Chapter 17 #2
But the best part? This finally felt like everything she had been wanting for the longest time: the beginnings of putting down roots.
She didn’t really see Milo as the white picket fence type, but maybe they could have that here in Harbortown while still embracing his swanky penthouse in the middle of Seattle.
I could definitely see myself enjoying the balance…
“Tell me why you’re smiling,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Just picturing how we’re going to balance two completely different lifestyles—laid-back and a bit rustic here, and high tech, glass and steel there.” She shrugged. “But I think I’m up for the challenge.”
That seemed to please him. “It’s actually the best of both worlds.
I never thought I’d feel comfortable here.
I mean, the resort was always a source of great memories and it was comfortable, but in the short term.
When I decided to come and stay for a few months, it took a bit of adjusting.
Everything was so different. Quieter. Slower pace.
Even though I was working, there wasn’t a tremendous demand on my time. Not like it is back home.”
She pictured it for a moment and laughed.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“I was just thinking how freaking opposite we are!” And yeah, she was still laughing.
“I mean, you came here to slow down and relax, and when I go to Seattle, it’s where I go to relax because the resort is where my pace is busy with demands on my time.
It’s just…don’t you think that’s kind of wild? ”
“I guess I never thought of it like that. Honestly, I never think of you relaxing. You’re always in motion.”
“Um…no. The times I came to visit you were spent getting massages, room service, and sexy baths. I had no idea being idle could be so magnificent.”
For a moment he didn’t say anything, he just smiled at her. “We balance each other.”
“Yes, we do.”
“I like that. It’s vital in a relationship, and it’s nice that we have that kind of automatically built-in because of who we are.”
Nodding, she had to agree.
They stayed like that for a little longer while they finished their now-cooled coffee. Once she was done, she was ready to get up and start moving. There were some unpleasant things to deal with, and she’d rather get them out of the way early so she could move on with her day.
Standing, she stretched before holding out her hand to him. “You ready?”
Accepting her hand, he stood. “I’m ready if you are.”
“Then let's deal with…you know…stuff. And then we’ll see if everyone’s around for lunch or dinner. I think we have a lot to tell them.”
Wordlessly, they gathered up their picnic mess and headed back to the cabin. And Nora realized just how alone she’d been for years. In situations that weren’t always great, she’d had to face them alone. It felt good having someone right there beside her, supporting her.
And she knew she would do the same for him.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait? Because I really don’t mind.”
Smiling sweetly, Nora walked over and gave Milo a kiss. “Go up to the lodge and talk to Harlow about your new office space options.”
“I can use my office here if I had to.”
“No, you need to keep the two separate. Plus, you’re going to have people working with you,” she reminded him.
“You know Harlow’s going to find you the perfect space, and after Slater and I are done talking, we’ll come up to the lodge and join everyone.
Connor mentioned something about fried chicken, so… ”
“Yeah, he makes the best fried chicken in the world, I think. Guests go wild for it and I swear everyone is always asking him to make it. You haven’t had it yet?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t. I rarely eat a lot of fried stuff. I’m either grabbing a salad or a sandwich when I’m working. But now I can’t wait to see if it lives up to the hype.”
“It will. Trust me.”
She kissed him again. “I’ll see you up at the lodge in a little bit.” Grabbing her phone and keys, she waved as she walked out the door.
They had gotten back from the police station several hours ago, and it was something she never wanted to go through again.
If it hadn’t been for Milo sitting there holding her hand, she swore she would have just walked out without pressing charges.
Now that it was over, however, she was glad she’d done it.
“Now I have to deal with Slater,” she murmured.
He came to see her last night, but he hadn’t said much. If anything, he looked wildly uncomfortable, but that could have been because Milo had been shooting murderous glances his way. So yeah, that’s why she thought it would be best to come and talk to him alone.
Plus, they’d been friends for years and it felt weird for him to be acting this way.
“Knock, knock,” she said, announcing herself as she entered the shed office.
Slater was sitting behind one of the desks—because now they had two!—and gave her a small smile. “Hey, Nora.”
Groaning, she tossed her stuff down and sat down at the other desk with a huff. “Hey, Nora,” she mimicked. “Seriously? What is going on with you?”
His eyes widened briefly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re being quiet and reserved and…and…polite. What’s up with that?”
His bark of laughter nearly made her jump, but it was also the first sign of him acting like his usual self.
Leaning forward in his chair, he looked at her. “First, I’m always polite. And second…” He let out a long breath, raking a hand through his hair even as he leaned back again. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared as I was yesterday, and I feel responsible.”
“Yeah? Well, get in line. So does Milo. So does Dave. So does Lexi…I mean, where does it end? There’s only one person responsible, and he’s currently in the county jail, so…
” She leaned back and stared at him. “It sucked and yeah, I was upset that you were literally the last person to check on me. We’ve been friends for so damn long and whenever a situation like this ever came up, you were the guy who was right there beside me. ”
“There’s never been a situation like this,” he said gruffly.
“No one ever did…” He stopped, and she could tell he was just as emotional about it as she was.
“I’m so sorry. For everything. For not being there when you gave the dragonfly call, for not coming sooner when I got back from the hike, and… all of it.”
“I could have handled that guy just being a dick on the trail. I think if things had progressed, his cousins would have dealt with him. It was the whole after thing…I can’t keep thinking about it. I just can’t. But I believe we need to rethink our protocol.”
“I agree.”
“And I’m not saying we have to do it today, but…soon.”
“Absolutely,”
“And I’m going to take a few weeks off and go to Seattle with Milo,” she said. “I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I’m doing it anyway. He’s making a ton of changes for me, and I feel like I need this time to be with him and support him while he implements everything.”
All he did was nod.
“I’m still taking the position you offered, but I’m making you stay here through the winter whether you like it or not. The holidays are coming, Walker and Harlow’s wedding is coming, and I don’t want anyone to have to track you down and drag you back here.”
Now he smirked. “You’re kind of bossy.”
She grinned back at him. “I learned from the best.”
They sat like that for several long moments before he asked, “Are we going to be okay? You and me?”
“Always. You’re one of my best friends. You’ve seen me at my best and my worst, and you’ve always had my back. Plus, you brought me here, which brought me to Milo, so…”
“In a million years, I never would have put the two of you together.”
“Me either, and it feels really good to be wrong about it. He’s my other half and I really love the balance we have.”
“I’m glad. In my mind, there would never be a guy who was good enough for you.
I kept seeing all these losers and slackers chasing after you and I knew you were too smart to get serious with any of them.
” He shrugged. “But Milo? There’s no one better.
I know—even before yesterday—that if I can’t be there for you, he will. ”
“You’re both pretty awesome, and I feel beyond lucky to call you both friends.”
“Can I let you in on a little secret?”
She nodded.
“I’m really happy that you’re the one he fell in love with. He needs you. Not someone like you. You . You’re good for him.”
That pleased her more than she thought it would.
“We’re good for each other.”
“So? What happens now?”
“Now we go up to the lodge and meet everyone up at Axel and Maisie’s suite for dinner.
I’ll tell Milo about my decision to take some time off.
You’re going to hire another guide or two, or…
or we change the schedule so there are fewer hikes and tours, but every one of them has two guides.
We’ll need to change our release forms—maybe make a video that all guests are required to watch that fully explains the new policies on unacceptable behavior—and possibly equip guides with body cameras so there’s never a risk of something being misunderstood.
” She paused for a moment. “And I think we need to offer self-defense classes to our entire staff, not just the guides, and I’ll talk to Milo about adding more security cameras up on the trails.
I’m sure we can hide them in plain sight so it doesn’t take away from the guest experience or do damage to the wildlife. What do you think?”
He chuckled. “Like I said, bossy.”
Smiling confidently, she got to her feet. “Good.”
As usual, dinner with the group was loud and chaotic in all the best ways.
Dinner had been incredible, and now she fully understood why Connor’s fried chicken was in such high demand.
“So,” Walker said during one of the few lulls in conversation around the massive table.
“I think we’ve survived our first official season here at the resort.
There have been many highs, but also more than a few lows.
” He paused and nodded in Nora’s direction.
“We’re learning and growing, and I know the fall season is upon us, but I’m excited for everything that comes next. ”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“I spoke to Reece and he is going to be finalizing plans with the engineers and everyone involved in the amphitheater project, and with any luck, we could have it up and running and ready to launch for the big Memorial Day weekend.”
“I’m working on finding the right talent to kick things off,” Lexi added. “There are a few big names who have shown interest, but as soon as I nail something down, I’ll let you know.”
“Harlow and I are going to be away for the next several weeks,” he went on. “We’re looking to put in some serious time over at our new resort. As much as I’d love to steal Reece away to work on it, we need him here.”
“Yeah, no poaching the contractor!” Axel said with amusement.
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dare. What else do we have going on?”
Nora and Slater exchanged glances, and she motioned for him to speak first.
“I’m going to stick around until January,” he said and grinned at everyone’s surprise. “It just feels like I need to be here and work on things that maybe escaped our notice. Plus, I don’t have anything else lined up yet, so…”
“You know we love having you here,” Axel told him before looking Nora’s way. “Are you okay with him sticking around?”
Laughing softly, she picked up her wineglass. “I am because…because I’m taking a few weeks off.”
Beside her, Milo sat up a little straighter.
“I’d like to go to Seattle with Milo and help him with the things he’s working on to set up a remote office here in Harbortown.” Turning her head, she smiled nervously at him. “I hope you told everyone, or did I just ruin everything?”
“Uh…” He glanced around for a moment before visibly relaxing. “Everyone knows,” he assured her. “They didn’t find out until today, but yeah. They know.”
“Okay. Whew!” Then, leaning in close, she whispered, “And we’ll talk about my news later when we’re alone. I hope you’re okay with taking me home with you.”
He leaned in even closer. His breath was warm against her skin. “That’s possibly the greatest gift you ever could have given me. Besides telling me you love me.”
Aww…
“Just know that I plan on telling you that every day,” she whispered.
“And I plan on saying it right back,” he promised. And when he pulled back, she saw it all right there in his gaze. “I love you, Nora.”
“I love you too.”