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“Are you around for awhile?” Wilder asked. “I’m usually busiest Thursday through Monday, so I’m probably already booked for those days.”
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be here.” Hudson didn’t want to give away his true purpose in being at the resort. “But for at least another week.”
“Check at the ski shop or the front desk. They both know my schedule and can set you up.”
“Sounds good,” Hudson said.
As he returned to his room, he felt confident that Wilder was on the up and up. He’d seemed conscious of representing the resort and not looking out just for his own wellbeing. The fact that he returned to work there each year spoke well of both Wilder and the resort.
Although maybe his family was the bigger draw.
Hudson didn’t get that, exactly, but perhaps if he hadn’t spent the last twenty years without his mom, he might have understood better. He spent more time avoiding family than seeking it out.
Given the man’s apparent honesty, Hudson had wanted to ask him how he felt about the employees and the management at the resort. However, he figured that probably wasn’t an inquiry that the average guest would make.
Perhaps he could revisit it once he’d made his presence known. Unfortunately, some people might not be as honest with him once they realized he was there representing Remington Properties. That had happened before, which was why he’d taken Caleb’s suggestion to come in without revealing his connections.
The next day, he’d check out of his room, then re-check in with his professional credentials. And finally make Alexander happy, since the man hadn’t been entirely on board with his and Caleb’s plan.
But first, he was going to eat a steak and enjoy a few more hours of anonymity.
CHAPTER FOUR
Kayleigh smoothed her hands over her hair, then used hairspray to calm any fly aways. Giving her reflection in the mirror a critical look, she tried to see herself how the person from headquarters might view her. She’d taken extra time on her makeup that day and had fashioned her hair into a sleek French twist.
The pantsuit she’d chosen was one of her favorites. The dark burgundy color complemented her coloring, and she’d paired it with a white blouse and a pair of black heels.
Kayleigh hoped she came across professional in both appearance and behavior when she inevitably crossed paths with the Remington representative. Hopefully, she’d be able to mask her nerves over the situation. Normally, meeting someone from headquarters wouldn’t make her nervous, but given events of late, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.
She’d been up at her usual time and had finished her workout by six-thirty, once again joined in the gym by the dark-haired man. In all the time she’d been working out early in the gym, it had been rare for anyone else to show up.
The resort was usually a destination for vacation, so many of the guests didn’t work out at the early hour that Kayleigh did. The gym got plenty of use, but the majority of people came later in the day.
However, for the past few days, she’d had company for the last half of her hour-long workout. The man hadn’t bothered her, going right to the weight bench, and he’d still been there when she’d left.
Once she’d finished her workout, she’d returned to her office to use the small, attached bathroom to take a shower and prepare for her day. The bathroom was a perk she loved since it allowed her to work out before starting her day at the hotel.
Satisfied that there was nothing more she could do to prepare herself physically for the coming interaction, Kayleigh quickly straightened up the bathroom before leaving it for her office. She went to the coffeemaker—another perk of her office, along with a small fridge—and made herself a cup of her favorite blend.
Since she had no idea when she’d meet the person, Kayleigh tried to focus on what she needed to accomplish that morning. For the past few days, she’d had to work hard to keep her worries under control and had been…mostlysuccessful.
Nothing seemed to work that morning, however.
Just after ten, her phone rang. When Kayleigh answered it, Liz muttered an expletive in lieu of a greeting, making Kayleigh wince.
“What’s wrong?” Kayleigh asked, bracing herself for the worst—which, lately, had included theft from a guest’s room.
“You arenotgoing to believe this,” Liz said. “That cute guy I told you about?”
“Yeah?” From things Liz had said, Kayleigh had assumed that guy was the same one who’d shown up in the gym for the past few days.
“Well, Mr. Hudson St. James just checked out.”
“Okay?” Kayleigh wanted to yell at her to spit it out, but in the time she’d known Liz, she’d learned that her friend and co-worker enjoyed drama. If Kayleigh tried to hurry things along, Liz would just drag it out even further.
“No sooner had he checkedoutof his room, when he asked Eddie to get me because he was moving to the owner's suite.”
Kayleigh felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She should have figured out for herself that someone might come in ahead of time to check out the resort undercover. And now it made sense why the man had been up so early to work out. He hadn’t been there on vacation.
