Page 33 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

As Shay left, Lizzie drew in a breath. As she did so, she thought she smelled traces of Justin's cologne. Or maybe that was just her imagination. Perhaps Shay was right, and she did need to get out more and not just with her girlfriends and family members. She was a little lonely. That's why she'd gotten so swept up in Justin.

But if she was going to date someone, it would be a man who lived in Whisper Lake, not someone who was just passing through her life. She'd gotten involved once before with a man who had been going in a completely different direction, and it had almost ruined her dream. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

* * *

Justin woke up sweating. The sun was streaming through his window, but it was only eight, and it shouldn't be so hot.Did he have a fever?

He rolled out of bed and stood up, feeling a blast of heat coming from the vent. He walked over to the thermostat. It was set for heat to come on at sixty-five degrees, but the room temp was up to ninety-seven.What the hell?

He pulled on his jeans and a T-shirt, slipped his feet into sneakers and grabbed his key. When he got downstairs, he saw a group of guests surrounding the front desk with Lizzie in the middle. She looked frazzled but shockingly pretty in a pair of white cut-off shorts that showed off her legs and a pink tank top that clung to her curves. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her cheeks were bright red. She had beads of sweat on her brow, which he suspected were coming not just from the heat but the pressure of the group.

Lizzie put up a hand, calling for quiet. "If you all stop talking at once, I can answer your questions. I just got off the phone with the furnace guy. He'll be out very soon. Something is clearly wrong with the heat, but we will get it fixed as soon as possible. In the meantime, we're going to serve breakfast in the dining room. The windows and the French doors are open, so it's a lot cooler in there."

"What are you going to do if they can't fix it?" a man asked, his tone annoyed and frustrated. "We can't stay here if it's going to be like this. Can you set us up somewhere else?"

"I'm sorry, but all the hotels are full this week for the eclipse," Lizzie explained. "But I don't want you to worry. We will get this fixed, and I will comp all your rooms for a night."

"Well, all right," the man said, his tension a bit eased by her words, but he was still not happy. "However, if it's not fixed by this afternoon, we might have to leave."

"Let's not worry about that now," she said. "Please get yourselves coffee and tea and order breakfast," Lizzie urged. "And don't forget, we'll be having our weekly happy hour cocktail party this afternoon, starting at four o'clock."

As the group moved into the dining room, he stepped forward, and Lizzie gave him a tense smile.

"Did you hear?" she asked.

"Yes. I figured the heat was broken when it was over ninety in my room."

"I don't suppose you know anything about furnaces."

He hated to dash the hopeful gleam in her eyes, but handyman repairs were not his area of expertise. "Unfortunately, no, I can't fix your furnace. But I do know something about business. Why are you offering everyone a free night?"

"Because they're inconvenienced. It's called goodwill."

"It's called being too nice. And you offered to comp that woman yesterday her entire stay because she was bothered by the old man standing outside her door."

"She was also inconvenienced and upset."

He tipped his head toward that very same woman who was laughing with Noah in the adjacent dining room. "She seems pretty good now."

"Well, she's happier because she knows I took care of her. And the others will be happier, too."

"And you will go broke making everyone happy."

She frowned. "Look, I'm doing what I have to do."

"Actually, there are other things you could have done. You could have offered everyone a free batch of cookies or some of that homemade jam you're selling. You could have offered a percentage discount." He could see by the expression on her face that she was not thrilled with his suggestions, and he should stop talking, because it was really none of his business. On the other hand, she'd expressed to him how hard she was working, and implied she was on shaky financial ground.If he could help her, shouldn't he try?

"In the hospitality business, making the guest happy is the number-one priority," she argued. "If I lose in the short-term, I gain in the long-term."

"I agree with that in principle, as long as you have enough cash to survive until you get to the long-term. But if you don't, then you have to stop giving away the entire store without even being asked."

She stared back at him. "I was afraid they were all going to check out. Better to lose one day than the whole week."

"Where would they go? Every hotel in town is booked. You just said so. Although, I'm not sure why the lunar eclipse is such a big draw, but everyone seems to be talking about it."

"You get a great view of the eclipse from here. Anyway, it's done. I offered the comps; I can't take them back. And I will comp your room, too."

"No, you won't."

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