They didn’t protest, and she rushed out of the cabin and into her car.
When she pulled up to the hotel, it looked nearly deserted. The guests must’ve run away in fear.
Claire pulled into a parking space and hesitated about what to do next.
What were the chances that Chip was even still there? It’d be better if she met with him in the morning, arranged a time to discuss her plan. It’d be even better if she didn’t look like a prison escapee when she gave him her apology and her peace offering. She was planning to give him the hotel, no strings attached, and disappear from his life forever.
She sat, debating if it was best to wait. On the other hand, she knew he apparently hadn’t hesitated to help Marty and Lucy. She wasn’t going to wait, either.
Claire got out of her car and made her way to the building. As she walked through the lobby, she savored the delicate smell of lemongrass. She would miss that smell. She would miss everything about this place, especially the dream it had held for her.
A head popped up from one of the couches and surprised her. “Hey!”
She took a step back. “Chip! You’re still here.”
“I am.” He stood. “I was hoping you’d come back tonight.”
She smiled. He looked so nice, so put together. So different from how she felt. “I wasn’t going to, but then I talked to Marty.”
“Is he okay?”
She nodded. “He is now, thanks to you. As is Lucy. I don’t know how to thank you for what you did.”
“Please,” he held up a hand. “It was my pleasure. I’m just glad it worked.”
He was something else. “Lucy was under arrest, and I thought Marty would have nowhere to hide…” Her voice trailed off.
She closed her eyes. This wasn’t how she wanted this to go. Claire started again, clearing her voice. “I’m still feeling a bit loopy, but I needed to come here and thank you in person for everything you’ve done.”
“I’m happy I was able to help,” he said gently, taking a step closer to her. “Should we talk in my office, maybe?”
She looked around. There weren’t many people around, but that was a good idea. “Sure.”
Claire followed him back, her eyes lingering on every beautiful detail the hotel possessed. She would miss it so much – but it was for the best.
He closed the door and they both sat down. He spoke first. “I got to see my son when I was in New York.”
“How nice.”
Chip nodded. “It was great to see him. He’s always so busy. He asked about you, you know.”
“Did he?”
“Yes. I told him that you’re incredible, and I realized that I never had the guts to say that to your face.”
Claire looked down. “I’m not incredible. Maybe incredibly bad for the hotel.”
“No.” He stared at her. “Don’t say that. It’s not true. You know, I got to meet Morgan today. She was wonderful, and Luke improved Gigi’s day by tenfold.”
“Yeah, they’re great.”
Chip paused before speaking again. “I’ve been here for years, and the whole time, I’ve been completely missing things. I missed the fact that our pictures were awful, and that our website made it look like the hotel was shut down, and that the bathrooms were crumbling...”
“No, you didn’t –”
He continued. “I don’t think I’ve stayed in one of these rooms once in eight years, and I put no effort into looking for improvements. The events you’ve planned, even the effort you put into finding Ken – ”
“I know he’s terrible,” Claire said with a groan. “But after I hired him, I just kept hoping he would get better.”
