The Heart of a Hero Read Online Free PDF Page B

new brass bell standing sentinel at its gate.
    Remembering Olivia’s rule that no one was allowed past that gate into her private sanctuary when she’d been running Inglenook, it was apparent the woman was keeping that rule intact for the new guest liaison—which would be
her
, Julia hoped and hoped and hoped. “Please let this be about that job,” she said almost as a litany as she drove to Foxglove. She stopped beside Olivia’s shiny green personal cart, swallowed what was left of her peppermint candy, then climbed the stairs and went inside.
    “Hey, there you are,” Olivia said, walking out of the bedroom—which Julia knew was spanking clean because she’d just finished here not an hour ago.
    “What’s up?” Julia asked, slipping off her jacket and hanging it on a peg by the door. “How’s the place look?”
    “Honestly?
Better
than I remembered.” Olivia gave a small laugh, shaking her head. “Between running Nova Mare and racing to get Inglenook finished in time for our first guests in May, I just realized I haven’t set foot in any of these cottages in months.” She motioned toward the table. “Come sit down, Julia, and let’s talk.”
    Julia nervously brushed down her jersey and walked over and sat down, mentally repeating her litany that this was about the job.
    “First off, I want to say that I was surprised to see your application for Inglenook’s guest liaison,” Olivia said, sitting at the small table diagonally from her, “since the posting I put up in the locker room to give employees first dibs said I was looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree—preferably in hospitality.”
    “But I have plenty of experience, a good deal of it with you.”
    Olivia gave a nod. “I said I was surprised, but I’m also pleased you didn’t let that little requirement stop you. I don’t have any doubt you could take care of my guests, based on our past experiences together.” Olivia’s smile faltered, however, as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a small card, which she then set on the table and slid in front of Julia. “As well as from what I’ve been discovering about you these past two weeks, since I started looking into why some guests are specifically reserving any cottage
you
clean based on suggestions from their friends who have stayed here.”
    Julia felt all the blood drain from her face as she stared down at the card with her name and employee cell phone number on it. “I can explain,” she whispered.
    Olivia gestured around the room they were in, her hand stopping to point at the hearth. “And you know what’s funny? I don’t remember furnishing any of the cottages with old chamber pots to hold kindling, or wooden crates for the pinecones, or deer and moose antler sheds to display on the mantels. And I could have sworn the furniture was set up differently in here.” She reached for the basket sitting in the center of the table and pulled it closer, then started poking through the acorns, pieces of birch bark, lichen, odd-looking pebbles, and dried autumn leaves before she picked up the note card that had been leaning against it. “
Keep an eye out during your walks
,” she read, “
and add your own unusual finds to this woodland treasure trove for the next guests to enjoy
.” She looked at Julia. “And I can’t for the life of me remember coming up with this idea.”
    “It . . . This is one of the family cottages,” Julia said, dropping her gaze to the basket as she felt the blood rushing back into her cheeks. “And I thought sending the kids on a treasure hunt might help the parents entertain them.” She looked Olivia directly in the eyes. “And I know the phones are for employee use only, but I always make sure to introduce myself to my guests, and they like having someone they know show up when they need help starting a fire in the hearth or have a question about what to do in the area.”
    “We have a concierge desk for that, Julia. Why, when I