was unacceptable. He had to make a decision within the next few days. He’d known things were falling behind schedule, but he’d waited, hoping Patrick would make a miraculous comeback. He had ignored his parents’ demands the way he always had. But, eventually he’d been forced to concede that he would have to take over the building of this hotel, his brother’s greatest project. When the doctors had told him that Patrick’s lack of progress seemed to be stress-related, Carson had finally stepped in. At least he could help his brother in this one rather inadequate way. He could get the stockholders and Rod and Deirdre Banick off Patrick’s back. For once Carson could be the responsible older brother and do what he could to protect Patrick.
The irony didn’t escape Carson. His parents had spent years trying to get him to take his rightful place, but he had always rebelled. He’d done as he liked, shunning the family business. Patrick had been the genial one who had sat at the helm of Banick Enterprises for five years since their father’s health had forced him into retirement. But now things had changed. When Patrick was healed and ready to reclaim his place as the Banick heir, the hotel had to be up and running smoothly. It had to be a masterpiece. That meant Carson had to do what he’d never done before: leave his rebellious days behind and become a true Banick. It also meant that a top-notch assistant was imperative, but right now the room was empty of candidates except for this lone woman.
The pale curve of her jaw was rigid as she waited for him to take the next step. No wonder. He’d kept her waiting and he was staring at her a bit too hard, he realized.
“Have a seat,” he said, motioning her toward the guest chair.
She moved forward quietly, sitting and smoothing the skirt over her knees. There was something innocent and feminine about the gesture, despite that bold chin. Carson wanted to throttle himself. He and innocence didn’t belong in the same room, and the woman’s femininity or lack of it was none of his concern.
“Tell me something about yourself,” he said, moving back to the issue at hand. It was a rotten interview question, but the answer tended to be revealing. Interviewees told him what they thought he wanted to hear. That could be important. An assistant needed to be able to anticipate what was needed in sometimes trying situations.
“My name is Beth Krayton. I’m new to Lake Geneva, but I’ve visited before. I’ve always loved it and I hope to build a wonderful life here.”
It was a bit of a beauty pageant-style answer, but when Carson looked into Beth Krayton’s eyes he saw that she was sincere. He saw something else, too. She had latched on to the folds of her skirt again, twisting it a bit.
When his gaze touched on her fingers, she let go of the cloth. Suddenly she sat up straighter.
“Look, Mr. Banick, I can see that you have no intention of hiring me.”
Now he was the one who blinked. He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “What makes you say that?”
“Other than the fact that you’re frowning, you’re clearly capable of hiring anyone you please, and I’m sure you have plenty of qualified candidates camping out on your doorstep.”
He waited to see if she had more to say. She had given him the perfect opening to dismiss her, and that was just what he should be doing. But her actions hadn’t matched her words. She wasn’t rising to leave, and curiosity got the best of him.
He had always been a sucker for the unpredictable.
“So why did you come if you’re so sure you wouldn’t get this job?” he challenged.
She looked up into his eyes, and something shifted inside him. That wounded look still lurked but there was something else as well, something he couldn’t quite name but that he knew was admirable.
Carson almost smiled. His mother had always admonished him to do something admirable. He never had.
“I came because I…really wanted the job. I thought I would be working for one of your employees, someone more like me. Instead…well, it’s your hotel.”
Not really. He benefited from the family’s business financially, but the hotels were Patrick’s. Carson had made his own place in the world, and even when the thrill of that world had palled, he had not come home. Yet here he was, the prodigal son in charge of the company and the family. Only he stood between the company and failure. A disastrous or even a poorly managed project and the Banick’s carefully tended reputation and resources could crumble. He held his brother’s and the family’s future in his hands. Sobering thought, but now was not the time to ponder it.
“So you’re bowing out because you don’t want to work for the owner?” he asked Beth Krayton.
She stood but instead of turning and leaving, she leaned forward. She actually put one hand on her hip. “Not at all. I may have come here with the wrong impression and I may not be what you expected or what you were looking for, but I really think that you should hire me anyway.”
Okay, he couldn’t help himself. Carson let a smile slip in. “Why is that?”
“Because I need this job more than any other interviewee will. Because I was raised by four older brothers who all wanted to run the show, so I’m used to dealing with powerful and difficult people.”
He tilted his head, and warm pink crept up her throat. “I didn’t mean that you would be difficult, but if you’re working with contractors and such, I’m sure some of them may be troublesome from time to time. I’m not afraid of tough situations.”
“Good. What are you afraid of?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Not much.” But she dropped her gaze ever so slightly. Bold as she was trying to be, there were definitely things that scared her. Carson wasn’t sure if he should applaud her bravado or turn away from her obvious innocence. What he did know was that she suddenly seemed much more interesting than any of the other more conventional and staid candidates he’d interviewed so far. He frowned at that incongruous and ridiculous thought.
Beth Krayton either hadn’t noticed that frown or she was choosing to ignore it. She stood straighter. For a tiny thing she was making an excellent attempt at being regal. “I’ll be honest with you, Mr. Banick. I might not have all the skills you’re looking for, but I learn very fast and I’ll devote myself to absorbing everything I need to know as quickly as possible. You’ll be able to count on me completely. I’ll do whatever is necessary.”
“Do you have experience in the hospitality field?”
She shook her head and that unkempt mop of red hair slid against her cheek. “None. And I don’t have a college degree, if you’re going to ask about that, but I can take direction and I know how to identify and pursue opportunities. I’ve never shied away from challenges and I don’t believe in the word impossible.”
“Lots of people say that.”
That stopped her for a second. Then she took an almost visibly deep breath. “Yes, they do, but…I tend to live it. The fact that I’m here when I don’t have any reason to believe that you would hire me is partial proof of that. I promise you that I will make this job the top priority in my life.”
Carson frowned. That was what he needed to hear, but it also sounded a bit too pat. He wanted to ask some follow-up questions, personal questions, but there were boundaries an employer couldn’t cross. His next question would have to be phrased carefully.
“If I need you here at night?”
For a second those brown eyes lit. She looked hopeful, almost pretty, which was a ridiculous thought. He liked curvy women, not skinny, nervous ones with bad hair and eyes that were feverish in their intensity. A good thing, since he couldn’t get involved with an employee. Frankly, after Emily, he didn’t intend to get involved with any woman who wasn’t capable of fitting into the Banick world. It just wouldn’t be fair to either of them, especially since he had recently decided that he would have to marry. Patrick could no longer father children, and there had to be a Banick heir….
“Mr.