“Hello.” His smile was breathtaking.
Drake latched a hand onto his beard and pulled.
“Hey, boss.” Knox kissed his cheek, then pulled me into his side. “How was the morning?”
“Guessing not as hectic as yours.”
Because daycare was closed for Thanksgiving, I’d spent the morning with Drake. Eloise, best boss in the world, had changed the shifts so I could have today and tomorrow off. I’d be working all weekend, but Knox had volunteered to watch Drake.
I’d spent an hour playing with my son, working on tummy time and rolling over. Then during Drake’s morning nap, I’d cleaned Knox’s house. He’d left just after four to get to the restaurant and prep for the holiday meal.
Knuckles had a single menu today and had been reservation only. Locals who hadn’t wanted to cook and those visiting Quincy had blocked out the day months ago. Every seat had been taken.
“How did everything go?” I asked.
“Good. Easy.” He chuckled as Roxanne and Skip both scoffed.
“This is the first time I’ve breathed since five,” Roxanne said, stripping off an apron as she headed to the walk-in. She came out with three square silver bowls, each covered in clear plastic wrap. “I’m going home to eat myself into a food coma.”
“Thanks for today,” Knox said.
“You bet. See you guys tomorrow.”
Knox waved as she disappeared down the hallway to slip out of the side exit. Then he let me go, handing Drake over, to unbutton his white coat.
“You don’t need to stick around?” I asked, glancing to the door and all the people beyond.
“No, we’re all done. Every table has food. There will be a ton of dishes to wash, but Skip’s family dinner isn’t until tonight so he’s going to close up.” He balled up his coat, taking it to a laundry bin, then retrieved his keys and jacket from his office. “Call me if you need anything.”
Skip lifted a hand. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Same to you.” Knox stole Drake again, carrying him as we headed out of the kitchen. Not five steps into the dining room and a man stood from his table of eight, hand extended.
“This is quite the meal, Knox.”
“Thanks, Joe. Appreciate you all coming down.”
“We were just talking about how this will be our new tradition.” Joe glanced my way and Knox put his hand around my shoulders.
“Joe, this is my girlfriend, Memphis. And this little man is Drake.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Joe said, shaking my hand.
“Hi.” I nodded and smiled, hoping the shock didn’t register on my face.
Girlfriend. I’d been a girlfriend before. Never had that status sounded so . . . lasting.
It took twenty minutes to get across the room because every table we passed, someone would stop Knox and compliment him on the meal. Then he’d introduce me as his girlfriend. Over and over. Each time, a shiver raced down my spine.
Until finally we made it to the doors and escaped outside to the snow.
“Let’s just ride together. We’ll get my truck tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I followed his footsteps through the snow to the Volvo in the parking lot.
The storm last week had brought in over twelve inches. It showed no signs of melting. But this early winter was fine by me.
The snow made Quincy even more charming. And in a way, it was like a cocoon, isolating us from the outside world. I still hadn’t heard from my parents, and as the days ticked by, my anxiety ebbed.
Waiting wasn’t easy, but I had plenty of distractions. A baby boy. And my Knox.
We piled into the car and Knox took the keys so he could drive. Then we set out for the Eden ranch.
My knees began to bounce as we pulled off the highway. I sat on my hands so they wouldn’t fidget.
Knox’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel, but unlike me, it wasn’t nerves. Energy radiated off his broad shoulders, and the grin on his face was intoxicating.
“You’re wired.”
“Yeah.” His blue eyes sparkled in the bright afternoon sun. “It’s the restaurant. Today was crazy busy. I’m still riding that wave.”
“You really love it, don’t you?”
“I really do.”
A pang of envy hit. “I don’t love cleaning rooms.”
He took a hand from beneath my thigh, threading our fingers together. “What do you love?”
What did I love? “I have no idea. I was never really given the freedom to decide.”
“You’re nothing but free now, honey.”
“Other than I need money to pay for rent and food. Speaking of which, you haven’t deposited my last rent check.”
“Haven’t I?”
I frowned. “If you don’t cash it, I’m moving into the loft.”
He chuckled. “I’ll cash it.”
“Thank you.” I glanced at Drake in the back and the mirror facing forward so I could see his face. His attention was rapt on the window and the world outside. “Mostly, I just want to spend time with him. More time.”
“You’ve got an Ivy League education. I bet if you started looking, you could find something online. People are working from home more than ever. Hell, if you want, we can turn the loft into an office.”
“Maybe.” That was so tempting. “But not yet. Not until I have some cash reserves built up.”
“I can cover you.”
“Thanks, but no.” My independence was too important.
“You’re stubborn,” he teased.
“Absolutely.”
He brought my knuckles to his lips. “I like that you’re stubborn. But I’d like it even more if you loved your job.”
“I don’t dislike my job.”
“That’s not the same.”
“I know,” I mumbled. “Eloise would not be happy with you if I told her you were trying to get me to quit.”
“Eloise wouldn’t be happy with me for a lot of things where the hotel is concerned.” He blew out a long breath. “My parents have been asking me to take it over.”
“What?” I sat up straighter. “When?”
“It’s been a discussion for a while. I haven’t really wanted to make a decision so I’ve put it on the back burner. But . . . I can’t ignore it forever. Their vision is to have all of the family businesses stay in the family. Griffin has the ranch. Lyla has Eden Coffee. The hotel is the next question mark and they’d like me to take it.”
Knox? Really? “Don’t get mad at me for this, but . . . I’ve always seen it as Eloise’s.”
He gave me a soft smile. “I’ll never be mad when you’re honest. And it is hers.”
“Then why wouldn’t they want her to have it?”
“She’s young. I love my sister’s heart, but there have been times when she’s led with that heart and made the wrong business decision. Mom and Dad just got out of a lawsuit with a former employee. It’s been . . . stressful.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize.” Eloise had told me a lot about her family and the hotel and Quincy in general, but not about a lawsuit. “Do you even want to run the hotel?”