Chapter Ten

 

Aubrey leaned against the door in her room, taking in deep gulps of air. Ian Quinn's downstairs. She rubbed her hands over her face. It had to be a cruel joke.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and tears stung her eyes. Damn the man. Her emotions were on a roller coaster ride. She wanted to scream at him and strike his all too handsome face, but a part of her wanted something else entirely. Ian's rugged charm attracted her at nineteen with a girl's curiosity and now as a woman, her traitorous body still yearned for his touch. What in the heck was wrong with her? The guy's a jerk and all you can think about is seeing if his kiss is as good as you remembered.

She threw herself on the bed. Eyeing the tissue box, she leaned over and yanked out a couple. "The magic box," she whispered and blew her nose. She had to admit she'd been thinking about Ian when she made that wish, but by God or the faeries—as Mr. O'Grady believed—she didn't mean him literally. She let out a short laugh and harrumphed in disbelief. If the faeries believed Ian was her soul mate, they were sadly mistaken. "I don't believe in soul mates." Only her claim somehow fell short of being a convincing argument.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pants' pocket. Pulling it out, her gaze caught sight of the caller ID. The Seattle number shone bright on the screen. Her thumb brushed over the button. "Hello, Loretta."

"So, did Mr. O'Grady let you see the magic box or what?" Loretta lived for these stories, believed in them wholeheartedly. It wasn't that Aubrey didn't want to believe. She needed concrete proof. More times than she'd like to admit, the reality wasn't as beautiful as the myth.

"He let me see it." She yanked another tissue out and wiped her eyes. It wouldn't do if Loretta heard her crying. The woman would interrogate her until she caved in and told all. Surely in another life, Loretta led the Spanish Inquisition.

"And?" Loretta coaxed with impatience. "Details woman."

Aubrey took a deep breath. "I placed an order, so to speak." Despite her shock of finding Ian and falling apart in front of him, Loretta's rich laugh made her smile. She was like a little kid discovering Santa Claus had left her presents under the tree.

Loretta cleared her throat and tried her best to sound professional. "Really? You wished for your soul mate. I have to say I'm surprised."

"It was the spur-of-the -moment decision, egged on by the lovely host."

"Hmm. I hope you won't be disappointed when Nelson doesn't pick up on the whole soul mate vibe."

"He might." Her voice lacked conviction and Loretta jumped on it.

"Please spare me. The man's a bore without a romantic bone in his body. Aubrey, I don't know what you're doing with him. Truly, I don't."

"Thanks."

"Oh, honey. I don't mean to upset you, but he isn't the guy for you. This little experiment should prove it. He couldn't even break away from work to spend one weekend with you. If you couldn't persuade him, how do you expect the faeries to convince him?"

"Let it go, okay."

"Honey, you know I only hassle you because I love you, but if you want to talk business, I'm good. Soooo…" She let out a long sigh. "Wishing for soul mates, hmm. I wonder if we could market this. Make it a drive-through for finding your true soul mate. So, any prospects?"

It was tough enough to follow Lorretta's erratic train of thought on a good day, but with her nerves rattled as they were, she couldn't keep up. "What are you talking about?"

"Your soul mate, silly."

She shook her head in disbelief. Loretta had to be joking. "Do you think Mr. O'Grady stashes soul mates in his closet and sends them out as needed?"

"Make fun, but I've talked to the couples who've touched Mr. O'Grady's magic box. There's something to it. Stop being such a pessimist and open your eyes. Your soul mate is probably already there if you'd just look."

"Hmm…on that note… Did you know the Inn throws a Spring Enchantment every year in honor of the magic box?"

"Mr. O'Grady did mention an event. It's this weekend, isn't it?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "It is, but I didn't know about it."

"I could have sworn I told you." Loretta chuckled. "Hey, maybe your soul mate will show up then."

Aubrey did laugh now. "Good bye, Loretta. I'll check in with you tomorrow." She clicked her cell off and stuffed it in her pocket. Her gaze traveled over her room's amenities: poster bed, dresser, table, chairs, and a television. Cozy as it was, she couldn't hide up here forever. Besides, she'd left her computer and notes downstairs. She rose to her feet determined to slip into the library and retrieve her belongings.

Reaching the door, her hand wavered over the doorknob. Surely, Ian wouldn't still be down there waiting for her return. Her disgusted harrumph for her hesitation propelled her into action. Gripping the doorknob, she yanked the door open and came face-to-face with Ian, the one person she wanted to avoid. A squeal of shock left her lips and her hand reacted before she could think, slamming the door in his face.

She stared slack-jawed at the door, her heart thumping madly in her chest.

Three quick raps echoed on the door in response. "Aubrey, I know you're in there, so you might as well open up."

She debated about letting Ian stand out there, but what would that accomplish since he worked at the inn? She wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. "Go away."

"Not until you hear me out." Steely determination laced his words, leading her to believe he'd camp outside in the hall just to prove he could out wait her stubborn tendencies.

"Ugh!" She threw open the door again. "This constitutes as stalking."

"And what does dousing me with lemonade represent?" His challenge was evident in his gaze and the way his brows rose high on his forehead.

Assault … Okay, it was a draw.

"Just give me a minute. Please." His gaze locked onto hers, imploring her to give him a chance.

She let out an exasperating sigh and moved to the side with a wave of her hand, leaving the door open. If she didn't like what he had to say, he could just waltz back out again.

Her gaze traveled over him, noticing he must have taken a shower. His dark strands glistened like polished ebony and he sported a new change of clothes, too. His worn blue jeans rode low on his lean hips and his black T-shirt revealed well-shaped biceps peeking through the sleeves. The years apart turned the good-looking boy into a sexy handsome man. Her mouth flattened into a fine line, irked at where her thoughts took her.

He nervously ran his fingers through his hair before he shoved both hands into his pockets. "This is awkward, isn't it?" He rocked on his leather-clad feet.

"You could say that." She stared at him in disbelief as his gaze slid from her face down to her toes and back up again. "Really? You're checking me out." Her hands went to her waist in a military stance, not caring she'd been doing the same thing to him a moment ago.

His lips curved in a dangerous smile she remembered all too well. "I can't help it, Aubrey. You're a beautiful woman."

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest. "Flattery isn't going to win you points. You better talk fast or you're right out this door." She nodded toward the hallway. "You asked me to give you a minute. I'd say you have forty-five seconds left."

His gaze shifted for a moment to the open door then back to her again. "I know you're royally pissed and you have the right to be. I didn't handle the situation right all those years ago, but I truly thought leaving you was for the best."

"Yeah, it makes it difficult—to have two girlfriends."

He ignored her sarcasm. "I swear, Aubrey, there wasn't anyone else."

"I saw the boy. Are you going to give me a cockamamie line that your relationship with the other woman meant nothing? Give me a break."

"The boy's name by the way is Reece. He's my brother, not my son."

She chuckled, thinking he was joking, but he didn't crack a smile. She searched his eyes for the truth. His gaze never wavered. "He's your brother?" She wanted him to confirm she heard him correctly.

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "Reece was a surprise to my parents as well."

She looked away as she digested the information, her hand smoothing her tresses back in a smooth glide of her hand. Reece is his brother, not his son. Her gaze found his again and she wished he didn't look so damn sexy with the way his pain-stricken eyes held her gaze. Maybe she should hear what he had to say. She'd be lying if she claimed she wasn't curious to know why he bolted. She let out a resigned sigh. "Then, I suppose I owe you a drink."

His lips slid into a smile of relief and she felt her heart turn over in response. It irritated her that he could still do that to her. "I have a better idea," he said. "Let me take you out to dinner."

She shook her head. "I don't think—"

"So don't," he interrupted, his shoulders lifting in an off-handed shrug. "It's just dinner. I'd like to explain what happened. I'll tell you everything."

A part of her wanted him to leave her alone because she was afraid of what he might tell her—but the reporter part of her wanted the scoop. She needed it for closure. She so hated loose ends and her relationship with Ian had left her doubting her judgment. Every relationship she had since Ian, put her on guard, afraid to trust completely. "Okay."

"Okay?" He seemed surprised.

"Yeah, I'll meet you downstairs at six-thirty." She waved her hand toward the empty hall.

He took the hint, but once outside the door, he turned to look at her again, his gaze wavering over her like a caress. "It's really good to see you again, Aubrey." Then he turned and strolled down the hall, whistling as he went.

Against her will, a smile spread across her face at the memory of him whistling this same tune the first day they'd met. She ran out into the hall and called after him. "You know you still whistle off tune."

His answer was to whistle louder.