A Brand New Ending by Jennifer Probst

Ophelia sat on the edge of her bed and moaned.

What had she done?

Opened her door to the enemy and allowed him full reign. After boldly claiming he’d never be welcome to stay, she had let Kyle take over the inn, tuck her in, give her meds, and wipe her brow. He’d slept in the chair the last two nights, refusing to leave in case she needed something.

What a mess. Why couldn’t he have been a jerk?

She’d expected him to be judgmental about her decision to take over her mother’s inn. God knows, for years he’d told her staying in their small town was a trap. He’d spun dreams of Hollywood fame and glory as the only route to true freedom.

But not once had he said anything derogatory. Obviously, he cared about doing a good job, which was way more than she ever expected.

“How are you feeling?”

She looked up. He wore dark-wash jeans and a Tommy Hilfiger red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His golden hair was tousled. The scruff hugging his mouth and jaw was a bit rough and piratelike, giving him a sexy, dangerous look.

His deep-green eyes met her gaze and pulled her in; his lush lashes only added to the shocking intensity of contrasting color. He leaned against the doorframe, the denim stretching tight over his powerful thighs, arms crossed over his broad chest. He simmered with masculine energy and a delicious potency that made her glad she was sitting down. Her body zinged to life after a long starvation period. She tried to beat it back into complacency and cleared her throat.

“Much better.”

He strode in with a panther’s grace and rested the back of his palm on her cheek. “Fever broke,” he murmured, his gaze sweeping over her disheveled appearance. “Still holding down the tea and toast?”

“Yes. I think I’m past the worst of it. I took a shower, and I’m ready to get back to work. I can’t believe it’s Monday. I missed the whole weekend.”

His golden brows slammed together. “Don’t push too hard. I’ve already handled breakfast, checked out the Rileys and Porcinis, and confirmed what time Aubrey is coming to prep rooms. It looks like your next guests arrive tomorrow, so you should be able to have a light day.”

She blinked, trying to gather her composure. “You did all that already?”

“Yes, and I’ve got a new appreciation for your job. I had no idea guests could be so demanding.”

His rough admission softened her resolve to be distant. “Still no issues with the skiers?”

“Like guys at a frat house on vacation. Goodguys, though—just needed to keep on top of them. They almost broke that antique lamp thing in the dining room. Guess they thought it was a good idea to test their strength by body-slamming one another. Or maybe it was just the beer.”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot of practice at being a den mother plus hostess plus substitute mom.”

She moved to the edge of the bed, but he suddenly kneeled in front of her.

“I don’t want you to overdo it. You don’t handle being sick well,” he said.

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “Hey, I’m nothing compared to you. Remember the ‘man cold’ incident?”

He winced. “It wasn’t just a cold. It was the swine flu. I could have died.”

Her smile widened. “You stayed in bed for three days and never had a fever or a sniffle.”

“Your memory is selective. I threw up.”

A giggle burst from her throat. “You gagged twice and proclaimed yourself deathly ill. You made me give you a bell!”

He looked affronted. “It was the only way I could be sure you knew if I needed something.”

“Oh, I knew all right. You rang that damn thing a million times, asking for water, the remote, an extra pillow, fluffier blankets, tissues—”

“Worked fine until you broke it,” he grumbled. “

You mean when I threw it against the wall and declared your sick days over? Best decision I ever made.”

“Some caretaker you were.”

They grinned at each other. He reached out and touched her cheek, but this time it wasn’t to test her temperature.

“God, I’ve missed your smile.”

Her breath strangled in her chest. She tried to rally her defenses and pulled back.