“We didn’t—” Mel started and then stopped. “We can’t do that.”

  “You could.” Angelica kept her gaze on Hope. “But you won’t because it requires you to work. What I’ve discovered in the few short days I’ve been here is that you and Jess have no vision for the future of this hotel. You deal with the problems in the now and that’s it. You react, you don’t act.” Angelica pursed her lips. “And until that changes, The Dorset will continue to fail and flounder.”

  “You can’t know that,” Leanne said.

  “I can, and I do,” Angelica snapped at her. She was tired of this, and her patience had run out. “The problem here is management and not just the lack of vision but the refusal to dream. Nothing can solve that problem other than pure willpower.”

  The silence was louder than Angelica had predicted it would be. Mel and Jess continued to stare at her with their mouths wide open, Leanne had her arms crossed in a pout, Katherine seemed to be lost in her head knowing she’d just been fired from her only source of income, and Hope stared at her. Those crystalline eyes boring directly into Angelica’s soul. Every once in a while, a car drove by on the street behind them, or a bird called, but that was it.

  Angelica finally spoke, breaking that awkward silence. “I think both Mel and Jess have things they need to discuss. The three of us can meet later today, because this is something you’re going to have to decide before the end of the day.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mel murmured, looking furtively toward Jess.

  “Katherine, I’d like to talk with you and Ange a minute, alone.” Hope looked directly at the others. Her voice was much softer than it had been when she was talking to Angelica, but that was to be expected. The heat of the moment was done.

  Mel and Jess disappeared, but Leanne continued to stay put.

  Angelica waited to see if Hope would say something else because she’d made it very clear who she wanted to stay for this particular meeting. Then again, Leanne never quite listened, did she? Josef crossed his arms and glared at Angelica as they waited.

  Finally, Hope gave up. “Katherine, I’d like to offer to train you.”

  “What?” Katherine said, her voice thick with emotion.

  “You’d have to move, but I suspect that won’t be too much of a problem now since you no longer have a job. I’m sorry about that. I do wish they’d made a different decision.”

  “They didn’t see beyond themselves,” Angelica added in, keeping her voice gentler than she typically would. “And that’s their fault, not yours. Lack of imagination will kill any business.”

  Katherine nodded, but then she shook her head. “I’m not sure that I understand.”

  “I’ll give you the training that you need at one of my restaurants⁠—”

  “Mountain View,” Angelica said, jumping in. “She should go to Mountain View.”

  Hope furrowed her brow, but she didn’t immediately object either. “We can discuss where later, and see what suits you best, but if you’d like to get proper training, I’ll provide it. You have the skills, and you’re willing to work hard to learn them. I think you just need the chance.”

  “Are you serious?” Katherine asked.

  “Yes,” Hope answered.

  “Thank you!” Katherine flung her arms around Hope’s neck and squeezed her tightly. Never had Angelica been happier that she was sitting on the opposite side of the picnic table, so she wasn’t the one to receive that hug.

  After a few more minutes and some plans in place, Katherine skittered off. Hope turned on Angelica then.

  “Mountain View? I don’t run the restaurant there.”

  “No, you don’t. But you know it and how it works.” Angelica clenched her jaw tightly. “And I suspect that what Katherine needs isn’t just on-the-job training but a support system.”

  Hope’s lips parted in surprise, but then she nodded. “And Tatum would be perfect for that.”

  “Yes.”

  “Tatum?” Leanne asked.

  Angelica resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but barely. Instead, she just ignored Leanne. “Think about it and let me know. I can talk to Tatum whenever timelines match up.”

  “Good.” Hope shifted. “On that note, I need to check on the kitchen and dinner prep.”

  Angelica sighed, watching as Hope walked off and she was left with Leanne. Rex called cut somewhere along the way, but she didn’t want to leave just yet. She was exhausted. It had been a whirlwind of a week between filming, confessions with Hope, and then dealing with the annoyance that was Leanne.

  “That was uncalled for,” Josef’s voice startled Angelica.

  She jerked slightly. “Excuse me?”

  “You cut Leanne out of every second of that conversation. How is she supposed to establish herself as a manager on this show if you keep shutting her down and pushing her out every two seconds?” Josef leaned over the table to get into Angelica’s face.

  But she’d been there more than once with him, and she knew how to handle it at this point. Push back just enough to get him riled up, and then he’d race off to throw his fit somewhere else and she’d find the backlash and retaliation later.

  “She’s not a manager on this show, Josef.”

  “She is!” He raised his voice. “She’ll be the manager next season.”

  Angelica snorted slightly, her lips quirking into a half smile. “You’re assuming that Hotel Bombshell will be renewed for another season. Remember what I told Mel and Jess? Lack of imagination and vision will kill a business faster than anything else.”

  “We don’t have a lack of vision.” Josef’s breath was hot on her cheeks as he leaned in even closer. “We have old baggage that we can’t cut off yet.”

  Angelica’s heart clenched hard. She tightened her entire body. “Then that’s a management problem.”

  She pushed herself up to stand, planting both of her feet on the ground. She looked directly at Josef and then at Leanne, speaking to her and hoping that for once Leanne would hear what she had to say. “Don’t sell yourself out for someone who’s so willing to use and abuse his way to the top. Trust me, it’s not worth it in the end.”

  “What did you just accuse me of?” Josef spat.

  Angelica stepped to the side and moved closer to Rex. “Nothing you aren’t already aware of.” She stood behind the camera, Rex immediately standing at her shoulder as she watched Josef flounder with what to do next.

  “You don’t deserve this role, Ange. The only reason you have it is because of me.”

  “You’re not wrong. I wouldn’t be in show business without you. But I didn’t get this job solely because of you.” He could never take away her passion or her skills for this job, and she was tired of letting him walk all over her. She was tired of trying to please everyone to the point that she would sacrifice herself for them.

  “I don’t want you on this show, anymore.” Josef crossed his arms. “At the end of this season, you can kiss your job goodbye. The fans want someone younger, someone who’s going to cause tension instead of resolve it. They want drama. Not an old woman digging her nails in to keep control.”

  Angelica’s chest constricted. “We’ll see about that.”

  When she turned to walk back inside, Hope was standing right there. Hadn’t she left? Hadn’t she gone back to the kitchen already? Hope held herself steady, and as soon as Angelica reached her, she turned. They walked side by side until they reached the back door to the Dorset. Hope reached forward and held it open for Angelica, brushing their fingers together as Angelica walked past her.

  “You’ve got this,” Hope murmured.

  “We’ve got this,” Angelica replied. “You and me.”

  Hope’s bright smile was all she needed to see to finish out her day.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Six

  “Hope!” Josef called her name as he half chased her down the hall.

  She skidded to a halt on her way to the kitchen to wait for him. That man shouldn’t run. He’d probably give himself a coronary just by attempting to. Josef breathed heavily as he stood in front of her.

  “Hey. I tried to get your attention before.”

  “I didn’t hear you,” Hope said, keeping her smile tight. “What can I do for you?”

  “Leanne needs to film with you today.”

  Hope tensed. “Why?”

  “She needs to learn about the kitchens and how to run one, and she needs more screen time. Ange keeps pushing her out.” Josef’s cheeks were still quite red.

  Hope pressed her lips together in a thin line. Did he honestly think that she and Angelica were still enough at odds that she would help him over her? Or was it just wishful thinking on his part? She could see where her relationship with Angelica would be confusing. Hell, it confused her most days.

  “I don’t think Leanne needs to learn about the kitchens. Unless she’s planning to work in one, she doesn’t need to understand, and we’re a bit late into filming the episode for me to go back to the basics with her.” Though if they’d kept Katherine on, this would be a perfect opportunity to do that. Hope bit her lip. “And I don’t want her to get in my way when we’re doing our first full run of dinner service tonight.”

  “I’m not giving you a choice, Hope.” Josef squared his shoulders, but he was such a short man that it didn’t really seem to make that much of a difference because Hope still towered over him. “You’re going to film with Leanne today.”

  “No, Josef. I’m not.” Hope put her hands on her hips as if to make her point. She wasn’t going to back down on this. Not only was she tired of Josef and the way he was running this show, but she wanted to stand up for Angelica this time around. She’d agreed that she would do this.

  “Yes, you are.” Josef’s cheeks puffed out.

  “Why do you want her to learn the kitchens?”

  “So she can do Angelica’s job next season.”

  Hope frowned. “Angelica doesn’t touch the kitchens, Josef. You know that. It’s my territory.”

  His jaw flapped. He hadn’t been expecting her to call him out on that, had he? Hope narrowed her gaze in a very Angelica-esque move and then she stood up straighter to add to her height.

  “Are you trying to replace me, Josef?”

  “If you don’t fall in line, then yes, I will replace you.”

  Hope’s stomach dropped. She hadn’t known if she’d be around for season four but having that opportunity threatened now made it that much more real. She wanted to be here next season, and she wanted to be here with Angelica.

  “Leanne can’t do my job. She’ll never be able to.”

  “She’d be a two-for-one deal, and she’s a lot more malleable than you and Ange.” Josef’s nostrils flared.

  God, this man was such a tool. Hope shoved her hands into her pockets and rolled up on her toes. “I only have one thing to tell you, which is that if you take both Angelica and me out of this show, it will fail. I honestly don’t know what made you such a dick—maybe you’re overcompensating for something, I don’t know. But I’m not going to let you walk all over me, and I’m not Ange. I won’t let you threaten me.”

  Hope pushed her toes into the floor and stepped away from him.

  “Get back here, Hope!”

  “Nope! I don’t think I will!” she called over her shoulder as she barreled her way down the hallway and toward the kitchen. She didn’t have to put up with this bullshit, and she certainly wasn’t going to let him try to push her around any longer.

  Stepping into the dining room, Hope locked her eyes on Cadence and immediately waved her over. They stepped outside and away from the rest of the crew and the kitchen staff.

  “What’s wrong?” Cadence asked.

  “Why would you think anything is wrong?”

  “Because you look like Ange on a rampage. What happened?”

  Hope sighed heavily and crossed her arms. “Josef.”

  “That man needs to seriously fuck off.”

  Snorting, Hope shook her head with a laugh. “Yeah, he does. But he’s the show runner, and despite numerous complaints, he hasn’t fucked off yet. And I don’t think he will unless a man tells him to.”

  “Ugh.” Cadence wiggled and then rolled her eyes. “All right, so what’s the plan?”

  “Plan?”

  “To get rid of him. I know how to hide bodies, you know. I work in Hollywood.”

  “Oh my God.” Hope put her hands up. “Cadence!”

  “Joking! Joking!” Cadence laughed. “But seriously, what’s the plan?”

  “He’s trying to get Leanne to film with us today. I guess Angelica keeps pushing her out of the scenes, which doesn’t surprise me. But I need you to keep her out of my kitchens. Seriously. I don’t want her to stick one toe beyond those doors.”

  “And what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going above everyone’s head.” Hope pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Right now. So I need you to distract them because I’m not going to be in there when they show up to pitch their fit. Treat them like they’re toddlers not getting their way. Slow and with repetition. They won’t get it this time around, but maybe by season four they will.”

  “Hope.” Cadence snagged her arm to hold her back for a second.

  “Yeah?”

  “Good fucking luck. You’re going to need it.”

  Hope smiled at her, and then she broke out into a full grin. “I’m going to make damn sure that this bullshit stops sooner rather than later. I’ve had my fill of it.”

  “You go get ‘em!”

  She didn’t stay near the hotel, trusting that Cadence would have her back, and as much as she wanted to tell Angelica what she was doing, she was damn sure that Angelica would tell her to stop. Because she’d see it as defending Angelica. Not as defending production as a whole. Hope slid her phone out of her pocket and hunched her shoulders as she walked down the street in the quaint mountain town of Weston, Vermont.

  She’d fallen in love with this tiny town almost as much as she’d fallen in love with Estes Park, Colorado, and Mountain View West, and not all of it had to do with the town itself. Hope stared at her phone and frowned.

  No cell service.

  That had been the hardest hit for her to get used to out here. The dead spots for cell phone coverage were enormous, and she’d heard a litany of complaints from not only Eva but also the nanny, Rishal, about it that week.

  Walking even farther, Hope started up a hill. When she reached the top of it, her phone finally hit two bars of service. She opened up her contacts and immediately hit Logan’s name. It was time to take care of this. Because she was tired of nothing being done.

  The phone rang, and Hope held her breath. Who knew what he was doing right then, but hopefully, he’d answer the phone for her, and it wouldn’t go straight to voicemail, especially since she’d finally found service.

  “Hope, hold on a second.”

  Hope’s heart stuttered. She hadn’t actually expected him to answer, but not only was he answering, he was going to take the time to talk to her. Hope gnawed on her lip as she looked around the quaint town. This place would be beautiful if it wasn’t for the pile of shit that she was dealing with at the hotel—not the managers or the owners primarily, but Josef.

  Scared to move even a step, Hope held the phone to ear as she waited for Logan to come back and tell her she could talk.

  “Hey there. Sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay.” Hope cursed herself for saying that. She needed to be better and stronger than that at this point. She needed to hold her own and be the boss and tell him exactly what she wanted and needed. That was why she was making this call anyway, wasn’t it?

  “What can I do for you, Hope?”

  Licking her lips, Hope debated where to even start. How much did Logan know? How much was he left in the dark on? She hadn’t talked to him about Josef since she’d filed that formal complaint and now she was going to be stuck bringing him up to speed just so she could file another one. She really needed to do better about keeping him in the loop. He had asked her to do that, hadn’t he?

  “I needed to talk to you about Josef and about Leanne.”

  “Leanne?” Logan sounded concerned. “Who’s Leanne?”

  Holy hell. Logan really didn’t know anything, did he? Was he relying too much on Angelica to keep him in the loop? Because no way in hell would Josef talk about Leanne. Then again, they were going to have to pay her somehow, and Logan would have to be in on that hire, wouldn’t he? How was Josef keeping this a secret from everyone in Los Angeles?

  “Leanne Coates.” Hope swallowed the lump in her throat. Was she going to have to be the one to spill the beans on this? Because Angelica wouldn’t like it. “She used to work with Angelica a few years ago, before the show started⁠—”

  “Oh yes, I know who you’re talking about.” Logan’s tone was far shorter than it had been before.

  “Uh… right.” Hope gnawed on her lip again. “Well Josef hired her for two episodes while Angelica was in the beginning of her recovery from the car accident.”

  “He did say that he was going to do that. He just didn’t tell me how, and I’ve been out because my wife just had our second child.”

  “Oh, congratulations.” Hope drew in a deep breath and held it tightly in her lungs. Guilt ate away at her. She shouldn’t be disturbing this time for him. “I, uh… is there someone else that I should be talking to?”

  “About this? No.” Logan seemed sincere. “What’s going on out there?”

  “Josef hired Leanne for two episodes, but he’s pushing it like she’s going to be Angelica’s replacement for season four, and he just implied that Leanne is going to not only replace Angelica but replace me. That she’s going to be his two-for-one deal.”

  Silence.

  Logan didn’t say anything. Hope had to move the phone away from her ear to check to see if the call was even still connected or not, and when she saw that it was, she had to triple-check and make sure that he was still there.