Page 7 of #Resort Love (Lakeview Harbor #1)

“From your lips to God’s ears,” she murmured, turning toward the door. “Have a great afternoon!”

“You too!”

With another brief wave to Swati, Harlow was out the door and climbing into her car.

She seriously wished she knew a little more about this guy—like what kind of car he drove.

Then she could drive by the hotel first and see if he was there before she had to drive all the way home to change and then come all the way back this way and drive the twenty miles out to the resort.

“But if I can convince him to sell, all the fuss will be worth it!”

Then inspiration hit. Gwen’s mom, Marie, worked at the front desk at the hotel during the week. Maybe she could stop in and ask her if she knew anything about this guy.

“Or maybe I should call,” she murmured, still uncomfortable with the thought of running into Walker after she snuck out on Saturday morning. It had been three days, and for all she knew, he was already gone.

Unfortunately, this deal was too important to let something like running into her one-night stand stop her.

“Just…don’t think about him or his sexy abs and magnificent hands. Focus on the potential ginormous deal you could make!”

It took only a small bit of backtracking to get to the hotel and when she pulled up, there weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot.

But that wasn’t anything new.

Still, when she climbed from her car, she smoothed a hand over her hair, straightened her skirt and blouse, and walked confidently into the lobby.

“Hey, Harlow!” Marie called out, smiling warmly. “What brings you to the Lakeside Inn?”

Rather than respond immediately, she walked over and hugged the woman who was like an honorary family member. “Hey, Marie! You look so pretty today! Blue is definitely your color!”

Marie had known her since she was eight, and the look she gave Harlow said she knew this wasn’t a social call.

“So I’m looking for one of your guests. I don’t know his name, but he’s here in town to do some evaluation on the Lakeview Harbor Resort. Any chance you know who he is or where I can find him? Maybe even his room number? Or his name? Please?”

“Harlow Rae, what in the world? First, you know I can’t just give you that information. That’s an invasion of privacy. And second, what in the world could you possibly want with a man you never even met?”

For a moment, she felt properly chastised. “Oh, um…well…I heard he was looking at things up at the resort and…”

“And you want to talk him into selling it,” Marie stated blandly.

“Exactly.”

They both stared at each other before Marie shook her head. “I get where you’re coming from and I’d love to help you, but I just can’t give you his name or his room number. I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” It was a long shot to think she could easily track him down, but maybe…

“However,” Marie went on, pointing to the large front window. “That’s his SUV pulling away right now.”

Harlow turned her head so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. “Dammit! Was that a black Suburban?”

“A Yukon. And that’s all I’m going to say. If you’re looking for…um…this gentleman, he’s probably on his way up to the resort right now. He had a bunch of supplies delivered today because he’s going to move into one of the cabins this weekend. So if you go up there and see the Yukon, he’s on site.”

Stepping around the desk, she gave Marie a fierce hug. “Thank you! This is a tremendous help! You’re the best!” Then she dashed out the door.

No sooner was she back behind the wheel of her car, than she was considering if she wanted to go home and change or chase after him and hopefully have to go no further than the parking lot of the resort.

“I can catch up to him. No problem.”

With her decision made, Harlow turned left out of the hotel parking lot and prayed she wasn’t making a mistake.

Or looking like a stalker.

“That’s pretty much the same as a mistake, dummy,” she murmured. Still, it didn’t deter her. Convincing this guy—who was maybe a Bradshaw—to persuade his family to sell would mean…everything! And not just to her, but to the town!

I could be a hero…

Okay, maybe that was getting a little too far ahead of herself, but it was a real possibility. After all, if new developers came to the area, it would breathe new life into the town. Businesses would reopen. Tourists would return.

“And all because I am brave enough to follow this guy and pitch him on all the ways this sale could benefit the masses. It’s a win-win for everyone!”

In the distance, she spotted the Yukon and made sure she kept a respectable distance. There was no need to speed up since they were both going to the same place.

And with any luck, she wouldn’t have to go back again because she was going to do such a fabulous job in pitching her plan to him.

She’d be lying if she didn’t acknowledge how much this commission would mean to her personally. Besides closing one of the biggest real estate deals this region has possibly ever seen, it meant a way out.

Out of living in a tiny apartment.

Out of never being able to travel anywhere other than to the next town over.

And most importantly, out of living in the shadow of her family’s nightmare reputation.

It was a wonder that people hadn’t chased her out of town years ago.

“Don’t go to the dark place. Don’t go to the dark place,” she chanted before turning on the radio and cranking up her favorite playlist. Ironically, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” came on, and Harlow could only shake her head and sigh at how fitting it was.

So she sang along with the song. And the next one. And the one after that. When the first sign for Lakeview Harbor Resort appeared, she finished singing along with Olivia Rodrigo before turning the music off. It was time to focus on what she was going to say to this guy when she saw him.

“What do I even call him? Sir? Mister?” she wondered. She thought he was probably one of Dale and Peggy’s sons, so he was older, and she’d need to be respectful. “Mr. Bradshaw then.”

And then what?

“Introduce myself, give him my card, and then launch into my sales pitch.” Muttering a curse, she wished she’d had more time to prepare one.

Maybe she’d just introduce herself and then invite him to dinner, where she’d share her ideas for the property with him.

Perhaps that was the more professional way to go rather than ambushing him in the parking lot with a sales pitch.

Her car was quickly approaching his as the entrance to the resort came into view.

There was literally no way he didn’t see her, and Harlow had to fight off the small wave of panic that he was going to get out of his car and tell her she was trespassing or something.

When he came to a stop several yards before the entrance, she had a feeling that was exactly what was going to happen.

But when his door flew open and he stepped out, she knew she’d made a mistake.

A big, stupid one.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that this mystery guy was the same guy she’d slept with and ran out on just days ago.

“Why wouldn’t it be? I have crappy luck. Of course they’d be the same guy,” she mumbled.

For some reason, she was more comfortable following a stranger up here than running into Walker.

She didn’t see a strong family resemblance—not at first—but the longer she looked, it was there.

Hell, there was no way he was one of Dale and Peggy’s sons.

He was too young. No, this was clearly a grandson.

And he looked like some sort of sexy, rugged, outdoorsy model.

And she knew what he looked like naked.

There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. All she could do was put the car in park and sit there gripping the steering wheel as he stared at her for so long that she started to squirm.

This so wasn’t the way things were supposed to go.

He took one step toward her and then another, and it was like a predator stalking his prey.

His dark hair was slightly mussed. There was enough stubble on his jaw to tell her he hadn’t shaved in a day or two.

Sunglasses hid his eyes, but she already knew they were dark and hypnotic.

He was scowling and she swallowed hard as he came to a stop right beside her window.

Here we go…

Slowly, she let the window down and did her best to smile, even though her heart was racing so hard she wanted to vomit.

“Um…hi!” she blurted out. “I was just…”

“You’d better turn this car around right now,” he said, his voice low and gruff and fairly intimidating. “Whatever it is you think you’re here for, forget it. Now leave before I call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”

Wow, I really called that one.

The smart thing to do was nod and do exactly what he asked. But what she ended up doing was saying, “Technically, we’re on a public road right now. The property line starts at the gates, so I’m not trespassing.”

Harlow mentally congratulated herself on getting that all out without sounding too nervous. Unfortunately, Walker wasn’t impressed. Instead, he leaned down menacingly and nearly growled the word, “Leave.”

But now she was in too deep and refused to be bullied. “I’m not going anywhere until you give me fifteen minutes of your time.”

“I believe I already gave you that and more on Friday night,” he said tightly.

“Um…can we just…I mean…this has nothing to do with that,” she said with a huff. “And trust me, you are going to want to hear what I have to say, so just…don’t be a bully, okay?”

That seemed to shock him because he straightened. “I don’t care what you have to say or why you’re here. I’m telling you that I’m not interested.”

“Okay, but…” Carefully, she opened her door and slid out. He was so tall she had to crane her neck a bit to look at him. “I came out here to talk to you. Surely you can spare fifteen minutes.”

“I can’t.”

“How about ten?”

“No.”

Time for a new tactic.

“How about I buy you dinner at Dominic's tonight?” she boldly suggested. “It’s around the corner from where you’re staying at the Lakeview Inn. And considering you’re here to do an evaluation on the property and…”

“How the hell do you know why I’m here?”

Uh-oh…

“Um…because you spoke to my boss last night in the grocery store parking lot.” Smooth, Harlow. Real smooth.

“I’m not giving you ten minutes, and I’m definitely not going to have dinner with you. You need to leave. I’m not going to ask you again.” This time, he turned and started to walk back to his truck.

“Five minutes, Walker! Please!” She wasn’t opposed to begging at this point.

He stopped in his tracks before hanging his head. Harlow held her breath while she waited for him to say something, anything.

“Five minutes,” he finally said. “But not here in the middle of the road. Follow me.”

Nodding frantically, she got back in her car and followed him through the gates and to the parking lot closest to some of the cabins.

It hit her how now it really was like she’d followed a stranger here.

The man she walked around the festival with—the man she spent hours having some of the best sex of her life with—was gone.

This version of Walker was acting like a total jerk.

She thought maybe it would be awkward if she ever ran into him again, but she didn’t expect him to be so openly hostile.

Plus, they made no promises to each other! They both seemed to know it was a one-night thing, so why was he being so pissy towards her?

It didn’t matter. She’d make him see reason. They needed to separate their brief personal relationship from this—hopefully—new business one. There was no time to second guess herself. It was showtime.

“Five minutes be damned. He’s going to hear every word I have to say, whether he knows it or not.”