Mouser sipped his coffee. "I cleaned it up. Your charity clause was a liability we didn't need."
"I had authorization from William. You were the one who told me.” It dawned on me that perhaps Mouser hadn’t even spoken to Mr. King.
"Mr. King would've never gone for your plan. Get real, kid."
“So he didn't know about the programs?" My fists were clenched so tightly my arms shook. "Get him on the phone. Now."
"No." Mouser sat in a leather chair and crossed his skinny legs. The hotel's slipper dangled from his hairy toe. "It's your word against mine, Shepherd."
"You and Rob Cooper have a deal on the side. What's your cut?"
"Mr. Shepherd. Choose your next words wisely."
"I quit."
"You can't quit.” He cackled. "I was just about to fire you."
"Fuck you, Mouser. You're not going to get away with this." The heavy door slammed loud enough that a few curious faces popped into the hallway to investigate.
It was time to decide. I could put my tail between my legs and slink out of town, or I could fight for something I believed in. It was time to step into the version of Beck that was good enough for Clara and all the people in this town.
As I stormed to my car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Even though I knew it wasn't Clara, I still hoped to see her name on the screen. Instead, it was Everleigh. I waited until I was in my car to read the text.
Meet me at 4521 Summit Ridge ASAP.
ASAP.
How dare she bark orders at me. I wasn't even a King employee anymore. Although, Summit Ridge was in the ski hill development. I'd have to drive right past it to get to town. Navigating the car towards Summit Ridge, I planned to tell the Ice Queen to fuck off right to her face.
One of the black Mercedes sat in the driveway next to a white Range Rover. A staff member opened the door before I could ring the bell. She put her finger to her lips. "Shhh. The baby is sleeping. Come this way."
The mansion was one of those "modern meets ski lodge" designs. A river rock fireplace crackled, its chimney soaring to the thirty-foot high timber-framed ceilings. A wall of windows framed the iconic Sugar Peak spire. Skiers zoomed down a the ski run that passed right by the back door. You could hop on your skis and be at The Fork restaurant in seconds.
Everleigh was on the couch in jeans and a sweater. Her eyes were ringed in dark circles. Charlotte O'Hare sat in thechair opposite Everleigh. "Hi, Beck." The kindness in her voice surprised me. Or was it pity?
"Sit down," Everleigh said.
"If you're here to fire me, Mouser already did it."
She raised her eyebrows. "Interesting. Now sit."
I wasn't a dog. "I'll stand."
She sighed. "Shepherd. I'm not the bad guy here. It was a total shit show last night, and I know it wasn't your fault. I want to know what happened to the proposal." She patted the sofa next to her. "I won't bite."
I sat down.
"Hard," she said. The sides of her lips turned up. "I've heard from Charlotte; now I want to hear it from you."
Charlotte nodded. I cleared my throat and started from the beginning. Everleigh listened without saying a word. When I finished, she stood and looked out the windows. The clock on the mantel ticked as I waited for her to say something, anything.
I looked to Charlotte. She smiled and gave me a thumbs up.
Everleigh examined her nails, then turned and put her hands on her hips. "My father trusts Mouser to handle the details. He doesn't like to be bothered with the small stuff." She paused. "Sometimes that's a mistake."
Everleigh sat next to me. "I wish you'd have come to me, Beck. I've stepped down from operations, but I still oversee my mother's charity."
"What charity is that?" Charlotte asked.
