Listen to Your Heart (3 page)

“Names?”

“Ken is the oldest. He’s the one who
runs his own dealership. The twins are two years older than me. Grant and
Gareth.” She turned to him. “Why do people do that? Give twins names that are
so similar. It’s hard enough to tell them apart as it is.”

“What about your friend. What’s her
name?”

“Dale.”

“Has she always been interested in
hotels too?”

Morgan realized she’d never thought
about that before. “Not always. You see, she lived with us and we’ve been
besties almost all our lives, so when I first went to Banff to work, she went
to Lake Louise.”

“Is she adopted? It sounds like there’s
a story there.”

Morgan pulled back a bit. “No, she’s not
adopted, but as to the story, you’ll have to ask her.” She smiled to show him
that she hadn’t taken offence. “But be careful. She’s a fierce one.”

“Sounds interesting.” He looked deep in
thought. “I heard you tell Karen that she’s in housekeeping.”

“That’s right.”

“When does she arrive?”

“I’m not sure. Could be as early as
tomorrow. She’ll probably call although she’s awfully independent. If she
arrives late enough I’ll go to the bus depot and meet her. If not, she’ll grab
a cab.”

“Or I could meet her.”

Surprised at the offer, Morgan stared at
him. “Why would you do that? Besides, she probably wouldn’t appreciate being
met by someone she doesn’t know.”

“Why not?” It was a reasonable question,
and Morgan found she didn’t have an answer.

“I don’t know. It’s just the way she is.
Besides, how can you get away from the store?”

There was that dimple again. “My staff
will cover for me.” He checked his watch and stood up. “I’m opening this
morning, so I’m going to hit the buffet. Coming?”

Morgan watched him weave his way through
the tables, pausing to greet several locals. Chance Larson was obviously well
liked, but if he thought he’d charm Dale with a dimple and a smile he had
another think coming. Too bad, really, because he seemed perfect for her
friend. She put down her coffee mug and followed him to the buffet.

* * *

They ate in silence, each absorbed in
their own thoughts. Chance pushed his plate away and stood. “I close the shop
at four this afternoon. Would you like a lift to the Lodge?”

“That would be great. I’m going to check
out all the shops in the Village so I know what’s available, but after that, do
you have any ideas?”

“You could use your lift pass and go up
the Express Gondola. There’s a great view from up there.”

“I’d forgotten about the passes.” She
gave him a sheepish smile. “I suppose if I was more interested in skiing I
would have been all over that. But thanks; that’ll fill the time nicely.”

“Great. See you at four, then?”

“I’ll be in the lobby. Bye.”

* * *

“I have room for a single.” The lifty
scanned the line. “How about you?” He gestured to Morgan.

Jammed in with a group of riders, Morgan
looked around for something to hold.

“You look nervous,” said one of the
young men. He stood. “Here, take my seat.” It was only a narrow bench, but it
was better than trying to stand in the swaying gondola.

“Thanks,” she said. “It’s my first time
here.”

“Glad to help.” He went back to
exchanging insults with the others and left Morgan to take in the amazing
scenery. In a short time the village was far below and she could see the frozen
surface of Green Lake in the distance. The snowboarders continued their chatter
and for the first time since she could remember, she felt lonely. It seemed
like a long time ago that she’d left home to start working at Banff. In no time
at all, she’d learned the name of every staff member; they had become her
extended family. But here she knew no one, at least not yet.

Once at the top, she purchased a coffee,
took the cup outside and stood at the railing overlooking the town below. It
was hard to make out the buildings, and she wondered which one was Zimmerli. How
long it would be until she felt comfortable here in this new environment?

She yanked off her gloves, shoved them
in her pocket and held the cup in both hands. Tears burned behind her eyes and
she shook her head, angry at herself for feeling this way. She’d always known
what she wanted to do, and this sudden attack of self-doubt had unsettled her.

A group of riders launched themselves
down the hill with whoops of joy and she watched until they disappeared. The
gondola continued to disgorge eager skiers and boarders, and yet her life
seemed to stand still as her thoughts took her back to that day six weeks ago
when she’d gone home to tell her parents about getting the job in Whistler.

* * *

Her father had looked at her as though
she was speaking a foreign language.

“Whistler?” he’d said, not attempting to
hide his disappointment. “But that’s in British Columbia. I thought working in
Banff would cure you of that nonsense.”

“Now, Drew.” Cynthia Dempsey was not a
forceful woman, but the one thing she asked of her family was a peaceful
atmosphere at the dining table.

Morgan forced herself to remain calm. “It’s
not nonsense, Dad. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time now. I’ve never made
a secret of it.”

Her father had opened his mouth to
speak, but one look at his wife had him rethinking his words. He glanced at the
twins, who’d been silently following the conversation.

Boomer Dempsey was nothing if not a
practical man. He spread his hands in a gesture of acceptance. “It’s just that
I’d hoped you would join us at the dealership.”

Morgan hated to disappoint her father.
He’d always been larger than life, but that was part of the problem. He ran
over everyone without realizing it and she’d determined long ago not to become
like her mother, who invariably agreed with every utterance that came out of
his mouth.

“I know Dad, and I’m sorry, but I want
to do this on my own.”

He forced a smile. “Well I just hope
they realize they’re getting a top-notch employee.”

Morgan smiled at the compliment. It had
been years since she’d helped out at his office during summer holidays, but his
words meant a lot. “Thanks, Dad.”

* * *

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Morgan looked up, startled. She hadn’t
seen Rob approaching. He faced her, one arm resting on the railing. God, but he
was good-looking, in an edgy, dangerous way.

He looked at her with eyes that seemed
to see right through her. “You’ve been crying.” It wasn’t a question.

“No I haven’t.” She turned away,
embarrassed at being caught out. “Maybe a little.”

He raised a hand and brushed back an
errant wisp of hair. “Can I help?”

She almost laughed. “No, but thanks.”
She looked into those blue-grey eyes and the words started to spill out. “I was
feeling lonely, that’s all.” She gestured down the hill toward the village.
“Everything is new and I don’t know anyone.”

“Of course you don’t. You just got
here.” He gave her an indulgent look. “Besides, you know me. What else do you
need?”

She laughed. It felt good. “You’re
certainly not lacking in confidence, are you?” She looked around. “What are you
doing here, anyway? And don’t tell me you followed me.”

“I did actually.”

Her heart lurched in her chest.

“I saw you get on the gondola.” His gaze
moved slowly over her body as though taking inventory. “And here I am.”

Butterflies took up residence in her
stomach as he continued to look at her.

“Too bad I can’t stay.”

She came crashing back to earth. “You
can’t?”

He gave her that knowing smile again,
much like last night, and she wanted to smack him. He glanced at his watch.
“No. I’m due to give a lesson in five minutes.” He looked toward the gondola
and zeroed in on a slender woman who was looking around expectantly. Morgan
couldn’t tell if she was the same woman he’d left with last night, but it
didn’t matter. He pushed away from the railing and looked into her eyes. “See
you later,” he murmured, and before she could react, he’d cupped her chin and
brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back a fraction and she opened her
eyes to see him still looking at her. “Sweet,” he murmured, then turned and
left.

Morgan clutched at the railing as he
made his way through the outdoor tables, grabbed his skis and waved to the
woman. Every instinct she possessed told her that Rob Taylor was a heartbreak
waiting to happen. She knew that as certainly as she knew her own name, and yet
her body ignored the warning. A sucker for punishment, she waited for him to
turn back and give her that smirk, but today it didn’t come. Perhaps he wasn’t
predictable after all but somehow she doubted that.

“Here we are.” Chance pulled up in front
of a long, narrow building. “As you can see, Zimco used every square inch of
land, but then everyone in Whistler does the same.” He jumped out and hauled
Morgan’s suitcase up the short walkway to the front door. ‘Sorry I can’t stick
around, but Jamie got sick quite suddenly and it seemed best to send her home.”
He stopped inside the front door. “You’ll be all right, won’t you? You looked a
bit shaky back there.” The concern in his eyes was almost her undoing.

“I’m fine. You get back to the shop.” On
the short drive to the Lodge, he’d mentioned that sales often picked up when
people came down from the ski hill after daylight skiing. She also knew without
being told that retail shops in high profile locations scrambled for every
dollar of business just to meet expenses.

“Okay. What time does your shift start
tomorrow?”

“Thanks Chance, but I’ll find my way
there.”

He brushed her words aside. “I’m going
in anyway and I’ll be leaving at eight. If you’re down here, I’ll give you a
ride. Okay?”

She smiled up at him. “Okay. To tell you
the truth, I’m a bit nervous about my first day.”

“Even more reason to let me give you a
lift.” He pushed open the door. “See you in the morning.”

* * *

Tension knotted Morgan’s stomach as she
reported for work the next morning. Karen was on the desk and greeted her with
a warm smile. She looked very European in her black jacket, skirt and white
blouse.

“I was surprised to see you checked
out,” she said by way of greeting. “Did you get settled?”

“Yes, thanks.” Morgan had done little
more than unpack her overnight bag. She’d been too nervous and excited to do
much else.

Morgan glanced at the concierge desk,
then back at Karen. “Where should I report?”

“Mr. Wynn-Jones is expecting you.” She
gestured to a narrow hall between the front desk and the elevators. “You’ll
find his office down that hall.”

Morgan looked around for somewhere to
leave her coat.

“Here, I’ll show you.” Karen pressed a paneled
wall and a door swung open. “We keep our things in here.” She took the coat.
“Good luck.”

An older woman looked up as Morgan
pushed the door open. The nameplate on her desk identified the woman as Enid
Blacklock.

“Good morning. You must be Miss
Dempsey.” Cool eyes assessed her. “Mr. Wynn-Jones is expecting you.” She
gestured to an open door. “Go right in.”

The man behind the desk didn’t rise when
she entered the room. He looked her over and narrowed his eyes. Morgan wondered
if she was dressed inappropriately, but she’d followed the Zimco instructions
to the letter. Black skirt, black tailored jacket, white shirt and black shoes.
The black seemed to bring out the highlights in her tawny blonde hair; she was
pleased with Zimco’s clothing dictates.

“Hello Sir.” She crossed the room and
held out a hand. “I’m Morgan Dempsey.”

She realized her mistake when he was
forced to stand but she met his angry gaze calmly. “I’m glad to be here.”

He gave her hand a perfunctory shake and
settled back in his chair, indicating that she should sit.

He opened a file and looked down at it
as though reading it for the first time. A ridiculous ploy designed to make her
feel insignificant, but she was determined not to let it work. She waited
calmly while he read.

After a few moments, he looked up. “I
see you’re expressed an interest in our concierge training programme.”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, Sir. I was
delighted when Mr. Blenkinsop told me I’d been accepted. It’s something I’ve
wanted to do forever.”

“Daniel Blenkinsop does not manage this
hotel.” He spat out the words and Morgan recoiled. Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.

“Yes Sir, I know that. I just meant...”

His eyes glittered and she realized that
he was enjoying himself. “This is a very popular programme, and we accept only
our most promising employees.”

What was he saying? She was afraid to
ask, but she had to know.