Page 71 of Colton's Last Resort

“It smells incredible,” she said in wonder.

Joshua was quiet for a moment. “You used to make us breakfast—Adam and me. After Mom died.”

“Yes.” She remembered.

Regret tinged his voice. “Nobody’s ever made breakfast for you in return, have they?”

She didn’t reply. The note had said Noah had had to run. But he’d made her coffee, fed Sebastian and thrown together a whole omelet?

The walls of her heart gave a mighty shake.

A fork clattered onto the range next to the plate. She turned to see Joshua grin. “Eat your heart out, ace.”

The morning meeting wasn’t quick, but it was concise. Laura let Adam lead, still reeling from her naughty night with Noah.

Alexis lingered after Adam called the meeting to an end and the other members of staff bustled out to prepare for the next day’s event. “I did what you asked,” she told Laura. “I called the number you tracked down. It was CJ Knight’s cell phone.”

“Did he answer?” Laura asked hopefully.

“I left a message.” She took her phone from the pocket of her blazer. “He texted me a reply.”

Laura tilted her head to read the phone’s display.

Ms. Reed, I apologize for leaving Mariposa on short notice. Yes, I will keep my reservation for 2/16.

“He’s coming,” Laura said to Adam.

“That’s good,” he said with a nod. “Thank you, Alexis.”

“Yes,” Laura chimed in. And because she was so sick of withholding information from Alexis, Laura added, “Mr. Knight may have information.”

“What kind of information?” Alexis asked, narrowing her eyes.

Adam cleared his throat, warning Laura to tread lightly.

“About Allison,” Laura answered.

Alexis assessed them both. “You think he had something to do with what happened to her?”

“No,” Laura said quickly. “But he departed Mariposa the next day. Police couldn’t question him. It’s possible he saw something or heard something that could lead police to the person responsible.”

“That makes sense,” Alexis allowed after a moment’s contemplation.

“If you could avoid mentioning this to him when he arrives, that would be great,” Adam added. “We need to let the police handle their investigation.”

“Right,” Alexis said.

Laura walked with her to the door of the conference room. “You’ll see that the other concierges have their assignments as the wedding party filters in today?”

“I will,” Alexis replied.

“I appreciate it,” Laura told her.

“That was clever of you,” Adam noted after Alexis had departed. “You didn’t lead her to believe the police are considering Knight as a suspect.”

“I want this to be over,” she blurted. “I hate hiding things from the people I care about. Alexis. Josh. Tallulah.”

“This was your idea, Lou.”

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