The Billionaire's Marriage Contract(24)

After Hank had left the room, Amy walked over to the small bar and poured herself a second drink. As she let herself sink back into the plush leather chair, she thought back to what had happened once she and Ethan had gotten back to the hotel in Chicago. Thinking back on it, it seemed like a dream. They had each had a few glasses of wine at the reception, and Ethan had opened another bottle back at his suite. By the time she sat down on a couch overlooking the city, Amy could feel the night buzzing around her. She remembered asking herself whether or not she could relax her rules a little more for that one night. After all, Ethan was handsome and lonely, and, even if she didn’t want to admit it, that night had been the best date she had been on in years. She couldn’t remember the specifics, but for some reason nothing had happened, and she had woken up by herself looking out over the city in an otherwise empty hotel suite. She had run through that scene a hundred times. Ethan had left her a cryptic note. It read: I’ll do whatever it takes. She remembered how she had taken the note and folded it up in her purse without any clue as to what it meant. Before boarding her flight home, she had pulled the note back out of her purse and read it one more time. Then she threw it in the trash. This is why I never get involved with clients, she had thought as she headed to the plane.





Chapter 8

The next morning, when Amy came downstairs for breakfast, she was surprised to see two people sitting at the table. On one end, Hank sat reading the morning paper. On the other, Logan was leaning over a cup of coffee. He looked like he had stayed up all night, and Amy wondered where he had gone after he had dropped her back at the house.

“Good morning,” she said as she made a beeline to get some coffee for herself.

“Morning,” Hank replied. “I heard from your husband earlier. He asked me not to wake you and wanted me to let you know that he’ll be in tonight. He also said you were taking a break from your cellphone.”

“Excellent,” Amy replied. She smiled at Logan as she grabbed a bagel off the counter and sat down at the table. “What do we have in store for today?” she asked.

“I have to head into town on a few errands, but Logan has graciously agreed to keep you company in case you need anything.”

“That’s awfully kind of him,” Amy replied, “but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I have some work I should catch up on anyway.”

“Nonsense,” Logan said. “I brought the sleds out. I figure we can go for a ride.”

“Sleds?” Amy asked. She pictured herself sliding down a hill on an old fashioned toboggan.

“Snowmobiles,” Hank replied. “Make sure to be careful.”

“Oh, I’ve been on a snowmobile before. I’m not worried,” Amy replied.

“You’re not the one I’m worried about,” Hank said. “He might be my son, but he’s less than honorable when it comes to women. The only reason I’m not getting in the way is my confidence in you. That and he seemed to get on so well with Ethan last time he visited us.”

“If he gets out of line, I’ll make sure he knows it.”

“That’s the thing,” Hank said, shaking his head. “He always knows when he’s out of line. He just does whatever he wants anyway.”

“Well, maybe I should rephrase. If he gets out of line, I’ll make sure he regrets it.”

“Atta girl. If only he had had someone like you to knock some sense into him, I wonder if things would have turned out differently.”

“What do you mean?” Amy asked.

“I’ve seen what you’ve done for your husband. I met him a few years back, and he’s a new man now.”

“I don’t deserve all the credit, but I’ll take it anyway,” Amy said as she headed toward the door.

“Tell Logan that I’d like to have a chat with him before he heads back into town.”

Logan was waiting outside for Amy. He took a look at her jeans and coat, and he laughed. “You might want to wear something a little warmer than that.”

“I assumed that’s what you thought you were for,” Amy replied, shaking her head.

Logan laughed. “Not yet,” he replied. “Come on. Get on, and I’ll show you around.” He pointed to the snowmobile next to his.

“What’s with you Hilsons and giving tours?”

“I think you’ll like this one better than walking around a house.”

Amy climbed on and turned the throttle. She sprang ahead suddenly and quickly slammed on the brake. She looked back at Logan

“That’s the idea. Now try to keep up,” he shouted. He revved his engine and caught up to her. Amy watched as Logan sped off onto a trail that stretched out into the vast expanse of snow beyond the house. She took a deep breath and turned the throttle. A moment later, she was speeding along behind him, over the small hill and around the turns. It was a thrill, and the faster they went, the more the tall pines around them seemed to blur into one mass, the more the world and all of Amy’s worries seemed to float away. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought.