“Are you scared?” Teague asked in a low tone. “Plenty of men in my unit would bite off everyone’s heads right before a dangerous mission.”
“Of course I’m scared!” Wow. That came out a lot louder than intended. “Look, it all became very real, very fast, okay? It was easy to be optimistic back in Pittsburgh. But we’re almost there. This is our new reality.”
Alex ran back in his head what he’d just said.
This was their reality. So there wasn’t any more time to be nervous. The car ride had been it. He wouldn’t waste one more second registering all the ways this could come crashing down on their heads.
He wouldn’t drag down his friends and sister like that. He was in charge, whether or not they acknowledged it, seeing as how he was the only one who knew anything about hotels. He’d be the leader they needed.
Because this had to work.
It was their only chance.
Hell, it was probably his last chance.
Thank God, that was the moment the empty countryside closed in with the edges of a town. Their town, now. Chestertown, Maryland, sprawled along the banks of the Chester River that led right out to the huge Chesapeake Bay.
Like so many towns, the first harbinger was a McDonald’s. Alex shot his fist into the air in victory. Yeah, he jammed his knuckles against the ceiling, but the momentary pain was still worth it. “See those Golden Arches? That’s good news.”
Snorting, Teague said, “Didn’t know you were such a fan of the special sauce, lettuce, cheese combo.”
“I’m not. But for it to stay in business, that means this town gets traffic. Regular, year-round traffic, not just seasonal. That’s a good sign that our inn will have guests even in the winter.”
“McDonald’s? Really?” Amelia sounded beyond skeptical. Which was exactly why he was in charge. Because he was the only one of them to recognize the intrinsic value and meaning of the drive-thru. “That’s your scientific assessment tool of our chances at prosperity?”
“It’s the first one. There will be more. Watch and learn, my young Padawans.”
“Oh geez. I think I liked you better all mopey than quoting Star Wars,” Everleigh said.
“Teague, find us a decent local radio station. We need a soundtrack for our first glimpse of our new home.”
As soon as Teague switched over from Sirius, a jingle for McDonald’s started to play. They all laughed. “See? I told you. A good omen.”
“It may also end up being our dinner if you don’t get a move on. Stop puttering like you’re driving a golf cart.” Teague banged the steering wheel with the flat of his hand. “Don’t we want to get moved in before nightfall?”
Amelia’s hand shot between the seats for a high five. “Yes. That’s my vote. I haven’t researched what wild animals are out here, but I don’t want to find out with an up close and personal sighting.”
Suddenly it was a jumble of hands as Everleigh’s also flew forward to point. “Washington College—see the cute brick sign on the right? That’s good, too, isn’t it? Means we can pack in the people and charge twice as much for weekends like homecoming and graduation?”
“I like how you think, Ever. And you’re right. Good instincts. I’m claiming you for the sales and marketing team.”
“We’re picking teams?” Dismay coated Amelia’s words. “There’s only four of us. Should we really be competing against each other?”
The softness of his sister’s heart rivaled that of a stack of half-melted marshmallows. “Don’t worry. No losers. Remember, this is a business. With structure. An org chart, to disseminate the flow of tasks and responsibilities.”
“An org chart? Might as well use this.” Teague whipped out his phone and scrolled to the photo they took on New Year’s Eve. The four of them were clinking beer bottles, holding the winning lottery ticket in the middle and grinning like crazy. “Done.”
“Hardly. You’re hereby excused from any team that uses spreadsheets and graphs, with that attitude. The org chart will streamline and clarify all our roles. You’ll thank me later.”
“Maybe. But I’m sure not thanking you now.”
Teague’s attitude made no sense. “You spent the last fourteen years in the Army. How do you not have respect and appreciation for a command structure?”
Everleigh jumped on his words before Teague could even answer. “Hang on. ‘Command structure’ sounds even more ominous than ‘org chart’ did. We’re not your corporate lackeys, Alex.”
A deep laugh slipped out of his lips. “Trust me, there’s not a chance I’d ever blur the lines enough to see