“Are you whistling?”
Gavin’s voice fills the room. I pause mid-step in the lobby. Just before checkout is the slower part of the morning, so his words echo off the quiet space.
I glance at my brother and then to the receptionist desk, where three employees are watching me, clearly waiting for my answer.
Normally, their interest in my personal life would annoy me, but I’m in a good mood right now and willing to overlook it.
I open my mouth to answer Gavin, when I notice that his shirt is unbuttoned and he’s sweating more than usual.
“How is the temperature in the place still an issue?” I snap. I know it’s not his fault, but fuck all, I’m over this problem.
Hands on his hips, he glares at me.
“Because it’s not, and I'm at a loss on where to go from here.”
The defeat in his tone gets to me.
“What have they told you is the issue so far?”
“That’s the thing,” he says. “It seems to be more of a user error than the actual equipment.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means, there is a good chance someone keeps fucking with it and breaking it.”
“What?” I ask. We have employees all over; there’s no way someone is doing this and not being seen. “How do you figure that?”
“Well, this last episode was because someone broke off the damn button, making it impossible for me to adjust the temperature. Then, I had to wait for the replacement part to come in. Tyler is in there now, reinstalling and wiring it.”
“Who the hell would do that?”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the answer comes to me. I wave for him to follow me, and as soon as we are in my office I turn to face him.
“It’s Henry,” I say before Gavin can even begin to think of an answer. “I know it is.”
“Dutton, come on. It’s not Dad.”
“It is. This is 100 percent something he would do to test us.”
“Who is being tested?” Grace says, waltzing into my office, fanning herself with the clipboard in her hand.
“Dutton thinks Dad keeps messing with the temperature to test us.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he doesn't think any of us are capable of running this place,” I add quickly.
Gavin groans while Grace rolls her eyes.
“Just because you and Dad have a feud that never quits doesn't mean he’d do this.”
“Trust me on this one.”
“That’s like saying Dad doesn't have the lodge's best interest in mind. This has been like a month-long issue—Dad wouldn'twant rumors spread about this place not being able to control something as simple as the temperature.”
Yeah, well, it seems Dad doesn't care as much about reputation as you think.
Of course, I don’t say that out loud.
