“No,” I told her. “I’m scared of towels. It was on myresume, I’m sure of it.”
“Stop being difficult.”
“Stop playing matchmaker.”
She pulled out a stack of white bath towels, handtowels and washcloths from a cabinet behind her and set them on the counter, nudgingthem toward me. “I’m not doing anything of the sort. And I resent theaccusation. I have my life to worry about, Caroline. I don’t need to worryabout yours and the many men you date.”
I started to wonder if she had been abducted by aliensand sent back as a robot. “The many men I date?”
Her lips twitched, but she held onto her poker face.“Are there not many of them? There seem to be many of them lately.”
“I think you’re having a stroke, Maggie. You don’tknow what you’re saying.”
She finally laughed. “You’re so easy to rile up.”
I grabbed the cart keys and towels for Sayer. “I’llremember this when Billy Bob comes back through for his ‘extended layover.’”
She stood up straighter. “His name isn’t Billy Bob.It’s Bruce. And don’t put it in quotations like that. You make it seem sordid.”
It was my turn to smile victoriously. “Isn’t itsordid? I thought that was the whole point.” She patted her bright red cheeks,so I had to keep going. Obviously. “Come on, Mags, you got a hot truckerboyfriend that likes to keep things spicy.Ain’tnoshame in that game.”
She glared at me. “Don’t keep cabin eleven waitingnow.”
“I’ll be back in a few.”
“Take your time.” Always with the last word.
I pushed through the door making a quick escape. Shehad no idea what it meant for Sayer to be here, at her resort. Thankfully. Icared enough about Maggie to keep her in the dark.
But that also meant playing this game so she neverfound out—which was turning out to be harder than I thought it was going to be.And I had anticipated hell.
Hopping in one of our little ATVs we used to getaround the resort, I headed out to face the devil himself.
I temporarily forgot about the monster in cabin elevenon the short drive to his cabin. I loved the mountain in the morning. Theclouds clung to her side, dusting everything with hazy fog and making thegolden light glitter where it broke through. And it was so silent. There wasreverence.A quietude that even the tourists understood.We tiptoed through the early hours, soaking up every second of the splendor.
By the time I pulled up to Sayer’s cabin, I hadmarginally settled from the shock of seeing him Friday night, yesterday, and fromcalling him this morning.
Not that I was less afraid or that I’d stoppedplanning to get Juliet and me out of this as fast as possible. But I wasn’t asjumpy. The shock of seeing him after all this time when I had truly believed Iwould never see him again had faded.
Or I had at least stopped denying the reality of whatwas happening.
Sayer was here. Sayer was in Frisco and at my resortand in my life.And didn’t appear to be going anywhere.
Curling up in the fetal position until he disappearedagain wasn’t an option. So it was time to face the crisis and figure it out. Iwas rusty, but I knew the game as well as anyone. I could be smarter than him.I could be faster than him. I could be more inventive than him.
I just had to get over my bad attitude and starttrying.
Scooping up the towels from the passenger seat of theATV, I headed up the rock path to the front door of his cabin. Our cottageswere picturesque against the mountain backdrop. With wrap around porches andlog cabin siding, they were about as adorable as could be imagined. Theyreminded me of little Lincoln Log cabins with their slanted green roofs andpainted green doors.
Sayer better fucking love his accommodations.
The door was cracked and swung wide open when Iknocked on it. I leaned back, not expecting for Sayer to have left everythingopen. There was only silence that greeted me. He was nowhere to be seen in thefront room or adjacent kitchen.
“Hello?” I called out.
No answer.
I knocked again and yelled, “Hello!” louder.
