Page 287 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“Don’t try to tell me what I think,” I warned him. “Why are you doing this anyway? Being the good guy to him? You were never like that with me when I was growing up. You would never have let me have any sort of video game console, let alone one that’s this new and fancy!”
Dad grimaced. “Maybe I wasn’t the best father to you,” he allowed.
“You weren’t!” I agreed, too angry to even think about what I was saying now. I saw the way Dad flinched, but I wasn’t in any mood to take it back. “I want this thing out of the house before I get back this afternoon,” I said when Ethan came downstairs. “I mean it.”
I gave Dad one last scathing look and then headed towards the door, with Ethan trailing slowly behind me.
I tried to calm myself down. I didn’t want to be angry like this in front of Ethan. Especially not when the person I was angry at was the boy’s grandfather. I tried to dissect just why I was feeling this way anyway.
I knew that Dad was right when he reminded me that Ethan was a good kid. I really wasn’t worried that he was suddenly going to start misbehaving or anything like that. He had always been a rule-follower, and I didn’t see that changing any time soon.
So what was it that I was worried about? Sure, there was my dislike for technology. I definitely believed that it should be limited, and I didn’t think that Ethan needed to have the latest and greatest. But that wasn’t really what I was mad at Dad over, this time.
Part of it was the fact that Dad hadn’t asked me about it. He hadn’t even given me a heads up that he was coming over. And he had showed up right before school that morning, when he knew that we were about to leave. Like he thought that somehow, he’d be able to sneak it in or something. Get me to give permission to something I really didn’t want, just because I didn’t have time to argue with him just then.
And now I looked like the bad guy because I wouldn’t let Ethan have the gaming console that he had already been gifted.
There was a definite part of me that felt guilty. But not just about the fact that I had refused to let Ethan have this video game console that he wanted so much. That he had been so excited about. I knew that I had used some harsh words with Dad as well. And sure, we had never had the best relationship growing up, but especially in the past few years since everything with Beth, Dad had been there time and time again, helping me out around the house and with Ethan.
I could tell that he had been excited to give Ethan the gift, too. That was probably why he had shown up first thing in the morning. Because he was so excited that he couldn’t wait any longer before he got to give the gift to his grandson.
I just wished that he had talked to me about it first.
Ethan was uncharacteristically quiet on the way to school, but I didn’t know what to say to him. So I stayed silent as well. I was in a bad mood by the time I got to work, and unfortunately, that mood only soured further when Bailey came up to me the minute I stepped foot in the lodge. “What?” I asked shortly, knowing that I already had a million tasks to do today and that I didn’t have time for whatever else she wanted to add to my list.
Bailey looked taken aback, and I reminded myself that this was my boss and that I couldn’t talk like that to her. “Sorry,” I said, running a hand back through my hair. “It’s just been a rough morning.”
“You feeling okay?” Bailey asked, sounding worried.
“Fine,” I said shortly. “Now, what can I help you with?”
Bailey held out a cup of coffee towards me, and I eyed it suspiciously but accepted it, wondering what kinds of strings it came with. “Now, I know you’re really busy at this time of year, but I was thinking that today, maybe I could shadow you around the resort. See what kind of work you’re up to and that sort of thing.”
“Like an evaluation?” I asked, unable to keep the snippiness from my tone. Why the hell did she need to do an evaluation? She wouldn’t understand what she was looking at anyway, and she couldn’t possibly be thinking about firing me. Right?
“No, I just think it would be a good idea for me to know this place a little better,” Bailey said, shrugging. “And if you could show me things like where the spare lightbulbs are or how to fix, I don’t know, whatever chronic issues this place has, then maybe I wouldn’t have to call you in on your days off.”
I stared at her for a moment. “I’d rather that you didn’t try to fix anything on your own,” I said slowly.
“I’m not talking anything major,” Bailey hurried to say. “Like I said, just lightbulbs and stuff. Little things.” She laughed. “I’m definitely not going anywhere near the ski lifts except as a passenger, trust me!”
I sighed. “Like you said, I’m busy at this time of year,” I told her. “No offense, but I don’t really have time for you to follow me around and get in the way.”
“I won’t get in the way,” Bailey promised. When she could see that I wasn’t about to budge, she sighed. “No offense, but I don’t really want to play the boss card. But I will if that’s what I have to do.”
I frowned, but I could tell that she was serious. “Fine,” I said shortly, turning and heading towards my office. I dropped my coat over the back of my chair and grabbed my checklist for the day. “First thing Gretchen wants me to do is fix the jets on some of the hot tubs. Should be easy enough.”
“Is Gretchen part of maintenance as well?” Bailey asked. “I’m sure I met her, but I can’t remember which one she was.”
“She’s not really maintenance, per se, but she’s my main liaison point. If guests have an issue, it gets to her eventually, and she passes it on to me. She’s the eyes and ears. I’ll see if we can reintroduce the two of you later; she’s a good person to know.”
“That’d be great,” Bailey said. She reached out a hand for my toolbox. “Come on, if I’m going to be bothering you all day, the least I can do is actually help out some.”
I raised an eyebrow at her, but I dutifully handed over the toolbox. I could tell she was surprised at how heavy it was, but she gave me a game look. I had to hide a smirk. “Off to the old condos,” I told her. She led the way.
CHAPTER 14
BAILEY
