Chapter 2
Chapter Two
It had been a week since the intervention, and Connor strongly believed everything was back on track.
He had agreed to the help with the menu, and even though it took hours, he was pleased with the final results.
Plus, he had a bunch of recipes that he could use for special occasions.
All in all, everything was now in place and ready for him to start interviewing for his kitchen and restaurant staff.
And if other things went as planned, he was going to sign a lease on a rental house later today.
Harlow had found him a house that just came on the market, and it was closer to town and would make getting his daughter to school in the morning a lot easier.
Plus, the way Harlow had gushed about the place, it was almost like she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
He knew she was good at her job, but she seemed to know all the right things to say to make him want to sign a lease.
If he were prone to paranoia, he’d swear she was trying to get him to move.
Was it possible he really had pushed everyone too far and they all wanted him to move off the resort property?
“Okay. No need to panic. If anyone really wanted me to go, they would have said it already. Everything’s fine.”
And he honestly believed it because the last week had been really great. So many things were coming together that it felt like all that was missing were the guests. Every night they all ate together, and there was an air of excitement.
At least, that’s how he felt.
He'd just gotten back from dropping Annabeth off at school and noticed a bunch of activity at Jayce and Kelsey’s cabin. He knew they weren’t due to be back for another month. All the wedding plans had been handled via Zoom calls. So what was going on down there?
Jogging down the path, he found Walker and Axel huddled together on the porch looking at something on a tablet.
“Hey!” he said with a smile. “What’s going on? It’s a little early to be setting this up for the soon-to-be newlyweds, isn’t it?”
They both turned to look at him, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they looked mildly uncomfortable.
Again, if he were prone to paranoia…
Axel and Walker exchanged looks before climbing from the porch and somehow guiding them so they were walking away from the cabin.
“Seriously, what’s going on?” he asked.
“I noticed a small leak in the roof, and I have my crew working on it,” Axel said. “No biggie.”
“Oh.” Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed no one was working on the roof. And when he faced forward, there were several crewmen heading their way with moving boxes.
“So,” Walker said loudly to get his attention. “What’s on the menu this morning? I’m starving! Any chance you’re in the mood to whip up some Eggs Benedict? You know the ones with the crab meat instead of the Canadian bacon?”
“Eggs benedict? Crab meat? That’s all very time-consuming and…”
“Yeah, but we were all talking about how you make them better than anyone,” Axel chimed in. “You know, you are the king of the gourmet breakfasts.”
He knew when he was being praised and when he was being conned, and this definitely felt like a con.
Stopping in his tracks, he crossed his arms and glared. “Something’s going on here, and I’m not moving from this spot or making breakfast until you tell me what it is.”
He caught another brief glance between Walker and Axel and was about to comment on it when Walker spoke.
“Okay,” he began solemnly. “If there were something that was crucial to the business, would you go along with it even if you weren’t one hundred percent in agreement with it?”
Frowning, he replied, “I guess it would depend on the situation.”
“Um…”
Axel held up his hand to interrupt. “This resort has a lot of moving parts, and it requires a lot of staffing. Chances are we’re all not going to maybe…agree with or even like every single person we hire. But if they’re qualified, then that should be what’s most important, right?”
“I guess, but…”
“Obviously, if it were someone who you would work directly with, it would be left to your discretion whether you could work with them,” Walker added. “But in other areas of the resort, you would trust our decision, wouldn’t you?”
“Again, I guess, but…”
Another look, and he swore his head was about to explode.
“Can we stop dancing around the subject?” he demanded. “Obviously you hired someone that you think I’m going to have a problem with—although I can’t imagine who—so just tell me so we can move on.”
They were both so quiet for so long that Connor could actually feel his blood pressure rising.
After letting out a huff of frustration, Walker blurted out, “We hired Lexi!”
For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend it.
“Lexi? As in…my Lexi?”
Two pairs of wide eyes stared at him, and that’s when he realized what he had said.
“I mean…Lexi Scott? You hired Lexi Scott? How…? Why?”
“Come on. Let’s walk,” Axel said.
“Kelsey called me a week ago and asked if there were any positions available that we would consider Lexi for,” Walker explained.
“Apparently, she’s going through a rough patch and needs a little help.
It was a no-brainer. Our entire foundation here is based on the friendships we all made as kids, and Lexi was part of that group. ”
His head was spinning. Lexi was going to be working here? How was he supposed to handle seeing her every day after the way he had treated her? This was going to be beyond awkward.
“Anyway, she’s going to be working directly with Slater as the head of recreation and activities.
Her resume wasn’t the strongest, but after we talked to her, we knew she’d be a good fit.
She’s familiar with the resort, and she’s motivated.
” Walker shrugged. “Kelsey and Jayce are letting her live in their cabin until she gets on her feet. They’re not planning on using it.
Obviously, they were going to during their wedding week, but Harlow suggested making one of the other cabins a honeymoon cabin so… we’re good there.”
“Say something,” Axel prodded. “We thought you’d have a lot to say about all of this. That’s why we didn’t tell you.”
“So, she’s going to be working and living here at the resort,” Connor murmured. “And she knows I work and live here too?”
“Well, she knows you’re one of the owners and will be working here some, but Harlow said you finally agreed to rent a place in town,” Walker said. “So hopefully it won’t be too weird and you’ll hardly cross paths.”
And that’s when it hit him.
Harlow’s relentless pursuit of finding a house for him started a week ago.
“Is that why Harlow was so determined to find me a place?” he asked, feeling more than a little offended.
“Um…”
Connor paused in his tracks again. “Need I remind everyone that I’m a partner in this damn business? Why not find Lexi a place in town, huh? Why am I the one who has to leave?”
“Because you were already planning on moving,” Axel reasoned. “This just pushed the date up a little.”
“Unbelievable,” he muttered before storming off ahead of them. Everyone essentially put Lexi’s needs over his. It was insulting and wrong and…
Walker jogged to catch up with him before moving directly in front of him. “All things considered, you have every right to be upset.”
“Damn right I do.”
“But Lexi really needs the help, Connor. Like…desperately. It just made sense to nudge you into deciding about a house. And you know it’s going to be better for you and Annabeth.”
“It should have been my decision.”
“I know, and…”
“And you should have told me about the phone call from Kelsey. I deserved to be part of the decision-making.”
“Would you have agreed to hire Lexi?” Axel asked carefully. “I mean, considering the history between the two of you…”
Raking a hand through his hair, he had to wonder what he would have said if it had been presented to him differently.
“Look, we’re sorry we didn’t come to you sooner,” Walker said quietly.
“But considering your behavior lately, none of us could predict how you would handle this.” He paused.
“But the thing is, I couldn’t say no. I realize you and I are friends and we’ve been close since we were five, but…
in my gut, I knew this was something I had to do. ”
Well, shit.
Glancing at Axel, Connor saw him nod.
Shoulders sagging, he let out a long breath. “I just don’t know how we’re going to work together. I guess there’s a possibility that she has no hard feelings toward me and I’m just getting myself worked up over nothing.”
Axel gently cleared his throat, and that’s when he knew there had to be more to the story.
When the two of them exchanged looks again, Connor decided he’d had enough.
“Out with it!”
“One of her…requests,” Walker explained, “is that she does not want to work with you in any capacity. That’s why we’re placing her on Slater’s team. There should be no reason for the two of you to have any interaction besides occasionally walking by each other.”
Damn. So she was definitely still holding a grudge. Awesome.
“When is she getting here?” he asked wearily.
“In three days. Jayce and Kelsey are helping her and her son pack up and get here.”
“She has a son?”
They both nodded.
“Jonah,” Axel said. “He’s four.”
It was crazy how much that felt like a punch in the gut, even though he had no right to feel that way. They went their separate ways years ago, and it was his fault. He knew she wasn’t pining away for him, but just knowing someone else was lucky enough to love her and have a kid with her…
“And the husband?” he forced himself to ask.
“Out of the picture,” Walker murmured. “Which is why she needs some help. The guy’s a total deadbeat and has been for a while. She was working at a daycare center that got closed down, and it’s difficult to find a job and childcare.”