Page 36 of Wrong Idea

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“Enlighten me, kid.” His arms crossed over his chest.

“Our employees?—“

“Not the bullshit answer you probably told your brothers, but the truth.” Fine, if that’s what he wanted.

“She works nights, Stan. I wasn’t kidding when I told you I want to be the one to provide for her. To take care of her in every way possible,” I pointed out the unnecessary. Stan knew what time every damn employee worked, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that included the employees in the spa, restaurant, and the chalet, where we rented out ski and snow boarding equipment.

“Max walks around the resort late at night. Not just because she was pitching in to help with housekeeping. She does it regularly, and even if we’re heading into summer, we’re still on a mountain, and the air gets chilly.”

“You were worried about her.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. His eyes narrowed and brows bunched. “Why the new uniform shirts?”

“The other ones were shit. Scratchy and…” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “I didn’t want her wearing something uncomfortable.”

The old man took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I had no idea what to expect. He picked up the resignation letters off the top of my desk before exhaling and looking at my eyes. Max might not have parents for me to meet, but Stan was a hell of a lot scarier.

“You hurt her, you step out on her, or make her cry one more fucking time, and I swear it won’t matter what your last name is or how much is in your bank account, kid.” He pointed at me, and I swallowed. “I know this mountain. Been here all my life. I know all the little nooks and crannies. People go missing all the time. You do anything to that girl other than make her life a goddamn fairy tale, and no one will find you. They’ll think you got abducted by freaking aliens with how you vanished into thin air. You understand me, boy?”

“I do.” I nodded. As scary as Stan sounded in that moment, I was glad Max had someone like him in her corner.

“I might be old, but I’m far from stupid, kid. I know what you’re thinking. I’m old as hell, but let me tell you something; I know a lot of people who wouldn’t mind getting their hands dirty for that girl.”

“I understand, Stan. If I hurt her, I’ll hand you the shovel. I love her. I want her to be my wife because she’s already my entire life,” I shared, and the man made a face.

“Good,” he huffed. “Now, go make it right!”

“Make it—“ I hesitated. Could I just show up to her place again? “She needs time.” I shook my head, and I could have sworn the old man looked disappointed in me.

“Kid, I’m telling you this as a man who has had his share of spins around the sun. Time and space are the last things she needs.”

“Stan—“

“That girl gets too much time and space, she’s going to get in her head and talk herself out of whatever you two started. I know her. She doesn’t get close to people, and for a damn good reason. Life has dealt her shit cards time and time again. But what the fuck do I know? You go ahead and dig your own grave.” He started to walk out but stopped at the doorway.

“Just so you know… If you don’t fix this, you and Harrison will be getting these, and you better plan on hiring a shit ton more people because the ones here will only be the tip of the iceberg.” He waved the resignation letters in his hand before he disappeared. I sat down on my desk and scrubbed my face. “We might be easily replaceable, but trust me, hiring and training people to do our jobs for the hours and money we get? Good luck, because it’s going to be the biggest fucking headache of your life.”

What the hell am I doing?I had to go after her.

My eyes dropped to my laptop. I needed to see her. To know what she was doing. I opened and started it up, heading to the window that would give me eyes into her place.

But she wasn’t there. The cameras were all looking at the same thing, from almost the same angle.Shit.I blinked, looking at the screens, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Two wine bottles and an empty glass.

Not only wasn’t she there, but the cameras were all together.She found them.She had found the cameras and set them down on her kitchen table. I sat up and grabbed my phone. Bringing up thefind my phoneapp because I had made sure to have her share her location with me one day a week ago when she wasin the bathroom. Not that she knew she was. When her location finally updated, I couldn’t believe it.

I stood up, ready to search for her. My phone said she was here, at the resort. I grabbed my keys, and when I looked up, there she was, as if I had conjured her up.

“Max!” I called out, but any other words died on my tongue. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying, and if I was right, her body swayed slightly.

“Carver Storm. The guy who signs my paychecks,” she mumbled before her brows bunched and she glared at me so damn adorably my heart squeezed, “You have a lot of explaining to do.” She pointed at me. There was no denying the anger in her voice.

Max stepped into my office, and I couldn’t seem to string two words together. She tripped over her feet as she walked directly to my desk but somehow caught herself. She set a camera down, and I looked at it, then back at her.

“So… not only did you lie about who you were and what you did, but you’ve been watching me?” she asked.

I opened and shut my mouth like a goddamn goldfish. I should have gone after her like Stan said.

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