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“See you then.” Kayleigh left the gym and hurried to her office. She liked to be done getting ready and at her desk with an hour of finishing her workout, so she didn’t want to linger in the gym.
Seven-thirty found her dressed in a navy pantsuit and bright pink blouse. She pulled her yoghurt and berries from the small fridge where she’d put them earlier. Using a bowl that she kept in her office, Kayleigh mixed the yoghurt, berries, and some granola together. It was her second favorite breakfast. Her all-time favorite was bacon, eggs, and pancakes. However, she didn’t eat that breakfast very often because she’d have to workout even more if she ate it as often as she wanted.
Still, once a month, she’d buy some bacon and indulge.
She read through emails that needed her attention as she ate her breakfast and drank her first cup of coffee. Andrea arrived at nine, coming into Kayleigh’s office to start her day with a short meeting.
“I’ll be out of the office again this morning, but I’ll have my phone on me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Andrea had worked with her in the HR department, and when Kayleigh had been promoted, she’d brought Andrea with her. The woman who had held the position before Andrea had retired when her boss had, which had left both positions vacant.
“Everything good with Mike and the kids?” Kayleigh asked.
She always liked to check in with Andrea to make sure that she wasn’t feeling too overwhelmed with her family and work responsibilities. Andrea’s two kids were in school, and her husband worked in construction, so they had a lot going on.
“Yep. Now that we’re all over that nasty cold, we’re doing great.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Andrea returned to her desk. Just before nine-thirty, Kayleigh swapped out her heels for her boots. She’d chosen to use her nicer boots that day, knowing she’d be wearing them to the police station.
After she had her boots on, she grabbed her coat and purse, then left her office. She stood beside Andrea’s desk as she waited for Hudson to make an appearance.
“If Liz comes looking for me, tell her I’ll be back by lunch.”
Andrea wrinkled her nose, but still nodded. The woman was no fan of Liz’s since Liz had joked that Andrea would never succeed in the business if she kept having kids. Andrea, however, counted being a mom among her greatest achievements.
It wasn’t that Andrea felt that women couldn’t find fulfillment in other things. It was just that she took her role as a mom seriously. She’d only begun to work full-time hours once the kids were both in school. Before that, she’d only worked part time, leaving the kids with her mom for the four hours a day she’d worked at the hotel.
When Hudson stepped into the office, Kayleigh greeted him with a smile. He wore a black pinstripe suit with a white shirt and light blue tie. His hair was once again swept back off his face, his curls nowhere to be seen.
“The forecast said it was quite cold today,” Hudson said as they walked to the elevator. “How do you find the winters here?”
Kayleigh used her card to access the lower floor. “I’m used to them, since I’ve lived in Serenity Point pretty much my whole life. Snow and cold are pretty much commonplace for the months of November to March. Sometimes for October and April too, depending on the year.”
“Do you enjoy winter sports like your brother does?”
“When I was younger, we’d go sledding. That could be fun, but if I had to pick a winter sport I actually like, it would be ice skating.”
“Not skiing?”
“Nope. I don’t enjoy the high potential for injury that comes with the sport. Wilder has broken arms and legs skiing.”
“Recently?”
“No. Mainly when he was a teen. He’s not quite as reckless now that he’s an adult and his income relies on him having full use of his appendages.”
Once they reached the parking lot floor, Kayleigh led the way to where she’d parked earlier. As the manager of the resort, she had an assigned parking spot, which she appreciated.
She used her fob to unlock the doors, then slid behind the wheel while Hudson folded his tall frame into the passenger seat. Kayleigh had to have her seat fairly far forward, but she’d adjusted the passenger seat earlier, knowing that Hudson would need all the space.
“Can you reach the pedals?” Hudson asked as she started up the engine.
“Oh, a short joke. Haha.” Kayleigh shot a look in his direction as she turned up the heater. “I did tell you I had six brothers, right? All of them are taller than me—two are basketball players—so I’ve heardallthe short jokes.”
Hudson chuckled. “Sorry. It was just too tempting.”
“No worries. I’ve got a few tall jokes up my sleeve.”
