His Reason to Stay Page 5

  A couple approached them, and Tabby smiled, extending her hand.

  “Tabitha, isn’t it? We were so sorry to hear about your father and sister. Maisie was a lovely woman and so poised, and Colin always had such a booming laugh and a great story to tell.”

  A lump the size of Rhode Island lodged itself in her throat. She’d been prepared to schmooze. Prepared to illuminate the company and its selectness to the crème of Asheville society. She hadn’t been prepared to discuss her loss or for the genuine sympathy in this couple’s eyes.

  Eli rubbed the small of her back, anchoring her. He stuck out his hand. “Elijah Ellis.”

  “Ahh, one of the Ellis boys.” The man’s eyes widened as he shook Eli’s hand, but the woman’s gaze grew appraising. Tabby could only imagine what little snippet she would spread through Asheville society tomorrow. But it didn’t matter if it kept a deeper inspection of the two of them from happening.

  Eli managed to steer the conversation so nothing more of Maisie or the deaths was mentioned. Tabby owed him more than she cared to admit. He’d known instinctively what to do. He’d always known.

  What if he hadn’t been there? This was supposed to be her moment to prove she could handle the weight of a company thrust on her shoulders. And she hadn’t lasted one exchange. She would have probably ran away in tears or stood there with her mouth opening and closing and no words coming out or babbled some incoherent thought about hops and barley.

  How could she stand on her own two feet when his two feet were perfectly ready and able to lift hers up and carry her?

  As they walked away, she squeezed his hand. “Thank you. I hadn’t expected that.”

  His chocolate eyes softened. “I’ve got your back.”

  Too heavy. Too much. She managed a chuckle. “Guess I’m lucky you’re here and not freezing in a Yurt in Siberia.”

  He smiled, but there was a stiffness invested in the movement. He tugged at his bowtie and rolled his neck. Time for her to have his back.

  “Go. Get outside for a minute. Ground yourself. I’ll be fine, and you look like you could use a breather.”

  He opened his mouth to deny it. She cocked her head and dared him to do so.

  “Fine. Just give me five minutes. You staying here?”

  “No, I think I’ll move. Less likely to be attacked. But I promise you’ll be able to spot me. Just look for the awkward, grieving one.”

  He gave her one more head-to-toe glance, and she prayed he accepted the fine persona she tried to project. With a firm nod and quick buss to the cheek, he made his way down the long room.

  She deposited her untouched champagne and went in search of a club soda. Downing it faster than was probably decorous, she wandered into the salon off the breakfast nook, willing her heart to stop wanting things it couldn’t have. Tears sprung up as she thought of her sister and the save Eli had provided. God, by the time the baby came, she would be a dried-up cesspool at the rate she was expelling them.

  “How are you holding up?”

  Tabby turned to see Dr. Kitt striding toward her. He and he alone understood the depth of everything she faced at the moment. She welcomed his open arms and strong support, even while glancing around. Dr. Kitt was the last person she needed Eli to see her talking with.

  “I’m fabulous, can’t you see?”

  He smiled that crooked grin that had women dropping like flies and their ovaries exploding. Funny, considering his line of work as the East Coast’s top fertility doctor. Sadly, his golden boy Adonis looks did nothing for her or her ovaries. Well, except take care of them and the life growing inside.

  “I see a beautiful woman barely holding on,” Dr. Kitt said, squeezing her hands.

  “I think the doctor needs a new prescription.” She laughed, although his words were bull’s-eye perfect.

  “You can lose it, Tabby. It’s okay. I know you’re concerned, but a good cry or twelve isn’t going to harm the baby.”

  She darted her gaze around again, but only one other couple stood on the opposite side of the room, and Dr. Kitt was close enough to her no one might have heard.

  He cocked his head. “You still haven’t told them?”

  Tabby straightened her spine. “I refuse to give them hope until I know things are as safe as they can be for the moment.”

  His eyes softened. “It’s not how this was supposed to play out, Tabby. You can lean on your family. Use them. It’s a lot under normal circumstances, but this? This isn’t anything anyone even remotely thought would happen. Your role was never meant to be permanent, but this baby is a gift.”

  “Exactly. All the more reason to be reassured at my appointment. It’s why I’m paying you the big bucks.” She punched his tuxedo-clad arm, her knuckles meeting a rather well-defined bicep.

  He took hold of both her hands. “Having support isn’t a sign of weakness.”

  She smiled. She knew all too well what her weakness was, and it wasn’t support, but rather the man who would hand it to her on a silver platter, complete with overbearing dictates and life-resenting changes in the process.

  …

  Eli cursed under his breath as he paced the trees lining the Italian Garden. He’d known tonight would be difficult, but he hadn’t expected the rise of his insecurities.

  One of the Ellis boys.

  The man’s tone had rubbed his skin raw. They weren’t interchangeable. Each of the Ellis siblings were different and unique. And yet there were five of them; why not lump them all together?

  Eli shook his head. No, lumping them together was lazy. They each had a role, a place, and that was what people should know about them.

  Ugh, why am I here?

  For Tabby.

  Sam’s plea had come at a vulnerable time, after returning from the graves. He’d wanted to help his siblings while home, and he certainly didn’t want to leave Tabby to the wolves in the exact type of setting she was not prepared for. Because, despite his issues, it was much worse for her, as evidenced by the interaction with the older couple tonight. He’d felt the change in her. The breakdown she teetered on. Interposing himself had been a no-brainer.

  But at what cost to him?

  He rubbed the back of his neck and made a note to look for something stronger than champagne when he returned. A couple more circuits and he took a deep breath, confident in his ability to get back in there with Tabby.

  His phone whistled. Pulling it from inside his coat pocket, he recognized the magazine number.

  “Elijah Ellis.”

  “Eli, this is Sara Harris. Duane backed out of his assignment for health reasons, and I was hoping you could step in. I’m sending an email with the details and all Duane’s research…”

  The editor continued to rattle on, making her pitch. He stood staring at the estate, lit up like some magical fairytale castle.

  “…and it involves rare, and, well, who better to do rare than you…”

  Tabby was in there. Waiting on him and dealing with unknown troubles. His family was home dealing with upheaval and grief. Still, he wasn’t staying. Couldn’t stay. He’d made his own life. He had a home. Well, he rented a rather sparsely furnished apartment where maybe four times a year he spent more than a week. Still, it suited his purposes. His career wasn’t in Gatlinburg.

  Sara had taken a breath, and he opened his mouth to say of course when hesitation hit him square in the jaw. He snapped his mouth shut. He’d been home less than a week. Barely spent any time with either his family or Tabby, and both needed him for a little while longer, at the very least. So he did something he couldn’t recall ever doing in all the years of his career. He told the editor no.

  “I’m sorry. Did you say no?”

  “It’s impossible right now. I’m sure you’ve heard about the deaths in my family. I just got home and need to deal with some personal issues. Thank you
for the opportunity, though. I know any of the photographers who take over will do a phenomenal job for you.”

  She questioned him a few more times before Eli managed to get off. Entering back through the main doors, Eli replayed the conversation and his response and wasn’t regretting his decision. His gut had saved him more times than he could count, and his gut agreed with the refusal.

  Why? He had no idea, and now wasn’t the time to figure it out. Now was the time to put on his corporate pants, even if they didn’t fit, and stand up for his family and for Tabby.

  Pausing in the foyer, he buttoned his tux jacket and scanned the far-too-dense crowd for a glimpse of coal black hair. Startling a servant, probably some drama student from the local college, he swiped a glass of champagne from a passing tray and drained half in one gulp. Gone were his issues with tonight, replaced with a panic for Tabby. What if she’d faltered? What if the weight was too much? He knew she could do anything, carry off anything, but maybe she no longer believed that. Maybe the grief and whatever sickness she was dealing with had broken her confidence.

  His strides increased as he wove through the rooms. Eli suffered through more stops and starts than a red-light-green-light game he’d played as a kid. Not only was he known through his family’s business, but his career in photography had garnered its own set of admirers, and, of course, everyone had sympathy for his loss.

  He handled each encounter with the charm born of all Ellises, as he would be damned if his internal struggle with his place in Ellis Industries would ever mar the family name. Especially now.

  Eli exited the far end of the banquet hall into the breakfast room. Snagging an avocado puff, he popped it into his mouth and looked back out toward the winter garden. A glance to his right met the back of his quarry. Instant recognition of womanly curves he’d been pressed up against only a few days ago lit a fire, even as he realized she wasn’t alone. A young gentleman bussed both cheeks and said, “I’ll see you Thursday.”

  “Thursday, Dr. Kitt,” Tabby repeated, a bit breathless.

  Every muscle locked as anger surged through his veins. He’d been right. The issue between them. The awkwardness. It was all due to another man.

  Thinking straight hadn’t always been his strong point, and emotionally fueled action seemed the right tactic at this moment. Here he’d been worried about her health and her grief, and she had some uptight, too-damn-attractive-for-his-own-good boy ready to salivate at her feet. A boy was the last thing Tabby needed right now. A boy couldn’t possibly understand what she was dealing with. Her concerns about leading a company in the absence of her father and sister. A boy that couldn’t understand that it was the last thing she’d ever wanted.

  Eli walked up behind Tabby and breathed into her ear, “He’s not your type.”

  She whirled around, fear lodged in the depths of her blue eyes. Tabby glanced at the retreating back of her male visitor, and Eli growled.

  “Are you serious about him?”

  Tabby met his gaze, the fear sliding into anger. She crossed her arms, the move drawing Eli’s eyes to her body and leaving his focus torn between anger and lust. He’d purposely avoided really looking at her tonight, instead focusing on being her friend. At this moment, all he could do was look and see the woman. She’d worn a gown of pale pink that hugged her upper half in detailed flowers only to flow from the waist in a wispy fabric that reminded him of the waterfalls of Venezuela. The color warmed her skin, and his body and lust beat anger into submission.

  “If I am serious about him, it isn’t any of your business.”

  “Really?” Eli drawled. “I didn’t take you for the type to kiss multiple men in the same week.”

  She sucked in a breath and immediately swayed. Eli grabbed both arms, the tremors in Tabby’s body tingling his fingers. He pulled her close. “I have you. Let’s get you seated.” He maneuvered her over to a small straight-back chair and helped her sit. Snagging a flute of champagne off a tray, he handed it over to her trembling fingers. She stared at the glass and then him.

  “Thank you. I think I just got overheated. I’m fine now.”

  “Dammit, Tabby, you’re not fine. When are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Chapter Five

  Anger surged through Tabby’s body, wiping away all traces of nausea and the fear of her secret being discovered in a rush of adrenaline. She clung to the wave with all she had.

  “Thank you for the drink, Eli. But I don’t recall asking you to watch over me, nor do I believe I asked for commentary on my personal life.”

  Eli growled. “I take one break, one phone call from the magazine and come back to find you with that.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

  “That was a friend and acquaintance paying his respects.” She swallowed the rest of her tirade. He didn’t need to know she’d missed his presence and strength in those few moments. The mention of the magazine drove home that relying on him even for one night was too much. She ignored the swell of emotion, the yearning. He was dangerously close to figuring everything out, and that would spell disaster for his life. And hers.

  He crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze, looking for something. Something she was determined to hide. She stood and placed the untouched champagne on a table. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  Two steps and a cloud of perfume hit her like a punch to the stomach. She hugged herself and held her breath even as the bile stung the back of her throat. Strong hands wrapped around her shoulders, an anchor in a sea full of uncertainty.

  “You’ve never had to ask me. I’ve always been there, and I always will be. Suck it up, Brodie. Now let’s get you out of here.”

  With a stomach intent on broadcasting its contents to the crowd and skin still tingling from Eli’s breath fanning her ear, Tabby had no choice but to put one heeled foot in front of the other and let Eli steer her toward the entrance. So much for doing her family proud, for standing on her own. She’d managed a whopping hour before needing to escape and rely on Eli once again.

  “Do you have your ticket?”

  Breathing in through her nose, Tabby nodded and fished the paper out of her small beaded clutch. She leaned against the wall as Eli moved toward the coat check area. He cut a stunning path through a crowd full of men dressed in thousand-dollar tuxes, all chiseled or stately as their money or their breeding dictated. But Eli shone.

  She’d seen him dressed up over the years, most recently at the wedding where she’d also undressed him. And it was that knowledge about what the crisp white shirt and tailored black pants hid that made him that much more magnetic. Like he was her due north and her body refused to be tricked into any other direction.

  Only he couldn’t be her path. He may be her due north, but she absolutely wasn’t his south pole. No, she was the magnet that would mess up his direction and leave him spinning around in circles, trying to make her happy and solve her problems while he went absolutely insane.

  Eli retrieved her shawl, and Tabby glanced around to make sure Dr. Kitt wasn’t going to make another appearance. Apparently, Eli hadn’t heard enough to ask the pertinent questions, and she said a small prayer for timing. And, to be honest, for jealousy. Something she absolutely refused to look at further.

  He returned and draped the shawl around her shoulders. Brown eyes cataloged her face, looking for a chink, a sign, the billboard telling him what was wrong. She smiled. “I’m fine.”

  “I don’t think you should drive home tonight.”

  Tabby dropped her gaze and adjusted the shawl, pulling it tighter, armor against the next moment. “Actually, I have a room at The Inn. I wasn’t planning on driving back to Gatlinburg this late at night.”

  She risked a glance, and the emotion she expected to see filtered through Eli’s face. His gaze became distant as he stared at his hands. Guilt over the assumption she absolutely was going to let him believe th
reatened to choke her, but the truth, that she would be too exhausted and sick to make the ninety-minute drive through the mountains at night, was too revealing. Especially after the near call with Dr. Kitt.

  “Well, then I’ll see you to your room.”

  Fate in the form of one stunning and extremely determined woman saved Tabby from arguing. Caro Nguyen was the foremost corporate prosecutor in North Carolina and on the short list for Attorney General. She looked ethereal with her sleek black hair, darker than Tabby’s, swept up and anchored with a diamond clip and a silver gown flowing down her long dancer’s body, as if it were water pouring over a waterfall.

  Tabby was four inches shorter, even in heels, and about ten classes below Caro, and from the shocked and appraising look on Eli’s face, she’d fallen a few notches in his estimation as well. Time to examine that pain later, but for now, she could use the lovely Ms. Nguyen for what she was: a welcome diversion.

  “Tabitha and Elijah, how lovely to see you both.”

  Tabby exchanged cheek kisses and smiled. “You look lovely as always.”

  Caro tore her gaze from Eli long enough to return the compliment. Tabby’s jaw clenched, and she focused on the one stray piece of hair that had come loose from Caro’s twist. That flaw gave her strength to ignore the long list of ways she didn’t measure up to the woman in front of her.

  “If you’ll excuse me, it was lovely to see you both.”

  She didn’t hesitate, instead brushing to the side of Caro and easily out of striking reach of a male she suddenly wanted to pummel in jealous frustration. As she went through the entrance, Tabby waved away the carriage driver and set out down the gravel path. The lot wasn’t far, the horses merely ornamental to the evening, and right now, Tabby needed the brisk mountain air to cool the burning fire in the area of her heart.

  It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. Caro was exactly the sort of woman Eli needed. She was worldly and sleek. Eli probably didn’t feel one ounce of protectiveness toward the accomplished woman. And that meant she would never tie him down to a place he didn’t want to be. Tabby nodded. No, it was good Caro had interrupted them. She’d escaped and didn’t have to lie or, rather, skirt the truth anymore tonight.