by Robin Roseau
“She said you were a poop and wouldn’t help.”
“True.”
“Good. Tipping over now and then builds character.”
“Right. Character.”
“Exactly. So. You have a date tonight.”
“With whom?”
She hit my arm. “Your hot girlfriend.”
“I do?”
“Oh, do not let her know you forgot. Or did she forget to ask you.”
“Oh.” I said. “She said when we got back. I didn’t realize she meant the same day. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she said. “She was making sure Mom and I were covering for you, so you could enjoy yourselves.”
“You’re a life saver.”
“That’s me,” she agreed. “Everything here is fine. A group came through, but otherwise nothing that wasn’t scheduled. We received a few bookings. No cancellations. No emergencies. You can see to your own needs today and worry about the resort again tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Jenna.”
* * * *
Per Alyssa’s request, I dressed to the nines. We were only having dinner in the lodge, but she asked me to look my best, so I did, taking my time. When I was done, I gave myself a once-over and decided I looked pretty good, pretty good indeed, for a woman who just spent the last four nights sleeping on the hard ground.
I headed out front. Jenna was waiting for me, and she was dressed in her own dress. I stopped, staring. She snorted at me. “I don’t look that weird.”
“I haven’t seen you in a dress since…” Since Grams’ funeral.
“I decided to upscale tonight,” she said. “Stop staring. Your girlfriend will grow jealous. She’s waiting.” Then she gestured, and I turned to look.
Alyssa was sitting at a table for two. They had rearranged. She was in front of the window, one that normally had a table for four. But it looked quite nice with a fresh, white tablecloth. My chair was waiting for me, and there was something at my place setting. Jenna led me over, and by the time I arrived, Alyssa was standing.
She was in her own dress, artfully made up, and she glittered besides. To top it off, she wore a red rose above her left breast, and there was one waiting for me.
She was absolutely stunning, and I found myself staring.
“Hello, Janis,” she said. “I’m glad you could come.” She closed the last little distance and pulled me into a hug and kiss, a deep, scorching kiss. Then, as I stood a little numbly, she and Jenna pinned my flower in place. Alyssa handed me into my place before taking her own. She set her hand on the table, and I gave her mine.
A minute later, I received my next clue something was going on, but I didn’t truly recognize it for what it was. Jenna arrived with a bottle of wine, a very, very nice bottle of wine, better than we stocked. I didn’t say anything, but a minute later, Alyssa and I tapped glasses and sipped.
It was nice, quite nice indeed.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I ordered for both of us.” She lifted my hand and kissed my fingers.
I smiled, unsure what to say. But I enjoyed looking at her, especially when she made an effort, and she’d certainly made an effort tonight.
“I can’t tell you how much I enjoy being up here with you,” Alyssa declared. “Blues is happier, too.”
“You have a nice home in the cities.”
“But here she gets to play with Henry and Flapper, and there’s so much more.”
“True,” I agreed.
“I think she’s fond of their Mom, too.”
I smiled, a little overwhelmed by the praise she was heaping my way. I dropped my gaze and stared at our joined hands for a minute.
“Janis?” she said. I looked up. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Just then, Jenna returned. I was a little surprised she was acting as the wait staff. She usually hated it. But she practically bounced up. She had a basket of mixed breads and a bottle of olive oil. She set down the basket and a plate, spread oil around the plate, then added cracked pepper. I glanced into the basket and saw breads we didn’t normally have. I looked up at her.
“We’re trying a few new ones,” she said.
“Okay,” I said slowly. I didn’t want to talk about it in front of Alyssa, though, and could talk to Jenna tomorrow. “They look good.”
“Salads will be a few minutes,” she announced before stepping away.
“Is something wrong?” Alyssa asked.
“Not a thing,” I replied. “I’m not usually the last to know about changes.”
“It’s putting you off.”
“A little,” I admitted.
“Well,” she said with a gesture. “This is my change. Dinner might have a few others. Please don’t be mad.”
“You’ve been conspiring with my staff.”
“Yep.”
I laughed. “All right then.”
“Excellent. Try this one.” She withdrew a hunk of bread and handed it to me. “Make sure you get some of the pepper.”
We made small talk. There were a lot of smiles. The salads came. There were pieces of lobster spread in amongst the greens. “Where did we get lobster?”
“My folks shipped some to me,” Alyssa said. “Don’t worry. No one else is getting any. This is something called bulldozer lobsters. Don’t ask me why they’re called that; I have no idea. But they are native to the Gulf. It’s not fresh, not exactly. Fresh frozen. The fishing boats all have freezing units of some sort. Mom bought these from the market near the marina.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” she said. “I asked her to mail some.”
The salad was good. I’d never had lobster on my salad, although I’d had shrimp. We didn’t normally serve coastal seafood here. I decided I liked the lobster. It was sweeter than shrimp, but offered a nice flavor.
The entire meal was like that, and in between, Alyssa told me repeatedly about the things she liked about being with me or being at the resort. It was sweet, and I was entirely overwhelmed with what to say.
We finished the meal. Jenna announced there would be a special dessert, and she poured fresh coffee for us.
I should have known something was up. Well, I sort of knew something was up, but I was blind as to what.
But everyone was there. Oh, they weren’t looking like it. But Melanie had appeared. She was dealing with something that didn’t need dealing with. And Ted had arrived. He was sitting at a table across the dining hall. He hadn’t come for dinner, but it looked like he was enjoying one of our desserts. Mackenzie, who ran our stable, was hovering around. I thought she needed something, but until she approached me, I wasn’t going to worry about it.
And then Jenna appeared. She was carrying a tray, which she set down in front of me. Then she leaned over and kissed my cheek and whispered, “Just so you know; everyone approves.”
I turned to look at her, but she stepped away. Alyssa squeezed my hand and said, “I drew these.”
I looked down. On the tray before me were pencil drawings, maybe nearly two dozen in total. The top was the lodge. It was pretty good. I picked it up and looked at it for a minute, smiling. “It’s lovely, Alyssa.”
“Keep going.”
She had a few of one of the cabins, cabin 3, which she normally used, if it was free. Most were of the cabin. Two were of the view from the front door.
And then there were drawings of a new building. It looked a little like the lodge, quite a bit like the lodge, and stately, but not remotely as large. There were several of the outside, and then more that were clearly of the inside. There were a few offering different floor plans. And then, at the end, more showing what the view might be. The final sheet was a color image of the entire resort area, including a portion of the lake. I thought it might have come from Google Maps. And there were several places marked, and along the top it said, “Possible building sites.”
I looked up at Alyssa.
“I’ll pay for the c
onstruction,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be exactly like anything I drew. I was playing with ideas. There’s a big bedroom for us so we can have a big bed. I gave us both offices, too, although maybe you’ll continue to use the one here in the lodge.”
“Alyssa, I don’t understand.”
She gestured to the window. Jenna was outside, and she had the three dogs lined up, looking in through the window, watching us.
“Janis, I love you,” Alyssa said. “Blues loves you. I want to spend the rest of my life here, with you.” And then she slipped to the floor, kneeling in front of me. And she lifted a small box, opening it. Two rings nestled inside.
I began crying.
Alyssa lifted the box. “Janis Swain, I think I fell in love with you the day you cried with me. I know I am entirely in love with you now, and I think you’re in love with me. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”
The ring fits perfectly.
Afterword
We’re not married, not yet. Soon.
The first thing I did, well, not the very first thing, but the first thing the next morning was to block out Cabin 3 indefinitely. Alyssa and I have moved in for now.
Construction began on our new home last week. We set it out past Cabin 3, facing the lake, of course. It should be done by the end of the summer. We’ve scheduled the wedding so that afterwards, we’ll spend our first night as a married couple as our first night in our new home.
I couldn’t be happier.
Alyssa’s house in the cities went on the market. She had an offer three days later. She’ll still need a home in the cities so she can visit with her clients. Bernice has a friend, Abby, a widow, whose house has a mother-in-law apartment. Alyssa is getting a good deal, and Abby loves the dogs.
She’s coming up for the wedding.
Sue Swanson brought her daughter, Megan, two days after graduation. I didn’t need to put Megan in a closet; she’s living in my former bedroom. She’s working her tail off, and when she isn’t working, she’s probably out on the water.
We’ve made some other enhancements to The Red Paws Inn. First, the welcome photo of me has been replaced with one of both Alyssa and me. And we’ve added a new section: Weddings in the Boundary Waters. Ours will be first, but Jenna and Alyssa surprised me with this part. Jenna has become licensed to conduct marriages in Minnesota. They’re legal ceremonies. For our wedding, Jenna will officiate.
With Bernice!
She cried over the phone when we asked if she would help.
Melanie asked if she could get licensed, too, and I’m going to, as well. We don’t know how popular a choice this will be, but we’re offering weddings at the resort or even a destination deeper into the Boundary Waters.
And, at everyone’s urging, we’re adding more cabins, cautiously. I’m not going to fill the entire property, but we can support another four without overwhelming the region. After that, we’ll see.
I couldn’t be happier. I think Alyssa feels the same way. I know the dogs are happy.
As I write these final words, I am looking at Caroline’s picture. Alyssa has one in the living room at Abby’s in the cities, but we have another here. It will hold a place of honor in the living room of our new home, with a view of the lake.
Caroline, I am very sorry you are gone. Thank you so much for sharing Alyssa with me.
I’ll take care of her for you, and Blues, too.
About the Author
A writer by avocation, Robin has a renaissance interest in many areas. A bit of a gypsy, Robin has called a few places home and has traveled widely. A love of the outdoors, animals in general and experimenting with world cuisines, Robin and partner share their home with a menagerie of pets and guests, although sometimes it is difficult to discern who is whom.
Robin can be reached via email as [email protected]. Robin's web site is http://www.robin-roseau.com.
Works by Robin Roseau
The Madison Wolves Series
Fox Run
Fox Play
Fox Mate
Fox Afield
Fox Revenge
Fox Dish
Fox Lost
Wolf Watch
Wolf Ways
Wolf Women
Fox Fate
Jaguar
Omega Born
Omega Life
Omega Choice (coming soon)
Fox Short Stories
Hunting Pups
Fox in the Water
Fox Rematch (set after Fox Mate and Fox Afield)
Fox Opponent
A Foxy Valentine
Other Books in the Madison Wolves Universe
Familiar
Kitty Cat
Poor Little Witch Girl
Seer
Seer: Thrall
Seer: Guardian
The Selected Series
Collected
Taken
Volunteer
Candidate
Recruited
Galatea
Beginnings
Lottery
Selected Roommate
The Games People Play Series
Stories that ask a simple question: do you want to play a game?
Do You Want to Play a Game?
My Soul to Play
My Soul to Lose
The Five Kingdoms
Privateer
Searching the High Seas
The Pawn Series
Pawn
Bishop
Rook
Queen (Coming Soon)
Ressaline
Encircled (Claary)
Delegation (Allium)
Ambassador
Princess
Crown Princess (Ahlianna)
Other Novels and Novellas
Anonymous Bidder
Blood Slave
A Charming Brew
Emergency Claus
Encircled
Fitting In
Fluid
Free to Love
Galatzi Trade
Galatzi World
Galatzi Joy
Galatzi Life
In Custody
Lace
Lost in the Words
Metabrain
Mind Wipe
Outside The Box
Red Paws Inn
Stark's Dell
Submission
Sugar Baby
Surprise
The Interrogation
Tresjolie
Trust
White
The Ski Bindings Shorts
Short stories of love and lust amongst the slopes.
Snow Fox
Short Stories
Cooking for Love
Southern Night
Captured by the Raptor (writing as Rosetta Robins)
Red Paws Inn
Copyright 2019 by Robin Roseau
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
* * *
License Notes
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Table of Contents
Credits
Running the Inn
Of Paddles and Tents
Goodbye
Caroline
Marketing
Despondent
Return Visit
Date Night
Can It Work?
Time
Family
Conversations
A Conversation
Small Box
Afterword
About the Author
Works by Robin Roseau
The Madison Wolves Series
Fox Short Stories
Other Books in the Madison Wolves Universe
The Selected Series
The Games People Play Series
The Five Kingdoms
The Pawn Series
Ressaline
Other Novels and Novellas
The Ski Bindings Shorts
Short Stories