“Anyway,” she drew out, trying to regain everyone’s attention so she’d not have to repeat this. “We need to find ways to make cuts.”
Eyes rounded as a collective gasp went around the table.
“I’m not letting anyone go. Understand? I’ll go without pay myself if necessary.” Actually, she’d cut her pay in half, wanting to put back as much as she possibly could into the resort and keeping it going. “If any of you have ideas, and I don’t care how dumb you might think they are, I want to hear them.”
Dotty asked, “What about the Spa? Did you mention that to him? I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
Melody nodded. “He thought so, too. But I don’t have the capital yet to start it. I need investors. Which…is something he is going to look into for me.”
George and Dotty looked a little nervous.
Barty gave a nod. Then to Melody’s surprise, he said, “If that’s what’s required to keep the resort going, Boss, then we’re behind you. One-hundred percent.”
She gave Barty a grateful smile. He didn’t say much but when he did, her heart suffered another crack.
Harriet hugged her tighter and said, “Absolutely. We’re with you through this Melly-Smelly.” Her nickname made Melody laugh. She patted her sweet friend’s hand in appreciation.
“Thank you. All of you. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate your friendship and support. And thank you for joining me tonight. I know you all have other things you could be doing.”
Dotty and Barty put their heads together, before she said, “Right. About that. We’re paying tonight. That’s one expense you can cut right here and now. We appreciate your generosity, Boss, but really you need to stop footing the bill. We’ll still meet every month. I think everyone should start paying their own way.”
George made a growling sound, but when everyone else nodded, he nodded along with them, despite his frown. “Fine. But can I change my order? I’ll take the seven ounce instead of the twelve.” Raising his hand, he signaled for the waiter.
Dottie swatted her menu at the old man with a shake of her head.
Harriet pressed her cheek to Melody’s cheek. “We love you, Melly. Don’t fret, dear. I have faith and I’m going to start praying even harder for Sky High, and for you. Something good will turn up, you’ll see.”
Hugging her friend back, Melody wished she had the simple faith that Harriet had. But it would take some serious mountain moving to get her out of this mess with her resort still intact. Maybe she did need to consider selling. Maybe to someone who was better equipped to take proper care of it. Maybe someone who’d at least let her stay on as one of the staff.
Melody had never lived anywhere besides her beloved mountain. She wasn’t even sure if her feet were capable of walking on flat ground.
* * * *
Melody waited at the coffee shop for Jeremy to show up. Why had she invited him to join her today? Certainly, he had better things to do, but he’d kept lingering after they’d spent the afternoon talking about the resort. Lingering as if he was reluctant to leave.
Several times she’d noticed him glancing at her table during their business meal. Whatever reservations or fears her employees might have had last night, this morning, they all showed up ready to work. Melody had sent up several prayers that she’d not lose any of her dear workers. They were more than employees, they were her friends and adopted family.
The bells on the door jingled. Melody looked up to see Jeremy enter. He wore a dark green knit sweater that hugged his chest in a way that made her breath catch. He was already dressed in his ski suit, at least the bottom part. The jacket he held tucked under his arm.
“Have you ordered yet?” He asked, breezing to her cafe style table. “Breakfast is on me today.”
She was about to argue but stopped herself. She’d paid for lunch yesterday. Her pride wouldn’t let her take any charity from him. She needed to stop being so stiff-backed. “Not yet. I’ll take a bacon and spinach quiche and mocha latte.”
He smiled and she admired the way his sapphire blue eyes always lit up with merriment. “Are the quiches good here?”
“Wonderful.”
Hanging his jacket over the back of the vacant chair, Jeremy gave a nod then headed for the counter.
She’d told him to meet her in town. It was a quaint village, really, with a few specialty shops and restaurants. Most of the people who lived in Timberview worked at her resort in some capacity or owned a business in the township that catered to the tourists who visited her resort.
Melody loved this town set at the foot of her mountain. The very mountain that had been claimed and homesteaded by her great-greats. How many generations back did her roots go into the deep chasms and cliffs that made up her family’s land? Her grandparents had built the resort which started out as nothing more than the lifts, a few cabins, and one main meeting room.
Mom and Dad built on the main house and wanted to build a hotel, but never accomplished that task. Melody didn’t want to ruin the rustic simplicity they had now, so she’d never pushed for the hotel. Maybe she should have gone with the hotel instead of the stores. Who knew?
“My, you are lost to this world.” Jeremy returned to his seat and set out two steamy mugs of coffee. “Care to share? You know they say that sharing is caring.”
Melody’s nose wrinkled. “Who says that?”
He shrugged and sipped his coffee. “No idea. But I do care. I’m sure you think I’ll leave here, return to my life, and forget about you.” He leaned forward, pressing against the table. “That’s not going to happen. When I get back to work, I’m going to make your resort one of my priorities. Promise.”
She cupped her hands around the warm mug. “Thank you, Jeremy. That means a lot.”
His smile returned, disarming her once more. Darn him! When had the lanky boy she’d often climbed trees during the summers and skied the bunny slopes each winter with grown into such a gorgeous man? He’d always been a hard worker. Even in college he hardly ever went out to party with the others. They’d attended the same college for a couple of years. Then her Mom took a fall while skiing that made it hard for her to get around. So, Melody moved closer to home so she could help over the weekends.
At least she’d graduated with a business degree upon Daddy’s prompting. He’d said it would be the most useful for her. Even still, managing a business wasn’t her strongest talents. She did fine with managing the daily tasks, but crunching numbers left her stressed and suffering from a terrible headache, every time.
Their quiches arrived with a couple of cream Danishes.
“I couldn’t make up my mind,” Jeremy explained. “The cherry and peach both looked good, so I ordered both. Couldn’t help myself.”
“They’re both delicious. Good eye.” Melody cut off a corner of the peach one and popped it into her mouth. Closing her eyes, she relished the flavorful treat, then decided she should eat the quiche before it grew cold.
“No lecture about not eating a proper breakfast? I love it!” He dug into his own meal.
“Proper? This is perfectly proper. Their brownies are delicious, too. You should order a couple to go. They’ll sustain us on the trail.” She winked to let him know she was teasing. The flush of his own cheeks surprised her. She silently chuckled when he ducked his head. Still that bashful boy, in some ways.
After breakfast and ordering a few extra treats to stuff their coat pockets with, Melody led Jeremy outside and toward the lake where a kiddie park was filled with screaming and laughing children. School was still out for a couple of more days. Snow covered the ground, but not enough to keep people inside. The sun was trying to burn through the gray clouds and she was sure by noon they’d have a beautiful sunny day to enjoy.
They stopped to slip on their skis. The path she planned to take was like a soft white blanket spread out between birch and pines. When she tried to balance on one leg to adjust the strap on her boots, Jeremy instinctively reached out to grasp h
er elbow to steady her. The touch was gentle and sent her heart racing.
Maybe this was a bad idea. The last thing she needed on top of all her other problems was to allow herself to fall for her old friend.
Friend.
They were nothing but friends and would only ever be friends. She needed to keep reminding herself of this fact.
The Grimwoods were billionaires. Jeremy would someday marry a pretty socialite. He’d always boasted that when he married, he’d marry well. She knew that eventually he’d pull his head out of his work and realize that he wasn’t getting younger and needed to find someone beautiful and fashionable to marry. The Grimwood legacy would need to be passed on.
The Grimwoods had always been kind to the Carsons, but they had never been on equal ground and never would be. Melody didn’t even qualify to make any millionaire lists. She was too far in debt, despite the value of her resort.
Her outdated, small, insignificant resort.
Jeremy gave her arm a slight tug. “You’ve been in a fog all morning, Mel. I hate seeing that … I hate seeing you so preoccupied. Are you sure you want to do this? Is there something else you should be taking care of? As much as I enjoy spending time with you, I don’t want you to feel as if you need to entertain me.”
“No,” she defended. “It’s not that. I want to be out here. Getting away from everything helps me to clear my mind. The exercise is actually helpful and I’m enjoying hanging out with you. It’s like old times.”
His lips pressed tightly together. “Yeah, well, it’s never good to get locked in the past. That’s what my Father always said. Keep your eyes focused ahead, son,” he quoted in a gruff voice that she recalled Mr. Grimwood sounding like. “You only have today. That’s Mother’s favorite saying.”
Melody nodded. “Yeah, I know. And today I want to go skiing with my friend who I’ve not seen in ages.” She nudged him with her pole. “I’ve missed you.”
His grin wavered, as if unsure. Finally, he bobbed his head. “I’ve missed you, too, Melody. Let’s promise to not let ourselves drift apart again.”
She nodded, still sure once he was back living his normal life, he’d once again become too busy to allow anyone else in.
“Promise. We better get going before the sun does come out and melts the snow.” She pushed off and started along the narrow path.
Jeremy, who’d always loved competing, turned their casual stroll into a race. Melody pushed herself harder, determined to win. She liked a good competition, just as much as he did. It was something they’d done as children. Who could climb the highest? Who could reach to the bottom of the slope first? Who could eat their slice of pizza fastest?
Some things never changed.
And as usual, Jeremy held the lead, but the distance between them wasn’t too wide. As the lake came into view, Melody put all her effort into pushing ahead. Jeremy laughed and kept right at her side. She jabbed him with her elbow, shoving him toward a clump of trees.
“Oh no, you don’t!” He gasped, grabbing her arm and pulling Melody over with him. They both landed in a snowbank, laughing and shoving each other.
Melody scooped up a ball of snow and smashed it against the side of his head. Taking advantage of his distraction while he wiped the wetness off his face, she pushed herself back up and tried to keep going.
“You brat!” Jeremy lunged for her, grabbing her pole and pulling her off balance again. “Think you can cheat and win? I don’t think so, Missy.”
A screeching laugh burst from her as she tumbled over again and he pinned her down. Their skis tangled with each other. In his gloved hand, he held a softball-sized clump of snow.
Melody covered her face. “No,” she repeated trying to squirm away from him. One ski came loose, then the other. He’d already knocked his off. She managed to swat the frozen ball out of his hand, but she was laughing too hard to do anything else. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she cried out. “I had to do something, you were beating me.”
“Cheaters never win, Melody Lynn.” He rolled over onto his back, also laughing too hard to do much of anything else. “Isn’t that sky amazing? I forget how blue the sky is sometimes. I spend most of my day inside a building.”
Melody turned and raised herself up on her elbow. “That’s no way to live.”
“No. I don’t suppose so, but…Father’s conditions. They weren’t really fair, you know? Duncan liked making jewelry, but he didn’t know anything about running a store. Suzette loves designing clothes. Father put her over some line of stores he bought a few years ago, then pretty much ignored. At least she hasn’t complained, but I know she’s at a loss over how to turn them around to make a profit.
“Colton is still grieving and hasn’t even gone to check on the island he inherited.”
“And you?”
Jeremy blew out a long breath. “I’m fine. I’ve worked at the bank since I graduated from college. I’m still working my way up. I won’t be put in charge of it until I’ve fulfilled Father’s terms.”
“Are you worried that you won’t do that?” Melody couldn’t believe Jeremy Grimwood was finally starting to open up to her. He’d always kept his private life quiet. Even with his own family.
His brows furrowed as he stared up at the parting clouds. “No. I’m in good standing. Of course, that can always change in the blink of an eye.” His lips turned upward on one side. He had kissable lips, Melody mused, then chastised herself for such a thought.
Their nearness was beginning to rattle her mind.
Jeremy went on. “I’m good at what I do, but I’m not really finding any satisfaction in it. I look at Dunc, at Suze, and even you. You are all making something great with your lives. You know how people can turn a piece of paper into a swan with just a few intricate folds. It’s like that.”
“Origami, you mean?”
He nodded. “I feel like I have that same sheet of paper and all I can manage is crumpling it up into a small enough ball that it’ll hit the trashcan when I toss it in. Truthfully, I can’t even fold a decent airplane.” He chuckled, then started squirming. “And the snow is starting to seep through my suit.” His brows puckered. “That’s…not a very pleasant feeling back there.”
Jeremy sat up, then stood and offered Melody a hand up. She let him pull her back onto her feet. “I don’t understand how you can be so down on yourself, Jeremy. I’m sure you’ve helped other businesses in the past.”
“Not really.” He went to retrieve his skis. “Mind if we walk back? I’ve worked muscles this weekend that I didn’t even know existed. I’m a little sore.”
When she nodded with a smile, he picked up her skis as well, and tucked both sets under his arms. “You know, I can’t honestly say that I’ve helped anyone in my work. But…I’m still working my way up, I suppose. Sometimes, I find it all mundane and monotonous. I’m grateful that you’ve shared your troubles with me, Mel. I’m seriously determined to help you find a way to keep your resort. I mean that.”
She wanted to hug him. Her vision blurred as a burn crept up her throat from her chest. He was telling her that she wasn’t in this alone. Someone else cared. Someone who might actually be able to do something to help.
She beat down the pride rising up, whispering that she’d appear weak if she accepted his help. That she was a failure if she couldn’t stand on her own two feet. She knew those were lies. But she’d always been the strong one who took others in. Who offered jobs to those in need. Who had the answers, even if they weren’t always right.
Taking her skies, she slipped her hand around his free arm and started back down the path. “That means everything to me, Jeremy. Thank you.”
He covered her gloved hand with his. “Thank you for giving me a chance to help, Melody. You’ve no idea what that means to me.”
Chapter Four
Jeremy sat at his desk and turned on the computer. A moment later, his partner Mike Monroe entered and plopped down into the client chair with a dramatic sigh. “Hope y
ou enjoyed your little vacation, bud, while I’ve been slaving away gathering the information you wanted.”
Jeremy smirked at his partner. He wouldn’t call Mike a friend, precisely. They never hung out together, except at the office. No, Mike was more of a…Jeremy hated to admit this, but Mike was a tail-coater. They were partners, in the way that Mike knew Jeremy was working his way up in the firm and would eventually inherit complete control over it.
When that day came, Jeremy knew Mike hoped that all his grunt work would pay off. Far as Jeremy was concerned, he did plan to reward Mike, though he wasn’t too sure what that reward would look like.
Part of the problem was that Jeremy wasn’t even clear about his own future. Yes, he was expected to eventually take over the bank. That was Father’s plan for him, the only boy in the family who was actually good with numbers and understanding the intricacies of finances.
The only problem was, Jeremy’s heart was no longer in achieving that level of success his father had mapped out for him. Getting up and coming to the office every day had become a grind that felt more like a lead weight than a joy.
Jeremy opened the file Mike had left on his desk. “I’m just about to look over the papers you printed.” Jeremy opened another file named Sky High Reports on his computer. “I’ve read through what you sent.”
Mike tugged at his blue striped tie. “Then you know Sky High is prime for picking. You sure have a good eye. We can make a bundle off this deal if we handle it right. I—”
“What do you mean?” Jeremy cut him off. He liked Mike, but the man could be a real wolf at the smell of blood. There was something he seemed to truly enjoy about taking over a floundering business.
“Melody doesn’t wish to sell, I told you that. And I do plan to handle this properly. She’s not interested in a buyout. She is willing to consider an investment partner.”
Mike shook his balding head with a frown. “Well, I don’t believe she has room to make any demands. Her resort is in the tank. From the information I gathered, she has a lot of repairs that need to be made and no money to cover the cost. If she doesn’t duck out now, she might find herself pushed off the edge of one of those mountains she’s perched on.” He sat forward. “I found someone who’s interested in purchasing the resort.”
My Charming Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 2) Page 4