Chapter 1
Linly
Who the hell rents out an entire inn for one person?
Kade Markson, that's who.
Kade Markson is not just any movie star but the hottest playboy movie star. And he just rented out my whole Sunrise inn for an entire two weeks.
His manager's demands were pretty stringent, too. Bare minimum staff on the property, and we all had to sign a nondisclosure agreement or an NDA, as he called it. He was renting the whole inn but wanted to stay in the best room, and I was basically to cater to his every need and keep him out of the press.
Oh boy, I think they just hired me to be his babysitter. This will be fun.
I make a coffee in a travel mug and then take the short walk to the Sunset Inn next door that my best friend, Brynn, runs.
The sun is just starting to shine over the beach of our small North Carolina island. The wood of the boardwalk that connects our two inns is still a bit cool under my feet.
I head in the side door and down the service hallway to her room, using my key to unlock it. Since we run both inns together, we share keys as well as many of the events.
My inn caters to all things in the morning, including breakfast, brunch, and sunrise events, and hers caters to evening events. Dinner for both inns is served at the Sunset Inn, so we will need to make sure food can be moved to Sunrise for Kade, and since I make breakfast, we will have to move breakfast to Sunset for the time being.
I step into her room and jump on her bed before lying down beside her. This isn't uncommon for us. So much so, she knows who it is without opening her eyes.
"If someone isn't dead, you will be. Do you know what time it is?" Brynn asks.
She is not a morning person by any means, so it works perfectly for her to handle the evening events.
"It's only seven o'clock. You will never guess the phone call I just got. Seriously, you are going to shit your pants."
"I'm going back to bed," she grumbles and turns her head into the pillow.
I pull the pillow from under her and smack her with it before throwing it on the floor.
"A movie star just rented my entire inn, and I won't tell you a single detail if you don't wake up."
Her head pops up to look at me before she glares at me and sits up with her back against the headboard. I hand her the coffee and let her drink it before jumping into my story. I learned early on that Brynn isn't human without coffee, so now I have it ready and just hand her a cup.
"Start talking," she says as she chugs the first half of her coffee and grabs her phone.
"So Kade Markson's agent called and asked about renting the whole inn out for two weeks. It wasn't a problem because we have been booking everyone with you while I do some work here before the season starts. But when I hesitated, he offered to pay double my website prices. That's more than I'd make in a month in season! So, I said yes. We all have to sign nondisclosures, and I'm to have minimal staff on the property. So, I think you and I will be doing a bunch of the work. He is even paying the salary of the staff who are asked to stay home."
Brynn turns her phone to face me. "He's in the news again for sleeping with another costar's wife. Maybe they are trying to rebrand him and want him to hide out for a while? I've seen them do that to stars before. They go away for a bit, then come back as a ‘new person' or something."
"I don't know. They wouldn't tell me, but we have three days to get this place ready. He'll be staying in the Sunrise Suite, and from what I can tell, there won't be anyone else here," I tell her.
The Sunrise Suite, our most expensive suite, is located on the top floor with the best views, its own balcony, and enough space to be a small apartment.
It's March here on our little island. Hummingbird Island and the small town of Seaview is busy with tourists from Memorial Day to Labor Day but pretty much dead in the off-season. It's why it was so easy for Kade's manager to book the inn, and why the money he's paying will be greatly appreciated. I couldn't have turned this down even if I wanted to, and Brynn knows it.
"Okay, let's get moving. A wave of storms is supposed to hit this weekend, so I want all this done by then," Brynn says.
I nod in agreement since neither of us likes storms. About five years ago, both our parents, who were best friends, went out on a fishing boat ride for the day, and a storm sprang up out of nowhere and capsized the boat. Their bodies washed up on shore a day later.
Not only did we bury our parents that day, but we became inn owners much sooner than we ever planned. We made a pact to keep running them together like our parents and help each other. We are pretty much all each other has.
We moved into the inns and rent out our parents' houses during the season as vacation rentals. We have done pretty well over the past five years and have been able to put money in the bank.
I guess we have done so well that Kade Markson has heard of us and is coming to stay here for two weeks. This could put us on the map or kill us dead in the water.
"God, do you think he's a complete jerk who will throw his coffee across the room if it's not made right?" I giggle.
"For the love of God, I will throw the pot right back at him." Brynn laughs. I know she will, too, because she has a good arm. She has thrown several seashells at me over the years, one of which I still have a scar from. She will never live that one down.
"Let's make a list of what needs to get done," Brynn suggests.
"Well, I need to check my email and get him the info for every employee who won't be working and their pay so he can cut them a check. After we decide who to keep. I think Bertha and her husband, John. They will get a bonus for working. Kade's manager said it's an incentive to keep their mouth shut."
Bertha is the head housekeeper at the Sunrise and has been with us since my parents ran the place. She started here one summer at age sixteen and just never left. Her husband, John, is my maintenance man and assists for the landscaping when needed. He also has no problem helping his wife clean, so I think we can make it work between the four of us.
"I agree. We'll also need a few security guys, but I don't think you need anyone else, and if you do, we can bring them in from Sunset. Now go check your email and start making calls to let people know they have an unexpected vacation, and I will go check on the room and your pantry to make sure we have what we need."
"Maybe get dressed first." I run my eyes over her, and she punches my arm.
"Ow," I say, rubbing where she hit me.
"It's too early for you to be a smart-ass," she says and heads to her bathroom. I go back to Sunrise and pull my employee list up. I make the calculations, and it will cost him.
When I open my email to send him the information, I'm greeted with a happy surprise. If the visit goes well, he'll offer us a bonus to divide how I see fit. I guess this is a bit of a bribe to make sure there are no hiccups.
I shoot him an email with the daily rate totals for the twenty rooms for fourteen nights and the pay for the employees I'll be sending home. I also ask if he will be supplying his own security or wants to use my day and nighttime guards.
I open the document for the contracts for the stay and e-sign it before sending it back. Then I start making phone calls. I know it's early, but I have too much to do, and I'm calling with good news so that should make up for it.
Everyone grumbles when they answer my call but then perk right up at the mention of a two-week paid vacation. Most don't ask for details, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, but a few press me. So I just say I had someone rent the inn for privacy, and I don't need a full staff. That seems to satisfy them.
Once the calls are made, I check my email again and find they want to use my security. Also attached are the nondisclosures he wants all my employees to sign, including myself.
After printing out the copies I need, I call Bertha, John, and my security guys in for an emergency meeting this afternoon. Then I go find Brynn.
I find her in the Sunrise Suite. This is my favorite room in the whole place. My mom decorated every detail and even took the photos that adorn the walls. They are from around the island.
The suite is the only one of two rooms on the third floor, and the only one that faces the ocean. It has its own balcony where I love to sit when the room is empty, which isn't often.
The room has a large king bed and a sitting area, a kitchen nook, and a massive bathroom with a claw-foot tub situated for an ocean view. It has all the fancy touches, a hardwood floor, a modern beach theme with blues and greens throughout.
"Okay, I'd say let's not chance it and treat the room like someone was just here. Replace everything, dust everything, clean everything. The works," Brynn says.
Now that she is up and dressed, she is in work mode, and she is kick-ass at her job. I knew she'd be the perfect one to take the lead on this.
"I agree. We have a meeting with Bertha, John, and the security team this afternoon. I texted you the details. We'll sign the NDAs then," I tell her.
"You call everyone else and give them time off?"
"Yes. Everyone is coming in today and tomorrow to give the whole inn a huge once-over cleaning. I don't want to take any chances by having them here on the day he arrives. So even if we are up all night ourselves, we will make it work," I say, and she nods.
"Okay, I will hit the farmers' market before he gets in that day, but let's get to work. You said he won't be staying in the other rooms?" she asks.
"That's what I was told, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to give them a dusting and once-over as well. Just in case."
"Famous last words. Just in case." She sighs as we stare out at the morning sun dancing over the Atlantic Ocean for another moment. We will do this for them, for our parents.
I know we are both thinking it. They would have loved this. We will pull this off for them.
