Page 66 of Unforgettable

“Good morning,” she says sweetly.

“Easy, boy,” Zac mutters under his breath. “I’ve never seen eager on you before. Not about a girl. You look a little deranged.”

“Shut up,” I say between my teeth.

“Hey, Scarlett. Good to see you,” Zac says.

“Is Ivy trying Kid Zone?” she asks.

“Yes, and I think Lili will be such a great fit. Have you met her yet?”

Her brows crease in the center. “Lili? I don’t believe I know her…“

“I hired her a couple of days ago. She’s an ASL interpreter and also ECE certified. I’m really excited to have her on the team.”

An odd expression flits across her face and is gone in the next second. She nods slightly and her hands clasp in front of her.

“We were just getting Ivy checked in and then we’re tackling the plans…” I add.

“I-I was wondering if I could sit in on that,” she says, still shy.

I want to tuck her next to me and kiss away any inhibitions she has, do away with any lingering reservations she has about being a part of Landmark Mountain’s future.

“We would love that,” I tell her.

“One hundred percent,” Zac says. “We want any input you have.”

Autumn walks out, her cheeks flushed. “Sorry to make you wait. They’re playing the kids’ version of Lizzo,” she says, eyes wide. “I can’t let that go without dancing.”

Zac pulls her close, kissing her. “I hate that I missed that,” he says in his disgusting, lovey voice.

“Okay, Ballzac, rein it in. Look,” I point at the window where some of the kids have their faces up to the glass watching, “you’ve got company.”

I make a face at the kids like it grosses me out, and some cover their mouths laughing, but I love how Autumn has my brother wrapped around her little finger.

“I better get moving,” I tell them. “Steve will be here in a few minutes if he’s not already.”

We walk back to my office and Magnus and Steve are already talking outside my door like old friends. Steve says hi to Scarlett and I introduce him to Zac and Autumn and turn on the big screen, opening the files Autumn sent. Steve helped the process along by measuring everything last week.

“These are just the beginning stages,” Autumn says, “and now that I’m here, I can already see things I’d change…like this area here by the bookcases,” she says, standing up to point at the shelves to the right of the entrance. “And I’d like to see more of the rooms, if they open up while I’m here, but this is a start.”

“I love the addition of windows along that side wall,” Scarlett says. “And that little rounded edition. Looks like a snow globe…”

“Yes,” Autumn says, excitedly. “That’s what I was thinking too. And whenever Jamison is ready, if you click on the next, you can see the legacy wall.”

“Legacy wall?” Scarlett echoes quietly.

Autumn nods. “I love seeing the history of a place and pictures throughout long spans of time, showing what’s stayed the same and what’s changed. I was thinking along this wall next to the front desk, we could showcase the history of Landmark Mountain Lodge, spotlights on beautifully framed photographs to make it a showstopper.”

I glance at Scarlett as discreetly as I can and her eyes are glassy. She looks down quickly when she sees me watching, and I click to the next 3-D rendering, which is a detailed view of updated decor.

“I thought this married the old and the new,” Autumn continues. “Taking this wall out here opens everything up, a light fixture that isn’t as heavy but still a statement piece in itself would add a big change with little effort…and the coziest, softest couches and chairs that you sink into and never want to get up.”

“I like the sound of that,” Pappy says, laughing.

“Add hot tubs here and here, maybe here,” she says, pointing at various spots on the next plan. “I don’t know what the roof situation is over here, on the southeast corner of the lodge, but an outdoor bar and hot tubs would be amazing there. Or just an outdoor bar and cozy seating. Heat lamps going through the colder months.”

“Love that,” Zac says.

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