by Ellie Hall
She let out an irritated breath. “Fine.” She gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck. The warmth of her against him drew up days in the lodge after a few runs down the slopes, winter nights, and the past. They’d shared so much. He laced his hand around her waist and resisted the urge to squeeze, to let this be anything more than a routine rescue. He gave the belaying rope a tug and hollered, “Ready to come up.”
The slack on the rope went taut and Sadie tightened her grip on the red elastic of his suspenders. Her knuckles were white. He felt the warmth of her other palm on his waist. They’d always fit together so perfectly.
“Um, a more solid grip would be preferred. I, um, don’t want my drawers to drop.” In the past, he’d joked with her anytime she felt nervous: on particularly difficult slopes, when she had a job interview, and when she was feeling stuck. Ironic, she’d actually been stuck (in the elevator) when she was the most free-spirited person he knew. Her hand shifted to his opposite shoulder. Her cinnamon scent teased his senses. He took a steadying breath.
She squeezed her eyes closed as they slowly ascended. He wanted to kiss each of her lids, assuring her things would be okay. Instead, he said, “Don’t worry, Sadie. I won’t let you go.”
Her green eyes flashed open. “Tripp, you already did let me go. Three years ago.”
The words were an arrow to his heart. He lived with regret and guilt every single day. The hint of a possibility crept from his chest to his mind just then. Perhaps he could fix things. But just as quickly it dissolved into the darkness of the elevator shaft.
They were both silent the rest of the way up. His team had set up in the hall of the floor with the least number of guests. His father had built the resort empire on discretion, providing guests with the highest level of service possible, and a kind of harmony that was unique and envied by other resort owners. He knew it was vital to maintain that. Even though the resort was operated by a board of trustees his father selected before his death, it seemed they followed operations to the letter. The last thing they needed was bad press. He and his brothers had done enough damage.
After taking off the harness, a paramedic whisked Sadie away. Tripp crossed the hall to the large window overlooking the surrounding mountain range: his family’s legacy.
When the impossible happened—his father, Charles Hawkins Junior, got in a ski accident on one of the private slopes on the backside of the mountain, the one his father, four brothers, and he had run countless times—Sadie remained with him, supported him, and helped him through the dark days when they’d hoped his father would wake up. She remained strong for him during the darker days when the possibility of his survival became dire. She was by his side through it all: his days of sadness, frustration, anger, and grief.
The mountains around them gave his family life and took it. He gritted his teeth and tried not to think about what it would mean to take his father’s place in the position of authority and power—running the resort. Fighting fires and saving lives seemed more straightforward, easier in a way. It was a matter of survival whereas filling his father’s duties was more complicated. He couldn’t trust himself with it.
Tripp picked up a clipboard and started filling out the necessary paperwork and filing with the hotel. He struggled to focus. His gaze drifted from the papers, to the scene out the window, to Sadie across the hall. She still had the ability to make him feel all mushy inside instead of muscular.
As he wrote the date on the report, he recalled Valentine’s Day three years previous. The arrow in his heart drove deeper, stung more. Three years later she was somehow three times more attractive. But she didn’t want anything to do with him. His stupid, foolish, rebellious heart.
Then again, it was her rebellious, free-spirited nature that he’d adored. She was always up for an adventure, wasn’t afraid to be silly, and her laugh was like wildfire—something that spread through a room and lit up even the grouchiest faces.
He heard it now and like a moth to a flame, it drew him over. The paramedic closed her toolkit and gave him a nod before heading for the exit.
It was just the two of them, framed by the window overlooking the town: the place that held their history. A voice inside whispered maybe their future too. He shook it off because that wouldn’t be fair to her. He’d done enough damage. He couldn’t give in to the sudden awakening of his desire for her.
“On behalf of Hawkins Enterprises, I apologize about the elevator situation.”
She huffed. She wasn’t going to make it easy for him.
“Can I see that you get a complimentary night’s stay?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I told you, I’m not a guest.”
“Right. I forgot.”
“I didn’t know you were back in town.” Her phone beeped with several rapid dings.
“I didn’t know you never left. I thought your sights were set on skiing in Europe, backpacking around the South Pacific, and other faraway locations.” He recalled her daydreams of seeing the world. He could’ve made that happen if only he’d had more courage. With marriage came a lot more than just a wedding day and their happily ever after. It came with money, a lot of it as well as the responsibility to carry on his father’s legacy as chief of the resort. It was a surprise that none of his brothers had married yet. Perhaps they were all afraid they’d screw it up too.
She jutted her chin defiantly. “I left. But I came back.”
From the other end of the hall, a tall, blond man in a suit strode toward them.
“Do you work here?” Tripp asked her.
“None of your business.” He recalled her being sassy when she wanted to but rarely was it directed at him. Though, considering past and present circumstances, he shouldn’t have been surprised.
The man in the suit spoke to one of his crew members who was putting away the rescue gear. Tripp had been gone so long he wasn’t sure if it was a resort employee or—a bolt of fear zinged through him. Was the guy Sadie’s boyfriend? He was dapper, had trim hair, and a strong jaw without the shadow of scruff Tripp often let grow on his face during long shifts at the Firehall.
“I’m sorry,” Tripp said to Sadie in a low voice.
“About what?” Again, her tone was as frosty as the snow-covered pines dotting the village.
“The past, the present. Both.”
She grunted.
“Can I make it up to you? Meet me for dinner at the Hawk and Whistle after my shift. Unless—” It had been their favorite place to grab food…before. They had a history that he wasn’t sure she wanted to revisit. If that was the case, in the very least, he owed her closure.
The guy in the suit’s eyebrows lifted when he spotted Sadie. She didn’t so much smile—more like bristled. Maybe Tripp stood a chance or perhaps the prickly body language was directed at him.
“If you change your mind, I’ll be there at seven.” He scrubbed his hand down his face as she bustled down the long hallway with the man in the suit.
Chapter 3
Sadie
Every day, after Sadie dragged herself out of bed, she dropped to the cold, wooden floor and onto her knees for her morning prayers. That particular day she lamented not being more specific. She hadn’t asked God to help her keep her job (Michael rattled on about the website snafu). She hadn’t mentioned anything about elevator safety (her knees still wobbled) and nothing was said about keeping Tripp Hawkins out of her life (she thought they’d already dealt with that). She had a single prayer in her heart and it didn’t have to do with herself.
Despite this, she said a quick word of gratitude that she was no longer locked in the elevator.
Although, as Michael’s voice rattled back to her it might’ve been preferable to facing her boss. “We need your access codes to fix the faulty web redirect. Morgan said if you think this is some kind of joke—”
She cut him off and said, “I don’t even know what the problem is.”
Morgan, Sadie’s boss: a tall and athletic woman
, made even taller by the black stilettos strapped to her feet, loomed over them after they rounded a corner.
“You don’t know what the problem is, Sadie? You were tasked with a single purpose. Customize the couples’ packages based off the feedback from past years and add new and creative ways to cater to our guests this Valentine’s Day.” She intoned each word as though scolding a toddler.
“I was locked—” Sadie started.
“No more excuses.”
“In the elevator—”
Morgan interrupted as she held up a tablet. “What I want to know is this your idea of a joke?”
The screen displayed a dating website with Sadie’s name and profile. The photograph was the same one from the employee directory taken when she’d started working there over a year ago. Her hair was frazzled because it had been one of the worst weeks of her life.
“If I were going to look for love I would’ve used a better picture.” The dark circles under her eyes and the drawn expression on her face reminded her why she was desperate enough to apply for a job at the resort.
“Sadie, everyone here knows you’re not the most reliable and have a tendency to wander off into la-la land during the work day but this is going too far. We all know how desperate you are after being dumped but—”
Her throat was thick. Since she’d been back in Hawk Ridge Hollow, she’d managed to sidestep most of the inquiries. Of course, everyone knew, but most had the sense not to throw it in her face. Most people in town were decent folks. She knew what was coming next as Morgan wound up. She was desperate but not for love. “This profile isn’t mine. I’ve never seen it before.”
“Sadie Collins: female. Age: 30. Eye Color: green. Hair: red,” Morgan singsonged.
“It’s strawberry blond but I’m telling you, I didn’t create that. Let’s go to my office. I’ll show you the guest packages and pages intended for the website.”
Morgan went on to read the incriminating dating website profile titled Looking for love this Valentine’s Day…in which Sadie, or someone impersonating her, lamented not having a date for the upcoming holiday and requested any eligible bachelors to look her up at the resort. “This is unprofessional, unacceptable, and—”
Sadie stood her ground. “It’s. Not. Mine.”
Chattering voices and laughter filtered down the hall and the group of firemen and rescue workers approached.
Sadie’s stomach fluttered. Her nerves were fried. A standoff in the hallway with her boss and her ex after being stuck in an elevator all afternoon was too much. She almost wished she’d stayed in the Italian Alps with the people she’d met while backpacking. It didn’t matter that they’d hardly understood each other. The food was delicious and the laughter plentiful. Instead, the unforeseen had happened, summoning her home.
“Sadie, I’ve given you chance after chance—” Morgan said sternly.
Her cheeks heated even though she begged them not to reveal her discomfort. “Why would I have a dating profile? Why would I link it to the resort website?”
Morgan’s mouth puckered. “Because you’re single—”
Danielle appeared over Morgan’s shoulder. The last thing Sadie wanted was her boss’s assistant poking her pointy nose into this already embarrassing situation. No, the last thing she wanted was Tripp to overhear the details of the situation. Once again, she felt stuck.
“Because you’re lonely—” Danielle said loudly.
Sadie sensed the mockery in her voice. Danielle routinely gushed about her boyfriend and how he spoiled her.
Only Michael didn’t say a word either way even though she knew he soaked up the drama.
“I’m not looking to date because,” Sadie said, taking her final stand. She’d just tell the truth.
“No, she’s with me.” There was that familiar voice again. Tripp Hawkins took off his firefighter’s hat and flashed a charming smile. But it was cut with something else and directed at her boss: possession? Warning? Sadie wasn’t sure.
However, the surprised expressions on Morgan, Danielle, and Michael’s faces indicated they knew exactly who he was and the power he held. Apparently, he didn’t own the resort yet but everyone in Hawk Ridge Hollow knew his father’s last request, or command, as it were: in order for his sons to receive their inheritance and shares in the resort, mountain, and their various holdings— making each of the Hawkins men wealthy beyond imagination—, they had to marry.
Sadie knew the stipulation all too well.
Tripp discretely squeezed her hand. Ice and fire shot through her arm, battling with what she once knew and the present situation.
Danielle’s eyes shot to the motion and she pursed her lips.
At least for the moment, the blaze won. It rushed through her at his touch and the suggestion in his words, kindling something inside her. Relief quickly washed in next because above all she needed to keep her job.
Tripp was broad and brawny like all the Hawkins men. His dark hair was neatly trimmed but the dusting of scruff along his chiseled jawline suggested the rigor of his job and long hours. His skin held onto the sunshine of warmer months even though it was deep winter. She stifled an uneven breath. Apparently, her body remembered exactly how to respond to him. When they were in the elevator, she’d been in such a state of shock, she hadn’t been able to think or feel or do anything other than hope she’d make it out alive.
Against her will, her gaze drifted over him again and his eyes sparkled like starlight on snow. A rush of warmth blanketed her skin. However, when he turned his attention back to Morgan and Danielle, they were flat, dark. There was a command in them. “We’re keeping it quiet and I request you do the same.”
Sadie stood a little taller. “Can we fix this computer error now?” she asked her boss.
Morgan nodded and moved toward the elevator.
“I’ll meet you upstairs.”
Before she could thank Tripp for bailing her out or yell at him for lying, he’d already gotten on a different elevator with his team. She took the emergency staircase.
After spending the next several hours fixing the erroneous redirect on the website and publishing the correct couples’ packages, Sadie tried to take down the fake dating profile. Obviously, she didn’t have the user name or password so she resorted to emailing the company, claiming someone had stolen her identity.
Nonetheless, she could hardly focus after the ordeal but also after seeing Tripp. It had only been three years but it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed. He was as much a gentleman as ever and he still had the ability to turn her stomach topsy-turvy. Or perhaps that was the after effects of a life-threatening situation. She wasn’t sure she’d ever step foot on an elevator again.
Then those dreaded words echoed in her mind as they had so often It’s not you, it’s me. Then, But we can still be friends, right? The reminder made her reinforce her armor. She would not soften. Wouldn’t melt under Tripp Hawkins’ smolder.
It had been Valentine’s Day. She thought he was going to pop the question. They’d even looked at rings together. Then he’d said the impossible. Done the unexpected. She left and didn’t look back until she heard an altogether different set of dreadful words. A nurse had called from the local hospital and she’d never been more terrified in her life. She took the next available flight home.
Sadie closed her eyes, pushing away the pain of the memories.
When she opened them, the sun had long since set and the lights along the ski trails lit up the mountain, forming organized lines. Meanwhile, her life felt like it had been thrown into chaos. It was time for her to go home. Who cared if there was a fake dating profile with her stats. She’d fix it the next day.
After Sadie trudged back to the house and checked to make sure everything was okay, she found herself pacing. Her stomach grumbled and she didn’t want any of the frozen meals she dutifully prepared each Sunday to have on hand for the week.
She wanted French fries with cheese or nachos or something hot and d
elicious, melty and fried. She also wanted to tell Tripp everything she’d rehearsed during her long, lonely nights. At least Danielle had been right about her being lonely.
As she pulled on her boots, she told herself not to leave the house. As she made sure her phone was charged and on regular, non-airplane mode, she gritted her teeth. As the cold winter night stung her cheeks, she pushed her shoulders back.
She was going to give Tripp Hawkins a piece of her mind and definitely not her heart.
It was half-past seven when she stepped foot in the Hawk and Whistle. It was always lively with lots of laughter and filled with the smell of chowder and bannock—a kind of fried bread that the restaurant sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar in the morning, topped with cheese in the evening, and brought to your table whether you asked for it or not.
Going there, though technically she couldn’t afford it, was one upside to moving back home. Although, it was decorated with a hodgepodge of Valentine’s decorations, including a red and pink paper chain she thought she recognized from when she was a little girl and she and her dad used to pop in for dinner on Fridays.
She wanted to escape the holiday, the stress, and the man with the confident smile, the swagger, and rugged good looks that had previously made her swoon. She pushed the thought away, over the lake, through the woods, and back to wherever he’d come from.
She would not swoon at the sight of him. She wouldn’t return his smile.
She would cross the room and tell him what she’d been wanting to say for years and it would feel good to get it off her chest. She’d feel relief and maybe a little bit of self-satisfaction knowing she could hurt him as much as he’d hurt her. She came loaded with barbed words and stinging phrases. She was ready to battle.