Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) (2 page)

“Four. She’s four.”

“I had no idea
…
”

“Neither did I.” Bo gestured to an empty sofa.
 

When they were settled where he could still keep an eye on Ella, Bo said, “You can see my predicament?”

“I can see it,” she said. “But I don’t understand it.”
 

Bo sighed. He couldn’t avoid the truth. “Ella’s mother just died. It was breast cancer and it apparently moved quite quickly.”

“That’s terrible,” Carmen said.

“It is.” Bo nodded. “I knew Tessa years ago when we were in college. I had no idea she was sick. Heck, I had no idea she was pregnant.” His gaze drifted back to the sleeping child as he thought of Tessa and how difficult it must have been for her to have a child on her own. They’d both been young and stupid. Obviously, too stupid.
 

“You mean, you didn’t know?”

Bo shook his head.
 

“Then? How?”

“I got a call from Social Services a few days ago. They told me Tessa had died about a month ago and left a child behind. Like I said, I had no idea that she existed, but apparently Tessa had laid it out quite clearly in a letter that she wanted Ella to live with me, her father. It took them a while to find me, I was—”
 

“I don’t understand.”
 

“Oh, trust me, neither do I.” Bo ran a hand through his hair and looked Carmen squarely in the eyes. “Look. I know this is unusual, but I really would appreciate some help here while I’m figuring things out. I mean, obviously she can’t stay with me.”

Carmen raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Bo said. “She’s not staying with me. Well, I mean, she is. At least for a little bit, but I’m going to do some searching into Tessa’s family. There has to be a better place for her to live than—“ Bo stopped talking abruptly. Why was he telling her all this? He looked at Ella’s tiny body, her chest rising and falling with every soft breath. He ignored the pull in his chest and turned back to Carmen. “Anyway, I need a little help. Just until I can figure things out. Ella’s going through a tough enough time. She doesn’t need the drama of living in staff housing.”

“You’re right,” Carmen said. “It’s no place for a child. But there’s really nowhere else.”

It was a long shot, but he voiced his idea anyway. “I know you were kidding but, what about a suite?”

Carmen half coughed, half laughed and quickly covered her mouth in an effort to quiet herself. After a moment, she regained control and said to Bo, “A suite? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

Bo didn’t answer. Instead, he waited her out, his gaze fixed on Carmen’s face.
 

“Bo?” Carmen blinked hard and wiped her eyes. “You know I can’t give you a suite. What about the other staff? The guests? The cost?” She flipped open her clipboard and started looking through the pages. “There must be an empty room available in staff quarters
…
”
 

He still didn’t say anything. Carmen looked up. “I can’t give you a suite,” she said again. “Really, you shouldn’t even have a child here. This isn’t a—“

“Look.” His voice was low, barely contained. “I don’t need to hear how you think I should or should not have Ella here. The fact is, she is here. Now can you help me out or do I need to find a new job for the summer?”
 

Carmen tucked her clipboard under her crossed arms and matched Bo’s glare. “You wouldn’t leave.”
 

“Try me.”

Tension sparked around them as they continued their stare down. Bo hadn’t planned to threaten her with quitting. The fact was he couldn’t afford to quit. He needed his situation at Castle Mountain to work out. But Carmen didn’t know that. And he was counting on her not calling his bluff.
 

A tiny noise, almost a squeak, came from the couch. The sound broke Bo’s heart, and the standoff with Carmen.
 

In two quick steps, he was kneeling on the floor next to Ella. Hair mussed from her nap, her brown eyes were still clouded with sleep, but were open wide taking in the big room. He reached out and tentatively tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He moved to hug her, or hold her hand or maybe just touch her again, but he pulled away. Bo’d never been comfortable around children, and that hadn’t changed in the last few days. The little girl didn’t seem to be any more comfortable with him, either, and she pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged herself into a ball.

“Did you have a good sleep?” he asked.
 

She nodded and jammed her thumb in her mouth.
 

“Soon we can get settled in our room and then you can have a real nap, okay?”

She nodded again.
 

Ella had said only a handful of words since he’d picked her up. And the Social Services woman said she would only
 
speak to the foster mother she’d been placed with, but even then, she didn’t say much. Not that Bo knew much about children, but he thought for four, she should be talking a lot more. Of course, maybe losing your mother and living with a foster family before being handed over to a total stranger was enough to make a little girl clam up.

“Are you hungry? Do you want a snack or something?”
 

Ella shook her head and turned to look out the window.
 

With a deep sigh, Bo pushed up on his thighs and stood. Carmen was looking at him in that way that women have, when they’ve been affected by a small child or a puppy. The way that meant she was going to help.

“So, I can have the suite,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

Carmen nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. But it will only be for a few weeks until the busy season starts. And I’m going to have to charge you something for it.”

“Take it out of my check.”

She nodded and her expression turned to a frown. “Bo?” Carmen grabbed his arm and led him a few steps away from Ella. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do with her while you’re working? I mean, surely you don’t plan to take her on hikes with you. She’s so tiny.”

“I was hoping she could go to the child- care room.”

“Castle Cub’s Club?”
 

Bo shrugged. “Is that what it’s called?” He smiled to himself. He’d never given the Lodge’s child-care program any thought. He’d never had to. “It’s cute,” he said and then quickly added, “I told you. It’s just for a little bit. I need to make some calls. I think she has some family out East.”

Carmen raised an eyebrow in his direction. But when she turned to look at Ella, she smiled and nodded her head. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll clear it with the powers that be.”

“Thank you.” Bo breathed a deep sigh of relief.
 

“This isn’t a permanent solution.” Carmen’s voice permeated his thoughts.
 

“Don’t I know it,” Bo said with a vague nod. He partly listened as Carmen continued to speak about getting a room key. But his focus had already shifted squarely back to the little girl sitting on the couch. She looked so lost, so scared, and so alone. At least they had that in common.
 

Chapter Two

Morgan’s bedroom was tiny. It had just enough room for a single bed and a dresser. Fortunately, the view out the window made up for whatever charm the room lacked. It didn’t matter how many times she looked around, she couldn’t get over the raw beauty of her new home. At least the outside of it.
 

She tossed one of her duffles onto the mattress and moved back out to the living room of the small staff residence apartment she’d be sharing with the roommate she hadn’t met yet. Morgan would have preferred to get her own apartment, but apparently that wasn’t an option as the Lodge had a lot of employees and not enough accommodations. She wasn’t happy about it, but she’d make the best of it. Besides, it might be good for her to get to know someone. If she were determined to make her new life work out, she’d need some new friends.

Andi was one of her best friends, but she couldn’t understand why Morgan was dead set on leaving. Before she’d left, they’d had what was becoming a very familiar conversation.

“I don’t get it,” Andi said. She’d been lounging on Morgan’s bed, watching her unpack. “You know I love it here, but living here?”

“Why not?” Morgan hung another shirt and turned to her friend. “I’ve been listening to you go on and on about this place for so long—what better place to get a fresh start?”

“That’s just it, Morgan. Why a fresh start? You’re a child psychologist. I don’t understand why you’d give up a great job to—“

“I told you,” Morgan turned away again, “I can’t work with kids anymore.”

“That was only the opinion of one doctor, Morgan. You’ll have—“

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

And she didn’t. Nothing Andi could say would take away the sting of the doctor’s news. She’d tried to push past the diagnosis, and for a while she went to work as if nothing had changed. But every day it got harder and finally she put in her notice, giving up the career she’d worked so hard for.
 

“It’s time for a change,” Morgan said more to herself than to her friend. “This will be good.”

“It will be good.” Silently, Andi got up from the bed and slid her arm around Morgan, giving her a squeeze. “You’re going to love it here. After all, it is kind of a magical place.”

Morgan turned to face her and laughed. “Just because you met Colin here doesn’t mean everyone finds their Prince Charming in the mountains. Besides that, I’m not interested.”

“You say that now.”

“And always. Now help me unpack or get out of here.”

Together, they unpacked all of Morgan’s things and then she did leave. As nice as it had been to have Andi introduce her to Carmen, and help her get a job planning events at the Lodge, it was nice to have her friend leave so she could get settled.

Alone, Morgan looked around her new accommodations. It was definitely small, but it was cute. And a blank slate. There weren’t really any decorations to speak of, not that she had any. But maybe her mysterious roommate would have a flair for decorating?

Morgan wandered over to the patio door and slid it open, letting a rush of crisp mountain air inside. She’d been hoping to ask Carmen about who her roommate might be, or even when she’d be arriving. But they’d been interrupted before she could ask her question. Interrupted by a very handsome man, she thought with a smile. She wrapped her sweater tightly around her and stepped out onto the balcony. He may have been nice to look at, but he’d been a total jerk, interrupting them the way he had. Who does that? Morgan shook her head, trying to get the man out of her thoughts. The last thing she needed was a man, even one that good-looking, in her life.
 

Morgan peered over the edge of the balcony, letting the cool air clear her thoughts. Three large staff residence buildings circled around an open green field that held some picnic tables and a large fire pit.
 
The buildings reminded Morgan of rustic dorms, especially as there were people coming and going, carrying boxes and bags. At least she wouldn’t be the only newbie.
 

“You’re going to freeze to death out there.”
 

Morgan turned to see the source of the voice. A tall, extremely thin woman stood behind her in the doorway. She was wearing what looked like a fisherman’s sweater over a long skirt and tights; a bandanna on her head held back dozens of long, tiny braids; and a gold hoop in her nose sparkled in the sunlight. Morgan tried not to stare, but she’d never seen anyone quite like the woman who stood in front of her.
 

“My name is Astrid,” the woman said. She extended one long thin arm, bracelets and bangles jingling with the movement.
 

Morgan took her hand and shook it. “Morgan,” she said. “You must be my roommate.”
 

“The one and only,” Astrid said with a smile. Her green eyes sparkled and she did a quick spin on the balcony, stopping with her arms raised to the sky. Her sweater slid down, revealing bare skin, adorned with intricate brown lines and swirls. “We’re going to have a brilliant summer,” she said, and in that moment, Morgan decided that maybe having a roommate wouldn’t be so bad after all. It might, in fact, be quite interesting.
 

“So you’re going to be in event planning?” Astrid asked. Morgan was sitting on their brown couch, sipping a mug of tea, watching her new roommate buzz around their living room.

“I am. I’ve worked with my friend in her business a little bit, so I have some experience, but I didn’t go to school for it or anything.”

“School?” Astrid stopped, a bright purple cloth dangling from her fingertips. “Like college?”

Morgan nodded.

“That’s cool,” Astrid said. “I find the idea of higher education oppressing. But I get that for some people, they need the accomplishment of finishing a program.”

For a moment, Morgan thought she should be insulted, but she wasn’t. In the last few hours, she’d come to see that Astrid spoke her mind, without much regard for what other people might be thinking. She wasn’t a malicious or mean person, just straightforward, and Morgan liked it.

“Why am I not surprised?”
 

Astrid laughed. “I know it’s kinda cliché, but I can’t help it. I just don’t get the whole school thing.”

Morgan shrugged. There was a lot about Astrid that was cliché. But the fact that she didn’t seem to care is what made her so unique.
 

“So if you didn’t go to school for parties,” Astrid continued, “what did you go to school for? Because you do look like the type that went.” She laughed and again, instead of being insulted the way she thought she should be, Morgan laughed along with her.
 

“I have a degree in child development.”

Astrid stopped and stared at her. “Child development? As in, how children develop?”
 

“That’s the kind.”

“So you’re here because
…
”
 

“Because the last thing I want to do is work with children.”