Tangled Passion

Chapter One

Madelyn waited in the long line of vacationers at the lodge’s front desk as they checked each family in. The three-story lodge was massive. It had the same rock on the foyer walls as on the outside of the lodge. She saw regular Sheetrock walls painted a dark cream color when she looked into what she thought the main room was. She could just make out a few large sofas and chairs and a few game tables.

Wherever her gaze landed, she saw something interesting that she’d like to study further after checking in and unpacking.

“Can I help you?”

Madelyn jerked her head around at the voice and smiled at the young woman behind the tall counter.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m Madelyn Sawyer.”

The girl smiled and looked at the large book in front of her.

“My name is Daisy. You’re the woman who plans on staying for the summer?”

“Yes.”

“We don’t get many people who want to stay that long.”

“Living in a rustic area, hiking, riding horses, and camping are things I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I have the time now, so I decided to treat myself to a few months.”

This was the time to splurge on herself. She would take the time she spent there to decide her next step.

Madelyn thought about all the years she’d spent caring for others and had only recently been able to live her life for herself. She spent the last three decades taking care of her children, father, mother, husband, and mother-in-law, who had just passed on a month before.

It had taken a lot out of Madelyn, but she wouldn’t have changed anything. She felt she’d been put on this earth to care for others and felt blessed to have the means to do so. But now, she was free to do whatever she wanted. No one depended on her for anything.

Daisy smiled and slid a few papers and a key across the counter for Madelyn to sign.

“You’re in the right place. You’ll have all of that here. Welcome to Walsh Forrest Lodge. I can help you with whatever you need. Just ask for me.”

“Thank you, Daisy.”

“Matt will show you to your room now. If you need anything, just dial zero on the phone in your room by the bed.”

“Thanks again.” Madelyn turned and watched as a young man picked up the two heavy suitcases. “Let me get one.”

“No, ma’am. I’ve got them. Follow me, and I’ll show you to your room.”

She followed the young man up the wide steps and down a long hall.

Matt slowed and waited until she was abreast of him.

“You’ll be in the last room. It’s the most private.”

She walked through the doorway into a small oasis. It was a large bedroom with a small sofa and TV off to the side. In the middle stood a king-size bed. On the other wall, there were two doorways. She assumed one was the bathroom and the other a closet.

It was beautifully decorated in creams and soft blues. The walls, carpet, and sofa were cream, and the bedspread, sofa pillows, and little decorative accents were dusky blue.

She pulled a few bills out of her purse and handed them to Matt.

He held a hand up. “No, ma’am. You surely don’t have to do that.”

“Is it against policy?”

“No, it’s about doing my job,” he said and grinned.

She reached for his hand and placed the bills into it.

“And this is a thank you for doing your job well,” Madelyn said in her best, “don’t argue with your mother” tone.

He held both hands up and chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

She smiled as Matt closed the door behind himself.

Madelyn released a weary breath and sat down on the side of the massive bed. She let the silence soothe the tension she always seemed to carry. She was hoping this vacation would help. She sometimes felt she’d always had this ball of fiery pressure in the middle of her shoulder blades, and she used to tell herself it was normal to get headaches every day.

It wasn’t normal, and it certainly wasn’t healthy. Her doctor, who happened to be her son, worried about her high blood pressure. He was worried enough that he had booked a night at the lodge to check on her in a week or so. As thrilled as she was to see him, he had his own life to worry about, and she didn’t want him to be concerned about her.

It would have been nice if her daughter, Amy, had been able to make it, but as Assistant District Attorney in Chicago, she had very little time to take a vacation. Madelyn was planning on visiting her in the next few months.

She stood and started putting her clothes and personal items away. She moved her suitcases to the back of the large closet and looked around.

The light over the bathroom sink was bright. It seemed to pick up every wrinkle on her face and made her look pale. Everyone always told her she looked decades younger than her forty-nine years, but all she saw were her flaws.

She liked her shoulder-length hair, which was thick and curly. She admitted she got help from a stylist to remove the grays, but she always kept the dark red color as true to her natural one as possible.

Madelyn took a few steps back and surveyed her body. She wasn’t as slim as she’d like to be, but she’d always been a woman with curves. From her breasts to her hips, she had a generous amount of flesh. She had tried and failed to diet on and off several occasions, but most of the time, she ignored it. She’d been too busy taking care of the family.

She had hoped with the extra exercise she’d get on her vacation, she’d be able to lose a few inches.

She washed her face and hands and combed her hair. After a quick look around the room, she decided to explore a bit before the dinner they started serving at five o’clock every night.

What she had seen so far thrilled her, and she knew there was much more.