Page 15 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I know. But there is a small problem," Shay said.

Her heart sank. "I thought you said nothing was wrong."

"Kyle wants me to meet them tomorrow in Denver. They're only going to be there for twenty-four hours. They're basically extending a layover on their way to New York where his father is speaking at some medical conference. It's as close as they'll be to us for the next year, and it saves me from having to make a trip to Melbourne."

"Wow, that's crazy. They just found out about this trip?"

"Apparently, they didn't want to say anything until they knew if they could make the Denver layover work. I know it's bad timing, Lizzie. It's a busy week, but I can't say no. It's just the day and one night. I'll be back Thursday morning, by eleven at the latest."

This was probably the worst possible week to lose Shay for twenty-four hours. But Shay wasn't just her employee; she was also her friend. "You have to go. We can make it a day without you."

Relief filled Shay's gaze. "You're the best, Lizzie. Thank you. So, what took you so long? I thought you were going to be back an hour ago, and why did Justin Blackwood have your phone?"

"It's a long story. I have a better question—where were you when Patty Lawrence called the police on Noah Bennett?"

"What?" Shay asked in surprise. "When did that happen?"

"Like ten minutes ago. Brodie had Noah handcuffed out front when I arrived."

"I had no idea. I went to the market to pick up some grocery items for Naomi. I just got back. What happened? And didn't I just see both of them having tea in the dining room?"

"Patty thought Noah was stalking her, because he was lingering outside her room. I guess she called 911. But she should have not had to do that herself. Someone should have been at the desk when she came down."

"Victor was supposed to stay at the desk while I was gone, but I did just see him outside smoking a cigarette and looking at his phone. I was hoping that he'd only stepped out a second ago."

She frowned with annoyance. Victor was a recent college graduate and a local kid who'd told her he was interested in learning about the hotel business, so she'd given him a part-time job. But he was turning out to be a slacker, and more interested in swiping left or right on his phone than taking care of business.

"I'll talk to him," she said.

"Again? How many chances are you going to give him?"

"Just one more. It's a busy week."

"I hear you, but I wouldn't expect a miracle." Shay paused. "If Patty called the police on Noah, how are they now friends?"

"I explained the situation with his lost love, and Patty felt sorry for him. She's a widow, and I think she understands his loneliness. I suggested they talk, and it seems to be going well."

"They were laughing when I walked through the dining room, so I'd say it's going great."

"Good."

"I'll go get Victor."

"Thanks. I'm going to set Justin up in my office. He needs to use my computer for a video conference. I told him he'd have privacy."

"No problem."

As Shay left, Lizzie walked into her office. It was a bit disorganized, but she didn't have time to clean it for Justin. While it was messy, she knew where everything was, and filing was the least of her concerns these days.

She did, however, take a moment to clear space on her desk. Then she opened her laptop. Seeing three bills pop up on the screen, she quickly closed those windows, not just because she didn't want Justin to see them, but also because she didn't want to be reminded of her increasingly growing financial problems.

She just needed to get through this week. The inn was full, and her happy guests would hopefully ease some of the pressures for at least the next month.

She sat down in her worn, creaky chair and let out a breath. She had a lot on her plate, but she still felt happy to be in her office, in her inn, running her dream business. That's what she had to remember. She was doing exactly what she wanted to do, and she would make it work. She didn't just have herself to worry about; she had all her investors, her family members, who had put their trust in her and their money into the inn. She couldn't let them down. She just wished the problems were getting smaller instead of bigger.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she drew in several deep breaths, trying to remember the yoga mantras that would clear her mind and release her stress. But in the darkness, she couldn't see her normally calm mountain meadow image; she saw Justin Blackwood's very attractive face and his especially penetrating blue eyes that could be both fiery and angry as well as cold and calm.

She'd seen quite a few emotions run through his gaze over the past few hours, and she wasn't really sure exactly what she thought of him. Except that when he smiled, it felt shockingly amazing and made her want to make him smile again. Although, that would be an uphill battle. He clearly wasn't the kind of person to find joy in the little things in life.

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