Love Walks In(7)

Some would call it obsessive. Hugh preferred to think of it as being considerate.

Standing and stretching, he caught sight of the ugly suitcase. “Shit,” he muttered. Yet another thing to add to his list—dealing with the mystery luggage. Not wanting to waste any more time, he shut down his computer, collected the rest of the files he was going to need for the night along with his phone, and walked out of the office, locking the door behind him.

At the front desk he stopped and left instructions with the concierge regarding the suitcase.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Shaughnessy, but there hasn’t been any inquiry regarding it. I’ve asked around and no one remembers checking anyone in with that color luggage.” Tim had been with the resort since the beginning, and Hugh knew the man paid special attention to just about everything that went on. Guests loved him because he had a knack for listening to everything they had to say and then making sure their stay was everything they wanted it to be. So if Tim didn’t know who the luggage belonged to, Hugh wasn’t sure what to do.

“Well, if anyone does come for it, I’ve left it in my office. I trust you—and only you—to go in and get it. If you’re not here, have someone call me and I’ll be here in a matter of minutes.”

“Yes, Mr. Shaughnessy. I’ll make sure it’s handled. Thank you.”

“Have a good night, Tim.”

“You as well, sir,” the man said with a smile.

Hugh smiled back but his mind was already spinning. It seemed odd that no one had come looking for it and for a minute, paranoia got the better of him and he considered calling in the local police and having the bag scanned for a bomb.

“I’m seriously losing my mind,” he grumbled as he walked away from the desk and out the front door.

At each of the dozen resorts Hugh owned, he kept an apartment. It made life easier. Each was designed and decorated to his exact specifications and it gave him a sense of continuity—a sense of home. This particular resort had only one building with more than three floors and he had taken the top-floor suite as his own.

Stepping out into the evening air, he looked around and couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride again. It never got old. This was his. All of it. He’d worked hard, invested well, ran a tight ship, and knew his limitations. Sure, he could have expanded on most of his properties, but Hugh liked a more intimate atmosphere—a place where couples could come and relax. Let the bigger names compete for acreage and the most amenities. What he had accomplished with his resorts was in a class by itself.

The walk to his suite normally would have him turning to the left, but Hugh took the path to the right, toward the gardens. He was restless. Within the hour he’d have dinner brought to his suite and he’d be alone with his thoughts. Not that it was an unusual scenario, but tonight it felt a little more…lonely.

Luckily he had a trip home coming up. It had been almost six months since he’d been back. The last time had been for Darcy’s birthday and even that had been nothing more than a quick weekend.

Or maybe he needed a date.

It had been about three months since he’d last spent a weekend with a woman, and while it certainly wasn’t a record for him, it was amazing how fast the time had gone and how it hadn’t occurred to him until right this minute. As he strolled toward the back of the main building, Hugh tried to picture his date’s face in his mind and couldn’t.

That couldn’t be a good sign. No matter. It was what it was. Note to self—after closing this deal with Bellows and finding a replacement for Heather, he needed to relax with the family. Then it hit him—maybe he should call Riley. Hell, his little brother was one of the biggest rock stars in the world. If anyone could hook him up with someone for a weekend fling, it would be Riley.

Problem solved. With a renewed pep in his step, he turned the corner and saw some movement up ahead. Guests didn’t usually come around to this part of the resort. It was the back of the main building—there weren’t any signs to stop them or warn them away, but it was mainly parking spaces, a couple of small storage buildings, and trees. Nothing to see.

Slowing his pace, he saw someone peeking into one of the windows. Odd. Doing his best to stay out of sight, without losing sight of what was going on, he heard some rustling in the bushes lining the back of the building. Some were taller than others, and now from where he was standing, he couldn’t tell what was going on.

With no other choice, he stepped back out into the open and walked toward this potential…what? Peeper? Perpetrator? Seriously, he had no idea what it was he was about to confront.