“Yes, I understand. “Of course, we’ll be ready,” he says, though his voice wavers slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness as his eyes dart to Kori. “Tomorrow afternoon? Perfect. I’ll send someone to pick you up at the airport.”
Kori’s attention shifts immediately. “Who’s that?” she mouths at me.
I shrug, hanging my purse on the coat rack.
“Excellent,” Kane continues. “We’ve got plenty of room here at the lodge. See you then, Declan.” He hangs up and turns to us, his eyes bright with excitement. “That was Declan. He’s sending reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements?” I echo, suddenly concerned. “For what?”
“For the NTM situation,” Kane explains. “After what happened today with the chamber collapse, I called Declan to update him. He agrees we need more eyes on this. Wren, Rory, and Kat are flying in tomorrow.”
Kori claps her hands together. “Wren and Kat’s coming? Oh, that’ll be fun! I love those two.”
“…Yes. Well, he’s also bringing a small army of men here, too.”
“A small army?” I ask, my eyebrows shooting up. “What do you mean by small?”
Kori leans forward, suddenly concerned. “Kane Alexander Murphy! Exactly how many people is Declan sending?”
Kane runs a hand through his dark hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. “Fifty men. All are highly trained, former military. Declan isn’t messing around.”
“FIFTY?” Kori nearly chokes on her own spit, eyes wide with disbelief. “Is he crazy? You think fifty-nine people are going to fit in this lodge? Where will they sleep? And don’t even get me started on feeding them. Do you have any idea how much food that many men will consume?!”
Kane at least has the decency to look sheepish. “Well, I hadn’t quite thought through the logistics—”
I watch my sister’s expression shift from shock to determination as her hospitality instincts kick in. She’s already mentally reorganizing bedrooms and calculating supplies.
“I need to make a grocery list,” she announces, spinning on her heel. “We’ll need enough food for an army—literally!”
She disappears toward the kitchen, muttering about bulk purchases, the hours of Costco, and sleeping arrangements, leaving me alone with Kane.
I can’t help but laugh at Kane’s bewildered expression. “You really didn’t think this through, did you?”
“In my defense,” he says, “security was my primary concern, not sleeping arrangements, and one doesn’t really say no to Declan.”
“Good point! Well, good luck with that,” I tell him, suddenly feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. Between the collapsed chamber, our dinner, and now an impending invasion of security personnel, I’m utterly exhausted. “I’m going to bed. Something tells me tomorrow’s going to be... intense.”
“Smart woman,” Kane calls after me as I head for the stairs. “Get rest while you can.”
In my room, I change into pajamas and slide between the cool sheets. Despite my exhaustion, my mind keeps replaying moments from the evening with Caleb—the candlelight catching in his eyes, the gentle pressure of his hand on mine, the way his lips felt against my own. I touch my mouth, still feeling the ghost of his kiss.
For the first time in months, I fall asleep smiling, with no nightmares to disturb my rest.
888
“Rise and shine, people! We’ve got work to do!”
Kori’s voice jolts me from a deep sleep. I crack one eye open to see my sister standing in my doorway, already fully dressed and far too energetic. The bedside clock reads 5:00 AM.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groan, pulling the pillow over my head.
“Not kidding!” She yanks the pillow away. “Fifty men are arriving today, and this place is nowhere near ready. Get up, get up, get up!”
I drag myself out of bed, mumbling threats under my breath that I have no intention of following through on. After a quick shower and two cups of coffee, I’m marginally more human and joining the cleaning brigade Kori has assembled. Kane, Mia, and Connor are already hard at work, tackling different areas of the lodge.
“You take the east wing bedrooms,” Kori directs me, handing over a basket filled with clean linens and towels. “Make sure every room has fresh sheets and at least four towels per bed.”
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” I salute, earning a glare that I counter with a sweet smile.
