Page 46 of Wild Nights

"You're right. I'll talk to Caro about it."

"Caro?" Eli asked, confusion etching his voice.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry. I meant Carolina. I was just talking too fast. You know how I get when I'm stressed."

"That's why I think I should come home." I could practically see him running his hands through his hair, debating what to do.

"I've got this, Eli. Let me handle this for once."

The phone clicked over to speakerphone, and Scarlett came on the line. "I'm sorry, Oliver. Eli just wanted to check in, and now we have a day of sightseeing planned. He won't be calling you anymore because we're both confident that you can handle a little snow storm." Her tone was saccharine.

Eli grumbled in the background.

I chuckled. Scarlett knew how to handle him. "Thanks, Scarlett. Enjoy the rest of your vacation."

"We plan to," Scarlett said as she clicked off.

I shook my head. I hadn't expected Eli to fall so hard for Scarlett, especially when she was Chance's younger sister, but they were all in. I suspected they'd get engaged soon. I tried not to let that possibility bother me, but it did.

I liked Carolina, but there was no guarantee that she'd be okay with me having a son, and Joey came first. I shouldn't even be thinking about adding another woman to his life. Especially when his mother was absent most of the time.

I had a resort to run and a conference to shut down. I just hoped Carolina wouldn't be upset. I watched the forecast again, checking several different channels before heading to the conference room. I almost never came down here because it was Eli's domain.

The room was loud and filled with table after table with holiday crafts for sale. There were blankets, lawn ornaments, and even baked goods. My throat tightened as I walked the room, looking for Carolina.

There were too many people here, and it was hot. When I didn't see her, I looked around for the exit. There were people everywhere now, walking from table to table, a few breaking off to pick up an item.

I walked with the crowd, wondering if I should have texted Carolina instead. Why did I think it would be easy to find her? I never realized how busy these events were. Everyone was happy and excited. I caught a few questions about the impending storm, but mainly people were talking about the holidays and the gifts they still needed to buy. How was I going to shut this down?

There was no way I was going to find Carolina in this crowd. I weaved through the throngs of people until the door was in sight. That's when someone touched my arm.

"Oliver, what are you doing here?"

Carolina stood at my elbow. She tugged me off to the side, away from the people. "I was looking for you."

She frowned. "Is everything okay?"

I sucked in a much-needed breath. "There's a big storm coming in tonight."

She tipped her head to the side. "This is Colorado, right? Aren't you used to snow?"

"It's supposed to be a big one. Blizzard conditions. Whiteouts. Eli wants to give everyone an opportunity to head home if that's what they want to do."

Her forehead creased with concern. "What are you saying?"

"He wants me to shut it down. You can finish today, but he doesn't want you to hold the second day. If the storm is as big as they're saying, no one will be able to get here tomorrow to shop."

Her shoulders slumped. "Oh, Oliver."

"This is Eli's decision. He's worried about the guest's safety. Not just the ones staying at the lodge, but those who came for the event. He wants them to have the option to drive home or catch a flight before things shut down."

"Do you really think this is necessary?"

"They're already talking about closing schools. Not something that happens here often."

Her shoulders sagged. "It figures I'd host my first holiday event during a once-in-a-lifetime storm."

"I'm sorry." I felt helpless to do anything for her. Eli made the right call. Safety was paramount.

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