Page 94 of One Little Mistake
“No billboard. Your word is good enough for me.”
She opens her mouth to speak as a loud, clanging bell rings out.
“What the hell is that?”
Lexi jumps to her feet. “Shit. That’s GG. She used to ring that bell when Lanie and I were up here. Or …” She glances around for her shirt.
“Or what?”
“Or when I was in trouble.” She grins.
“Hmm, I think I’m going to really like your kind of trouble.”
Lexi throws my jeans to me, then smiles a full, beautiful, genuine smile that lights up her entire face. “Me too, Beast. But if you don’t hurry, GG will send in reinforcements.”
I’ve been in this town long enough to know she’s not kidding, so I dress in record time. Just as Lexi is about to climb down the ladder, I pull her in for one more kiss. Then once more. She’s definitely a mistake I never want to correct.
Chapter 36
Easton
“Isee ya found the treehouse,” GG says by way of a greeting as I enter the lodge.
Lexi and I used different entrances, hoping to throw her off the scent, but we should have known better. This is GG we’re talking about.
“Ah, yeah. It was fun to see what the girls would do as kids.”
“Uh-huh. And when they were being naughty teenagers, too,” she cackles.
“How’s everything at the Wagon Wheel?” I know it’s another property she owns. Dex said it’s a motel, but I’ll need to make a visit there soon if it’s anything like this place.
“Oh, it’s just fine, ya big worry wort. What happened to Grumpy Growler, huh? Don’t go fussin’ over things you don’t need to be fussin’ about.”
“GG, you know I love you, but we need to have a talk. I have had three engineers out here over the last few weeks. And that’s on top of four separate inspectors.”
“Well, watcha wastin’ money like that for?”
“I’m not wasting money, GG. I had to be sure that what I was seeing was true.”
She skirts around the island, still nimble in her old age.
“All right, Grumpy. Lay it on me.”
My lip twitches every time she calls me Grumpy. I know it’s her own term of endearment, and I’d be lying if I said the sentiment behind it wasn’t growing on me.
“GG, those men you hired to do work around here sabotaged you.”
“Are you watchin’ too many unsolved mysteries or what? No one around here’s goin’ to all that trouble.”
“But they did, GG. I have the reports from multiple authorities. The structural issues with the lodge were all done in the last year, and they were intentional.”
GG’s bushy eyebrows furrow as she puts water on for tea.
“Now, Fontaine gave me those names. Are ya tellin’ me he was tryin’ to hurt me?”
“I don’t have any proof of that … not yet anyway. However, if his men were the only ones to do work here since your hospitality inspection last year, then yes. He had a hand in causing this.”
“That shitty little troll,” she curses. “Okay, Grumpy. I’m not one to sit around with what-ifs, so tell me what we’ve got to do.”
