Page 5 of #Resort Love (Lakeview Harbor #1)

Muttering a curse, he knew what his first task had to be. There was no way he could stay here and work if he couldn’t connect to the internet. That was pretty much mandatory for everything he was going to have to work on in the coming weeks.

The hotel he stayed at this weekend was about twenty miles away, and it was the closest one to the resort.

If things got too uncomfortable, Walker knew he could realistically go back for a few nights.

The place had looked practically deserted—other than the overflowing parking lot on Friday night for the festival—and he knew there would definitely be rooms available for however long he needed one, but…

“I’m used to running and staying in five-star luxury resorts. How the hell am I supposed to handle staying in a run-down hotel and then an even more run-down cabin for the next…who knows how long?”

He’d taken a six-month leave of absence from his job.

The only reason his bosses had agreed to it was because they knew he was damn good at his job and promised to be accessible while he was gone.

It wasn’t ideal, but just in case this whole thing didn’t work out, he knew he was going to need a job to go back to.

Although…he was going to need a job anyway.

The entire plan was to get the resort renovated and up and running again with someone else handling the day-to-day operations.

Walker had moved on from his upstate New York upbringing and was enjoying life traveling between Orlando, Miami, Galveston, and San Diego.

There was no way he was going to settle back up in the Northeast with its cold temperatures.

No, thank you.

They were planning on hiring a management team to run everything once all the work was done. He knew he would oversee things from a distance—a little like he already did for his current job—but being here full time would never happen.

“Been there, done that, bought the plane ticket to get the hell out.” Shaking his head as a cool wind blew around him, Walker knew he needed to pick a cabin he could call home for the next few weeks, preferably one with a functioning kitchen.

He was here, and he was determined to make the best of it.

No matter how much he wanted to change his mind and bolt.

Just like Harlow did on Saturday morning.

And yeah, it stung.

Not that he was particularly looking forward to an awkward goodbye with essentially zero promises of seeing each other again, but it bothered him that she’d snuck out while he was asleep.

It felt wrong and part of him wanted to go out and ask around if anyone knew her, but that felt like he was stalking her.

Plus…why? He wasn’t looking to start up a relationship with anyone while he was here, so why was he harping on it?

She left. So what? That’s what was going to happen anyway.

Before he could think about it anymore, his phone rang, and he prayed he’d have decent reception out here in the damn woods. When he saw it was his grandfather calling, he smiled and tapped the screen.

“Hey, Grandpa! This is a surprise!”

“Is it?” his grandfather asked with amusement. “I figured you were at the resort, and I wanted to check on you. How does everything look? Is it all still intact?”

He glanced around and inwardly groaned. “You could say that.”

“Oh, dear. Is it bad?”

“Gramps, you didn’t mention just how much you had let go. Every inch of the property needs work.” Walker tried not to sound too accusatory, but it was hard.

“I know, I know. And I’m sorry about that. In my mind, I guess I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It’s worse than bad, Gramps. I get things being overgrown since no one’s been maintaining the grounds in over six months, but the buildings? They’re…”

“A mess. Again, I know. If you and your friends want to back out, we’d completely understand. Your grandmother and I won’t hold you to our original agreement.”

It was tempting; once the guys arrived and saw what they were dealing with, he had a feeling they’d not only understand, but they’d be booking the first flight out of here too.

Instead, he shook his head. “No. No one’s backing out of anything. It’s just a lot more than I was expecting.”

“Are you sure? Because one of those pain in the ass real estate agents has been calling and emailing again. Your grandmother typically deals with her, but she’s had just about enough. It’s bordering on harassment now!”

“So tell her to back off,” Walker reasoned. “If you’ve told her you’re not interested in selling, why does she keep reaching out?”

“You know your grandmother. She’s not overly assertive. It’s kind of funny how she stands up for herself in just about every situation, but with this, she comes off sounding a little wishy-washy.”

“Doesn’t she call these agents vultures?”

His grandfather laughed. “Oh, all the time! But for some reason, she doesn’t get firm with them.”

“So why don’t you take the call—or call them—and tell them to leave you alone?”

“Honestly? I guess for a while it was nice that people were interested. Personally, I would have eventually sold the damn property and moved on, but your grandmother wouldn’t hear of it.

I thought if we had offers, eventually we might take one.

Then you came along with your offer, and it was like an answer to a prayer. ”

“Oh.”

“Walker, you have no idea how much it means to us. Like I said, I would have sold the place. Hell, I would have told myself I was fine with it, but the truth is that I poured so much of myself into Lakeview Harbor Resort that it’s a part of me.

I think at some point it would have bothered me that strangers were taking over something I built—or tearing it down.

But now? Knowing that you and your friends are going to do all the things I could never do?

Well…” He paused, and Walker could hear the emotion in his voice.

“It’s just everything to me. So…thank you. ”

Well, shit.

There went any hope of backing out of the deal.

“Don’t worry, Gramps. We’re going to turn the resort around and come back with our best season yet.”

“I know you will, Walker,” he said quietly.

“I know you will.” Another pause. “Just…watch out for the vultures. We haven’t told anyone about your plans, so no one in town has any idea that you’re coming or what you’re going to be doing.

I imagine once word gets out, they’re going to descend on the place and try to convince you to sell. ”

“Got any names so I know exactly who to avoid?”

“There were so many, I could never remember them all. This last one, though, the last name is St. James. The only reason I remember it is because she’s the most persistent.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard your grandmother saying, ‘Miss St. James this…’ or ‘Miss St. James that…’ Other than that, just know if they come wanting to talk about the property, we’ve already told them no.

It’s been very upsetting to keep rehashing the whole darn thing. ”

“Like I said, don’t worry. I’ll have them arrested for trespassing. No one’s going to convince me of anything. I’m here and I’m committed to making this a success. This time next year, you and Gram are going to come and stay in one of our VIP suites and marvel at how far we’ve come!”

“I’m looking forward to it, Walker. Thank you. And I’m sorry that it’s going to be so much work. If you need more money, just let me know. We can make anything happen, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“And call me if you have any questions. I know that place better than anyone.”

Walker smiled. “I know you do. And don’t worry, I’ll be in touch soon.”

“I’ll have your grandmother call you when she gets back from the grocery store. She’ll remember that real estate girl’s name so you can avoid her. Or maybe you can be the one to put her in her place.” He laughed. “Good luck, Walker!”

“Thanks, Gramps!”

When they hung up, Walker realized he’d been just wandering in circles and still had to decide where he was going to stay. None of the cabins were in great shape and were probably going to need a little TLC before he could move in.

Muttering another curse, he walked down the path toward cabin group A.

These were the ones that currently had working electricity and plumbing.

His grandfather had called in the old groundskeeper and asked him to come and clean up this one section of the property, and Walker was relieved to see that it was done.

He couldn’t stay here until he got the Wi-Fi hooked up, but he could at least look around and decide which one was going to be his temporary home.

They all looked rough, and he could feel his scowl deepening. The thought of staying in any of them right now was beyond unappealing, but it was going to happen no matter how much he hated it.

“Maybe I should stop acting like a damn baby and just pick one.”

So he did.

It was the first one on the path that he had passed.

It meant being closer to the center of the property and easier to get to everything once work began.

There was a small living space, an even smaller kitchen, a scary-looking bathroom, a surprisingly decent sized bedroom, and a loft.

It wasn’t ideal, but maybe with a few modifications, he could make it livable for the time being.

Plus, it could fit all of his personal items that were going to be delivered next week.

With his decision made, he quickly exited the cabin.

“Okay, back to the hotel, see about the Wi-Fi, order a new mattress, bedding, towels, a couple of pieces of furniture, and cleaning supplies.” The list grew with every step he took, but with any luck, he’d have most of it delivered before he moved in.

Making his way back to his car, Walker glanced back one last time, shaking his head. He needed to reach out to his friends with an update, and he had to find a way to put a positive spin on the whole thing.

Without being a total liar.