Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
The gray metal hanger which housed the mountain rescue service resembled a giant toy box, one which had been specifically built for the team members and their dream machines. Every vehicle appeared oversized, even the red and white Sikorsky helicopter which Dan casually noted he regularly flew, seemed larger than life.
Inside the huge airplane hangar, Dan was greeted with cheers. Rachel quietly resented him for being hailed as a hero.
Why does the asshole get all the applause? Oh, of course, it’s because he rescues people. My sister’s heart clearly doesn’t count.
She caught Kellie’s eye, but to her annoyance Kellie just whispered, “Please, just roll with it.”
Until she got back on her feet and found somewhere else to live, she was going to have to do just that. But once she had a viable alternative place for her sister to come and stay, Kellie might come to see things in a different light.
They followed Dan into the main work room. A nearby steel door, which was padlocked, had a big sign on the front which read “Avionics. Do Not Enter”.
Inside the work room, there were boxes and crates stacked neatly from floor to ceiling. There was no chaos here, every container was marked clearly as to what was inside. Rachel’s inner architect appreciated the calm order. She was the queen of well-set-out folders and carefully named document files.
“In an emergency, people can’t waste time trying to remember where they last put something. And other people on the rotating shifts need to be able to find stuff,” explained Dan. He moved ahead of them, toward a nearby shelf full of boxes.
“Everything in its place,” she muttered.
By the time they reached Dan, he’d already pulled a large plastic box down from a high shelf and was rummaging through it. “What shoe size are you, Rach?”
“I’m a nine, which I think makes me a seven in men’s,” she replied.
A pair of black snow boots were tossed her way. “Try those on, let’s see how they fit.”
A helpful Kellie dragged a chair over, and Rachel lowered herself down into it, before carefully removing her hiking boots.
“Ohhhh”, she groaned. “I am going to be so sore tomorrow morning. I think I might have to announce my official retirement from the Parkour world championship circuit.”
“Yeah well, if you can’t get out of an airport in one piece, you really should give up trying to leap between tall buildings,” replied Kellie.
Rachel caught a glimpse of Dan out the corner of her eye. His gaze flittered from Kellie to her, then back to his wife. She sensed he wanted to join in the banter but was unsure as to what to say.
Pulling her socks up, Rachel gently slid her feet into the snow boots. The instant she laced them up, she started laughing. Pointing to her useless cheap boots she shook her head. “I can’t believe I bought boots in Georgia expecting that they would be right for the Colorado mountains. These are so warm. Thank you.”
“Here, you will need these as well.” Kellie wrapped a strap of leather around the ankle of each boot. Attached to the strap was a metal chain which went over the sole.
“I see, snow chains but for shoes. Neat,” observed Rachel, getting to her feet. The chains made a strange clanking as she took her first step. “These are going to take some getting used to, but it’s better than spending my days slipping over on the ice.”
After doing a test walk around the hanger, Rachel moved off-road and tried a patch of nearby snow. It was hard going. The chains made her walk flat footed, but she was grateful for the safety of having a firm grip. With each step she took, her confidence grew.
Dan appeared at Kellie’s side and slung an arm around her. “Aww. Look Kellie, another transplant who wants to become one of us.”
“Transplant?” asked Rachel.
“Yeah, it’s what we locals call folks who move to Colorado. Once you’ve mastered getting around in those boots, you’ll be able to mix in with the rest of us in town, and not look like you’ve just stepped off the plane.”
Being able to walk without the constant fear of falling and dashing her brains out on the icy ground freed Rachel’s mind, allowing her to think of other things aside from the near constant sense of impending doom. “Could we head out and see the Green Tree Resort now?”
The sooner she saw the place, the quicker she could decide whether the advisory job that Dan’s parents were offering her was going to be worthwhile. If it was, it would go a long way to resurrecting her stalled career .
I could do with catching a break today.
“Come on then,” said Dan, picking up Rachel’s discarded hiking boots, and heading for the door which lead out to the parking lot.
After leaving the rescue service, they headed further out of town. While Rachel sat quietly in the backseat of Dan’s big green SUV, her sister and brother-in-law happily chatted away up the front.
I should be grateful that they’ve offered me a place to live, and a potential job.
There were banks of snow either side of the road, but the asphalt itself was clear. She didn’t envy the people who were tasked with the job of driving the big salt spraying trucks up and down the roads all winter.
A few more miles out of town, Dan turned the Ford Bronco off the main road, and onto a smaller one which was covered with large patches of snow and ice.
“No one comes out here all that much, so there isn’t really any point in wasting money on salting the road during winter,” explained Kellie.
Rachel, who was staring out the window taking in the winter wonderland, simply nodded. It was like a scene straight out of a Christmas movie.
Among the field of white, stood tall trees wearing their own coats of snow. The sky above was a patchwork of pale gray and blue. Any moment now she expected to see reindeer and hear the sound of sleigh bells.
The SUV slowed as it rounded a gentle bend in the road and Rachel turned her head to look out through the front windscreen. As she did, the snow-covered trees up ahead seemed to magically part.
“Wow,” exclaimed Rachel as she caught her first glimpse of the old ski lodge. This was … just … “Wow.”
A four‐storied stone and wooden building sat in the middle of the snowy winter landscape. The castle out of Beauty and the Beast immediately sprang to mind. Or was that Frozen? She always got her Disney movies mixed up.
“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” asked Kellie, from the front passenger seat. “I’ve been here loads of times, but that moment when I first see the lodge through the break in the trees still takes my breath away.”
From the driver’s seat, a more reserved Dan simply shook his head. “Before they closed her up, my grandfather said, that the Green Tree Resort had turned into a money pit.”
He pulled the SUV up out the front of the main lodge building and climbed out. Opening Rachel’s side door, Dan offered her his hand. “Be careful as you get out and start walking around. Those snow boots will take a bit of getting used to, and you do have a banged up hip and knee.”
Rachel took her brother-in-law’s hand, wincing as she put her feet on the solid ground. Kellie hurried over. “Here, you can use me as your human walking stick, while Dan goes and opens the door.”
Dan went ahead of the two women, bounding up the front steps with the ease of someone who likely knew every inch of this place. By the time Rachel and Kellie had made it to the front door, it was open, and Dan was waiting for them just inside the lobby. Rachel caught the shy smile he offered her sister, and the one Kellie gave him in return.
They are working on things, but I still want to punch him.
Inside the main lobby, Dan held his arms out wide. “Welcome to the Green Tree Resort, ladies. Please have a valid credit card and your ID ready for the front desk reception staff. Breakfast is served in the grand ballroom at seven each morning, and cocktail hour is from five. Formal attire is required.”
Kellie laughed. “Rach, I hope you packed your evening gown. This is the hottest place to be seen in Aspen. I hear the management have been known to turn away the odd billionaire for not being suitably attired.”
I can still hear her soft southern accent. I hope she never loses it.
Slipping her arm out of her sister’s embrace, Rachel limped a step forward. Her gaze lifted upward as she took in the cavernous space. Above her soared a majestic wooden ceiling, carved with dozens of images depicting native animals and trees. In the center was a life-sized representation of a large bear.
I forgot they had bears in Aspen. That one is huge.
The floor under her boot chains crunched as she moved, and Rachel looked down. Scattered about the lobby were bits of broken plaster and shards of cracked glass. Her attention snapped back to the ceiling overhead, and Rachel scanned for obvious signs of decay. The grand old ski resort was crumbling, but where?
“Where has all this broken stuff come from?” Her question died on her lips as Dan produced a couple of vapes and tossed them casually onto the floor. That’s strange. “I didn’t know you used them, Dan.”
He met her gaze. “I don’t. Horrible things, just as bad as cigarettes, but the empty cases serve a purpose.”
Resting his hands on his hips he stood silent for a moment. When his teeth scraped over his bottom lip, she sensed he was unsure as to what to say next. Unsure whether or not to trust her. That’s ironic.
Dan eventually cleared his throat. “The broken bits and pieces, along with the empty vapes, are designed to make the place look unattractive. To scare potential buyers away.”
“But I thought your parents wanted to sell the resort?”
“They do. But the only people who have shown any sort of interest in the past couple of years are not the kind of people we want taking over this place. One of the big hotel conglomerates keeps sniffing around, but my parents don’t want to meet with them. They’re worried that if they did sell to them, the second those folks got close of escrow, they’d be bringing in the wrecking ball.”
He made a grand sweeping motion with his right arm as he spun on his heel. “We want someone to take this forgotten lady by the hand and lead her to the cocktail hour. My grandfather gave up his vision for this place as his health declined. My parents are not interested in sinking huge sums of time and money into a major renovation. So the Green Tree has to go. But we want it to go to the right people.”
Dan took a step toward Rachel. “The next town-planning meeting is scheduled for early April. If the only people who turn up with a proposal are the fancy pants, bulldozer buyers , we might be forced to let the lodge go. The local council is losing patience with the long delay over the future of the Green Tree Resort. But if someone could come up with a viable proposition that would save the site, we might avoid being pressured into selling to the sort of people who stalk Facebook Marketplace and make low‐ball offers.” He nodded at her. “That someone hopefully is you.”
The architect part of Rachel’s brain kicked into high gear. Her thoughts were a flood of possibilities, but all flowed from the one source. Keeping the main lodge building intact.
If she could show the Aspen city council a 3D virtual model of the current building—coupled with a number of suggested re-designs—she might be able to convince them and the local townspeople that it was in their best interests to make the sale of the site, conditional upon keeping as much of the existing ski lodge buildings as possible.
And in doing that, they would be able to see off any potential buyers who didn’t really give a damn about Aspen.
Making sure that only the right people are allowed to take on and redevelop this site. That should be the mission.
Kellie cleared her throat. “Rachel, the lodge is part of our family, which is why we want you involved. Family saving family.”
The word family had her swallowing down a lump of emotion. They were asking a lot, but in return what they were offering her was priceless.
“I can’t make any promises, but let’s take a closer look at the building. Then I’ll let you know whether I think I can do anything to save it.”
For the better part of the next hour, Dan led them on a guided tour of the lobby and most of the first floor. Rachel’s keen eye missed little. It soon became apparent that there was more than just the pretend damage on the surface of the floor. There were real signs of ageing. The boarded‐up broken windows hadn’t been able to keep the elements and trespassers out.
There were places where water had got in and caused damage. Brown streaks ran down the cream painted walls and gathered in ringed circles at the bottom.
Rachel squinted up the ceiling. “How bad is the roof? I mean, I can see where water has leaked through sometime in the past, but nothing appears too recent.”
“The ice sitting on the roof hasn’t melted yet, but if last spring was any indication, come late May this entire first floor will be covered with dirty water. I can’t say much about the roof, or whether it needs replacing. The good news is that there are some parts of the resort that are still intact. Habitable,” replied Dan.
“Habitable? Who would want to come and live out here?”
This place was miles from town. Remote. Her cell phone barely had one bar, and that kept flitting in and out.
Kellie pointed upward. “On the second floor, a couple of the grand suites have been declared safe by our construction inspectors. We have a security guard come and live onsite during the summer to stop day trippers and tourists from wandering about the place.”
Old, abandoned buildings were always attractive. They were also potential hazards and insurance premium nightmares. One of Rachel’s potential redevelopment projects in Atlanta had come to a halt when squatters had moved in and burned the post-civil war era building to the ground.
She was torn. Dan’s grandfather might have lost his passion for the ski lodge, but Rachel suspected it wasn’t just due to his old age. He’d been right about the place becoming a money pit. Everywhere she looked she saw dollar signs. The Green Tree Resort would cost many millions to bring it back to life.
But should money be the only thing we consider when it comes to saving or condemning a building?
She wasn’t na?ve; money usually spoke loudest. But she was still determined to have as many of the facts as she could get at her disposal, before deciding on what to do, on whether to throw her lot in and try to salvage the lodge.
“Just how bad is the rest of the weathering around the building? What about the substructure—are we looking at rotting timbers? And is the lodge sinking in places? I need you to be brutally honest with me. What are the chances that she can be saved?”
“The basement isn’t flooded, and the water on the first floor doesn’t tend to stick around too long when the snow melts. Other than that, I don’t really know.” Dan shrugged.
“You’re the architect. Spend as much time as you want here, and maybe even come back later in the week. All I can say is that what happens to this place will eventually come down to someone like you. If you can come up with a viable alternative to clearing the site, then my parents would be happy to hear it.”
Kellie gave her a hopeful smile. The old ski lodge and its fate mattered to these people, though Rachel suspected her sister’s interest had more to do with Dan’s happiness than anything else.
Guilt sat heavily on Rachel’s heart. She’d failed to save their family home in Atlanta from foreclosure. Her mother was now living in the guest wing of her brother’s house in Coral Cables, Florida. Uncle Ray’s home was a gorgeous mansion, but it wasn’t her mama’s home.
Maybe this is the universe giving me a second chance. To make something right.
“Dan, would your parents have any of the original blueprints of the building, or any recent survey maps of the whole site? What about the last time a building surveyor gave the roof a thorough going over? I need every bit of paper or documentation you have on this place.”
It was time to get to work. The more plans and designs Rachel could get her hands on, the better. From the age of the old lodge, it was doubtful that anything would be in any sort of design program. It would all be paper based.
I’ll need to scan everything.
“The last proper inspection was just before gramps died, so that’s five maybe six years ago. The potential buyers have also had some engineers inspect the place, but I doubt they would be keen to share any of their reports with us.”
Rachel nodded. She could understand why they wouldn’t want to share their intel with the vendors. If she was in their shoes, she’d do exactly the same. Play her cards close to her chest.
Now there’s a thought.
“If— and I mean if, I do put some rough plans together, I think we should keep my involvement in this project a secret. Let’s not give the opposing team anything to work with, anything that might undermine our position. ”
Kellie looked to her husband, then back to Rachel. “You mean about dad and all that stuff in Atlanta?”
“Yes. We are all looking for a fresh start, so let’s keep quiet about me. For any documents or contracts, my name is now legally Rachel Little. The smart thing would be to keep completely quiet about engaging an architect. Don’t let anyone know until it’s close to time for us to present to the town planning committee.”
“I understand,” replied Kellie.
Rachel didn’t care what Dan thought of her decision to change her family name. This was between her and her sister.
“Dan, whatever papers, photos, drawings, etcetera you can find about the Green Tree Resort, I will take them.”
“I’ll check with my folks and see what they might have lying about in their attic. Gramps wasn’t one for throwing stuff away, and I know Dad has kept quite a few boxes of papers about the lodge, so fingers crossed.”
Her sister launched herself at Rachel, wrapping her up in her embrace. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I promise you won’t regret taking on this project.”
Over Kellie’s shoulder, Rachel met her brother-in-law’s grateful gaze. “I’m not making any promises as to what we might be able to do with your grandpa’s lodge, but I’ll do my best. Worst case scenario we find out she isn’t worth saving, but at least you know we tried. If the old lady does end up in the hands of developers, it won’t be because we gave up on her.”
That final dose of hard reality was a necessary one. The last thing she wanted was to get people’s hopes up, and then disappoint them. She’d learned during her career that tempered expectations saved a lot of explanations.
After Kellie released Rachel from her octopus hold, Dan led the three of them upstairs. Refusing her sister’s help, Rachel gripped tightly to the banister rail of the grand staircase and limped her way to the top. When she got to the second floor she turned and looked down at the first floor. As she did, her breath caught.
While dust and rubble covered parts of the lobby, they couldn’t hide the elegant marble floor which lay underneath. “Is that original?” she asked, pointing to a patch where the white and smoky charcoal veined floor was visible.
“Yep. Locally mined here in Colorado, at a place aptly named Marble. The marble is so pure they used it to make the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C,” explained Dan.
If her mind hadn’t already been made up, the stunning marble lobby would have sealed the deal. The Green Tree Resort had won her over. Rachel was in love.
I’m all yours.
“Right. From this moment on, no one walks on that floor in snow chains. Dan, we need to get wood paneling laid down to cover the marble. And you can stop dropping vapes everywhere, because we are going to save this place from greedy developers.”
Whether the old lodge furthered her career or not, Rachel was determined to see the grand old lady back where she belonged—in the glittering limelight.