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“Can you fix it?”
“Not by the time everyone checks in, but the bags should hold them over until it’s running again. I’ll be back in a few.” He closed the door. “I’ve got Grayson with me.”
“Ok,” I called.
The door popped back open and Cole stuck his head in. “For the record, I would pin you up against that shower wall if I didn’t have to fix the ice machine.”
I giggled. “Bye.”
“Bye.” He winked before closing the door behind him.
T-minus seven hours and counting. I sipped my coffee in the office and skimmed the checklist I had made for today. I performed a test run on the card reader I purchased for my phone. Cole couldn’t keep using carbon paper to run credit cards. The keys were secure in the box on their heavy palm tree key chains. Sasha had printed extra flyers for the luau on the Wave Oasis’s copier when no one was looking. I wanted to make sure every guest had at least two copies so they could share with their friends. So much was hinging on the party tomorrow night.
“Package for Cole Thomas. Can you sign for it, miss?” A delivery driver stepped into the office.
“Sure. Where do I sign?”
He handed me the electronic keypad and pointed to the bottom square. I scribbled my name on the screen.
“Have a nice da
y.” He handed me a legal-size packet.
I flipped it over in my hands. The return label was from Texas State. Last night when I asked Cole what his future plans were he balked at the questions. As much as I wanted to steam the seal open, I placed the package on the corner of the desk.
Cole poked his head in the door. “I’m back with tons of ice. Anything going on?”
“Actually, you have a delivery.” I reached for the envelope and held it out to him.
“Cool.” He grabbed the mail from me and darted out the door. “I’ve gotta throw the ice in the cooler. Grayson’s going to try to help.” He rolled his eyes. Half the ice would probably end up on the sidewalk.
“But—” He was gone before I could ask about the contents of the mystery package.
I sat in the chair. After our guests arrived, I would ask him what Texas State had sent him and fill him in on Ryan’s homecoming, but for now, he had a broken icemaker to worry about.
I handed the young couple their palm tree key. “Enjoy your stay at the Dune Scape.”
“Oh, we will.” The boyfriend winked at his girlfriend, and she giggled.
“And don’t forget about the luau tomorrow night. It’s going to be the biggest party on the island.”
His hand clutched at her back pocket as they walked out of the office. They weren’t the first couple I had checked in today, but they were the last guests scheduled to arrive.
I collapsed in the chair. It was ten o’clock at night, and between running back and forth to the guest rooms, checking people in, and answering the phone about luau details, I hadn’t sat down once.
Cole had been on his feet all day too. Just as I had predicted, we didn’t see each other except in passing. The lights were out in room fourteen, the girls in room twenty thought they heard a mouse, and a toilet lever had broken in room eight. Cole was running nonstop. More than likely, this is how he would spend the rest of the month. Although, without someone in the office, I didn’t know how he was going to take care of the check-in and checkout part.
I turned off the lights and locked the office door behind me. I walked over the boardwalk and over the dunes. I liked this route to the small beach house.
The key gave way in the lock and I pushed the door open.
There was a light on in the kitchen counter. Cole wasn’t in the living room. I peeked in the bedroom we had set up for Grayson. He was sleeping, clutching a ragged bear to his chest. I pressed a kiss on his forehead.
I walked along the hallway.
“Cole?” I whispered his name again. “Cole?”
I stopped next to the bed when I heard his heavy snoring.
