The Better Man (6 page)

“I thought you
said you hadn’t thought of Brian since you’ve been here.”

She smiled.
“No, I said I never thought of him at night. When I was alone in this bed, I
only thought of you. During the day, all bets were off. Now, let me finish. I
thought a lot about my relationship with him, where it went wrong, what I did
to drive him away. I had to figure out why
my
love wasn’t enough for
him, and then it dawned on me. It was because
I
didn’t love him. I’d stopped
truly loving him years ago. No wonder the poor guy went out and found some
young thing who’d adore him. I wasn’t fulfilling that need anymore. And you
know what? I didn’t care. I know that sounds bitchy and cold, but it was true.
Loving him, being with him, had become a job, a chore. Poor guy.”

“Still didn’t
give him the right to go out and do what he did.” Will’s voice was gruff,
tinged with anger.

“And look what
I did. Basically the same thing. It was all in the timing.”

“Please don’t
say you don’t love me, Lori. Don’t you dare tell me you regret what has
happened.” He gently cupped her chin in his palm so she had to look at him. His
eyes were so dark, so powerful. Even with the frown—maybe especially with the
frown—he held her mesmerized. Helpless.

“I’ll never say
that. Not ever. But Will, I need to do this. Give it a shot. Maybe I’ll come
back down someday. Maybe it’ll be next week. But I have to give a new life a
chance.”

“You’re
breaking my heart again. I know that’s not a very manly thing to say, but
that’s what you’re doing, Lori.”

“Then stay with
me. Pack up your things and move up here with me. We can be crazy together and
find out where this thing is going.”

Will leaned
forward and pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet, soft kiss that sent butterflies
to all her extremities. But he pulled back before they went any further and
shook his head.

“Not until you
love me the same way I love you. This isn’t enough for me, Lori. I want it all.
If it means I get nothing then so be it.”

How could she
reply to that? Instead, she stared at him, her gaze holding his for several
seconds.

“But I do
intend, Lorelei, to make you fall head over heels in love with me.”

“I’m more than
half way there already, you know.” She reached up and stroked his jaw.

“Halfway will
do. For now.”

* * *

The same girl
was at the front desk when Will went down an hour later. She was polishing her
nails and singing a song under her breath and didn’t look up until he cleared
his throat.

“Oh, hi.” The
girl flashed him a grin.

“Hi. I was hoping
you could help me out. I need a table for dinner tonight. Do you have something
private, romantic?”

The girl raised
one eyebrow and Will realized how odd his request sounded. Lori would have been
on her honeymoon had things not gone badly between her and Brian. And here he
was, planning on wining and dining her.

“Well, maybe. I
can see.”

Will leaned
toward her, keeping his voice low. “I love her. I’d marry her right this minute
if I thought she’d say yes.”

The girl’s face
softened a little. So, she was also a bit of a romantic. “I’ll see what I can
do. There is a nice table. Usually it’s reserved for special occasions, like
honeymoons or anniversaries, but it’s not being used tonight.”

“You are
awesome. Thank you.”

Will turned
away from the front desk and looked down at his clothing. He hadn’t packed
anything more than a pair of jeans and a couple casual shirts. He only had a
few hours to play with, but remembered passing a small mall on his way to the
inn. Maybe they carried men’s clothing, something a little dressier than what
he was wearing.

By the time he
got back, forty minutes later, people were already gathering for dinner. The
girl who’d been at the front desk was now in a black dress and stood at the
entrance to the restaurant. She winked at Will as he walked by.

“You went
clothes shopping?” Lori asked with a laugh when she let him back into the room.

“Couldn’t
escort you to dinner wearing jeans and a polo shirt, could I? Give me a few
minutes and I’ll be ready.”

It took less
than ten minutes to shower and change into the dress pants, charcoal grey
shirt, and black tie. When he came out of the bathroom, Lori was dressed too.
He stopped dead and stared. Longing raged inside him once more.

Her dress was
calf-length, but hugged her body to show off her generous feminine curves. The
deep red fabric screamed both elegance and seduction.

Her hair
flooded loose in luxurious honey waves to the small of her back. At her neck
hung a thick gold chain holding a red stone the size of a quarter. A ruby. The
one her parents had given to her for her twenty-fourth birthday.

Suddenly he
didn’t want to share her with anyone. “Maybe we should have dinner in the
room.”

Lori pouted and
sauntered over to him. In four-inch heels, she stood nearly eye-to-eye with
him. “Oh, come on. Dressed like this, we can’t hide up in the room.” She kissed
him on the jaw, softly.

The effect was
overwhelming. Will shoved down the desire to sweep her off her feet and take
her back to bed. “You’re right. Come on.” They started for the door, but he suddenly
stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.

“What?”

“You look
absolutely stunning.”

The smile that
spread across her ruby-red lips was one of pure pleasure. “Thank you.”

The hostess’s
eyes nearly popped out of her head when she greeted them in the dining room.
She repeated Will’s sentiments with genuine delight.

Lori slid her
arm around Will’s waist. “Have you officially met Will?”

“No, but I’d
like to.”

“Tina, this is
Will Draper, my best friend. Will, this is Tina Howell.”

Will shook the
girl’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“And you too.
I’ve got your table ready.” She picked up two menus and led them into the
dining room, to a corner table for two.
Plenty of privacy.
It overlooked
the patio, empty due to the fall weather, but the view was impressive. Tea
lights strung from the trees outside glittered into the night.

The overhead
light was low and two candles on the table added to the romance, as did the
bouquet of flowers in the center of the table.

“Enjoy.” Tina
laid the menus down on the table and left.

Will kissed
Lori lightly before he helped her into her seat and took his own. Her eyes
sparkled as she looked around their surroundings.

“Did you do
this? You are full of surprises tonight.” She returned her gaze to him.

“I aim to
please.”

“And so far
you’ve been right on the mark on all accounts. Oh, what I’ve missed.”

Both
satisfaction and sadness filled Will’s heart at the frustration in her voice.
Had it really been so bad with Brian they hadn’t even managed a romantic dinner
or two? Probably. He knew on the occasions they did go out, it was usually a
group affair.

Firmly, he put
Brian out of the picture. The man didn’t deserve to share any space in his mind
with Lori. Not anymore.

After the
waiter arrived to take their orders, Will reached across the table and clasped Lori’s
hands. “I have to go back to Orlando in the morning.” He didn’t want to go.
He’d rather stay in New Hampshire with her for a week. A month. Hell, a whole
year, but he had a business to run back home and hadn’t planned for longer than
a night away.

Lori’s content
smile faded and she tightened her mouth. “I know. I would just rather not think
of it tonight.”

Her admission
sent a wave of pleasure through him. She’d miss him, which meant he had to make
the most of tonight. He had no idea what tomorrow would hold. If she decided to
stay in New England permanently, then what? Would that be it for them? A small
taste of what could have been? “Me neither,” he admitted and squeezed her hand.
“You know I want you to come back.”

“And you know
why I don’t want to go back. Call me a chicken, but I don’t want to face everyone,
everything that went wrong. There were more problems with my life than just
Brian.”

He sighed. Why
the need to push the topic? The direction of the conversation cast an
unpleasant pall over the table. But he wanted her to know she could return and
make a better life down there. There was no reason to fall back into the same
old rut.

“There are lots
of hotels down in Florida that would love to have you. It is, after all, a big
tourist spot.”

“I don’t want
glitz. I want family. I want a quiet, beautiful old inn with lots of fresh
air.”

“Okay, we’re
not going to get anywhere right now.”

The waiter brought
their wine and Will changed the subject. They talked about her trip, what she’d
seen and done while in New England, and what she had planned for the remainder
of the vacation. They talked about her friends down in Florida and anything
else he could think of. Everything but Brian, for which Will was grateful. He
dreaded any questions regarding her ex.

Luckily, she
seemed to make it a point to stay away from him.

He was amazed
at how much they talked, how much they laughed. Whenever he could, he held her
hand over the table, stroked her palm with his thumb, looked into her light
blue eyes and fell deeper, despite the fact that his heart would be thoroughly
broken if she actually decided to stay.

After a shared
tiramisu
,
they walked hand in hand back up to her room. This would be their last night
together for who knew how long. Maybe forever if she really intended to stay.
Fair or unfair, he meant to make the most of the next few hours.

“Remember when
we first met?” Will tightened his hold on her and kissed her hair. They were
sitting on the recliner by the window, both naked, the comforter from the bed
covering their bodies. She curled up on his lap.

“Oh, God. Don’t
remind me.” She laughed and shook her head.

“Karaoke night
at Neon.”

“Stop!”

“You, my
darling, were singing
Copacabana
.”

“You have no
mercy.”

“It was a very
riveting performance.” His voice was soft, but he grinned. “I had to know who
you were.”

“I was
horrible, and I can’t believe I was up there making a fool of myself.”

“You were
pretty horrible. But I fell in love with you right then and there.”

“Oh, Will.”
Lori leaned in and kissed him softly.

“If that night
had only happened before you were with Brian, well—”

Lori pressed
her mouth to his, softly stroking his cheeks. What good would it do to dwell on
what might have been? To think if it hadn’t been for Brian, maybe she and Will
would’ve had something? That Will wouldn’t have left her at the altar? That
maybe by now they’d be married with a couple of children?

No, thinking
about possibilities did no good. The future was the only important thing. The
future and the man who cradled her in his strong arms and had professed his
love for her over and over. She didn’t doubt his love was deep and real. What
she wasn’t sure of, was what she would do about it.

True, she loved
him. Since the night they first made love, she’d had a lot of time to delve
into just how deep the emotion went, what sort of love it was, where it could
go if left to grow.

But she’d also
thought about going back to Florida at the end of this trip. Deep down, the
memories of her life with Brian couldn’t overwhelm her or devastate her.
Whatever damage he had done had been accomplished early on. This entire trip
had been about healing, moving on. But did that mean she was moving on toward
Will? Or something completely new?

No, she wouldn’t
make any decisions. Not yet. She’d see what happened here. There was no
guarantee she’d get a job, even if the owner decided to hire someone for the
front desk position. If that didn’t happen, she’d have to go back to Florida
and face everything.

Maybe she
should do that anyway. Oh, why did these decisions have to be so difficult?

Or did it?

For whatever
was left of the night, she decided not to think about it. Not to worry about
what would happen as soon he left her in the morning.

* * *

When Will
closed the trunk of his rental, Lori wasn’t ready for the tears that slid down
her cheeks or the loss that nipped at her heart. She had asked him one more
time to stay with her, but again he’d declined. She knew why. He didn’t want
her to run away from her life in Florida.

Will gathered
her into his arms and pressed his lips against her head. “Please come home.
After this trip is over.”

Lori shook her
head but snuggled close to him. Already she loved his scent, the strength of
his arms and gentleness of his hands as he stroked her back. “I need a fresh
start, Will. I can’t go down there and face everyone.”

Will chuckled
softly. “Honey, who cares what other people think?”

“I do.” She
pulled out of his arms, but didn’t look at him. Being so close to him wore at
her resolve to stay. Instead, she glanced back at the inn and smiled. The whole
place soothed her. “I could be so happy here.”

Will’s silence
didn’t really surprise her. Finally, she raised her eyes to him. His gaze was
pinned hard on her, but only sadness lurked in his eyes. “I could be so happy
with you, too,” she said. “Oh, Will, what am I going to do? I want both. I’m
afraid I’ll get stuck down there, not with you, but in a job I hate. I don’t
want that.”

“There are
other things you can do down in Orlando. Be with me, find something new,
something
you
want to do. You don’t have to get back into the same old
rut.” He kissed her softly on the forehead before getting into the car.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

For an hour
after he left, Lori sat on one of the Adirondack chairs on the back verandah
and stared out at the lake. The colors of the trees reflected vividly on the
glass surface of the water. Very little could compete with its beauty, and she
understood why so many people made this part of the world a mecca of sorts. For
her it had healing properties, but she wondered if she would ever get over
Will.

“Hey, you’re
out early.”

Lori looked up
and smiled at Tina. “Too nice to be cooped up inside.”

“Where’s Will?”
Tina took the seat next to her.

“He just left.
Had to get back to Florida. This was rather an impromptu visit. I hope I didn’t
break any hotel rules by having him stay last night. I’ll gladly pay for a
double if need be.”

Tina waved her
hand. “Don’t worry about it. After the help you gave me, you should get the
room for free. And speaking of which, I did talk to Mr. Goss yesterday. He
wants to meet with you, even though he says he hasn’t ‘decided on a course of
action yet,’ whatever that means.”

“Means he may
not be hiring for the position, after all.” Strangely, Lori was only slightly disappointed.

In fact, Tina
looked more concerned about the prospect. Fear wrinkled her brow and she bit
her bottom lip. “Please tell me you’re kidding. Oh, Lori, if he keeps me there,
I think I’ll go nuts. I’m so bad at it.”

Lori patted Tina’s
hand. “You’ll get used to it. Believe me, it’ll come to you in no time. You
need to take a deep breath.”

“Easy for you
to say.”

“Easy for me.
I’m going to be unemployed soon.”

“That bad?”

Lori chuckled.
“Only if I want it to be, I guess.”

“You have Will
to go back to, right? I mean, how could you even think of not being with him?”

“Will is more
complicated than that. I don’t want him to be a rebound relationship. He’s been
my best friend for so long. I love him dearly, I always have, but now there’s a
whole new element to our relationship and it scares me.”

“Why? God,
Lori, I’d kill for a guy to look at me the way Will looks at you. I know you’re
probably nursing a broken heart right now, but I believe in fate, and maybe Will
is your destiny.”

Lori stared at
Tina without speaking.

“I know it
sounds corny.” Tina laughed. “But think about it.”

“I have. I’ve
spent two weeks thinking about it. Oh, it’s so hard. I’ve fallen in love with
New Hampshire, really I have. But I’m afraid I’ll decide to stay and a year
down the road I’ll regret it and want Will, but it’ll be too late. He’ll have
found someone else and I’ll have to live with that regret for the rest of my
life.”

“Then go.”

“But what if I
do go and Will and I find we’re not good together? We might ruin our entire
friendship because we leapt in like this.”

“Is that likely
to happen? You’ve known each other for a long time, right? Not like you met him
after the wedding. Oh, Lori, give it a try. New Hampshire will always be here.
If it healed your heart once then it will again, right? Call me a hopeless
romantic, but don’t you think you and Will deserve a chance?”

Lori grimaced.
“That’s what I’m going to try and figure out.”

“Talk to Mr.
Goss. If he decides he wants to fill the position and hires you, well, then
that’s what’s meant to be. If not, that’ll be a sign to go back to Florida and
make a go of it with Will.”

“I guess.”

“Not that I
wouldn’t want to work with you, because I think that would be awesome, but I’m
kind of rooting for Will right now.”

Tina stood and
left Lori alone to consider her fate and destiny.