Page 17 of Worth the Fall

Staying at Sugar Mountain felt like the best kind of fever dream—from the bed and the oversize Jacuzzi tub, which I used almost nightly, to the delicious chef-inspired restaurant and room service. My wallet was the only one complaining. The resort wasn’t cheap, but the friends and family discount Sierra had gotten for me made it worth it.

I’d woken up to a text message from her, asking me to stop by her office on my way out this morning, and I was a little nervous that maybe I’d gotten her into trouble somehow.

I rode the elevator down to the main level, surprised when it didn’t stop on any of the other floors to pick people up. Stepping into the expansive lobby, I walked toward the bellhop.

“Morning, miss,” he said, tipping his head.

“Good morning. Could you point me in the direction of Sierra’s office?”

He took a few steps, maneuvering his body in front of mine. “See the hallway right down there?” He pointed off to the left, around a giant bouquet of wildflowers, and I nodded. “Go down it and keep walking until you reach the end. All the offices are there, hers included.”

“Thank you so much.” I smiled before following his directions, taking note of the fall decorations that were just starting to replace the ones from summer.

I loved this resort. And not just because the hottest men in town were the owners of it either. No. Sugar Mountain Resort was an institution, a legend. The one place you aspired to celebrate your milestones at. Get married, have prom, work events, promotions, et cetera. Everyone wanted to have them here. Even out-of-towners, which was why it was getting more and more difficult for locals to book the place. Trying to grab a banquet hall on a whim? Forget it. Trust me, I’d tried more than once in my line of work.

Sighing as I walked down the hall of offices, I marveled at the deep wood decor. It felt classic... timeless even. Scanning the names on the walls as I passed, I noticed Thomas O’Grady, director of finance, on the wall and ran my fingers across it. I paused only briefly before trying to peek inside, but the room was dark, and the blinds that covered his large window were drawn shut.

I continued walking until I reached Sierra’s office door and knocked. She looked up from her desk, her jet-black hair spilling over her shoulder as she smiled up at me.

“Oh, Brooklyn! Yay!” She clapped her hands together before she started waving. “Come in. Come in. Close the door behind you.”

I did as she’d demanded, even though I had no idea what was going on. “Are you okay?” I asked, and she only smiled bigger, if that was possible.

“Yes. Sit down. I have to talk to you.”

“Okay. I’m sitting,” I said as soon as I pulled out a chair and sat in it, noticing the large picture window behind her that took up almost the entire wall. The view was stunning. And peaceful.

Sierra and I had met five years back because of our respective jobs. She was the events coordinator here, and I worked for an event planning company. There were times when I felt like I talked to Sierra every single day in regard to one upcoming affair or another.

“I’m just going to cut to the chase,” she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone, and I found myself shifting in my chair as nerves coursed through me.

“Okay?”

Shit.Was this about the other day, when I had come back drunk and quite literally run into Thomas? I hadn’t seen him since, which helped keep my embarrassment at bay.

“I’m leaving the resort,” she blurted out, and I reared my head back in surprise.

“Wait. What? Why? Leaving? Like for good?” The questions spilled out of my mouth before I even processed them.

“Jada and I are moving out to Cherry Cove. So, I’m quitting.”

“You’re quitting. Who’s going to take your place?” I wondered.

I’d dealt with the assistant coordinator in the past, and while she was sweet, she was definitely still learning. I couldn’t imagine a resort of this size and reputation handing the reins over to someone not entirely qualified to handle it.

“That’s why I called you here,” she started to explain, but the breadcrumbs she was placing down were not making sense in my mind. “How happy are you at Kleinfeld’s?”

How happy was I at my job? I enjoyed it, but I loved planning weddings the most. And that was the event I got to plan the least. Kleinfeld’s was known for their corporate parties.

“Uh, I mean, I really like my job. Why?”

“Because I think you should be the one who takes mine.”

“Wait.” The pieces finally clicked together at once, and I shook my head in disbelief. “You want me to take your place here? Be the events coordinator for Sugar Mountain Resort?”

“I do. I think you’d be a perfect fit.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered, and she laughed before I formulated a response that sounded more professional. “Can you tell me a little about the job? Like, what is your day-to-day like?”

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