Page 92 of Second First Kiss
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Kat had woken up somewhere between pissed off and scared. Pissed off because of what Nolan had said and scared because it was true. There was also a bit of ache in there that he’d said it knowing it would hurt her—and it had.
Sure, she’d made one of her usual snarky remarks, but his were intended to leave marks. She had never seen that side of him and she didn’t like it. Then again, nothing he’d said was wrong, and he hadn’t said it in a cruel fashion.
Her first thought had been to send him packing, but she’d grown over the past few weeks and instead of popping off, she’d let herself sleep on it and she was glad that she had because now she was starting to wonder if his statement was that big of a deal.
It hadn’t been so much as a blast to her heart as it had been to her ego. It rattled the chip she wore so proudly on her shoulder, like a direct hit in the game of Battleship. Enough to grab her attention but not enough to sink her.
He could have turned her in—he hadn’t. He could have lectured her all night—he hadn’t. He could have removed himself from the situation—he hadn’t. In fact, the only thing he had done was given her the blunt truth. She just hadn’t wanted to hear it at a time when she’d already felt vulnerable and exposed—like a loser.
And now instead of walking into his office to apologize, because he’d been gone all day, she was walking into the boardroom to deliver what was going to be a blow to the entire family—but especially Nolan.
Unable to sleep last night, she’d worked on uncovering the doctored invoices and she’d found her thief. At least the one who worked at the lodge. And while it didn’t surprise Kat, she knew it would break Nolan’s heart. Lucas had wanted to call a meeting as soon as she told him she had the information, even though it was a Sunday. This couldn’t wait.
As Kat walked into the boardroom, her gaze immediately went to Nolan’s, and by the bloodshot eyes and lines bracketing his mouth, she knew he hadn’t slept much either. That gave her comfort. The situation meant enough to him to keep him awake too.
She gave him an encouraging smile and he smiled back. But it was not encouraging in the slightest. Had she blown it by being rash? She was going to apologize and tell him that she wasn’t going to give up. In fact, she was more determined than ever to stick it out.
Lucas waved her in. Kat closed the door behind her and said, “I have something to tell you all that you aren’t going to like.”
She sat down but held the iPad to her chest. Nolan was still watching her but hadn’t said a word. It was as if the room was holding its breath waiting for him to speak, and when he didn’t, Brynn sent him a strange look.
Filling the silence, she asked, “Does it have to do with the iPad you’re clutching?”
“I’ve only been on this job for a week, and I’ve really liked it, but I just found something that’s going to make you want to fire me.” Her cheeks went pink and she swallowed hard. “I, uh, I think I found out who’s behind the missing inventory and supplies. And who’s been screwing with the system and going into guest records.”
Her gaze swung around the table back to Nolan. “It’s Eli.”
Nolan had zero reaction.
“How can you be sure it’s him?” Brynn asked in an argumentative tone.
“I looked at the schedule and everyone who was working when the stuff went missing and the system was accessed. There were only three people who crossed over at every time, and Eli is the only one who had enough access to do it.”
It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room at the news. Every face was lit with shocked disbelief. Every face except one. Nolan.
She didn’t expect him to believe her, but she’d hoped that he would. Which was why she’d brought hard proof.
“You don’t have to believe me, but if you’ll just take a look at these…” She cast her tablet’s screen to the flatscreen on the boardroom wall. A spreadsheet of employee work times correlating with the break-ins sat side by side.
Nolan’s eyes never wavered. “I don’t need to look.”
She felt her heart sink. Was he going to outright dismiss her work because of yesterday and her slipup in judgment?
“I can assure you that all of this info was gathered legally,” she explained.
“I never had any doubt,” he said. “I believe you.”
“You do?” she whispered.
“Yeah, Kat, I do.”
A warmth slid through her like the rising sun heating the shadows beneath a canopy of pines. “Why?”
“Because after last night I learned that even when it gets hard, you’ll never keep something from me. You’re good at your job. If you say it’s true, it’s true.”
A shy uncertainty came over her at the unexpected and foreign praise.
