My chest squeezes with some unquantifiable emotion.
Jacob’s eyes cut to mine. Finley follows his gaze and twists in my direction.
Embarrassment flushes through me. I immediately turn away, heading toward the cabins to finish this round of chores.
It’s because I’ve never had any type of family connection. That’s why it impacts me. It’s not because of my attraction to Finley.
Even though there’s something about her that feels like home.
I shake my head in disbelief at my own thoughts.
What am I thinking? I barely know her, and she hates me. We have a deal, and I can’t break it.
Which means I need to keep everything between us strictly business. I’m going to find a way to help her and appease Oliver, as impossible as it sounds.
But if she propositions me again, there’s no way in hell I’m going to say no. I have morals, but I also know my limits, and when it comes to Finley Fox, I have a feeling I would give her whatever she wanted.
“How many employees do you bring on during the peak season?”
“We hire part-time help with cleaning and maintenance from June to August and then November through about mid-January.” She rests her elbows on the desk, only partially covering a giant scratch marring the scuffed surface. “In the off-season, we have a couple of high schoolers that help run the office for volunteer hours and business experience, mostly on Saturdays.”
I lean back and lift an ankle to the opposite knee.
So far, everything she’s told me has been logical. She’s doing everything she can to keep this place running. There’s no conceivable way they could manage it year-round with only the two of them. They barely manage now, in the slow season, with only a few cabins in use. Payroll is the largest expense for most employers, so cutting that out wherever possible makes sense for her situation.
“How do you split the duties for the remainder of the year?”
“Jacob handles all the social media marketing. He checks people in and out and handles any concierge duties. He operates our website for online booking and adjusts our rates based on demand, answers emails, you know.” She nods to the computer next to her.
I glance at the piece of equipment. It has to be at least ten years old, ancient as far as tech goes.
“He also cleans and helps with maintenance as needed. I do some of the simpler things with the computer, just in the mornings: responding to emails, checking for online bookings that come in, that sort of thing.”
Because Jacob might be hungover. He disappears most afternoons before dinner and doesn’t come back until dark.
“I keep track of income and expenses,” Finley continues.
I nod, pointing my gaze to a basket of fake daisies at the corner of the desk, trying to think, which is difficult to accomplish while looking directly at her. I like her appearance a little too much, her pouty lips, her stubborn chin, the way she can’t hide her emotions. The silky strands of her dark hair and how it slipped through my fingers when we . . .
I shift in the seat.
Keep it professional.
We’ve been talking for a little bit, and to her credit, she’s been answering all my questions, even if she hasn’t smiled once. Maybe she figures she owes me since she’s avoided me almost entirely the past couple of nights.
From what I’ve gathered so far, they were making ends meet until a few years ago—scraping by, really—and then some of the nearby resorts upgraded their facilities with new construction and better amenities, which shot their regular clientele list down to almost nothing.
They’ve done a decent job trying to market the old-school charm of the place, which helped some but not enough, and they don’t have the funds for any serious transformations.
I’m still staring at the fake bouquet of daisies, but they only remind me of the other night and her daisy-covered top and what happened when I pushed that shirt off her shoulders.
I rub the back of my neck. “Have you ever thought about changing it up, like using the property to generate a different income stream entirely, other than renting out the cabins?”
She blows out a breath and fiddles with a paperweight. “I have. I’ve researched a variety of additional business options, like adding a wedding venue, starting a pizza farm, beekeeping, a pumpkin patch, corn maze, storage, horse stables, ice skating rink, you name it.”
“That’s quite a list.”
One shoulder bobs up and down. “I’m open to suggestions. You’re still here, aren’t you?”