Page 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Cash

Danny was whistling a jaunty little tune when I joined Poppy at Just The Sip. I envied his good mood a little.

Declan had reassured me a lot last night. I loved that he wanted me with him—wherever he ended up living. And it meant a lot that he was willing to include Katelyn in our future together. But I hated that it was happening in the middle of all my dysfunctional family drama.

Declan was right, though. I couldn’t blame myself for the choices my mom made. If she insisted on drowning alongside Dad, if she refused to grab a lifeline or swim for shore, I couldn’t save her.

Danny pointed at me with me a grin, practically beaming waves of happiness my way. “Don’t tell me. You want the DP.”

I smiled back, my mood lightening. “You know me so well.”

“It’ll be ready in two minutes.” He grabbed a large travel cup and whirled away to make the drink.

I turned to Poppy. “Do I look okay?”

“Uh, yes?”

“I don’t smell bad or something?”

Her forehead furrowed. “No…”

“Then why is Danny, the biggest flirt in town, not so much as winking at me over ordering The DP?”

Poppy laughed. “I think maybe he’s got another guy on his mind.”

“Is that right, Danny? Have I been thrown over by a big man who’s good at kneading your mounds of dough?”

Danny cast a look over his shoulder. “You’re one to talk. I hear you’ve shacked up with Grumpy Bear.”

Poppy snorted a laugh.

“Yep,” I said proudly. “I’m living with my boyfriend. I’m that guy, and I don’t care who knows it.”

Danny finished my drink and set it on the glass counter between us. “Good for you. I’m glad it worked out.”

“Same to you. Sorry I had to bail on Operation Fake Date.”

Danny waved it off. “That’s all right. It was a stupid idea, anyway. Abe isn’t really the kind of guy who responds to games.”

I nodded. “I know what you mean. How did we end up with such mature men?”

“It’s a mystery!”

He whipped up Poppy’s drink next, then ran my credit card to cover the order. We took turns paying, and I was sure I owed her by now.

“I guess I don’t need to ask how the house hunt is going,” she said as we took a seat.

“Nope.” I sipped my double-praline cream, sighing at the sugary goodness. “I was pretty stressed about trying to find a place. I didn’t want Declan to feel obligated, you know?”

She nodded. “I’m guessing he changed your mind?”

I smiled. “Yeah. He isn’t just offering me a place to stay. He wants to live together, you know? That makes it different somehow. It probably doesn’t make much sense outside of my muddled head.”

“Sure, it does. You’re not a burden. You’re his partner who he wants with him.”

“That’s it, exactly.” I sighed. “He loves Kat, too. He’s totally happy for her to stay with us. I…still have mixed feelings about that. He didn’t sign up for raising a teenager, you know?”

She scoffed. “Please. He knows your situation at home. What do you think single parents do when they meet someone? You’re building a future and a family, Cash. If he can’t handle that, he’s not in it for the long haul.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.” I chuckled. “How did I get so damn lucky?”

“Maybe it’s karma,” Poppy said.

I raised an eyebrow. “You think I deserve good karma after fucking around for so long?”

“No.” She kicked my ankle. “I think you deserve good karma for being a good person, Cash. For looking out for your sister. For trying so hard with your family, trying for longer than a lot of people would have. You deserve this happiness. You’ve waited a long time for it, so try to enjoy it, okay?”

I nodded, my throat too tight to answer right away. I took a few gulps of my decadent coffee. “Thanks, Pops. You’re a great friend.”

“I know I am.”

“If it weren’t for you explaining the ace spectrum to me like I was a kindergartner, I might have screwed up this thing with Declan. I owe you so much.”

“Well, you just bought me a hot chocolate,” she said, lifting her drink. “Let’s call it even.”

It wasn’t close to even, but Poppy didn’t like it when people made a fuss. “I’m buying the next round, too,” I said.

“Deal.”

Poppy, proving she was the best friend ever, gave me a lift over to the resort so I wouldn’t have to grab a water taxi at the marina. I clocked in and greeted Grandma Kitty with a tight hug that made her squeal and slap my arm.

“You look happy today, Cash.”

I rounded the front counter in the lobby, taking up my station and logging into the booking system. “I guess I haven’t been the best company over the past few days.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t put it that way,” Kitty said. “But you’ve obviously been worried.”

I nodded. “I’m seeing everything I have to be grateful for today,” said. “Like the best Work Grandma ever.”

She chortled. “You just keep buttering me up, mister, and I might bring you a cupcake later.”

“Ooh, you’re the sweetest grandma, too. Anytime you want to throw Brooks over and adopt me, I’m ready.”

She laughed. “Grandma’s heart has plenty of room for everyone.”

A few hours passed while I did the mundane tasks of my job. I took a room service order, answered a question about our cable service for another guest, and gave a young couple directions to the Outdoor Market.

I wondered if Declan and I were doing the same thing right now—and how much he hated it. It was a shame that the B&B life wasn’t for him, because I loved it over there. Even when I was taking a booking call or chatting up a guest, it was so much more relaxed that it never really felt like work.

The phone rang, and I picked it up on autopilot. “Treehous—er…” I cleared my throat, aware that Skylar had just approached the desk. “Swallow’s Nest Resort. This is Cash speaking. How may I help you?”

“I’ve got an important question,” a blustery voice said. “Why the hell can’t your resort keep tourists out of my hole?”

I recognized Chester’s voice and rolled my eyes. “Hold that thought.”

“But—”

I stabbed the Hold button and looked at Skylar. “It’s the daily vent session from the Weekend Hookers. Did you need something?”

Skylar grimaced. “Do you want me to take it?”

“Nah, that’s why you pay me, right? Don’t go punishing yourself for no reason.”

He laughed. “Okay. Just come by my office when you’re done. We need to chat.”

“Okay.” My stomach swooped. “Nothing bad, right? I know I flubbed the greeting on the phone. That won’t happen again. I’ve just been answering phones over there a lot too…”

“I’m sure your head must be spinning from working both places.”

Uh-oh. Was Skylar annoyed I was devoting so much time to a competitor? It wasn’t really his style, but…

“It’s nothing bad,” Skylar assured me. “Wrap up the call and then we’ll talk.”

Reluctantly, I took Chester off Hold. “Okay, what’s wrong now?” I said. “Too many men poking their rods in your hole?”

Chester missed the innuendo. “Exactly that! Skylar promised us we’d get to keep our fishing spot. It has our name on it!”

“The resort allows guests there during restricted hours. That’s all Skylar promised. You don’t own the lake, Chester.”

He harrumphed. “I tried to take Miss Kitty on a lovely picnic and show her my favorite bait, and the place was overrun!”

“Mm-hmm. Just what kind of bait were you intending to show Brooks’s grandmother? You better be careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know Brooks is living with Skylar. You piss him off, and there might be no hookers in that hole.”

“Are you threatening me, young man?” he said so indignantly I almost laughed.

Grandma Kitty liked Chester for some bizarre reason, but he was so damn easy to wind up.

“Just a friendly warning,” I assured him. “Be a gentleman with Miss Kitty.”

“I always am.”

“Good, keep it that way and I think we’ll all be happy.”

“Okay…”

“Thanks for calling. Have a great day!”

“Oh, but what about?—”

I hung up quick before he could launch into his original complaint. What would be the use of sidetracking him so nicely if I had to stand there and listen to his whining about the fishing hole? The Weekend Hookers had been a tough sell on the resort, and Skylar had done what he could to give them some ownership of their favorite fishing spot while still making it accessible to tourists on weekends.

Of course, with a guy like Chester, if you gave him a fishing hole, he’d just want the whole lake. He was never satisfied.

I turned toward the other clerk working the desk. “I’ve got to step away. If Chester calls back, tell him to stop being so uptight and share his hole.”

“Uh…okay.”

I headed to Skylar’s office. The door was open, but I rapped on the door frame to alert him I was there.

“Hey, come in,” he said.

“What’s up? I hope my working over at the B&B isn’t a problem. I know I’ve kinda been helping your competitor.”

He waved me to a chair. “You know I don’t care about that. Declan’s important to you.”

“Yeah.” I dropped into the seat. “So, you called me in to thank me for handling Chester every day? I do deserve a raise. You’re correct.”

He chuckled, perfectly aware I was kidding. I got paid a good wage for my position, and I was grateful for it.

“I do appreciate skipping that headache,” he said. “But actually, I wanted to talk to you about housekeeping.”

“Uh-oh. More problems?”

“I’ve decided to transition to an in-house housekeeping staff, which means I’m looking for a head of department. I’ve been taking applications for someone to manage scheduling, supervise staff, and ensure it all runs more smoothly so it’s not my problem.”

I wasn’t sure why he was telling me all this, but I nodded along. “Sure, makes sense.”

He hesitated. “Your mother has applied.”

My stomach flipped. “Oh.”

“But I know your relationship is strained right now, and I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you if I decide to hire her.”

A wave of relief hit me. “No, that would be great. I’ve wanted her to leave that agency for a long time. The hours are terrible, and the pay—” I stopped short. “She’d get better hours and pay here, right?”

“She’d manage the department, yes. I’m offering 50k a year to start, along with health insurance, vacation and sick benefits, and the opportunity to earn bonuses during our busiest booking weeks.”

“That’s amazing.”

With that kind of pay, Mom could manage the house payment. If she insisted on staying with Dad, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about them becoming homeless.

“She’d primarily work Monday through Friday, the daytime shift, though she might have to make up staffing shortages at times. She’d be compensated, though. I don’t believe that salary equals unlimited hours of servitude. I’ve seen how corporations operate, and I’m trying to build something different here.”

“I know, Sky. My mom couldn’t ask for a better job. I hope you offer it to her.” I paused. “But please only do it if she really is the best candidate. I don’t want those kinds of favors.”

“I figured you’d say that, but she’s more than qualified. She’s my top candidate, but I didn’t want to move ahead without talking to you first.”

“Well, if that’s the case…it’d be great to see her get the job. Thanks for the heads-up.”

“No problem.”

With the increased salary, Mom might be less likely to leave my father out of desperation. But I didn’t want her to leave for that reason. I wanted her to make a change because she wanted a better life.

With this job, maybe she’d finally see that she could have more than the bare minimum.