Page 1 of A Chance for Us
One
OLIVER
“Two weeks, Oliver! Two freaking weeks and we’re not even close to ready! Again! You did this to us again! I could kill you. I could wrap my hands around your neck right now,” my sister screams as she signs a sheet one of the construction workers hands her.
I give Stella my signature grin as the worker walks away with wide eyes. I’m used to her going off the rails about things. However, I’ve always got it under control.
Well, that’s not entirely true here. I don’t have this handled, but I’m not going to let them know that. I’m actually freaking the fuck out.
The wedding we had planned a few months ago we had to cancel and refund all their money because we weren’t ready to open. It was a big blow to the resort, and even though I managed to book another wedding for our new projected soft opening week, we’re still not ready.
“It’ll be fine, Stella.”
“No, it won’t. Do you see this?” she asks, pointing at the ground.
“Yes.”
“What do you notice about this?”
I shrug. “It’s gray.”
“I hate you. I swear to God, I hate you. How about the fact that it’s concrete? Are the floors supposed to be concrete?”
“Foundation is often that.”
She groans and throws her hands up. “Lord help me!”
I take pity on my twin, tossing my arm around her. “Relax. It’ll be fine. The flooring will come in, and we’ll get it installed before the guests arrive.”
The look of utter hate she sends me would make most men cower. God, she’s mean. “You don’t know that.”
“No, but I am not going to worry about it. Maren knows that the resort isn’t even open. It’s why she got the place for less than fifteen thousand dollars.”
“Yeah, a fucking wedding for fifteen grand, another brilliant idea of yours.”
“I thought so,” I retort. I’m in charge of all the special events, pricing, and adding all the little details to make something go from affordable to profitable. I never really thought of myself as a sales guy, but I’m pretty charming and was able to prove myself. One of the few talents I have, other than annoying my siblings, is planning. I see everything as a puzzle, and I’m going to use that to make us a lot of money.
At least that’s the plan.
This issue might be a bit out of my reach.
“It wasn’t. You booking a wedding as our soft opening was stupid.”
“Go big or go home,” I repeat our estranged father’s motto and instantly hate myself for it.
“Really?”
“It slipped,” I admit.
Stella sighs. “I can’t help but think we bit off more than we could chew.”
“We might have, but we’ll do the best we can. If we have to put down temporary floors or spin some bullshit that it’s all part of the rustic décor, we’ll do it. No one will know but us.”
“As if the floors are the only thing not done?” My brother Josh enters the room. He opens his folder, running a finger down a page as he reads. “Delay in the kitchen sinks, chef just fired the entire kitchen staff for being idiots, furniture leg broken on the sofa in the lobby, electrical issue in the upstairs left wing, the lighting wasn’t what we ordered for the guest rooms . . .” He lifts his eyes to me. “Should I go on?”
“I don’t know what else you’d like me to say. I booked it weeks ago and they’re paying. In order to secure the loan, we needed to show we’d have actual revenue, and booking all the rooms did that as well as allowed us to hire the chef who isn’t happy.”
“We could’ve done a wedding after we had a better plan and knew what the kinks in the resort were.” Josh pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s just with Delia and the baby, Grayson busy with his kids, and Stella sneaking off with Jack constantly—”
