Page 62 of Fall for You
“The ski lodge opens this weekend,” she called out.
He nodded. Bailey was already stressing about the influx of ski tourists and how to market to them.
“I was thinking of going on Sunday.” She offered a wry little smile. “I’m gonna need something to shake off this bachelorette party.”
He smiled. He could picture his sisters and Giselle getting into the girlie-girl vibe of a bachelorette party. But Ronnie?
He opened his mouth to make a joke about it, but she cut him off. “Do you want to come?”
He was so startled, and so…what?
Excited? Touched? Happy?
Whatever it was, he gave her a thumbs-up, a dopey smile, and was no doubt nodding like an idiot.
Now it was her turn to laugh—at him—as she walked away.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eric stared down into his bourbon, letting the noisy laughter and music of the downtown bar drown out his annoying, relentless thoughts.
It didn’t bother him that he wasn’t actually a part of the conversations going on around him. Indeed, there was a very noticeable buffer of empty space separating him from all the other patrons in the bar.
But this was to be expected.
The Spencers weren’t exactly beloved in little ol’ Paradise Springs, and him most of all. It was the price of being the face of a forward-thinking company.
That was what he told himself.
But of course he was well aware that the Kings—and Bailey, in particular—were hailed as saints in this town despite all the changes she was making at that ridiculous inn.
Nope. He gave his head a shake and took another sip of his drink. He’d come here to stop thinking about the inn. And its history.
And most decidedlynotthe Kings’ youngest daughter.
“Eric!” a voice called. “Hey, man, what are you doing here?”
Eric’s head snapped up in surprised recognition, and he turned to find his best friend from college striding toward him. Drew wore a big, dopey grin like he couldn’t be more pleased to see him.
Thank God for old friends.
Eric was well aware that it couldn’t be entirely easy for Drew, being stuck in the middle between the Kings and Spencers. But if anyone could make it work, it was Drew.
He was, at heart, the ultimate diplomat. But even if he called himself Switzerland every time they hung out, refusing to talk business in any way, shape, or form—that didn’t change the fact that they all knew where his loyalties lay.
He’d made that decision when he’d chosen to be in a relationship with Bailey. And Eric had chosen to be okay with coming second.
They didn’t talk about it, but they didn’t have to. He knew enough about relationships to know that if he made his friend choose…
He’d be the loser in this situation.
“What are you doing here?” He grinned, returning his friend’s half-hug and pat on the back. “I didn’t think you were allowed off the property.”
Drew knew he was joking, and he pulled away with a laugh. “It’s true, we’re crazy busy these days. But tonight…” He nodded toward the door. “I volunteered to be chauffeur for those lovely ladies.”
Eric followed his gaze to a gaggle of women, all dressed up and heading toward the back room, typically reserved for parties. He recognized Ronnie Colbert, the local celebrity. And then there was Bailey, of course. And a woman he thought must be Brandon’s baby mama. He’d seen flashes of her around town.
And then, bringing up the rear, was?—
