Page 4 of Here With You

“I’ll be right out.”

He whistled, and Ollie came bounding down the hallway. “Cormac’s here, buddy. Let’s go play.”

He walked out and around the building to find his nephew looking like he didn’t belong. He hated that Cormac felt out of place.

He waved his arm in the air, drawing his attention. “Over here.”

Cormac jogged to him. “This is great. How can you afford this?”

Telling Cormac he was interested in buying The Kessler was a major mistake he’d have to rectify. It made him look like he had the money to pay for it. A property like this had to go for millions. He hadn’t told his nephew that he was the one who walked into the Five and Dime and bought the winning lotto ticket. Nobody knew the identity of the winner because he asked to remain anonymous. A lot was riding on him keeping that information close to his chest.

“I can’t, which is why I took on the job as the manager.”

Cormac’s eyes widened. “You’re going to manage this resort? Do you know how?”

“Nope, but I’ll learn.” Decades ago, he’d done the right thing for the right reasons, and everything turned out wrong. But there were great lessons learned in the process. “You can do anything you put your mind to. You can have anything if you work hard enough.”Or win the lottery.“You want to chill on the beach for a while?”

“I don’t have trunks.”

Miles didn’t either, but he had an idea. “Let’s go.” He walked up the steps of the screened-in porch and entered the lobby, where a dark-haired woman looked up and smiled.

“Welcome to The Kessler. I’m Margot. How can I assist you today?”

Cormac stopped about two feet inside the door. “Margot Kincaid?”

She moved from behind the counter and ran to him. “Cormac McClintock. Look at you.” She gripped his arms and felt his muscles. “What happened to the skinny little bean pole the football team tied to the goal posts?”

Miles watched his nephew’s face grow redder by the minute. Cormac’s eyes shifted right and left like he was looking for an escape, but Margot had him pinned in place with her hands massaging his biceps.

“I grew up.”

“Yes, you did. You turned into a fine-looking man.” She let her hands trail down his arms until she locked hands with him.

If Miles had walked in on them, he would have thought them a couple with how she stared at his nephew, like he hung the moon and a few stars, too. It was a good thing he’d gotten the lowdown from Carter and Brie about the staff at The Kessler. Margot was looking for a husband and someone to support her three kids.

“He doesn’t have any money, Margot.”

She dropped his hands and sighed. “The cute ones rarely do.” She moved back to the desk. “Can I help you with something?” It was like a lightbulb went off as soon as she said it. “Oh, my gosh, you have to be Miles.” She eyed him for a moment. “The hot cowboy who dated Em. People’s descriptions haven’t done you justice.” Her hand went to her mouth. “This should be exciting. Does Em know you’re here?”

“She does.” He walked toward her. “Doyouknow why I’m here?”

She crossed her arms. “To manage The Kessler and make sure I behave.” She let out a phlegmy-sounding growl. “I could manage this place. I don’t see why they didn’t offer me the job as general manager instead of you.”

Cormac laughed. “Because you molest the customers as they enter.”

She smiled. “Only the ones with potential.” She pulled a stack of towels from under the counter and folded the top one. “What do you need?”

“Swim trunks. Do you have a lost and found?”

She pointed to the door on the wall behind her. “Everything you could ever want is in there, from sunglasses to condoms.” She smiled and added, “Unused.”

A shiver went down his spine at the thought of wearing used condoms. “All we need is swim trunks.”

She smiled. “It’s like a swimwear shopping center. I found a designer bikini, but don’t worry, I didn’t take it. It has to be unclaimed for ninety days before it’s up for grabs, but I’ve got my eye on it.”

“Good to know.” He didn’t want to break any rules, so it was good he had some guidelines. “Let’s go shopping.” He and Cormac entered the storeroom. On one side were supplies like shampoo and bars of soap, and on the other were several boxes with months written on stickers on the sides of the bins. He found one dated September of the previous year and opened it. Margot was right. There was everything from a single rainbow sock to a frying pan. In the mix, he found four pairs of swimming trunks: two medium, one large, and one without a size. He took the two mediums and put the lid on the box. Ollie nudged his leg. “Sorry, buddy. I forgot you were here.” He re-opened the box and dug through it until he found Ollie’s favorite thing—a left shoe. He didn’t know why, but his dog never touched the right shoes. “Shall we hit the beach?”

Cormac grinned. “I think I’ll enjoy having my uncle run a resort. It comes with perks. You think I could bring my girl here sometime?”

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