He heard Drea’s sharp intake of breath as he said the words. He hadn’t meant for them to come out like this, but here they were. But just as he was turning to address Drea, Vaughn cut in.
“I’m sure you do. Because you just heard all about how she owns a quarter of the Indigo Royal.”
“Give it a rest, Vaughn, and stop accusing our employee of being a gold digger!” Grayson said.
“Prove to me that he’s not and I’ll consider rescinding my accusation.”
“Consider?” Drea chirped.
“Vaughn, have you watched these two, like, ever? They’ve been circling each other like animals in heat for years. It was about time something happened,” Miller claimed.
“I’m just glad he decided to shit rather than get off the pot,” Grayson added, looking over at Miller.
“Me too,” Simone stage whispered.
“So you all have known about this? And you’re okay with her being with…him?” Vaughn said, gesturing toward Kyle.
The statement was a punch to the gut, and Kyle couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Is this really what they thought of him? Some money-hungry lowlife who would prey on Drea to get what he wants? He’d worked here for five years, poured his heart into this place, and this was the reaction he got.
“You really think so little of me, sir?” Kyle asked.
Vaughn just shrugged.
“Uncle Vaughn, you can’t be serious!” Drea exclaimed.
“He only wants you for your money, Drea.”
“Vaughn, stop being ridiculous,” Miller interjected. “And yes, I knew, I have eyes. He looks at her like I looked at Marta.”
Kyle looked over at Miller. He was still sitting at the table, but where he’d been relaxed and almost slumped in his chair before, he was now sitting upright, with both arms resting on the table. Knowing that Miller thought that Kyle looked at Drea the same way he had looked at his own wife meant something to him. The love that radiated off Miller when he talked about her was something Kyle envied and something he knew Drea had always idolized. His statement also meant that Drea was right—Miller was defending them and their relationship, even though they hadn’t been entirely honest with him.
“What about you,” Vaughn said, turning to Grayson. “Do you know about this too?”
“Well, I didn’t realize he’d sealed the deal, but I might have been encouraging it,” he answered, looking over at Kyle and giving the ‘well done, buddy’ nod. Kyle nodded back his thanks.
“Vaughn, for the last time, knock it off,” Simone finally said.
“You too?”
“Yes, me too. She’s had a crush on him since the moment he got here. You know that,” Simone answered him. “So when I saw him kiss her the other night—”
“What?” Vaughn cut her off.
“Uncle Vaughn, if you’d let us explain. We’ve been dating—” Drea started.
“Dating? Drea, he’s been leading you on for years. So I’m sorry if you thought there was more to your friendship and I’m sorry that these two have been indulging your fantasies about it,” he said, gesturing at his brothers.
“Vaughn, she has not been imagining that there is more to our friendship. We’re together, we just chose to keep it to ourselves—”
“Because it’s against the terms of your employment contract?” Vaughn said, cutting him off.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“Even if you aren’t after her money, which I don’t believe for one second, it’s still against resort policy for staff to be romantically involved with each other. You’re fired.”
The words rang in Kyle's ears. He shouldn’t have been surprised to hear them. He knew they were coming. It was what he’d been afraid of since day one of this, what he’d been telling Drea would happen. Deep down he’d always known it, but when Miller and Grayson had started to defend him, there had been a glimmer of hope that maybe the outcome would be different.
“You can’t fire him!” Drea called out, moving in between him and her uncle.
