Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
T hat night when Riley got home from work, Olivia called her. “How did the first day with Lucas go?”
Riley set her purse down on the coffee table and slumped onto the couch. “Well, I may have broken the law three times, but I didn’t break Lucas’s determination. He hasn’t turned in his resignation yet. I haven’t decided whether that’s a win or not.”
“What did you do to him?” Olivia asked, her voice horrified and accusing.
“I didn’t do anything,” Riley said. “I mean, at least not on purpose. How was I supposed to know a person needed a permit to own a wallaby? Since when am I the marsupial police?” And then Riley had to recount the whole day, including Mrs. Lewis’s angry departure from the inn and promised bad online review because Lucas had told her she had to register Tippyroo with the Montana Fish and Game department.
“I can’t say I was sorry to see them go,” Riley said. “You wouldn’t believe how much mess one wallaby can make in a hallway when being pursued by a bunch of adrenalin-hyped middle-aged men. And really, they ought to have known better than to take off their towels and try to use them as nets to catch the poor thing. All the shouting and noise not only freaked out the animal, it made the other guests open their doors to see what was happening.”
Riley let her head fall back against the couch. “The church choir people barely paused to gather their things before they checked out, and Mrs. Bachinger, well, all I can say is that if she didn’t want a wallaby bounding around her suite and trampling her toiletries, she should’ve checked the room’s phone messages and kept her door shut. Is it my fault no one pays attention to the blinking light on the room phones? But you know, that’s not how she’s going to tell the story to every single person she knows in Lark Springs.”
Mrs. Bachinger was definitely going to spread the story around, despite Lucas’s charm and assurances that he would replace any of her damaged toiletries. Even the Clark charm couldn’t beat a good story.
Riley rubbed her eyes. “With the extra cleaning and all the early check-outs, I think the inn actually lost money today. I feel sorry for the owner.”
“Do you?” Olivia asked.
“Not really.”
There was a pause. Riley knew that Olivia still felt guilty that her fiancé had bought The Riverside. She’d been the one who insisted that Carson give Riley a raise. Olivia had also tried to put a positive spin on the purchase, telling Riley that Carson would want to sell the inn someday, and when he did, Riley would be in a better position to buy it.
Wishful thinking. Carson knew a good deal when he saw it. The Riverside Inn was a historic building in a prime location.
“How did Lucas react to all of it?” Olivia ventured. “Besides evicting the wallaby?”
“The Polar Club men got a stern lecture about public indecency laws. The housekeepers got overtime. The choir got coupons for free dinner and assurances that the wallaby hadn’t been anywhere near the food—little good that will do. I saw the looks on their faces. We’re not going to be able to tempt them back to our den of iniquity with free chili and cinnamon rolls.”
“What about you?” Olivia asked. “Did Lucas yell at you?”
Only with his eyes. He’d given her a tight-lipped expression like she’d engineered everything just to make his life harder, but when it was all over, he’d only said, “I knew working with you wouldn’t be dull. Seems I was right.”
Riley still wasn’t sure whether that was an insult or just a pronouncement of doom. “Lucas didn’t yell, he just gave me a lecture about why locking people inside the inn is a possible death trap during a fire.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
She didn’t reply. It hadn’t been too bad. Mr. Ross would have snapped at the guests, been apoplectic with the staff, and blamed Riley for everything. He would’ve stormed off to his office and left her to deal with the aftermath, but Lucas had stepped in and handled things.
She had to admit he had a calm, authoritative manner that was naturally reassuring. Perhaps after being shot as a policeman, this sort of thing couldn’t faze him.
Riley kicked her feet up on the coffee table. “On the bright side, the remaining guests will have plenty to discuss over dinner. They were positively chatty with one another when I left, hanging around the lobby and sitting room like they expected an encore.”
“The Riverside Inn is where memories are made,” Olivia said.
Yep, that had been the ad copy she’d used.
Olivia’s voice turned serious. “So today wasn’t great. You still need to give Lucas a chance. The job doesn’t have to be a battlefield. Even though things didn’t work out romantically between you two, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good business relationship.”
A good business relationship? Her ex-boyfriend always got to tell her what to do. That wasn’t really the best power dynamic. Riley didn’t point this out. It sounded petty to complain about work when Olivia had gotten Riley a raise. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful.
She would just do what she could to deal with Lucas.
Given the bad start, the rest of the week went fairly well. The polar men checked out. The only time the writer emerged from her room was to eat dinner. And the trio of homeless men mostly kept to their room, watching TV, probably trying to avoid any more run-ins with the ex-cop turned manager.
Lucas treated Riley politely, aloofly, and if his blue eyes occasionally lingered on her, well, it didn’t mean anything. Her gaze wandered to him more often than she’d ever looked at Mr. Ross, but that was only because the two of them had a history. Memories. They had reasons to be wary of each other. And, at least in her case, lingering chemistry to overcome.
Having him around, yeah, that was kicking up the old attractions. His smile, square jaw, and the sweep of his blond hair drew her eyes. How could she not notice his broad shoulders or the way his lean chest tapered down into a perfect waist? Women were programmed to respond to that sort of thing. And his clear blue eyes, they just naturally brought to mind the brilliant days of summer and cloudless skies. How could her heart not ache a little when she saw him? Every day. Multiple times a day.
But she wasn’t about to let hormones sway her actions or opinions. She was determined to treat him with cool professionalism. Efficient, effective, cool professionalism. That was the only way to survive their time together.
The staff knew that the two of them used to date and probably all knew that the relationship ended when she caught Lucas with his ex-girlfriend. Back when it happened, Riley told Sara and Jody, the front desk clerks, about it. They were the closest employees to Riley’s age, and she considered them friends.
But even knowing what Lucas had done, everyone still unfailingly liked him.
It was that Clark charm.
JoAnn constantly supplied him with pastries from the kitchen. Rusty, the other chef, made him things that weren’t on the menu, and Kathy, the waitress/dishwasher, painted rocks for him to use as decorative paperweights.
Sara and Jody always delivered guest updates to him with marked enthusiasm. Glen, the indoor maintenance man, asked him for inside football information, and even Oscar, who worked outside and never spoke to anyone to the point that they all wondered if he was a fugitive, waved at Lucas whenever he saw him.
Lucas had not only taken her inn, he’d taken her people too.
The worst part of it was that none of the other employees seemed to understand why she had a hard time working with her ex.
“You’re so tense when he’s around,” Sara told Riley after his second week of work.
“I think you mean to say, ‘coolly professional,” Riley said. She was at the front desk, updating the mailing list.
Sarah had the kind of polished composure that made her seem older than her early twenties. Her brown hair was always neatly styled and her posture confident. “No, you’re definitely tense,” Sara said. “Tense and distracted. It makes concentrating on work hard when you two are anywhere near each other because I’m always wondering what you’ll say next and what the subtext means.” Sara wanted to be a therapist someday, so she took psychology classes. She liked to analyze people.
“We don’t have subtext,” Riley said.
Mariah, from housekeeping, came up to the front desk to drop a few things off. “Oh, you have something, girlfriend. And you got it bad.”
“What I have,” Riley reiterated, “is cool professionalism. And, sometimes lately, shortened patience for the rest of humanity.”
Mariah sent Sara a meaningful look. “Yeah, she’s got that bad too. If you have any supply requisitions forms you need filled, don’t be late getting them to her.”
“Noted,” Sara said.
Which was a bit unfair. Riley hadn’t criticized Mariah for turning in the form late, she’d just pointed out that they were due on the first of each month. “We have to stay on top of orders,” Riley said. “We’re almost out of those little bottles of lotion.”
Mariah had long acrylic nails despite her work in housekeeping. She used them to flick away Riley’s words. “No one actually uses those. We’re fine.”
Sara steepled her fingers together in a therapist pose and sent Riley a patient look. “Sometimes letting go of the past takes effort, but it’s worth it in the long run.”
Riley didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to say that she had let go of the past, that it was long gone, but that clearly wasn’t the case. “I can still do my job just fine, even if I am occasionally tense and distracted.”
Mariah harumphed. “Maybe you can, but the rest of us are getting tired of it. And he’s as bad as you are when you’re around. Totally distracted.” She dipped her chin and gave Riley a knowing look. “Either let it go or go for it. Choose an option.” She sent a sideways grin to Sara. “I know which one I’d take. The man is hot.”
Riley wasn’t about to stick around for more advice. “I’ll finish the mailing list later. I’ve got to track down the rest of the supply requisition forms because no one turns them in on time otherwise.”
So that’s what work was like.
And then there was the Christmas party. On the night of the twenty-second, the dining room of The Riverside Inn was cordoned off and transformed for the employee party. Twinkling white lights framed the windows. A garland wrapped around the fireplace mantel, dotted with red bows and pinecones, while a small, decorated tree stood in the corner, its ornaments glinting under the dimmed chandelier. The long wooden table, usually reserved for breakfast service, was now covered in a red tablecloth, lined with trays of appetizers and a slow cooker filled with mulled cider.
Riley stood in the back of the room with Jody, sipping a glass of cider she didn’t really want. Jody was tall and blond, the sort of person who not only always knew the latest styles but also enjoyed wearing them. Riley might have lived in her gym clothes if she didn’t have a job that required otherwise.
This party was the first time that the summer staff, most of whom were college kids home for the holidays, had met Lucas. A trio of girls surrounded him, doing their utmost to capture his attention.
Man, this was what the summer was going to be like. College fan-girls finding excuses to speak to the manager.
Jody leaned in beside Riley, nudging her playfully. “You’re staring.”
“I am not,” Riley muttered, though she absolutely was. Lucas looked frustratingly at ease in his charcoal-gray button-down, sleeves rolled up just enough to remind her how familiar those forearms once were.
Jody raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Because it looks like you’re debating whether to glare at him or flirt with him.”
Both sounded like solid options. Instead, Riley took another sip of cider and focused on anything else—the flickering candles on the tables, the Christmas music playing softly from a speaker in the corner.
“I’ve got a Christmas present for you,” Jody said. “Stay here and I’ll get it.”
“Ah, you didn’t have to get anything for me.” What a sweet gesture. Besides the Secret Santa gifts the employees did every year, Riley hadn’t gotten presents for anyone. Well, unless you counted the gift she’d given Lucas a week ago—a taxidermized wallaby with accusing glass eyes that she’d left outside his room on the fourth floor.
Amazing what you could find on eBay. And totally worth the shipping cost from Australia.
She hadn’t been there to hear his reaction, but later that day, the thing turned up in the housekeeping room, and she heard Wendy’s loud and persistent scream then.
After that, the wallaby moved around the inn until it ended up in Sara’s car, waiting for her in the dark after her shift.
Stuffed Tippyroo was never seen again.
“I wasn’t sure what to get you,” Jody said, “but at least it will be memorable. Don’t go anywhere.” She left Riley and disappeared into the crowd.
Riley took another sip of cider. Her mind went to last Christmas when she’d been dating Lucas. They’d gone skiing with his family and stayed in a mountain resort. She’d shared a room with Elsie, Lucas’s sister, and he’d been frustrated that he didn’t get to spend more one-on-one time with Riley, so in the evening, they met in the lodge by the large stone fireplace.
On their last evening, they sat on the couch, sipping hot chocolate and bemoaning the fact that they’d have to return to their jobs the next day.
“Do you think you’ll always stay with the police force?” she asked him.
“I’m not sure.” He finished off his hot chocolate and set his empty mug down on the coffee table. “What about you? How long do you see yourself working at The Riverside?”
She’d almost told him about wanting to buy the inn. It had been on the tip of her tongue. But she was still sorting the possibility out in her mind, trying to decide whether she could really make it work. If she started telling people she wanted to purchase the place and it didn’t happen, they’d think she was the kind of person who dreamed big and didn’t follow through.
She just shrugged. “I plan on staying there for the foreseeable future.”
“Good,” he said with a grin. “I’m glad.”
“You’re glad I work at an inn?”
He slipped his arm around her. “I’m glad you’re not the type who sees Lark Springs as a dead end and plans on leaving the first chance you get.”
He meant Winter. That’s what she’d done. At that moment, Riley was thankful she was a small-town girl at heart. “I’m here to stay.” It seemed like an oath, a promise.
Lucas pulled her closer and kissed her. There by the fire, safe in his arms, she’d felt like the world couldn’t be better.
As though summoned by the memory, Lucas appeared in front of her. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“What?” She had the sudden worry that he could read her mind, that he could see the memories of last Christmas swimming in her eyes. Could he tell how much she missed him?
His hands slid into his pockets. “Jody said you wanted to speak with me.”
“She did?” That didn’t make sense. “You’re sure she meant me?”
His eyes squinted in question. “I’m pretty certain she knows who you are.”
Why had Jody sent Lucas over? Riley’s gaze circled the room, looking for her and a possible explanation. She spotted her standing with the group of college girls that Lucas had just left. Jody smiled at Riley and gave her a little wave.
“Well,” Riley said, finishing her cider, “maybe she was just trying to help you shake off your college groupies.”
Lucas bit back a smile. He seemed to sense Riley’s jealousy and relished it. “They’re very nice young women. Quite dedicated to the inn.”
Riley rolled her eyes. “They’re teenagers. With luck, they might be dedicated to their homework.”
His smile grew. “Do you have a problem with those staff members? As the manager, I should know if they have any shortcomings that might cause problems later.”
They didn’t have shortcomings, just stars in their eyes. Before Riley could think of a response, Sara and Mariah swept up to them. Sara had forgone the typical ugly Christmas sweater in favor of a gold blouse and fluffy cardigan. Mariah wore a headband with reindeer antlers, and her nails were painted a red and green plaid that matched her sweater.
“Hey,” Sara chimed in a sing-song voice, “look who’s standing under the mistletoe.”
Mariah gave Riley and Lucas a meaningful nod that made her antlers bob. “It’s you two.”
Riley’s eyes snapped upward. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling directly above her. “Wait, how did that get there?”
“Playing innocent,” Mariah said. “That’s almost believable.”
“I’m not innocent,” Riley stammered. “I mean, I’m not playing.” That was hardly better. Her gaze shot to Jody. She raised her eggnog glass in a toast and mouthed the words, “Merry Christmas.”
This was Jody’s idea of a Christmas gift? Incredible. Because when you didn’t know what to give someone, orchestrating an awkward moment with the boss was obviously the perfect choice.
A gift card would have been just fine.
Riley fiddled with her empty paper cup and felt herself blushing. “I didn’t know that was there.”
A smirk grew on Lucas’s lips. He not only enjoyed her jealousy but her discomfort too. “Didn’t you? Well, as the police say, ignorance of the law is no excuse. The same probably applies to mistletoe. You did call me over.”
Was he serious? “I didn’t though.”
“She’s shy,” Mariah fake whispered.
Riley coughed. She would’ve taken a step back, but she’d run into the wall. “I’m pretty sure kissing at office parties is against company policy.”
“I’ve never heard that policy,” Mariah said.
Sara nodded in agreement. “We keep a list of company policies at the front desk, and that’s not on it.”
“It is,” Riley chirped. “It definitely is.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Lucas. It was one thing to tease her about mistletoe, but by now he’d probably switched back into managerial mode, thought this whole incident was unprofessional, and was edging away from her. She didn’t want to see it.
Mariah waved a hand in their direction, and her voice went low. “Honestly, you all need to get rid of some of that tension you’re hauling around and subjecting the rest of us to. This could be your way to kiss and make up.”
“You do need to work things out,” Sara agreed.
“Consider it an intervention,” Mariah added. “Do we need to get more folks over here? That’s how interventions work, isn’t it?”
“No more folks,” Riley sputtered. “We already have enough folks.”
“The people have spoken,” Lucas said, finally drawing her attention back to him. Far from being horrified, he looked amused. She should have known as much. She was blushing and couldn’t form a coherent sentence, so of course, he found the situation funny.
“But if you don’t want to kiss me,” he went on, “I’ll accept a compromise. We can sit down, have a discussion, and work out our differences like normal people.”
Sara took a sip of her drink. “The normal people option sounds like a good one.”
Those were Riley’s choices? Lucas was taking this opportunity to force her into a conversation where he told her, once again, that she’d been in the wrong not to trust him.
She didn’t want to hear it.
Without another word, she handed Sara her cup, stepped toward Lucas, and took hold of his gray button-down shirt. Before she could talk herself out of it, she went up on her tiptoes, pulled him toward her, and planted a kiss on his lips. She had meant it to be a quick kiss, but let her lips linger for a second longer, and then a second longer after that. It wasn’t that she had no willpower. This was a kiss to let him remember what he was missing.
She needed to make a point.
Once it was made, she let him go. “No compromise needed,” she announced.
He lifted his eyebrows and gave her a wide grin. She wasn’t sure what that meant—whether she’d won this round or whether he had—but she left the group with her head held high.
She heard Lucas’s deep laughter behind her and Mariah’s voice trailing after her. “So much for the normal people option.”