Please enjoy an excerpt from the next series The Springs - Summer of Change - Available Now!

Trent Harrison shuffled the ever-growing stack of papers on his desk and resisted the urge to shove them all to the floor. Sure, it would feel good on some level to watch them all flutter to the ground where he could kick them out of sight. A clean desk, if even for a moment, would almost be worth the fallout, but what would be the point? The work wasn’t going away.

With a sigh, Trent dropped into his chair and picked up the paper on the top of the stack. He couldn’t ignore the messages, especially because he knew exactly who they were from. The Springs, the resort he’d been working on and developing for years, was finally only weeks away from opening. They simply needed to put the final touches on everything and his dream would finally be realized. But along with the opening came the inevitable panic from the investors. Their top investors, the Braxtons, were already breathing down their necks to get reservations up and make sure they had the rooms full on opening. These things took time and although Trent wasn’t the least bit worried, that wasn’t what the investors wanted to hear.

Trent would make it happen. The Braxtons—more specifically the younger Braxton, Les—didn’t have anything to worry about. If there was one thing Trent Harrison and his partner and brother, Dylan, knew, it was the hotel business. The Springs had been their dream for years. And after everything they’d gone through to make that dream a reality, the last thing they were going to do was let it fail. Now all he had to do was convince his investors of that.

He scanned the memo. Just as he’d thought. Les had called again, demanding an update on the latest numbers. If only he could deal primarily with Samuel Braxton, the patriarch of the family. But no, it seemed like father had put son in charge of this particular investment. And now Les, and his need to please his father, had become Trent’s problem.

“Dammit,” Trent said to the empty room. “Just back off.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” Carmen Kincaid, manager of guest relations and his brother’s girlfriend, walked through the door, her hands up in front of her.

“Not you, Carmen.”

“I figured as much.” Carmen smiled, and Trent tried to let himself feel better. His brother’s girlfriend was one of the warmest, sincerest women he’d ever met. Not to mention beautiful. Plus it was a miracle she still spoke to him, let alone considered him a friend, after the way he’d almost sabotaged her relationship with Dylan months ago. He’d since learnt to keep his skepticism regarding relationships to himself.

“What has you yelling at your empty office?” She perched in a chair across from him.

He waved a hand in the air and shoved the offending message away. “It’s nothing.” Trent ignored the raised eyebrow Carmen gave him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this afternoon?”

She gave him a knowing smile. It wasn’t a secret that Dylan told Carmen everything. Really, it was kind of like having two partners. Not that Trent minded. Not really. He liked Carmen, and he trusted her. He just didn’t trust the relationship. Or any relationship, for that matter. If he could place his bets, he’d bet against it lasting.

“Dylan and I were talking about how to raise awareness of the Springs and I had an idea to bring in what could be some exclusive business,” she said.

“I’m listening.” He leaned his elbows on his desk. If anyone would have an idea to boost business, it would be Carmen. She was the best there was, which was part of the reason he’d wanted to take her from Castle Mountain Lodge, the resort he’d worked at previously. The fact that she’d fallen in love with his brother and come to the Springs on her own, just made that a little easier.

Carmen pulled her chair closer and dropped the folder she was clutching on the desk. She swiped her long dark hair behind her shoulder and flipped the file open with a flourish. “When we were creating the brand for the Springs, we talked a lot about the healing properties of the waters here, right?” Trent nodded. The natural hot springs were the entire reason for constructing the resort. “And,” Carmen continued, “we created an entire marketing plan around attracting people here so they could heal themselves, right?” Trent nodded again. “All our marketing materials focus on healing the body from what ails them. But what we only barely touch on is healing the mind.”

Trent leaned back in his chair and crossed his leg over his knee. He knew what she was going to say. Carmen had talked him into adding yoga and meditation to the list of services, despite his skepticism, but he didn’t like where she was going with this particular train of thought.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not going to try to convince you to take a yoga class to calm your mind. I’ve pretty much given up on that.” She rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away. “I know you don’t believe in all that stuff.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe.”

“You just don’t see the value.”

“Not for me.” A wry smile played on his lips. “But if our guests want it and are willing to pay for it, that’s reason enough for me.”

“And I get that.” She nodded. “But maybe you could personally see some value in stilling the mind.” She shot him a look. Trent merely shrugged in return.

He’d hear her out, but only because he respected and liked Carmen. And she was probably right about it all being good for business.

“Anyway,” she continued. “I think we should take the theme of healing a step further. Why not offer a special weekend that’s focused on healing relationships?”

“Relationships?”

The last thing Trent wanted to talk about was relationships. Or his lack thereof. Carmen could add that to the list of things he didn’t believe in and wanted nothing to do with. Especially if it was going to be the focus of his resort.

“Exactly,” Carmen said, unaware of his internal protests. She pulled a sheet of paper from the folder and held it out to him. Instead of taking it, he glanced down on what looked like copy for a couples retreat advertisement. She shook the paper, but when he still didn’t take it, she dropped it in front of him, letting it flutter to his desk. “We’ll offer an all-inclusive weekend for couples who need to reconnect or heal their relationship. We can have expert therapists come in—”

“Therapists? We have those.”

“No. We have physical therapists. I’m talking about relationship therapists. And only the best. We’ll also have activities like couples massages and romantic picnics. Of course, we already have the finest chefs. And if we offer room service and—”

“Stop.” Trent held up his hand, warding off any more cutesy couple ideas. “This is not the Lodge.”

Carmen’s face fell. She’d been the customer service manager at Castle Mountain Lodge, which was known for its romantic ambience, for years and she’d been working hard to create something different at the Springs. It was a sore spot for both of them, and Trent knew it.

“I know that, Trent,” she said through gritted teeth. “But it’s not a romantic escape we’re offering; it’s a healing and therapeutic weekend.”

“I don’t see it like that.” He purposely took a file from the stack on his desk and put it on top of the advertisement. “It’s not happening.” He pretended to be engrossed in whatever it was that was written on the memo in front of him. Maybe she’d get the message and leave him alone. The idea of being surrounded by people in love was enough to make him go out in search of a woman who was interested in a commitment of exactly one night. Something he hadn’t let himself indulge in since moving to the town of Cedar Springs. He’d been too busy working. But now that the idea had taken—

“Really?” Carmen pushed her chair back, making a scratching sound on the tile floor that made Trent’s skin crawl and his attention snap back to the woman in front of him. “It’s a damned good idea, Trent. And I don’t see you with a better one.”

It was a good idea, not that Trent was about to tell her that. But the last thing he wanted was a hotel full of couples prancing about. As if it wasn’t bad enough to have Dylan and Carmen flaunting themselves in front of him. They were both setting themselves up for disappointment when it inevitably didn’t work out. Trent met her eyes, and shrugged. “I’m not worried. The doors aren’t even open yet, and we’re starting to book up. It’s not going to be an issue.”

Carmen dropped her arms in exasperation. “Trent.” She waited for him to look up at her. “At least consider it.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll consider it.” Her face split into a smile, so he didn’t think it was the perfect time to tell her he didn’t plan on reconsidering the idea any time soon. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes.” Her eyes narrowed and Trent had the distinct feeling he wasn’t going to like what she had to say next. “When was the last time you got out of here?”

“Pardon?”

“Away from the Springs. When was the last time you went down to town?”

He shrugged. Had she read his mind about needing some female companionship of his own?

“That’s what I thought. You need to go.”

Trent sighed, trying unsuccessfully to mask his growing irritation. “Why?”

“I think it’s a good idea for us to do something good for the town,” Carmen said.

So, not just to get laid? he thought and tried to focus on her words.

“To build goodwill between the locals and the resort,” she continued. “Maybe we could have an open house night for everyone with food and drinks, and offer tours of the resort. Maybe we could even open the pools up for—”

“Whoa. You want to open it up?”

She shrugged. “Maybe not. It was just an idea. Maybe there’s something else we could do. Just to let the people of Cedar Springs know that we’re friends, not enemies.”

“Why would we be…” He didn’t bother finishing the thought because he already knew not everyone in town was thrilled about the opening of the resort. Despite the fact that they were providing jobs and bringing more tourism to the area, there were definitely a group of locals who saw them as outsiders. Enemies. He shrugged. “It’s actually a pretty good idea.” And maybe while he was there…

Carmen laughed. “And that’s why you hired me.” She winked at him before he could say different, and turned to leave. “Oh, and while you’re down there,” she paused and reached up to her hair, “get yourself a haircut. You’re looking a bit scruffy, boss.”

She slipped from the room before Trent could say another word. Trent smiled and shook his head. As infuriating as she could be, Carmen meant well and she really did care. Even if her presence with his brother reminded him on a daily basis of what he didn’t have.

What he’d had and let go. But it almost cost him everything once. And he wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Especially not when everything was on the line. No, the Springs was too important. He pushed away from his desk and wandered over to the window. When the Harrison brothers designed their offices, they both made sure they had huge windows so that even if they spent their days making sure the Springs was successful, at least they'd have the view to get them through. After all the years he'd spent working at the Lodge, Trent had grown used to being in the mountains. Although Cedar Springs was a few hours away, the mountains were the same and that brought a least a little bit of comfort, Trent thought, even if it was the only thing that felt familiar these days.

Suck it up, man. He would have slapped himself if he could have. Trent was not the type of man to waste even a second of energy on feeling sorry for himself or things he couldn’t control. The fact was, he could control the Springs. And he’d worked too damn hard to let it slip through his fingers.

Carmen was right; they should do something nice for the people of Cedar Springs. After all, he planned to make it home for a long time to come. He ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the roots. Carmen was right, again; he was in desperate need of a haircut. It was much shaggier than he liked to wear it, but with everything he'd had going on, there hadn't been time. He took one more look out the window before he turned and straightened his suit. But there was no time like the present. Besides, whatever he would find in town was bound to be a whole lot more interesting than calling Les Braxton.

---

The sun was shining high overhead by the time Samantha Burke finished up with Lorne Walton, her account manager at the bank. She lifted her face to the warm sun, and tried to calm down before heading back to her bar, the Grizzly Paw. After all, it wasn’t Lorne’s fault he couldn’t approve her loan. She knew she wasn’t a good credit risk. Not after having to throw everything she had into buying the bar from her father. But it was Lorne’s fault that he was such a jerk about it.

She swallowed hard, remembering the way he’d lectured her on trying to run a business in a small town and how the Grizzly Paw was going to be at risk of going under if something didn’t give. Sam kicked at a stone on the sidewalk. She knew exactly what it was, too. The stupid resort that was going in up the road. It was changing the fabric of her town. People were scared, nervous about how the Springs opening would change the dynamic of their town. They were staying home, not eating out at the Paw anymore.

She took a minute to look around the main street of her beloved small town. In the green at the end of the street, kids played while their mothers chatted over coffee at one of the picnic tables. Sam could walk down to the lake, and on her way she’d be greeted by name by everyone she passed. The people of Cedar Springs were close. They looked out for one another and they cared about their picturesque mountain town. Outsiders weren’t going to care. They were going to travel into town and destroy the peace and quiet, not to mention the extra cars, noise, and garbage they were likely to bring with them.

She sighed and laughed at herself a little because she knew if anyone could hear her thoughts, she’d be accused of being a crotchety old woman. And it wasn’t that; she just wanted what was best. And as far as she could tell, it wasn’t the Springs hotel.

With a shake of her head, she squeezed her files tight to her chest and walked back to the bar at the end of the road.

“Excuse me?” A deep male voice stopped her. “Can I ask you a question?”

Sam turned slowly, cautious of the strange voice and when she saw the owner of the voice, her heart did one of those stupid schoolgirl fluttery things. He was tall; his strong shoulders looked broader, encased the way they were in a well-cut suit. He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair that immediately flopped down over his forehead again. His hair was a juxtaposition to the clean-cut look he was trying to portray, but it was intriguing, and very sexy.

“Yes?” Sam drew out the word. She was pretty sure he could ask her anything and she’d be happy to answer it.

“I’m looking for a barber shop,” he said. “I’m new to town.”

Ah. Of course. The suit. Locals didn’t walk around dressed like that. He was likely with the hotel.

She stiffened, quashing any attraction she felt for the man. “You’re with the hotel.” It wasn’t a question.

“I am.” He held out his hand. “My name is—”

“I don’t care.”

“Pardon?”

“Sorry,” Embarrassed by her rudeness, her face reddened. “I’m just not really excited about the resort. It’s not necessary.”

“I don’t understand. I think the resort would be bringing a lot of jobs to the town.” He crossed his arms, and tilted his head, obviously amused by her. “Not to mention the tourism.”

“We don’t need it.”

“Is that right?”

Anger and annoyance boiled through her. And something else. Something she didn’t want to identify. “That’s right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Okay.” He spoke slowly. His eyes filled with puzzlement. “But, the barber shop…”

Sam stopped herself before turning around. “It’s across the street, next to the cafe. But if you ask me…”

“Yes?”

“It’s fine the way it is.”

She spun quickly and bit her bottom lip. What on earth made her say that? Oh, she knew exactly what made her say that. The man’s eyes, his cocky smile, and his sexy shaggy hair had made her stomach flip. But it didn’t matter—the man represented the enemy. She probably should have recommended Betsy at Hair Affair; she would have dyed it blue and permed it. And maybe that would be a good thing. Especially if it stopped the insane urge Sam had to run her hands through his hair.

She’d walked for five minutes, so lost in thought and chastising herself for even entertaining thoughts about a man who was in any way connected with the Springs that she didn’t even realize she’d gone in the opposite direction of the Grizzly Paw. She circled back and shook her head clear of the thoughts and it wasn’t until she finally set foot in her bar, after going the long way around, that she realized as annoying as the man was, he’d succeeded in distracting her from her financial troubles. At least for a few minutes.

She greeted the regulars sitting in their usual booth as she walked through her pub and back to her office where she dropped the files and sank into her chair. It had been three years since Sam Burke had given herself a migraine just by staring at the financial records for the Grizzly Paw. The difference between then and now was that three years ago, she'd just taken over operations from her father, who'd let the popular local pub fall into ruin because he was too busy drinking away his profits and chasing after any woman who'd spare his drunken ass a glance.

Three years ago, the Grizzly Paw had been in a very different situation. One that despite the roadblocks in front of her, Sam could see a way out of. She released a sigh and pulled the papers toward her again, determined to find somewhere, anywhere, she could cut back. Or even cut out. She'd already had Archer slash their food costs and despite the fact that she wouldn't know gourmet burger from a fast-food offering, she did know she liked to have a little beef between the bun. And Archer had already warned her that if she cut his budget any further, he couldn't be held responsible for what he fed the guests. Knowing him, it would probably be something he pulled out of the forest.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, there was a knock on the door and Archer blew into the room, the scent of something delicious wafting in with him.

“Sammie.” He folded his large frame into the chair in front of her desk. “We need to talk.”

She pushed the papers aside and tugged her long dark hair back into a ponytail in an effort to tame her unruly locks. “What can I do for you? And by the way, what’s the special today? It smells delicious.”

“Stew.” He crossed one long leg over the other and sat back.

“Beef stew?” Her stomach rumbled with the promise of a warm meal.

“Let's just say it’s stew.” He raised his eyebrow and all Sam could do was shake her head and look away.

“I don't think I want to know.”

“I don't think you do.”

They stared at each other in a challenge for a few moments before Sam looked away. Archer was the best chef in Cedar Springs. Not only that, he was her self-proclaimed big brother and would go to the ends of the earth for her. Which is what it might come to if things didn’t pick up. And when the Springs did open, with their fancy new restaurant, it was Archer’s amazing food that would save them. They just needed to ride it out.

“Hello.” Archer waved a hand in front of her face. “Earth to Sammie. Are you in there?”

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “Of course I'm in here. I was just thinking about something for a minute.”

“You're going to get yourself in trouble, filling that pretty little head with thoughts.” Sam sharpened her tongue, ready to spit back a sharp retort, but the smile on her friend’s face gave him away. She tossed a pencil at him instead.

“Assault with a deadly weapon.” He caught it deftly and tucked it behind his ear. “Well, a weapon anyway. But I’m serious—you shouldn’t worry so much. You’re going to get those lines on your face.”

“Worry lines? They’re given that name for a reason.”

“Whatever. They’re not hot.”

Sam laughed. She had to. There was no one quite like Archer. With his big burly appearance, and his penchant for hanging out in the forest to shoot things, most people assumed he was a tough guy. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The shell might be hard, but on the inside, Archer was one of the sweetest, most sensitive men she knew. She also knew from firsthand experience, he was also fiercely protective of those he cared about. And once Archer declared him her unofficial big brother when her own brother died along with their mother when they were teenagers, and her father had become more or less useless, she’d had a protector for life. Which had proved to come in handy once or twice.

“One day you’re going to make some girl very lucky,” she said. “Imagine, a man who’s worried about wrinkles. So selfless.”

Archer held up a hand in protest. “Wait a minute. I never said anything about selfless. If you get all wrinkly, I’m going to have to look at that all day.” He shuddered and Sam wished he was closer so she could smack him.

“What’s up, Arch?” As much as she was enjoying the break from her stress, she still had to figure out a way to cut costs. Again. And that wasn’t going to happen if she was sitting here chatting.

“I need more money.”

Sam resisted the urge to hit her head against the table.

“There is no—”

“There must be. You’re the only pub in town. This place is packed every night.”

“If what you mean by ‘packed’ is a handful of tables, yes. We’re packed every night.”

“That’s packed for Cedar Springs.”

“It’s not enough.”

Archer tilted his head and gave Sam a look that told her he knew there was more to her stress than she was letting on. As awesome as it was to have someone who knew her so well, it was also a royal pain in the ass at times.

“Sammie.” He used her nickname. “What’s going on? We’ve pinched pennies before, but our regulars have always been enough to keep the doors open.”

She tapped her pen on the notebook in front of her. “Shouldn’t you go stir that stew or something?”

He tilted his head and waited.

Sam stared at the ceiling. There wasn’t any point fighting him. Archer was a lot of things, and stubborn definitely topped that list. “We need a new roof.” She sat straight and stared at him. “And the furnace probably isn’t going to make it through another winter. Don’t even get me started on the air conditioner. We better hope for a mild summer, or the few customers we have are going to be eating outside.”

“They’d like that,” Archer mused. “It could be a selling feature. We have the best views in town.”

“Not funny.”

He reached for her hand. “It’ll be fine.” His voice turning serious. “It always is. You’ve done wonders with this place and this will work out, too. You’ll see. What’s the most crucial thing?”

“The roof.”

“Then get it done. I’ll call in some favors with my buddy Bruce. He’ll give you a good deal. You have enough money for that, right?”

She did. But that’s all she had, which would be fine if it wasn’t for the Equinox festival that was less than a month away. Although it was the town that put on the festival, traditionally the Grizzly Paw was the headline sponsor, providing all the food, the entertainment, and of course, the venue. If she got the much-needed roof, there’d be nothing left to put on the party that the people of Cedar Springs deserved.

Sam nodded. “You’re right,” she said after a moment. “If Bruce can give me a deal, that would really help.” There was no point telling him about the festival—he’d only worry, and both of them stressing about something there was absolutely no help for didn’t seem like a good use of energy.

“So it’s settled then?”

Sam looked up into Archer’s smiling face. That was the thing about her long-time friend, and one of the many reasons she loved having him around. He balanced her. Sam managed a smile. “It’s settled.” She nodded. Logically, she knew she needed the roof. It was the right choice. She’d just have to figure everything else out later.

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