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If she’s here, that means she’s checking up on me. Making sure I’m dedicated to the hotel and doing things to her liking. There’s one thing that Catherine Fitzroy hates above all else, and that’s wasting time. While she loves my sister and me, she’s not going to make a cross-country trip to say hello.
“Donovan?”
Her voice is getting closer, and I toss Violet an apologetic look before answering. “I’m in my office. Lovely of you to visit.” I lower my voice and give Violet a small smile. “I’m so sorry. If you want to head back to the cabin, I’ll meet you in a bit.”
She nods but doesn’t get far. As soon as she turns to leave, my mother appears behind her, looking between us with a raised brow.
“Violet.” She greets her with a tight smile. “Nice to see you here. And without Natalie.” Her gaze roams my office, and she doesn’t stop to even say hello to her only son. Not that I’m surprised. “Did she not come up with you?”
“No, ma’am.” Violet shakes her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “I needed a little vacation from Nashville.”
“Shame. I hope your brother is well. I was very impressed to learn about his mayoral appointment.”
I stand, tossing my pen on the table and rapping my knuckles against the wood. “Mother, Violet has—”
She clears her throat, cutting me off. “I’m sure Violet has plenty of things to do and doesn’t need to be hanging around your office. Nice to see you, dear.”
My mother gives her a dismissive wave as she walks around her and sits down in front of my desk. Violet’s eyes meet mine and I mouth ‘I’m sorry’ before sitting back down. She’s fighting a small smirk, no doubt thinking the same thing I am. My mom is something else.
“Now, if you’re done being distracted by the scenery, we can get down to business. Where’s your assistant? Where’s Karla? Don’t you have anyone who actually works up here in the offices?”
“Well, Mom.” I grimace. “It’s lunchtime and if I don’t let Jared eat, he gets pretty cranky. Also, I’m doing well. Thanks for asking.”
She waves her hand, and scoffs. “I see the smile on your face, and I’m not an idiot. I know exactly how and what you’re doing. There’s only one reason Violet Camden would be in your office without your sister, and no, I don’t need to hear an explanation or apology.”
“An apology?”
“Girls like her are only after one thing. A husband with money so they can continue to socialize and not have to worry about getting an actual job. I hope she has her own room. Your receptionist assured me you were completely booked, so I’ll be staying with you.”
“Wait, Mom.” There’s absolutely no fucking way she’s going to be staying with Violet and me. There’s not enough room in the cabin for the three of us and my mom’s ego. Surely, someone has an opening somewhere. If I have to bribe the National Guard into transporting her back and forth from Richmond, Virginia, I’ll do it.
“What about, Karla? I’d like to meet with her about the party and make sure everything is simply perfect.”
I take a deep breath, not necessarily a calming one because I’m not sure anything could calm me right now. Everything is not only under control, but fucking perfect, just like she wants. Violet made sure every detail was taken care of, and it’s not like I wasn’t by her side, double checking.
I’m not sure if my mother assumes I’m incompetent or if it’s just that I can’t meet her immensely high expectations, but it pisses me off. Of course, it’s not like I can say anything. Not when my future at the resort rests in her hands.
At least until the end of the year.
“Karla’s not here this week, Mother. Her dad is in the hospital, but rest assured, everything is under control.”
“I sincerely doubt you did your best work for the hotel while cavorting around with your sister’s friend. Hopefully, you didn’t get her involved. I shudder to think about the mess she’d cause if she had her hand in any of this. Donovan, I don’t think I need to remind you how important this event is for you and the resort.”
“I’m well aware, Mother. What did you want me to do? Tell Karla she needs to be here instead of at the hospital?”
“I want you to get your staff under control. We did not run things like this while I was in charge.”
Another deep breath. Still not calming. “I assure you that everything has been booked. The guests are excited. Everything will be fine.”
My mother opens her mouth to respond, but instead gives me a disbelieving stare. It’s the same one I saw countless times growing up.
Finally, she relents the look of disbelief and nods. “We’ll see.”
So glad she has the utmost confidence in my skills and ability to run this resort. Makes me wonder why she even gave me the chance to take it over in the first place.
I don’t get much time to dwell on it because she stands and smooths down the front on her skirt. “Since you have everything taken care of, you should have the time to give me a tour. Show me what you’ve been doing for the past several months.”
Perfect. Not like I need to get back and talk to Violet or figure out where we’re all going to sleep or anything. Hopefully, this will be a quick walk around the property and then I can pawn her off on Jared or send her down to the lake to check out the new paddle boats.
