“Melinda is very much alive, Chris. And she cares about you. I've seen how upset she’s been.”
“Let me call you back, okay?”
“Alright. Let me know.”
I hung up and went to throw my phone again but stopped myself. That would be my third cracked phone in less than a month. The people at the genius bar in Boulder would have a hissy fit if I brought it in again. I needed to take a deep breath. A very deep breath.
“What is it?”
“The resort. Did you know it was Valentine’s Day tomorrow?”
“Every woman knows it is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, Chris.”
“I didn’t. I lost track of time. I thought today was the twelfth. I have a huge gala tomorrow, a fundraiser for a charity I’m doing. To give underprivileged kids access to the slopes.”
“So, go,” she said.
“I can’t. Charlie…”
“Charlie isn't awake. I'll stay here. I have time as my tests are over. And when he wakes up, you better have a place for me at the resort for a couple of days.”
“I can’t…”
“Go.” She held my shoulders and stared at me with her intense green eyes. “You can't do anything here. I'll call you if anything changes. Anything. And when he wakes up, because he will, I'll ask for a transfer to a hospital there.”
“Tell him I love him, OK. And I wish I could have guided him better when he was in his teens. I was obsessed with making it on the slopes, and I didn't pay enough attention.”
“You did what you could, Chris. You supported him through high school and me through college. Without the money you were making, we’d have nothing, OK.”
“But he needed a role model who was there, and I left him with foster parents…”
Alicia cut me off. “You did what you could. You aren’t his father. But you’re a damn good role model. With success you’ve had, you could have moved to a penthouse in LA and partied away everything. Instead, you invested, you stayed down to Earth, you bought a resort. So celebrate. I’ll tell him you love him.”
“Thanks. I love you,” I kissed her forehead. “Thank you. The resort will always be a place where you can stay if you need one.”
“Good because finals sucked, and I might need a job,” she joked. “I love you too. I'll watch over him.”
“I know you will,” I nodded, grabbed my coat from the chair, and ran out, bypassing the nurses, and burst through the front door, lifting my arms for a taxi.
One finally pulled over. “Where to?”
“The airport.” I buckled up and used my phone to search for a ticket home. Thank God for modern travel.
On my way home, I crafted a plan. But for it to work, I needed to get Melinda to come with me. As I reached Boulder, I stopped by a local delicatessen and winery to buy punch, as well as an elaborate picnic basket stuffed to the brim with mouthwatering goodies. Liaising with Ben over the phone, I’d already had him set up the rest of what I needed. Now, all I had to do was find Melinda and have her agree to talk to me. That could be a problem.
As I reached the resort, I tossed my bag in my chalet, then went over to the main lodge to put the picnic basket where I wanted it—in the little storage room next to the bar where the gala was to be held. Ben and Mary had done a stellar job putting a gazillion candles in there and covering the floor with a blanket. It was perfect.
Next, I needed to get Melinda in there. A little bird had whispered in my ear that she was in her office.
I knocked on the door.
“Come in,” her voice said gaily, and I opened the door and stepped inside.
“Oh, it’s you,” her face fell as she saw me.
“Yep, it’s me. And I need you for something. Urgently. It’s to do with the gala tomorrow, and it’s quite an emergency. I apologize for busting in like this, and I know we need to talk, but please follow me first.”
She nodded and got up, visibly concerned. Good. I had her.
