Page 86 of Boston
“Cora, this is Bailey McAllister,” Boston said, immediately clearing his throat. “She’s—she’s a real good friend of our family.”
Cora heard so much more in those words, but she knew better than to ask right now. “So great to meet you. I’m Cora.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder toward the check-incounter. “Are you checking in? I saw you gesture over to the desk.”
“I was supposed to,” Bailey said. “I actually paid for a room here for last night, but I had car trouble and ended up stranded in a tiny town I don’t even know the name of on the Montana border.”
“You did?” Boston asked. “We could’ve come to get you.”
“Well, I didn’t know you worked here, now did I?” She grinned at him, and while she spoke in a flirty tone, Cora got the impression she just talked like that and wasn’t actually flirting with Boston or Cash.
She sighed. “Anyway, I called and told the woman who answered that I wouldn’t make it, but that I still wanted to pay for the room, so I could check-in whenever today. I was charged, but she says my room isn’t ready.”
Cora didn’t like the sound of this. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“That’s what I said,” Bailey said. “I told her that if I’d been here yesterday, they’d have had a room for me, and they took my money, so why don’t I have a room right now?”
Cora gestured for Bailey to come with her. “Come with me. I’ll get you in right now. You shouldn’t have to wait.”
“It’s—” Bailey looked at Boston, a touch of alarm in her eyes.
“She owns the place,” Boston said. “Go with her, and she’ll probably put you in the best room they have.”
Cora would, yes, because the situation Bailey described wasn’t right. If she’d paid for a room for last night, she should absolutely not be waiting by the pillar for the room right now. She stepped over to Sheela and said, “I need you to look up a reservation, please.” She glanced over to Bailey as she came to her side.
“Bailey McAllister, please,” Cora said. “She should have a room right this very second, as we charged her for last night.”
Sheela tapped and muttered, “McAllister….” Her eyes zipped left and right, and she clicked. “Yes, it’s right here.” She looked up. “July second to the twelfth?”
“Yes,” Bailey said. “Until next Saturday.”
“Why doesn’t she have a room key, then?” Cora asked. “Why is she standing over against the pillar?”
“They’re cleaning the room now, ma’am.”
Cora shook her head, her irritation firing on all cylinders, only accelerated by being calledma’amfrom someone she’d started to consider a friend. She moved around the counter and looked at the screen, though she certainly wouldn’t understand all of it. “No, that’s not right, Sheela. It can’t be. She was supposed to be here last night, so why would the room she’d been assigned yesterday need to be cleaned?”
“She booked a king suite,” Sheela said. “With the mountain view, and—” She swallowed. “We don’t have any available right now.”
“That makes no sense.” Cora looked at the screen, and she saw the room type there. “What happened?’
“We probably upgraded someone last night,” Sheela said, her eyes wide and full of anxiety.
“What have we got then?” Cora said.
“It’s really okay,” Bailey said.
Cora looked at her while Sheela started tapping furiously on the keyboard. “I can do one of two things. I can refund you for last night and put a rush on the cleaning of your room type. Get you up there as quickly as possible.” She looked over to Sheela. “We’ll comp you with restaurant vouchers too, and give you a free drink coupon for the pool bar.”
Sheela nodded, and Cora actually loved situations like this. Shethrivedon them.
Boston and Cash arrived, flanking Bailey. “Is she taking care of you?” Boston asked, his smile made of stars and diamonds and all other shiny things.
“Yes,” Bailey said.
Sheela pointed at the screen, and Cora zeroed in on it. “Or, I can get you in a one-bedroom woods-facing cabin right now.”
Bailey’s eyebrows went up. “A cabin? I don’t think I need a cabin.”
“Take the cabin, Bay,” Boston said. “They’re nice, and the woodsy ones are more private. Right up against the trees. They’re beautiful this time of year.”
