Page 46 of It Happened Again

Lacey hung back, hovering near the door. When she shot daggers from her eyes toward Maisy, my jaw clenched. “Archer’s waiting for us,” she rolled her eyes and left us.

“What was that about?” Maisy reacted.

“Nothing. I’ll handle it. You just keep your chin up, okay?”

Outside, I caught up with Lacey. “Hey, wait,” I yelled. Archer was taking a phone call up ahead, so this seemed as good a place as any to address her.

She crossed her arms. “What, Brooks?”

“Don’t play games with me. What’s going on?”

Her mouth twisted. “Nothing. Just doing my job. Keeping you and your schedule on track.”

“Is that what you call that? And why are you always so cold to Maisy?”

“I’m not.” She looked away. “Forget it. Doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. And to this project. I need absolute professionalism from you. And that means you treat everyone I come into contact with respectfully.”

“Right. Got it,” she snapped, and walked off.

I blew out an angry breath and ran a hand through my hair, half tempted to haul myself back into Maisy’s calming room.

At my loft,I texted Maisy to check-in, worried about her state of mind after the meeting today.

Brooks: Working late again tonight?

Maisy: Probably. Halfway through the presentation. Halfway to panic.

Brooks: I’m coming to rescue you. I have something better planned for you.

Maisy: I really should work.

Brooks: Just say yes. Trust me.

She didn’t ask questions when I picked her up from her place. I think she needed the surprise as much as I needed to give it to her.

We drove north, out of the city, and into the hills of Steele Valley, a scenic area surrounding a lake with a hotel resort that catered to the rich and famous.

When I pulled the car into a private driveway, she asked, “Brooks… what is this place?”

“One of my father’s homes. It’s more retreat house than showplace. According to the last email update from his assistant, he’s traveling and not around. So I brought you here to experience something truly magical.”

Part of the house had a flat roof, and a view that made even the stars jealous.

I kissed her hand and said, “If you give me about five minutes to set up a surprise for you, I promise it’ll be worth it.”

I left her in the car with my backpack, got everything in place, and then returned to retrieve her. WhileI led her up a winding staircase to the roof, I told her a little more about the Steele family, and a good friend of ours, Junior Steele, who managed the resort.

At the top, my heart pounded harder than I wanted to admit. She gasped at the path I’d set up with dimly lit lanterns. Soft music hummed through hidden speakers. I’d quickly blown up a bed and had cashmere quilts and satin pillows, the textures ready for her fingers to explore. With a telescope waiting, two filled champagne flutes stood ready to fill.

I smiled, gesturing around the roof. “Welcome to stress relief. Field-tested, Bellamy-certified.”

Eyes glassy, she exuded gratitude. “I’m going to cry. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

“You don’t know by now? I’d do anything for you, Mais. Now, jump on my back. I’ll give you a ride.” As she did, her laughter rang out into the night. I led us over to the bed, letting her down gently.

Before we got too far into the night, I handed her a black velvet box. “For you.”

---