He hung up before she could get a word in. And she knew he wouldn’t be getting back to her.
Frustration punched her in the gut, not just becauseanothercontractor had hung up on her after looking into both local contractors and those in surrounding towns—but because she was so tired. Tired of trying to convince this town she wasn’t her father.
He’d hurt people in Misty Peak. Not physically, but some would say what he’d done was worse. He’d robbed them of their entire life savings, then run. And the second he’d done that, she’d lost everyone. This town’s affection. Their trust.
God, she hated him for what he’d done.
She blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall. Shewould notcry over this. Roy not wanting to replace her windows was a small setback, but she’d find a way around it. What she needed was coffee. A big, gigantic cup of double shot coffee.
With a sigh, she rose from her desk and crossed to the foyer. Her office was right beyond the front desk, where Pixie, theyoung receptionist, worked. On one of her first days, Tilly had confided in her that she’d lost her mother six months ago to cancer, and Pixie had shared that she’d lost her father less than a year ago, also to cancer.
Pixie glanced up from behind the desk and offered a small smile. “Hey, are you doing okay?”
Did she see the mild panic and disappointment on her face? “Yeah, just finding my feet in this town while reassuring the next few months of tourists that these mountains are safe when really, I have no idea if they are.”
Pixie cringed. “Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I’ve tackled my fair share of phone calls.”
“So we can be miserable together?”
The other woman lifted a shoulder. “Better than suffering alone.”
She laughed. “Thanks. I’m just popping into the café for a coffee and to check on Elle. Do you need anything?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ve had two already and it’s not even ten.”
Ha. Sometimes she was up to her third by nine. “No problem.”
The foyer of the visitors center was one large room with a door on each side, one that led to the parking lot, the other to the deck, the café, and the mountains beyond. There was also a small eco center that displayed some local artifacts.
Tilly exited the back door and stepped onto the deck. The second she saw the mountains, the ache in her chest eased. Because those mountains…they were so familiar. They were comfort. They were home. How many memories did she have of growing up in those woods? How many times had her mother taken her on hikes so the two of them could just get lost? Too often, and not often enough.
She sighed as she moved across the deck and stepped into the café. A family sat at a table to the right, with a couple to the left. The place had a dozen tables scattered around the room and a few more on the deck, with the counter at the back right.
The café was definitely a perk of working here. Fresh coffee right beside her office? Heck yes.
She stepped up to the counter. “Hi, Elle, how are you doing today?”
Elle and Macy had been the only two employees of the café, and they’d been good friends as well.
Pain laced Elle’s eyes, but she blinked it away. “I’m doing okay. Still in a bit of shock, but that’s to be expected.” She swallowed. “Has Eastern said anything about finding the person responsible?”
Tilly shook her head. “No, sorry. He’s just told me that he and his deputies are working on it.”
The other woman nodded, disappointment drawing the corners of her lips down. “What can I get you?”
“A latte, double shot, extra hot, please.”
“You got it.” She turned toward the machine.
“Remember to let me know when you’re ready for me to start looking for a new worker in here.” She intentionally didn’t use the words, “Macy’s replacement.”
Elle nodded quickly…too quickly. “I will. Take my mind off things. Tell me how you’re finding it here.”
Did the woman want the honest truth or a pretty lie? “There’s been a lot of…tidying up to do with the job. Mostly of the online systems.”
“Yeah, Linda was kind of old school. Very passionate though.”
And obviously very open-minded, because she’d chosen Tilly to take her place even though she knew who her father was. “I’mreally glad I’m here though. I’ve loved these mountains since I was a kid.”
