Kaycee awoke suddenly with her heart beating fast as she glanced around wondering what was making her feel so lost. Her gaze settled on the emptiness of the other side of her bed and she relaxed back with a glance at the clock.

It was only 5am which meant that she’d had all of two hours sleep. How was it that after three days with Jake she could barely function alone? Normally she had no trouble sleeping but tonight she’d laid there for hours trying to sleep, shifting position to get comfortable and finding that sleep was never further away and now here she was wide awake and wishing he was there beside her.

“Dammit!” she swore as she shifted position once again but to no avail and with a growl of frustration Kaycee threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Maybe a bit of exercise would help her relax, she decided and after dressing hurriedly she left the apartment to go for a run.

Jake had not had a good night!

He had decided that it would be a show of good faith for him to give his wife what she wanted but had regretted it almost immediately after leaving her. It had led to an almost sleepless night and he had awoken wishing she was beside him.

Now here he was at her father’s house to sign over some money to save his failing hotels and all he could think of was how much he was missing her. He didn’t think he had it in him to go another night without her and he really hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to see how she was this morning, maybe she had rethought this whole staying apart thing.

Making the decision Jake grabbed his phone before he could change his mind and called her just wanting to hear her soft voice.

The phone rang as Kaycee got out the shower and she raced in to the hallway almost slipping on her hardwood floor before she grabbed it up.

“Hello?” she said sounding breathier than usual.

“Kaycee?” came the deep drawl from the other side and Kaycee felt a smile cross her face at the sound of his voice.

“Jake, what a surprise,” she said wishing more than ever that she hadn’t sent him away last night.

“I just wanted to see how you were. Did you sleep well?” he asked and she hesitated. Should she tell the truth and admit that she’d had the worst night’s sleep ever because she missed him too much or should she stick to her guns and stay it out hoping that tonight would be better.

“I slept fine. You?” she asked deciding that she didn’t want to admit defeat just yet.

“I missed you,” he murmured and Kaycee blushed as she thought about what they could have been doing right now instead of being miles apart and miserable.

“I missed you too. But I have to get to work so I’m going to have to see you later,” Kaycee replied as she glanced at the clock to discover that she was nearly late already.

“I’ll see you soon!” Jake promised and then all he heard was the dial tone as she left, presumably to get ready for work.

Well that hadn’t gone entirely to plan, he thought with a curse. She was supposed to be begging him to come back right now not moving on as though nothing had happened. How could she be acting so normal when he felt like his whole life had been turned upside down in the last few days?

Hell, here he was now giving money to a man that only days ago he had refused to even meet with let alone give help to. If it wasn’t for Kaycee he would never have been here helping a man that he knew would never have helped him. And the worst part of all was that he wasn’t even doing it because he something from her, he was just doing it because he didn’t want her to feel beholden to him in any way.

“Ah, Jakey, my boy!”

Jake winced at the excitement in the older man’s voice as he was greeted at the door of the mansion by the owner himself. A man that until a few days ago Jake had thought was a pompous ass with no care for anyone but himself. But as his father-in-law Jake guessed that he was supposed to see him in a new light.

“It’s good to see you again, sir!” Jake said trying to be respectful.

“I’m glad you changed your mind about investing. Like I said it’s a wonderful opportunity for you and I know that once my daughter’s future husband gets his hands on it he will make sure it becomes a great success,” Kaycee’s father said with a laugh causing Jake to frown.

“Kaycee’s future husband?” he asked and the old man gave a laugh.

“No, no. Sarah’s husband. You met the young man the other day I believe,” he said again with that booming laugh though Jake couldn’t have been further from laughter.

“That Rob kid?” Jake asked wondering how on earth this man expected someone like Rob to handle a hotel business when as far as Jake could see he had never before worked anywhere near one.

“Yes, brilliant mind has our Robert. Sarah will be well taken care of by him and I know that he will make an excellent provider for her,”

Jake couldn’t help his frown at this statement. It sounded to him like the man was willing to give away his hotels to keep Sarah in the lifestyle that she had become accustomed to yet he didn’t seem to share the same worries for Kaycee who was his only real child.

“What about Kaycee? Won’t she get any part of the hotels?” Jake asked wanting to know exactly where his wife stood in all this. But if he expected her father to care then he was in for a big disappointment.

“Kaycee? She’ll be fine. The girl always lands on her feet and to be honest she’s never really showed an interest in the hotel business or in men for that matter. She’ll be fine. Now about this contract….”

Jake had frozen from his first disregarding word out of the man’s mouth and now he realised just how little Kaycee’s family thought of her. How could he invest in their hotels when they couldn’t even be concerned about his wife’s future?

“I don’t think I will be signing those documents after all,” Jake said suddenly as he decided that his wife deserved better than these people who would take advantage of her good nature.

“But Jakey, we agreed.”

“That was before I realised who I would be going in to business with,” Jake told him firmly before he turned and stormed from the house leaving her father staring after him in shock.

It was as he was leaving that he got another shock when he found Sarah leaning against his car, it looked like she had been waiting for him but Jake decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Hi Jake, fancy seeing you here.” She purred as he approached and Jake bit back a sigh of frustration.

“Hey, I was just leaving. So, if you wouldn’t mind…” he said indicating that she should move only she stayed right where she was.

“You know my mom was right, you really are more handsome up close,” Sarah said as she reached forward to stroke a hand down the front of his suit jacket.

“Hey, you know your sister. What was she called again Kayleigh?” he asked wanting information but not wanting to give away his association and he was glad he hadn’t when Sarah’s eyes narrowed.

“Kaycee and what about her?” she asked folding her arms over her chest while Jake shrugged.

“I remember her saying something about working somewhere charitable and was thinking I might donate some money. Where was it she worked?” he asked trying his best to sound innocent but clearly not innocent enough.

“Rosmand’s home for the elderly. But I hope you don’t have a little crush on our CeeCee. She’s got a boyfriend you know.” Sarah said and Jake froze in his tracks.

“Pardon?”

“Oh yeah, Dave. They’ve worked together for five years now and been together that long too. That’s why Rob dumped her. He found out she was planning on sleeping with Dave. Of course she tells it a different way but we all know the truth,” Sarah said slyly and Jake’s eyes narrowed.

Kaycee wouldn’t lie to him would she?

Certainly she had been eager to get back to work but she had never mentioned any other man and she had been thinking about having a real marriage with him. So why would she have lied to him for another man?

“So if you fancy getting coffee sometime…” Sarah said with a flick of her hair and a huge smile that he completely ignored.

“I have to go!” he said in a rush as he moved her out the way and drove off determined to get to the bottom of this.

Kaycee was exhausted!

It was hard enough working here when she’d had a full night’s sleep and was feeling on top of her game but today with only two hours sleep and feeling a wreck it was torture. And to top it all off she’d come on her break only to get a call from her dad who was devastated. Apparently Jake had been all set to invest in the hotels then for no reason had just walked out.

It made her blood boil to think about it for it was clear that he was only doing this as a warning to her. Do things his way or her family would be the ones to suffer. Honestly it was a wonder she was surviving the day.

“Hey Kaycee, I’ve got amazing news!” Dave said as he appeared in their staff room and she turned to observe him with a ready smile.

Dave had been her best friend at the home since he had started five years ago and he always had a flair for the dramatics. She put that down to him being gay but since she was one of the few he had told she doubted many others did.

“And that would be what? That you finally found someone who could actually cut your hair without destroying it?” Kaycee asked referring to Dave’s habit of firing each hairdresser because they couldn’t get his locks the way he wanted them.

“Funny, but no. I’m getting married,” he said and Kaycee sighed.

“I didn’t realise this was old news,” she informed him for Dave had been engaged as long as she had known him but had still not set the date and hardly anyone at the home knew that Charlie was actually a guy.

“Kaycee, I told my parents and I’m getting married.” He told her and she stared at him in shock. The one thing that had been preventing him from getting married was that he wanted his parents there for the wedding but was afraid to tell them that he was really gay.

“Oh my god. How did it go?” she asked cautiously but she needn’t have worried as a big grin crossed his face.

“Mom said she had known all along and dad was okay with it. I can’t believe it Kaycee. I’m really getting married!” he said and Kaycee grinned back at him as she jumped in to his arms for a hug.

“Well, this is a cosy sight!”

Kaycee jumped and spun round to find Jake glaring at them with his eyes flashing furiously.