Chapter 9
Aspen
Iwas aware of Dale’s presence beside me all night. That didn’t mean I slept uncomfortably, but he was definitely there. His warmth. The sense of him in my thoughts and my dreams. Like a soothing breath of air. Like that blanket he’d left me on the porch.
His every gesture caught my attention.
The next morning, I assessed my body. No sign of my heat.
What a relief. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have heats off schedule.
They might come early, or very late. I hoped it would be well after Christmas.
But if it did hit, I would have to leave our amazing Winter Wonderland Lodge and that was that.
Dale was still asleep when I came out of the bathroom after my shower. He deserved to sleep in. Even with my damp hair, I contemplated going back to bed for a few minutes. I made coffee instead.
Being raised with manners, I avoided looking at Dale as he slept. But of course, I couldn’t help but catch glimpses of him. Not my fault if I walked by the bed and saw him curled on his side, one muscled arm clutching a pillow to his chest, his brown hair falling over his eyes.
He looked adorable. Made my heart flutter.
I ignored that as best as I could and went to the door where the cart was with our empty dinner trays. I thought about wheeling it out to the porch, but the sky was gray, and the tops of the trees swayed. The last thing I wanted was for Dale to wake to a burst of cold air.
As I pushed the cart to one side, I saw a piece of paper on the floor. The edges curled up as if it had been damp at some point. I picked it up.
It was a note from Winter Wonderland Wilderness management.
Dear Guests (Mr. Frazier and Mr. Cassidy):
Some of our overbooked guests have recently vacated their cabins or rooms early. As a result, we have two new rooms available at the lodge, and one single cabin at the north end of the property.
We are giving a few guests the opportunity to move.
You were first on the list to be informed of this change because you were the first to cooperate with our mishap and allow us to assign you a room.
We would be pleased to help one of you move to new accommodations. This offer is free, at no extra charge to either of you.
Please let the front desk know your decision by 2 p.m. this afternoon. We will offer any assistance you need.
Happy holidays and have a great stay at Winter Wonderland Wilderness Resort.
Your friendly front desk clerk,
Henry Mittenger (Extension 009 for assistance)
From behind me, a voice. “What’s that?”
I turned, note in hand. “Um. It’s nothing. I mean it’s something.”
Dale rubbed at his eyes and sat up, the covers falling to his lap. His eyebrows went up as if he’d just remembered something amazing. “Hey. Merry Christmas Eve.”
“Yeah.” I slowly walked over and handed him the letter.
“Did they already leave the bill?”
I shook my head, linking my hands in front of me.
Dale squinted at the paper, silently reading. When he finished, he looked up. “Oh. Uh, I guess this is very nice of them.”
My fingers squeezed together. “I like it here,” I began.
“Does that mean you want me to move?”
I gulped. “I didn’t mean you should. I was just saying.”
“I like it here, too.” He set the paper aside. A forced smile appeared. “Does that mean we’re going to fight for this cabin?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. “I can go.” My voice sounded weirdly robotic.
“Of course not. You shouldn’t have to.” Dale pushed his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “I’ll be packed and ready after lunch.”
Just like that. It was over. Our fun times. Sharing the space.
This should have been good news. I could now settle in for the vacation I’d planned. And have a secluded place to be alone for my heat. Why, then, was I disappointed?
My throat went tight. I turned away and walked to the couch. I didn’t want to think about this, and grabbed the remote, tuning the TV to whatever came on first. I heard Dale get up and go into the bathroom.
He came out a short time later fully dressed. I heard him puttering around but refused to look and see what he was doing. Finally, I heard a shuffle behind me.
“What to go grab some breakfast with me?”
I came out of my stupor and saw him standing by the side of the couch. “Sure.”
We were quiet as we walked the cold path to the lodge.
Maybe Dale was disappointed, too. As long as we were forced to room together, we had to make the best of it.
I felt I’d gained a new friend. But now that we had a choice again, I had to respect Dale’s wishes.
He’d wanted peace and quiet, exactly what I’d wanted for this trip.
I should have understood that better. But I didn’t.
I’d liked sharing things with someone more than I thought I would. Meals. Fires. Movies. Popcorn. A bed. Dale definitely worked hard to make everything easy for me. He was no problem at all. But if I told him that, it might make him feel some sense of obligation. I didn’t want that.
Truth was, I’d miss him. Maybe a lot.
At breakfast, I said, “Do you still want to meet for the tree lighting tonight?”
His eyes softened. “Of course.”
“Good.”
“And maybe we can have some more meals together,” he said.
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
Every word we spoke sounded rehearsed. Unreal. We’d been on the same wavelength for almost three days and now the channel had changed. We weren’t quite in sync.
“It’ll be great. Meeting for dinner and cider.” I was more trying to convince myself than him. “I don’t mind being alone, but eating alone isn’t as fun. I’d planned room service a lot.”
A smile reached only one edge of his mouth. “I know.”
It would be too weird if I asked him to stay. It might be what I wanted, but I refused to put him on the spot like that.
Breakfast was one of my favorite meals of the day. But today I tasted none of it. It was like eating cooked dust.
After we finished, Dale excused himself to go to the front desk to tell them he was moving. “I might be a while. I need to go to the lodge store and gift shop, too.”
That guy was all about the snacks. By tonight, that would be all gone.
“Fine.”
I wandered back to the cabin by myself.
Get used to it, I told myself. This was what you wanted in the first place.
My reindeer flexed deep inside. Want. But need?
He was right. I thought this vacation had been the right decision. A break from my loving but oppressive family. A time to spoil and indulge myself with no plans, nothing pressing. A time to endure my heat alone and come out strong. Sure, I needed that. But Dale had shown me maybe there was more.
I kicked at a snow drift in my frustration, watching the ice fall across the walkway. It didn’t help, so I kicked another, messing up the neat and tidy path. I didn’t care.
This place had messed with my plans. Now they were messing with them again. Winter Wonderland Wilderness Resort? It looked pretty and serene and Christmassy, but it was a trick.
I should never have come.