Finding Love in Sun Valley, Idaho (Resort to Love Book 1)

by Angela Ruth Strong

  Jor-El released her arm to retrieve a hand-painted stool from underneath the first row of chairs. He set it in front of her with the date of their wedding displayed for the guests to see. She lifted her skirt to step up, revealing her light pink flip-flops. Laughter erupted from the crowd.

  Tracen joined in, head thrown back. Then he leveled his gaze on her. She knew by the way his lips curved into a smile. He stepped closer and reached for her hands. "You're perfect for me in every way," he whispered.

  Her laughter died because being so close to him took her breath away. This man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She handed Char her bouquet so she could connect with him by squeezing his fingers.

  She vowed to love and cherish him. She exchanged rings. Howie pronounced them man and wife. Tracen bent to kiss her. She kissed him back. Because that’s what she did.

  Music poured out of the speakers. It sounded vaguely familiar. She squinted her eyes as if it would help her hear better. She’d given Tracen control of picking the music for the processional, but…

  Was that really the epic theme song to Superman?

  Tracen stepped forward and ripped his vest open to reveal the Superman logo on a T-shirt underneath.

  Emily looked over her shoulder at Char. Was this what her best friend meant about Tracen being a superhero?

  His brothers followed suit. Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, and The Flash.

  The crowd went wild. But they weren’t her fans cheering this time. They were her friends. They loved her as more than Wonder Woman. They loved her as Emily Lake.

  She was home.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  There was a big contrast between the rafting guides and the Hollywood actors. Do you see similar contrasts in groups of friends in your world? Who do you enjoy hanging out with more and why?

  Tracen’s fear almost kept him from Emily’s love. What have your fears kept you from in the past?

  Tracen and Emily both got bad advice from people who were speaking from the wounds in their own life. How do you know when someone is giving you bad advice or good advice? What kind of people do you seek out for feedback?

  Emily was hurt by her parents’ choice to spend the money she made on traveling rather than medical attention, but instead of communicating her feelings in a respectful manner, she avoided them. What has helped you with communication the most in your own life?

  Emily accidentally fell into the kind of role that so many other people work so hard for but never achieve. Are there gifts/strengths/opportunities in your own life that you have taken for granted because you didn’t have to work for them?

  Tracen had to be willing to give up the plan he had for his own life to embrace the life that had been laid before him. How do you know when to give up and when to pursue a dream?

  PREVIEW

  Now — a Sneak Peek at Book two releasing October 1, 2016

  A continuing story of the Lake brothers in our Resort to Love series

  Finding Love in Big Sky, Montana

  CHAPTER ONE

  PAISLEY SHERIDAN PINNED HER LAST FLYER to the bulletin board between an advertisement for Breakfast with Santa and free ski passes for Military Appreciation Weekend. Maybe next year she’d have time for holiday fun, but this year she had work to do, and she needed to hire someone to help her get it done.

  She stepped back and took a deep breath. Was she really ready for this? Did she have what it took to reopen Grandpa’s old ranch? Only one way to find out.

  Hopefully she’d get a response to the flyers she’d hung all over town. For now she’d reward her efforts with a sugar-free cream cheese croissant and warm up with a cappuccino. She’d purposefully made The Coffee Cottage her final stop as Dot and Annabel were sure to want to play “twenty questions.”

  “Let’s see it.” Dot clapped her hands and stepped out from behind the counter to get a better look at the advertisement. Though the woman was close to Grandpa’s age when he died, she had more energy than Paisley.

  Annabel followed, her pink cowboy boots clacking. “It’s very lovely. How many people are you hiring?”

  Paisley scrunched her nose. She only had the money for a single employee until the bank loan came through. If that wasn’t enough, maybe she could recruit an intern. “One person at the moment. I need someone to help me board horses and guide sleigh rides while I get ready for the building expansion in the spring.”

  Dot squealed. “That sounds like so much fun. Hire me.”

  Paisley couldn’t help smiling at the memory of Dot trying to put a saddle on backwards the one time she’d visited the ranch. “You already have a job.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Annabel smacked her business partner’s shoulder before turning to face Paisley. “What are you building?”

  Talking about her plans made them much more real. This was really happening. “Four cabins and a chapel-slash-cafeteria. And I’ll be opening up the pond for ice skating this month to draw tourists and get publicity.”

  Annabel’s fake red hair brushed her shoulders as she nodded seriously. “I love skating rinks. Did you know I used to figure skate?”

  Paisley laughed. Enthusiasm for life was contagious. “I had no idea, Annabel, but I can picture it.” The woman would have been a beauty when she was younger. And out of the pair of store owners, she was the one with the tenacity to compete seriously. Dot was more the performer.

  “Oh, you don’t have to picture it. I’ve got photographs.” Annabel trotted out through the back door, presumably to the upstairs apartment she shared with Dot.

  Paisley glanced at her watch. “Can I get a cream cheese croissant while I wait to see Annabel’s pictures?” She enjoyed the socializing as much as she enjoyed the fresh pastries filling the air with their sweet scent, but her day demanded that she enjoy them at the same time.

  “Yes, yes, in just a moment.” Dot reached up to grab the brim of the knit newsboy hat she wore over spiky silver hair. “But first… I have a picture of my own to show you.” She whipped off the cap and spun to reveal where she’d shaved the back part of her head to have a cross tattooed on her skull.

  Paisley blinked in shock and thanked God that Dot was facing the other direction and couldn’t see her reaction.

  Dot pivoted around.

  Paisley forced the corners of her lips to turn up in a smile. She had to say something. But what?

  “I got a tattoo!”

  That much was obvious, though the reason behind such an act was not. “Why did you put it on your head?”

  Dot shrugged. “I figured that if I didn’t like it, I could grow my hair over it and never have to look at it again.”

  “Of course.”

  “Earl used to make fun of me because I was afraid to get a tattoo. Well, he has no room to talk now.”

  Paisley’s toes curled in her boots at the thought of the pain that surely came with needles to the scalp. Dottie really went to extremes to get over an ex. Paisley wasn’t that bad, was she? Moving to a different state and opening a kids’ camp was something she’d have loved to do anyway. And it wasn’t going to bring her pain. Only healing. “Didn’t that hurt?” she asked.

  “Honey, I wanted to kick the tattoo artist in his face.”

  Paisley choked on her spit at the image. “You didn’t, did you?”

  “I couldn’t. He was behind me.”

  “That’s a relief.” Paisley pulled a scarred, wooden chair out from a nearby table to take a seat. She didn’t want to be standing for any more outrageous news.

  The skin around Dot’s eyes crinkled into a familiar pattern as she grinned. “Snake is a marvelous man actually. I can’t believe he doesn’t own a Harley. Anyway, he’s going to let me be his apprentice.”

  Sitting wasn’t enough. Paisley also needed to clean out her ears. Because she couldn’t have heard that correctly. “You’re going to… you’re going to become a tattoo artist?”

  “Yessiree. It will have to be a side job
. Good thing I didn’t take your horse ranch position.”

  Paisley stared. “Good thing.”

  “But before I start at the tattoo parlor, Snake says I need to take art classes first.”

  Saved by the clack of Annabel’s boots. “We are both going to take art classes. Invite her to the Christmas Bazaar, Dot.”

  “You have to come see our art at the Christmas Bazaar.”

  That was better than having Dot want to practice tattoo design on her body. “Sure. I’d love to.”

  Dot clapped again before scampering behind the counter to retrieve Paisley’s order. Then both women leaned over her shoulders as Annabel shared the newspaper clippings. According to photo captions, she’d been an Olympic hopeful in the 60s. Who’d have thought?

  The bell tinkled over the front door and cold air rushed in to announce the entry of a group of skiers. Dot and Annabel scurried back to work, leaving Paisley to eat her croissant and read the articles in peace. Except she didn’t. She watched the older women laugh and joke and charm their customers. They were single like her, but they weren’t alone. They had each other.

  Paisley may have a purpose, but she didn’t have anybody to share it with. Not even family, as she’d left them all in Sun Valley.

  That’s what she wanted for Christmas. A friend who not only cared about her big ideas, but pursued them alongside her. A friend who made her a better person. A friend who took her mind off the ache of emptiness that came with a cancelled wedding.

  ****

  JOSHUA LAKE’S WHOLE BODY ached with exhaustion. He blinked awake and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. How long had he been driving now? The sun had recently come up to reflect off the snow and blind him, so he’d successfully pulled his first all-nighter since college. Though he doubted anyone would call him a success.

  He glanced at the dashboard clock. Ten in the morning. That meant he’d been behind the wheel for almost twenty-four hours. Practically a whole day. Worst day of his life.

  Josh shifted his weight from one numb butt cheek to the other then arched his back to stretch his sore spine. He pressed the window lever to revive himself with crisp mountain air. He was used to the icy wind, but the sweet earthy scent of pine trees stung his nostrils. He definitely wasn’t in Chicago anymore.

  According to the GPS screen on his dashboard, he had another five hours until he reached Tracen’s house in Sun Valley, Idaho. Which was worse? Driving five more hours or facing his brothers with their questions of why he’d had to drive in the first place?

  He’d always been the prosperous brother. First the cocky bull-rider. Then the big city businessman. Yet now he didn’t have enough money to spend the night in a cheap hotel — not that there were going to be any cheap hotels in the next town of Big Sky. Most gorgeous ski resort he’d ever been to. Back when he could afford it.

  Dare he pull his brand new Mercedes to the side of the road and recline the seat for a little shut-eye huddled underneath his goose down parka? Or should he muscle through with the radio blaring and caffeine pumping in his veins?

  He cranked up the volume to yet another station playing holiday music to inspire himself to sing along. But all the cheerful songs started sounding the same after a while. Where was Elvis’s rendition of Blue Christmas when he needed it?

  He squared his jaw as he rounded a bend. The Coffee Cottage. As close to an oasis as he could get in this frozen landscape.

  The small brown coffee shop looked more like a house than a business with its bright red trim and steep, blue metal roof peeking out from a blanket of snow. White twinkle lights and a wicker reindeer on the steps gave it a girly feel, but surely the owners could sell him a manly cup of black coffee. He glanced at the coins in his center console. That’s all he’d be able to afford anyway.

  He slowed to pull off the road and park then unfolded his limbs from the front seat. Too bad he’d traded his Lexus in for this new lease. Now he couldn’t even sell the car to get a little cash. He was that pathetic.

  Snow crunched under his feet. He’d forgotten what silence sounded like. It made him itch with apprehension.

  The bell over the bright red door jingled as he entered, slicing through the quiet like an alarm clock. If only it could wake him from this nightmare.

  “Joshua Lake.”

  Someone recognized him? His nightmare was getting worse.

  That voice. That tone. Where had he heard it before? And why was he hearing it in Big Sky?

  He scanned the room. Two grandmothers dressed like high schoolers twittered and gabbed from behind the coffee counter. A group of men laughed at their antics. None of them even glanced his way.

  There. With her elbows propped on a table, her hazel eyes focused on him. Where had he seen those freckles before?

  Sheridan Ranch. Paisley Sheridan. She’d been a little behind him in school — in Sam’s class, if he remembered correctly — and seemed to avoid him when he worked at her dad’s ranch. He’d gotten the impression it was because she was disgusted with all the girls he dated as a teenager, but he was a changed man now.

  Not that Paisley’s opinion mattered. Or it shouldn’t matter. So why did he still he cringe at the idea of admitting he was broke and alone at Christmas?

  He didn’t actually have to admit he was broke, did he? He’d turn on his charm and keep the conversation focused on her. He’d make her like him. Then maybe he’d like himself a little more.

  “Paisley Sheridan. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on the top of a Christmas tree this time of year?”

  ****

  HE WAS CALLING HER an angel? Oh yeah, this was Josh all right. Most girls from high school would blush and giggle, but that had never been her relationship with him. And eight years later, Josh should know not to expect anything else from her. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be giving Mary a ride to Bethlehem?”

  One corner of his mouth curved up as he sauntered her way. His eyes narrowed in scrutiny. “Are you calling me an—”

  “Yes.”

  “Same old Paisley.”

  “Same old Josh.”

  A warm current zipped through her body. Like that day when she was eight and she’d touched an electric fence even though Dad told her not to. This was worse.

  Of all the times for Josh to show up in her life, it had to be right after she swore off men. She’d wanted a friend, but not one whose kiss made her feel like her blood sugar dipped too low.

  Of course, there was no reason they ever had to see each other again after this. He was probably only in town for the holidays. Maybe he was even on his honeymoon. After all, he’d been engaged the last time she’d spoken with his brother. Gah. She shouldn’t be thinking about kissing him at all.

  There wasn’t any mistletoe around, was there? She did a quick scan of the doorways to make sure she was safe.

  “Seriously, what are you doing here? Vacation?” he pressed. “You must be doing well for yourself.”

  Not yet. But she was going to live in a spot where others vacation. That was pretty good, right? She’d tell herself it was. “I inherited my grandpa’s ranch.”

  He planted one palm on the back of the chair across from her and leaned onto it as if he needed it to hold him up. “What an opportunity.”

  Dot appeared. “It is. Paisley’s turning the ranch into a retreat center and camp. It’s going to be great. I’d go work for her myself if I wasn’t already training to become a tattoo artist.”

  Paisley might not have to talk to Josh after all. Dot could do it for her. Paisley would sit back and enjoy the entertainment of Josh’s expressions as he struggled with how to respond to the shop owner.

  His eyes widened. And they looked a little bloodshot for some reason. “What an opportunity,” he said again. Was he okay?

  Dot clapped her hands. “Oh, Joshua, you have to see my tattoo.” She whirled and removed her hat all in one motion.

  Paisley dragged her eyes from Josh to frown up at
Dot. How did they know each other? “You know him?”

  Had Josh been coming to the shop regularly? Had he moved to Big Sky? That meant there would be the chance of running into him repeatedly. She might have to start starving her sweet tooth to keep that from happening.

  “I do now.” Dot wrinkled her nose. “I heard you call him by name when he entered, and I’m sure we are going to be the best of friends.” She looked over her shoulder. “You like tattoos and coffee, right Joshua?”

  There was that half smirk again. His gaze dipped to Paisley for a second. “Love them. How much for a cup of black coffee?”

  “First cup is always free for Paisley’s friends,” Annabel called from behind the counter as she poured him a steaming mug.

  Paisley pressed her lips together to keep from arguing that he wasn’t her friend. She didn’t need the older women to admonish her for being such a Grinch. And she didn’t want to answer questions about what kind of relationship she used to have with Josh. Especially in front of the man.

  Josh stuck a hand in his pocket and coins clinked. Somehow paying for coffee with change didn’t match the image of “the same old Josh.” And where was that fiancé of his? Back in Chicago? Had he left her there for a reason? Paisley should have gotten a look at his ring finger before his hand disappeared.

  “That’s really nice of you, ma’am. Could I possibly get the coffee to go? I’ve been driving all night and I have five more hours until I reach Sun Valley.”

  “What?” Dot took the words right out of Paisley’s mouth. Though Paisley wouldn’t have had quite the volume and dramatic flair.

  Paying for coffee with change was one thing, but driving cross-country? According to Josh’s little brother Sam, he’d always flown first class. And besides, driving straight through from Chicago by himself wasn’t safe. “That’s not safe.”