Page 64 of Into the Lion's Den (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“But…” I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“I’m sorry.”

I stared vacantly at the wall, refusing to blink though my eyes stung with heat.

“We’ll return the deposit,” he said.

I clenched my teeth. Refunding the deposit wasn’t going to make any difference to the Maddoxes. They wouldn’t miss two thousand dollars. Theywouldmiss the Taylor Holt Experience. “The anniversary couple…they met at a Taylor Holt concert.”

“You mentioned that when we first spoke, but it doesn’t change my client’s health. Who should I send the check to?”

“The funeral home.” This party was as good as dead.

“What’s that?”

I rolled my eyes toward the wall. I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud. “Nothing. Send it here, to Reese Fitzpatrick’s attention.”

I hung up, bent down to pick up a shoe, and threw it at the wall.

A few seconds later there was a knock on my door.

I answered it.

Reese stood there. His lips parted, and his penetrating gaze mapped my entire body. I’d forgotten I was in only a towel, and I held it tightly around me, trying to pretend this was totally normal. “Yes?”

“I heard something slam against my bedroom wall. Are you all right?”

I let out a breath. I hated to keep dumping on him, but he needed to know. “I just got more bad news.”

His lips tightened. “What now?”

“The band the Maddoxes wanted to play at their party just canceled for health reasons.”

He dragged his hand over his beard. “Please tell me that doesn’t mean the Maddoxes are going to cancel the whole weekend.”

“I don’t know. I obviously haven’t had time to tell them about this. Or about the masseuses.”

“Well, don’t call them. We can’t afford for them to cancel, and they’ll get over the change in plans once they see everything else we have to offer.”

“You don’t get it, Reese.”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “What’s not to get?”

“Even if they don’t cancel and all the money you’re expecting comes in, the Maddoxes are social media influencers. They have millions of followers across all demographics.

“They can make or break a business with a single photograph or a snarky comment. If things aren’t absolutely perfect, they’ll tell the whole world about it. One tweet could ruin the resort.”

25

REESE

This was my siblings’ and my first time eating in town since our father died, and we weren’t going unnoticed. As a bold store owner once told me, “Seeing you Fitzpatricks all together is a little unnerving.”

As shifters, we were physically attractive to the human eye. Our strength was obvious too. One of us could turn heads. Five of us together was apparently unsettling, even tucked into one of the Mad Hatter’s dark back corners.

The waitress delivered our food, then scurried away, her cheeks flushed. I watched her go, having second thoughts about doing this here, but it had been four days since James Caldwell’s visit, and I’d put off my siblings’ curiosity long enough.

“We need to discuss the future of the business,” I said.

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