I poked my head in. “Thought I’d say hi.”
He let out a long sigh, sat up in his chair, and motioned to an empty seat across from him.
The room was dim—the only light coming from the large window behind him. Lining the sill were photos, some of the family, but many of Dale and his deceased mate, Gerry.
“So how ya been?” I asked as I took a seat.
“Busy,” he grunted. “We’ve got a packed summer ahead.”
“That’s good. Lots of family reunions?”
“And weddings. They decided to add a second fishing tournament this year, and we’re hosting. There’s going to be a waterskiing competition on the lake, and the room block is almost sold out for that.”
“That sounds good.”
He nodded. “It is, but it’s a lot to keep on top of.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you have great staff.”
“The best,” he agreed. Then he studied where I was sitting. “Where’s that dog of yours?”
“Checking the temps with Simon.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“Want me to bring him up before we leave?”
He shook his head. “Let me know when you’re ready to head out, and I’ll walk you to your truck.”
“You sure? I don’t want to pull you from your work.”
He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I need to get some fresh air anyway.”
“So are you planning anything exciting this summer?” I asked, hoping to get him talking a bit more.
“No,” he replied. “But we’re going to need to do more tree maintenance than usual this winter. We should schedule a day or two toward the end of the season for you to come by and see what you want.”
“A whole day?”
He nodded. “We’ve got some of those trees by the lake you like that will need a good trimming, then we’re doing a lot of thinning up the hill. I figure you could find some treasures.”
“Count me in.”
“I’ll let you know when we schedule the forest guys.”
“Sounds good.”
Dale visibly relaxed over the next few minutes as we chatted about things other than work. He asked about my grandparents—who’d moved south to Arizona to escape the winters—and my parents, my sister, her mate, and their kids.
In return, I asked about his daughter—Ellie—and her wedding late the following summer. While it was still over a yearaway, he was excited for her, and I’d learned that it was a mostly safe topic of discussion.
Eventually, we were interrupted by an employee needing Dale’s attention, and I slipped out before I could overstay my welcome.
Tammy had a check ready for me when I got to her office, and a list of items the gift shop wanted restocked. We discussed which consignment pieces might need to be switched out, then she asked me to check in with the banquet manager.
A few minutes later, I had an appointment to collect several large charcuterie boards that I’d made so that I could do maintenance on them before the summer wedding season got into full swing. It wasn’t my favorite task, but smaller boards sold well in the gift shop after event attendees saw the quality in action.
Dale was waiting for me at the front desk when I returned to the lobby, his mood visibly better than when I’d entered his office. But I realized I hadn’t seen him smile until we walked out and Russy barked in greeting, sprinting across the parking lot to say hi.
