He looked at her, eyebrows raised, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of saying no. At that moment, the volume in the room rose a notch.
“Trust me.” She put on her most professional, welcoming smile. “I know what to do.”
“Go ahead.” Jonas ceded her some space, and Anna went out in front of the counter and waved her arms, aiming for silence. The guests quieted down, silence spreading like a ripple in a pond outward from her.
“Welcome to the Elk Lodge,” she began, keeping her smile in place, but an empathetic look in her eyes. At least—that’s how she hoped she looked. “We’re so glad you arrived safely, despite the storm outside. Unfortunately, we’re experiencing some technical difficulties that are making our check-in process frustrating. We have a person here to fix the system, and it should be up and running shortly. In the meantime, we’d like to invite you all to the hotel’s restaurant for a complimentary breakfast.”
“Where are we supposed to keep our things?” someone fretted from the front of the crowd.
Anna waved one of the reception staff members forward. “We’ll watch over any luggage you’d like to leave here while you have some breakfast. It will be looked after the entire time you’re eating until the last piece is picked up. If you’ll all follow me, I’ll lead the way.”
She held her breath but tried not to let it show.
Then the first members of the crowd came toward her, and the rest followed.
Anna got everyone settled in the restaurant, which was open for breakfast but not expecting a crowd of that size. She made quick friends with the hostess, and once everyone was seated, Anna went around to each table to speak with the guests personally.
Yes, a very sudden storm, she repeated so many times she lost count. Completely unexpected glitches with the system. We’re working hard on it right now. No, of course there won’t be any problem with your reservation.
By the time she’d made the rounds, it had been almost forty-five minutes.
She found Gabe and his brothers, along with Elin, in a large office behind the front desk. Gabe tapped quickly at a computer, windows popping up and closing again faster than she could keep track. Elin came up to her and took her hands. “Thank you for your quick thinking,” she said with a tired smile that squeezed at Anna’s heart. “I should have offered breakfast right away, but my nerves got the better of me.”
“It was nothing,” she assured the older woman. “This is what I do for a job. It’s second nature to me.”
Elin’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m so glad Gabe has someone like you.” Another flicker of guilt. If Elin only knew. “Gabe,” she said, louder. “This woman is a walking miracle. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” Gabe said, stopping what he was doing for a moment to look up. Too bad the expression on his face didn’t match his words.
Anna went to his side and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the engagement ring’s weight on her finger. It felt heavy, but it was still fake. It didn’t really mean anything, no matter how wonderful Elin thought she was. “Is everything okay?”
“The booking system is a mess. I don’t know why Jonas didn’t upgrade years ago.” He let out a short breath. “But it’s no problem—you’re the star of the show here. Great job with crowd control. If you keep it up, nobody will even remember this happened.”
You’re the star of the show. Anna stood stock still. He was obviously frustrated. Why?
Jealousy.
Anna knew Gabe didn’t need accolades from his family. Was he jealous of the way Elin had accepted her just now, and for the way she’d found a place for herself when he thought he didn’t have one? How could he still be hung up on this? They’d talked about it, and she’d agreed to be the best fiancée he could hope for. That meant impressing his family. That meant stepping in during an emergency like this one.
“I’ll stay out of your way,” she said, trying not to let the pain echo in her voice. She started to move away, but he grabbed her hand in midair and pulled it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her skin.
“I meant it,” Gabe said, his voice low and urgent. “You’re doing a great job.”
Some of her irritation dissolved. This was all becoming more complicated than she’d counted on. Anna leaned down and kissed him on the lips, which earned them a whistle from Chase.
Jonas came over then, and she left to chat with Elin about the storm.
“I knew there were bookings for the weekend, obviously, but I didn’t think they’d all show up early to beat the storm.” Elin shook her head. “I should know better after all these years.”
“It sounded like the storm took a surprise turn—wasn’t it supposed to hit south of us?”
“That’s what I thought.”
This was the kind of conversation that Anna craved—simple and without any hidden meanings. They were just discussing the weather. Was that what other families could count on? She could be totally sure it wouldn’t turn into a commentary on her father’s failings or a diatribe about the men her mother brought home or any of that. Longing hit hard.
If she were really Gabe’s fiancée, she could put up with the high standards and the little tiffs between brothers if it meant being part of this family.
“Almost done, Gabe?” Jonas brushed by, putting a hand on Anna’s arm to step around her. “People will be done eating soon. We can’t keep them waiting.”
“I am almost done,” Gabe answered, not looking up from the screen. “But I wouldn’t have had to do this if you used better software. All this could have been avoided.”
“If you were working at the resort, you could have designed software specifically for us.”
“You couldn’t afford me,” Gabe shot back.
Tana appeared at her side. “Let’s leave them to it. Don’t you think?”
Anna was about to say yes. The front desk staff would be able to run reservations in a few minutes. It would be nice to unwind with tea or coffee or any number of things, especially with her new friend. There were lots of options at the Elk Lodge.
A voice rang out in the lobby—angry and loud. It was a blustery tone that sent a twist of anxiety through Anna’s gut.
“Uh oh,” Tana said, shaking her head.
Elin closed her eyes, trying to shut the sound out.
“I’ve got it,” Anna said. “I’ll let them know about breakfast. With the snow coming down the way it is, we shouldn’t have to worry about any more arrivals.”
Anna straightened her shoulders and calmed her mind. That spike of anxiety had been nothing but residual adrenaline, she decided. One more set of guests on edge wouldn’t do her in. But as she prepared to step back out into the reception area, the noise got louder. This wasn’t just one angry guy—he’d come with quite a few guests, by the sounds of it.
Waiting wouldn’t make it any better.
Welcome to the Elk Lodge, she thought. Hopefully, from there on out, the conversation would be fine.
Three steps and she was back to the reception desk. “Welcome to the Elk Lodge,” Anna said, but then all the words she’d planned to say fled from her mind.