Page 44 of When The Dust Settles

“The United Colors of Benetton,” she stated with a smirk.

“Which is a good thing.”

“It’s a very good thing,” she agreed. “You have probably the most racially diverse staff in the entire county, boss.”

“Sexual orientation as well,” Shawnee made sure I knew.

“And so,” Callie rushed out, wanting me back on point, “Gillian comes by yesterday—”

“Who?”

“The new director of personnel.”

She and Kevin knew the hotel people; he was good with remembering all their names and titles and schmoozing with them, and Callie was good at trading food for service, so we always had people at the bell desk or with the concierge we could call on to help our guests. I was crappy at the things they both excelled at, and that was okay, as neither one of them knew the ins and outs of contracts or managing the facility or paying the bills.

“Go on,” I directed her.

“So apparently they have a corporate visit next week and she wanted the HR people to come talk to us.”

“Why?” I was confused.

“So they could pretend that we’re actually part of the resort and they could use us, our team, to satisfy their diversity quota.”

That made no sense. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. All they have to do is see that we’re not affiliated with the hotel to know that’s crap.”

“She’s hoping they don’t look beyond the fact that we’re on their property. And she did say that if the suit goes forward that they might cut us loose, as we’re not part of the regular businesses that comprise the entire chain of resorts,” Kevin explained.

“Mitch Powell owed Rand, and for that, we’re in.”

“But if it’s bigger than him, if it’s Mr. Powell’s board voting to overrule him, we could be off the resort property and would need to find new digs for The Bronc.”

It was odd, but neither he nor Callie or anyone else in the room looked particularly concerned over the news that we might have to move. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

“For crissakes, Kev, it’s like pulling teeth.”

He grinned at me. “But last night, after Bailey got off the phone with your doctor, she called Mr. Joss because she was told he was in here with you, and she wanted to know how you looked.”

She was very thorough.

“And they got to talking, and she told him about the situation with the hotel since he’s the one that worked out the original tenant agreement with Mr. Powell, and he told her that if the resort evicts us from the property, then they are contractually obligated to pay to relocate us, including building us a new Bronc if no suitable structure can be found.”

“Really?”

“According to Mr. Joss, and you know, even though he’s a college professor now, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t an acquisitions manager at one time. He still knows his stuff.”

He did, yes.

“But he gave me the name of his attorney in Chicago, the lawyer for the Red Diamond, Knox Jenner, which I thought was one guy but is actually a whole firm and—”

“I will kill you, Kevin,” I made known.

He cleared his throat. “So I talked to Mr. Richard Jenner this morning, and he told me that if they shut us down at our current site, then they do, in fact, have to pay to relocate us.”

“Okay,” I sighed. At least everything would work out.

“He said for you to get in contact with him first thing tomorrow.”

“I can’t believe he answered the phone for you on a Sunday.”