“What do you think?” Luke asked proudly as I stared at it in surprise.
“It’s amazing.”
He pointed to my car. “Let’s get this thing unloaded and get you settled in.”
The house was even more amazing on the inside. It had been decorated in a rustic, but cozy theme. Lots of throw rugs, fireplaces, and tapestries. Downstairs was a kitchen and living room, plus a small guest room and bathroom. The second floor was entirely one large master bedroom with its own seating area, fireplace, and giant bathroom with a Jacuzzi bathtub. It opened to a beautiful balcony.
The top floor was my favorite. It had two more bedrooms, but also a giant multi-functional area. Lots of leather chairs and couches, another fireplace, and a small kitchenette and bar.
“Your grandparents went all out,” I said, taking it all in.
“This is where the whole family used to gather for the holidays. It was nice to have a place where we could all hang out and not feel claustrophobic.” He pointed to the large glass windows that looked toward the mountain. “We used to put the Christmas tree right there.”
“It sounds pretty magical,” I said, thinking about my lonely holidays. I usually ordered Chinese food and watched bad movies on Christmas day. “Are you sure you don’t mind me staying here? I’m sure you could be making a fortune renting this place during ski season.”
“I’d much rather help a friend than deal with renters,” Luke said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Just don’t make me regret this.”
“Tell you what, once I get settled in I will make you dinner as a thank you,” I said. “And it will probably not be terrible.”
“That sounds like a good deal,” he said with a laugh. Luke had a low chuckle that I’d always found oddly sexy.
I was happy to let Luke drive us back up the mountain and around the resort. His vehicle was much better at handling the snow and curves.
“Most of the seasonal mountain homes are up that way,” he said, waving off to the right. “We have some smaller rental rooms closer to the Center. That’s what we call the main resort area. That’s where you will be working.”
It seemed straight forward enough. “Where do the other employees live?”
“Some of them house-sit for the owners of the mountain homes. They live there year-round, except for when the owners return a couple of weeks out of the year for some skiing.”
“Where do they live during those times?” It seemed like a bit of a hassle having to pack up and leave for weeks at a time.
“They usually just bunk with a friend. We also have some employee rental rooms available.” Luke turned into the main parking lot. “Okay, so you’ve seen the Welcome Center. We have three restaurants, a gift shop, we have a rental shop farther down the road by the lifts. There’s a spa on your right. And two bars.”
“It’s almost like its own town,” I said. “Does that make you the mayor?”
He laughed. “Something like that.”
At the end of the road, he parked the car. “This is the store you’ll be running. I mentioned the rental shops, but this is an actual store. People can pick up winter gear, skis, boards, whatnot. We do pretty good business.”
I started toward the door and was surprised when Luke didn’t follow. “Aren’t we going inside?”
“You can start working on Monday.” He pointed back toward the bars. “Let’s go have some drinks.”
It was only mid-afternoon and most guests were still on the slopes or at the spa. Just a couple of men were seated at the bar. Luke waved to the bartender and led us to a secluded table in the corner. The bar was designed very much like a tavern straight out of a western movie and it was very charming.
“What do you do for fun around here?” I asked, wondering if Luke spent all his time on the resort.
“Work, mostly,” he said with a grimace. “It took me almost two years to figure everything out after Dad died. I finally feel like I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t have to work nonstop just to keep up.”
“Are you dating anyone?” I had already done a little digging online, but I hadn’t been able to find the answer to that question. I knew that he’d broken up with the girlfriend he’d had in college a few months before graduation, but I didn’t know if he’d started dating anyone seriously since then.
Luke’s eyes sparkled. “No, I’m not. The only women I encounter regularly are my employees. I try to keep things professional.”
“Does that include drinking with me?” I teased.
“You’re not my employee yet,” he said carefully. “Besides, we were friends first so this is different.”
“If you say so.” I took a sip of the frothy liquid. “This is delicious.”
“It’s an old family recipe.” He seemed pleased that I liked it.
My head tilted. “How did I not know that your family has its own beer?”
“People look at you different when you tell them your family owns a ski resort and beer company. I didn’t want people to only be friends with me because of my money.” His eyes darkened. “Not that it mattered. I learned who my real friends were anyway after Dad died.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “Did you know that only three people from college even reached out to me after it happened?”
“Really?” I remembered that I had called him a week afterward to see how he was doing. Should I have gone to the funeral? At that time, I hadn’t thought he would want me there. But now I wondered if I had been wrong.
“You were the first person to call me.” He studied his beer. “Derrick Court called me a couple of days after that. And my former girlfriend, Sandy, sent an email. That was it.”
“You’re kidding!” I couldn’t believe that none of our other friends had bothered to call him. “Wait. Eric came out with some guys to see you like a month afterward.”
His eyes snapped to my face. “No one visited me.”
“Yes, they did. I remember because I had to go to a wedding that weekend and Eric was supposed to go with me, but he came out here instead.” I remembered that I had been a little surprised because even though Eric and Luke had become friends over the years, Luke was more my friend than Eric’s.
“Emery, Eric never visited me,” Luke said softly.
It wasn’t until then that I realized the trip had been just another one of Eric’s lies. He had probably been spending a romantic weekend with some other girl. “Oh, right. I’m thinking of something else.”
I could tell from the awkward silence that Luke had figured it out at the same time as me. “Em, is everything okay?”
“Okay? My fiancé died, Luke. No, things aren’t okay.” I finished off my beer in one big swig. “I found a phone.”
“You found a phone?” he repeated, completely confused.
“A month ago. It was in Eric’s pocket. It wasn’t his real phone, the one that he used all the time.” I forced myself to look at Luke as I said, “He had another girlfriend. They’d been together for three years and she’s pregnant with his baby.”
Luke’s mouth dropped open and he leaned back in his seat. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “That’s messed up, Em. How are you handling it?”
“Not good, actually. I packed up all my shit and moved here,” I said with a grimace. “I just feel like such an idiot. I’ve been grieving his death for six months, Luke. I thought I lost the love of my life and it turns out, he was actually the love of someone else’s life. How could I have been so blind?”
“Wanting to believe the best about someone you love doesn’t make you an idiot, Em. It’s clear that Eric was doing everything he could to keep you from finding out.” Luke flagged down the bartender and two more beers were placed in front of us.
“You knew Eric. Would you have ever guessed he was capable of something like this?” I needed someone to confirm that I hadn’t been crazy for believing that Eric had been faithful to me.
Luke gave me a long look. “I don’t like to t
alk bad about people that aren’t around to defend themselves, but Eric was kind of an asshole, Emery.”
I was shocked. “What do you mean? I thought you guys were friends.”
He scoffed. “You and I were friends. He was just your boyfriend and a guy I occasionally had to pretend not to hate. There’s a big difference.”
“Fine. But you never acted like you had a problem with him back then.” In fact, Luke had spent a lot of time with us whenever Eric visited me at school.
“I tolerated him because I had to.” His eyes soften a little when he looked at me. “Because of you.”
“Because of me? What does that mean?” I asked.
“I liked being around you. You were funny and nerdy, like me. Not stupid and shallow like most of the people in college. But if I wanted to be around you, I sometimes had to put up with Eric.” He looked at his beer bottle. “That guy never treated you right, Em. He didn’t appreciate you.”
I swallowed hard. “I had no idea you felt that way. You never said anything.”
“You were in love,” he said with a wry smile. “Would it have made any difference?”
That was a good question. I had been pretty focused on Eric in college. Would I have been receptive to Luke’s thoughts on our relationship? Probably not.
“I don’t know,” I said with a sad shake of my head. “I guess it’s not an issue anymore.”
“I guess not.” He gave me a sympathetic look and then added, “I’m just glad you’re here with me now.”
I don’t know why those words made me so flustered, but my hand shook as I reached for my beer. “I’m ready for a fresh start. I’m ready to be happy again.”
Luke was looking at me intently, his blue eyes unnervingly tender when he said, “Take it from me, Em, you’re in good hands. Starlight is a great place to start over and I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you find happiness.”
CHAPTER THREE
A few minutes later, Luke excused himself to take a call and when he came back, he apologized because he needed to handle a ski lift emergency. He’d already called someone to give me a ride home and apologized five more times before leaving me with Greg, my chauffeur.
It was only mid-afternoon, so I got busy unpacking the things I’d brought with me. Because the house was three stories, it took longer than I thought it would take to get everything put away. When I was done, my legs were sore from carrying everything up to the bedroom and I was starving.
I was surprised to find a fully-stocked fridge in the kitchen. Luke had taken the time to stock it with the basics. It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture and made me tear up a little. It had been a long time since I’d had someone looking out for my basic needs.
After making a quick dinner, I filled the tub with hot water and turned on the jets. They immediately worked to loosen my sore muscles. I stayed in the bath for a long time and got out only when the water started to turn cold. Luke texted me as I was getting dressed in my flannel pajamas. He wanted to make sure I was settling in okay and to see if I needed anything.
When I told him I was getting ready to turn in, he asked if I’d be up for getting breakfast with him in the morning. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I made a cup of herbal tea and read a few chapters in my book before falling asleep in my new bed. I stayed asleep all night and woke feeling more refreshed than I had in six months.
When Luke knocked on my door an hour later, I was bursting with energy. His smile was gorgeous and I noticed that he had shaved. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Very well.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe how quiet it is here.”
“A little different than Chicago, huh?” Luke gestured to his vehicle. “I thought I’d drive you into downtown Starlight for breakfast and then I can give you a tour. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” I grabbed my coat from the hook by the door and was surprised when Luke took it from me and helped me into it. “Thanks,” I said.
“Gotta make sure the city girl stays warm,” he joked.
“Luke, I’ve been living in Chicago. I’m used to the cold.” Just as I said that my foot slipped on a patch of ice and Luke grabbed my elbow just in time to keep me from wiping out.
He laughed. “You’re right. It was silly of me to worry about you.”
“Watch it, Cooper. Don’t make me regret coming across the country to work for you and live in your house,” I said.
“Yes, I wouldn’t want you to feel that I don’t appreciate your generosity in doing those things,” Luke teased.
He kept his hand on my arm until we were at his car and then released me to open my door. “You’re such a gentleman,” I said. “I’m not used to this kind of treatment.”
“Eric didn’t open doors for you?” Luke asked doubtfully.
“Not in the last five years.” I frowned. “Actually, I don’t know if Eric ever opened doors for me. We were really young when we first got together.”
“Ah, young love.” Luke forced a smile. “Nothing like it.” I didn’t say anything as I got into the car. Remember Eric at all, even in little anecdotes, still hurt. Luke was quiet as he put the car in drive and turned onto the road that would take us downtown. “Em, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought him up like that.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I said. “I need to find a way to talk about him without getting so upset.”
“Give yourself some time,” he said softly. “It’s only been six months. You two were together for what, eight years?”
“Almost nine,” I said. “We started dating when we were sixteen.”
Luke glanced at me. “That’s a long time. A lifetime.”
“A third of my lifetime, to be exact.” I closed my eyes for a few seconds and didn’t open them again until I felt Luke’s hand on mine. “I’m sorry. I’m sure this isn’t how you planned to start your day.”
“The only thing on my agenda is breakfast,” Luke said, smiling easily. “And we still have plenty of time to do that, so my day isn’t ruined.”
“Good.” I felt a little better. “So, you grew up in Starlight? This place is magical.”
“Yeah, it’s a little intense,” he said as the large Christmas tree in the town square came into view. “We make most of our money on seasonal visitors, so the town really commits to its Christmas-town reputation. If you’re well behaved at breakfast, I’ll take you to see Santa later.”
“Better not. I’m pretty sure I’m on the naughty list this year,” I said dryly. “I haven’t been the easiest person to be around for the last six months.”
Luke’s hand was still on mine and he squeezed it once before letting go. “I find you delightful, Em.”
“I didn’t think it was possible, but you are even more Lucas Cooper than you were in college,” I said with a disbelieving shake of my head.
“What does that mean?” His blue eyes sparkled happily.
“Luke, come on. You had to know that you had a reputation for being the stereotypical good guy in college.” I glanced at him guiltily. “Pretty much all of our female friends agreed that you would be the perfect husband someday.”
He put the car in park and turned to me. “How did I get labeled as the good guy?” he said, looking a little annoyed.
“Well, you had a girlfriend pretty much throughout college and you never cheated on her or even said a single bad thing about her.” I shrugged. “That might not seem like a lot, but most 20-year-old guys are jerks.”
“Yikes. The good guy threshold is pretty pathetic.” Luke gave me a dazzling crooked smile. “Did you really sit around all the time talking about how you wanted to marry me?”
“That’s a gross misinterpretation of what I just said.” I opened the car door and stepped out into the winter wonderland. Somewhere in the square, holiday music played and kids were already lined up in front of Santa’s house.
Luke walked around the car and joined me on the sidewalk. “Don’t stare too long into the lights or you’ll
suddenly want to have six kids.”
“Yeah?” I laughed when I saw the stream of families headed down the sidewalk in front of us. “I don’t think that will be a problem for me.”
“That’s what my mom said and then she ended up with me and my five siblings.” Luke offered me his arm and I tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow. After almost falling once already, I wasn’t going to push my luck. “You are lucky you are an only child.”
I was surprised that Luke remembered that about me. “I always wanted to be part of a big family. With my dad gone, my mom in Italy with her new husband, and Eric’s... Well, I don’t have any family around now.”
“You can just join my family. No one will even notice.” He laughed. “Between my five siblings, I have 14 nieces and nephews.”
“Wow. At least your mom isn’t giving you a lot of pressure to give her a grandkid,” I said.
“You clearly don’t know my mom.” Luke shot me a sideways glance. “I try to tell her that I’m 25 and have plenty of time, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to set me up with her friends’ daughters.”
“Your mom sounds cute,” I said.
Luke laughed. “She would like you. In fact, if any of her friends see us together this morning, you’ll just have to commit to marrying me because she’ll never believe that we’re just friends.”
“I could do worse than marrying you,” I said. “And I do already have the wedding dress, but it’s covered in red wine now.” I was the uncomfortable look in Luke’s eyes and silently cursed myself for continuing to bring up my depressing past.
“This is it,” Luke said, stopping in front of a cute looking restaurant. He opened the door for me and I stepped inside.
The hostess took us to a table by the window and filled our coffee cups before giving us time to peruse the menu. Luke and I chatted easily through breakfast. I made a concerted effort not to mention anything even closely related to Eric. For his part, Luke did a good job keeping the conversation light and relaxed. I laughed more than I had laughed in a very long time and happily agreed when he suggested we walk around town for a bit.
Home with You (Starlight Valley Book 3) Page 2