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Authors: Delaney Cameron
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at least temporarily. I couldn’t manage that kind of project from here.”
“Where are the inns located?”
“In Maine – right in the heart of ski country.”
For a moment, the problems of yesterday faded into the background. Aubrey’s eyes grew dreamy thinking of days spent walking along a rugged coastline and evenings sitting in front of a fireplace while outside everything was covered by a blanket of snow. “Would I get to go with you?”
Her eagerness drew a reluctant smile from him. “If you’re still here by then,” he retorted dryly.
She put down her fork. “Why wouldn’t I be here? Are you planning to fire me because I left the front door open?”
“No, I’m just thinking if I go ahead and let you go, I’ll be saving myself future problems. You’re a very disruptive person to have around.”
“Other than getting sunburn and hurting my foot, two things that could have happened to anyone, how have I been any trouble?”
“You have a convenient memory. Have you forgotten you also deleted an important file I asked you to keep and brought a cat, an animal I’ve never liked, into my house without my permission?”
Aubrey bit her lip. “I meant to tell you about Horace, but it slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” he echoed in disbelief. “How can you forget something like that?”
“It doesn’t matter because I never should have brought him here to begin with.”
“That’s the truest thing you’ve said yet.”
She played with her napkin and then put it down, pushing her plate away. “Do you want me to get rid of him?”
Corbin shook his head. “Don’t bother. If Horace becomes a problem, you can both go.”
“I’ll keep him out of your way,” Aubrey assured him. She carried her plate to the sink and would have left the room when his next words stopped her.
“By the way, Richard came by this morning to pick up his umbrella. I invited him in, but he didn’t seem anxious to stick around.”
“Why should he?” she inquired with a nonchalance that fooled no one.
“Only you know the answer to that. If his company leaves you in the condition I found you in yesterday, you might want to reconsider spending time with him. Things aren’t going to improve and could get much worse.”
Aubrey’s face went completely white. “You know nothing about it.”
“I know enough of his reputation and your inexperience to be fairly certain neither of you had a good time.”
“My inexperience? You don’t know anything about me,” she retorted angrily.
Corbin laughed. “I know enough. You’re considerate, caring and honest. You also retain too many romantic ideas for someone like him. He’s not looking for love or anything close to it.”
“What makes you think I’m looking for love?”
“If you’d been looking for anything else, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I have an errand to run, and then I’d like to see what you were able to accomplish in my absence.”
“In spite of what you think, I did work while you were gone.”
“Have I said otherwise?”
* * * *
Aubrey hardly noticed the sea gulls swooping all around her, hoping to snare a meal on the crabs inhabiting the sand dunes. Her thoughts were centered on the mess she was making of her life. Emotionally, she was a train wreck. The loss of her parents had left her exposed, like a ship adrift on a lonely sea. She didn’t have anything or anyone to hold on to. In such a vulnerable state, it had been easy to mistake self-interest for something more.
Not only had she behaved stupidly, but she’d also proven Corbin right. Somehow he knew she yearned for romance and love, something Richard wouldn’t understand or appreciate. The memory of Corbin’s gentleness when he found her would be difficult to forget. He’d shown her more kindness than she expected or deserved. There was more to him than she thought. Underneath that sometimes hard exterior was someone much more complex.
Drawing a ragged
“Where are the inns located?”
“In Maine – right in the heart of ski country.”
For a moment, the problems of yesterday faded into the background. Aubrey’s eyes grew dreamy thinking of days spent walking along a rugged coastline and evenings sitting in front of a fireplace while outside everything was covered by a blanket of snow. “Would I get to go with you?”
Her eagerness drew a reluctant smile from him. “If you’re still here by then,” he retorted dryly.
She put down her fork. “Why wouldn’t I be here? Are you planning to fire me because I left the front door open?”
“No, I’m just thinking if I go ahead and let you go, I’ll be saving myself future problems. You’re a very disruptive person to have around.”
“Other than getting sunburn and hurting my foot, two things that could have happened to anyone, how have I been any trouble?”
“You have a convenient memory. Have you forgotten you also deleted an important file I asked you to keep and brought a cat, an animal I’ve never liked, into my house without my permission?”
Aubrey bit her lip. “I meant to tell you about Horace, but it slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” he echoed in disbelief. “How can you forget something like that?”
“It doesn’t matter because I never should have brought him here to begin with.”
“That’s the truest thing you’ve said yet.”
She played with her napkin and then put it down, pushing her plate away. “Do you want me to get rid of him?”
Corbin shook his head. “Don’t bother. If Horace becomes a problem, you can both go.”
“I’ll keep him out of your way,” Aubrey assured him. She carried her plate to the sink and would have left the room when his next words stopped her.
“By the way, Richard came by this morning to pick up his umbrella. I invited him in, but he didn’t seem anxious to stick around.”
“Why should he?” she inquired with a nonchalance that fooled no one.
“Only you know the answer to that. If his company leaves you in the condition I found you in yesterday, you might want to reconsider spending time with him. Things aren’t going to improve and could get much worse.”
Aubrey’s face went completely white. “You know nothing about it.”
“I know enough of his reputation and your inexperience to be fairly certain neither of you had a good time.”
“My inexperience? You don’t know anything about me,” she retorted angrily.
Corbin laughed. “I know enough. You’re considerate, caring and honest. You also retain too many romantic ideas for someone like him. He’s not looking for love or anything close to it.”
“What makes you think I’m looking for love?”
“If you’d been looking for anything else, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I have an errand to run, and then I’d like to see what you were able to accomplish in my absence.”
“In spite of what you think, I did work while you were gone.”
“Have I said otherwise?”
* * * *
Aubrey hardly noticed the sea gulls swooping all around her, hoping to snare a meal on the crabs inhabiting the sand dunes. Her thoughts were centered on the mess she was making of her life. Emotionally, she was a train wreck. The loss of her parents had left her exposed, like a ship adrift on a lonely sea. She didn’t have anything or anyone to hold on to. In such a vulnerable state, it had been easy to mistake self-interest for something more.
Not only had she behaved stupidly, but she’d also proven Corbin right. Somehow he knew she yearned for romance and love, something Richard wouldn’t understand or appreciate. The memory of Corbin’s gentleness when he found her would be difficult to forget. He’d shown her more kindness than she expected or deserved. There was more to him than she thought. Underneath that sometimes hard exterior was someone much more complex.
Drawing a ragged
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