Only Brynn, she was learning, could make anything sound interesting by the sheer force of her enthusiasm at sharing knowledge.
Earlier today, when Hallie had finished the morning checkouts—a grand total of one—Brynn had roamed into the lobby and spent the next thirty minutes entertaining her with a deep dive on the history of Stoneport, which Hallie could now admit she didn’t know the first thing about. All the same, she was riveted through the lens of Brynn’s research, presented with more excitement than Hallie had ever felt about anything.
She liked the rhythm that they’d fallen into—had come to crave it, in fact, even though she knew it couldn’t last forever. She did her best not to think about it. Was that what Reese was here to tell her? It was hard for her to believe that Brynn wouldn’t let her know directly if she wanted to leave, but maybe she knew how much Hallie had started to rely on her, and this was the easiest way to separate a work decision from her personal feelings on their friendship.
With a churning in her gut that she tried not to let take root, she walked around the desk and took her seat behind it, interlacing her fingers on its surface. This would usually be funny to think about, since Reese was actually the boss, but nothing seemed especially humorous right now.
“What’s up?” she asked in the most airy, casual tone she could manage. She didn’t want to think about Brynn leaving, even in the abstract.
Reese crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair on the other side of the desk. “How are things going?”
In life? In love? At The Stone’s Throw? Her relationship with Reese was complicated by virtue of all their tethers to one another, and she didn’t want to assume incorrectly. Especially now that Brynn was another one of those tethers.
“Do you mean about Brynn working here?” she finally asked, realizing that Reese was going to wait her out rather than giving anything else away.
“Sure, let’s start there.” Which was a decidedly uncomfortable thing for Hallie to hear.
She sucked in a deep breath, intent on telling the truth. Mostly because she was a horrible liar. “Brynn’s doing a great job. We trade off working days, and she knows the inn’s policies and procedures inside and out. And now that she’s staying in the owner’s quarters with me, we aren’t even down a room.”
“She’s staying with you?” Reese asked, genuine bafflement in her tone.
Hallie cocked her head to the side. “Um… I didn’t think it was a secret, but yes. She was staying there while I was in Colorado, and when I got back, we were both comfortable with the idea of it continuing.” Clearly, Sydney had not gone into the details with Reese nearly enough on the New Year’s Eve itinerary of hexes and exes. That type of thing bonded people, and she was sure that if Reese had known that, she’d understand.
Surprisingly, Reese relaxed in her chair. Which was the opposite effect that Hallie had been expecting to see, especially when it was paired with Reese’s next words. “Okay. That’s… actually good to know.”
Hallie squinted. She’d picked up the habit from Brynn, who always scrunched her face up when she was trying to understand something. She was so goddamn confused about what Reese was getting at.
Taking a page out of Brynn’s book, she decided to be direct. “Are you going to tell me what you’re angling for here? Cutting to the chase would go a lot faster than me guessing.”
She watched Reese do something she’d never seen before, which was rubbing aggressively at both of her temples, like shewas trying to stave off a migraine. “Stan Fitzpatrick is driving me insane.”
“Oh?” was all that Hallie could manage. She hadn’t met Stan yet, since Hallie wasn’t usually out in the lobby when he stopped by, and Brynn drove into Boston if she was going to spend time with both of her parents. But from everything that she’d heard, Stan was a lovable, charismatic man who bucked all conventions when it came to the assumed level of toxic masculinity that a successful real estate investor would have. And, to further bolster Hallie’s confusion, a lot of what she’d heard had been from Reese herself. Also, it was weird that Reese would be talking to Hallie about her investor problems. They didn’t do that either. Which left… “Does he have a problem with Brynn working here?”
She watched as Reese tried to find the right words to convey whatever it was that she wanted to get out. A task that she didn’t seem to be finding easy. After opening and closing her mouth, Reese sagged against the chair and let out an aggressive breath. “I mean… you know what went down this summer with Brynn and Grant.”
Hallie nodded. “I am aware of the botched engagement dinner, yes. Though I’m still confused over what this has to do with Brynn working at The Stone’s Throw. Is she unhappy and telling Stan that?”
The idea of it made Hallie’s roiling stomach, which had calmed slightly, ratchet up again. But again, she just couldn’t imagine that Brynn wouldn’t talk to her directly. They’d spent every day together for the last five weeks, sans the seven insufferable days when Hallie had been in Colorado.
Reese ran a hand through her usually immaculate hair, which, now that Hallie was looking closely, was a little less lustrous than normal. “Stan seems to be struggling with the idea that Brynn isn’t doing as well as she’s letting on. She went toLouisiana after the engagement, and I think they thought that she’d come back and just settle into her old life with them. But she isn’t,” Reese said, gesturing around the room, “and he’s making itmyproblem.”
“Your problem?” Hallie repeated, trying to make sense of everything.
“He’s wanted to have lunch at least twice a week for the last few weeks, and he’s ‘unexpectedly’ popped up in Stoneport three times since New Year’s.”
Hallie girded her loins, not knowing how her next words would be taken. “Do you think it’s possible that Stan has… concerns,” was the word she settled on, “about his relationship with you and is using Brynn as an excuse to keep you and your relationship close?”
She was met with a glower Reese had never given her before. This must be serious. “No. My project planning is impeccable. It’s why things have been moving so quickly.”
“Right,” Hallie acquiesced. Truly, she did believe that Reese, even in the midst of wedding planning, was a veritable success machine. Everything this woman touched turned to gold. Software companies. Inns. Fake relationships. There was no end to what Reese could accomplish; Hallie was sure of that.
“I mean, Brynn updates me when she sees her parents, but she doesn’t talk about them all that much. I’m not sure what you’re asking me for exactly.” She didn’t understand what she specifically could do to help this situation improve. Especially for Reese.
Hallie liked having Brynn here, and she hoped that she would stay as long as she wanted. With that in mind, it sounded like she and Reese were pretty much diametrically opposed in their wants right now. Reese’s life would get much simpler if Brynn went home, and Hallie’s would get inarguably worse.
“I just need a little breathing room from Stan. Sydney and I are going to start touring venues and hiring wedding contractors. I need flexibility in my life that Stan Fitzpatrick having me on speed dial isn’t currently allowing,” Reese lamented, her tone bordering on petulance.
“Have you talked to Brynn?” Hallie asked, but she already knew the answer.
