“What does this even mean? Why wouldn’t you tell us about it?” he asked.
Harlow stood up next to Walker. “Honestly, it’s small, and we’re using it as a little test.” She looped her arm through Walker’s and snuggled close. “We wanted something that wouldn’t be in competition here, but if it’s successful, then we’d potentially sell it and take the profits and invest in the property here and expand.”
“Holy crap, you guys,” Slater said, shaking his head. “That’s incredible.”
“Plus, we knew you were all only on board because this resort holds such significant memories for all of us,” Walker pointed out. “Connor, you know you’re going to start out with the restaurant here, but you’re going to want to have something of your own in town if you decide to stay. And Milo, your life is back in Seattle.”
“For now,” he said vaguely.
“And Slater, we know you’re doing your own spin on the adventure guide thing here, but it’s never going to hold the same appeal as you’ve had in the past. I mean, it’s beautiful here, but the terrain isn’t the same as you were getting in the Midwest and Alaska. You always said you’d get things started here and then train a team to take over.”
Then he looked at Axel and he braced himself for the speech about how they knew he couldn’t afford to invest, so they didn’t want to put it out there to him.
“And Axel, you said this was where you wanted to put down roots,” Walker said with a smile. “For the first time ever, you seemed at peace here. We didn’t want to pull you away because…this place? It’s yours. I always knew that I could come and go and do whatever I was doing, but when I came back, you’d be here taking care of it all.”
He was speechless.
“He’s right,” Harlow agreed. “You’ve touched every inch of this property and…” She paused and looked around as if waiting for everyone’s agreement. When she looked at him again, she seemed almost excited. “And we wanted to ask if you would be the manager of the resort!”
“Um…what?”
Everyone was nodding. “She bullied me into letting her be the one to ask,” Walker said with amusement. “But this resort? This project? It wouldn’t be what it is without everything you put into it, Axel. You put your heart into it in a way none of us could.”
“You are the heart of this resort,” Connor added. “You’re the only one who has literally put everything they had into this project. It’s only fitting that you be the one to make sure that the vision we all had…stays.”
Holy. Shit.
He turned to look at Maisie, and he saw tears in her eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s an absolutely perfect job offer,” she whispered.
Then he glanced at his friends. “But…I don’t know anything about running a resort. I can fix anything or build whatever we need, but the day-to-day running of it? I’m clueless.”
“There are going to be management teams,” Milo explained. “A team for lodging, a team for the amenities, a team for maintenance, a team for the grounds…you’ll just be the head of it all. And you’ll have a team too.”
It felt like the temperature had gone up ten degrees in the room. He grabbed his water and quickly drank it down before looking at Maisie again. “What about you? We don’t even know if there will be enough business here for you.”
“Actually…” Harlow interrupted. “I’ve got several clients who are eager to work with you, Maisie. I think once you put the word out, your business will grow.”
“I’m closing on a house next week,” Connor added, “and you already know I’m going to gut it and start from scratch, so I’ll need your expertise there.”
“And I’m thinking of buying a place too,” Slater chimed in. “I know this all may not be a permanent job for me, but I’m part of the business, so I’ll always come back. It might not be bad living in a cabin now, but I’m feeling a little cramped. And after everything Connor and Harlow described, most places are going to need some work, and I don’t know shit about decorating, so…”
“Then there’s the restaurant,” Connor said, grinning. “If I’m going to do it, I’m either going to build or take whatever property I find down to the studs and will need to hire you for it.”
“Oh my goodness…” She looked at Axel, and their gazes met and held in a silent discussion.
Are we really going to do this?
I really want to.
I really want to, too.
Then let’s do it.
“I hope you all know what you’re doing because Maisie and I are in!”
There were cheers and congratulations, and more wine was poured. It was a total celebration, and Axel stood with Maisie by his side and knew nothing would ever be better than this.
