Page 1 of Mine This Time

Chapter One

Mari (Mariana)

Rolling over in bed, I reached my arm reflexively for the man I expected to find, but the sheets were cold under my palm.

Alarm punctured my sleep-hazed mind, and I sat up abruptly.

Brushing my tangled hair away from my face, I shifted from sleepy to startlingly awake as I scanned the room.

I couldn’t say why, but somehow, I knew something was seriously off.

“Brett?”

My voice practically echoed in the lovely room at the bed & breakfast where we were staying.

Kicking the sheets away, I swung my feet off the bed and walked toward the bathroom, my eyes noticing the distinct lack of my boyfriend’s belongings in the room.

Last night, his suit jacket was thrown over the chair by a small desk in the corner of the room, and his shoes had been by the door.

Both were missing now. Anxiety spun in tight circles in my chest.

“Brett?”

Now I was repeating myself. I hated when I did that.

The tile floor in the bathroom was cool under my feet—no Brett in here.

My eyes swung to the vanity. I expected to see Brett’s razor because he usually left it by the sink.

My toothbrush looked lonely there. By this point, my heart was thudding hard and fast, and my stomach felt as if I were falling from a great height.

Ridiculous as it was, I actually pushed back the shower curtain.

As if I might find Brett standing in the shower without the water running.

To make more of a fool of myself, I hurried out of the bathroom, my bare feet getting colder by the moment, and opened the door to the single closet in the room.

No Brett in the closet.

I snatched my phone off the desk and pulled up his number. Tapping the screen to call, I held the phone to my ear. “We’re sorry. The number you have called is no longer in service.”

“What the fuck?!” I exclaimed to the automated operator voice.

Convinced it must be a mistake, I tried again, only to get the same message.

Tossing the phone on the bed, I raced to the closet and yanked on a pair of jeans, my bra, and a T-shirt.

I didn’t even bother to check my appearance before running out the door.

It was only when I practically skidded to a stop by the dining room of the inn that I realized I hadn’t even put on my shoes.

Hannah Grantham happened to be pouring a cup of coffee and glanced over her shoulder.

If she was startled at my unkempt, literally rolled-out-of-bed-and-yanked-some-clothes-on look, it didn’t show.

But then, my brief interaction with her yesterday afternoon had demonstrated she had excellent manners.

“Good morning, Mari,” she said smoothly. “How are you this morning?”

Frazzled. Confused. Angry. Upset. Possibly heartbroken.

I had no good answer that was truthful. That said, the way my brain inserted “possible” before heartbroken gave me pause. But, I had more pressing matters at the moment.

“Um, I’m not sure. You didn’t happen to see my boyfriend this morning, did you?”

The word boyfriend felt strange coming out. With our work schedules, we hadn’t had much time together lately. Okay, hardly any. So little, I’d started to question if I could even call him my boyfriend.

A line formed between Hannah ’s brows as she looked at me. After a long pause, she replied, “No, I haven’t.”

I stood there, feeling foolish. After a moment, I nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

Turning, I stared down at my toenails as I walked, the deep red polish taunting me with every step. Hannah ’s voice halted me.

“Would you like some coffee?”

Considering I’d just been wishing I’d never woken up, perhaps not. But then, coffee might be the only thing that could help me think clearly. Turning back, I tried a smile, but it came out shaky. I prayed she didn’t notice. “That would be wonderful.”

Hannah smiled in return and held a finger up. “Give me just a sec.” She hurried through a doorway into the kitchen I’d seen only a glimpse of last night when we checked into this lovely inn near the Mississippi River.

I let my eyes travel out the windows, taking in the area.

Tall oak trees lined the driveway with others scattered around the property.

Spanish moss hung from the trees, swaying lightly in the breeze.

The glint of sunshine glimmering on the nearby creek shimmered in the morning light.

Last night, I could smell the jasmine blooming.

Just now, with a window open in the dining room on this late spring morning, the breeze carried in scents of flowers and rich greenery.

Dew glimmered on the grass where the sun’s first rays were cresting above the trees and casting a swath of light at an angle across the lawn.

If I stared out the windows long enough, maybe I could forget that things felt awfully wrong this morning. The comforting view could soothe me, but only so much.

Turning away from the windows, my heart tumbled along in a rapid beat, and I felt slightly ill.

Brett had sweet-talked me into coming on this weekend escape even though I’d fretted I didn’t have the money, nor the time.

He’d been so persistent that I’d somehow convinced myself he had something special planned.

I didn’t know what that “special” would be, especially with how things had been with us lately.

When we’d arrived yesterday, it had all felt rather magical, and I’d allowed myself to relax in a way I hadn’t in months. Creek’s End Inn was a gorgeous place. With Hannah so warm and welcoming, and her young son so cute as he took us on a little tour, it was a welcome respite.

My eyes landed on a clock above the doorway into the kitchen.

It wasn’t even six a.m. yet. It made no sense for Brett to be gone.

When we’d gone out to dinner last night, I’d wished things had felt more stable with Brett and me.

Because, long before this morning, I’d been harboring doubts about us.

Yet I couldn’t have imagined he’d abscond during the night.

“We have sugar and cream right over there,” Hannah said, gesturing toward a sidebar against the wall in the dining area as she returned to the room with a cup of coffee in hand.

“Neither,” I replied, marveling at how manners could get me through this awkward moment when I didn’t know where my boyfriend had gone, and his phone was disconnected.

Hannah handed me a mug, one with Creek’s End Inn written on the side in a whimsical script. I curled my fingers around it, realizing then my hands were ice cold. I took a sip of coffee, the rich dark brew grounding me slightly. Swallowing, I met her eyes.

“Thank you. This is delicious,” I said, quite honestly.

“Glad to hear it. If I can get you anything this morning, please let me know. We serve breakfast within the hour. If you need, I can check to see if anything is ready a little early.”

“Oh no, I don’t want to be a bother. Is it okay if I carry my coffee up to my room?”

“Of course it is! Do let me know if you need anything else.”

I managed a nod, still too shocked to even cry. Although I didn’t even know if I needed to cry. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding.

After I climbed the stairs and closed the door to the room I was supposed to be sharing with Brett, I sank my hips onto the edge of the bed and took a gulp of my coffee.

“Riiiight. Brett just took all his stuff and left and turned off his phone by accident,” I whispered to the room.

I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. I swung between poles of anger and crushing humiliation. Glancing around, I found my phone where I had tossed it on the bed before my mad dash out of the room. I lifted it, once again tapping on Brett’s number.

My gut was telling me Brett was long gone, but I still tried to call him. And I got the same automated message. It felt as if the computerized voice on the other end of the line was mocking me.

Although I was frazzled and in shock, I went through the motions of getting ready. I had no idea what to do if Brett hadn’t paid for our stay here. If he hadn’t, I was thoroughly screwed.

After a shower, I dressed in a pair of lightweight capris and a flowy cotton blouse, the kind that wouldn’t stick to my skin in this humid Louisiana weather.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I stared at myself.

My dark hair was still damp from the shower, but I didn’t have it in me to bother trying to style it.

My blue eyes stood out against my rather pale skin.

Considering the state of my mind this morning, I supposed I didn’t look too bad.

With a sigh, I turned away from my reflection.

In between wondering where the hell Brett was, I contemplated how to tactfully ask if he’d paid for the room.

I did not want to humiliate myself further in front of Hannah, but I had to find a way to ask.

Of all the people to be so embarrassed in front of, I didn’t want it to be Hannah.

She had a fairy-tale life with her two children and her professional basketball player husband—a man who had plenty of women drooling over him—but whose eyes remained fixed only on her, if the occasional gossip reports had it right.

If I was beyond desperate for money, I could always call my brother—Max Channing.

Max was my older brother who I adored, but who also drove me slightly crazy with his overbearing ways.

He was a wealthy tech investor. He could buy this inn and then some if the fancy struck him.

Yet my pride was not going to let me call him.

I sure as hell didn’t want to tell him he was right about Brett.

Don’t panic. Maybe Brett’s coming back.

Riiiight. That’s why he took everything with him, left in the middle of the night, and disconnected his phone.

I could battle inside my head all day, but it didn’t change the facts of my situation.

Brett appeared to be long gone, and I was damn close to broke.

With a sigh, I mentally swatted at my always willing-and-ready-to-be-critical voice.

Standing from the bed, I steeled myself.

I might as well find out if Brett had paid for the room. Then I could problem-solve.

Moments later, I was relieved to discover Hannah had left to take care of some errands.

It was quiet downstairs, and I figured the other guests would soon be making their way down for breakfast. I would be humiliating myself to Hannah ’s staff, rather than her.

It still sucked, but it was a little bit better.

Approaching a woman carrying a tray of food to the sideboard in the dining room, I said, “Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

I smiled tightly, feeling like my face might crack from the effort.

“Um, my boyfriend had to leave unexpectedly.” Okay, I wasn’t totally lying there.

Seeing as I didn’t expect it, Brett’s departure could count as unexpected even if he’d planned it.

“I didn’t have a chance to check with him to find out if he had already taken care of the room for the weekend.

I didn’t want to let that detail get away from me. ”

All true. Little did she know my boyfriend had fled during the night, and I didn’t know where the hell he was.

The woman smiled warmly. “Give me just a sec.” She set down the platter in her hands before waving for me to follow her down the hallway to the reception desk.

She tapped on the screen of a laptop, her eyes scanning for a moment before she looked up.

“It doesn’t look like it. You can take care of it when you check out,” she said, gesturing carefully with her hand.

“We hope you’ll stay through the weekend even though he couldn’t. We’re around if you need anything.”

I swallowed. Finally, I thought I might cry.

I knew I was well and truly screwed. Now, I had my choice of humiliation.

Either I called my older brother, or I revealed the situation to Hannah.

The idea of leaving today and not coming back flitted through my thoughts.

I couldn’t do the inn equivalent of dine and dash, though. That was just not okay.