20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Rachel
A s I waited for Juniper in the lobby, I slipped behind the desk to test the check-in system again. With our new employees starting in a few days, I wanted to ensure everything was in working order so we’d have minimal hiccups on opening day. While clicking away, satisfied to see it working without flaw, I heard the front doors open.
I smiled as I looked up, ready to see who was there. Since we weren’t open and the woman was dressed posh in a tweed dress and fancy-looking cardigan, I assumed she was a reporter. The man with her didn’t have a camera but also dressed nicely; less formal than she was, but still sharp in his well-fitted slacks and button-up shirt.
“Hi! How can I help you?”
“Hello!” The woman’s heels clicked against the hardwood as she approached the front desk. Her short, blonde bob stayed perfectly still as she walked. Despite her sing-song tone, her facial expression remained stiff as she said, “I’m sure Junebug has told you about us.”
I shook my head and tried not to scowl at whatever weird nickname she gave Juniper. “No, I’m afraid he hasn’t.”
Before she could speak, Juniper rounded the corner. Sasquatch walked by his side. “I didn’t realize you’d be here so soon.”
I looked from the man and woman on the other side of the desk to Juniper, and then back at the couple. It wasn’t until I looked at the man that the pieces clicked together in my mind. While Juniper’s hair—tied half-back as he usually styled it—was longer, it was the same raven shade as the man’s. They also shared their bright blue eyes, straight nose, and full lips. Without a doubt, this man was Juniper’s father. That meant the blonde must have been his mom.
There are theories that men like women who remind them of their mothers. It’s not always in a mommy issues kind of way, but researchers have said it’s simply because we’re drawn to what is familiar. But looking at Juniper’s mother only rejected those theories, especially when comparing her to me. Juniper would make Sigmund Freud cry as he tore apart his Oedipus Complex assertions. His mother and I could not have been any more different if we tried.
I stepped out from around the front desk, apologizing all the way. My green skirt swished around me, flowing until it hit my ankles, and Juniper’s eyes landed straight on it. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Hart. Silly me.”
Before his mother or father could say anything, Juniper moved his gaze to my face and said with a subtle urgency, “Can I talk to you for a second? Just the two of us?”
As soon as I nodded, he grabbed me by the bicep to lead me down the nearest hall. Sasquatch followed. Shadows cast over our faces, making it hard for me to make out his expression, though I was positive there was no mistaking how I was feeling.
“When were you going to tell me your mother was coming to town?” I asked in a hushed whisper.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Juniper said. His eyes fell to my shoes as his hand on my arm lifted, hovered in the air for a few seconds, and then fell to my sweater-covered shoulder like he was trying to ground himself. “She ambushed me this morning. I didn’t even have a chance. We slept in, and she texted me when we were napping.”
“Alright, well, let’s make the most of it.”
“Listen, before we head back out there, let me warn you. My dad is really chill, and I thank God every day I take after him almost exclusively. But my mother? She is a whole other story. Let’s just say there’s a reason I only talk to her when absolutely necessary.”
“Okay, noted. But I’m sure I can handle her.”
“Rach, I can barely handle her. Just… if she says anything insensitive or bitchy, let it roll right off and let me handle it. It’s the least I can do for you.”
“Don’t fight for my sake, either. Whatever she has to say, I’m sure I’ve heard worse. The average time share customer is an old, entitled boomer, so I’ll manage.” With a lopsided smile, I leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss Juniper’s lips. His body noticeably relaxed as I did. “We’ll get some food whipped up in the kitchen and if none of that appeals to them, I’m sure there’s a Chinese place in town that’s open.”
“Cooking will take too long, and my mom will want to get involved. The least amount of friction points, the better.”
“Take out Chinese it is.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Come on, let’s head back out before my mom pushes her way past Sasquatch.”
As we made our way back, Juniper took hold of my hand. His palm was cold and clammy as our fingers interlaced, so I gently scratched his upper back when we returned to the lobby, where his parents stared at the elk painting he’d helped me hang up. It felt like a lifetime had passed since then.
“You’ve done a good job with the place,” his father said. “You must be getting ready to open soon.”
“We should be ready by January nineteenth, yeah,” Juniper said.
Juniper’s mom placed her hands on her knees as she bent them, looking at Sasquatch. “And who is this cutie?”
As she reached a hand out, Juniper said, “Don’t pet him.”
Juniper told me he adopted Sasquatch almost three years ago now; how long had it been since he saw his parents?
“Why not? Does he bite?”
Juniper couldn’t have sounded any more unamused as he said, “No. He’s working and doesn’t need the distraction.”
With a smile, I added, “He’s a service dog. You shouldn’t pet them while they’re at work. His name is Sasquatch.”
Juniper then said, “And her name is Rachel. Rachel, these are my parents, Veronica and Drew.”
“You must be the girl Juniper hired to help with all the maintenance work,” Veronica said. “Nice to meet you.”
With a little wave, I tried to sound as chipper as possible. “That would be me! It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Sorry again about the mix-up earlier.”
“I didn’t have time to let her know you were coming,” Juniper said. “Since I unplugged for a bit this morning, I saw your message too late. Hope you’re okay with takeout for lunch.”
Veronica opened her mouth to say something—based on the way her brows furrowed, likely in protest—but Drew beat her to it with an affirmation.
“I suppose that’s fine.” The way Veronica rose her brows suggested it was not, in fact, fine. “Rachel, is that okay with you?”
“Oh, I usually have takeout on Christmas,” I said with a dismissive wave. “No big deal for me.”
Veronica looked so taken aback, you’d have thought I told her I also like to kick kittens for Christmas. “You do?”
“It’s been a family tradition since I was a kid. That and going to the movies. I’m Jewish, so Christmas is like any other day, but my family and I took advantage of the empty theaters.”
Veronica grinned as she looked at her son like she had something profound to say. “No wonder you hired her! I bet she’s great with the bookkeeping.”
Internally, I cringed, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. As Juniper’s spine straightened, I tried to let it pass with a joke. “Quite awful with it, really. Math was never my strong suit.”
Whereas I attempted to diffuse the tension, Juniper had other ideas. “Why would she be great with the bookkeeping, hmm?”
Veronica stuttered. “What do you mean?”
“Not that I don’t think Rachel’s smart. But I’m curious why you would assume she was a bookkeeper.”
“Well, you know, I—”
But Juniper’s expression was as steely as ever. If I thought I’d ever seen him mad or grumpy before, I’d been mistaken; this was a look that could kill, probably literally if he kept it up. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight, popping one of his knees in the process. “You what?”
Part of me wanted to place a hand on his shoulder and tell him to drop it and not to fight over me. But Juniper was the first gentile ever to speak up for me in a situation like this. Plenty of non-Jewish friends had shared infographics on their Instagram Stories in the wake of attacks on synagogues a few years ago, but their activism typically remained on nine-by-nine grids.
So instead of stopping him, I stood by his side, pushing back the urge to grab him by that long, handsome face of his and kiss him on the mouth. While I was sure he wouldn’t mind if I did right now, it didn’t quite feel like the time or place.
Veronica said, “Forget it, Juniper.”
“No.” His foot tapped expectantly. “No, I don’t think I will. Why, hmm?”
“Forgive me, Rachel.” Veronica sighed in defeat. “It was presumptuous of me to think that. You just seem like such a smart girl.”
Yeah, a Jewish one at that.
The old me would have smiled and nodded. Past Rachel wouldn’t have wanted to ruffle any feathers. But not the new Rachel. The new me posted photos of myself in sexy bunny outfits online for no reason other than the fuck with people. And if anyone would understand, it would be Juniper. If anything, he’d applaud it.
I almost didn’t recognize my own voice when I said, “While I appreciate the compliment, it does always surprise me when people say the quiet part out loud. It’s fascinating how much effort it takes for people to unlearn basic history.”
I could have sworn I saw pride flash across Juniper’s face as Veronica turned red and cleared her throat. “Right. So!” She clapped her hands together. “What exactly does Juniper have you doing?”
“I’d like for her to transition into a marketing position and hire a few dedicated resort managers,” Juniper said. He didn’t skip a beat and wasn’t about to let his mother talk her way out of this. “Rachel’s a fucking genius, but she can’t do it all forever.”
“Thank you,” I said, finally placing my hand on his shoulder. His body language didn’t change, but his gaze softened when he looked at me. “My background is in digital marketing and branding. Social media and PR work, mostly.”
“That’s wonderful. And personally, I’m looking forward to our blending of traditions tonight,” Drew said. “Where are you from, Rachel?”
My smile was genuine as I replied to Drew. His disposition was gentle and sweet, like he wouldn’t hurt a fly. I wondered how he and Veronica got together and made a mental note to ask how they met over dinner later should we need a conversation starter. “Orlando. My first day on the job was my first time at a ski lodge.”
“And you’ve been invaluable to me ever since,” Juniper said, a glimmer of pride in his eyes as he looked at me. His lips formed a soft smile before he turned back to his parents, his flat tone and pointed expression returning. “Sasquatch, Rachel, and I can give you a quick tour.”
“That would be great,” Veronica said. “I still don’t see why I can’t pet your dog.”
Juniper rose a brow, already annoyed. “In case you haven’t bothered to read the patches on his vest, he’s my service dog. Don’t pet him while he’s working.”
“Service dog?” Veronica scoffed in what I could only assume was disbelief. “Come on, Juniper. You don’t need a service dog.”
Juniper’s monotone cut like a knife as he said, “My doctor would beg to differ.”
“What do you need him for, honey? You look fine to me.”
From my spot next to him, I saw Juniper’s jaw clench. As I gave his back another reassuring scratch, all he said back to his mother was, “You’re lucky I’m medicated right now.” Before I could say anything, he said under his breath, “Don’t waste your energy.” Drew and Veronica didn’t hear him.
“So,” Drew said as he clapped his hands together. “How about that tour?”
I held back my sigh, grateful to him for diffusing the tension. From what I could tell, Drew was used to the fact his wife and son failed to see eye-to-eye.
“Have you been skiing yet, Rachel?” Veronica asked as we began our walk through the halls.
“We’ve been so busy, I haven’t even had the chance to consider it,” I said. “Maybe once we’re open and have some instructors, I’ll get someone to teach me just to say I’ve done it.”
“Please be careful if you do,” Juniper said. “Bunny slopes only for you, okay? Can’t have you getting hurt on me now.”
“I think it’s all I’d have the courage for, anyway.”
As we reached the indoor pool, Juniper looked back at his parents. “Are you planning on staying the night?”
Drew said, “We’ll be out of your hair after dinner. We haven’t seen you in so long, that’s all.”
“The last year’s been hectic,” Juniper said as an excuse, but considering his mother hadn’t even met Sasquatch until today, I knew better. I suspected his parents did, too, as Juniper continued. “When I bought this place, it needed a lot of work.”
“Well, it looks great. I remember coming here when you were a little kid,” Drew said. “Man, you loved this place.”
“So,” Veronica said, drawing out the vowel, “is this some part of a larger plan you’re keeping a secret?”
Juniper scowled. “What do you mean, larger plan?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe like a return to snowboarding?”
Juniper shook his head. “No.”
“Well, Juniper, this would make for one hell of a surprise announcement.”
“I said no.”
“You don’t have to keep it from me! I won’t tell anyone. Right, Drew, honey?”
“In case you didn’t hear me, I said no.”
“Pool looks great!” Drew said. “Rachel, if you can believe it, this room used to be nothing but brick walls. I’m loving the floor-to-ceiling windows.”
“Juniper mentioned he installed them not long before I got here.” I looked to Juniper, and he mouthed a thanks, likely for going along with his dad’s attempt to pivot the conversation once more. “I can’t get over the view. You’ll have to forcibly drag me out of here in the summer months.”
“You must be a wonderful swimmer being from Florida,” Veronica said.
At least that assumption was both accurate and not antisemitic.
“Yeah, I think every kid played mermaids growing up. When I was in elementary school, I used to freak out the lifeguards at the community pool by sitting at the bottom. I could hold my breath for about two and a half minutes, and my mom would be poolside, reading a dime-store romance and completely unbothered.”
Drew and Juniper laughed, but Veronica’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Did you ever compete?”
“Oh, like on a swim team? No, no. I lifeguarded for a short stint in high school to help save for college, but that’s about it.”
Veronica looked disappointed. “Juniper here started skiing when he was three and took to a snowboard at five. He was such a little prodigy. Still is.”
Sensing the conversation drifting back in a direction Juniper would rather avoid, I tried to take the reins for his sake. “This was the first place you took him, right?”
“It was! Oh, I can’t believe it’s been about twenty-five years since we first came here.”
“It’s a beautiful place,” I said. “No wonder y’all love it so much.”
“It is. I just hope Junebug hasn’t been giving you a hard time. He’s never been one for friends.”
Juniper’s hand slid down my wrist until our fingers interlaced. I gave his hand a squeeze in response, a silent way of telling him, “Don’t worry, I won’t let go.” He squeezed back, his way of saying thanks and perhaps something else: words unspoken but felt, nonetheless.
“Well,” I said, “when you work on renovating an old resort together, you get pretty close whether you want to or not.”
His phone buzzed. Juniper grabbed it from his back left pocket with his free hand and announced that our takeout order was ready. “Rachel, want to come with me to pick the food up? We can give my parents a second to relax.”
“Happy to help.”
I hadn’t said much because I wasn’t sure how much Juniper wanted his parents to know. But in a surprising display of affection, Juniper kissed my temple. “You’re probably not used to driving in the snow yet. We’ll take my car.”
“Won’t fight you on that.”
“It’s closed today, so I doubt Edgar will mind if we use The Elk’s Head. We’ll be back soon,” Juniper said to his parents. “Come on, Squatch. Let’s go for a ride.”
The moment we got into his SUV, Juniper slumped his head against the headrest. It made his hair fall out of the half-bun on top of his head as a few strands fell around his face. Sasquatch was panting in the backseat, his boots covered with snow like my own were.
“Hey,” I said. “It’ll be okay.”
Juniper backed us out of his space, pulled the car into drive, and then reached for my hand again. While he kept his eyes on the road, he kept an iron grip on it.
“We’ve always fought,” Juniper said. He was so quiet it was almost a whisper. “Since I was old enough to talk back, we’ve always fought. If it wasn’t for my dad, I think I’d have gotten on my board and yeeted myself off the slopes. He let me more or less be a kid and do what I wanted. But my mom has had a very specific idea of how my career should look. Like one of the parents on Dance Moms or some shit.”
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I let him talk and gave his hand a squeeze.
“Everything I did in my career, I did the opposite of what she wanted. It kills her, I think, to see I’ve been successful without following her advice. Once I turned eighteen, I was put on the sexiest athlete lists. And let me tell you, when you get thrust into a career you didn’t really get to decide on and then you get sexualized for it?” His jaw clenched. “It was so fucked.”
“I’d have been an asshole, too,” I said.
“I’m glad you get it. My mom… she told me I should be grateful. That people were noticing my skill and falling in love with me, and that my handsome face made up for my shit personality.”
“You don’t have a shit personality.”
“It means a lot to me to hear you say that. Because the truth is, I have had a shit personality for a long time, but when I heard your boss trying to win you back? Something snapped. I knew I couldn’t lose you. Not just for myself, but for the lodge. You bring out the best in me, you know. I owe you a lot.”
“Well, you helped me get my head out of my ass and have a life outside of work, so consider us even.”
“I’ve been thinking of a new title for you, by the way. Once this place opens. How do Co-owner and CMO sound?”
“For real?”
“Yeah.” He looked as serious as ever. The Bavarian buildings passed us by, but I didn’t even see them. All I saw was Juniper. “You deserve it.”
“I’d be honored, Juni.”
“Good. Effective as soon as doors open.”
“Thank you.”
“No, Rach, thank you. For everything. You’ve been so patient with me.”
“If there’s anything I learned from my dad adopting all those stray cats, it’s that a little patience can go a long way.”
He rose a brow. “Did you just compare me to a cat?”
“And so what if I did?”
He laughed as we pulled into the Chinese restaurant’s parking lot. “Well, if my mom says any more dumb shit, my claws will really come out.”
“Thank you for standing up for me, by the way. A lot of people don’t actually say anything when it isn’t to look good on social media.”
“She can be really ignorant sometimes. For all our years of arguing, that is a more recent development. My dad and I don’t know where the hell it came from.”
“It can be easy for people to fall down those rabbit holes. I’m sorry to hear that.”
We finally got out of the car, bracing for the Christmas Eve chill. Juniper said, “It is what it is. Know that I’ve got your back.”
His earlier actions already proved that. “I know.”