“Ready to lower,” Beckett said.
After a brief hesitation, her voice came back, “Lowering.”
Time for all of them to face the music.
~*~
This is where it all falls apart, Sarah thought as she strode behind the Tullys up to the office at the lodge.
She’d expected Taylor to just impersonate her until such a time as they could make the switch. Taylor was dressed in the pre-arranged identical t-shirt and khaki shorts. But she’d come right out and introduced herself, which caused a predictable hubbub among those gathered. So much for all Sarah’s hard work this week. Taylor had asked to meet with the Tullys privately, before the owners could make the request themselves. And maybe that was good. She was clearly intent on taking responsibility for herself. But how were they going to explain Sarah’s presence here?
Taylor interrupted her train of thought. “That was a nice catch back there.”
In the second it took to do her job, she’d lost five years off her life seeing Beckett plummet like that.
“Didn’t know you knew how to do that,” Taylor added.
“I’ve had a good teacher. And anyway, it shouldn’t have been me. Where the hell have you been?” Sarah hissed.
Taylor shot her an assessing look, clearly wondering who that teacher had been, but she answered the question. “They lost my luggage, so I had to stick around and file a claim. And then by the time I got to the car rental place, they’d fouled up my reservation. Then there was construction on the route from the airport…I’m sorry. I got here as soon as I could.”
“Yeah well, I’m thinking it’s too little, too late, now.”
“It’ll be okay,” Taylor soothed.
Sarah doubted it.
Michael shut the door to the office and turned to them. “Okay, I think I’m well within my rights to ask what the hell is going on?”
“There’s a very simple explanation for this,” Taylor began.
Heather crossed her arms. “I’d love to hear it.”
“I’m Taylor Meadows. The actual Taylor Meadows you hired. This is my sister, Sarah, who’s been impersonating me this week.”
The Tullys stared, giving them both the hairy eyeball even as they shared the sort of dumbfounded shock at the resemblance. Sarah shifted, wishing she could just sink through the floor. This sounded even worse than when she’d told Beckett.
Eventually Michael asked, “Why?”
“Because I was stuck out in Wyoming on my previous job, past when I thought I’d be finished, and I was going to miss orientation, so I asked her to fill in for me.”
Heather narrowed her eyes. “And you were, what? Going to just swap out after the fact without telling anybody?”
“That was the original plan yes. I was supposed to be back to take all the certification tests myself, but I ran into travel difficulties.”
Michael frowned. “And you’re coming clean now, why?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. I should never have asked Sarah to step in for me. I should’ve come to you directly when the problem arose, even if it meant losing the job. And I realize I’m probably losing it anyway, but at least my conscience will be clear.”
A part of Sarah wanted to cheer that her sister was taking responsibility. It was the adult thing to do. But did she have to do it like this? Because the likelihood that Sarah would be welcome here ever again was nigh on nil.
Maybe Beckett really meant what he said about coming to visit her in Brooklyn.
Please let him have meant it.
She sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry for the deception. I was just trying to do her a favor.”
Heather pinched the bridge of her nose. “I should have had more coffee this morning.”