Page 34 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I want to treat everyone the same."

"I can afford to pay for the room, heat or no heat. And you don't have to take my advice. I was just trying to help."

"I appreciate that, and maybe I was too impulsive with the offer, but I felt cornered and I'm a bit of a people pleaser."

"A bit?" he queried.

She gave him a wry smile as she threw up her hands. "Fine. I'm a big people pleaser. I like people to be happy."

"And you want them to like you."

"It's more that I want them to like the inn."

"Which is an extension of you."

Her brows drew together. "Are you saying all this is because I have some desperate need to be liked?"

"Do you?"

"No. I'm already well-liked."

"Because…"

"Because I'm a nice person, and I'm a good friend." She tilted her head as she gave him a thoughtful look. "And besides analyzing me, maybe you should look in the mirror. Try a little harder to be liked."

"I don't really care if anyone likes me," he said, although deep down he was beginning to think he did care about one person liking him, and that was her.

"That's probably good, since you're not always that nice."

"I can be nice."

"Yes, and you can be fun. But as I said last night, just because you can be something doesn't mean you are. If you have to think about being nice or being fun, that implies you're not really either of those two things, or at least, it doesn't come naturally."

"Ouch," he said. "Maybe you're not as nice as I thought."

She instantly looked regretful and apologetic. "I'm sorry. It's been a rough start to the day. I didn't mean to insult you."

"You were just being honest."

"I was being stupid, because you're my guest."

"Who was getting in your business without being asked."

She met his gaze. "Well, that is true. At any rate, you should get some breakfast. You can pick from three entrees and several sides, or if you don't want anything cooked, there's yogurt and granola, fresh fruit, croissants. Breakfast is included in your stay." She suddenly frowned. "I'm sure you don't think that's a great idea, either."

"Whether it should be included in the stay depends on how rich you are."

"Not very. I've considered cutting back on the menu, but if I do, it will be difficult to keep Naomi. She's my chef, and she only came on board because I promised her a longer-term plan of offering dinner as well as breakfast, turning the dining room into a restaurant that the locals can enjoy all year long. Naomi is a fabulous cook and she's been happy enough with part-time because she has a daughter in high school, but next year her daughter goes off to college, and then she wants a full-time job. I don't want the other restaurants in town to steal her away." She brushed a tangled strand of hair off her forehead. "Anyway, those are all problems for another day. Right now, I need to open more windows."

"I'll help you."

"That's not necessary. You should eat."

"I'll let the crowd die down," he said, noting that most of the tables were taken.

"All right," she said, heading into the living room.

They made their way through the inn, opening every window and door and then moved upstairs to the guest rooms. Things slowed down as Lizzie stopped to explain to various guests the problem with the furnace and asked them to open their windows. He didn't really know why he was still following her around. He had other things to do. He needed to get dressed, go into town, and get himself a phone and a computer. Then he needed to work. But as they made their way up the stairs to the attic, he was reminded of her story from the night before.

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