Love For Hire: The Helena's Grove Series Book 2 Read online

  He awoke with a smile as Annie explained the day that Zack and Jen had apparently planned for them. He nodded and stretched before heading to the shower. Annie got dressed and went back downstairs. “Marcus will be ready in a few minutes,” she told them.

  Zack and Annie were sitting at the table with Aunt Gabby who also looked like she’d just woken up. “Aunt Gabby, did you sleep in?” Annie asked in disbelief.

  Aunt Gabby shook her head. “I can’t believe it myself. I honestly cannot remember the last time I slept past seven and here I am sleeping well over that. Must have been all that good food and company last night… plum wore me out.”

  “You of all people deserve a good night’s sleep every now and again,” Annie said kindly.

  Marcus came down a few minutes later dressed in jeans and a dark green button up shirt. It was much more casual than anything else Annie had seen him in up to that point. She liked it.

  “Sorry to keep you all waiting,” he apologized as he made his way to Annie’s side. He kissed her on the side of the head like he’d been doing it for months. “I actually woke up a couple hours ago but that clock up there must be wrong.”

  “It is,” Annie and Zack both said at the same time. Soon the five of them were ready to head out.

  “Where is Roger this morning?” Aunt Gabby asked, as they made their way to the car. Jen made a disappointed face. “He said he had to get back to New York this morning. He booked his flight; it leaves in a couple hours. I tried to convince him to come to breakfast with us and then head out but he said he’d rather go earlier before the post holiday traffic really picks up.”

  “That is just like him to head out without so much as a goodbye.” Aunt Gabby shook her head disapprovingly.

  They all piled in the car and made their way to a classic diner that served the best breakfast in town. Marcus held the car door open as Annie got out. Closing it he held out his hand and she took it, feeling for a moment like they were a real couple. Breakfast was nice as the five of them conversed and enjoyed each other’s company. As the meal came to a close, Aunt Gabby announced she had other things to do that day so it was decided that Zack would drive her to where she needed to go while, Jen, Marcus and Annie walked the two blocks to the movie theater. They started down the street, pulling their scarves around their necks as the coolness surrounded them. Marcus held Annie’s hand, fingers entwined loosely as they walked, and she realized she loved the feel of his hand around hers.

  They reached the theater and bought their tickets. Zack arrived shortly after and they headed in. The movie was a holiday romantic comedy. It was entertaining and fun but Annie noticed when the lights went out, Marcus’ hands returned to himself. The realization that he only touched her when there was someone there to see it stung Annie. You’re such an idiot, she chided herself silently; you can’t be hurt by the lack of something that was never yours, or by the lack of feelings that never existed. Get a hold of yourself or tomorrow is going to be harder than you ever imagined! Annie suddenly realized she didn’t want to think about going back to school or back to real life. She liked being here, with her family and friends. She never wanted it to end.

  Later that afternoon, Zack and Jen dropped Marcus and Annie off at Aunt Gabby’s, telling them to be ready to head to the Christmas Farm Festival at seven that night. Aunt Gabby was already home and waved at them from the kitchen.

  “How was your day?” she asked as Annie and Marcus took a seat at the table. Aunt Gabby was actively putting a one-thousand-piece puzzle together.

  “It was fun,” Annie told her.

  “I am so upset at Roger for just picking up and leaving this morning. The least he could have done was stopped in to say goodbye.”

  “I’m sorry Aunt Gabby.” Annie squeezed her hand.

  She looked up at her and shrugged her shoulders. “He’s always been a selfish boy. I was just really hoping to have him around for a couple more days.”

  Annie took a deep breath, realizing she hadn’t told Aunt Gabby how long her stay was going to be. “Aunt Gabby, Marcus and I are leaving tomorrow morning.”

  Aunt Gabby looked at her with furrowed brows. “Why ever for?” she asked, clearly confused.

  Annie looked at Marcus for help but he was leaning over some puzzle pieces, obviously not wanting to get involved.

  “That’s just how long we had planned,” she explained.

  “When do your classes start again?”

  “Mine don’t actually start until the second of January,” Annie admitted.

  “And yours?” Aunt Gabby motioned to Marcus.

  “Mine begin January third,” he told her honestly.

  “Well then why in the world are you leaving so early? It’s only the twenty-sixth. You might as well stay until New Years.”

  Annie looked again at Marcus who didn’t say anything. She looked back at Aunt Gabby, trying desperately to think of a reason why they would have to leave. Aunt Gabby sat, waiting patiently. “You can’t think of any reason not to, can you?” she asked with a confident nod.

  Annie conceded, “No, not necessarily, except Marcus has work…”

  “My boss closed up shop to go on vacation. He’ll be back on the fifth,” Marcus interrupted.

  Annie glared at him and he went back to the puzzle. “Um, we’ll have to talk about it, I guess.”

  Aunt Gabby nodded and they spent a few minutes with her before going up to their room to change. “You don’t have anything to get back to Penn State for?” Annie asked once the door was closed.

  “Not that I can think of. Unless Todd has another job for me but if that was the case he would have called me by now.”

  “So you’d be okay with staying until the New Year?”

  Marcus undid the buttons on his shirt and pulled it off. “You know my rates.”

  “How much more would it cost if we stayed until New Years Day?” Annie asked, mentally counting in her head. From the twenty-fourth to the first is nine days if I include both the twenty-fourth and the first. Two times nine would be eighteen hundred dollars! Way too much money, even if I wanted to stay… Annie realized suddenly that she did want to stay.

  Marcus looked up at her. “I’ll tell you what,” he said as he dropped his old shirt onto the bed and picked up another one that was black, “if you could find it in your heart to iron this shirt for me, I’ll give you a special Christmas Week price.” He held out the shirt.

  Annie looked at him skeptically. “Why would you do that?”

  “Two reasons. The first is I really don’t enjoy ironing my shirts. Don’t ask me why, it’s one of those things. I can do it; I’m perfectly capable, but I don’t if I can find someone to do it for me.”

  “What’s the second reason?” She took the shirt and looked it over.

  “The second reason is, this place is nice. I kind of like it here. And I’d rather spend my New Years here getting paid than at home sitting on my butt all by myself not getting paid.” He lifted his hands and made a see saw motion. “Getting paid,” he said as one hand went high. “Not getting paid.” The ‘not getting paid’ hand was much lower.

  Annie laughed at him. “I see your point. So what’s a good deal?”

  Marcus held his chin as if in deep thought. “How about thirteen hundred, for the entire trip from the twenty-fourth to the first.”

  Annie shook her head at him. “That’s a very good offer,” she said in mock seriousness. “Still kinda steep though. Will you knock off another hundred if I iron all your shirts for the rest of the trip?”

  Marcus made a face like he was in pain. “You drive a hard bargain Miss LaFaye.”

  “That’s how we country girls roll.”

  Marcus laughed out loud. “Okay, you have a deal. Twelve hundred it is.” He held out his hand and Annie shook it. “Nice doing business with you.”

  “You too,” she said as he let go of her hand. “Would you like those shirts done now or as you need them?”

  “As I need the
m would be perfect.”

  Annie smiled at him as she giggled. He was so close she could smell his cologne. His eyes sparkled with humor as he told her how he specifically liked his shirts ironed. “They have to be perfect or I’ll want my hundred bucks,” he said jokingly.

  “I think I’ll be able to iron them to your very specific qualifications,” she teased back.

  There was a silence as he looked down at her. Annie self-consciously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she took a step back toward the door. “Well I’ll get this done so we can be ready.”

  “Thank you very much, I appreciate it.”

  Annie nodded and almost walked into the door; she mentally kicked herself and then slipped out. Once out of the room she took a deep breath and put her hand on her heart, feeling the rapid motion beneath her fingertips. Something about that man made her pulse go wild. She walked down the stairs, unsure if spending another five days with Marcus was really the best thing to do, aside from the money she’d spend. She knew deep down she wanted to stay with him, but if history had taught her anything it was that usually what the heart wanted most was the one thing that could break it.

  Chapter 9

  That evening at the Christmas Farm Annie was able to relax and have a good time knowing she didn’t have to catch a plane in the morning. Jen and Zack were just as excited as Aunt Gabby to learn they were planning to stay to the New Year.

  “It’s gonna be a great week!” Zack exclaimed.

  Jen nodded in return as they rode in a white sleigh through the lights that adorned the world around them. Zack and Jen were cuddled up close on one side, with Zack whispering something in Jen’s ear every now and then that would make her laugh. Marcus had his arm around Annie, and they were bundled up but it was still quite cold as they moved through the snowy seven acres of lights that hung on the trees, fences and on every building. The sleigh ride was the first part of the evening. After that they gathered in the building which used to be a barn but had been renovated and now housed large events. It too was decorated brightly, with crafts and goodies to buy as well as hot chocolate, creating a home-like feel. Lights hung on the outside of the building and six fire pits were burning for those who wanted to sit outside.

  The group of four got some hot chocolate and made their way to one of the fire pits that overlooked a small lake. It was partially frozen but the reflection of the moon made it beautiful and eerie at the same time. Annie was quiet as she took in the evening. She looked over at Marcus, who was in a heated debate with Zack about the super bowl and the teams that were going head to head. Jen was on her phone, completely oblivious to their conversation. Annie looked out again to the lake; it looked so cold, so beautiful. She was mesmerized, caught up in thoughts and memories.

  “Annie?”

  She turned to Marcus who was looking at her with concern on his face. “You okay?”

  “Oh yeah, I was just thinking.”

  He nodded and smiled at her. “I’d like to know your thoughts if you’d like to share them.”

  Annie was touched by his words and took a deep breath. “I was just thinking how much my mom loved this place. How much she loved Christmas and the lights and…” She gestured to the cup in her hand. “She loved hot chocolate.”

  Zack was listening by this point and he nodded in agreement. “She loved holidays; everything to do with them.” Jen put her arm around him and kissed him on the cheek.

  Marcus listened intently as Annie opened up about the breast cancer, the struggle and the eventual loss of their mother. She looked into his eyes and they were filled with compassion. He took her hands in his; they were warm despite the cold night. “What was her name?”

  “Helena,” Annie told him with a smile.

  “You never told me,” he said quietly.

  “It’s just one of those things ya know?” Annie replied.

  Marcus nodded and put an arm around her to bring her close. “I do know. I do understand,” he whispered.

  The honesty in his voice made Annie look up at him. His eyes were sad and she realized in that moment that he did understand. He, not Marcus, but the mystery man she hired knew about loss; and he knew it well. It touched Annie that he shared that much with her. It was nice to see a part of his real life, a part of his true self.

  There was silence before Marcus raised his hot chocolate. “To Helena, who will never be forgotten. And may her memory always brighten our thoughts.”

  Annie swallowed a sob; Marcus continued to surprise her. She took a deep breath and raised her cup. “To mom.” Zack and Jen followed suit.

  The rest of the evening went by as the group visited booths, ate baked goods and enjoyed live music. Annie begged Zack to enter a Christmas song sing off, and they watched contentedly as he sung I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

  By the time they got home it was well after midnight and once again, Annie was exhausted. As she washed her face to spare Marcus her raccoon eyes in the morning, she thought about her day; it had been lovely – the best she’d had in a while. She took a shower and slipped into her pajamas. While Marcus was in the bathroom Annie got in her suitcase and pulled out a picture, worn on the sides, and looked at it lovingly. The faded faces that looked back at her invoked a familiar tug of longing somewhere deep in her chest and she bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying.

  “Is that her?” Marcus’ voice from behind her made her jump.

  “Oh, you startled me. Yes, this is my mom and me.”

  Marcus sat down next to her on the floor and took the picture, handling it with care. “She was very beautiful. You look a lot like her.”

  Annie nodded, “That’s what people say.”

  “When was this taken?”

  “About a year and a half before she died; before she got really sick. She actually looks really good in this one. In some of the later ones, after chemo and stuff, she looks much older.” Annie took the picture and tucked it back into the pocket of her bag.

  “It’s a nice picture,” Marcus said softly.

  Annie nodded but didn’t dare talk, suddenly feeling the emotion rise. She got up quickly and went to the bed, busying herself with fluffing pillows and turning down the comforter. She couldn’t cry – she was an ugly crier. She definitely didn’t want Marcus to see it; didn’t want to open those gates. Then she felt him behind her and stilled as his hands touched her shoulders.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said with a scratchy voice. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional.” She moved to wipe at the tear that had fallen but Marcus stopped her. He sat down on the bed and motioned for her to sit next to him.

  He gently wiped the tear from her face. “You should never be sorry for feeling the loss of something so great. She is your mother, and you don’t get over that fact.” He brushed another tear as it slid down her face.

  “I just can’t believe how strong some of these feelings are even after all these years.” Annie’s voice sounded strange to her own ears.

  “I told you Annie, time doesn’t make the pain of losing someone less. You just get better at dealing with it.”

  Annie nodded. “That makes sense.” There was a pause and Annie looked into Marcus’ eyes. “I’m not going to ask you because I know it’s your business, but I know the only way you can understand loss is by going through it yourself. I know that you’ve lost someone that was very dear to you…” She paused and saw the flash of pain in his eyes as he swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry; so sorry for your loss.”

  Marcus looked at her for several heartbeats, their eyes locked as she hoped he felt how much she truly meant what she said. Leaning in, he kissed her lips softly and then wrapped his strong arms around her, hugging her tightly. It felt so good that Annie never wanted him to let go. After several minutes he pulled back. “We better get you in bed, you’re tired.” He stepped away from her and the two of them got into the warm blankets. Marcus turned the lamp off and the room went dark.

  Annie lay in bed, not able to stop
the tears as they silently fell down the sides of her face. She stared at the ceiling in the darkness, wondering why life had to be so cruel. Why she had to lose her mother and father. Why Marcus had to lose, whomever he did. Why death had to be a part of life. She thought of the emotions she went through when her mother passed; the times when Annie felt she couldn’t breathe, how the pain would engulf her entire being, smothering her in blackness and despair. She hated how alone she had felt at those times, how there wasn’t a soul in the world that could ease her pain. She thought of Zack, and how even though she knew he was going through the same thing, how she never felt like she could break down and tell him exactly how she felt, that somehow it would be selfish of her. Her thoughts then turned to Aunt Gabby. She had been their one source of comfort, telling them they needed to cry, to get their feelings out. But even after all this time, even after all the talking and crying they did, there were still those times when Annie wondered, why? And there was not one person on the earth that could give her an answer. Those were the days when she felt the most alone.

  Impulsively Annie reached her hand across the bed and felt Marcus’ arm. She scooted closer to him and he didn’t pull away. She laid her head on his chest as he put his arm around her. She inhaled the smell of his t-shirt and it soothed her. She could feel his heart beating and that was comforting. Everything about this man eased and comforted her, without him even having to try. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. “Thank you Marcus,” she said softly.

  “For what?”

  “For understanding.”

  There was silence before he kissed the top of her head and his arm tightened around her. “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter 10

  Annie awoke with Marcus still holding her. It was Saturday morning and thankfully, Zack didn’t have any big plans for the morning hours. She glanced at the clock on the dresser; 6:08, which meant it was actually 8:08 since Annie had not yet changed the clock. She laid there, eyes closed, soaking in the moment. This was her favorite part of relationships – just laying together, enjoying each other’s company without saying a word. Of course she knew her relationship with Marcus wasn’t real, but in that moment, it felt real. Marcus stirred and she looked up at him. “Good morning.”