Page 42 of Wild Promises

I raised a brow. "DIdn't Dad teach us to go the extra mile for our guests?"

"You're right. He did." Eli smiled slowly, then turned his attention to something on his computer screen. "Oliver said you get a lot of add-ons to the lessons. Do you know why that is?"

"I go to the bunny hill and talk to whoever's there. I can usually rustle up another family or two who didn't want to navigate the online scheduling system or wasn't sure what lessons entailed."

"This is happening almost every day, for every lesson. And they're signing up for a full week, if not more."

I swallowed, then drank my water. "That's good, right?"

"We're just looking closely at the lessons for the first time. We've always trusted you to handle that area."

I set my sandwich down, my appetite fading. "You don't trust me to handle lessons anymore?"

Eli frowned. "That's not what I'm saying. We wanted to take a look at how things are going, and we were surprised at a few things we're seeing."

"You don't want me to talk to the guests or continue lessons on the mountain?"

"No. It's not that. In fact, it seems to be effective. You have more sign-ups then our other instructors."

"I'm really good with people. I may not know my way around a spreadsheet like Oliver or manage conferences like you, but I know people. I know what they want, and I give it to them. If they sign up for extra lessons, that's nice. But I just want them to have a great stay. The parents who come want to have a good vacation, and that means that every kid needs to be confident on that mountain. Otherwise they're split between kids who can ski and who can't. Or they can't go skiing at all."

Eli's eyes widened. "No. That's great. I didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing your methods. They're obviously working."

I leaned forward. "What do you expect me to think when you're scrutinizing things all of a sudden. It certainly feels like you don't trust me."

"I manage the entire resort. I need to look at things closely at least once a year so I know what's going on and what we can improve on. From what you're telling me, not everyone uses the online service. I think Oliver would be surprised about that. We spent a lot of time on the resort app to make it easy as one click to sign up for lessons."

"It is easy. A lot of people have mentioned that to me. But some people need the extra nudge. I've never agreed with the limits on class size either. If the class is full, the app precludesanyone else from signing up. I can do far more people than what the system limits me too."

Eli nodded, his gaze still on the screen. "Your reviews are great too."

How many times could I say that I was good with the resort's guests before Eli believed me? "It's not always about apps and online systems. People want the personal touch."

"I see that with Marcus too. The diners adore him."

"Not everything can be defined by looking at numbers on a spreadsheet. You should come out and see me work."

Eli nodded. "I think I will."

"Good." I finished off my sandwich, my appetite returning.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Eli turned away from his screen.

"I'm taking Tori on a night run."

"That's happening, huh?" Eli asked.

"I hope so." I didn't want to mess anything up, but I couldn't help but be truthful. I did hope for more with Tori. I just wasn't sure I was brave enough to ask for it.

"You deserve the best, Xan."

I grinned, my usual charm returning. "Of course I do."

Eli's expression didn't waver. "I was serious. You're a nice guy. You deserve to get the girl."

I sobered. "I don't know that I deserve her. I wish I did."

"You don't think you deserve Tori?" Eli asked, his brow furrowed.

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