Page 20 of Colton's Last Resort

Erica waited for them near the closed door of Adam’s office. “Good morning,” she greeted them. “Your father’s flight gets in soon. The helicopter will pick him up around eight thirty. He asked for a meeting in the conference room at ten.”

“How does Adam feel about him running the schedule?” Joshua asked.

Erica arched a brow in answer.

“Oh, boy,” Joshua muttered. He offered the box of doughnuts to Erica. “Lady’s choice.”

Erica eyed the contents when he opened it. “I want the one with the sprinkles.”

“Excellent,” he said, using a parchment square to pinch the corner of the pastry and hand it to her.

“Thank you,” she said, cradling it.

“Did you get in touch with CJ Knight’s people?” Laura asked. She didn’t miss the way Erica tensed, just as she had the night before.

She shook her head, lowering the doughnut. “No. Do you still want me to reach out?”

“Yes,” Laura said. “I’d like to know why he vacated Bungalow One so suddenly. He’s a valued guest. If his departure had anything to do with the resort, we could offer incentives to bring him back. I have his manager’s number. His name’s Doug, I think.”

“Doug DeGraw,” Erica confirmed. “He rarely leaves CJ’s side.”

Laura frowned at Erica over the lid of her to-go cup.

“What is it?” Erica asked, alarmed.

“Nothing,” Laura said. “That’ll be all. Thank you, Erica.” As Erica moved down the hall, Laura grabbed Joshua by the collar and pulled him into her office.

“Hey, what—”

She shut the door, closing them in. “She called him CJ.”

“So?”

She frowned. “Josh, when was the last time you called a guest by his or her first name?”

He thought about it. “Over the summer, maybe. There was that competitive rock climber. The blonde one with the killer—Oh!” He took a step back, holding up a hand. “Wait a minute. You think Erica and CJ Knight...”

“I don’t know,” Laura replied. “But Erica is a professional. And calling one of our VIPs by his first name was a sight less than professional. You should look into this.”

“Me?” he asked, aghast. “Why me?”

“Because the majority of people, including Erica, don’t just respect you. They love you. You also have a tendency to meddle in other people’s affairs,” she stated.

“I do not.”

She placed her finger over his mouth to quiet him. “Please. For me.”

He frowned, then tugged off his hat and ran a rough hand through his hair. “Fine,” he said reluctantly. “But I’m not comfortable with this. What are we going to do if something did happen between Erica and Knight?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “She’s the best executive assistant we could ask for. And I doubt CJ Knight left because of Erica, even if they crossed the line. They could just be friends. If she is close to him, she may have more insight into why he left or if he plans to return. Adam’s worried about any hint of wrongdoing coming off Allison’s death. Celebrity guests get nervous when bad press starts to circulate. And if word leaks to the media that someone like CJ Knight left Mariposa—”

Joshua nodded off the rest. “I get it. Damage control. I’ll talk to Erica.”

“I appreciate it,” she told him. “Truly.”

“I’ve always got your back, ace,” he murmured. “You know that. And, for the record, I didn’t sleep last night either. If you toss and turn again tonight, call me. If we’re going to be awake, we might as well talk each other through it. Or drink about it.”

She raised her hand to his lapel, flipping it the right way out. Smoothing it, she offered him a small smile. “I like that idea.”

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