Page 57 of Here With You

Her heartbeat took off, and her head spun. Her breath caught in her throat. The world around her twirled, and she was certain she’d faint and hit the tile floor beneath her until Miles wrapped his arms around her.

“Breathe. It’s going to be okay.”

“No. What if they write a terrible review?”

He rubbed her back. “Then you get a terrible review. It won’t be the first or last. Shit happens.”

“You don’t understand. My family has been waiting for this review all their lives, and I blew it.”

“You didn’t blow it. Also, remember that she’s not writing the review. Her husband is, and he took a liking to Margot.”

“Who works at The Kessler.” She stepped back, crossed her arms, and frowned. “I can’t believe I didn’t find him in my search.”

“You were looking for Harold Blackthorne. Like a writer, he has a nom de plume. I imagine he finds some comfort in moving around anonymously.”

Her stiff shoulders relaxed. “Can you imagine if people knew he was coming?”

He stared at her and grinned. “No, what would you have done differently?”

“Probably nothing.”

“Then let it go. You wouldn’t have known a critic was coming if Trixie hadn’t posted that. Would you have seen their review?”

She nodded. “Yes, my phone is programmed to notify me when the resort gets a new review. The Brown has an excellent rating.”

“Worst case, they leave a poor review, and it reflects on The Kessler, and I’ll take responsibility for it. Best case, it’s a shining five stars, and you can boast about teaching me all you know.”

Inside, her guts twisted. She had one job her whole life: to make The Brown shine, and she might have ruined its fifteen minutes of fame because she was trying to prove a point. She knew if her parents were in heaven watching her, they weren’t smiling. She’d be lucky if she weren’t struck by lightning as a punishment.

“Cormac is on his way to help me finish with the painting.”

“How can you afford him?” She wasn’t sure how much Brie and Carter were paying him, but she was sure it wasn’t enough to pay another person’s salary out of his.

“I told you I have money.” He looked at her with all seriousness. “I’m a regular millionaire.”

She laughed. “Sure, you are.” The phone rang, and she blew him a kiss. “See you later, moneybags.”

Miles walked out, and she picked up the phone. “The Brown Resort Willow Bay, this is Emmaline. How can I help you?” She’d gotten used to her full name because that’s all Miles called her unless he was angry, and then she was a single syllable Em. She loved the way her full name flowed from his mouth like warm honey drizzle.

“Em, this is Cormac.” His voice was high-pitched and shaky. “I tried calling Uncle Miles, but he didn’t pick up. Same with Dad.”

Her nerves tangled and twisted, and her heart squeezed. “What is it?” She already knew what he would say but knowing didn’t make it hurt any less.

“Gran is gone.” His voice broke. “I went into the living room to tell her goodbye because I was supposed to help paint today, and she had the game show network playing too loud. She was staring at the screen, mouth open, eyes open, but she wasn’t there. I don’t know what to do.”

She hated to see anyone cry, especially a grown man. She knew the McClintocks well enough to know the men in their family weren’t allowed tears, so hearing Cormac let his torrent loose broke her heart.

“I’ll call Dr. Robinson. You call the sheriff. Miles and I will be there as soon as we can.” She hung up and remembered that Darryl was there too.

She rushed into the kitchen, told Tilly, and then prepared to break the news to Miles. Pushing her emotions below the surface was something she was good at. She’d had a lot of practice over the years. Right now, even though her heart was breaking, she needed to be strong for Miles. He’d just gotten his mother back only to lose her to cancer.

She found him in the residence, getting ready to pour the paint into the tray.

“Wait.” He must have seen the devastation on her face.

His shoulders fell forward, and the golden flecks that always danced in his eyes were snuffed out. “Does Darryl know?”

She shook her head. “Cormac tried calling both of you, but he couldn’t reach either of you.”

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