Between calls, she filled him in on how their master plan was going.
“So far, we have over thirty local resorts or hotels reaching out to the press against the Tribbertons. There are some who are actually in the process of suing the couple and their travel magazine for defamation,” Jules said between bites. “A couple of staff members have claimed physical abuse. Brett is checking on police reports. Not that we can use any of that, but if lawyers were involved…” She dropped off. “We have a chance, I think. We’re going to play host to a group of reporters who will do an actual piece on River Camps. Facts. Not opinions. We’ll show them around, talk about the camp, let it speak for itself,” she said quietly.
“We don’t want the interview to come across as us, the owners of the camp, defending ourselves or our business, but rather a professional business standing up against the Tribbertons’ character and their abuse of power directly,” Aubrey said from across the room.
“There’s enough evidence here to take them and their magazine down,” Elle added. “If all of the other resorts stand together and stand up for ourselves.”
“What does Zoey think of all this?” he asked.
Everyone glanced at each other for a second.
“We were going to tell her during lunch,” Hannah said. “Which I suppose is now.” She stood up.
“We’ll take a break. I think we’ve gathered enough people to speak out. Enough evidence,” Elle said. “Let’s go talk to Zoey. Fill her in. Thanks Jules.” Elle turned to Jules and smiled. “This was a really great plan.”
Jules smiled and he watched her cheeks turn a slight pink. For as long as he’d known her, she hadn’t been able to take compliments well. Normally, she shied away and ended up looking at her feet. Now, however, she smiled and held her head up high, even though her cheeks appeared to be burning.
The room quickly emptied, leaving Jules and him alone as everyone shuffled out.
“That was fun,” he said. He finished his sandwich.
“It was.” Jules turned to him with a huge smile on her lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a morning more than this.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair.
He ran his eyes over her and realized that it wasn’t just her cheeks that were flushed, it was her entire body. She really had enjoyed the investigative aspect of what they had been doing that morning.
“Have you ever thought of being an investigator?” he asked.
“Like a PI?” She laughed.
“What you did last night and today, you obviously liked it,” he pointed out.
“True, but I like my job here more. The freedom it gives me. Not to mention the people.” She finished off her drink and then stood up. “Come on, let’s take a walk.” She took his hand in hers and pulled him out into the hallway. He made sure to shut the door behind him, since he knew that all the offices in the hallway were always locked.
“So, tell me what you’ve found out,” he said when they stepped outside.
“I’d rather talk about us,” she said, pulling him towards the beach pathway. “I’ve decided I don’t want to spend my nights alone.”
He stopped and turned to her. “You have?”
A slow smile crept on her lips, and she nodded quickly. “Yeah, so, I’m not sure how—”
He didn’t let her get any further. He bent his head down and kissed her.
“I’ll move in with you until your lease is up. I’m doing month to month on my place and there’s only a few days left on the contract,” he said quickly. “Most of my stuff my mother can sell. Whichever things you want, we can move over to your place. If you don’t like any of it, I’m sure my mother can sell it all.”
She laughed. “It’s that easy?”
“It’s that easy.” He nodded.
“Okay.” She hugged him.
“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head.
Since he didn’t have a sunset sail that evening, he spent his night boxing up his personal things. In the end, everything he wanted to keep fit in only four boxes.
The rest was items that his mother had filled his apartment with. Not that he was complaining. He liked the stuff. Enjoyed having nice furniture to sit on, to use. But he’d always wanted to make his own mark on his place.
When his new home was finished being built, he was going to make sure he and Jules chose every single piece that was put in it. He liked her style. Her place was filled with colors, patterns, things that drew the eye and made you ask questions.