One Bossy Offer (93)

“Are the repairs done?”

“Yeah, pretty much, everything important. You already know about my winter opening plans. God, Pippa. I never thought I’d own a hotel after doing so much time at Winthrope, but—here I am.”

She smiles. “I’m proud of you, girl. And I don’t mean any crap, but... are you sure you’re ready? Do you think it’ll be too much?”

“It’s a ton of work,” I admit. “But if Gram managed all these years, so can I.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re a certified girlboss. But you’ve gone through some sweeping changes recently with your grandma dying, moving here, taking the gig with Cromwell, and falling head over heart for him.” She smiles sweetly as I flip her off. “Just know, you don’t have to decide everything right now. You can reopen, then decide if you want to keep hacking at some marketing work on the side, whether it’s for him or somebody else.”

“Yeah,” I say wistfully.

I miss this easy chatter.

I needed this.

You’ll never get a better steaming shot of courage than the kind you get from your best friend.

“I knew I missed you for a reason,” I say. “Are you guys coming out on the boat with us tonight?”

“Totally. It’s been too long since you spent an evening with me and Brock.”

I smile. It really hasn’t been that long since her last visit, and even less time since I returned from seeing her in Seattle.

It’s the distance, I think. The way Pinnacle Pointe swallows everything up and sucks you into its own dreamy little world.

“I’m just pumped you’re following in my footsteps. You have your own billionaire bad boy and he’ll wife you up soon enough.”

“Pippa!” I hiss, hating that I almost add don’t jinx it. “Did it ever feel too good to be true with Brock? I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Wait, why? Did he do something wrong?”

“Do you remember the second crazy offer I got on the inn?”

“Yep. Still can’t believe you didn’t take it, honestly.”

“You know I couldn’t.”

“Right. Grammy’s ghost and all—and I guess I don’t blame you. Lottie might haunt your ass forever.”

I laugh. “Actually, she doesn’t need to show up in a mirror or rattle any chains. Gram had this weird clause written into her will that the only person I could sell to for the first few years is Miles. I can’t take the crazy offer even if I want to.”

“Well, damn. Way to play cupid from the afterlife, Granny Risa.”

I laugh again.

“That’s a stretch. But anyhow, the woman who made the offer, she’s some crazy he used to work with who backstabbed him...” I fill her in on what little I know about his history with Simone and the smear campaign against the town.

Talking it out, I can’t help noticing the strange, incomplete picture he’s left me with.

By the end of it, Pippa shakes her head.

“Man. I know how uptight CEOs get about their little business secrets. You don’t have to tell me.”

“He said he couldn’t trust her to do business. And seeing how she went after Pinnacle Pointe, I can’t blame him, but still... I wonder what I’m missing. There’s something else going on with this woman.”

“Hold up. When you say something’s going on, you think he’s playing you?”

I hesitate. “I’m not sure what to think, Pippa. He got so mad when his assistant called to say he couldn’t sue her I thought he might chuck his phone off the balcony. He told me she wouldn’t stop until he was dead, then he tried to walk it back. But I know what I heard. I just don’t know why he won’t be honest about the rest.”

“That’s odd for sure. Maybe he just didn’t want to worry you, or maybe he told his assistant because he thinks the whole thing started over a bad business deal. Men are weird.”

I stare at her. “You don’t think this is just about business either, do you?”

She’s quiet.

“Hard to say. Guys like Miles do go nuts over their deals, and they turn into lions when they’re facing down a real threat. So, yeah. That doesn’t mean Cromwell is lying to you, necessarily, but he’s probably holding something back.”

Just like I suspected.

I knew it, but hearing her agree makes my heart sink.

“He swore they were just friends who were looking at a merger once, but why would it make him so bitter? I don’t understand.”

“Well, don’t overthink it too much. She’s probably an ex or a bad hookup, and he’s just afraid to tell you.”

“That’s kinda what I’m worried about,” I say.

“Why? He had a life before he met you.”

“Oh, for sure. I’m not jealous or whatever.” Cream groans next to me in her sleep and I stroke behind her ears. “That’s what bothers me about this whole thing. Not that he had a girlfriend before he knew me or whatever. It’s that he thinks it’s better to hide it than just give me the whole ugly truth.”

The silence hangs heavy between us.

“Hmm. That’s a tough one. But I’ll try to get a better read on him tonight,” she promises.