Page 17 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"Let's go outside," she told Victor, leading him toward the patio door. When they stepped out onto the bricks, she made sure they were alone and then said, "Why weren't you at the desk while Shay was at the store?"

"I was there most of the time. I just took a quick smoke break," he said defensively. "And nothing was going on. It was slower than slow." He ran a hand through his long brown hair, his gaze defensive.

At twenty-eight, she was only six years older than Victor, but right now she felt a million years older than him. And she'd been working in the hospitality business since she was in high school. She knew what was expected. She also knew when someone had it or they didn't, and she didn't think Victor had it.

"It's slow until it's not," she said. "That's how it works. But you had other tasks you could have worked on while you were at the desk. You could have updated the website, posted on our social media platforms, checked in with the guests to make sure they didn't need anything. There's always something to do."

"I'm sorry, Lizzie. It was just a few minutes."

"Do you want to continue working here?" she asked curiously. "Because if this job isn't for you, maybe you should look into getting something else."

"No. I like it here. I'll do better. I need to stay in Whisper Lake. My girlfriend just found out she's pregnant. I came out here to call her, because she was freaking out about how her parents will react. I was trying to calm her down. I can't afford to lose my job, especially not now. I will do better," he promised.

"I hope so." She knew she should probably fire him.But how could she do that now?Her anger diminished as she looked into his worried eyes. "Go see your girlfriend. Tell her you'll be there for her but not during work hours. You'll only be texting her on your breaks unless it is truly an emergency."

"Got it. Thanks, Lizzie. You're the best."

She was beginning to think she was only the best because she kept giving in to her employees. She'd always promised herself that when she was a boss, she'd be understanding, reasonable, and kind. Unfortunately, she was beginning to realize that sometimes being all those things was not very efficient or profitable.

Victor had one more chance, she told herself, knowing deep down that she'd probably already given him one more chance too many times. However, she needed to get through this week, which required his help, especially now that Shay would be gone for the happy hour tomorrow night. Hopefully, Victor would get his act together and be the right hand she desperately needed. Otherwise, she was probably going to have to bring herself to do something she hadn't done before—fire one of her staff, even one with a pregnant girlfriend and a sob story. She really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Chapter Four

Justin spenttwo hours in Lizzie's office. By the time he ended his meeting with Anthony, it was seven, and his stomach was rumbling. The cookies now seemed like a very distant memory. He needed some real food. Closing Lizzie's laptop, he walked out of the office. Shay was sitting on a high stool at the front desk, working on her computer. She gave him a smile. "Is your work done?"

"For now. But it's never really done."

"You sound like Lizzie. I practically had to force her out of here tonight for her brother's birthday party."

He was wondering where Lizzie had disappeared to. "I've missed more than a few birthdays," he admitted. "I think she said her brother is a police detective?"

"Yes. Adam is a cop and a great guy. He and Lizzie are nothing alike, though. Adam is serious and quiet, intense at times, a little broody. Whereas Lizzie is an outgoing, friendly, whirlwind of creativity and wild ideas. She rarely stops moving or thinking or even talking, but I've never met anyone who doesn't love her." Shay smiled. "She's just one of the most special people you'll ever meet."

"Her friend Hannah called her a force of nature."

"That's a good description."

"And Lizzie has a sister in town as well?" He wasn't normally curious about the people who ran the hotels he stayed in. But then, he'd never stayed in a place like the Firefly Inn.

"Yes, Chelsea is a country music artist. She's actually pretty famous. She took a break from singing for a while, but now she's building a recording studio here in town and is working on a new album. She's engaged to a police officer."

"I met him earlier. He had one of your guests handcuffed."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. I had only left the inn for a few minutes." Shay paused, giving him a helpless smile. "I had no idea all that would go down while I ran to the market. But I'm glad it worked out."

"Lizzie worked it out. She defused the situation very quickly."

"She's good at that. So, what are you up to tonight?"

"First thing on the list is dinner. I need to get some food."

"What do you like to eat?"

"I'm not picky."

"Well, there's the Blue Sky Café run by the lovely Chloe Morgan, who serves up very hearty meals that will remind you of home. Although, Chloe will probably be at Adam's birthday party. Still, her cook is amazing."

Since he could barely remember living in a house where someone cooked him dinner, he said, "What else?"

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