“What am I missing? There has to be a subtle blue undertone for the calming effect. But what if it’s too much?”
Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and listened to Harper mutter to herself as she stood at the desk and stared down at samples. He couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t even noticed him. When he’d been about to knock, he’d been struck by how stunning she was standing there.
Oh, the punch of lust at the sight of her was nothing new, but the way she’d tipped her head and chewed on the tip of the pen was downright attractive. He admired a woman who got swept into her work. He’d already established that she was devoted, but seeing her so hands-on, so committed, was something he couldn’t dismiss.
Then she’d started chatting to her work, and he didn’t want to cut in. Sometimes he was a total gentleman. But she was just so adorable that he was afraid he’d start laughing in a minute—which meant it was time to announce himself. If she looked up and saw him seemingly laughing at her, the conversation would not go well.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked, tapping his knuckles on the door frame.
Harper jerked her attention to him, then shook her head. “Just having a staff meeting.”
Ethan laughed and stepped on into her makeshift office. She’d told him where it was, but this was the first time he’d actually made it down here. He’d had no reason to, really. Up until now, his days had been his, his nights had been hers, but they’d always been in his penthouse.
He took a glance around the small space that wasn’t much bigger than a storage closet. Actually, this used to be a storage closet. Ethan recalled the many times he’d visit Mirage with his mother when he’d been younger and how he’d explored and learned every inch of it. She was so proud to show him the place that would one day be his. She’d done the same with Dane at Mirage in Montana.
Which was why he and Dane were stopping at nothing to make all of this right. Their mother had had a plan for the things she loved most in the world—her sons and her resorts. And just because she was taken from this earth all too soon didn’t mean they shouldn’t see her vision through.
Marble slats covered the old, narrow desk. She had a laptop open to a mock design of the lobby. Ethan whistled.
“That looks amazing,” he stated, circling the desk to get a closer view. “This isn’t your sister’s design.”
Harper came in beside him, her shoulder brushing against his. “How do you know?” she asked. “You never met Carmen.”
“I don’t know,” he murmured, his eyes studying every last detail. “There’s something about the blues here that make it seem like you’re walking on water, but it’s so subtle and calming. But then you throw in a subtle punch of red with the flowers and that’s just so you.”
“That’s what I wanted.”
“The lighting is magnificent,” he went on. “You can’t see the fixtures, but they’re perfect. And that island of fresh flowers in all white...brilliant.”
“The lobby is the first thing guests see when they check in,” she stated. “I mean, I know they look online for every available picture, but once they step inside after traveling to get here, I want them to just let all the stress and exhaustion fade away. I want to transform them to another world where everyday problems cease to exist.”
Ethan turned his attention to her as she spoke. Her eyes never wavered from the screen as she explained her reasoning behind such extravagance.
“You’ve managed to capture everything,” he told her.
Harper blinked, turning her eyes to his. “Well, I don’t know about that. I’m sure there will be stumbling blocks, and issues will come to light that I’m not thinking of right now.”
“That comes along with any business plan,” he replied. “The important thing is to know how to handle the hardships when they come along.”
Harper pursed her lips. “I don’t plan on failing.”
“I have no doubt you’ll make this a complete success.”
She offered him a smile that did something unfamiliar to his...heart?
No. That was absurd. His heart wasn’t involved in any of this. Well, part of his heart was very involved in all of this—the portion that belonged to his mother, to her memories and legacy and the future she’d promised him.
“I think if I can get through losing my sister, I can get through a bump in the road of this project,” she told him.
Ethan wanted her to remain focused on her reasons for doing this, because ultimately, this remodel would carry over into his ownership.
“Tell me more about Carmen,” he commanded, easing his hip on the edge of her desk, meeting her eye level.
Harper stared for a moment before she crossed her arms over her chest. He wondered if she did this as a coping mechanism to hold in the hurt. He’d had to break himself of just that after his mother had passed.
“She was bright. Not only smart, but she just beamed everywhere she went. It was impossible to see her and not smile.”
He could say the same exact thing about Harper, but he didn’t interrupt.