Hidden

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Michael limped heavily to the hotel bed and collapsed upon the mattress. His back and leg were aching so deeply that he'd barely managed to walk the distance from the house he and Pete were working on back to the hotel.

Nearly three weeks he'd been working every day to get the house ready to live in and finally, the work was done. While the house was still a bit bare and it would take time to fill every corner with signs of family, Michael was eager to get to doing just that with Allie and Amelia.

Allie had helped some with the work but Martha had kept her very busy at the hotel. It seemed that Martha wanted Allie to learn all she could about the hotel and café business so that Allie could one day take it over. Michael knew that Allie was unsure about doing so because she felt she didn't deserve it.

Michael wondered if there would ever come a day when Allie realized she deserved every single good thing that ever happened to her. He figured the answer was probably no. Allie was too humble to ever believe that she deserved such good things to come her way.

The hotel room door opened and Allie stepped in with a steaming cup of tea in her hand, "I knew you'd be in pain," she said softly as she closed the door behind her.

Michael's heart filled with his love for this woman who was always thinking of everyone else without asking them for a single thing in return. "I am a little sore," he admitted as he pushed himself up to sit and Allie settled herself on the mattress beside him.

"You've been working too hard," she scolded softly. "You can't be overdoing yourself like this."

"I'm not that weak helpless man you found in the attic anymore, Allie," Michael reminded her. "I've gotten much stronger and can do more than you give me credit for."

"Don't be like that," Allie snipped, nudging him gently with her shoulder. She set the cup of tea into his hand, "You've been working really hard and I'd worry about anyone I loved just the same."

Michael grinned before sipping his tea, "What about you?" he countered. "You've been working hard learning all about the hotel business."

Allie sighed, "Yes, I have."

"And....?"

"And what?"

"What do you think?"

Allie was silent a moment as her eyes watched the horizon outside the bedroom window. Michael wondered what she was thinking but wasn't going to interrupt her thoughts as he waited patiently for her to speak and drank the tea she had made him.

"I like it, Michael," she finally admitted, her voice full of surprise. "I didn't think that I would. I thought I would hate working so closely with people. I thought I would be too uncomfortable with the male guests and I worried that it would be too much chaos for me to handle but.... I like it," she smiled at him as she finished and Michael swooped forward and caught her lips in a tender kiss.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world, Allie. I am happy you enjoy the hotel."

Allie leaned into his as Michael slipped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, "Martha is upset about us moving out soon. She seems quite content to have us living right here forever."

"We're only a few minutes away," Michael noted.

Allie laughed lightly, "I told her exactly that and she shook her finger in my face, clicked her tongue and warned me not to interrupt her grief with my logic."