“Yeah, actually... I think Lena said that that was Devon's idea.”
“Wow,” Emily said, thinking about Devon with his head in the clouds and his eyes glued to his phone.
“I know it's hard to see past the hipster carelessness,” James said, as if reading her mind. “but that kid has a lot of potential if his family would let him make some decisions about the business.”
“Fat chance of that,” Emily said, going over and grabbing another slice of coffee cake, wrapping it in foil.
“You wanna head out early?” he asked, watching her anxious energy. He could already see her cataloging all the things she could be doing. Straightening the sitting room. Helping Alec get the horses out to pasture.
Emily thought about the empty front desk for a second. Devon wouldn't arrive for an hour. But it was too early for check-ins and no one was due to check out for another two days.
“We'll leave a note at reception,” James suggested, making her turn to him. Had she been mumbling out loud? “So everyone knows they cant check out until after eight.”
“Alright,” she agreed.
A few minutes later, they were nestled in his car, cranking the heat. He had seat warmers. Which she used to think were absurd and ostentatious, but had suddenly decided they should be considered basic necessities. James laughed as she groaned and sank in the chair lower. “So where are we going?”
Emily held a hand out, pointing toward the left. “Follow that road until you hit a lodge,” she said, closing her eyes.
James pulled out of the parking space. “Hey are those flurries?” he asked, sounding excited at the prospect.
“Don't be ridiculous,” Emily said, not bothering to open her eyes. “It's too early for snow.”
She was sitting pin straight in her seat twenty minutes later, eyes wide, looking out the windows like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Beside her, James was white-knuckling the steering wheel, looking completely out of his comfort zone.
“Oh my god,” Emily said, squinting to see.
“I told you I saw flurries,” James said, smiling, but not taking his eyes off the steep road.
“This makes no sense,” Emily said, shaking her head. “It's like a friggen blizzard.”
“Climate change?” James suggested, wishing he had had the good sense to buy a bigger, snow-capable vehicle. “We could turn back,” he suggested.
“Are you crazy?” Emily asked, watching the snow envelope the car, making it almost impossible to see. “Going up is bad enough. We would end up wrapped around a tree trying to get back down.”
“Up it is then,” he agreed, thinking how unprepared they were for being stuck up a mountain. No reservations. No luggage. And the storm didn't seem like it was planning on giving up any time soon. There was no way they would be back in Stars Landing by dinnertime.
Beside him, Emily seemed to be of the same mindset as she pulled out her phone and started texting manically. “Just letting everyone know what is going on,” she said when she noticed him glance at her. “Hey,” she scolded. “I don't know about you, but I'd rather not end up a mangled mess in a closed casket. Keep your eyes on the road.”
It was fifteen long minutes later when they finally pulled past a sign that welcomed them to Star Lodge. The building itself was a long, sprawling, two story log cabin structure with a a main focal point where the roof pitched up in a triangle huge with windows lined inside it. Porches lined each level, overlooking the huge drop that would make for great skiing.
“This place is massive,” James said, thinking about the picture on the brochure that had made it almost look quaint and intimate.
“Forty-eight guest rooms,” Emily agreed, nodding.
“So Devon is like...”
“Really rich?” Emily asked, laughing. “Yeah. They have owned this place for a few generations. It's gorgeous. Even in the off season, they do weddings and corporate getaways. There is actually a huge lake right out back. So they get sportsmen in the summer. They do really good business up here. His family isn't hands-on though. They sit back in their house on the hill in the expensive part of Stars Landing, spending money like water and bitching at Devon for wasting his life working at the inn.”
“He's a kid still,” James insisted, pulling the key out of the ignition. The parking lot was really full considering it was early in the season for them. “Mark my words,” he said, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the car. “one day he is going to demand to be given more control of this place. He just needs to grow up a bit first.”
“Fuck,” Emily said, getting out of the car and curling into her sweater and ducking her head. She looked over at James for a second. “Race ya,” she said and was already off, giving herself a slight head start toward the door.
James burst through the door half a second before she did, tumbling in and grabbing the back of a couch to hold her up as she caught her breath.
“I win,” he said, smiling at her for a second before looking around. It was a huge great room. There was a desk off to one side, two employees there looking over at them like it was the most normal thing in the world to see adults running into the building. Everything was wood. The floors, the walls, the ceiling. It felt streamlined but comfortable. To the side was a massive fireplace with an assortment of couches around it for warming up after a long day out on the slopes. To the right of the room were small round tables with chairs. For having hot cocoa or coffee. For planning your day. For watching the snowfall out of the many windows.
“Wow,” he said, nodding.
“Yeah,” Emily agreed, never having gotten used to the gorgeousness of the place, despite visiting at least once every year for a decade.
“Emily?” one of the employees asked, coming toward them. She was a few years younger than Emily with long black hair, big black eyes, and an altogether intoxicatingly exotic look about her. Native American possibly. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Aria,” Emily said, smiling at the woman in her blue jeans and white sweater. “You look great,” she added and James had to admit she did. “This guy over here decided he wanted to see the lodge today. We thought we could be back in Stars Landing before dinner.”
“Yeah that's not gonna happen,” Aria said, smiling. “they are already closing the roads on both ends. The weather is predicting a foot up here and five or so inches back in town. You'll be lucky if you can get back tomorrow.”
“Please tell me you have rooms,” Emily said, looking around. “I don't want to have to crash on the couches in the staff break room,” she said, grimacing. “again.”
“Well you lucked out,” Aria said, taking in their momentary relief. “we have one room left.”
Emily glanced over at James with a tightening in her belly. Oh, no. That was not going to work. “Please tell me it is a suite or a double.”
Aria looked between them, a sinister smile spreading across her too-pretty face. “Afraid not. It's a junior room with a... full sized bed.”
“And a pull out couch, right?” Emily asked, not caring how desperate she sounded. She couldn't, she absolutely could not, spend a night in a full sized bed with James Michaels. Nope. That was not going to happen.
“Afraid not,” Aria smiled at her. “We had the oddest call at the crack of dawn this morning,” she said, lifting a brow.
Emily felt dread building. “What kind of call?”
“Oh, a call from town,” Aria hedged. “reserving the last room with two queen sized beds.”
“What?” Emily asked, screwing up her face. That made no sense. “Who called?”
“Oh you know,” a familiar voice said, coming up from the side, making Emily's spine straighten. No way. “I just thought that this would be as good a place as any to sit around and read my smut,” Maude said, stepping in front of them, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
“Oh you're trading rooms with us, you crazy woman,” Emily said, staring dag
gers at Maude.
“Afraid I cant do that,” Maude smiled sweetly.
“You're one person. You don't need two beds,” Emily objected. She looked at Maude's stubborn smile and groaned. “Fine. Then I am taking the extra bed in your room. There it's all settled.”
“Cant do that either,” Maude said, clucking her tongue.
“Why the hell not?” Emily demanded.
“Because where would the fun be in that?” Maude asked, patting her shoulder as she walked past, toward the hot chocolate cart over by reception.
“That card reading, pain in the ass, meddling...”
“Easy tiger,” James said, chuckling at her outrage. He smiled at Aria, reaching in his pocket and pulling out his credit card. “I guess we'll take the room,” he said, putting a hand on Emily's arm. She looked like she was ready to bound across the room and tackle the older woman and wrestle her room key out of her hand.
“Great,” Aria said, giving him a beaming, appreciative smile. “I'll just go and check you guys in. There's a gift shop,” she said, taking in their snow-soaked clothes. “if you want to go and grab some warm, dry clothes.”
“Thanks,” James smiled at her and watched her turn to walk away. He shrugged at Emily who still looked like she was fuming, but, more so... panicked. “Gotta make the best of this,” he reasoned. “Come on... your teeth are chattering. Show me to this gift shop.”
The gift shop was the size of an average chain coffee shop, with rows and racks of winter gear: heavy coats, snow pants, long johns, hats, scarves, gloves, boots. They could barely push through the aisles, grabbing various items and piling them in their arms.
Emily had two pairs of comfortable looking gray sweatpants and two Stars Lodge sweatshirts, one in pink, one in white. They apparently did not carry underwear and only huge, bulky men's socks, which she grabbed a bag of.
When she caught up with James, half of his face was blocked by the pile in his hands. It looked like he had picked out some sweatpants and sweatshirts as well, his in blue and black. But on top of that, he had two sets of snow gear. One was in black, for him she assumed. And another set was in bright purple.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, putting her items on the cashier's counter.
“Hey, we're stuck here,” he said, smiling. “we might as well get out and enjoy it,” he added, throwing his pile on top of her's and reaching for his wallet. “Go pick out some boots. I didn't know your size.”
“What? No. I'm paying for myself,” she said, looking at the cashier. “don't you dare take his money,” she warned, going off to grab a pair of boots. When she got back, all of two minutes later, James was already signing a credit card receipt and the cashier was bagging the items. She sent Emily a guilty look.
“Don't blame her. Who could resist my charm?” he asked, laughing when she glared at him. He threw an arm around her shoulders. “Aside from you, that is.”
“Alright,” Aria said, breezing in silently behind them, making them both jump, Emily pulling out from under his arm and reaching for their bags. “All checked in. I'll show you guys to your room.”
She led them up to the second floor, down the hall away from the railing that overlooked down into the great room. “You have a view of the lake from here. Which is frozen, but still pretty,” she told them, coming up to a door with a sixteen burned into the wood. She pulled a credit card key out of her pocket and slipped it into the scanner before handing it to James. At Emily's raised brow, she produced another key and handed it to Emily. “Well, I'll let you two settle in. Em you know the meal schedules and whatnot. I doubt they will have the big slopes open this early, but you guys can do some cross country or maybe the bunny hills. For skiing and snowboarding. Have a nice stay,” she said starting to walk away.
Emily watched as Maude slowly made her way up the stairs, smiling at the two of them in the hallway. “Hey Aria,” she called.
“Yeah?”
“What room is Maude in?”
Aria's smile spread across her face, huge and amused. “Seventeen.”
“Son of a bitch,” Emily said, charging into her room and throwing the bags on the too-small bed.
James stood in the doorway for a moment, winking at Maude as she put her key in her door. “Maude,” he said, sounding like he was going to laugh. “always a pleasure.”
“Aint my pleasure you should be worried about,” Maude cackled, slamming the door.
James closed the door with a quiet click, looking around their room which wasn't much bigger than the dorm room he had shared in college. There was the bed with plain, plush white linens. A desk was pressed up under the huge window, a small pile of stationary and a mug full of pens there. Across from the bed was a small wooden dresser with a large flat screen television on top of it.
The walls were plain, letting the natural wood's beauty be the focal point. The drapes on the window were white and sheer which would allow a generous amount of light when the snow cleared.
He opened the door right behind him, leading to the first room he had seen in the entire lodge that didn't have wooden walls. The bathroom. It was new. Updated. Luxurious considering it wasn't a suite. The floor and walls were a pristine white tile which matched the vanity for the sink. A deep rectangular bathtub was situated in the center of the room, a stall shower with floor to ceiling glass panels in a corner.
“Wow,” James said, going back into the bedroom.
“Devon's idea,” Emily said, standing in front of the window, watching the snow fall, seeming heavier by the moment. “His family went away to Napa for the summer and he... showed up and had all the rooms renovated. They were awful before. They had plaid comforters on the beds, old box TVs, and stall showers... with curtains.”
“The horror,” James smiled, slipping out of his shoes. “How did he get the money?” he asked, knowing it would take well over a million to overhaul that many rooms.
Emily shrugged. “When I say his family is rich... I mean rich like your brother is rich. Devon's parents give him an annual lump sum of money. Which he uses to invest.”
“Risky,” James said, thinking about the laid back slacking employee at the inn's front desk. Was he really that good with money?
“Yeah, but he has like a sixth sense or something. Besides, he lives off his paycheck from the inn. He rents a room above one of the stores. His living expenses are minimal. So even if one of his ventures failed... he doesn't hurt because of it. Anyway. Last year he made a good investment that really paid out. He used all the money to redo the rooms.”
“Was his family pissed?”
“You have no idea,” Emily laughed. “But Devon insisted that with the upgrades, they could charge more per room. Besides, they got it all free of charge. They're making out like bandits thanks to him.”
James made a mental note to have a talk with Devon before he was done in Stars Landing. Help him realize his potential. “Alright,” James said, reaching in the bag and throwing Emily's snow pants and jacket at her. “get bundled up. I am going to show you up on that bunny hill.”
“Ohh, big talk,” Emily said, grabbing her sweatpants and the pink sweatshirt and heading toward the bathroom. “I've spent countless hours on that bunny hill,” she said, closing the door. She stripped out of her cold, wet clothes, getting quickly redressed. When she walked back out, James was lacing up his boots, a pair of goggles sitting on top of the hat on his head. He looked entirely too sexy all covered up in waterproof layers. “You're going down,” she told him, grabbing for her gloves and hat.
“Oh, I hope so,” James said, winking suggestively at her, laughing when her mouth fell open.
Twelve
She was losing. Despite knowing the landscape. Despite having practiced on that particular slope dozens of time. He was whooping her ass on his skis. Which made sense. He probably spent his winters in Aspen and Vermont. Hell, probably more like Innsbruck and Vale with his kind of money.
<
br /> Emily stooped down, grabbing a handful of snow and mashing it together. He was still facing away from her, showing off. The second he started to turn to see what happened to her, she cocked her arm back and let loose. She had the satisfaction of hitting his cheek and seeing him topple forward in surprise.
He pushed himself back up on his feet, smiling devilishly. “Oh, you're gonna pay for that.”
Emily squealed, quickly turning away and pushing hard against the snow, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She skidded to a stop by the ski rental, pushing down on the ski levers and pulling her boots out. He was still a few yards behind her and if she booked it, she could make it back to the lodge before he caught up with her.
She hadn't, however, anticipated just how determined he was to get his payback. Just as the door was in view, she saw a blur to her side and the next thing she knew, she was flying backward, hitting the fluffy snow softly. James landed on top of her, wrestling with the zipper to her jacket as she struggled. What the hell was he trying to do?
The next thing she knew, the jacket was open and he was stuffing a handful of snow down the neck of her sweatshirt, springing off of her as she screeched, clawing at her clothes to try to grab the sliding snow. She saw him sneak into the lodge and got up in a huff. The freezing water was sliding down into her underwear. It was hopeless.
She walked up to the door, stomping the excess snow off her boots before going in. James was standing at the hot chocolate cart, scooping something into two mugs.
“That was quite the little foreplay out there,” Maude said, walking past, her eyes bright.
“Oh my god... it was not...”
“Tell that to those wet panties.” Emily's mouth fell open, feeling her cheeks start to redden. “Wet from the snow, I meant,” Maude said when James walked up, holding out a mug of hot chocolate with melting whipped cream on top.
“What is wet from the snow?”
What The Heart Knows Page 9