Page 5 of Wild Promise

“It’s time for my break anyway.” Not that she was owed the explanation, but people pleasing was a habit I seemed unable to break—another of Mom’s lessons, so deeply ingrained, it was really starting to hurt.

I stood, smoothing my skirt with shaking hands before swiping my phone off the desk and stalking out of the room. The ringing eventually stopped, but I continued down the narrow hall, taking deep calming breaths and getting as far away from Becky as I could.

Fuck, what was I thinking?

I couldn’t afford to be reckless. Hell, I couldn’t even afford to think about it. Overreacting to Becky’s bad attitude wouldn’t earn me the promotion. It would only make my job harder. Or make me lose it altogether.

The front lobby was quiet, and I slowed my stride, trying to compose myself. Our newest employee, Cassandra, worked alone at the desk, helping a young couple check in.?I tried not to stare as I passed, but it was hard to ignore their beaming smiles.

The woman had both arms wrapped snugly around the man’s waist, her cheek resting against his chest, and he had an arm draped possessively over her shoulders. They looked happy. Ecstatic, actually. The kind of happy that came from having nothing to worry about except each other.

It reminded me why I loved working here so much.

Copper Ridge Resort was a place built for escape. An enchanted wonderland where you could unwind, have fun, and forget your troubles. Where people could meet, make friends, and fall in love. It was a romantic paradise.

Unfortunately, all the magic seemed reserved for our guests.

My neglected heart squeezed a pathetic, mangled beat, and despite my better judgment, I peeked toward the open doorway of our bar, The Summit. My insides melted at the mere possibility of seeing him.

Zane Alexander.

The sexiest man at the resort, in town, or maybe anywhere. The only man I’d ever wanted to be mine.

But that was only a fantasy. A daydream I’d once tried to convince myself could come true.

I didn’t want, and certainly didn’t need, a playboy like him in my life.

Even if I did, I could never have him anyway. At least not for more than one night. And even that was a stretch, because guys like Zane didn’t end up with girls like me.

His family owned this resort. His father was some high-powered CEO in New York. Zane Alexander existed in a world I couldn’t even see from where I was standing.

My phone vibrated in my hand, dragging me back to reality and the call I’d missed. There were too many concerns competing for my attention. Romance was at the bottom of the list.

If it was even still on the list.

When I unlocked my phone to check for messages, my screen lit up with notifications. Sixty-two unopened emails, four new texts, and one missed call from home.

I hit our number and paced the floor while I waited for the line to connect.

“Hello?” my sister, Olivia, answered.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Hey.” The word rushed out in a relieved gust. “I’m sorry to call while you’re at work, but I just didn’t know what to do.”

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but uh…the home care agency called again…” Her voice faltered, like she was afraid to finish. Like I didn’t already know what they’d called to say. “Melina, if we don’t make a payment in the next week, they’re threatening to cancel service and send us to collections.”

I’d known this day was coming, but that knowledge didn’t stop the sick feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. I’d been bumping the home care bill to pay for physiotherapy and grief counseling for Dad—his disability benefits barely scratched the surface. Now, at least one of those things, if not both, would have to end. There was no way to pay for all of it, plus keep our bare-bones household running.

“It’s okay,” I said, trying hard to reassure both of us. “I’ll deal with it.”

She didn’t reply, but a quiet sniffle broke her silence.

“Olivia, are you crying? Is something else wrong?”

“I’m not crying. Not really. It’s just that Dad overheard my conversation with them, and now he won’t come out of his room. He locked the door and won’t answer me. I think he’s okay, but…”