“It’s furnished, but it’s kind of a blank slate,” Maisie told her. “But if there’s anything you want or need for it, just let me know. We have it in the budget to get you whatever supplies or additional equipment you need.”
“Oh my goodness…I wouldn’t even know where to begin. As long as I have a desk, a chair, and a computer, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Lex, you don’t have to be afraid to ask,” Slater said. “If you need shelves or file cabinets or whatever, just let us know. There’s a program loaded onto the computer that I’ll teach you. We used it at all the tour companies I worked with and it’s very user-friendly. It can organize all the activities and make reservations for the ones that require one. We’ll look at that soon, probably the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow’s really just for getting a good look around.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I walked around just a little today after we got settled, and it’s a little like stepping back in time, but everything’s brighter. Does that make sense?”
Slater’s smile grew. “Absolutely! Are you kidding me? That’s exactly the sort of thing we want former guests to feel! You nailed it!”
“What’s going on over there?” Axel asked. “Who nailed what?” Then he laughed. “That sounded dirtier than it should have, right?”
They all laughed.
“Just a little,” Slater replied. “But Lexi really nailed what we were going for with the renovations. The whole stepping back in time, but it’s all brighter and cleaner and more colorful.”
Kelsey playfully nudged her shoulder and smiled. “It’s good to be back, isn’t it?”
She couldn’t help but nod. “It is. Although I think it’s going to feel weird living and working here. But in a good way.”
Kelsey studied her for a moment. “Really?”
“Well, that’s what I’m telling myself. I’m sure there are going to be times when I’ll want to have a little separation, but for now, it’s nice to be someplace that has mostly good memories.” Her eyes instinctively went to Connor, and Kelsey followed her gaze.
“I think this has the potential to be a very good thing for both of you.”
Lexi nearly got whiplash turning her head so quickly. “What? Why would you even think that?”
“Because maybe now you can get some closure. That helped so much with Jayce and me. Just being able to say the things we never got to say made a tremendous difference.”
“Look, no one’s happier than I am that the two of you reconnected, but it’s totally different from what happened with me and Connor,” she said quietly. “You and Jayce drifted apart mutually. You both stopped calling and moved on with your lives. Connor ripped my heart out because his precious family didn’t think I was good enough. My self-esteem never fully recovered. And even if he apologized, it wouldn’t change anything.”
“You don’t think an apology would at least go a little way in making you feel better?”
She shook her head. “Nope. The damage is done.”
“Lexi…”
“I’m a good person, okay? A decent and honest person. I don’t lie, cheat, or steal. But because my bank account doesn’t match the mighty Winslowes, I was deemed unworthy. And Connor obviously agreed.”
The face Kelsey made—that scrunched up look like she smelled something funky—spoke volumes.
“I can tell by that look that you disagree,” she said wearily.
“I just think that as a kid—and you were both essentially still kids at sixteen—you do what your parents tell you to do. It wasn’t like Connor was a grown man who could afford to disobey whatever his parents wanted and strike out on his own. Maybe he fought for you, but it didn’t do any good.”
“Did he? Do you know that to be a fact?”
For a moment, Kelsey didn’t say anything, but then she looked away. “No. And if I did, I certainly would have told you long before now.”
“Oh.”
“Maybe when you’re feeling a little more settled, the two of you can talk. Even if it’s not about the past. Just…talk. You’re both going to be seeing each other around here, so you might as well try to make it a little less awkward.”
“Yeah. I knew I could put the request out there, but it wasn’t practical. Hell, I was here for less than ten minutes and there he was.”
“I still can’t believe he did that,” Kelsey murmured.
“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Jonah called out as he ran over. “Can we roast marshmallows? Annabeth said it’s fun! Can we? Please?”
