Chapter Twenty-three
The next morning was New Year’s Eve. Caroline was so excited and anxious, she woke up earlier than she had in months. She resolved to put Max out of her mind. She spent an hour rereading Nick’s last revisions to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Then she grabbed a cup of coffee from the inn’s restaurant and walked along Main Street. The shops were still closed; a few early-morning skiers lugged their skis to the slopes. She was tempted to share Nina’s letters with Daphne. Nina had admired and respected Anne so much. Reading the letters made Caroline feel even closer to their mother. She’d finish them first, then she’d show them to Daphne.
When she arrived back at her room, Daphne was waiting at the door.
“I must have conjured you up, I was thinking about you.” Caroline smiled.
It felt good not to be fighting with Daphne.
“I know it’s early; Luke had some business calls with the restaurant in Hyde Park.” Daphne followed her inside. “And don’t start with me that a restaurateur never takes a proper vacation. I don’t mind, and think of the perks. It turns out that Luke is a better cook than I am.”
“You didn’t know that he cooked?” Caroline asked.
“We’ve made lots of dishes together, but he lets me take the lead.” Daphne perched on the bed. “Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Prospect. He told me about helping his parents at the restaurant in Paris during the summers. He learned to make crêpes suzette. We’re going to serve them at the reception his parents are giving us next summer.”
“They’re going to give you a reception?” Caroline repeated.
Daphne had never looked so happy. Her cheeks glowed and her smile reached all the way to her eyes.
“We had a Zoom call with them last night,” Daphne gushed. “It will only be a small reception at the farm in Wisconsin. Luke and his father are going to do the cooking.”
Caroline gave Daphne a quick hug. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve to be part of a good family.”
“I have a good family. I have you.” Daphne hugged her back. “I also came to see if you’ve heard from Max.”
Caroline flinched. If Daphne hadn’t dared her to have a proper relationship with Max, she wouldn’t have opened her heart. But Nina was right. Everyone was responsible for their own happiness. Caroline’s feelings for Max had nothing to do with Daphne.
“I haven’t heard from him.”
“You will,” Daphne said confidently. “A code three can’t last forever. Max will come back.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Caroline felt the air leave her lungs. “Maybe I’m not really in love. It’s Christmas in Aspen and it feels so romantic. But then I think about him. He’s so passionate about the distillery, and he’s kind and warm.” She looked at Daphne. “I didn’t know I could feel like this. What if I never do again?”
Daphne squeezed her hand.
“You’ve made the first step, you’ve opened yourself up to love,” Daphne reminded her. “From here it’s like getting on a snow tube at the top of the mountain and simply pointing it downhill.”
Caroline didn’t say what she was thinking. The snow tube could spin out at the bottom and she’d go flying.
“You’re much better at this than me,” Caroline sighed. “I should stick to my career and being an aunt when you and Luke have children.”
“You can do it all. Max would be lucky to have you.” Daphne stood up. “What you need is to get drunk tonight, so you don’t think about him. Zane’s Tavern is doing a Western theme for New Year’s Eve. Come with us. Everyone wears Western clothes and sings campfire songs.”
Caroline nodded. “It sounds perfect.”
Daphne left and Caroline gathered her edit notes. She walked over to the Limelight Hotel to see Nick.
Nick was in the little office, tapping at his laptop.
“I spend more time in here than I do at my apartment,” he said when she entered. “I never knew editing could be fun. It was different when I edited the manuscript for Anne, I was terrified that she’d hate it. Now I know Josh and Maggie so well. I’m confident they won’t let me down.”
Caroline agreed with him. Authors often felt that way about their characters. The characters became so real, they carried the story by themselves.
“The section where Josh is first betrayed by Maggie needs more detail.” Caroline flipped through her notes. “Until then, Josh and Maggie are perfectly in tune. Then she does something without thinking about him. How does that make Josh feel and can he trust Maggie again?”
Nick ran his hands through his hair. He was wearing his hotel uniform and black sneakers.
“Josh is shaken, of course. But he can’t blame Maggie, he hasn’t given her any assurances.”
“Maybe he should,” Caroline suggested. “He could promise that if she stays in Colorado, he’ll give her a future that doesn’t include working at the pharmacy.”
“How would he do that? He doesn’t have money or connections.”
Caroline gave it some thought. “People often do things they don’t think they’re capable of when they’re in love. You stayed at the ranch for Savannah. How did that make you feel when she eventually left?”
Nick’s face took on a pensive expression. He rubbed his chin.
“The first time I felt like it was my fault,” he recalled. “I resolved to do anything to make the relationship work.
“It was September and the summer rush at the dude ranch was over. In the fall, the ranch was mainly filled with corporate groups or families celebrating birthdays. But there were long stretches without reservations. I kept busy with chores and writing my novel, but I worried that Savannah would get bored. My parents were still paying her and she had her own chores, but it was different than during the summer. Savannah was a sorority girl from Atlanta, I was afraid that she needed something more.
“I was counting out my tips from the last group. It had been a tech company, and they were quite generous. Savannah entered my room. She was wearing an elegant green dress and high boots, which surprised me. When there weren’t any guests, we ate by ourselves in the kitchen.
“She couldn’t have dinner, she was going in to Aspen to a gallery opening. I suggested I join her and we grab a bite afterward, but she reminded me that I planned on working on my novel.
“She was right, of course. If I put it off, the book would never get written. I leaned forward and kissed her. I loved her scent—some kind of lavender perfume. I told her I’d save some of my mother’s casserole and we’d sit on the porch and eat it.
“After Savannah left, I wrote for two hours. Then my mother asked me to pick up whipped cream for her pecan pie. If she hadn’t, I would have found another excuse to drive into Aspen.
“I looked in the windows of the art galleries on Main Street but Savannah wasn’t inside. I had an uneasy feeling. Savannah always wanted me to do things with her, why hadn’t she wanted me to attend the gallery opening?
“I bought the whipped cream and started walking back to the car. Just as I turned down Main Street, a couple entered the Little Nell. I couldn’t see the woman’s face but I recognized the man. His name was Oliver. He was the CFO of the tech company who had stayed at the dude ranch. I remember him telling me he had a beach house in Santa Monica and a Porsche.
“The couple entered the hotel and the woman turned. It was Savannah.
“What was Oliver still doing in Aspen? Were he and Savannah having an intimate dinner in the hotel dining room? I debated approaching them but I couldn’t afford to make a scene. The Little Nell sent guests to the dude ranch for horseback-riding lessons.
“Instead, I drove back to the dude ranch. Summer had gone by so quickly. Long days leading tour groups, followed by dinner with the other ranch hands at the kitchen table. But we had a wonderful time: evening strolls around the ranch breathing in the crisp night air, making love in my bed, manning the coffeepot together the following morning.
“Yet I hadn’t promised Savannah a future. Agreeing not to go back to college was enough for me. But was it enough for Savannah? What if she needed an assurance that what we had would last? Something that would stop her from dating a guy like Oliver, who could promise her a beach house in California and a flashy car.
“I couldn’t afford an engagement ring and I wasn’t ready to get engaged. First, I wanted to finish my novel and get a publishing contract. But I had to do something to show Savannah my intentions. I drove back to the jewelry store on Main Street. The salesgirl helped me select a silver band set with tiny diamonds and rubies. She called it a promise ring. That sounded like something high schoolers would give to each other, but the ring was perfect.
“Savannah arrived back at the ranch as I was eating a piece of pecan pie. She cut a piece of pie and sat down beside me. I asked about the gallery opening and she said she wasn’t fond of the artist, but she met some interesting people. I blurted out Oliver’s name and she asked how I knew he was there. She accused me of spying on her. I had never seen her so furious. Her eyes flashed and she kept flinging her hair over her shoulders.
“I told her I wasn’t spying, my mom sent me to buy whipped cream. Savannah explained that she ran into Oliver at the gallery. He was staying at the Little Nell because he had some business in Aspen, and he suggested they have dinner.
“I swallowed the rest of my pie and reached into my pocket for the jewelry box. I told her the salesgirl called it a promise ring. I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t want what we had to end. She kissed me and said she felt the same. I slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her back. We both had another slice of pecan pie and went up to my bedroom.”
Nick stopped. He leaned back in his chair and grinned at Caroline.
Caroline glanced up from her edit notes. “That’s a wonderful story. You should add something similar to the scene where Josh sees Maggie sitting with a guy at the soda fountain next to the pharmacy.”
Nick nodded his head vigorously. “I like that idea. Something that shows how serious Josh is about Maggie.”
“Exactly. Even when a relationship is going well, one half of the couple often hides her feelings because she’s afraid of getting hurt. But no one is a mind reader.”
They talked about the next chapter, and Caroline got up to leave.
“Savannah is coming to Aspen, I want you to meet her,” Nick said.
“Savannah is coming here, now?” Caroline asked.
“Just for the day,” Nick said. “Her parents rented a place in Vail and she’s staying with them.”
“You didn’t tell me her family were skiers.” Caroline tried to keep her voice even. The news made her worried about Nick. It couldn’t be a good idea for him to see Savannah again.
“I never met her parents and Savannah didn’t ski. Apparently, she learned a couple of years ago and loves it.”
“I’d love to meet her,” Caroline said slowly.
“Don’t have that terrified look,” Nick said with a laugh. “Our relationship ended years ago. I’d never let myself fall in love with Savannah again.”
Caroline wandered down Main Street. A soft snow was falling and people were returning from the slopes. Children tugged at their parents’ coats, and shop windows were ablaze with Christmas lights.
She wondered where Max was and what he was doing. Nick was wrong. Once you experienced love, you couldn’t decide not to be in love anymore. It took on a life of its own.
Tonight she’d join Luke and Daphne at Zane’s Tavern. Then she’d drink enough whiskey that she’d stop thinking about Max altogether.