The Last Resort (Royal Resorts #3)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport

A freezing Colorado morning

Mid-March

Catching sight of the familiar, slightly battered, red and gray suitcase as it plopped onto the baggage carousel in front of her, Rachel Little dropped into a weightlifter’s stance. Legs spread and knees bent. Core engaged. Ready to do battle.

Reaching out with her right hand, she took a firm grip of the side handle of her suitcase. The fingers of her left hand wrapped around one of the wheels.

Moment of truth.

One. Two. Three. Heave.

Sixty-five pounds of deadweight had her staggering back, the muscles in her arm screaming their protest.

The middle-aged man who’d been standing next to her waiting for his own bags, scuttled out of the way as Rachel swung the heavy suitcase round and dumped it onto her luggage cart. The case landed with a thud. She didn’t have time to recover from her Olympic-style weightlifting efforts, her fingers quickly snatching the handle of the cart to stop it from rolling away.

One bag down, two to go.

As she turned back, searching for her next piece of luggage, a lick of sweat slid down her spine. Cancelled gym memberships and long nights spent in the loving embrace of comfort food had Rachel huffing and puffing.

Her fellow traveler gave her an odd look. She could just imagine what he was thinking, “ That’s an awful lot of luggage for an Aspen ski trip, young lady.”

Rachel would have given the entire contents of her three overloaded suitcases for that to be her only problem.

Ski trip, nope. If you only knew how much I would rather still be back in Atlanta. How much I wish this wasn’t my new life.

She hadn’t arrived in Aspen for a fun-filled, skiing holiday. Courtesy of the cheapest airline ticket on offer, she was at the end—or was that the beginning? —of one of those “uproot your entire life and move across country” type of trips. The kind you see in the movies.

Where is the dashing hero I’m supposed to meet in the first ten minutes? And what about the heartwarming soundtrack? Come on, what’s a girl from the South gotta do?

But even her favorite popstar, Chloe, was yet to pen a song about a fifteen-hundred mile “let me see if I can salvage what’s left of my life” odyssey. And if she ever did, Rachel could only hope it didn’t come with a refrain that spoke of there being no chance of finding a happily ever after at the end of it.

Rachel dropped into grab and snatch mode once more as the second of her bulging suitcases tumbled onto the carousel. Two down, one to go.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d be staying in Aspen, but it made no sense to leave any of her belongings behind in Atlanta. She wouldn’t ever be going back. That life, the one she’d thought was hers, was gone. There was nothing and no one left for her to return to in Georgia.

As soon as the last suitcase finally, mercifully appeared, she loaded it onto the groaning luggage cart and headed for the main exit. A new and entirely uncertain future awaited. But Rachel Little was the star of her life’s movie and like all good heroines she’d figure it out one day at a time.

Cue the upbeat music.

Matthew Royal waited until the engines of the Royal Resorts jet had slowed and come to a complete stop before unclipping his seatbelt. He’d had a lifetime of travelling the world in private jets, and knew it paid to observe the safety rules.

Looking out the plane’s window, he took in the sight of the magnificent white snowcapped Red Butte mountain in the distance. “Stunning,” he whispered. It would be hard to find a more beautiful place in winter than Aspen, Colorado.

A small voice whispered in his mind. You are not here for the scenery. You are here to build something amazing and leave your mark on this town.

Matthew pushed the thought away. It was going to take more than an ethereal promise for him to get what he wanted.

The Royal Resorts flight attendant handed Matthew his thick puffer jacket, gloves, and Hermès woolen scarf. At this time of the year, the outside temperature barely made it above freezing, and even when it did, the wind chill factor pulled it right back down.

Matthew put his insulated gloves on first, then stuffed his arms into the sleeves of his North Face jacket. New York City born and bred meant he knew exactly how to dress for the bitter chills of March. But this morning, he had other things on his mind.

If things went according to plan, the dilapidated ski resort he’d been trying to buy for close to two years would soon be in the hands of his family’s company, Royal Resorts. He could almost taste it. All those painfully slow negotiations had to be coming to an end.

They must be ready to sell by now. What else can they possibly want?

Following some final onsite checks today at the Green Tree Resort, he’d confirm everything with the model builders back in New York and give them the final go ahead for completion. His highly detailed scale mockup of the site’s new development plans, would surely dazzle both the city planners and the owners of the old ski lodge. By the time he’d finished showing them his proposal they’d be falling over themselves to sign both the approvals and the contract of sale. His grand vision would soon come to life.

He gritted his teeth. But what if they still refused? He didn’t know what he’d do. The mere thought of failure had his jaw locking hard.

I can’t tell the Board of Royal Resorts that after two years of trying to land this deal, I couldn’t close it out. I just can’t. If I do, they’ll lump me in with Jordan. I’ll be another family fuck-up.

A year and a half ago, his older brother had crashed and burned during the launch of the company’s billion-dollar Laguna Beach resort in California. The ripples from the fallout of Jordan’s resort disaster were still being felt within the family. Matthew was determined he wasn’t going to be the next Royal son to make a mess of a major business project.

On the seat next to him, his cell phone pinged. He glanced at it. It was a text from his eldest brother Bryce, the CEO for Royal Resorts USA. The universe must have been listening.

Let me know how things go with the final checks at the site

Just landed. Will let U know if any problems.

You’ve got this, the board and I believe in you

He hesitated before deciding not to answer that last note. He’d prefer that his actions spoke louder than mere words. A signed and sealed deal was what he needed. It would silence any potential critics from the board or Aspen locals alike.

Rising from his seat, Matthew wrapped his olive-green cashmere scarf around his neck, slipped his black woolen beanie on his head, then dropped his cell phone into his jacket pocket. He zipped the jacket all the way up. It paid to be dressed for the elements in Aspen.

Travel bag in hand, he made his way down the steps of the jet, stopping as another small plane taxied to a stop at the top of the runway. Aspen airport was always busy with private aircraft.

While he waited for the plane to take off, Matthew grabbed his phone and tapped out a quick message to Mia, his assistant manager. Mia was based at the company’s head offices in Lower Manhattan, New York.

Landed. Can U check on council meeting date? Need confirm

Confirm coming shortly. Need your final sign off on model ASAP

U R a legend. Thx s

Mia was the most organized person he’d ever met. Tucking his phone back into his jacket, Matthew made his way across the marked out walkway on the windy tarmac and headed toward the main airport building. His usual hire car, a red Jeep Wrangler with its engine and seats pre warmed, would be waiting for him in the parking lot.

The other billionaire and millionaire types who frequented Aspen airport often had private chauffer driven cars waiting on the tarmac to pick them up, but he liked the freedom of having his own vehicle. And the privacy. It paid to keep a low profile while you were in the long game of trying to negotiate a purchase. If anyone from his rival companies in the hotel and resort business happened to catch wind of his secret little project, he might well find himself in the middle of a bidding war.

And we can’t have that.

He’d been to Aspen many times over the past two years. He knew the roads, the stores, and the layout of the town. But few people actually knew who he was, and he intended on keeping it that way. At least until he received formal approval for the new Royal Resorts Aspen project from the city’s planning committee, and he had the vendors signatures on the sale contract. After that, he’d have no issues with everyone knowing that Matthew Royal was in town.

Just a little bit longer. Keep going. Don’t lose sight of what you want.

Wrangling a luggage cart loaded up with three heavy suitcases was worse than trying to get out of Costco with fifty pounds of stuff you didn’t need but had to have. At least at Costco you could get a seven-pound peanut butter cake, and that was something everyone needed.

I wonder where the nearest Costco store is? Worst case, I have to find a local bakery that makes yummy, sweet treats.

Her sister Kellie, who lived in Aspen, was due to pick her up. They’d arranged for Rachel to message her once she was outside and waiting at the curb.

Must ask Kellie about cake shops.

As she approached the arrivals doors of the airport, they opened automatically, gifting Rachel with a welcoming blast of icy Colorado mountain air. It took her breath away and brought tears to her eyes.

“Sheesh. Oh boy. That’s cold.”

She wasn’t stupid, she’d expected it to be chilly in Aspen, but not this cold. If this was her version of hell, then it had certainly frozen over.

How did people live in this town? And who in their right mind would pay to come here for their holidays, rather than spending them lying on a warm tropical beach, sipping cocktails from glasses decorated with pretty little umbrellas?

Not me. Not that I can afford a holiday anywhere. I don’t even have a place to live.

Using her pile of luggage as a shield against the biting wind, Rachel pressed on. But once she got outside the main building, things went from bad to worse. The sloped pavement was slick with ice, and the second the wheels of her cart hit the skids, she knew she was in deep trouble.

“Oh, no. Oh, fuck.”

Her southern finishing school manners went straight out the window. The deadly combination of weight and forward motion had her gripping tightly to the handle of the cart as she desperately fought for control. Her hiking boots had been designed for walking on solid ground, not ice. She tried desperately to dig her feet into the pavement, but they couldn’t find an inch of grip.

She slipped. She slid. Her feet went out from under her.

I’m going down.

Rachel fought the brave fight, but she couldn’t stop the abrupt slide. Her left knee smashed against the cement paving. Oh come on, haven’t I suffered enough!

Cursing, she held on to the cart for grim death as it swung wildly to the right. The precariously balanced topmost suitcase wobbled and fell. And just to make sure she fully understood the laws of gravity, the suitcase glanced the side of Rachel’s head as it tumbled to the ground.

“Oof!” She saw a dazzling galaxy of stars.

But she still held on.

Now free of some of its heavy load, the cart increased speed across the pavement, dragging Rachel behind it. She and her luggage were headed straight for the center of the busy airport road. As her life flashed in front of her, Rachel let out a sob. Her already horrific year was about to reach its final disastrous conclusion.

I’m going to die in Aspen before I even clear the damn airport.

She caught a glimpse of something black out of the corner of her eye and everything came to a sudden merciful stop.

Oh, thank you, baby Jesus.

Rachel was sprawled on the sidewalk, her hands holding tight onto the cart handle, her legs buckled under. Every muscle in her arms, back, and shoulders screamed for mercy. She looked and felt like she’d been hoisted on one of those medieval torture racks.

A strong pair of arms lifted her up and set her carefully back on her feet. “Are you alright?” the man asked, in a voice etched with deep concern.

“Whatever you do, don’t let go,” she pleaded.

“I won’t. I’ve got you. I’ll make sure you’re safe. ”

Sharp pain radiated through her left leg and hip. The blood dripping from her head was soaking into the fabric of her pale blue hoodie. She was in a world of agony, but her inevitable slide into the road and certain death had at least been avoided. A good Samaritan—no scratch that, this guy was a hero—had come to her rescue.

“I lost my footing on the ice, and I slipped.”

“I saw that.”

“Then the suitcase fell on me.”

“Yeah, I saw that too. But you held onto the luggage cart. Have to give you points for persistency. I probably would have let go as soon as I fell.”

His teasing voice had her mind shifting from her painful situation for a half second.

If you only knew how stubborn I’ve become over the past year.

“You clearly don’t have a few hundred bucks worth of make up in your checked bags. Because if you did, you wouldn’t dare sacrifice them in order to live.”

Death before damaging my M.A.C babies. Mama has you.

“No. No, I don’t.” He brushed a gentle hand over her shoulder. “Can you stand on your own now?”

“I think so, but don’t go anywhere, I might need rescuing a second time.”

She slowly turned, wishing to give more thanks to her savior, but as her gaze settled on the man still holding her in his arms, Rachel’s next words of gratitude died on her lips.

He was tall, clad in a thick black snow jacket. His hair was hidden under a black woolen beanie. And that olive green scarf wrapped around his neck was practically begging for her to bury her face in it.

It was impossible to resist the temptation to take a long slow look at him. Every inch of him. Oh boy. There was a heck of a lot of Hallmark Christmas hero going on here.

He nodded at her head. “That’s a nasty cut on your face, we should get that looked at. I think you might need stitches or at least a few bandage clips.”

A drop of blood dripped from her brow, stirring Rachel from her dream state. “No. No, I just …”

Huh. What was I going to say?

Not only was this stranger a fully-fledged hero, but he was also handsome as sin. Behind the black rims of his designer specs were a pair of dark brown eyes. The kind that made grown women go weak at the knees. Not that Rachel’s legs were doing all that much to help her stand upright, they were still made of Jell-O.

Oblivious to her thoughts, he pointed at her left leg. “You’ve also cut your jeans up a bit. I really think we should do something about getting you some proper medical attention before we leave the airport building. How about we go back inside and see if we can get someone at the information desk to help.”

We. She really liked the way, he kept saying we.

Rachel glanced down and let out a sad sigh. There went her last good pair of designer jeans. And she didn’t want to think about how much scrubbing the blood stains currently decorating the front of her pale hoodie would need in order to get them out.

I’m a mess. But at least I’m alive. Just.

Her hero’s kind offer for them to go and seek medical assistance was well out of her means. Bleeding to death on the roadside was about all Rachel could currently afford.

“I’ll … I’ll be fine. Thank you so much for saving me. I can’t imagine what would have happened if the cart had got out onto the road.”

Rachel fished in her pocket and pulled out a clean tissue. She tentatively dabbed at her head with it. If she had let the luggage cart go, and it had hit someone’s motor vehicle, the resulting lawsuit would have been the cherry on the top of the crud muffin that her year had been so far. Anyone who tried to sue her would have been wasting their attorney’s time.

She winced. Ouch. That smarts.

“Look, my Jeep is in the parking lot so I can go and get it, then take you to the local hospital. It’s no trouble,” he offered.

Must not incur legal or medical bills. No job. No money.

Sensing that her airport hero wasn’t about to take no for an answer, Rachel wracked her brains for a way to make her escape. If she didn’t come up with something quick, he’d soon be carrying her across the road and to his car. She’d be at the hospital amassing a huge medical bill in no time.

The thought of cars and parking lots finally triggered her brain. Kellie.

“I have someone coming for me,” she hurriedly offered. With her mind finally clicking back into gear, Rachel rummaged in her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush as she hit dial on her sister’s number.

“Hey, Rach. I saw your flight had landed. Are you clear of the baggage carousel yet?”

“Hi, sis. Yeah. I am. Um … I’ve just taken a bit of a tumble, so could you come to the front of the arrivals entrance and pick me up?”

“Are you alright?”

“Just a scraped knee, a banged head, some blood loss, and the destruction of my pride. Oh and my jeans will need stitching. All in all, nothing to worry about. A nice man saved me from rolling out onto the road and getting hit by the airport bus.”

The sound of Kellie starting the engine of her car was music to Rachel’s ears. Phew. “Jeez Rach, you are in the wars. I’ll be there in just a minute. I’m in the Elk Lot, so I’ll be approaching you from the right.”

Relieved, Rachel hung up. She turned and gave the stranger a final smile. “Once again, thank you for saving my life. My sister will be here very soon to collect me. No need for a hospital visit, I’m sure she’ll have a Band-Aid or three at home.”

The phone call to her sister seemed to finally do the trick. Her hunky hero let go of her arm. As he backed away, he bent and picked up a chocolate colored leather overnight bag. Rachel took in the stamp markings on the side. Aspinal of London . Handcrafted full-grain leather bags like that didn’t come cheap.

Maybe he really was one of those Hallmark heroes. The secret small town millionaire who’d made his fortune selling Christmas trees. Or cookies.

“Just as long as you are safe,” he said.

“Yeah. Thanks to you, I’m still in one piece. Well mostly.”

Her head and knee throbbed, but she didn’t want to keep him any longer. If he’d just arrived in Aspen, he probably had other things to do today, apart from saving damsels in distress.

“At least let me help you with your suitcase, it looks broken.”

Rachel’s gaze landed on the case that had hit her. It had a large head-shaped crease in one side. And was that a broken hinge? Great. But that’s my problem to deal with, not his.

“I really shouldn’t take up anymore of your time. My sister and I can sort out the rest of this mess. Thank you for saving me.”

“You’re welcome, take care.”

Her hero of the hour had just walked away, headed in the direction of the parking lot, when a blue station wagon pulled up in front. Kellie leapt out of her vehicle and rushed to her side. She took one look at Rachel’s bruised and bloodied state and exclaimed, “What on earth did you do?”

Rachel shook her head. “I bought cheap hiking boots in Atlanta, and they’ve got no grip on the ice. I don’t know how y’all survive living in Aspen. I barely made it out of the airport building before I almost died.” She glanced at her bloodstained hoodie. “And I’m bleeding all over my clothes.”

Kellie brushed a comforting kiss on her cheek. “But you made it, and that’s all that matters. You go on and get in the car—there’s a box of tissues in the glove compartment. I’ll put your things in the trunk. As soon as we get home, I’ll take a look at your injuries and get you all cleaned up. Dan has a weapons-grade first-aid kit in the kitchen. I’m sure there are a ton of butterfly closures in it.”

The mention of her soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law had Rachel forgetting her own problems. While their family’s dark drama had unfolded in Georgia, Kellie had been hundreds of miles away dealing with her own pressing problems. An affair and an impending divorce were one of the many reasons why Rachel had decided to venture all the way to Colorado.

“I’m supposed to be helping look after you, not the other way round,” grumbled Rachel.

Kellie wrestled with the broken suitcase. “What the heck have you got in here, bricks?” Huffing and puffing she stacked it back onto the luggage cart.

“I had to bring everything with me.” Her entire life was packed in those three cases. A woozy and nauseous Rachel kept a firm grip onto the other side of the handle, steadying herself. It was all she could do to stand upright, let alone help. Her steps were slow and painful as the two sisters negotiated the cart the short distance to Kellie’s car.

Rachel bloodied, bruised, and deeply embarrassed, glanced over at her sister. Her bodily wounds would heal, but Kellie’s heart might take longer. Kellie needed her. And as much as she disliked the whole ice and snow thing, Rachel didn’t want to be anywhere else.

After all we’ve been through, I’m glad that something of our family still remains.

Once she got settled and had a few things unpacked, she’d take the time to reassess her priorities. Her stay in Aspen would eventually become just a pitstop on the long road back. Back to claiming a life that was hers to live and define.

With the suitcases finally on board, Kellie climbed into the driver’s seat of the wagon, a gave Rachel a hopeful smile. “I’m so glad you’ve finally made it here. I promise everything will get better from today.”

With her head resting against the back of the seat, Rachel closed her eyes and sighed.

“I’m going to hold you to that promise.”