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“Shane has a lot of people who work for him. I don’t—”
She shook her head. “No. This isn’t someone who works here. And it’s not a client either.”
Eloise’s heart dropped. He wouldn’t do something like that.
Right?
Then again, what did she know about him besides his affinity for helping everyone he met and trying to keep their relationship a secret? As much as she tried to make sense of these strange thoughts, Eloise couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“I know, right?” Hannah let out a little laugh. “I just hope the woman he picks is someone who understands how this place runs. The last thing we need is for Shane to date someone who will try to change it.”
“I don’t think he’d let anyone do that,” Eloise said.
“Callahan. Time for your break!”
She glanced over to the chef, then nodded. “I’ll be back.” Her steps were slower than usual. It was just like her to overthink this. But she’d never given in and believed everything she heard without investigating for herself. Not only that, but a lot of the gossip in town wasn’t any of her business.
It just so happened that this tidbit was.
Eloise made it to Shane’s office, but rather than knock, she just let herself in. “Shane, I need to ask—” She stopped in her tracks, finding Madeline sitting on the edge of Shane’s desk while he was settled into his chair on the other side. They both shifted their gazes toward her. Both looked surprised.
The first emotion Eloise registered was relief. Madeline must have been the woman everyone had been talking about. Nobody knew she was his cousin, so maybe that was the reason the gossip was so chatty about what they’d seen.
But that relief quickly dissipated. Shoot. She’d called him by his first name in front of Madeline. Eloise didn’t know how close Marc was with his sister, but if she even glimpsed a hint that Shane and Eloise were involved, Madeline would likely say something.
Eloise placed her hands behind her back and ducked her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Owens. I was just coming to ask you a question.” When she lifted her gaze, she found Madeline appraising her with a shrewd expression.
Shane got to his feet. “My apologies for the intrusion, Madeline. Before I see to what Miss Callahan needs, is our meeting over?”
Madeline’s eyes remained locked on Eloise for what felt like an eternity. Then it was as if someone had pressed the play button. She sucked in a breath and faced Shane. “Not quite.” She swung her focus back to Eloise. “Miss Callahan, perhaps you can help me with something. I was telling Shane here that he needed to get out into the world and stop working so much. He needs a girlfriend, don’t you think?”
Eloise snapped her eyes to Shane’s. She couldn’t read his expression, only that he wasn’t comfortable with this conversation. “I don’t think Shane—I’m sorry—Mr. Owens needs to do anything he’s not ready for. He used to date my sister, and she’s been known to do a number on every guy she’s dated.”
“Oh,really. Nowthat’sinteresting.”
“Is it?”
“Of course, dear. Now I can figure out if my sweet cousin has a type.”
Eloise let out a strained laugh. “I doubt that. There’s no one like Brielle. She’s one of a kind.”
Madeline’s laugh raked against Eloise’s nerves. It sounded incredibly fake and almost menacing. But that was probably because Eloise was so on edge at the moment. She needed to get her head on straight and maybe get some air. There was something about Madeline that set her teeth on edge.
Whatever the reason, Eloise couldn’t wait for Shane’s cousin to leave the room.
Madeline’s movements were more catlike than anything else. She brushed past Eloise near the door, then paused. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Shane. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about.”
When Eloise turned back to Shane, she nearly gasped. This wasn’t the man who could make her laugh or who wanted to have a water fight with her. This was a man who was stressed beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Eloise closed the door behind Madeline, then hurried through the room toward him. “What’s the matter?”
“Why did you do that?”
She glanced over her shoulder toward the door, almost expecting Madeline to have opened it. The dark sound of Shane’s voice sent a shiver through her, turning her blood to ice. She looked up at him again. “Do what?”
“Why did you tell her that I dated your sister?”
Her brows creased with confusion. “Was I not supposed to?”
