Kelly walkedinto the restaurant later that night after it had closed. Miles had prepared food for them and already had a table set up. She approached tentatively where he sat waiting for her.
When he spotted her, he stood and smiled tiredly. “Hey. Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.”
She looked at the table, where there were pasta dishes waiting for them. Emma sat at a nearby table coloring.
“Hi, Kelly!” Emma said.
“Hi, Emma.”
Miles gestured for her to take a seat and then sat across from her. “Emma already ate, so it’s just us. I hope I didn’t bombard you earlier. I’ve just been a little overwhelmed.”
“You didn’t. I’m happy to help.” Kelly watched as he took a bite of his pasta and looked down at her own. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just basic spaghetti, but when she tasted it, flavor exploded in her mouth.
“Oh my gosh. This is amazing,” she said.
He smiled and blushed before taking another bite. He held up a bottle of red wine and she nodded, so he popped the cork and poured them each a glass.
“This one is my favorite,” he said.
She swirled it around her glass and smelled it before taking a small sip. It was the perfect blend of red.
“Thank you.”
“So, about the wedding coming up. Are you sure you’re up for the job? She kind of seems like a bridezilla.”
Kelly giggled. “I got that feeling too. But yes, I’m inexperienced in weddings, but have planned events for my family’s bookstore. So if you’re up for taking a chance on me, I’m happy to help.”
A genuine smile crossed his face and lit up his eyes. It was the biggest smile she had seen from him yet, and damn did it make him look good.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He picked up a notebook from the other end of the table that she hadn’t noticed and handed it to her. “These are the notes my mom took for the wedding along with all the information for any outside vendors. The wedding is this weekend, and everything has been taken care of. It’s just the logistics of keeping it running smoothly and following up with any last-minute details. And we’ll of course compensate you for your time.”
Kelly flipped through it. The notes were meticulous, and she didn’t foresee anything going wrong. It would be a walk in the park… or so she hoped.
“I think I can handle this. Is there anything else I can help with?”
Miles chuckled. “I mean, if you can figure out a way to magically repair several rooms so we don’t have to arrange temporary housing for hotel guests, then sure.”
“Come again?”
He sighed. “We had some pipes burst and destroy some rooms. We’ve placated some guests with partial refunds for their disruption. Some rooms are completely damaged, and no one can stay in them until they’re repaired. Normally we could rearrange things and make it work, but we have this wedding coming in, so we’re fully booked.”
Kelly frowned. “Well, Ava and I could give up our room and try to book somewhere else. It’s only one room, but it could help a little.”
“No. We wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I don’t mind. I would appreciate some recommendations, but I don’t have to stay at the resort.”
Miles studied her for a moment, and she saw the wheels turning in his head. “You know, I might be able to come up with something. My sister-in-law Mia has a house she’s been renting to my brother’s girlfriend Lily. But Lily has been considering moving in with Ethan. Let me see what I can do. I might be able to get you and Ava a house while you’re here.”
Kelly furrowed her brows as she tried to follow along with all the names he said. But the gist of it was that he wanted to give them a house temporarily. “That’s not necessary.”
Miles reached across the table and set his hand on hers. “I insist.”
She froze as the warmth of his touch enveloped her. Her eyes darted to his, and he looked just as stunned before pulling his hand back.
“So, um. I should give you my number in case you need anything,” he said.
