An Irresistible Bachelor (An Unforgettable Lady #2)(34)

After another hit of bourbon, Jack lifted the phone and his fingers punched out a familiar pattern.

Blair’s voice was sharp when she answered. “Hello?”

“Sorry I missed your call.”

“Finally, it’s you! Hold on—Listen, Joey, I need those light fixtures now. Karl wants me to show him this suite at the end of the week. I don’t care if you have to gold leaf them yourself. It can’t wait.” She let out a laugh. “Sorry about that, Jack. Things are pretty crazy here.”

“So Graves is as demanding as I’ve heard.” He brought up his glass again.

“But not impossible. He has high standards, but if you meet them, he lets you know it.”

Jack moved his chair around and looked out the window behind his desk. The light was just beginning to fade from the sky. “So how’re you holding up?”

“Other than the not sleeping? I’ll get through it somehow—Here, wait a second. No! No, I want the dark green in velvet. The gold is the brocade,” she yelled to someone in the background.

“You sound busy.”

“I am,” she said, sounding tired. “I knew going in that redecorating the Cosgrove Hotel was going to be a big project, but Graves has moved up the date of when he wants to reopen. I’ve only got a couple of months to do what would normally take a year.”

“If he drives you too hard, let me know and I’ll take a hunk out of him. Me and a couple of my buddies could do a hostile takeover of his company and bounce him out on his ass in a heartbeat.”

She laughed. “Thanks.”

“When are you coming home?”

There was a hesitation. “Actually, I was thinking I would stay in the city for the next couple weeks, even through Thanksgiving. We’re picking colors and fabrics and I’ve got to get to Karl whenever I can. His schedule’s ridiculous, but he insists on being the decision maker about everything. He’s offered me an old suite in the hotel.”

Jack told himself that the feeling in the pit of his stomach was from the bourbon. It was not relief because she was staying in New York.

“Sounds reasonable.”

A flash of movement outside caught his eye. He watched Arthur go bounding after something and he wondered how the dog had gotten out.

When Callie came across the lawn, Jack sat upright and leaned toward the window.

“You sure you don’t mind?” Blair said. “It will be a while until we see each other.”

“No, that’s fine. Really.”

Arthur ran back to Callie, dropped a stick at her feet and backed up, poised to run. She picked the hunk of wood up and extended her arm behind her. With one strong, fluid motion, she let the branch rip, flinging it a tremendous distance. The dog surged forward, his head tilted to the sky.

While Callie watched Arthur go, a gust of wind swept some of her long hair into her face, and with a laugh, she pulled the red waves back and tucked them into the collar of the fleece she was wearing. She got down on her haunches as the dog raced back toward her.

“Jack?”

He came to attention. “Yeah?”

“I’ll definitely come for the holiday party, though. You’re still having your usual blowout this year, right?”

“Yes.” He shifted the phone to his other ear and tried to think of something to say to her. Usually it wasn’t tough.

“Jack? Are you sure you’re okay with me staying down here? I could just take the shuttle back and forth if it really bothers you.” As he tried to reassure her, his voice must have tipped her off. “Jack, is everything all right? Did the painting arrive safely?”

“Nathaniel’s back in Boston and in one piece.”

“And did the conservationist come?”

“Yes, she did.”

“I can’t wait to meet her. I saw Grace yesterday and she told me Callie’s quite lovely. Hey, did you know that Grace is seeing someone? She didn’t have time to give me a lot of details, but she looks very happy. We met him. At Newport.”

Jack frowned. “The bodyguard? Jesus. He was a tough character.”

“Well, Grace is certainly in love with him. She just couldn’t stop smiling and I was so happy for her.” The phone was muffled as Blair yelled out another set of commands. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Why don’t we talk later on tonight?”

“That’d be great.”

“I love you,” she said before she hung up.

Jack put the phone down and stared at it. The conversation was typical of the ones they shared. Easygoing, warm.

Placid.

He turned back to the window, watching Callie and Arthur play.

Nothing was easy with Callie. He felt as though he had to work to earn her smiles, her laughs, her respect. But when she’d send one of those rare, wide grins his way, he felt like he’d been blessed.

As soon as he finished his drink, he headed back to the bar.

This was wrong, he thought. This was all wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about another woman and having Blair look unexciting by comparison.

With his glass full again, he went to the window and watched Callie pick up the stick and throw it toward the house. As Arthur sprinted across the grass, she caught Jack’s eyes through the window and froze. He lifted his hand.

She waved back and then moved out of sight.