Page 42 of Into the Lion's Den (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

I drew in a long breath. I didn’t have the energy to argue with her about this. It was not the time, especially with Joe looking on, and I was getting the idea that it didn’t matter what I told her. This woman did whatever the hell she felt like doing.

“Withthe Wedding tab on it,” she added slowly.

I breathed slowly—in, then out.

“And…um…when I got back from the ropes course, I received a big booking for a month from now.”

Whatever she saw on my face, it made her add the next part quickly. “It’s not an actual wedding.”

“What is it, then?” I was surprising myself by how calm I sounded.

“It’s a tenth-anniversary party for Gwynnifer and Burke Maddox. They’re very wealthy,andthey’re outdoor enthusiasts, just like the rest of your normal guests. They’re bringing up their family and all the people who were in their wedding party for a long weekend.”

“How many guests?” I was intrigued, not only by what she was telling me but by her barely contained excitement.

In the short time Sarah had been here, she’d actually come to care about the resort. She cared about its success.

“All the rooms will be filled,” she said with a smile. “At five hundred a night, for three nights… That’s going to bring in sixty-thousand dollars, not including their bar tab, which I’m guessing will be high.”

I glanced at Joe, expecting to see the same glimmer of hope that I felt. Instead, Joe seemed to be assessing Sarah, as if he didn’t trust her enthusiasm. That was Joe, though. Always looking for the possible weakness in every solution.

It was probably what made him a better businessman than Dad had been, and for a second I thought I should take a page from Joe’s book. But I had a lot of my father in me, and I couldn’t help hoping for a big win.

Joe must have felt me watching him, because he suddenly jerked his gaze away from Sarah. He met my eyes, and the corners of his mouth tipped up.

I felt a sense of relief when Joe voiced his agreement. “That could make the difference.”

Yes, it could. Sarah had been making a difference since she first arrived. She’d turned out to be one of the few good business decisions my dad had ever made.

But I’d done enough living not to get my hopes uptoosoon. Letting down my guard had never served me well, and our potential salvation was still a whole month away.

17

SARAH

It was nearly midnight. I’d been in bed for hours, tossing and turning. Not even my sleeping pill could override my excitement.

Earlier, when I’d been on the phone with theactualGwynnifer Maddox, all I could think was,How is this real life?I’d been following the social media influencer for years, probably since I was a freshman in college.

All the women I knew wanted to visit the places Gwynnifer and her handsome husband Burke Maddox traveled to…staying at the places they recommended…drinking the fancy pink cocktails…walking as silhouettes on the beach at sunset… The woman lived a goddamndream.

I’d wanted to ask why on earth she wanted to come here. The lodge would look beautiful on the Maddoxes’ Instagram feed, but it was hardly the French Riviera.

Fortunately I’d held my tongue. Questioning the woman’s decision didn’t feel like the best sales pitch for the resort, and I got my answer without having to ask.

Gwynnifer had grown up in Winnipeg, just six hours away. She had an aunt who’d stayed at the resort several years ago and recommended it for its privacy.

When I told Reese, I’d nearly burst trying to temper my excitement—partly because it had felt awkward to gush in front of a stranger; partly because I was afraid Reese would tell me no.

He hadn’t. He’d seemed relieved. Happy even. It was the first time I’d seen an expression like that on his face, and he’d looked positively beautiful.

Of course, he always looked beautiful. But I liked being the one to ease the perma-crease between his eyebrows and lift the weight of the world off his shoulders. If only for a moment.

I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the edge of my mattress.Warm milk. That’s what I needed to sleep.

A sound stopped me. A scratching sound. Just outside my window. “What the—?”

I walked to the window and pulled the curtain back just an inch. It was black as pitch out there. The only light came from one of the windows in the staff bunkhouse, and it wasn’t enough to illuminate the yard.

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