Chapter 2
Two
Winter
This night has turned into a clusterfuck if there ever was one.
I'd had to go into Pine Ridge to make a last-minute supply run because of this storm that's bearing down on us.
It's not like it doesn't normally snow in mid-December here, it's just that the storm developed quickly and is dumping a lot more than we're used to this early in the season.
My chest squeezes with pride as I park outside of main lodge, in a parking spot that proclaims I'm the manager.
"Winter," her soft voice questions in the stillness of the truck. "Do you run this place?"
It would be easy for me to lie to her and downplay my role here, but I'm proud of it.
I've worked hard; pulled this place out of what was going to be bankruptcy, and made it a destination that many want to visit.
"I do," I answer, not sure of how to put all of that into words.
Glancing over at her in the light of my dashboard, I give her a grin.
"Not too bad for a juvenile delinquent who couldn't get a job at Burger King our senior year of high school, huh? "
She opens her mouth twice, and then shuts it before saying anything. "A lot seems to have changed around here."
"It has," I agree, but I don't give her anymore than that. She lost that right when she left and didn't bother to check in even once. "C'mon, let's get inside. I have one room left, and it's got your name on it."
She looks tired as she glances back at her suitcase. "Do you think anyone will able to come and pull me out tomorrow?"
A chuckle works its way out of my chest. "Honey, they're forecasting this storm might last up to four days, and then we're gonna have to dig out. You aren't going anywhere, anytime soon."
She almost looks like she might cry, but shakes her head, and then gives me a small smile. "Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate this."
"No matter how we left things, Joy. I'm not about to leave you out in a snowstorm when I have the means to give you a place to stay." I drum my thumbs on the steering wheel. "Sit tight, I'll grab your bags, and then come over and get you. No sense in both of us getting soaked and cold."
Wrapping my coat tightly around my body, I tug my beanie further down on my forehead, and duck out into the whipping wind.
It's a fight to get the door open and grab her luggage, but I manage before trudging around to her side, and help her out.
Together we fight through the snow, and end up in the lobby of Cedar Lodge.
We stand there, panting, trying to push the snow off our jackets.
"You okay, Winter?" I recognize the voice of my night manager, Carol. "The storm's really starting to pick up out there."
"Yeah," I agree. "We should have one more room left, right?"
"We do, last one," she confirms.
"Joy needs a room, go ahead and give it to her." I nod toward her. "She slid into the ditch on the highway, and she ain't getting out until all this calms down." I motion for Joy to step up to the counter. "It's on the house, she's an old friend."
Joy turns to me, with her mouth open, no doubt ready to argue. "It will be a company expense..."
"One room being given away for a few days isn't going to make or break the books.
If it will, then we shouldn't be in business.
Give me the key," I reach over the counter and snag the key card.
"C'mon, I'll walk you up." Grabbing the handle of her suitcase, I drag it along behind me as we walk over to the elevator.
"Thank you," she says as we step onto the elevator. "You didn't have to do any of this, and you didn't have to be nice about it either."
I shrug, because I don't want to examine that any further. "You're welcome. I didn't know it was you when I stopped, but that wouldn't have prevented me from doing it."
When we get to the third floor, the doors open, and we step out. Walking down the hall, I come to a stop in front of the door and swipe the keycard. We go inside, and I turn the lights on, putting her suitcase next to the bed.
"Oh my God, Winter. This room is gorgeous."
"Yeah." I try to see it the way she is, but the fact is this is the room I come in the least. "This is the best one in the lodge, in my opinion. The view is the best, but it's one of the smallest ones, and not many come here as solo travelers. Usually if I have to stay here, this is my room."
"I'm not keeping you from that am I?" She questions, already walking over to her suitcase, preparing to grab it.
"No, I can make it home. It's just a couple miles behind the Lodge. If you need anything, don't hesitate to pick up the phone and ask for it. The desk is available twenty-four hours. There's a kitchen too, so if you're hungry, I can get someone to make you dinner."
Her stomach picks that moment to make a loud noise.
She laughs, her face flaming red. "That would be nice if they don't mind. I hate to ask, I know everyone has probably tucked in for the night."
"It's no big deal. Carol loves to take care of people, and it'll give her something to do.
Late nights at the desk can sometimes wear on her.
" More than once she's told me that if she didn't love me as the son she never had, she would've packed up and left because she gets bored. "I'll take you back downstairs."
"You don't have to babysit me," her tone is annoyed as she answers.
Babysitting isn't what I've ever wanted to do for her. "Just humor me, okay?"
Blowing out a frustrated breath, she rolls her eyes. "Okay, let me take off some of these layers. I'll be a few minutes."
She heads for the bathroom, and I turn around to give her a little bit of privacy.
This room is small, but it's as if the two of us have sucked the air out of it.
Which makes sense, we've never lacked for chemistry.
Even when we were teenagers. Being in these close quarters reminds of me one night after a state championship basketball game.
It'd started snowing on the way there, but since we were already on the way, none of the kids had wanted to turn around, so we kept going.
By the time the game was over, the roads had gotten worse and there was no way a bunch of high school students could be trusted driving themselves home.
Instead those who had cool parents had called one of the local hotels and gotten approved for credit cards to be put on file, and groups of kids to stay in rooms. It was one of the funnest nights of my life, and one of my best memories from my high school years.
Joy and I had stayed in a room by ourselves, and it'd given me a glimpse of what our life could be like once we were out of school and married.
Little did I know, that memory would have to see me through the rest of lives, because we never had one like it again.