Jack's Surrender (Holiday Cove 5)

By the time I touched down, I knew what I wanted to do.

16

Holly

Six weeks later…

“Holly, do you happen to have those worksheets ready?”

I glanced up at the sound of Noah’s voice. He was standing in my doorway, wearing the devilishly handsome smile that came to him as naturally as breathing. “I just emailed them over to you. Do you want a hard copy?”

He shook his head, still smiling. “No, that’s all right. I must have just missed the email.”

I reached for a strand of hair, only to remember it was all tucked back in a sleek chignon. I touched my earring instead and then dropped my hand back to the keyboard. “When are you leaving for the airport?”

He pulled back the sleeve of his grey suit jacket and consulted the exquisite timepiece on his wrist. “I have about an hour. I wanted to get a look at those figures before I head out, though.”

“Well, have a safe trip,” I said with a smile. I’d learned that Noah was quite the jetsetter. He frequently flew back and forth from the East to West coasts and had started working on a project up in Toronto as well. The man wasn’t short on ambition.

“Thanks, Holly. You need anything before I go?”

I shook my head. “I’m all set.”

“At least, tell me you’re actually taking a little time off. That’s what you’re supposed to do when the boss leaves the office. Kick off your shoes, duck out for an early happy hour.”

I laughed. “Kind of a while the cat’s away thing?”

“Exactly.” He stepped into my office and pocketed his hands. His smile faded into a more serious expression as his eyes met mine. “If there’s ever anything you need, you let me know. Okay?”

Warmth flushed my cheeks. Noah knew I was no longer engaged, though he hadn’t asked me directly. I hadn’t worn my ring for the past six weeks and while my desk had framed pictures of Rachel and me at the beach, Hunter as a puppy, and a shot Carly had taken of Hunter and Princess on a hike over the summer, there were no traces of Jack.

I didn’t know why it bothered me that he knew I was single and had very recently gone through a breakup, but there was something about it that prickled at my skin.

“I’m all right, Noah. Thank you for asking.” I smiled, hoping it would be convincing enough to throw him off the scent. “I’m actually going on a few house tours this weekend.”

“You in the market?”

“Just a rental at this point.”

Jack and I hadn’t discussed what to do about the house we’d purchased together. He’d tried to offer it to me but I turned it down, saying I wanted something closer to my new office. In reality, I couldn’t imagine living in the house we’d shared. It was haunted with too many memories.

“I actually have a property becoming available,” Noah said, lowering into one of the chairs across from my desk. “When do you need to move?”

“Whenever,” I answered, not offering the detail that I’d been crashing at a hotel the last six weeks. As much as I enjoyed the maid service, it was time to move on and get my own space. Besides that, Hunter was getting antsy and needed a backyard again.

He smiled. “If you can wait two weeks, and like the place, it’s yours. I’ll give you one hell of a deal.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely! You want to see it? It’s about five miles from here, backs up to green space and hiking trails. I bet your pooches would love it.” He gestured at the picture of Hunter and Princess on my desk. I didn’t bother to correct him that only one of them was mine. “It’s about eighteen hundred square feet, three beds, two and a half baths. Gourmet kitchen, outdoor living space, community pool, and gardening services are included in the HOA.”

“Wow. It sounds like a dream!”

And it did, especially considering the listings I had lined up for the weekend. With my new job at Scoville Properties, I had more than enough money to afford a nice place, but the market wasn’t cooperating. It seemed everyone was in my exact price range and had scooped up all the good properties. Everything left over was either just above or so far under that either location or general vibe was all wrong.

“I’ll get back Monday. We’ll set something up.”

“Are there tenants currently there?”

He shook his head. “No, they moved out two weeks ago. I was having some work done. It should be done by the twentieth. Or at least, it better be. Otherwise, I’ll have to crack the whip.”

I laughed. I knew Noah had an aggressive side—or else there was no way he would’ve been able to achieve what he had so far in his business—but I had yet to see him so much as raise his voice. “I would really like to see it whenever you get a chance once you’re back in town.”