Her voice pitches with panic. “They don’t have my hotel reservation. I told you something weird was gonna happen, Logan! I did this! I jinxed myself!”
I roll my eyes.Other people are always taking credit for the things I do.
“Whoa, slow down. What are you talking about?” I ask, using my calmest voice.
A young toddler sitting with his parents not far from me enthusiastically faceplants into the giant blueberry muffin placed in front of him. I keep my laughter at bay while playing the role of Concerned Friend No. 1.
She takes a deep breath and exhales, speaking slower this time. “We went to check in at the front desk. Casper and Thor got their rooms. However, there wasn’t any reservation in my name. So I had them check under yours. They said only two rooms were purchased. Did you forget to book mine?”
“Of course I didn’t forget. Give me a minute, I’ll phone the hotel and get this straightened out.”
I end the call and check the weather report for Bozeman while waiting for my order. Blue skies for our whole trip. Beautiful.
“Logan!” The barista sets a brown paper bag on the counter and a drink holder with one iced tea and one iced Americano—decaf. The last thing she needs is more jet fuel.
After depositing a couple bucks in the tip jar, I gather my food and drinks, then head back to the rental van to return her call.
“Hey. I just spoke with them. Unfortunately, they’ve been having some glitch in their reservation system. They don’t haveany vacancy, so I’m going to come pick you up and you can crash at my place.”
“Don’t you only have one bed?”
“I’ll take the sofa.”I’m not taking the sofa.
“I don’t want to make you?—”
“I want to.”
“What about?—”
“Don’t even start with me, Kelly. I’ll update Casper and Thor. All you need to do is meet me in front of the hotel in two minutes.”
“Okay.”
I hang up before she can argue any more.
That was easy.
“Oh—Oh my God!” she says. Dropping her backpack at the door, she beelines across the condo to the large picture windows. “Logan, this view is unreal!”
I would have bought any dump that allowed me to become an official Montana resident. A condo was the ideal situation. Monthly dues cover building maintenance, making it easy to manage, and they allow occasional short-term rentals. On paper, it appears nothing more than a diversified portfolio . . . In practice, I’m building a backstory.
After the real estate agent showed me the gorgeous panorama, I was sold. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a view. Seeing her curves silhouetted against the big blue sky and white-capped mountains has me appreciating it even more.
I set our food in the open kitchen. “There’s a couple sandwiches in the bag, why don’t you pick one out while I bring in our suitcases.”
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbles, still staring out the window.
It only takes two trips to carry in the remaining bags from the van. When I’m bringing in the last of them, I find her still standing in the same spot as I left her. I toe off my shoes and push them aside.
“Hey. Chaos. Time to eat,” I say, removing our food from the brown paper bag.
“Huh? Oh, sorry!” She spins around with a soft smile, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “Those mountains are hypnotizing.” I’m relieved to see her carrying much less tension as she eases her way toward the kitchen.
The guys were aware Kelly didn’t have a room. However, I didn’t anticipate that she’d be so anxious on the trip, which makes me feel a little guilty for adding an extra layer of mayhem to her day.
She bellies up next to me at the island and unwraps a sandwich. After a few bites, Kelly’s eyes drift from the majestic mountains to the interior space. She nods in approval while swallowing. “You didn’t tell me you had such a great place.”
I’ve only been out here a couple times since I bought it. Once to furnish the condo, and a second time to wrap up paperwork with the county. It’s a corner unit, so the natural lighting is fantastic with a wall and a half of floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. The countertop faces out, so we’re able to admire the spectacular landscape while we eat.
