4. CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FOUR
Elise
The phone rings loudly beside me and I’ve barely finished typing the details of the last guest reservation I made.
“Do you need me to get that?” Tracy calls from behind her desk.
I shake my head and file the booking. “Nope, got it!” I hit the answer button and adjust my headset. “Good morning, Mountain Lodge Retreat. You’re speaking with Elise, how may I help you today?”
Tracy chuckles softly and gives me a big thumbs up.
It comes out so naturally now. One week into my new role and I finally feel like I’m getting the hang of it. Lucky for me, because the Grand Opening is only days away.
I take another booking and glance at the graph on the side of the screen. The capacity line is approaching the red zone - our target for Launch Day. Tracy has been pushing the marketing hard and it seems to be paying off.
“Another booking?” Tracy’s voice comes from behind me. “You’re on fire today! Full cabin?”
I grin and submit the file. “Yep, family of four. I can’t believe how fast we’re filling up! It’s crazy.”
Tracy pushes up from her desk and grabs her coffee. “Yeah, the response has been amazing. The hype is real and social media is going crazy!”
“The phone’s been ringing non-stop,” I agree, tapping the last of the details into the keyboard. “I hope I’m doing everything right, it’s just so chaotic.”
“You’re doing fine,” Tracy laughs, sipping her coffee. “Like I told you, you’re a natural with the customers. The computer system just takes a bit of learning. You’ll get it.”
"Mmmm… I hope so,” I say, swinging in my chair to take in the brief moment of peace the silent phone brings.
It’s been a hectic start to my new job. The office is a mess, with paper strewn across desks and empty coffee cups abandoned on every surface. Tracy is a whirlwind of energy, helping me every step of the way. I’ve felt like a burden most days, but she insists I’m doing ok.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since that awkward exchange with Huxton in my cabin. Looking back, that entire first day feels so surreal. The more the days pass by, I wonder if I was just completely lost in my new surroundings that I imagined everything I felt that day.
I mean, I haven’t even seen Huxton since he dropped me off in the rain that day. Apparently he’s been busy finalizing the details of the launch, working from his cabin most days. I’d love to say I haven’t thought about him, but I catch myself daydreaming about that almost moment far too often.
After lunch, the sun is beaming down outside, casting a warm blanket over the mountain. All the staff get treated to a beautiful lunch in the restaurant and today my belly is stuffed with a perfectly roasted fillet of salmon, glazed with a rich maple syrup.
When I get back to my desk, all I want to do is curl up and take a nice long nap.
“How was lunch?” Tracy calls out as I sink back in my chair, holding my full stomach.
“So good,” I breathe, puffing out my cheeks.
Yawning, I contemplate how nice it would be to take a long walk up one of the trails. With Huxton. We could dip our toes in the lake by the waterfall, listen to the leaves rustling and the birds chirping softly as we talk for hours.
I try to ignore the tightness in my chest, the thought of Huxton weighing down on me. So I do what I’ve done all week and distract myself with my work.
With the phone quiet, I take a moment to review the reservations from this morning. And then I see it.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself, eyes glued to the mistakes before my eyes.
With a sinking feeling in my gut, I realize I’ve caused a big problem.
Double bookings.
Everywhere. Each and every reservation I’ve made today is wrong. My heart starts to race as I click through the screen, each confirmation revealing overlapping reservations for the same rooms. Panic sets in and my palm is sweating all over the mouse as I click frantically around the screen.
How could this have happened? I’ve been so careful, making damn sure I’m not distracted by the inappropriate thoughts of my boss.
I chew nervously on my lip, shaky fingers tapping on the keyboard trying to fix the situation. But no matter what I try, nothing works. It’s done. I’ve made a mistake. A big fucking mistake.
And then, a deeper regret sinks in.
“Oh, no… Please. No. No! NO!”
I jump from my chair, fists scrunching my hair.
“What’s wrong?” Tracy calls out. “Elise? What’s happened?”
“Gone…” I mumble, chest pounding. Tears sting the corners of my eyes as I stare at the blank screen. “Everything is gone.”
Tracy rushes over, placing a hand on my back as she looks at the screen. Without a word, she bends down and takes the mouse, clicking through the computer program, willing the files to magically reappear.
“I don’t know what happened,” I say, panic burning my throat. “I had a few double bookings, so I was re-allocating them, and then…” I squeeze my fists, pulling my hair so it pains my scalp. “It’s all gone.”
Tracy tries to work her magic, but nothing works. The grand opening is in one week and I’ve lost all the bookings. Everything is gone, and we have no way of retrieving contact details for all the guests.
I’ve ruined everything.
“Get Huxton.” Tracy’s voice cuts through the chaos of my mind. “Go up the mountain and get Huxton.”
I shake my head, brows creasing with confusion. “What? Why?”
I can’t be fired. I can’t go back to the city.
Tracy stands back from the computer, shaking her head. “I can’t get it back. You’re right… everything is gone. The database is completely wiped.”
A few silent seconds pass and my stomach clenches together. I’m biting my nails as Tracy looks at me, her expression unchanged.
“We need Huxton,” she says firmly. “Follow the path opposite the Gym, it will take you right up to his cabin.”
Scared for my job, I grab my jacket and head out, the chilly mountain air instantly hitting my flushed cheeks. My mind is racing as I walk up the steep path, the damp earth giving way with each heavy step I take.
I go through everything I’ve done as I walk, winding around dense forest trying to work out exactly how I’ve managed to ruin the entire grand opening.
The scent of pine and wood smoke wafts towards me. It reminds me of Huxton. Fuck. This retreat meant everything to him. He’s going to be so pissed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
FUCK!
Approaching the cabin, it’s peaceful and quiet. Absolutely silent. I take a moment to look around. Shafts of sunlight filter through the canopy from above, casting a soft light around the clearing. Huxton’s cabin is weathered, the wooden panels showing years of wear. I approach the porch and step up the creaky steps, my heart pounding in my ears.
I hesitate before knocking, and when I finally do, I swear my ears almost explode from breaking the silence. I wait for a response, looking around the clearing to see a wood chopping area to the side. Stacks of split logs are neatly arranged, the split wood dry. There is a red and black plaid shirt draped on a worn chopping block, and as far as I can see from the distance, it’s dry too.
It’s evidence that Huxton has been here recently, so I knock again.
“Hello?" I call out softly, nervousness catching my voice. “Mr. Barrel?”
A sudden noise from behind the cabin catches my attention. I turn down the stairs and walk around the back. There, sheltered from the wind is a woodshed lined with endless rows of chopped logs.
That’s when I see him.
My mouth drops as I stare ahead of me. Huxton stands there, shirtless with an axe in his hand, a sharpening stone at his feet. My eyes roam all over his body. It’s even more perfect than I’d imagined. I watch as he bends down and collects the sharpening stone, his jeans sliding down his ass slightly.
I gulp down hard and take a step towards him. His muscular back is glistening with sweat, the afternoon sun catching every ripped muscle on his back. Every movement he makes tightens and clenches his body, his back a work of art. My skin prickles with a feeling I’ve been trying so damn hard to ignore all week, and then he turns around.
Gaaaaawd. He’s goddamn perfect.
A big muscular chest meets my gaze, massive arms and a chiseled six-pack. The worn-out old jeans don’t bother me, and I love the way they only just hang to his hips. It reveals that carved V-shape that has me practically drooling on the spot.
His intense eyes suddenly lock on me, and my chest squeezes tight.
“Elise?” he grunts, eyes squinting. “What are you doing up here?”
His expression is unreadable, but I know I need to get this man’s help.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, Mr. Barrel,” I say, my voice coming out all shaky. “But we’ve got a problem.”
He cocks a brow at me and props the axe up against the wall of the woodshed.
“I’ve told you to call me Huxton.”
I manage a smile, my heart lifting at the sound of that deep, booming voice.
“R-right,” I stammer. God I’ve missed him this week. Is that weird? “Huxton.”
He watches me with those intense blue eyes. “Elise.”
“Yes?”
“The problem?”
Shit!
God, I really am a flustered mess.
“Right. Sorry, the problem…” I shake my head, trying to maintain a stable train of thought, but there’s a shirtless mountain man in front of me. “Um, I sort of double booked a whole bunch of rooms.”
His eyebrows raise. “Do we have more rooms?”
“Yes, but there’s more to it than that,” I grind out. “When I was trying to fix the double bookings, I’ve somehow deleted everything. All the guest contacts are gone. Everything is wiped.”
I take a deep breath and stare at the ground. I can’t bring myself to look at him. I don’t want to see disappointment, or worse, heartbreak, in those gorgeous eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my mouth dry.
Huxton doesn’t say a word, instead he steps forward and lifts my chin with a single finger. His touch is rough on my skin but when my face lifts, he looks me directly in the eyes.
I’m surprised when I see a softness in his gaze. He’s not mad. He’s not angry. He’s definitely not about to turn around and grab that axe and start swinging it at me.
No.
He’s smiling. Smiling at me, so gently that it makes his eyes lift at the corners ever so slightly.
“Do you like tea, Elise?”
I swallow and nod.
“Good. Come inside and we’ll work this out. Together.”