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The Inn wasnothing like I remembered it. Of course, when I’d been seven, it hadn’t been the same inn. I think it had been called a lodge back then, moreCabin Lifethan this version’sFood and Wineaesthetic. I parked and took a few minutes to appreciate the outside of the structure. It soared into a high peak, strong solid wood reaching up into the incredible aching blue of the sky.
That was something that didn’t change up here, I decided. The sky. At night it was spread like a pinholed velvet map between the treetops, stars filling up almost every little corner of the darkness. And during the day—when it was clear, at least—the color of the mountain sky was an almost heartbreaking blue, a color so pure you felt like maybe you were seeing some small part of heaven up there, getting a view to something humans weren’t intended to look upon. And so you felt lucky gazing up into that little bit of forever. Or I did.
I smoothed my pants and closed the car door, climbing the front steps of the inn carefully in my favorite black slingbacks and pausing to look behind me, out over the railing of the sprawling porch at the meadow and town beyond. As much as I regretted the way I’d ended up back here, my heart squeezed a little bit. It had been a long time, and though I wasn’t eager to talk to my father about all the things that had happened so many years ago, it was still nice to be home—even if it was only temporary.
The lobby of the inn was every bit as impressive as the outside, modern and rustic all at once. I knew the place had been renovated by Palmer Construction, which was the only construction firm in town, run by the Palmer brothers Sam and Chance. When I’d been a little girl, I’d known the Palmers, though they were both older than I was. I couldn’t remember details, really—only that they did everything together, so it was no surprise to me that they’d grown up to take over their dad’s business together. And clearly, they did good work if the inn was any indication.
“Hi there,” I said, introducing myself to the young girl standing at the front desk. “I’m Harper Lyles. I’m starting work this morning. Is Michaela Grayson in?”
The girl smiled. “I’m so glad to meet you. I’m Carrie. I’ll go see if she has a few minutes,” she said. “Do you mind waiting a moment?”
“Of course not.” I watched her disappear through a back door and turned to let my eyes follow the line of the massive stone fireplace up to the lobby’s ceiling, which was two stories over my head. This room made me want to grab a book and cuddle up in the corner of one of the overstuffed couches in front of that fireplace and just let the day fade. I could see the appeal of staying here in the winter, though I doubted I’d be out enjoying the winter sports the brochure on a side table touted. It was too tempting to just enjoy the fire inside.
“Hello.” A tall woman with dark hair swept back into a full ponytail emerged from a door next to the reception desk. “I’m Michaela.”
“Hi Ms. Grayson,” I answered, turning to her. “I’m Harper Lyles. You said to pop in when I was ready to get started. Is this a good time?”
We shook hands and she smiled wide. “Absolutely. Please call me Mike. Let’s sit for a moment.” She guided me to a grouping of chairs and we took two facing each other, a small table between us. “It’s really nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to having another set of hands in management.”
“I’m excited to get started,” I said.
“Your dad stopped by at exactly the right time with your resume,” Mike said. “It’s not easy to hire up here—not everyone wants to live on the side of a mountain at seven thousand feet, and I didn’t have much hope of finding anyone with the kind of experience you’ve got.”
It was a relief to hear her say that—I’d been worried the job might have been another instance of my dad twisting someone’s arm, the way he’d done to get me here in the first place. “I’m so glad,” I said honestly. “I was pretty sure I’d end up waitressing or guiding horseback rides over at the stables.”
Mike picked up the resume she’d carried out with her from her office. “Okay, so big event firm, New York City. And why did you leave, Harper?”
There it was. I took a breath and decided to just tell her. Something about Mike’s easy demeanor had my guard down. “I picked up on some invoicing discrepancies I couldn’t track—some charges that looked legitimate, mostly because they were to vendors we’d been working with for years. But when I found an addition error on one and called the company to ask some questions, the number was disconnected. I nosed around, and realized that several of the vendors who invoiced regularly didn’t really exist.
“In the end, I uncovered a huge embezzlement plot that had been going on for years, started by one of the partners of the firm.” I didn’t mention that he’d been my boyfriend, or that he’d tried to get me to join the plot rather than turn him in. “I reported it, the whole thing led to a major lawsuit as the partner tried to defend himself, and he tried to shift the blame to me. I hired an excellent attorney, who managed to defend me.” I took a breath. “But that was very expensive. And by the time it was over, the accused partner had smeared my name everywhere he could. Enough doubt was cast on me that I couldn’t get another job in the city.”
Mike’s eyes were sympathetic when she said, “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”
“It was a valuable lesson in trust.” I lifted a shoulder and raised my eyes to meet hers.
“I guess their loss is Kings Grove’s gain,” Mike said. “I’ll just go over the events we’ve got in the works for now, and give you a quick tour.”
“That sounds great. I can go over paperwork or whatever if you’re busy though,” I told her. “I should have made an appointment.”
“Things move a little slower up here than in New York City,” she said, smiling. “They move slower up here than they did in Fresno, where I was living before. This place is...well, it’s grown on me. It’s definitely different.”
I laughed, feeling comfortable in this smart, honest woman’s presence. “It is,” I agreed. “Though it’s been years since I’ve spent any real time up here. I was seven when we left.”
We talked for a few minutes about all the things that had changed since I’d been little, and then moved into reviewing some of the events that had been booked at the inn—mostly weddings, family reunions, that kind of thing. “The real test,” Mike said, “will be Maddie and Connor’s wedding at the end of the summer. I’m not completely confident the Outpost will be finished, and I know Maddie is counting on having the reception out there. I think one of the first things I’d like you to do is meet with her and come up with some ideas for the event and hopefully iron out a plan B, just in case.”
“I can do that,” I said. As we talked a bit more, I began to understand that Maddie was Cam’s sister—and a little part of me jumped in excitement at the idea that being tied in to her event might mean more time with him. Another little part of me kicked that first part in the shins. I was not up here to nurture a ridiculous crush on my landlord and I needed to focus on accumulating enough cash to escape.
“I’m also hoping you might have some ideas about publicity and press,” she continued, unaware of the silly battle going on in my head. I forced myself to focus on her words. “We need to keep the event side of things healthy to provide a cushion in case room bookings aren’t strong this first year. Since we’re just getting everything operational, I’d really like to move everything closer to the black. I know this inn can succeed, but it’s definitely go time.”
“Got it,” I said, my brain already turning to attack this issue. “I handled the back end of event management in New York—the financial side of things—so I’ve got a pretty solid grasp of where costs can get out of control and where we can recoup expenditures.”
“That will be huge,” Mike said.
“I’m eager to get started.”
“Great. I’ll show you around, and we’ll end at your desk so you can get right to it.”
“Perfect.”
