’ve been pushing away anyone who had even the slightest chance of getting close to you.” She met his gaze. “Then you hired Olivia and I thought given enough time you’d realize that the two of you are perfect for each other.”

“You think?”

“Duh,” she said. “But you kept the cone of detachment firmly in place until I wanted to shake you myself. I wanted to tell you that Dad would be really upset and angry if you passed up a chance at love, especially because of him. He and Mom loved each other so much. You know as well as I do that from the day she lost him she always said she’d rather have had one day with him than not to have been with him at all. And since I’m speaking my mind here, it’s time to stop punishing yourself for not dying in that accident with Henry.”

“Olivia said the same thing.”

Maggie smiled and tapped her temple. “Great minds...”

“Uh-huh.”

“We’ll talk about that later. The thing is, when Olivia told me about the lie, it was obvious that you’d finally noticed her in a different way. Of course I helped her. And you.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. Feels like hell,” he grumbled.

He missed Olivia in every way it was possible to miss a woman. Nothing was right—and he somehow knew that without her it never would be again.

“Only you can fix this,” Maggie said. “The ball is in your court, Brady. Tell her what’s in your heart. She’s not a mind reader. Put up or shut up.”

“I can’t shut up. I love her.” Lightning didn’t strike and the earth didn’t shift on its axis. But suddenly the truth of his feelings for Olivia was as vivid and clear as a Montana sky the day after a storm.

Maggie grinned as if he was her star pupil. “Don’t tell me. Tell her.”

“Right after I find her,” he agreed.

* * *

Olivia had hoped being in Miami Beach would make her forget she was completely miserable. There were palm trees and the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, and the city hummed with excitement. She was stretched out on a luxurious beach towel with fine grains of sand between her toes as the balmy breeze blew over her. Winter in Montana was far away and the sound of waves lapping on the shore should have been peaceful, but it wasn’t.

In reality, she was warm on the outside and freezing inside. This was her fourth day and so far there was no sign of that changing any time soon.

She fished her phone from her beach bag and checked the display. The first day she hadn’t been at work, Brady had called her repeatedly. His voice mails had grown increasingly frustrated and angry. Then he’d stopped trying to reach her. When she looked now, the words
zero messages
mocked her. Wow, he’d gotten over her really fast.

“I’m such a loser.”

The beach was filled with people, most of them probably taking a break from cold weather, which had been her plan as well. But she’d brought winter along in her heart.

At the start of the new year, it had seemed critically important to get away from Brady in order to have a life. Now that she was away, the flaws in the plan were immediately apparent. She missed him more than she’d thought possible. Maybe it would be better to apologize, ask for her job back and stay in Blackwater Lake. Although she’d insisted he hire her replacement, so she wasn’t sure how it would work. Maybe there would be a job when the corporate headquarters was completed. She could find something to tide herself over and wait. Wouldn’t it be better to at least see him every day, even if he couldn’t love her? Friendship could work, right?

A shadow fell over her but didn’t move on. She was too crabby for this, crabby enough to ask the inconsiderate bozo to get the heck out of her sun. When she finally looked up, she recognized the inconsiderate bozo.

“Brady?” Maybe it was just because she’d been thinking about him. Or had she been out in the sun too long?

“Hi, Liv.” Sure sounded like his voice.

He had on cargo shorts, a white T-shirt and aviator sunglasses that hid his eyes. A beach towel identical to the one she’d borrowed from her hotel was rolled up under his arm. “I like your bikini.”

Oh, God. She’d never pictured herself in a two-piece bathing suit for this conversation. Even a tasteful but flattering one-piece tank would have been better, although not especially professional or appropriate for Montana in the waning weeks of winter.

“Do you need sunscreen on your back?” he asked.

That really didn’t seem important at this particular moment, so she ignored the offer. “How did you find me?”