Page 13 of Thankful for My CEO

From the research I’d done, Hayes Hospitality Worldwide owned luxury resorts on every continent except Antarctica. The real deal. White Pine Lodge was a departure for him. He must have had some reason to go for it.

An older man parted from the loud family group and approached our table. “We’re leaving in a few minutes,” he said. “Thank you for helping us stay warm last night. Happy Holidays.”

“You’re all checked out, sweetheart. Have a safe drive.”

Our conversation lulled as the family slowly filed out of the dining room. I started on the roll and cranberry jam.

“Delicious,” I told Mrs. Taylor.

“I’ll pass that on to Delia.”

After another stretch of silence, she leaned into me, conspiratorially, even though we were alone in the dining room now. “You know, I think I know why Mr. Hayes felt for Dan and made such a generous offer. Dan’s wife, Ellen, passed away from Huntington’s Disease. Mr. Hayes told me his mother passed away from the disease when he was young. It’s rare, so I’m sure that’s what made him take a second look at the lodge.”

The amaryllis tattoo.

That made sense. I remembered reading somewhere that it represented Huntington’s Disease. I would never have made that connection.

“Oh,” I said, “I… I didn’t know that.”

Mrs. Taylor picked up her book again, turned a page, then set it down again abruptly. “I hear he’s donated at least a million to Huntington’s research in the past few years. He’s really not what you’d expect for someone as wealthy as he is, don’t you think?”

“No,” I said, quietly. “He’s not.”

His words from the night before echoed in my mind.“I’m not that kind of man,”he had insisted.

I tried to sort through my racing thoughts as I kept eating and Mrs. Taylor returned to her book, apparently out of gossip for now.

Kit was born wealthy, clearly, and was carrying on the family tradition of owning luxury real estate. But nothing in my research had painted him as an irresponsible playboy. That had been my expectation, knowing how wealthy he was, how he was barely older than me, and that face with his chiseled jawline and high cheekbones. I’d just assumed, and his arrogance upon our first meeting had solidified my assumption.

But what actual proof did I have of his character?

He bought a failing business to support a widowed man going through something he understood. He was doing everything possible to stop others from experiencing the devastating effects of the disease.

And, on top of that, he still had the time and money to invest in small startups like Earthbloom.

He’d offered me, basically a stranger, to stay in his cabin during the storm. He’d returned my hotel key - twice.

Once through a hailstorm.

Maybe I’d treated him unfairly. It wasn’t like he’d forced himself upon me. I’d clearly… I’d clearly wanted him, too. I had already admitted that to myself.

And hadn’t he given me space as soon as I made it clear that’s what I needed?

My heart fell.

I’d made a huge mistake.

“I want to know you better,”he’d said.

I wanted to know him, too.

I stood up from the table, abruptly.

“I think I… There’s something I need to do,” I managed to get out. “Can I leave my bags behind the front desk?”

“Of course, sweetie,” she said. “Is there anything I can help you with? I’ll be at the desk in a few minutes. I want to finish my coffee - and this chapter.”

I shook my head and rushed to stash the bags behind the front desk before turning around - and nearly crashing into Kit.

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