“If? You need more than that from him. You should at least know which days you don’t have to shave your legs.”
Laughing, Paige threaded the damp towel over the bar one-handed and then managed to get herself into her robe without dropping her phone. “Mitch doesn’t like to commit to anything, even a cup of coffee, so if he comes by on a stubble day, that’s his problem.”
While she set up the coffeemaker so it would magically deliver fresh coffee at four-thirty in the morning, Paige tried a few times to change the subject. She didn’t want to analyze what she and Mitch had, because analysis meant feelings and those were the very last thing she wanted to talk about—feelings and the fact she might be having some.
She missed him tonight. Maybe if it was a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of thing, she wouldn’t, but he was also surprisingly good company with his pants on. They’d spent almost an hour the night before arguing over which book was Stephen King’s best before they even got around to making out on her couch. And the fact he was very good company with his pants off went without saying.
She hit subject-change pay dirt when she brought up Drew and Mallory. The town had been all abuzz when Mallory visited her husband at the police station. An argument ensued that was rumored to shake the windows, though nobody was repeating what was said. Nobody knew quite what to make of that, though most people had their fingers crossed it was the huge meltdown that would clear the way for the couple to reconcile.
“I’ve left her a couple of messages,” Hailey said, “but I haven’t heard back from her. Mitch is his best friend. Has he said anything to you?”
“Nope.” There was no reason to share their previous conversation on the matter. It was best if Hailey thought their relationship was all sex, all the time.
“If you hear anything, let me know.”
“I will. And you do the same.” Paige wrapped up the conversation and then put her phone on the charger for the night.
She should probably feel embarrassed about crawling into bed while it was still light out, but Paige was beyond caring. She needed sleep and lots of it. After sliding between the sheets, she closed her eyes and thought about Mitch.
Chapter Fourteen
By Friday, Mitch was ready to share his possible plan for increasing the lodge’s revenue. He told Ryan about it first, and he thought it had such good potential they stopped what they were doing to go inside, where Mitch pulled out the notes and maps and projections he’d hastily sketched out, as well as the official trail-system map he’d printed off the computer.
The more he and Ryan talked through it, the more Mitch was convinced it would work, even if the Kowalskis—and he in particular—were going to have to lay on the charm like sunscreen on a blond toddler.
“What are you guys looking at?”
Mitch and Ryan had been so engrossed in the maps, they hadn’t heard Josh coming, even with the thump of his crutches against the wooden floors. Mitch used his foot to shove a chair out for him. “Maps. Ryan and I were talking today and we think with a little charm, luck and money, we can get access to the ATV trails. Instead of just a stray booking here and there, the lodge could have real business all year long instead of just during the winter.”
Josh grumbled what sounded like a curse as he sat, but Mitch couldn’t tell if it was a response to what he’d said or discomfort from his leg. “Dad looked into it once, but there was no way to do it.”
“Martha Grandmaison passed away a few years back,” Mitch pointed out. “Her son owns the property behind us now and he might be more reasonable.”
“Look.” Ryan slid the maps toward Josh and leaned across the table to jab at them with his finger. “We’ve got a whole mess of ATV trails over there. If we can get Ed Grandmaison to agree to let us pass through one small section of his dozens of acres of woods, we can cut a path that connects the trail system to our land. Since we’re on the sled trails, once the ATVs get here, we can get the snowmobile club to give permission for them to use the sled trails so the ATVs can get into town for gas and food. And, most importantly, lodging. It’s a win for everybody.”
Josh’s jaw tightened. “Yeah, that’s what it is. A win.”
Mitch leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Thought you’d be a little more on board with a plan that would help the Northern Star make money again.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you’ve forgotten, but Ed Grandmaison isn’t your biggest fan.”
“We were nineteen. And she told me they’d broken up.”
Josh shook his head. “You slept with his girlfriend. He’s not going to do a damn thing to help us.”
Ryan pounded his fist on the table. “Well, you’re not doing a goddamn thing to help us, so what the hell are we supposed to do? Let the place go under?”