The Desert Flowers--Rose, page 14
“Rose, I like your strength and independence, the way you handle yourself. My daughters choose to remember my wife at her best. I admire that. But they don’t know about the bad times when Leigh and I hid our unhappiness from them. With you, I know I’m going to get the real you. The good and the bad.”
“And the ugly,” Rose said, feeling such a relief that she wanted to cry. Not since Alec had she found a man willing to see her for who she was, and it wasn’t all pretty. “Let’s take it easy and see where it goes,” she said. “In any case, we have to work together. That will be a way to know if we’re going to take this thing ... whatever it is ... any further.”
“This thing you’re talking about is me wanting to get to know you better. Alec is the one who thought we’d make a great team.”
“Really?” Rose couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Yeah. He knew how talented you were, how much you’d loved working here at the hotel. And he knew how honest I am in my work. He told me you’d respect that.”
She gave him a thoughtful look and nodded. “Yes. He knows that about me.”
Hank’s face softened as he continued to study her. “Well, then, let’s move forward both with work and with this ‘thing.’ Shall we?”
“One step at a time,” Rose said. She turned and unlocked her car door, sorting through her feelings. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He stood by as she got into her car and then lifted a hand and waved goodbye.
She returned his smile and drove away, eager to talk to Alec.
###
Back at the house, she went to check on Alec. His waking hours were erratic, with his sleeping during the day altering his nighttime patterns.
She tapped on the door and opened it a crack to find the place well-lit and Alec sitting up in his chair.
“Hi,” she said softly. “Okay if I come in?”
“Yes,” he said. “Just the person I wanted to talk to. How did it go with Hank?”
She walked over to the couch near him and sat down. “He’s a lovely man. I’ve just come from dinner with him and his family. We’ve agreed to disagree about a lot of the upcoming advertising. Still, I have him thinking about the idea of using the Desert Sage Inn as a prototype for a new, upscale group of hotels for The Blaise Hotel Group. He’s open to the idea. We’re going to draw up plans and an advertising campaign to present to them about it. And we’ll be working on ads that set the inn apart from the others in the Blaise Group. However, he also must follow through on the ideas he’s already presented to them about adding the inn to their list of hotel properties, branding it like the others.”
Alec nodded. “I like the idea of making the inn unique, as you well know. If the two of you creative people can’t do it, I don’t know who can.”
Rose was quiet, almost too hesitant to ask the question that was rubbing her mind raw. “Alec,” she finally said, “why did you plan for me to work with Hank? He said it was your idea. Are you trying to play matchmaker?”
Alec’s eyes widened, and then he chuckled, which had him coughing. When he could catch his breath, he said, “You’re attracted to him?” His eyes lit with excitement.
Rose nodded. “He reminds me a lot of you when we first met. Remember?”
His face became somber. “Yes,” he said softly. “Sometimes, I think I was such a fool. Other times, I know I was right to pull away from you and Lily. Life is full of choices. I’m still not sure what I’d choose to do if I had the chance to do everything all over again. Pretty damn sad if you ask me.”
Rose got up, walked over to his chair, and, sitting on the arm of it, hugged him. “I should’ve fought harder, for you, for us. But you know why I couldn’t.” Her parents had made her believe she was unlovable. For her to reach out against his wishes at that point in her life was something she wasn’t equipped to do.
“Yes, I do ...”
Rose cut him off. “Did you know I went into counseling after I left you? Even after all those visits and all these years, I still feel uncomfortable about commitment. I know why I have all those feelings, of course, but being aware of them doesn’t always change things. Not completely.”
Alec wrapped thin fingers around her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t waste any more time on the past. The problem wasn’t about you. I’m sorry I made you doubt yourself. Embrace the future. That’s what I would wish for you. Especially now when I see so clearly the limits I placed in my own life and that of others. Don’t be afraid to see where this goes.”
She let out a sigh from deep within her. Alec was right. Leaps of faith were part of living. Without them, how did people move forward?
###
The following day, Rose awakened and stared up at the ceiling fan twirling slowly above her. She’d tossed and turned through the night, but awake now, she decided to let her attraction to Hank play out. Nobody knew her better than Alec, and he’d reminded her she’d be foolish to let old insecurities and hurts play a part in choosing what she wanted for the future.
She climbed out of bed with a new spring of hope in her step.
After grabbing a cup of coffee, she walked out to the patio and sat in the morning sun, letting its warmth take the chill out of the air. She liked this time of day when she felt as if she had the world to herself. A small iguana raced out of the bushes nearby and stretched out on the warm surface of the patio, a sunbather like her.
She turned as Lily came out, dressed in running clothes.
“Hi,” Rose said. “Are you going out for a run?”
“More like slow jogging,” said Lily, “but I’m learning to like the early morning exercise. My morning exercises at home consisted of getting up and getting ready for the office before heading off to work to try to catch up from the previous day. Pretty lame, huh?”
Rose nodded. “Sounds like a rat race to me.”
“As I’ve said before, I’m not sure what I’m going to do after this stint here, but it’s not going to be that.” Lily gave Rose a little wave and headed out.
Rose watched her, surprised by the changes in Lily. But then they’d all changed since coming to Alec’s aid.
Later, on her computer in her room, Rose typed content for her blog. Her followers expected to hear from her regularly. Today she talked about a new sun cream she’d brought to California with her to try out. That and a new recipe she’d adapted from one of Juanita’s recipes for a pork taco would be enough for today.
She answered her email, sat back, and sighed. Running a blog wasn’t as easy as she’d initially thought. It required a lot of research, building a list of advertisers, a willingness to respond to everyone’s questions and comments, and a creative way to put a new spin on things day after day.
She checked the time and hurried to get ready. She and Hank were to meet at ten o’clock in the lobby, after he’d had a chance to say goodbye to his family.
In the shower, with warm water sluicing over her body, she thought of him. It had been interesting to see Hank with his family, so different from what she’d initially heard about him. He was a sweet, tender guy. She remembered his lips on hers, the taste of him, and the way he’d cradled her in his arms, making her feel safe and cherished. As she thought of it, her body turned liquid. But she didn’t allow herself to linger too long on those thoughts. She’d been fooled before.
She stepped out of the shower and towel-dried, trying not to focus on her image in the mirror. At fifty-two, she was in decent shape. Still, perky breasts and a flat stomach were things of the past. She pinched her stomach and reminded herself not to be pressured by social media into thinking she and other women her age were not desirable.
###
At ten o’clock, she strolled into the lobby. Hank was saying goodbye to his family. Seeing her, Leah ran over to her. “Hi!”
Rose squatted beside her. “Hi, Leah! Are you going on a plane ride today?”
“Yes. In the clouds.”
“What fun to be way up high like that.”
As Rose straightened, Sam approached them. “Come, Leah. The limo is here.” She held out her hand, and Leah took it.
“Have a safe trip,” Rose said.
“Thank you,” Sam responded as she hurried toward the front entrance.
“It was nice to meet you, Rose,” said Rob, stopping by her. “I hope to see you again.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I enjoyed meeting you too.”
Hank came over to her and put his arm around her as his family left the hotel. “It’s always hard to say goodbye. In the time I’ll be away, Leah will have learned so many things without me.”
“You’ll have to Facetime every day,” she said, aware of how sincere he was.
He smiled at her. “Yes. It’s a relief we can do that. Now, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“I thought we’d better talk about some of the transitional material we’ll give guests after the hotel is sold. Rather than have new management make it seem as if nothing will stay the same, we want to assure guests that the original style of service will remain.” She smiled at him. “I thought maybe I could show you around the hotel so you can see it through my eyes.”
“What? You don’t trust mine?” He gave her a teasing grin.
“No, no,” she said. “I merely want to point out a few things many people wouldn’t notice. And you can tell me your ideas about your approach.”
“Fair enough,” he said agreeably. “First, can we grab a cup of coffee? I didn’t sleep all that well last night.”
She wondered if he’d thought of her as much as she’d thought of him.
They joined others in the lobby and helped themselves to coffee at the special station set up for that purpose. In the afternoon, large containers of iced lemon or cucumber water would replace the coffee machine.
“Let’s sit a moment outside,” said Rose. “From there, we can watch activity in the pool. It’s adult swim time. A great chance for real swimmers to get in some laps.”
“An excellent sales point,” said Hank, taking a sip of coffee. “This is the kind of thing you want to show me, right?”
Caught at her game, she laughed. “Plenty more to come.”
They settled in chairs side by side on the patio and looked out at their surroundings. Rose wanted him to capture the colors and care that went into the landscaping. It didn’t happen haphazardly. Maintenance of the hotel grounds was an essential part of its elegance, appreciated by many of their guests. A local magazine had showcased the property recently for this exact reason. It was this kind of setting their guests craved.
“Ahhh,” said Hank. “Quiet, peaceful, and all that. But a lot of younger guests want a little more action.”
“Yes,” said Rose. “They can find it here too, just not in this spot, where so many share the space.”
They got up and walked to the pools. Adult swim time was officially over. The poolside bar opened, and music played softly in the background as staff moved about realigning the lounges and chairs. A couple of families moved into the pool area, tossed towels on unoccupied chairs to claim them, and moved standing umbrellas to give them better shade. She watched a mother rub suntan lotion on a little boy, desperately trying to keep him still long enough to get the job done. He was hopping about in his excitement to get into the shallow end of the pool specifically designed for kids.
“Leah is just like him,” commented Hank. “She loves the water too.”
“She’s so darling,” said Rose. “I hope Sam and Rob can have more children. I bet Leah would love being a big sister.”
“Or not,” said Hank, cocking an eyebrow at her, making her laugh. “Being a princess can be tough duty when you’re suddenly told you have to share the kingdom.”
“Is that what happened with your daughters?” Rose asked, curious about his family as they left the pool area.
“No, Nikki thought Sam was her own special doll,” said Hank, smiling at the memory. His face suddenly changed, erasing all signs of happiness. “I talked to Nikki last night. She called to ask about you. Sam told her you and I were dating.”
“That wasn’t exactly true,” Rose said. “We hadn’t even talked about it until after dinner.” Though she was irritated by Sam’s interference, she tried not to let it show.
“Yeah, I told Nikki we weren’t dating.”
“Is that how you left it?” Rose asked. Hadn’t they agreed they’d give dating a try?
Hank sighed. “I thought it would be the best thing to say at this time.”
Rose’s heart stopped and then raced. This couldn’t be happening to her. Not after she’d finally decided to take a leap of faith. Feeling sick, Rose stared out at the scenery, seeing nothing.
“Rose, I want to date you. You know that,” he said quietly.
She glared at him, “If you want to go out with me, you can’t hide it and pretend with your daughters that it’s not happening. What kind of person would that make me?”
“Or me,” he said calmly. “Don’t worry. I’ll set things straight with both of them. It’s time they accepted that I want to date.”
“You haven’t dated before now?” Rose asked, surprised.
“Not really,” said Hank. “I’ve been working hard to keep the family together.” His breath came out in a long sigh. He kicked at the grass with the toe of his shoe and then faced her. “Nikki thinks she should’ve recognized Leigh’s cancer symptoms earlier. And Sam and her mother got into a fight about having a baby so soon after marriage, and then Leigh fell ill and was diagnosed. So, in part, the girls blame themselves for their mother’s illness and quick death.”
“Families can be so complicated,” said Rose, stunned by what she’d heard. Maybe dating Hank wasn’t the best idea. She didn’t want to get in the middle of such drama when she was already unsure about him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LILY
Lily trotted along the path by the golf course breathing in the clean air, listening to the birds sing, and feeling at home in her surroundings. There was a lot she liked about desert living. She heard a strange noise behind her and turned.
“Hey, there!” Brian said, moving quickly toward her, the metal blade of his prosthesis striking the pavement in a steady rhythm.
He came to a stop beside her. “I’m surprised to see you.”
“Since being here, I’ve come to enjoy getting out for a walk or a short run in the mornings. When we first came to the inn, Alec insisted that Rose, Willow, and I work out in the mornings with Dan, the inn’s physical trainer. Instead of hating it, I’ve learned to like it.”
“These morning runs are important to me. Gets the blood going. Mind if I walk with you for a few minutes before taking off again?”
“Not at all. I’d enjoy the company.” She tried not to react to seeing him in his jogging clothes. He was a real hottie. And the prosthesis was interesting.
He grinned. “Amazing what this can do.” He wiggled the metal blade of his prosthesis.
“It certainly hasn’t slowed you down any.” She smiled at him, not the least bit uncomfortable talking about it. He made it seem so natural.
Studying him as they walked, she wondered what it would be like to make love with him and felt her face flame with heat as images of them together swirled through her mind in vivid detail.
“It sure gets hot quickly,” he said, glancing at her.
She patted her cheeks. “Yes,” she agreed, grateful to be able to use that excuse to cover up her reaction to him. Flustered, she tripped.
Strong hands caught her before she did a face plant on the pavement. “Whoa! Be careful!”
After she regained her balance, they walked on.
“How do you think this transition process is going to work out with the new owners coming into the hotel?” he asked. “I know you, Rose, and Willow are working for Alec. What’s that all about? I hear he calls you his Desert Flowers.”
“Yes. It’s sweet. We’re here to make sure all of Alec’s hard work doesn’t go to waste. We don’t want the Blaise Group to change it into one of their regular properties immediately.”
Brian’s eyes widened. “That’s a loaded statement.”
“It may sound that way, but it’s how we all feel.”
He studied her. “Are we going to be enemies then?”
“Not necessarily,” she answered, flirting a bit, which wasn’t like her at all.
“Well, we’ll have to see about that. It seems as if there’s a challenge ahead of us.” He tipped his head. “I’d better be on my way. Sounds like I’m going to have my hands full dealing with you.”
They smiled at one another.
As he sprinted away, Lily thought she just might like having his hands on her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ROSE
Rose and Hank continued their tour of the property, but the sparkle of past conversations was missing. She kept looking at him, wishing she felt differently about the idea of dating him. Just as she was ready to take a leap of faith, common sense was yanking her back, telling her it would only be a struggle with an uncertain outcome. Hank’s dedication to his family was admirable, but like the situation with Alec, trying to be with him could end up with her getting hurt.
A new aura of sadness had enveloped him. He sighed. “I’m sorry, but I need time to myself. Can we continue this tour another day? There are some personal things I need to take care of.”
“Sure. I understand. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I’m going to work on some materials we can give to arriving guests to explain what is going on. I’ll do them to my specifications, aware that you might want to make a lot of changes.”
“Sounds fair,” he said. “Thanks. See you later.”
She watched him walk away and waited until he was back inside the hotel before going to her car and driving back to Alec’s house. She had a lot to think about too.
