“Me? He went to check because of me?” she asked.
“Isn’t that sweet of him?” Mabel added. “He’s a fine young man. Just like my Roy here.” She leaned into her husband. “Men like this are hard to find.”
Roy leaned over and gave Mabel a kiss on the top of her head. “And there ain’t no woman like you. My Mabel’s got to be special to put up with me all these years.”
The way those two looked at each other, she didn’t think either remembered anything but the good times. What a beautiful thing. If she was looking for a relationship, she’d want what they had. But she wasn’t looking. It didn’t fit into her plan. A relationship took time and she had none to spare. She even felt guilty for being away from the hotel this long. As she turned back to the barn she knew there was something that she didn’t regret: meeting Ethan.
If things were different, if they lived closer, maybe they could talk about seeing each other after they left here. But he lived in New York somewhere. She wasn’t even sure if it was the city. Either way, it didn’t matter. A long distance relationship was only going to mean putting more time and effort in. It would be doomed to fail. Not because of Ethan, but because she knew herself. She was married already. To her job. There wasn’t room in her life for anything or anyone else right now. Maybe never.
Guess it doesn’t matter if he’s one of the good ones. He deserves some woman who can be there to appreciate it.
“I think I’m going to go inside and warm up. I’m not a fan of this cold weather and can’t wait to get back to Miami.”
At least there she pretty much knew what to expect each day. Something breaking, an irate guest, or an argument between employees. All things she knew how to handle and did so very well. But these feelings that she was developing for Ethan, well that was an internal battle that she knew either way, she’d end up losing.
No different than not wanting to hurt the Potters, she found herself also not wanting to hurt Ethan either. She didn’t need Mabel to tell her he was one of the good guys. She’d already seen that with how he cared for the Potters. She needed to get out of here before any of them figured out who she was. Because I’m not one of the good ones.
She didn’t even stop to warm by the fire. Instead she went into her room and closed the door. As she did so, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and noticed it was her father.
Answering quickly before she lost service she said, “Hi. I know the connection is bad, so we should make this quick.”
“Kollette, I’ve been so worried about you.”
“Sorry. There is not much cell service here,” she stated. “And now I’m snowed in.”
“Snowed in where?” he asked.
“At Potters Peak,” she said.
“You’re at Potters? Did you register under an alias because no one knows you’re there.”
“They are extremely laid back here. They didn’t take my name or have me sign in. They don’t even have a computer here, a television or a phone.” But they do have Ethan which makes up for it all.
“Kollette, what are you talking about. Of course they have all those things,” her father said adamantly.
“Then they have hidden them very well, because they are nowhere in sight. All we have been doing is cooking and playing board games the entire time. Well I mean when I wasn’t doing the research. Which by the way, this place won’t work for what you want.”
“First of all, you don’t know what I want, and secondly, there is no way you are at Potters Peak. They have a heated pool, a Jacuzzi, and every other amenity you could want. I’m not sure where you are, but it’s not where I sent you.”
She knew her father wouldn’t joke about something like that. Actually she never heard him joke about anything. “I…I don’t believe it. I’m…I’m at the wrong place.”
“You said you were at Potters Peak,” he reminded her.
“I guess I’m just at Potters. On my way, the GPS kept redirecting me and sending me in circles. I guess it was because of the huge storm that was brewing. But somehow it had me turn off the main road and I ended up here. I feel so…foolish.” Stupid was more accurate. If he was just her father, that wouldn’t be an issue. But no way was she using that word to her employer.
“Kollette do you really believe I’d send you to a place like what you described? I can’t even believe you have been able to manage staying there.”
“Actually, the Potters, Roy and Mabel, are wonderful people. They welcomed me without question.”
“And they run a lodge like that? What kind of people would go and stay there?”
Ethan. Me.“Guess someone who wants to disappear for a while.” Even though it had only been a few days, she got used to being off the grid. In a way, it was the first time she didn’t feel so…stressed.
“Do you need me to send someone to get you out of there? To bring you home? I can call Connor and he’ll go. He’s not far.”
“No. I’m fine. Once they clear the snow off the road, I’ll head back to Miami.” She wasn’t so much in a rush to get back, but obviously her father was. “That is if you don’t mind waiting a few more days.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay. I was…worried. I thought…well…I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Her father never fumbled for words. And she surely hadn’t meant to worry him. “I love you too,” Kollette said.
“I’ll see you when you get back. And please call me when you are leaving so I know when to expect you,” he directed.
“I will.”
She saw the phone say call failed and the line went dead. There was no need to try calling him again. At least he knew where she was. And hopefully that this Potters place wasn’t what he was looking for.
With that over she didn’t need to worry any longer. She could just continue being Kollette, the random guest, and no one needed to be the wiser. But to keep that secret going, it meant whatever thoughts she had of her and Ethan seeing each other off the mountain, would need to live in her dreams.