Juniper Hill (The Edens #2)(25)

Knox leaned into the couch, shaking his head. “You’re right. I’m not really liking your family at the moment.”

“My father isn’t used to being told no. He owns a hotel conglomerate. And he runs his family as heavy-handedly as he

does his business.”

“A hotel?” Knox’s eyebrows arched. “Which one?”

“Ward Hotels.”

“No shit?” He huffed a laugh. “After culinary school, I worked in San Francisco. The restaurant was in a Ward Hotel.”

I blinked. “Really?”

“Small world.”

“That it is.” And I knew exactly which restaurant he was talking about too.

I’d been to San Francisco numerous times, always staying at the hotel. Had Knox been the one to cook my meals? It wouldn’t surprise me. It had been a favorite place to eat.

“I’m named after Dad’s favorite hotel in Memphis. My sister is named Raleigh. My brother is Houston.”

Knox studied my profile. “Ward Hotels is not a small company.”

“No, it is not.”

It was a privately owned multimillion-dollar business. The real estate holdings alone were worth a fortune.

And I’d traded my thirty-million-dollar trust fund for a fourteen-dollar-per-hour housekeeping job.

Maybe it had been a reckless decision driven by betrayal.

We didn’t have much in Quincy.

But we were free.

“You’re cleaning toilets,” Knox said.

I raised my chin. “There’s nothing wrong with cleaning toilets.”

“No, there isn’t.” He gave me a small nod. “What did you do before you came here? You worked for Ward?”

“I was a marketing executive for the company. My brother is being groomed to take over for my father, but my sister and I grew up knowing we’d always have jobs with the company.

We were expected to work there. I started the day after I graduated from college.”

“Where did you go to school?”

“I have a degree in sociology from Princeton. Not exactly useful, but it was interesting.”

Knox was silent for a long moment, then he laughed.

“Princeton. Why did you choose to work at The Eloise? Why not find something that paid more?”

“Hotels are what I’ve always known.” And though I probably could have found a cushy resort and worked my way into a general manager position, Dad had required his executives, including his daughters, to sign a ten-year noncompete.

“It seemed like the easy choice,” I said. “Not that the work is easy. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had. But with so many other changes, I wanted the familiarity of a hotel. Even if I’ve never cleaned a room in my life.”

He blinked. “Seriously? You’ve never cleaned before this?”

“I had a maid,” I admitted. “I watched a lot of videos on YouTube before I started.”

“Well . . . according to Eloise, you’re doing a hell of a job.”

“Thank you.” I was glad it was dark so he wouldn’t see me blush. “I won’t be a housekeeper forever, but I was never given the chance to choose my own path. When I’m ready, I’ll find something that pays more. That leans on my education.

There aren’t a ton of opportunities in a small town, but I’ll keep my eye out. For now, I like where I’m at.”

“You could have picked any other town.”

I shook my head. “I chose Quincy.”

This town was mine.

It was hard to explain how I’d become so attached to this place in such a short time. But every time I drove down Main, it felt more and more like home. Every time I went to the grocery store and my favorite cashier—Maxine—

complimented me on having such an adorable baby, I felt my heart settle. Every time I walked into The Eloise, I felt like I belonged.

“My parents would hate it here.” I smiled.

“Part of its appeal?”

“At first.” I dropped my gaze to my lap. “I know how all of this sounds. It’s part of the reason why I haven’t told anyone. Poor little rich girl gives up her fortune, moves to Montana, and lives paycheck to paycheck all because she was sick and tired of her father ordering her around.”

Saying it aloud made me cringe.

“I didn’t turn my life upside down to spite anyone. I did it for Drake. Because I believe in my heart of hearts, this is a better life. Even if it’s hard. Even if we’re alone.” We’d been alone since the beginning.

“Would they have made your life miserable in New York?”

Knox asked.

“They would have controlled it. They would have ripped the decisions out of my hands, especially when it came to Drake.” He would have had a nanny and been shipped away to boarding school at age ten. “I don’t want to live by someone else’s rule simply because he pulls the strings with my money.”

“I can appreciate that. So what happens when you turn thirty? When he’s not in charge of your trust fund?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m not going to hold out hope that the money will be there. I expect my father to find a way to take it himself. Probably buy another hotel in another city.”