CHAPTER 10 #2
He runs his fingers through that gorgeous head of hair then shakes his head with, “My sister had a couple of phones delivered, and Ash has both of them. I need a way for Elsie to reach me.”
“Did you try the concierge? They can call his room for you.”
He nods, looking over at the front desk. “I tried that. He didn’t answer, and they wouldn’t tell me what room he’s in.”
“Hold on, he might be with my friend.”
I pull out my phone and bring up Rhonda’s number.
Maddie: Hey, are you with Ash? Riggs needs to talk to him.
No answer, so I try calling. Straight to voicemail. That’s interesting. She must still be asleep.
I turn to Riggs. “Sorry, no answer. But I’m sure she’ll text me back as soon as she’s awake.”
“You said she might be with Ash. You’re not sure?”
“No. I mean, we texted briefly last night. She and Ash went for a walk. That was around eight, but I haven’t heard from her since. I can check her room if you want.”
He takes a moment to mull that over and I can tell he’s stressed.
“No,” he finally exhales like it pains him.
“I don’t want to disturb her if she’s still asleep.
It’s not that important.” His mood shifts back to the nice guy I met yesterday.
“You look nice. I take it you’re not hitting the slopes today? ”
I wish they wouldn’t, but memories of last night keep trying to pry their way into my head.
Shirtless cowboy Riggs turned into Riggs and I alone on a white-sand beach, followed by Riggs the rich, well-dressed businessman taking off his tie, and everything else, followed by Riggs’s hard body on top of me, my fingernails clawing into his back, and before I knew it, the big O. And it was big, oh my!
That reminds me, the bubble bath was good and all, but I can take baths at home. I can’t do jacuzzis at home, so starting tonight, it’s only hot tubs for this girl.
“I don’t ski, not yet anyway. I might try it later.”
“You should, it’s fun.” He checks his watch.
It looks expensive, rugged and thick with all kinds of buttons and knobs.
It’s the size of a hockey puck, but it looks normal on his giant forearm.
“I’m kind of stuck until I get that phone,” he says with a side glance toward the food court. “You hungry?”
“Absolutely not. And to be clear, whatever this is between us has to end now! I don’t want to ever see you again, so please, respect my boundaries and leave me alone,” is what my brain thinks I’m saying when my mouth says, “Yeah, I could eat.” Stupid brain.
Of the resort’s four restaurants, he chooses Katie’s Diner and as we step inside, the smell of greasy food makes my stomach grumble.
I’m still a little full from the bagel I had earlier, but this is making me hungry all over again.
After we take a seat at a table that’s barely big enough for the two of us, he orders the chicken-and-waffles platter along with an omelet meal that includes toast, hashbrowns, breakfast sausage and bacon.
I thought maybe he was expecting Ash to miraculously appear, but it turns out all that food is for him.
The man can eat. I ordered a chicken-and-avocado sandwich with a Diet Coke.
“Do you know when the film crew is coming?” I ask as I watch him finish off the waffles and start in on the chicken. It’s like watching a bear being fed at the zoo.
He washes his latest mouthful down with his Coke then wipes his mouth with a napkin. “It could be this afternoon. That’s why I’m stressing. But there hasn’t been any sign of them so my best guess is it will probably be tomorrow. Sometimes these things take a little longer.”
“Well, it looks like you’re ready. Nice clothes by the way.”
He looks down at his shirt. “Yeah, I don’t know how my sister did it, but somehow, she managed to have my shirts altered to a smaller size. Not sure how I feel about that.”
“I think it looks good on you.”
He moves his huge arms around a bit like he’s trying to stretch the sleeves. “Maybe. If I had to guess, it was her assistant. She seems to think tighter clothes on us is more appealing to our audience.”
I bite my lip and resist the urge to tell him his sister’s assistant knows exactly what she’s doing. “How did you get them so fast?”
He gives up and brings his hands to his side.
“She had our clothes sent by overnight mail along with a long list of instructions. I got everything but my phone. The guy at the front desk said Ash picked up everything else which means he has it.” His teeth grind.
“He probably doesn’t know he as it because he probably hasn’t opened the packages yet.
It’s so like him. And he hasn’t tried to check in with me to see what’s going on.
That’s also like him. I swear, he’s like a teenager when it comes to his playtime. ”
Clearly, he’s venting, but I don’t get the impression that he’s mad at his brother.
It’s more like he’s just stating the facts.
If I had to venture a guess, he’s used to this type of behavior from his brother and has accepted that it’s who Ash is.
But there’s something else I’m more curious about.
“When this film crew shows up, what are you supposed to do?”
He sets his fork down, then leans in and lowers his voice. “National Discovery is interested in doing a show with us. When they get here, we’re supposed to act like we’re in the middle of one of our adventures so they can see how we work with a big production company.”
“Like a test?” National Discovery is huge. They have some of the best shows on television so you would think he’d be excited, but he looks like he has a dental appointment for a root canal.
“Something like that, and if you thought my sister was mad before, you can’t imagine how mad she’ll be if we don’t pass. And we won’t if I don’t find my brother in time.”
I can tell how stressful this is for him, and I’m tempted to reach across the table to rest a hand on his arm and reassure him.
But as soon as that thought enters my head, as much as I’d love to feel those brawny arms, I know skin contact is out of the question.
A girl can only take so much. With that in mind I try changing the subject.
“There’s something I’ve been wondering about. ”
He finishes off the chicken and starts in on his omelet. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
I push my plate a few inches forward. The portions here are enormous, and as delicious as it was, I was only able to eat half my sandwich. “You had a fire out there. Are you planning on another one today?”
He chuckles as if it was a dumb question. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. I thought you were going to ask what we use for toilet paper.”
I scrunch my nose, picturing him in a way I should never be forced to picture anyone, squatting behind a log doing his business. “What? Gross! Why would I ask about something like that?”
He fidgets for a second clearly a little embarrassed. “I don’t know, believe it or not, it’s the first question we usually get. And for the record, we use—”
“Stop!” I say a little too loudly with my hand held up. “I don’t want to know.”
“Okay,” he offers bashfully but in the most adorable way. “But to answer your question, yeah, there will be a fire today, a couple of them. Why?”