1. Ginger #2
Tyler checked the clock and frowned. "This is unacceptable.” His voice was controlled, but I caught the muscle twitching in his jaw. “Julian and I can drive back to Denver tonight and find alternate accommodations."
"Dad, no!" his son protested, speaking up for the first time. "We just got here!"
Karl tugged at my sleeve, his eyes wide with concern. "Mom? Are we leaving?" His voice trembling slightly, crushing my heart like a soda can. He'd been bouncing with excitement the entire drive up the mountain, and now exhaustion was only increasing his emotions.
I am not driving back down that mountain in the dark. I don't think anyone else should either. It was bad enough in daylight.
"Let me at least see this so-called suite before we make any decisions," I sigh, unable to bear disappointing him so quickly after our arrival.
Tyler hesitated, then nodded curtly. "That's... reasonable.
Miss Shelby practically wilts with relief. "Of course! My manager, Ms. Duncan, will escort you both up immediately."
Ten minutes later, we stand in the most magnificent suite I'd ever seen—a sprawling mountain palace with panoramic windows showcasing snow-covered peaks. The main living area alone was bigger than my entire first apartment.
"As you can see," Ms. Duncan explains, leading us through, "the bedroom wings are completely separate—one on either side. Each has its own bathroom, sitting area, and private balcony. You'd only share the main living space, kitchen, and entrance."
"It's enormous," I admit reluctantly. "We'd barely have to see each other."
Tyler stands by the windows, hands clasped behind his head, looking more like a man contemplating a business decision than a vacation dilemma. "The separation is adequate," he notes flatly, still frowning.
"The BIGGEST TV EVER!" Karl gasps, diving toward the entertainment center while Julian approaches cautiously.
It’s a cool game system," Julian offers side-eyeing Karl with newfound interest. I watch the boys gravitating toward each other and see Tyler’s gaze follow them too.
Our eyes meet across the room in silent acknowledgment—uprooting the kids now would disappoint them more than this awkward arrangement might inconvenience us.
"I'd need very clear ground rules," I say, still not fully convinced. "Designated quiet hours. Privacy expectations. Kitchen-use schedules."
"And a formal complaint filed with management," Tyler adds, his jaw still tight, oddly adding. "This type of booking error is completely below our standards."
Ms. Duncan nods. "Of course. We'll also provide complimentary breakfast for your entire stay, priority reservations at all restaurants, and a fifty percent discount for Ms. Lawson."
"Seventy-five percent," Tyler announces, negotiating a better offer. "And complimentary spa services. For being forced to share my vacation with strangers.”
"You drive a hard bargain," I murmur, and notice the faintest hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
“I don’t want anyone going down that mountain tonight.” Tyler states exhaustively.
I glance at Karl, already showing Julian something on his handheld game, both boys huddle together in animated conversation. "Look, this isn't ideal for either of us," I say. "But I suppose we could make it work temporarily. For the boys' sake."
"But if we're doing this, we need strict boundaries." Tyler adds matter of factly.
"Absolutely," I agree, relieved but unwilling to show it. "You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine."
"And I get the coffee maker first in the mornings," he adds, dead serious.
"Of all the things to prioritize..." I couldn't help the snort that escaped. "Fine. Coffee maker is yours at dawn. But don’t talk to me until I have had my coffee."
As we shook on our reluctant arrangement, I couldn't decide if I'd just salvaged our vacation or complicated it beyond measure.
But watching Karl's excitement resurface as Julian showed him the gaming system, I knew I didn't have the heart to leave—even if it meant sharing space with a blue-eyed businessman who treated coffee access like a non-negotiable clause in a contract.
Ms. Duncan hands us our respective key cards with the relieved expression of someone who'd narrowly avoided a career-ending disaster. "Your luggage will be delivered to your respective wings," she explains. "And again, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience." Closing the door behind her.
"Five-star resort with two-star booking systems," I mutter, adjusting my purse strap. "For these prices, you'd think they would have better accounting."
Tyler's mouth quirks up at one corner. "Maybe it's a new luxury experience they forgot to advertise—'Authentic Awkwardness: Share Your Suite with a Complete Stranger.'"
"Oh yes, very exclusive," I deadpan. "Nothing says 'winter wonderland' like divvying up bathroom time with someone you met in the lobby."
Tyler's phone buzzed. The brief moment of shared humor evaporated as he glanced at the screen, his expression shifting to one of barely masked annoyance.
"Everything okay?" I find myself asking, surprising both of us with what sounded suspiciously like genuine concern.
"Just the real world trying to intrude," he replies, declining the call with a decisive tap. "Nothing that can't wait. After all, I'm on vacation."
Tyler clears his throat. "Well, Ms. Lawson, looks like we're about to write the world's most uncomfortable vacation brochure."
"Just wait until I leave my review," I reply with a smirk. "One star for organization, five stars for forcing me to develop my conflict resolution skills."
Our luggage arrives and I follow the bellhop to the east side of the suite, Karl trotting alongside me with wide eyes taking in the luxury surroundings.
The Crystal Suite was more magnificent than the website photos suggested: vaulted ceilings, a stone fireplace that dominated the common living area, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing snow-capped mountains that glowed pink in the setting sun.
"This is the biggest hotel room I've ever seen, Mom!" Karl whispers, though his "whisper" could probably be heard three rooms away.
Tyler chuckles from across the room. "It's actually three rooms combined. The resort designed it for extended family stays."
"Or for awkward booking errors," I mutter, earning a smirk from Tyler that made my cheeks warm for reasons I refused to analyze.
The bellhop showed us to our wing, which featured a spacious master bedroom with an attached bath that would make my home bathroom look like a closet. Karl immediately claimed the smaller bedroom with twin beds, bouncing on one to test its softness.
"Can I watch TV?" Karl asks, already reaching for the remote.
"After you've unpacked," I reply automatically, unzipping our suitcase on the luggage rack.
I'd just started hanging my clothes when a hesitant knock sounded at our connecting door. Opening it revealed Julian shuffling his feet nervously in the doorway.
"Um, my dad wanted to know if you guys need anything," he says, his eyes darting past me to where Karl was arranging his dinosaur collection on the nightstand.
"Are those Prehistoric Planet figures?" Julian asks, instantly perking up.
Karl's head snaps up. "Yeah! Do you like dinosaurs?"
"They're only the coolest animals that ever existed," Julian replies with the solemnity of an eight-year-old stating an absolute truth.
Just like that, the ice was broken. Within minutes, the boys are sprawled on Karl's floor, dinosaurs arranged in what appeared to be a complex battle formation, all shyness forgotten.
"The T-Rex would totally win in a fight against a Spinosaurus," Julian insists.
"No way!" Karl counters. "Spinosaurus had those giant claws and could swim!"
I continue unpacking, listening to their animated debate with a smile. When Tyler appears in the doorway twenty minutes later, he raises an eyebrow at the dinosaur battlefield that had expanded to cover most of the floor.
"I see they've found common ground," he says, leaning against the doorframe.
His casual stance shouldn't have made my pulse quicken, but something about the way his henley stretched across his shoulders made it difficult to maintain eye contact.
"Prehistoric warfare—the universal language of eight-year-old boys," I offer.
The corner of Tyler's mouth quirk up. "Sounds like these two are going to get along dangerously well."
"Dad!" Julian calls out, noticing his father for the first time. "Karl has never been skiing! Can I show him the bunny slope tomorrow? Please?"
Tyler glances at me, eyebrows raised in silent question.
"I don't know," I reply. "This is his first time."
"The more the merrier," Tyler says. "I was planning to give Julian a lesson after breakfast. Around nine?"
"Perfect," I nod. "We'll be ready."
After Tyler and Julian return to their wing, Karl helps me unpack for approximately three minutes before abandoning the task to explore every drawer, closet, and amenity in our rooms. His unbridled excitement as he discovered the heated bathroom floors and the mini-fridge stocked with juice boxes is contagious.
We order room service for dinner, a luxury I'd never felt I was able to afford before my lottery win. Karl devours his cheeseburger while giving me a detailed explanation of every dinosaur battle he and Julian had, punctuated by emphatic declarations that Julian was "the coolest kid ever."
By the time I tuck him in, Karl was already planning tomorrow's adventures with his new friend. "Julian says the pool has a waterfall, Mom! A waterfall inside! Can we go swimming after skiing?"
"We'll see," I promise, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "Now sleep. Apparently we have an early ski lesson."
After Karl drifted off, I settle on the window seat with a glass of wine, watching snowflakes drift past the window.
The suite was quieter than I expected but I couldn't shake the feeling that sharing accommodations with Tyler Reed might be more complicated than our neatly divided floor plan suggested.
Then again, I'd won the lottery against impossible odds—perhaps surviving a vacation with an irritatingly handsome stranger would be the easier miracle to pull off.