last booth was completed by three. As he’d worked, he thought of adding some wooden leaf and pumpkin embellishments to represent the Fall Harvest theme and mentioned it to Eric.
“If you can cut them out for me,” he told him, “I’ll paint them and add ’em on.”
Eric nodded. “That’s a great idea. I’ll get them to you by the end of the week.”
“The girls will love that,” Mark agreed. His gaze shifted past his brother’s shoulder, and when a slight frown creased his brow, Levi turned to see what had caught his attention.
A red mustang convertible rolled down the driveway toward the lodge parking lot, top down in the warm weather to reveal an older gentleman at the wheel.
“What’s Ed Holden doing here?” Nash asked.
“He’s one of our corporate sponsors,” Mark replied. “Their grocery chain usually supplies all the burgers and brats when we hold an event like this.” He unbuckled his tool belt and handed it over to Levi. “I wasn’t aware of any meeting today, so I better go see what he wants.”
Chapter 12
A knock on the conference room door brought Mallory’s head up to see Janelle in the doorway.
“You got a minute to talk?”
“Of course.” She gestured to one of the chairs and the redhead took a seat. The grim expression on her face made Mallory’s stomach do an uneasy flip. “What’s going on?”
“Ed Holden just paid us a surprise visit.”
“He’s the CEO of Holden Prices, right?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, he, um, came out to let us know they’re withdrawing their support.”
“What?” She sat up straighter. The grocery store chain was a large contributor. “Why?”
“I don’t even want to tell you this,” Janelle said with a sigh, “But with the way gossip travels in this town, I figure it’s best you hear it from me.”
The sympathetic regret in her eyes made Mallory’s stomach somersault again, and keep flipping.
“Someone on his board brought it to his attention that you used to manage Sunny Days Daycare. After the arrest of Ron and Claire Bertrand yesterday, he felt the need to voice his concern with you being in any way associated with soliciting funds for the lodge.”
She stiffened, and in one heartbeat, her entire body went cold. “I knew nothing about what was going on at Sunny Days. The police cleared me.”
“I told him that. He pointed out that your brother is a cop.”
Her jaw went slack. “He accused Shane of…of…” The idea was so ludicrous, she couldn’t even think of the right word. “He’d never do something like that. I didn’t do anything.”
“I know that,” Janelle assured her. “And he didn’t outright accuse, more like inferred.”
She took a deep breath, then forced her gaze to her boss’s. “Am I fired?”
Green eyes widened. “ No. Hell no.”
It was hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. “You and Mark are losing a big sponsor because of me.”
“We’re losing a judgmental asshole because…well, because he’s a conclusion jumping, judgmental asshole.”
Normally, that would’ve made her smile, but screw optimism. Right now she was too mad to smile. The real kicker was, Shane had texted her an hour ago—the Bertrands had pled guilty at their arraignment, so there would be no trial. She was supposed to be able to move past this now, not have it affect Mark and Janelle and all the veterans they helped.
“What if I leave?” she asked. “Will he recommit?”
Janelle leaned forward and glared at her. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“But surely Mark—”
“Mark agrees with me one hundred percent. This is not your fault. Just as it’s Ed’s right to donate his money where he wants to, it’s our right whether or not we want to accept it.”
She forced a smile for her boss.
“Seriously, Mallory, we do not blame you. We knew the situation when we offered you the job. You know, we didn’t walk into this with blinders on. Mark has friends who know your brother and the
“If you can cut them out for me,” he told him, “I’ll paint them and add ’em on.”
Eric nodded. “That’s a great idea. I’ll get them to you by the end of the week.”
“The girls will love that,” Mark agreed. His gaze shifted past his brother’s shoulder, and when a slight frown creased his brow, Levi turned to see what had caught his attention.
A red mustang convertible rolled down the driveway toward the lodge parking lot, top down in the warm weather to reveal an older gentleman at the wheel.
“What’s Ed Holden doing here?” Nash asked.
“He’s one of our corporate sponsors,” Mark replied. “Their grocery chain usually supplies all the burgers and brats when we hold an event like this.” He unbuckled his tool belt and handed it over to Levi. “I wasn’t aware of any meeting today, so I better go see what he wants.”
Chapter 12
A knock on the conference room door brought Mallory’s head up to see Janelle in the doorway.
“You got a minute to talk?”
“Of course.” She gestured to one of the chairs and the redhead took a seat. The grim expression on her face made Mallory’s stomach do an uneasy flip. “What’s going on?”
“Ed Holden just paid us a surprise visit.”
“He’s the CEO of Holden Prices, right?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, he, um, came out to let us know they’re withdrawing their support.”
“What?” She sat up straighter. The grocery store chain was a large contributor. “Why?”
“I don’t even want to tell you this,” Janelle said with a sigh, “But with the way gossip travels in this town, I figure it’s best you hear it from me.”
The sympathetic regret in her eyes made Mallory’s stomach somersault again, and keep flipping.
“Someone on his board brought it to his attention that you used to manage Sunny Days Daycare. After the arrest of Ron and Claire Bertrand yesterday, he felt the need to voice his concern with you being in any way associated with soliciting funds for the lodge.”
She stiffened, and in one heartbeat, her entire body went cold. “I knew nothing about what was going on at Sunny Days. The police cleared me.”
“I told him that. He pointed out that your brother is a cop.”
Her jaw went slack. “He accused Shane of…of…” The idea was so ludicrous, she couldn’t even think of the right word. “He’d never do something like that. I didn’t do anything.”
“I know that,” Janelle assured her. “And he didn’t outright accuse, more like inferred.”
She took a deep breath, then forced her gaze to her boss’s. “Am I fired?”
Green eyes widened. “ No. Hell no.”
It was hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. “You and Mark are losing a big sponsor because of me.”
“We’re losing a judgmental asshole because…well, because he’s a conclusion jumping, judgmental asshole.”
Normally, that would’ve made her smile, but screw optimism. Right now she was too mad to smile. The real kicker was, Shane had texted her an hour ago—the Bertrands had pled guilty at their arraignment, so there would be no trial. She was supposed to be able to move past this now, not have it affect Mark and Janelle and all the veterans they helped.
“What if I leave?” she asked. “Will he recommit?”
Janelle leaned forward and glared at her. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“But surely Mark—”
“Mark agrees with me one hundred percent. This is not your fault. Just as it’s Ed’s right to donate his money where he wants to, it’s our right whether or not we want to accept it.”
She forced a smile for her boss.
“Seriously, Mallory, we do not blame you. We knew the situation when we offered you the job. You know, we didn’t walk into this with blinders on. Mark has friends who know your brother and the
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