Riley hadn’t expected the kiss to change anything between her and Lucas. In some ways, the tension was still there and just as strong as ever. When Lucas walked into a room, she knew exactly where he was. Every part of her was hyper-aware of him. But the aloofness between them vanished. They could talk normally. Sometimes she even got flashes of how their relationship used to be.
Riley’s next confrontation with Lucas happened the first week in January. An hour before her shift ended, an architect showed up to talk to him. Riley hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but as they walked around the lobby talking, it was clear from their conversation that Carson planned to make major renovations. Knock-walls-out renovations.
The architect gave Lucas a binder of drawings and said he looked forward to working together.
As soon as the man was out the door, Riley sidled over to Lucas. She was nearly immune to his cologne now. Nearly. “What was that all about?”
Lucas opened the binder and flipped through the pages. “Carson wants to add a conference room and another wing for guests. That way, we should be able to make more money inthe summertime and attract some small conferences or retreats in the wintertime.” He eyed her with an unspoken sigh already forming on his lips. “You’re about to tell me why you think that’s a bad idea, aren’t you?”
The surprise on her face wasn’t due to disapproval. She’d planned to expand the inn too—someday far in the future when she had the funds. Carson was doing it after one month of ownership? If he was sinking that much money into the building, that decreased the chances he would want to sell the place or that she would ever be able to afford it.
She swallowed and tried to wipe the disappointment from her expression. “Actually I think expanding the inn is a good idea. We get a lot of interest from people who want to do reunions in the summertime, and we usually don’t have enough rooms to accommodate them. Can I see the blueprints?”
She was probably foolish to ask. It was only going to cause her pain to see her dreams rendered into drawings in someone else’s plans.
Lucas handed her the binder.
She expected the drawings of the conference room to have the same quaint English manor look that the rest of the inn had. Instead, they showed a huge glass box attached to what was now the kitchen.
“Turns out you were right. I am going to tell you this is a bad idea.”
Lucas reached for the binder. She flipped it around to show him the picture. “You’re turning the kitchen into some sort of greenhouse?”
“No, we’re modernizing the place. We’ll build a new kitchen and turn the old one into a conference room. The glass walls take advantage of the view.”
She scanned more pages, stomach sinking with each one. “All of this is the wrong style. Did the architect even look at the inn before he drew these?”
“Yes. He wants to modernize the place.”
And this was why football players shouldn’t be allowed to make design decisions. “If our guests wanted to stay in something modern, they’d go to one of those hotels in Bozeman that has the aesthetics of a warehouse. People come here for the old-fashioned appeal.”
Lucas took the binder from her and snapped it shut. “Just a heads up, you’re probably not going to like the furniture the designer wants to put in here after the renovations.”
Were theytryingto ruin the building? “You need to tell Carson to get a different architect. Here’s a litmus test he can use: Pass on anyone who thinks the glass pyramid outside of the Louvre was a good idea.”
Lucas nodded patiently, patronizingly. “I’ll give him your opinion as the assistant manager.”
Not good enough. “When is Carson planning on starting this monstrosity?”
“I’m sure the architect and he will go back and forth finalizing the design. After that, getting the permits will take another couple of months. The hope is to have the renovations completed by next winter.”
He said more, but she was too busy making a phone call to hear what.
“Sorry,” Riley told him. “I need to go above your head for this.”
“You want to talk to Carson?”
“No, he clearly has no taste. I’m calling Olivia.”
The call went to voicemail. “Get back to me as soon as you hear this message,” Riley said into the phone. “We need to have a long talk. Really long. Also, are you sure you don’t wanta bachelorette party? Annie is having a hard time letting go of that idea and has been researching places in Bozeman. But don’t let her talk you into skydiving. It’s way too cold in the winter for that. One more thing, what exactly are my duties as a bridesmaid? Is there a sash or a tiara involved? Love you, bye.”
Riley put her phone down. Lucas, arms folded, was regarding her. “Should you be having discussions with your friends on the company’s time?”
“I’m trying to save the inn from death by architecture. Thatiscompany business.”
“And the stuff about the tiara?”
She rolled her eyes. “I was just joking around. Have you forgotten that I do that?”