Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
R onnie stared up at the poster on her bedroom ceiling.
It was like a weird form of time travel every time she came back here to stay. While her dad and sister had transformed her bedroom into more useful spaces over the years, some things remained untouched.
The poster of Jamie Lynn snowboarding was one of them. It still hung over her old bed—a vivid reminder of how much she’d loved the sport as a kid, and who’d inspired her to chase her dreams.
As Ronnie stared at it now, she felt a hundred years old.
She huffed with amusement at the thought. A hundred? I’m only just thirty. Despite the fact that in her last competition she’d gone up against kids ten years younger than her, she knew she wasn’t old.
Before she’d driven back to Paradise Springs, her coach and physical therapist had both assured her that she was back in prime condition.
There was nothing to stop her from having another solid run at the gold medal.
She pursed her lips and exhaled slowly—a tip her trainer had taught her to steady her nerves. She’d found it worked well at times like this when her chest was tight and she couldn’t figure out why.
She’d never been great at dissecting emotions. Sitting around analyzing feelings was definitely more Margot’s realm.
Maybe she should talk to Margot about it…
She gave her head a shake and shut that thought down before it could go any further. Margot was obsessed with her upcoming wedding. And who could blame her? It was a big day.
So no, she wouldn’t bother Margot with her hang-ups. She had nearly a full month to get her head on straight. And her coach was probably right. All she needed was a little vacation. Then she’d come back stronger than ever.
Right?
Right. I think.
I hope.
The inner conversation was mercifully cut short by the buzz of her phone. Sitting up, Ronnie reached for it, fully expecting to see her agent’s name and prepared to send it to voicemail.
She gasped when she saw Bailey’s name instead. She fumbled to answer quickly. “Bailey!”
“Hi! Dallas told me you were in town. Are you busy?”
Her friend’s voice was like water in a desert. Relief flooded her at the sound of it. “No, not at all! I’m just…” Wallowing. Stewing. Brooding . She took a deep breath and smiled. “I’m not busy. How are you?”
Bailey’s answer was a rush of excited words that had Ronnie grinning.
“I’m great! When did you get to town? I’m so happy you’re here!
You have to see the inn. Did Margot tell you where we’re having the wedding?
You have to come see!” At Ronnie’s laughter, Bailey slowed down.
“Sorry. I’m overwhelming you, aren’t I? Drew keeps telling me I need to cut down on the caffeine.
Brandon’s the real coffee junkie, but it’s possible I’ve had too much?—”
“Drew?” Ronnie interrupted.
“My boyfriend.”
Ronnie grinned. Bailey was not someone she’d ever describe as a romantic, but she could all but see Bailey’s smitten smile as she’d said the B-word.
“Boyfriend, huh? How come I haven’t heard about him?”
“Well, we haven’t had a proper chat in a while.”
Ronnie’s smile faded. “Ugh. Yeah. Sorry about that. Recovering from an injury and training to compete again. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA.”
“Please, don’t apologize. I’ve been a horrible friend since opening the inn. It’s consumed every second of my life, I swear.”
“Every second, huh?” Ronnie snickered. “Sounds like you made some time for fun.”
Bailey laughed. “You think I took time off to fall in love? Nah. Drew works here.”
“Nooo.”
“Yep.”
Ronnie fell back onto the bed, feeling lighter—and younger—than she had in quite a while. “Okay, now I have to hear the whole story.”
“I’ll spill all the tea, I promise. But…I need to see you! When can you escape the bridal zone?”
Ronnie chuckled. “The bridal zone. I like that. How’d you know Margot’s completely obsessed?”
“Trust me, we’ve hosted enough weddings here at the inn that I can spot a bridezilla a mile away.”
They were both laughing as Ronnie regaled her with some of Margot’s more insane ideas.
“Does she think you’re a Rockefeller?” Bailey asked.
“Who knows?” Ronnie grinned up at her poster. “But the point is, she’s lost her mind, and I would love nothing more than to escape this madhouse. Plus, I can’t wait to see your inn. I’ve seen pictures, but I’m sure they don’t do it justice.”
“They definitely don’t. You must come visit. How soon can you get here?”