Page 2 of Love to Prove You Wrong

“A control freak?”

“Well, yeah. She likes to have it her way. And don’t forget that her grandson’s wedding is going to bring in a lot of money for the inn. Please stop taunting her like that. Besides, she’s right about Duckota. She shouldn’t be in here, but I don’t know how I can prevent her from escaping all the time.”

Carter looked up from his paperwork and grinned. “If she keeps it up, you might have to start charging her.”

“That won’t be necessary, thank goodness. I have high hopes for buying the patch of land next door. As soon as this wedding is over, I’ll have all the funds I need to put my name on the title deed. Duckota will be one happy duck when that happens.”

Ever since Dad left the management of the inn in my hands, I had dreamt of adding a petting zoo to the place. It would have alpacas, rabbits, chickens, goats, and ducks. Maybe even a pig or a pony. I’d already gotten a lot of positive comments from guests when I talked to them about my ideas. All I needed were the funds to buy an extra patch of land. Hosting Asher’s wedding here would seal the deal – if we kept his grandmother happy, of course. Diane was known for her strong opinions and high maintenance behavior, but I knew how to handle her.

Four more weeks of catering to her needs and fulfilling her requests. Four more weeks of her getting on my nerves. Four more weeks of her trying to rearrange the interior.

I let my gaze wander through the lobby, wondering why Diane wanted to tweak the look of the inn. Almost every review I got online mentioned the charming atmosphere of the place, something I was extremely proud of. The mahogany floors gave the seating area next to the lobby a rustic feel. In the winter months, the fireplace roared daily and the comfortable armchairs offered guests a cozy place to read a book.

The wooden stairs leading to the guest rooms often creaked with every step, but those sounds only added to the charm in my opinion. And I absolutely adored the mountain view our dining room offered. No matter the season, the scenery outside was never short of spectacular.

“Addy?” Carter asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Yes?”

He shoved a piece of paper toward me. “We received a last-minute reservation request last night. Can I allocate room 3E to this guest, or should we keep that open for emergencies?”

I shoved the paper back into his direction without giving it a glance. “Of course you can. What emergency would we keep it for? The Queen of England coming to visit Old Pine Cove?”

Carter shrugged. “Just wanted to double-check. I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

“I love that you do that, but how long have you been working here now? Five months? I trust you, Carter. You don’t have to double-check everything with me.”

He nodded, then opened the online reservation manager. “Kermit the Frog is all confirmed.”

“Who is what now?” I asked.

Carter pointed to the screen. “Kermit the Frog. Says so right here.”

I raised one of my eyebrows and let out a laugh. “Kermit the Frog is going to stay at the Old Pine Cove Inn?”

“Well, I’m assuming that’s not his real name. Maybe it’s one of those tactics celebrities use to protect their identity.”

“Oh, okay,” I said. “As long as he’s not a serial killer and he has a valid credit card, I’m fine with whatever name this guest uses. I’m going to catch up on some paperwork. Would you mind running to the kitchen and checking up on Alex? He wanted to go over this week’s menu with one of us.”

“Sure. Got any pointers?”

“As long as he doesn’t want to serve duck, it’s all good,” I said.

Carter laughed. “Great. Oh, and thanks for trusting me. I appreciate it.”

As Carter disappeared into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but smile as well. The kid was a blessing to have around. Even though he was only twenty-two and had a knack for taunting Diane, he had a great work ethic and never complained when I asked him to do something. Plus, guests loved him. Hiring him had cut into my budget, but the inn was growing so much that I couldn’t keep doing all the work by myself anymore. There was only so much time in a day.

I printed out some paperwork and stapled it together before retreating into my office. It was small but cozy. Right after I became the new manager of the inn, I’d taken down the hideous brown wallpaper and replaced it with two coats of white paint. I’d also opted for one teal-colored wall. A splash of color had never hurt anyone.

There was just enough space to open the door without hitting the desk, and the tiny window gave me a stunning, albeit restricted, view of the mountains. In winter, they were completely covered in snow, but in spring, the lower slopes were blooming. I loved seeing all those beautiful flowers pop up between the pine trees.

I slid into my chair and started working on an occupancy rate report that I could use to check our marketing ROI. A mere ten minutes later, someone rang the bell at the reception desk. If it was about the duck again, I’d scream.

I slid my chair back, but when I got out of my office, there was no one to be seen.

“Hello?” I called out.

“Just a minute.”

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