by Anthology
“One day you’re going to make some girl very lucky,” she said. “Imagine, a man who’s worried about wrinkles. So selfless.”
Archer held up a hand in protest. “Wait a minute. I never said anything about selfless. If you get all wrinkly, I’m going to have to look at that all day.” He shuddered and Sam wished he was closer so she could smack him.
“What’s up, Arch?” As much as she was enjoying the break from her stress, she still had to figure out a way to cut costs. Again. And that wasn’t going to happen if she was sitting here chatting.
“I need more money.”
Sam resisted the urge to hit her head against the table.
“There is no—”
“There must be. You’re the only pub in town. This place is packed every night.”
“If what you mean by ‘packed’ is a handful of tables, yes. We’re packed every night.”
“That’s packed for Cedar Springs.”
“It’s not enough.”
Archer tilted his head and gave Sam a look that told her he knew there was more to her stress than she was letting on. As awesome as it was to have someone who knew her so well, it was also a royal pain in the ass at times.
“Sammie.” He used her nickname. “What’s going on? We’ve pinched pennies before, but our regulars have always been enough to keep the doors open.”
She tapped her pen on the notebook in front of her. “Shouldn’t you go stir that stew or something?”
He tilted his head and waited.
Sam stared at the ceiling. There wasn’t any point fighting him. Archer was a lot of things, and stubborn definitely topped that list. “We need a new roof.” She sat straight and stared at him. “And the furnace probably isn’t going to make it through another winter. Don’t even get me started on the air conditioner. We better hope for a mild summer, or the few customers we have are going to be eating outside.”
“They’d like that,” Archer mused. “It could be a selling feature. We have the best views in town.”
“Not funny.”
He reached for her hand. “It’ll be fine.” His voice turning serious. “It always is. You’ve done wonders with this place and this will work out, too. You’ll see. What’s the most crucial thing?”
“The roof.”
“Then get it done. I’ll call in some favors with my buddy Bruce. He’ll give you a good deal. You have enough money for that, right?”
She did. But that’s all she had, which would be fine if it wasn’t for the Equinox festival that was less than a month away. Although it was the town that put on the festival, traditionally the Grizzly Paw was the headline sponsor, providing all the food, the entertainment, and of course, the venue. If she got the much-needed roof, there’d be nothing left to put on the party that the people of Cedar Springs deserved.
Sam nodded. “You’re right,” she said after a moment. “If Bruce can give me a deal, that would really help.” There was no point telling him about the festival—he’d only worry, and both of them stressing about something there was absolutely no help for didn’t seem like a good use of energy.
“So it’s settled then?”
Sam looked up into Archer’s smiling face. That was the thing about her long-time friend, and one of the many reasons she loved having him around. He balanced her. Sam managed a smile. “It’s settled.” She nodded. Logically, she knew she needed the roof. It was the right choice. She’d just have to figure everything else out later.
CHAPTER 2
Trent always had time to spare a nod or a friendly smile hello for his employees, and as he walked down the main corridor of the Springs, he made sure he didn’t let his distracted state effect how he treated his staff. Trent prided himself on his attention to detail and as he walked through the great hall with the glass floor-to-ceiling windows, he made sure to check the water features. Some of them still weren’t working properly and that was a problem. He made a mental note to discuss it with Dylan.
A water wall in the center of the hall created a tranquil barricade for a seating area with two sleek sofas. Trent knew for a fact they were extremely comfortable, while still keeping with the sleek and clean theme. The entire resort was decorated in natural colors accented with an array of blues in every shade. The overall effect was stunning and calming. Trent let his hand trail through the water of the water wall as he walked by and took his eyes off where he was going for only seconds, but it was long enough for a small boulder to slam into him and almost knock him off his feet.
“What the—”
Trent caught himself before he fell and seconds before he cursed in front of the boulder that ran into him, or more accurately, the small child who was sitting on his bottom in front of him, looking as stunned as Trent felt.
“Oh.” Trent squatted down so he was at eye level with the boy. “Are you okay, little boy?”
The child whipped his head around so Trent was staring at indignant blazing eyes. “I am not a boy.” The child reached up and ripped the hat from her head, exposing long blond hair.
Trent tried not to smile at the face looking up at him; her lip quivered, but there was steel in those blue eyes. “I’m so sorry,” Trent said. “Clearly you are not a boy. In fact, you are a very pretty girl.” The girl’s eyes softened and for a second, Trent thought she might even smile at him. Instead, she pressed her lips into a tight line. He offered her a hand but she ignored him and got to her feet.
“I got it,” she said. Once she was standing, it was very easy to see that she was indeed a girl, albeit one in a slightly grubby t-shirt and a ripped pair of jeans. She was about ten or eleven, not that he was very good at children’s ages, and by the look of her, it had either been awhile since her last shower or she’d just been running wild in the forest. Either way, she was not the type of child Trent expected to see in the middle of the peaceful and very clean Springs resort. Especially considering they weren’t even open.
“Are you lost?” he asked.
“Nope.” She shook her head and looked around for an escape route. Clearly the girl, whoever she was, knew she shouldn’t be there, and if Trent was a betting man, he would have put money on the fact that the child knew exactly who he was, as well. “I gotta go.”
She spun on her sneakered heel to leave but Trent grabbed her arm.
“Why don’t you tell me who you are before you go?”
She shook her head again and narrowed her eyes, but then her shoulders sagged in defeat. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to be in here, but I had to go to the bathroom and don’t tell because my mom will kill me if she finds out. And you can’t get her in trouble because it’s not her fault I had to pee. She told me to go before we left and that I couldn’t come in but I had to come today because school’s out and she won’t leave me at home ’cause of the stove thing that happened last time which wasn’t my fault really but she won’t believe me no matter how many times I tell her that I didn’t know the spatula would melt. I mean, the other one didn’t but mom says it’s ’cause the other one is metal and that one was plastic. But if that’s the case then it’s not my fault that they’re different. I mean, I can’t know that stuff. I was just making a sandwich. How was I supposed to know the smoke detector would go off and the fire trucks would come? And if it wasn’t mom’s friend Danny who came, he’s a firefighter, I would have been in even more trouble than I was if he—”
“Whoa.” Trent held up a hand to ward off the never-ending monologue he never would have expected the little girl to be capable of. “That’s an awfully big story.” He tried to swallow a chuckle. “Especially since I don’t even know your name.”
She stepped forward and extended her hand. “Jules.” Trent looked at her hand covered in mud, before he shook it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jules. I’m Trent Harrison and I—”
“Oh, I know who you are. You’re the boss and I’m not supposed to let you see me.” She tucked her hand in her pocket. “I’m real sorry. Don’t
tell my mom and it’s not her fault. I mean it, it isn’t. Normally I’d be at my grandma’s house, but she had an appointment or something in the city and—”
“Okay, okay.” Trent lost his battle to restrain his laughter. Whoever the kid did belong to, he was going to have to thank her for giving him a little comedic relief in the middle of such a stressful day. “If I promise not to get angry with your mom, will you tell me who she is?”
Jules eyed him suspiciously from under her dirty bangs. He held up three fingers. “Scouts’ honor, she won’t be in trouble.”
“You were a scout?”
Trent dropped his fingers. “Well, no. Not really. But I don’t lie.”
“Not ever?”
“Never.”
She assessed him for a moment, before finally nodding, evidently confident that he meant what he said. “Her name is Beth Woodward. She’s the—”
“Physical therapist.”
“Yeah. And she’s going to be really good at her job when you open, so—”
“I told you. She won’t be in trouble.” Trent held his hand out in front of him. “Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll go find her or at least find you something to do. Because I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be running through the hall.”
Jules hung her head and trudged in the direction of the offices.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re not in trouble either, so don’t look so worried.”
“I’m not?” She glanced at him as they walked.
“No,” he said. “Not this time. But if you can’t be left at home, and if school’s out for the summer, I think your mom may need to figure out something else when she has to work.” Jules nodded solemnly. “Unless…nah.”
“What?”
“Unless maybe you’d like a job at the Springs?”
“Me? I’m just a kid. What can I do?”
“Oh, I’m sure we could find something for you to do.” Trent racked his brain for something an eleven-year-old girl could do at a resort hotel. He’d have to ask Carmen for something, but despite her approach, Jules seemed like a sharp kid and more than that, she made him laugh. And that had to count for something.
“Jules!”
They both turned to see Beth, whom Trent had only met a handful of times, running toward them. She was dressed in the cool blue scrubs that were the uniform for the exercise and physical therapy staff, her blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her face scrubbed clean of any make-up. She was a beautiful young woman, and the few times Trent had met her, he’d been impressed with her professionalism and obvious knowledge that combined with a sweet, caring demeanor would make her popular with guests.
“Beth.”
“Mom.”
She came to a stop in front of them and held a hand to her chest in an effort to gain control of her breathing. “Mr. Harrison…I’m so sorry.” She reached for her daughter and pulled Jules to her, shooting her a glare. “She’s not supposed to be inside.” She turned to Jules. “Why are you so dirty?”
“I fell out of a tree.” She shrugged and tugged away from her mom.
Beth turned her attention back to Trent. “I want you to know I’d never bring my child to…”
“Work?” he finished for her. “That does appear to be what’s happened here.” He tried to look serious. Jules shot him a look, no doubt thinking that he’d lied to her. “I can’t have children, especially muddy children, running through the halls of the Springs.”
“Hey, I—”
“I am sorry, Mr. Harrison.” Beth ignored her daughter’s protests. “She likes to play in the forest, and she wasn’t supposed to come inside. Especially since she’s so dirty. It won’t happen again.”
“No,” Trent said. “It won’t.” He turned to Jules and smiled at her defiant glare. “Because I’ve decided to hire Jules to help out a few days a week.”
“Mr. Harrison, I—” Beth stopped, openmouthed and turned to Trent. “You’re going to what?”
“Yeah? You’re going to what?”
Trent maintained his serious composure. “Well, I can’t have you running around the halls. And your mother can’t have you burning the house down. So the only logical thing will be to have you work here. Maybe just for special projects? After all, we have more than enough to do before the opening. Just let Carmen know when you can come by.”
Beth opened her mouth and closed it again before shaking her head. “Seriously?”
“Absolutely. Now if you’ll excuse me, I was just about to head down into town to grab a bite to eat. Maybe you could tell me where I should go?” He raised his eyebrow at Beth, who still looked shocked.
She took a moment to regain her composure. “Of course. You should definitely go to the Grizzly Paw.”
“The Grizzly Paw’s the best,” Jules said next to her. “But Mom never lets me go.”
Beth shot her daughter a look and continued talking to Trent. “Sam runs the Paw now. Just say I sent you, and Archer—he’s the cook—will make you the best burger you’ve ever had.”
Trent smiled and his mouth watered a little at the thought of a good burger and a beer. The Springs had some of the best chefs he could find, and tasting their creations in the past few weeks had been great, but there was nothing like a good burger. Especially if it was accompanied by a cold beer.
“That sounds like a plan,” he said, and meant it. “So, I’ll see you soon?” He pushed down on the brim of the hat Jules had replaced on her head.
“Absolutely, Mr. Harrison.”
“Trent,” he corrected her.
“I think Mr. Harrison will do,” Beth said.
Trent looked up and met Beth’s hard stare. He smirked.
“Of course,” he agreed. “Well, I look forward to working with you, Jules.”
He left them in the hall and took a side door so he could finish his walk outside. He hadn’t been lying when he said he would go into town, and Carmen was right, he needed to spend more time in Cedar Springs. Besides that, he’d certainly liked what he’d seen when he’d gone in for a haircut. His mouth curled up at the thought of the little brunette with the spicy attitude. Obviously he couldn’t guarantee running into her again, but if he could get a burger and a cold beer, he was ahead of the game. And it sounded like Sam would be just the guy to give it to him.
~ ~
Sam looked around the bar at the lunch crowd. Not bad. But she’d definitely prefer a few more tables full. Hopefully the regulars would keep coming once the fancy restaurant up at the Springs was officially open, with its overpriced nuggets of raw fish and dandelion salads all served up in a sterile, cold room. She scanned the walls and the antiques that she’d personally handpicked by scouring flea markets and garage sales all through Cedar Springs and the surrounding towns. As long as people continued to appreciate real cooking anymore with a cozy atmosphere where they could come and talk to their neighbors and friends, she’d be fine. She just needed to keep thinking that way.
Her customers were loyal and Sam could have hugged every single one of them for coming in daily for Archer’s soup and sandwich special. It was the regulars who were keeping her in business and without them…well, she didn’t want to think about it.
And she wouldn’t. Instead of worrying, she kept herself busy behind the bar. Sam organized and wiped down the liquor bottles for the second time that day. Cleaning helped her think—which meant that lately, she had a very clean bar. It seemed that all she ever did lately was think about things. How to make money. How to save money. How to pull money from her—
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
One hand on a bottle and one hand on the rag, she froze. She knew that voice. It belonged to someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. The hair on the back of Sam’s neck stood up. Knowing what she’d be facing, she swallowed hard and looked up anyway. He stood on the other side of the bar; only a slab of polished mahogany stood between them. It should have been enough, but when she looked into his cr
ystal blue eyes that had a way of seeing right through her into the very heart of her being, it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. All the old feelings tried to come back. But she wasn’t going to let them. Not this time.
“Preston.” Caught off guard, her voice sounded small and she hated herself for it. Sam swallowed hard and tried again. “What are you doing here?” She forced a hardness into her voice.
No answer would be adequate. No explanation why the boy she’d given herself to, thought she would be with forever and swore her love to, only to have him walk out and leave her lonely and heartbroken was back in town would be good enough.
He leaned against the bar. “What if I told you I came here to see you?”
She straightened her shoulders and regained her senses. “Then I’d know you were lying. I suppose your mom made you come.” She squeezed the cloth in her hands and furiously scrubbed at a spot on the wood.
“I wanted to come. I missed you.”
Sam knew he was lying. It was always the same with Preston. Ever since they were teenagers, he knew what to say to make her melt and she did. Every time. It was infuriating. No matter what she tried and what her brain tried to tell her, her body reacted in a completely different way. When he spoke, she responded. She always had.
But not this time. Time had hardened her, made her see clearly.
“I’m sure you’ve been far too busy in the city to miss me at all.” She stopped scrubbing at the spot that didn’t seem to want to come clean anyway, and shifted her attention to the glasses in the washer. She gave each one a quick polish as she pulled them out and placed them on the shelf. “In fact,” she said, as if she needed to torture herself with his response, “I’m sure you’ve barely given me a thought since the last time you left.” Sadly, it hadn’t been the first time Preston Mackelroy had come into the Grizzly Paw wanting to pick up where they’d left off, even if it was for a night or two. Sam wasn’t proud of it; she’d made her share of bad choices when it came to Preston. The first time, he’d left her when it mattered the most. After her mom and brother had died, she’d needed him, but he wasn’t going to let anything stop his dreams of moving to the city. Especially not his broken-hearted girlfriend. The only one she could blame for the other times was herself. But she was done.