Chapter 10
PRESENT DAY - SERENITY DUNES SPA
Unlike the dimly lit, mud bath cubicle, the lighted mineral spa facility was a testament to bright luxury.
Individual marble tubs, each one carved from what appeared to be a single block of pristine white stone, were arranged in a spacious circle around a central fountain that sent crystalline water cascading over smooth river rocks.
Gossamer curtains hung between each tub like delicate veils, offering privacy while maintaining the space's airy, open feel.
Damn, this place is… hell… not like any place I’ve ever been.
As Sadie settled deeper into the warm, effervescent water, she felt her muscles begin to unknot for the first time in months.
The mineral-rich bath swirled gently around her body, tiny bubbles rising to the surface and popping against her skin like champagne tickled her nose on the few occasions she’d actually had champagne.
She let her head fall back against the padded spa pillow and released a long, shuddering sigh. Much better than mud.
The memories she’d been trying so desperately to avoid had ambushed her anyway, dragging her back to that first devastating morning when her world had shifted on its axis in ways both wonderful and terrible.
For so long, it had taken every ounce of her professional training and personal willpower to work alongside Todd without betraying even a hint to Logan or the other Keepers that she’d ever experienced anything beyond professional respect for him.
The effort was exhausting on a level that had nothing to do with their demanding work and everything to do with the careful mask she wore every single day.
By necessity, they’d quickly established a new routine after her arrival at LSI Montana.
Those early weeks living in the bunkhouse had been excruciating.
Every shared meal in the common kitchen, every casual encounter in the hallway, and every team meeting where they sat across from each other had been loaded with unspoken tension.
Her emotions had been a volatile cocktail of irritation at his dismissal, embarrassment at her own vulnerability, and most damaging of all—a persistent longing that refused to be reasoned away.
Now, with her head resting against the spa pillow and her hands gliding through the silky mineral water, her body felt weightless in a way that had nothing to do with buoyancy.
She’d had no idea how emotionally exhausting it would be to work for a man she genuinely respected, alongside coworkers she’d grown to love like family, in the most fulfilling professional environment she’d ever experienced, all while having to maintain friendly distance from the one man who’d awakened every part of her that she’d thought was permanently dormant.
And it seemed that after their conversation in the Jeep that day, Todd had no trouble whatsoever consigning her to the friend zone.
She sometimes marveled at her own acting ability, wondering how she managed to keep the others from seeing how much his casual, easy treatment of her continued to hurt.
He could joke with her during briefings, work seamlessly alongside her on assignments, even share late-night conversations in the bunkhouse common room, all without any apparent awareness that every interaction was slowly breaking her heart.
“But that’s my own damn problem,” she muttered to the empty air, her voice echoing slightly off the marble surfaces.
Suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of months’ worth of careful pretense, she lifted her legs and let herself sink completely beneath the surface of the mineral bath.
The water closed over her head like a warm embrace, muffling the sounds of the soft music playing in the background.
It also managed to temporarily wash away the persistent ache in her chest. For a few precious seconds, she existed in a world where Todd Blake had never smiled at her across a bar, never made her believe in possibilities, never shown her exactly what she was missing.
When her lungs began to protest, she pushed herself back up to the surface, gasping as she broke through into the cooler air. Water streamed from her hair and down her face as she sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly.
She glanced down at the slight bruise on her arm and thought of the blood test she’d been given earlier that day.
Once they’d climbed from the van that brought them from the airport, they had been given glasses of iced cucumber water and taken to a meeting room for the introduction of the staff and welcome.
She would rather have had a beer and a chance to wander at her leisure.
The staff heads greeted them. Dr. Saanvi Patel was introduced as the spa medical practitioner.
She oversaw the blood tests being administered by her nurses.
Sadie noted Dr. Patel was watchful over the proceedings.
Yelena Mirov was introduced as the retreat's manager. Her welcome said all the appropriate words, but Sadie had noted her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Matteo Delgado offered his welcome, announcing he was over the yoga and sound bath programs. His demeanor screamed calm, and Sadie had to hide her grin at the Zen expression he had on his face.
The lead nutritionist, Jake Wilson, assured the guests that their meals would be exceptional, but unlike at other resorts, they would be tailored to their individual needs and the supplements they were taking.
Brock James looked like a California surfer with his blond hair and tanned body.
He was the guest services coordinator and planner of their individual spa itinerary.
The groundskeeper wasn’t present, but they’d learned his name was Eli Park.
“You probably won’t see him,” Yelena had informed them.
“None of you should be wandering the grounds. We have several acres that afford us privacy and give you exquisite views. But as you know, we are in the desert, and it can be as dangerous as it is beautiful. No one is to leave the resort buildings and wander outside the designated area.”
The last person to be introduced also hadn’t been present. “Dr. Marvin Selinski is the owner of the spa and the one who is ultimately responsible for the research he’s done on regenerative wellness. While here, you will experience the benefits of his extensive research.”
They were then shown to their individual rooms. Once there, she carefully examined her luggage, chuckling at how easy it was to see that it had been searched.
Pulling out the small phone hidden in her shoe, she sent a message to Timothy, letting him know the setup.
Receiving a message in return, he confirmed he was settled at the nearby hotel.
And now she’d been dunked in mud and a mineral bath. Yep… this spa is so not like any place I’ve ever been.
“Sadie? Are you ready for your massage?”
She startled as the soft-spoken attendant stepped next to the tub, a gentle smile on her face, clearly having witnessed her impromptu submersion without judgment.
“Absolutely,” she replied, managing to return the smile with something approaching genuine warmth. “Why not embrace the full experience?”
Maybe her friends had been right all along.
Perhaps it was time to focus entirely on herself, to use this vacation-like assignment as an opportunity to finally let go of the beautiful torture of loving someone who could never be more than a colleague.
When she returned to Montana, she would be a different version of herself…
stronger, more self-contained, finally free from the persistent hope that kept her trapped in emotional limbo.
She pushed herself up out of the mineral bath with newfound determination, accepting the thick, impossibly soft towel the attendant offered.
As she wrapped it around herself and prepared to follow the woman to her next treatment, she made a silent promise to stop wasting her energy on impossible dreams.
It was time to start living for herself again.