Chapter Eighteen
Eighteen
MONDAY MORNING brOUGHT SEVERAL CHECKOUTS and the afternoon filled the rooms right back up again.
It was almost dinnertime and they had a full dining room.
Levi’s family-style spaghetti and meatballs with Caesar salad and homemade French bread was going to be a big hit.
Gray knew this with absolute certainty since he’d snuck a bowl of it at lunchtime while the sauce was simmering.
Jillian pushed through the swinging door that hid a closet-sized back room behind the check-in counter.
Usually, they kept office products in there, but it now also housed a plethora of snacks Jilly might desperately need at any given moment during the day.
Ollie said it was like having a trick-or-treat cupboard.
Jillian’s gently rounded stomach didn’t give anything away to a casual observer, but she had plenty of other symptoms. Wiping the crumbs from her mouth, Jillian grinned. “Don’t say a word.”
Grayson laughed. “Like I’d risk my life by teasing you?”
Her reddish-brown hair was tucked in a braid down her back, making the roundness of her cheeks and the brightness of her blue eyes more prominent. “But you’re not pregnant and moody, so I can tease you. Or at least ask how last night was?”
Gray turned his gaze back to the computer, trying to maintain his focus.
Thoughts of Charlie had a way of leading him down a particularly lengthy rabbit hole.
Especially after last night. Plus, he didn’t need to share anything about his dating life with his little sister.
“We have a staff meeting in twenty minutes.”
Jillian bumped her hip against his … almost. She was about a foot shorter. “Plenty of time to tell me how your date was.” She said date the way Ollie would, and it made Grayson laugh.
He could ignore her and laugh at the same time.
It alarmed him, just a little, that he wanted to tell Jilly about last night, but he couldn’t keep things casual if he pulled others in.
Though he was wondering if he was built for anything less than all in.
That, in itself, was a surprise since Gray fully believed his divorce had erased that part of himself.
Still, tiny warning flags waved in his brain when he thought about certain parts of last night.
The way Charlie talked about her mom led him to think there were a lot of unresolved issues there.
He’d already had a relationship where his voice was lost to Lana’s father’s input.
Charlie was the first to admit she was running from something.
Eventually, she’d have to run back though, right? And where would that leave him?
One of the guests came down to ask for more pillows. Gray left Jilly to chat with the woman, ducked into the hallway, and went down to the linen closet. Kayden, a recent high school graduate they’d hired in May, walked toward him, having just finished her break.
“Hey, Mr. K.”
He shook his head, a smile tugging his lips upward. “It’s Gray.”
She glanced down. “Right. Sorry. I keep forgetting.”
“We’ve got our staff meeting in fifteen minutes. You’re good until nine and have a ride home?”
Kayden stopped in front of him, her youthful gaze bright and happy. “Of course. My dad is picking me up. I’m going to miss it here when I go to school in September.”
Gray had a few more things to get ready before the meeting, plus the pillows to grab, but knowing his staff, taking the time to connect with them, made it feel more like a family-run business, even when they had to hire outside help.
Kayden was a great addition and they’d be sorry to lose her come fall.
“Which school are you going to again?”
Some of the light in her gaze dimmed. “I didn’t get into my top choices. I’ll be going to U of M, but at least I can save money and maybe I can work here a little once I get used to my classes. You know, if you need more than summer help?”
Grayson was happy she liked it here enough to want to stay.
That reminded him, he needed to check in on his line of credit to make sure he could cover the full cost of the roof without dipping into his personal, and meager, savings.
“I’m sure we can work something out. Let’s take a look at your schedule later this week, okay? ”
She nodded happily and hurried past him.
Once Grayson grabbed the pillows and gave them to the guest, they left Kayden in charge of the front desk.
Guests were informed at booking time, and several times after, that staff contact was limited to emergencies between the hours of nine PM and seven AM.
So far, it’d worked out well. Especially with Gray staying at the lodge now.
Jilly led the way to the family quarters, where Levi had already set out snacks but was nowhere to be seen.
His sister sighed, heading straight for the table. “I love him.” She picked up a Rice Krispies Treat shaped like a canoe.
“He’s sneaky. I didn’t even see him drop stuff off,” Gray said.
Presley and Beckett came into the room from the patio doors and Bernie showed up a few minutes later, coming through from the lodge.
“Gang’s all here,” Bernie said, limping a little.
“Are you okay, Bernie?” Jilly pulled a chair out for him at the table.
He made a tutting sound. “I should be pulling that out for you. And yes, I’m fine. Just a little stiff.”
Presley stopped by the table and pulled out a chair before pointing to Beckett while looking at Bernie. “Women can pull chairs out for men, too, you know.”
Beckett leaned over Presley, gave her a loud kiss, and scooped her up, placing her in the chair she’d just pulled out. “Yes, they can.” Presley laughed as he sat beside her. “How are you doing, Jilly Bean?”
Their sister groaned as she picked up another canoe. “Can we not go back to that nickname, please?”
“My brother used to call me burnout.” Bernie laughed. “You wipe out one time on a BMX.” The older man’s eyes twinkled with the memory.
Grayson joined them at the table with his iPad. “He was Charlie’s grandfather?”
Bernie blinked rapidly like he hadn’t realized he’d shared the memory out loud. “Yes. She never knew him.”
He itched with the need to ask a dozen questions, but, regardless of what he should or shouldn’t feel for this woman, whatever he learned about Charlie, he wanted it to come from the source.
“Speaking of Charlie,” Beckett said, looking at Gray pointedly and lifting his brows.
“She got in rather late,” Bernie said, smiling in his direction. “Good thing I trust you.”
The others laughed but Gray winced. He had a sensitivity to his private life being discussed.
Even by his family. He was no longer angry over how things had ended with his ex, but there were tendrils of insecurity that continued to linger.
If too many people were involved, it became more difficult to find your way.
“We had a really nice time,” Grayson said, keeping his tone even. He met Bernie’s gaze head-on. “Charlie’s a fantastic woman. I really like hanging out with her.”
“Enough that you’ll do it again soon?” Presley asked, breaking a canoe in half and offering some to Beckett.
Grayson shook his head, unable to stop the smile. He swiped his finger across his tablet. “Let’s get started. We have several things to review.”
Presley opened one of her many notebooks, set out several colored pens. Jillian opened her laptop while Beckett had his phone in front of him, and Bernie was content to just listen.
They had several things on the agenda, including guest feedback, upcoming events and stays, the wedding and staffing for that weekend to allow all of them to be fully there for Presley and Beckett, changes to Levi’s menu now that he was taking over full-time (their longtime chef, Shane, had finally retired), and budget items.
After Gray read through the agenda, he asked who wanted to start.
The smile Presley sent them all would have lit up a dark room. She’d changed Beckett’s life in so many wonderful ways. It made Gray’s heart full to know his brother was this happy. That was all he wanted for his family. For himself.
“Everything for the wedding is on schedule and moving perfectly. My parents will arrive a few days before. Thank you for letting them stay here,” she started.
“Of course. They’re family,” Grayson said.
“You might want to reserve your opinion on that,” Presley said with a short laugh.
Gray grinned. “Well, they’re Beckett’s family.”
Beckett wrapped an arm around Presley’s shoulder, pressed a kiss to her temple. “They’re fine, babe. They’re just not quite as outgoing and full of life as you are.”
“Is anyone?” Jilly teased.
They all laughed.
“Okay,” Gray said. “Financially, we’re doing well. It’s been a truly great summer. We’ve paid more in staffing this year than last, but we’ve been able to add some excellent outings and activities for the guests.”
“I was thinking about that,” Jillian said, folding her hands together, glancing briefly at the Rice Krispies Treats again.
“Levi and I were talking, and he thinks he can put together specialty lunch and picnic packages that go above and beyond what we offer for an extra cost. So, if a couple is celebrating an anniversary, they can mention it in the booking and there’ll be an option to add, say, champagne and strawberries on arrival.
He’s connected with enough vendors now that he can get the items we’d offer at cost and we’ll make a profit. ”
“I love it,” Presley said.
“Me, too,” Beckett agreed. “We could do the same thing with the bike shop. I know we already give discounts, but what if we made a package that included bike rentals? Charge a little more for it, but then we’ve got guaranteed bookings.”
Presley groaned. “I should have thought of all of this way before now.”
Bernie laughed, tapping his fingers on the table. “You’ve got your fingers in many pies, my dear. You can’t think of everything. How did things go with the roof inspection, Gray?”