Page 26 of Worth the Fall
I swatted her shoulder. “Would you be quiet? What is wrong with you?” I chastised, wondering why she’d picked Thomas when she could have said any of the other two brothers’ names.
She just shrugged and laughed. “You’re the one who molested the guy when you were drunk the other day, not me.”
Ah. That was why she said Thomas and not Patrick or Matthew.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Lana pointed a finger at me. “I would have done the exact same thing. Probably worse.”
“Definitely worse,” I agreed with a grin.
“I would have molested him, too, and then played dumb.Oops, was that your goody bag? Did I grab it again? My bad. It just keeps getting in the way,” Rose said, and we all started laughing.
“This is why Rose is my favorite,” Lana said before rinsing out all of the bubbles she’d created. “Rose, I want to be you when I grow up.”
“I think you already are,” I added, and Lana threw up a hand to high five me.
“What if you two start dating and fall in love? Can you imagine? My best friend would be Sugar Mountain royalty.” Lana continued spouting off whatever fairy tale was growing roots in her head.
“I’m not dating Thomas,” I practically hissed.
“I know; I know. You’re not ready to date anyone. You just got divorced. Blah, blah.” Lana waved me off like I was being ridiculous.
Dating honestly hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d been so focused on my career, determined to love the one thing that I could pretend loved me back. The more I worked, the more my job gave me in return. Unlike my marriage, which had seemed to do the exact opposite.
I knew a couple of people who’d had every dating app downloaded onto their phones before their divorces were even final. And while I didn’t judge them for it, it didn’t feel like something I was ready to dive into. The last thing I wanted was another guy who didn’t understand my desire to be successful. Why was it so hard to find a supportive partner? And how had I chosen the wrong man for me so easily without even seeing it?
“Maybe you two could just boink each other’s brains out,” Rose said pointedly, breaking me out of my internal thoughts. “What? Sometimes, all you need is a good boink-fest.”
“Boink.” Lana repeated the word while cracking up, and it made me laugh. “So, what’s next? When do you start? And do you have to move out of the resort if you’re working there? I told you that you can stay with us. That offer still stands.”
When I’d first left Eli, Lana had all but insisted that I move in with her and her husband, but their place was tiny, and the idea of not having any privacy, while invading theirs, wasn’t all that appealing. Plus, they were still over the top in love and showed it every chance they got. While I envied their relationship in many ways, I hadn’t had the heart to be around it at the time.
“I don’t know if I have to leave or not. I probably should though, don’t you think? Thank you for the offer to stay. You’re the best—you know that?”
“I do. And I’m glad you do as well.” She curtsied.
“All right, well”—I brushed my hands down the sides of my hips—“I’m going to swing by the resort, fill out some new-hire paperwork, and let them know that I can start tomorrow. Felicia gave me the okay to leave right away.”
“That was really considerate of her.” Lana sounded surprised. “I’m shocked.”
“I know. I was too. She was really gracious about the whole thing.”
“Do you think you’ll move in with us? Sven would love it. Sister wives!” She wagged her eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes.
Sven had come out to Sugar Mountain one summer, had what Lana and I both thought was only going to be a brief fling, and then basically never left. That was the CliffsNotes version, of course. There was a bunch of long-distance and drama in between, but Sven had fallen in love with Lana at first sight and refused to let her go.
They foughtforeach other, not with or against each other. Sven and Lana were a team. And I wanted that so badly for myself. But it felt impossible. Did guys like Sven even exist in Sugar Mountain? I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“I think I’ll try to find a place to rent first. But tell our husband I said thank you.”
Rose cleared her throat. “My son and daughter-in-law have a condo in The Falls that they do that air rental thing with. I can ask if they’d rent it out to you instead?”
“Really?” I asked around my shock.
The Falls was one of the most coveted condo communities in town. It was gated, walking distance to the ski lifts, and never had availability. At least not long-term. Like Rose had mentioned, most of the units were investment properties that were rented out.
“Of course, dear. You’re Lana’s best friend, and as long as you don’t plan on replacing her anytime soon, I don’t see why not.”
I grinned around the surprise still coursing within me. I had only met Rose about ten minutes prior to her making me this offer. You see, Sugar Mountain could feel like a small town in a lot of ways, but in reality, it wasn’t. I didn’t know everyone who lived here even though it seemed that way. The population was far greater than you’d think with people and businesses spread all over the city limits. News did have a way of traveling fast, but that didn’t mean you always knew exactly who the news was about. At least not personally. Sometimes not at all. Didn’t stop it from spreading anyway.