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“She will face some consequences, but I don’t know about legally.”
“Like what?”
“Well, she’ll definitely be out of a job at the resort, and probably she won’t be able to apply at any other Remington property.”
“But Wilder still has his job, right?” her dad asked.
“Yes. Though his movements have been restricted to just the ski shop and the slopes, which isn’t that big of a deal since he rarely comes up to the main buildings, anyway.”
“Could Alexander step in and help Wilder?”
“Hudson is going to tell him what’s happened,” Kayleigh assured her dad. “However, I think it would be better for Wilder if we let the process play out. If Alexander steps in, then there might be people who won’t believe in Wilder’s innocence. They’ll just see a wealthy man claiming he’s innocent.”
Her mom sighed. “I get that. I just want Wilder free of this mess. He’s such a good boy. It’s not fair that he’s been targeted.”
Kayleigh agreed, and she hoped that they would get answers as to why the woman had chosen to do this to him.
“Wilder is finishing off his day on the slopes, then he’ll be home,” Kayleigh said.
Though Wilder didn’t particularly love still living at home, it helped him save money, especially since he was only in Serenity for five or six months out of the year.
They didn’t talk much longer, and after the call ended, Kayleigh realized she didn’t feel any better. Her parents were still upset, and there was nothing she could do to change that.
She couldn’t make things better for Wilder, and she couldn’t make things better for her parents. It would have been easier if she’d been the target. It would have meant that she didn’t have to worry about other people being hurt and not being able to do anything about it.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, so the feelings of helplessness weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Since she still had a couple of hours to kill before meeting Hudson, Kayleigh headed to the store to pick up her groceries for the week. She hoped she didn’t run into anyone since she was looking a little rough and was in a hurry.
It didn’t take her too long at the store since her list never varied much from one week to the next. Her list was arranged according to the setup of the store, so she moved rapidly up and down the aisles.
When she was done, she went to the self-checkout because she preferred to pack her own groceries, as it meant she could organize the bags how she wanted for ease of unpacking at the house. Back at the house, she quickly put the groceries in their proper places, then folded up the reusable bags and returned them to the cupboard by the door to the garage.
None of the things she’d done that day were out of the ordinary for a Saturday. However, there’d been a desperate energy fueling her, which left her feeling exhausted. Instead of finding peace in the familiarity of her daily tasks, though, she was still on edge.
With all that done, Kayleigh took a quick shower, then began to get ready for her dinner. She debated on what to wear, finally deciding on something that would be appropriate for work. If people saw them eating dinner together, hopefully her appearance would support the fact that it was a work meal, and not something personal.
In the end, she decided on a pair of loose, pleated black slacks and a long-sleeved, dark green silk blouse. She fastened the small buttons on the cuffs, then added small gold studs in her ears. Since a necklace wouldn’t show with the neckline of the blouse, she forewent one. She slipped on the rings she usually wore, then went to her closet to get out the high heel ankle boots that paired well with the pants.
It was ridiculous to be so focused on her outfit and appearance. But in the midst of an uncontrollable situation, it was something she could control. And she needed that.
Once she was ready, Kayleigh got her long black wool coat from the closet and pulled it on. After making sure that her phone was in her purse, Kayleigh grabbed her keys off the hook and left the house.
After parking in her reserved spot at the resort, she took the elevator up to the main floor, then headed for the Steakhouse. Her text alert pinged as she was walking, and she pulled out her phone to check the message, relieved to see that Wilder had replied to her.
Wilder:I’m doing okay. Shocked, but okay. I know I’m innocent, so I just have to pray that God works this out for me.
Kayleigh stepped to the side of the hallway where she was walking and tapped out a response.
We’re all praying for that. If there’s anything more I can do, please let me know.
She wanted to have a longer conversation with him, but she doubted he’d want that right then. As it was, he was no doubt going to have an extended conversation with their parents. Maybe they’d have a chance to meet together with the rest of the family after church the next day.
Wilder sent her a thumbs up in response, then Kayleigh slipped her phone back into her purse. She continued on to the Steakhouse, greeting the hostess there with a smile.
“I’m meeting Mr. St. James,” Kayleigh told her.
“Of course. He’s already at the table. Please follow me.”
