Chapter 6
March 18
It was getting more real by the moment.
Lauren surveyed the passing landscape as she exited the highway and hit a country road leading to New Hampshire’s lake region.
Boston seemed a continent away. Good-bye skyscrapers, peopled greens, lively pubs, and stunning architecture. Hello barren
trees, rolling hills, and low stone walls that seemingly served no purpose.
It was only nine months. She could survive nine months in the wilderness, couldn’t she, when her dream job awaited? And so
soon after attaining her hospitality management degree.
She could handle nine months as temporary manager of Pinehaven Resort. Oh, at first she’d been thrilled by the opportunity.
Sitting in CEO Olivia Stafford’s upscale office, Lauren had been eager to do whatever was necessary for the coveted position
at Glitter. Work with complete autonomy under the umbrella of Boston’s most prestigious corporate event planner? Yes, please.
“With Ella Franklin retiring at the end of year,” Olivia had said, “we’ll have an opening for an event planner. We think you’d
be a good fit.”
Lauren kept a neutral expression when she wanted to jump to her feet and scream at the top of her lungs. A lifetime of self-regulation
kept her seated. “It would be an honor to work for Glitter.”
“But first I’d like you to have some real-world experience. Management experience, I mean. I’m sure you’ve learned a lot serving for Elite.”
“I have.” For seven years Lauren had taken college classes while working full-time for a catering company, which was how she’d
entered Glitter’s orbit. They often hired Elite to cater their events.
Lauren leaned forward in her chair, hoping Olivia was about to offer her a paid internship at Glitter that would allow her
to attain the aforementioned experience and also make rent.
“I have an old friend who’s seeking a temporary manager for the small resort she and her husband own. He had a heart attack
recently and needs a reprieve from the daily operations.”
Okay, not Glitter, but still... a resort sounded nice. Wealthy clientele, spacious suites, a spa, perhaps a restaurant
that required French fluency. Lauren beamed. “That sounds right up my alley.”
“It would be a good experience for you. Running Pinehaven Resort would be very different from the position here at Glitter,
but I consider that to be a good thing. You’re already intimately acquainted with the service end of things. This would give
you the chance to oversee something. And if all goes as well as I expect it to, the event planner position would be yours
come January.”
Lauren was warming to the whole idea. She’d graduated a month ago, and she was eager to exit the catering industry and start
the life she’d been working toward since she was sixteen. “Count me in. How should I apply for the position?”
Olivia had already spoken with Tammy Landry, and the job was Lauren’s if she wanted it, on Olivia’s strong recommendation.
A Zoom meeting would be scheduled, but it sounded like a formality. The job would require a move as the property was in New
Hampshire. The pay was on the low side, but they would be providing her accommodations. Her lease was about up and she could
simply store her furnishings for the rest of the year.
Full of optimism, though lacking in details, Lauren took Tammy Landry’s contact information. She rushed home to her studio apartment in Lynn and went straight to her laptop. As the resort’s home page opened, her jaw dropped—and not in a good way. The header showed a group of eight tiny cabins along a lake shoreline. The main lodge boasted a stone fireplace. The activities offered were boating, swimming, fishing, basketball, and canoeing.
Heart dropping to the floor, she clicked on Cedar Cabin—each was named for a type of tree. The interior was very... rustic.
Small bedrooms, wood floors, wood furniture, a kitchenette, and a bathroom that looked as if a person could shower, use the
toilet, and brush one’s teeth simultaneously.
So no lavender-scented spa, snooty concierge, or five-star restaurant (or even a vending machine, apparently). Just a group
of country cabins on a lake in Podunk, New Hampshire.
She slumped in her chair, measuring her breaths, and allowed herself a moment to process. Okay. So the place wasn’t quite
what she’d expected. Her secondhand Jimmy Choos and Givenchy bag were definitely headed for storage.
For a while.
But it was only nine months. She’d shared a childhood bedroom with three spoiled kids, lived under the roof of an autocratic
foster father, and survived the jealousy of a foster mother for longer than that. She could survive nine months at Pinehaven
Resort.
The memory evaporated when she passed a sign that read “Pinehaven—Prettiest lake town in New Hampshire.” As she crested a
hill she caught sight of Loon Lake, the afternoon sun gleaming off its frozen surface. She tried to imagine how the lake would
look in the summer, teeming with pontoons, fishing boats, and kayaks, but failed.
She slowed to navigate the potholes as she entered town and scanned for a place to stop and freshen up before she reported to the resort. Most of the shops lining Main Street seemed locked up tight. Ah, there ahead, an Open flag waved from beneath a red canopy. The sign on the window read Birdie’s Deli. Perfect.
She was too nervous to eat, but a Diet Coke and a change of clothes would hit the spot. She may have Olivia’s recommendation,
and the Zoom with Tom and Tammy had gone well, but she knew the value of a good first impression.
She parallel parked, then removed the clothes she’d hung in the back seat of her Camry and carried them into the deli. The
delicious aroma of baked bread made her stomach rumble. Maybe just a slice of that bread to tide her over.
Since there was a line she headed for the restroom and changed. The navy cashmere sweater she’d purchased from her favorite
Goodwill in North End seemed brand-new and flattered her blonde hair. Though jeans might be the uniform of choice for her
job, she’d chosen a pair of quality khakis (Bargain Basement) for today, as well as her prized Prada suede ankle boots (Renew)
in camel with a matching belt.
Her makeup was fine, but she fluffed her hair. Stepping back, she surveyed the overall effect. She appeared competent and
put together if a little nervous. Relax. You’ve got this. Now that her initial disappointment had faded, she was eager to step in and run this resort through the high season and beyond.
Tom and Tammy hoped she could help bolster their flagging business, which had suffered since a new upscale resort opened across
the lake last year. It was time to put her education and ingenuity to work. And the woman in the mirror seemed like she could
handle the task.
She ordered her fountain soda and a slice of freshly baked bread, and a few minutes later she headed out to her car. The day was warming up, and with the sun shining it felt like at least fifty degrees. She had just enough time to review her notes from the Zoom call as she enjoyed her bread. She looked both ways, then crossed the street, navigating a pothole the size of Australia. At her car door she juggled the drink, sack, and hangers of clothing as she rooted through her pocketbook for her key fob. There it was.
A wave of cold water hit her. She gasped.
A guy called out of his blue pickup truck, “Sorry!” She caught a glimpse of his twinkling eyes in his rearview mirror.
Then she glanced down. Her pants and boots were drenched with muddy water.
Fifteen minutes later, Lauren followed the GPS to the resort, anxiety building because now she was running late. She’d had
to change into wrinkled clothes from her suitcase since even the outfit she’d driven up in had been soiled by the jerk in
the pickup truck. Her Pradas were probably ruined.
Following the verbal directions, she turned onto an unpaved road. This hadn’t been the recommended route, but since she was
running late she’d chosen the quickest one. Judging by the mud, Pinehaven must’ve recently survived a monsoon. So much for
her clean car.
A few minutes later she questioned her decision. The road was getting worse by the minute. She topped a low hill, then started
the descent, homing in on the standing water at the bottom. God only knew how deep it was. She should probably turn around,
though it would make her even later. She slowed, pulled to the side of the road, and put the car in Park.
Once she rerouted the GPS, she shifted into Drive and pressed the gas pedal. The tires spun.
“No, no, no!”
She tried again, going easy, but still got no traction. She’d driven in enough snow to know to quit while she was ahead. Maybe she could put a floor mat under the wheel. She stepped from the car to assess the situation, and her low heels sank into the mud. Her front left tire was already several inches deep in the oozing sludge.
A car mat wouldn’t fix this problem.
Twenty minutes later she’d managed to walk back to the main road. Not a single car had passed, and her shoes were covered
in mud. She’d been unable to reach Tammy because there was no cell service.
It would be at least a thirty-minute walk back into town where she could reach Tammy and ask for a ride—or she could take
her chances with a stranger. As if her thoughts had summoned it, a gray SUV slowed as it passed and pulled off to the side
of the road up ahead. Flashers came on. The Jeep Grand Cherokee sported a New Hampshire plate and a Red Sox bumper sticker.
A man exited the driver’s side and headed her way. Handsome and wearing teal scrubs over his trim, athletic build, he could’ve
stepped straight off the cover of GQ . But despite his appeal, her past had eradicated any naivety she might’ve had as a young girl.
As if sensing her guardedness, he stopped a couple car lengths away. “You okay? Need some help?”
She glanced at her mud-splattered pants and boots. “What would give you that idea?”
One side of his mouth tipped up. “Another innocent victim of mud season?”
“It swallowed my car.”
“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the first. Can I make a call for you?”
Feeling a bit safer since he hadn’t tried to cajole her into his vehicle, she closed the distance between him as she held
up her phone. “No cell service.” As she neared she spied a hospital ID clipped to his scrubs that identified him as Carson
McConnell, pediatric intern.
He checked his own device. “Yeah, me neither.”
He was even more attractive up close. His dark blond hair was clipped short at the sides and a little longer on top. His hazel
eyes were deep set and he had a sharp, clean-shaven jawline. “I’m happy to give you a ride if you’d feel comfortable with
that.” He nudged his badge. “I’d say you could call the hospital and verify my identity but...”
She examined his photo ID. “Your badge kinda does that for you, and I’m late for an appointment, so I’ll gladly take you up
on your offer.”
A few seconds later, he assisted her into the vehicle.
“Sorry about the mud.”
“That’s what the mats are for.” He closed the door and headed around.
The inside of his SUV was clean and smelled of coffee and leather.
She glanced over as he got in. Ambitious, smart, handsome, and let’s not forget, knight in shining armor. She sneaked a peek
at his left hand. No ring. She could certainly do worse.
But no. Pinehaven was just a stepping stone, and she would not be distracted by a pretty face. Even one that pretty. Career
first, then home ownership (complete with her very own dog), then husband and kids. She was firm on the order.
He buckled in. “Where you headed?”
“Pinehaven Resort? My little mishap has made me late for my debut. I’m their new temporary manager from Boston.”
He started the truck and pulled onto the road. “Ah, the Landrys’ place. Good people. You’ll like working for them. We attend
church together.”
“I guess this is a small town.”
“They hired someone from Boston, huh?”
She caught a note of humor. “That surprises you?”
“Folks around here have a thing about people from Massachusetts.”
“I’ve heard, but I’m a good driver so maybe I don’t count.”
“You should get along just fine then. I’m from Boston myself.”
“Oh, really? What brought you to New Hampshire?”
“An internship at the local hospital. I’m hoping for a residency at Mass General so I can once again reside in the same state
as my girlfriend, Carina. She’s currently getting her master’s degree from Boston College.”
A hopeful bubble burst. Probably for the best. “That’s great.”
He rolled through town, no doubt following the route she should’ve taken. “First time here?”
“Yeah. It’s beautiful. Quiet.”
“You won’t recognize the place in a couple months. Come Memorial Day weekend, it’s a tourist mecca.”
“I guess that keeps you busy at the hospital.”
“You wouldn’t believe the messes people get themselves into while they’re traveling.”
She glanced down at her clothes. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I can.”
They chatted as they drove, and he recommended a place that would tow her vehicle from the mud. Lauren jotted Sullivan’s Towing in the Notes on her phone.
Ten minutes later they pulled into a gravel drive. A sign out front read “Pinehaven Resort: A rustic retreat.” The drive wound
back through a pine forest. Despite the serene surroundings her nerves jangled. She was late and disheveled. So much for first
impressions.
He followed a truck into a gravel parking lot and pulled alongside it. “There’s Jonah now. He’s the owners’ son.”
Lauren glanced over, recognized the blue truck and the driver inside, and gritted her teeth.