Open for Love by Elana Johnson

Author:Elana Johnson [Johnson, Elana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, bed and breakfast, action, military romance, family relations, love, New Orleans, Mistaken Identity, Romance, Contemporary Romance, inspirational romance, beach romance
Publisher: AEJ Creative Works
Published: 2016-07-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven:

Bri woke in the morning alone, but with the strong, manly smell of Carter in her nose. She took the deepest breath she could manage, pulled the quilt to her chin, and smiled into the dawning light. Who knew she’d feel such a connection to a man she’d only met a couple of days ago?

And yet, every conversation felt easy, natural. He’d confided in her about his mother, his family, his boss. She’d told him about her parents, introduced him to Nana, and enjoyed playing tourist guide for him. And the kissing wasn’t so bad either. Not bad at all.

She arrived at work a half an hour earlier than usual, in time to schmooze with the early breakfast guests. Once her rounds had been made, her orders called in for the week, and the employee schedule complete, Bri settled behind her computer. Amanda Monroe hadn’t responded to her email, but it had only been one day. Bri didn’t need to panic yet. She admonished herself that she didn’t need to panic at all. June was completely booked, and the Fourth of July had just filled too. Hammond House didn’t serve the same clientele. Yet something gnawed at her gut, something she couldn’t explain and couldn’t dismiss.

Since it had been a while since she’d shadowed her housekeeper, Bri tied her hair back and went in search of Lanie. She found her in the sunflower room, only named that because of the wallpaper Nana had chosen twenty years ago.

“Morning, Lanie.”

The maid looked up from the bed, where she tucked the corners into precise ninety-degree angles. A smile pulled at the corners of her eyes. “Bri.”

She gestured toward the housekeeping cart. “Can I note repairs?”

“Sure.”

Bri asked Lanie about her kids, her husband, their deli in northern New Orleans. Lanie could talk the ears off a deaf man, and Bri enjoyed the sound of her voice, so it was easy to check the walls, the doorjambs, the electrical outlets while beds got made and towels got switched out.

“What’s new with you, Bri?” Lanie asked as they moved into the final room, the butler’s lounge as Bri liked to call it. Their smallest—coziest—room, it had once housed her great-great-grandparent’s butler.

“Not much. Installed a new toilet in the main bathroom.” Her shoulders may have straightened when she said it.

“Yasmine told me.” Lanie threw the sheets into her laundry bag. “But I heard something else too.” The older woman cut a glance at Bri that made her heartrate triple.

“What did you hear?”

Lanie returned to her cart, though she’d already gathered the last set of clean sheets. “I didn’t really hear it. More like saw it. The same as everyone else in the city.” Paper crinkled and Bri’s throat seized.

The photographer.

“Who’s this handsome hunk of man meat you’re kissing?”

“He’s not that handsome.” Bri peered at the picture—about four inches by four inches, she could barely see Carter’s face.

“Oh, honey.” Lanie chuckled and started making the bed. “He’s the kind of man every woman looks at and fantasizes about what their babies will look like.

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