Page 47 of Mountain Grump

“No, you’re doing that, moping around the penthouse instead of greeting guests and helping staff. You know this time of year is busy for the resort.”

“We had a bunch of cancellations.” I blame it on Cali and her attempt to destroy us.

“That’s because the airlines have been overbooked. Some are on strike. You can’t blame Cali for guests being unable to show up. And that doesn’t include the weather causing cancellations either. It’s December. Snowstorms happen.”

“Those are excuses. After New Year’s, you’ll see things don’t start picking back up.”

“Well, the kids will be back in school,” Wyatt says. “Try to relax. Get a massage or something. Find a cute little blonde at the bar. Bang it out and move the fuck on.”

I groan and run a hand through my hair. “I don’t bang anything out.”

“And that’s your problem,” Wyatt says.

“No,” I growl. “My problem is that I slept with Cali and trusted her. And you see where that got me?”

Wyatt shrugs. “Not all women are witches. You just have bad luck. Maybe let me meet them before you sleep with them.”

I glare at my younger brother. “Did you forget meeting Cali?”

A wry grin spreads across his face. He certainly didn’t warn me she could be trouble. But I should have seen that from a mile away. All the red flags flying in the wind. From the moment I met her, the woman was out for blood.

First, it was the prices she thought were outrageous.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Wyatt says.

I’ve had enough surprises for a lifetime. “No thanks.” I sip my beer. It’s all that’s left in the penthouse in terms of alcohol. Wyatt doesn’t think I can get trashed on beer. Well, I can certainly try.

“You’ll like this surprise. Just stay put. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I glare at him as he heads toward the elevator. I swear if he brings Cali up, I’ll kill him. And then I’ll have a screaming match with her until my lungs no longer have air in them to breathe.

I guzzle the beer and grab a second one, wishing I could have something a little harder with more bite.

A few minutes later, Wyatt is coming back up to the room. This time, he brought my old friend, Levi Luxenberg, from New York.

“Levi,” I say, staring at the elevator, glassy-eyed. I’m relieved it’s not Cali and disappointed at the same time.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Logan,” Levi says, and steps into the penthouse. Whether I invite him in or not, he’s making himself at home. He heads straight for the fridge and grabs a beer for himself. “You want one?” he asks my brother.

“I’m good,” Wyatt says, and shakes his head.

“Why? It’s not like you need to be sober. You’re not going anywhere tonight,” I mutter.

Both men choose to ignore my remark. I glance at Levi. “Where’s Amelia?” I ask.

I commend him for it. Most guys would have let the kid rot in foster care.

Levi isn’t most guys.

“She’s with Clare downstairs, grabbing a bite to eat. They found Julianna and are catching up.”

I groan. The thought of Levi bringing his new love hurts. It shouldn’t. I should be happy for the two of them.

I want to be happy for him, but I’m wallowing in my self-made misery.

“Long flight?” I ask, taking another swig of my beer, trying desperately to talk about anything but his love life. I’m happy he met someone, but I’m in more of a feral mood than anything else.

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