“No. But GPS and the universe had other plans for me. So once I was here, I stayed. And the rest is history,” she said. “I’m actually glad I got lost.”
So am I.
“You know, that’s how I found this place too. But that was almost twelve years ago. This place grows on you and you find yourself coming back again and again.”
“You know, I could give them some pointers which might help them get guests on a regular basis,” she said.
“Why would they want that?”
“As far as I can tell, no one knows about this place.”
“I do. You do. And I’m sure there might be a few others.”
“Yes but how do you build a business without a firm business plan?” she asked.
Ethan was confused. “Do you think this is a business?” She nodded. “Kollette, open your eyes. You’ve been here for a few days. This isn’t a hotel, or a lodge. It’s their home. That’s all it is. They don’t rent rooms. They open their doors to strangers and welcome them in as friends. They ask for nothing and yet they give everything they have. They don’t need a business plan to show them how to be kind. If anything, they could write a book on it.”
Kollette just stared at him as though trying to take it all in. Then she said, “I don’t know what to say. I should’ve realized that when I tried to pay. They never said anything. It actually looked like they were expecting me when I arrived.”
“Wait. I thought you said you got lost?”
“I did. But I didn’t know that when I got here. I thought this is where my father had sent me.”
“And when did you figure out that you were wrong?” he asked. This really was the crucial question and her answer could change everything.
Kollette looked down at her hands as though she didn’t want to talk about it any longer. But he didn’t say anything and eventually she spoke.
“Earlier tonight when my father called.”
“You mean all this time you thought you were at the right place? That you were here by his request?” She nodded. It was like a punch in the gut. And he pressed on. “And what were you supposed to be doing here?”
He noticed her hands tremble. “He was looking for property to build a new hotel on.”
“And you were here to gather all the information you could obtain and then report back to him?”
“Yes.”
Through gritted teeth he asked, “If I hadn’t asked you, would you have told me?”
She turned and looked him straight in the eye. Although her eyes watered as though fighting back tears, her response was cold, but at least truthful. Softly she replied, “No.”
Well he had what he was looking for. But definitely not what he wanted. “I have one request,” he said flatly.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Don’t let Roy and Mabel know anything about this. They are good people and it would hurt them. They deserved better than this.”
“I won’t. I actually didn’t want anyone to know,” she said.
“I’m sure you wanted your lie to go unnoticed.” He got up from the couch and headed for his room. Then turned back and said, “I think you’re more like your brother than you give yourself credit for.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“You would’ve made one hell of an agent for the DEA because I didn’t see this coming either and I’m not easily fooled.” He entered his room and closed the door. Tonight the game was over, and she won. Now all he had to do was make sure the Potters didn’t lose.
Kollette, why the deception? The Potters would’ve welcomed you even if they knew why you were really here.
There was nothing Kollette could say. Her heart ached like never before. She did exactly what she didn’t want to do: hurt Ethan. He was right, the Potters deserved better, but so did he. She was so consumed with wanting to prove to everyone that she was just a good as her father that she forgot how he’d gotten where he did.