welfare of his brother was at stake.
Looking just as wary as he felt, she explained, “When I first came to work here, I shadowed Stu for a few days,” she told him. “Rather than trying to find snippets of time to sit down and try to tell you everything about the way the inn operates, it will probably be easier—and better—for us to work together.”
Sean hadn’t shadowed anyone since his first internship at a venture house in college. The thought of following Rebecca around the inn was laughable.
But given that he was considering an offer to acquire several more lakefront inns throughout the Northeast, he knew hands-on was the way to go. He’d need to understand the ins and outs of the business in order to have any true sense of whether he could run it at peak profitability.
“Sounds good to me.”
He was pleased to see that she looked a little thwarted by his easy agreement. Had she been hoping to get to him?
“Fantastic,” she replied.
Hmm, had that word come out from between her teeth? This time he was the one letting a grin loose. Despite how things had been left between them the previous night, his smile was there before he knew it was coming—or could stop it. He simply couldn’t stop it from landing this time.
Her lips moved up in a little smile of their own. “I didn’t think I’d ever see it,” she said, so softly he almost didn’t hear it.
He shouldn’t be wanting to move closer to her. But some things were uncontrollable. Like his reaction to her, for one.
“What didn’t you think you’d see, Rebecca?”
She looked back at him, her green eyes clear and purer than he thought he’d ever seen on a woman before.
“Your smile.”
As thrown off his game as he’d ever been—and disliking the way her comment felt like a punch in the gut—he came back immediately with, “People don’t say things like that.”
Embarrassment shot across her face.
“I have no edit button,” she agreed, but gone was the impish playfulness that she’d had on earlier. Instead, her mouth was turning down at the corners. “I obviously need one.”
Right then, a woman who was probably in her early twenties came in. “I’m not late, am I, Rebecca? Last night’s snow made it harder than I thought it would be to get into town.”
He could still feel how embarrassed she was by what she’d said as Rebecca introduced him to Alice. Stepping away from the front desk, her cheeks were still pink as she met his eyes.
“Looks like you and I are free to head upstairs.”
He’d gone over the line with her just now… and he regretted it. He hated the way the light had gone out of her eyes.
“I spoke out of turn, Rebecca.”
As far as apologies went, it wasn’t a great one, and she simply shrugged, trying to act like it was no big deal. But he could tell that it was.
Wanting, needing, to get them back on track, back to a place where business came first and emotions had no place at all, he asked, “What’s first on your training agenda?”
There was no smile on her face as she said the one word guaranteed to strike fear into his heart… and to make sure he paid for the way he’d just spoken to her.
“Toilets.”
“No one is ever going to complain about our standards of cleanliness,” he told her a while later. “That’s for sure.”
Sean hadn’t been this close to a toilet since his early teenage drinking days. He worked out daily, but he hadn’t done this kind of awkward physical work for a very long time. The truth was he rarely even had to make his own bed. Either his housekeeper took care of it or he was in a hotel with service.
One thing was certain: he’d never leave a mess for them to clean up again.
And he’d be leaving
way
bigger tips in the future.
Rebecca didn’t respond to his comment, but from her profile as she wiped down the bathtub, he could see a small smile on her face.
Her natural beauty was radiant enough that even with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and
Looking just as wary as he felt, she explained, “When I first came to work here, I shadowed Stu for a few days,” she told him. “Rather than trying to find snippets of time to sit down and try to tell you everything about the way the inn operates, it will probably be easier—and better—for us to work together.”
Sean hadn’t shadowed anyone since his first internship at a venture house in college. The thought of following Rebecca around the inn was laughable.
But given that he was considering an offer to acquire several more lakefront inns throughout the Northeast, he knew hands-on was the way to go. He’d need to understand the ins and outs of the business in order to have any true sense of whether he could run it at peak profitability.
“Sounds good to me.”
He was pleased to see that she looked a little thwarted by his easy agreement. Had she been hoping to get to him?
“Fantastic,” she replied.
Hmm, had that word come out from between her teeth? This time he was the one letting a grin loose. Despite how things had been left between them the previous night, his smile was there before he knew it was coming—or could stop it. He simply couldn’t stop it from landing this time.
Her lips moved up in a little smile of their own. “I didn’t think I’d ever see it,” she said, so softly he almost didn’t hear it.
He shouldn’t be wanting to move closer to her. But some things were uncontrollable. Like his reaction to her, for one.
“What didn’t you think you’d see, Rebecca?”
She looked back at him, her green eyes clear and purer than he thought he’d ever seen on a woman before.
“Your smile.”
As thrown off his game as he’d ever been—and disliking the way her comment felt like a punch in the gut—he came back immediately with, “People don’t say things like that.”
Embarrassment shot across her face.
“I have no edit button,” she agreed, but gone was the impish playfulness that she’d had on earlier. Instead, her mouth was turning down at the corners. “I obviously need one.”
Right then, a woman who was probably in her early twenties came in. “I’m not late, am I, Rebecca? Last night’s snow made it harder than I thought it would be to get into town.”
He could still feel how embarrassed she was by what she’d said as Rebecca introduced him to Alice. Stepping away from the front desk, her cheeks were still pink as she met his eyes.
“Looks like you and I are free to head upstairs.”
He’d gone over the line with her just now… and he regretted it. He hated the way the light had gone out of her eyes.
“I spoke out of turn, Rebecca.”
As far as apologies went, it wasn’t a great one, and she simply shrugged, trying to act like it was no big deal. But he could tell that it was.
Wanting, needing, to get them back on track, back to a place where business came first and emotions had no place at all, he asked, “What’s first on your training agenda?”
There was no smile on her face as she said the one word guaranteed to strike fear into his heart… and to make sure he paid for the way he’d just spoken to her.
“Toilets.”
“No one is ever going to complain about our standards of cleanliness,” he told her a while later. “That’s for sure.”
Sean hadn’t been this close to a toilet since his early teenage drinking days. He worked out daily, but he hadn’t done this kind of awkward physical work for a very long time. The truth was he rarely even had to make his own bed. Either his housekeeper took care of it or he was in a hotel with service.
One thing was certain: he’d never leave a mess for them to clean up again.
And he’d be leaving
way
bigger tips in the future.
Rebecca didn’t respond to his comment, but from her profile as she wiped down the bathtub, he could see a small smile on her face.
Her natural beauty was radiant enough that even with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and
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