Strawberry Wine (Strawberry Inn Book #2)

Chapter 7

BLAIR

Being the manager of the only hotel that was right in the center of a tourist town, I was used to dealing with the unexpected. I’ve dealt with my fair share of drunk and unruly guests, overbookings, and hell we even had a fire not too long after opening that turned out to be started by Angela’s ex-husband’s new wife. Technically we could never prove that she actually did it, but we’re not as stupid as they think we are. Cody showing up out of nowhere in the lobby of the hotel, looking specifically for me, was not even on my radar of the unexpected things that could happen today.

That doesn’t matter though, because he’s standing in the middle of the lobby in a suit that is way too expensive to be seen wearing in Strawberry and a to-go bag from the diner. If Darla hadn’t been talking to him just mere moments before I walked into the lobby, I would check myself into the hospital for hallucinations because Cody Bishop did not just show up anywhere, especially not at my work, asking specifically for me.

“What are you doing here?” His face fell a bit after my question, which was a bit more abrasive than I intended. I’m not mad or angry that he is here, just confused. 

“If you’re busy I could come back later, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would swing by.”

“In the neighborhood?” I’m still filled with confusion and more questions than I have time to ask, but I realize this really isn’t the place to be having this conversation at all. Darla is practically salivating over the reality tv show that is folding out in front of her eyes and this is my business place, not the place to air whatever dirty laundry this is. “Come with me.”

“Where?” He asks but has no problem following me through the lobby and into the courtyard of the hotel. 

“We can’t talk in there, Cody,” I look back at the doors to the lobby and then keep walking past the pool and the row of hotel rooms.

“Is there a reason why?”

I stop just short of the almost completed storage building that was the scene of that stupid bitch’s attempt to ruin Angela’s hotel and turn back to Cody. He was just mere steps behind me, most likely because his legs were twice as long as mine. I don’t remember the last time I was this close to him and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the way that made me feel. I regain my composure quickly and took a step back for my own sake.

“The main reason is that this is my work and whatever you want to talk about is not work-related. Unless of course, you need to check in, which I guess we could go back and Darla can take care of you. I’m pretty sure that isn’t the case though because I take a look at bookings every single morning and your name wasn’t on the check-ins.”

“You’re rambling, Bear.”

My heart immediately skipped a beat, I hadn’t been called Bear in…well not since Cody and I decided to split up. My dad used to call me Blair Bear and made the mistake of calling me that in front of my classmates once. The other kids laughed at the childish nickname, but Cody took it upon himself to modify it to just Bear. It was a term of endearment, so once we were no longer endearing to each other it stopped. Maybe he just said it by habit, but in the almost decade since our divorce, he never slipped before. Why now?

“I’m not rambling, Cody. I’m just trying to answer your question. You have to excuse me, I wasn’t expecting to see you here of all places. Hayes didn’t tell me that you were back in town.”

“Hayes doesn’t know I’m here.”

“Why are you here then?” My number one question still remains unanswered, but he’s not giving me any indication that he plans on answering it while we’re standing here, so I huff and turn around, heading to my final destination of Angela’s house. She’s not home and Harrison is on shift, so it’ll be empty. I have a key to her place so I unlock it and open the door, inviting Cody to walk in after me.