Page 73 of Forbidden Love

I didn’t work for the family business. I hadn’t been here in years. What could I possibly have to add?

“Kylie, do you have any ideas?” Xander asked.

“I haven’t worked at the lodge since high school, and I only worked the front counter or housekeeping when necessary.” I was hardly qualified to tell them how to attract more tourists.

“You worked in a hotel in Paris,” Dad said, as if that explained everything.

“Do you host many weddings? I would think summer would be a good time for those looking for mountain views.”

“We’ve had a few requests, but it’s from people who expect us to have a planner on-site. We don’t,” Dad said.

“That’s why you’re considering hiring an event coordinator?” It hurt that they hadn’t immediately thought of me as filling this role.

“We want to be sure that’s what we want to do before we advertise the position.”

“You can always hire them on a probationary period of ninety days or even six months and then reevaluate it. If it’s not bringing in additional income, then you could stop,” I said.

Oliver rubbed his chin. “I would think we’d need at least a year to get an idea of whether it’s cost effective.”

A year was a long time. Even if I wanted the position, I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that long.

“We could add a gazebo and a few other features that would attract couples,” Mom said.

“You can offer the more secluded cabins as honeymoon suites. The guests would stay at the lodge or the cabins. It would be a nice way to fill the resort even in the spring and fall months,” I said, finishing my meal before pushing the plate away from me.

My heart rate picked up as I considered asking them why they’d never offered me a position. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. Did I want to know the answer?

“Are you feeling okay, dear?” Mom asked.

I looked around at my brothers’ and my father’s faces, wondering if I was brave enough to ask them when I never had been before. “I’m just wondering why you’ve never asked me to work at the lodge.”

Dad shifted in his chair, carefully considering his words before he said, “You went to college and never returned. Not for any meaningful amount of time. We couldn’t even predict if you’d be home for breaks to help.”

A lump formed in my throat because I wasn’t sure I was needed or even wanted at the lodge. “All the positions were taken. Oliver handles the finances, Eli handles management, and Xander took over the winter sports. What was left for me?”

My words resulted in a weighty silence at the table.

“Is that how you felt?” Dad asked.

I held my hands as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I was never allowed to make any suggestions. I was always told one of my brothers had it handled.”

“You were just a kid back then,” Oliver said.

“I felt like my opinions weren’t valued. I went to school and majored in hotel management and hospitality, but you never asked what my plans were. I just assumed there wasn’t a spot for me, and maybe in the back of my mind, I thought if I could prove myself to you, you’d change your mind about me.”

“Is this why you didn’t come home often?” Mom asked, pain tinging her tone.

“It was part of it. I never felt like there was a spot for me in the business or in the family.”

“Why would you feel that way?” Dad asked.

I’d bared my soul, and it was too late to turn back. “I was never included in anything the boys did. They didn’t want me around.”

“We didn’t want you to get hurt,” Eli bit out.

I held up a hand. “Your intentions might have been good, but it always felt like you didn’t want me around. Like I was a pest.” It sounded ridiculous to my ears. Most brothers didn’t want their kid sisters around either, but it hadn’t changed as I’d gotten older. I was excluded and unwanted.

“You broke your arm following us out one night,” Oliver added.

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