Tessa's meeting with Josiah the previous Tuesday, before his trip, had been awkward. Something had changed, and she couldn't figure out what it might be. She brushed it off, thinking he might be distracted because he was going on a trip with his father and Trinity the following day.

However, when they met again earlier that day for their most recent Tuesday meeting, he was just as standoffish and almost cold toward her. Their lunch had barely lasted forty minutes before he headed back to the office.

Tessa had decided not to press the issue, hoping that if he had a problem with her, he would let her know so that she could correct whatever issue might exist.

Later that same afternoon, she received an email asking her to meet with Levi, Josiah, and Trinity in Levi's office at nine o'clock the following morning, and to bring the information she had compiled on the cabins. Tessa, being the extra diligent person she was, decided that she needed to stay late and double-check everything for the morning.

Amy was working the night shift and had settled into the little office behind the reception desk, keeping an eye on the security cameras. It was almost seven o'clock when Trinity wandered into the hotel, making a beeline for Tessa and knocking on her open door.

Tessa looked up, startled, but smiled when she saw Trinity.

"Hi, Trinity, is everything alright?" Tessa asked, pushing aside her laptop.

"Is that your personal laptop?" Trinity frowned as she entered the office and sat in a guest chair, crossing her long legs.

"Yes, is that a problem?" Tessa asked. "I only use the office one for official work."

"I'll have IT get you another one you can take home." Trinity looked over her shoulder. "Where is everyone?"

"We don't have any guests currently, so there's not much for the staff to do after the dinner rush. Amy is in the back, watching the security cameras." Tessa explained.

"And her phone no doubt." Trinity smiled without rancor. "I was passing and saw you working from the front windows, so I thought you might like to join us for dinner. I know how hard it is to be the new person in town. It can get lonely."

"I'm not sure?" Tessa shook her head. "Josiah's been odd lately. I don't think I would be welcome."

"Josiah? What makes you think he's going to be there? He probably will be, but it's never a sure thing. How has he been odd?"

Tessa was suddenly very confused. She had assumed that the 'us' in the dinner invitation was Trinity and Josiah, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to ask the question of Trinity outright.

"He's been indifferent, almost cold. I'm worried that I screwed something up and he's not telling be about it." Tessa had searched her memory bank, and other than the personal discussion, where not a lot had been revealed, there wasn't a thing that Tessa could contribute to the change in him.

"Come on. I think you should join us for dinner. It will be good for us to work out some differences. Josiah and I had an argument, and we're still working through it." Trinity stood and pulled out her phone, sending out a text.

"If you and Josiah are having a fight, I definitely don't want to attend dinner." Tessa shook her head adamantly.

"The fight was about you, so you have to attend," Trinity threw out carelessly.

How could a fight possibly be about her unless Trinity was jealous about the Amber incident? If so, why did she ask Tessa for help with Amber in the first place?

"What possible reason could I have to attend a dinner where you and Josiah are going to work out your differences, even if they are about me?"

"Tessa, please come. Part of the argument was about how you feel about working here, and I want Josiah and me to hear it straight from you, so please?" Trinity moved to the door, turned, and waited for Tessa.

Tessa was now doubly confused.

Relenting, partly because the idea of having dinner with someone other than herself appealed to her, but also because now she had to know what was going on, and the only way that would happen was if she went.

Tessa followed Trinity to her car, got into the passenger seat, and then drove silently for the short distance to their destination. Tessa had a feeling that Trinity knew she had spooked Tessa and didn't want to scare her anymore by saying the wrong thing.

The house was a two-story craftsman that blended well with the environment around it. Trinity cut the engine and then led the way into the house, which was just as charming inside as outside.

"In here," a man's voice called, and Trinity turned left and entered a spacious dining room and kitchen to find Levi standing over the stove.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted. "Josiah should be over soon." Levi did not look surprised to see Tessa, which meant that Trinity had texted him that she was coming, which also meant the 'we' that Trinity had mentioned was her and Levi.

"Great, how long before it's ready?" Trinity asked, looking over his shoulder and sniffing appreciatively.

"Only a few more minutes. Why don't you go change?" Levi suggested giving Trinity a quick kiss and a smile.

Trinity smiled and nodded, then left Tessa alone with Levi in awkward silence.

"Have a seat, Tessa." Levi pointed to the island. "Would you like a drink? Trinity makes a very good pitcher of sweet tea."

"Sure," she said as she sat at the island as instructed and watched Levi pour her a drink.

Tessa at least had the 'us' part of the equation figured out. Levi and Trinity were an item and, from the looks of it, lived together. That would make it much harder not to build up her hopes where Josiah was concerned.

Tessa sipped the sweet tea that was placed before her. It was delicious and reminded her of home, and she told Levi as much.

"Yes, it's a little too sweet for me. Trinity is going to take me to Georgia soon to meet her parents, and she assures me that the tea there is twice as sweet as her brew."

"Sweet tea is a southern staple, but it depends where you go in Texas as to how sweet your tea might be there." Tessa was nervous and said it more for something to say than because she cared about the different ways of sweetening tea.

The back door opened, and Josiah entered, looking from Levi to Tessa with a question. He didn't look upset only curious.

"Trinity thought Tessa might want to join us for dinner. She remembers what it was like to be new and lonely in town," Levi explained Tessa's presence as he held up the tea pitcher, and Josiah nodded then sat beside Tessa.

Tessa couldn't help but admire his appearance. He was wearing an old pair of faded jeans and a very thin, soft-looking sweater, and he smelled delicious.

"I'm not saying Trinity can't be thoughtful, but I can't help feeling that there is another reason." Josiah looked at Tessa questioningly and she caved.

"Trinity said you two fought about me and wanted me to help resolve it. She said she wanted you both to hear how I feel about working for the company." Tessa watched Josiah's expressionless face and swallowed hard. Now he was angry, she could feel it rolling off him.

"Did she?" Josiah asked with deceptive calm.

"Yes, I did, Josiah," Trinity said, entering the room. "I'm tired of us being angry at each other, and I want to resolve it. I think Tessa can help." Trinity looked at Tessa with an amused expression. "I'll have to remember that Tessa is not the one to be sent into an interrogation situation. She folded like a house of cards."

"I can hold my own when I want to, but if the issue is to resolve an argument that I somehow started, I think honesty is best." Tessa sipped her tea and watched everyone's expressions. Neither Josiah nor Trinity were willing to get the ball rolling, so Levi took the leap.

"It was a comment you made about Rita, having said we were desperate." Levi got right to the point, and Trinity and Josiah's heads swiveled to look at him. "I agree with Tessa, honesty is best."

"I'm sorry I said anything," Tessa shook her head. "All Rita said was that you all weren't crazy, only desperate with regards to helping me settle in so quickly."

"She wasn't wrong," Trinity said, moving behind Levi and grabbing plates to set the table.

"Josiah got angry because he was worried that the comment might make you feel as if you weren't wanted, needed, or appreciated." Levi started moving the food to the table.

"Yes, and then I told him that it was up to him who hired you to make sure that you understood that you were needed and wanted, and that we weren't going to walk on eggshells around you just to keep you here," Trinity concluded.

"He did, and you don't have to," Tessa assured them, wondering why Josiah wasn't participating in the conversation. "I wasn't really upset by what Rita said." Tessa had the horrifying thought that Rita might be mad at her too, and her eyes swung to meet Josiah's.

"As far as I know, Rita doesn't know this is an issue." Josiah looked over at Trinity for verification.

"She doesn't," Trinity confirmed.

"Then why did you say you were upset by it?" Josiah asked, shaking his head in confusion as he stood and moved to the table.

"Because it made it twice that someone had said the only reason I was where I was, was because those around me were desperate. It hurt my pride." Tessa shrugged.

"So, it did hurt your feelings?" Josiah said, sitting, and motioning for Tessa to sit next to him, which she did.

She couldn't help but be pleased that he had invited her to sit next to him.

"Yes, no, I don't know, but I do know that I don't want to cause disagreement between anyone." Tessa frowned and shook her head.

"And your future plans?" Josiah asked, turning toward her. His face was only inches from hers.

Tessa took a steadying breath. "I have no plans of going anywhere at this time. I like it here." Her and Josiah's eyes were locked.

"And in the future?" Josiah asked, studying her face as if trying to memorize it.

"I can't know what the future holds." Tessa shook her head again. "All I can say is that it would take a major event to move me, or one of you firing me." She tore her gaze away from Josiah and looked at Trinity and Levi, who had sat across from them.

"It's not going to happen." Levi shook his head. "It would have to be an agreement made by the three of us and Rita, and I don't think we would ever agree on that." Levi started to dish up a plate. "For the record, we were never desperate. Josiah might have been because he disliked the hotel side of things, but I felt he did a fine job and was in no hurry to hire." Levi grinned at his son.

"Josiah didn't like it because all the girls followed him around like little lost kittens." Trinity teased, leading Tessa to believe that the argument was over.

"They did," Josiah defended. He was willing to play along but she got the feeling that, for him at least, there was still some unease.

"How did all the girls take it when they thought you were dating Josiah?" Trinity asked, changing the subject as she followed Levi's lead and served herself.

"They didn't believe it. They thought Josiah was mad at me for pulling such a stunt. I assured them that he wasn't. Then they had a long discussion about..." Tessa realized she was about to say to much, so she started to serve herself to cover her gaff.

"Let me guess. They said that I have him wrapped around my little finger, but I wanted to keep it a secret, so I asked you to do my dirty work." Trinity grinned.

"Something like that." Tessa nodded with a blush.

"Wait until they learn it's me and not Josiah that you love," Levi grinned.

"Oh, I don't doubt that a new story will be spun where I'm leading you both on." Trinity shook her head.

Tessa started to eat her dinner, listening to the three of them talk about anything and everything. She hoped that the fight was over, and her and Josiah's relationship would be smoother moving forward.