Page 51 of Night and Day

“I didn’t say I wasn’t good at it.”

“Excellent. So you can take me.”

Dammit. I opened my mouth to reply when I heard someone call out my name.

“Ashford!”

I closed my eyes.No. I did not need this right now. I opened my eyes and saw Ro was watching me with interest.

Pasting on a patient smile—which took a hell of a lot of effort—I turned and watched the middle-aged, rotund man powering in my direction. He had a round face, beard, and graying hair.

“Mr. Parker. So nice to see you.”

“Listen here.” He stopped a foot away and wagged a finger at me. “Those bikes of yours are whizzing down the hill. People are riding like maniacs and disturbing my customers.”

I dragged in a breath.Patience, Tessa. Be calm. “Mr. Parker, the bike trails were there long before you chose to open your restaurant right beside them.”

He waved at the building beside the bike track. It had once been a ski rental business before Clyde Parker had decided it was the right spot for his Italian restaurant.

“They go so fast, disturbing everyone. It’s a safety hazard.”

Annoyance zinged through me. We’d had this argument several times before. “Mr. Parker,” I kept my tone firm. “The trails are a safe distance from your restaurant and there is a fence. As I’ve explained before, many of your customers use the bike trails and come from the hotel. The trails have been there for years, and we have no plans to change them.”

He made blustering noises. “Listen here, little lady?—”

I barely controlled my eye roll. Ah, a little old-boy misogyny, just what I needed.

“Mr. Parker.”

Ro’s voice made me jolt. I’d forgotten he was there. He stepped behind me, close enough to my back that I could feel the heat of him.

“I think Ms. Ashford has been clear. And she’s not a little lady, she’s a woman and the manager of this resort.”

Parker swiveled and his gaze widened. “You’re Ambrose Langston.”

Ro coldly stared Parker down.

Note to self: don’t ever get on Ro’s bad side. “Mr. Parker, I’ve addressed all your safety concerns. I really don’t want bad blood. We recommend your restaurant to our guests often.”

The older man’s face twisted, and he shot an angry look at a biker racing down the mountain. “This isn’t over.”

“It is.” Ro’s voice was cutting. “I don’t want to hear from Ms. Ashford that you’ve continued to bother her.”

Parker’s face turned red, then he stomped off.

I blew out a breath. “Sorry, I’ve been dealing with him for a while now, but it’s his way or the highway.”

“Tell me if things escalate. I’ll have the Langston legal team deal with it.”

I’d considered that, but the reality was, I had to live in the same town as Clyde Parker. I sometimes saw him at the coffee shop and grocery store. I really wanted an amicable resolution.

“How about we head back inside?” I suggested.

We headed back into the hotel. In the lobby, I spied Rupert at one of the reception computers. I hoped there was nothing wrong with the system.

When Ro’s cellphone rang, he let out an annoyed sigh. “I need to take this. It won’t take long.”

“Sure.” I hurried over to Rupert. “Is everything okay?”