Loving Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 2) (13 page)

“What happened?” he asks. A trail of nacho cheese hangs between his fingers and the plate of chips in front of him.

“I…we…” Why tell him now? If he’s not curious, what benefit could it possibly add to Blake’s life if he knew the truth about our parents? “It was just awkward. I’ve been gone for a while, you know?”

“Tell me about it,” he says, chomping on another chip. “The house is way too quiet without you here, but at least I have Hannah now.”

I smile this time. I know the feeling of being in love, and it makes me miss Finn even more. “Are you happy, Blake?”

He pauses as if to consider the question. “I am, Reese. I’m really happy, except, you know, for Grandma being sick and all.”

I nod my head like I understand, and maybe I do a little bit. If I’d lost a child like Grandma feels she lost her son, and she knows she’ll probably die without ever seeing him again, then I guess I’d be a little bitter, too. “It was really good talking to you in person,” I say. “You should come up to the lodge this fall,” I say.

“Oh man, that would be great, but I don’t know if Hannah’s parents will let me bring her. They’re kind of traditional.”

“You could come alone, you know?” I ask, though I already anticipate his answer.

“I could, but…”

“I know, Blake. It’s okay. Being in love is kind of cool.”

The fruit trees and vineyards fade in my rearview mirror as I drive away from my grandparents’ farm and back to the interstate that will bring me back to Tremont Lodge and Finn and maybe the dad that abandoned me a long time ago, but I’m not afraid anymore. I know I don’t belong in Bridgman. Maybe I belong at Tremont Lodge. Maybe I don’t, but that figuring out will all come in time.

I call Finn through the Bluetooth of my car to let him know I am coming back to the lodge and to let him know how much I’ve missed him…and that I’m sorry. Bree and Tinley have been amazing additions to my life this summer, but Finn has been the one constant who never wavered in his support of me. Maybe I had to go through all the crap in my life so it would bring me to this very place where I’d meet the man of my dreams. And maybe that fact makes it all worth it after all. His past with Samantha is just that—the past. At least that’s what I try to tell myself right now. But Finn doesn’t answer, so I leave a message instead.

“Hi. Letting you know I’ll be home by dinner, and I’d love to see you. I miss you.”

The employee parking lot is sparse compared to last weekend when there wasn’t a spot to be found for the last hurrah of the summer. Now reality has set back in for everyone, and life continues away from vacation land. Only, when you’re living at a resort, maybe a little bit of that escape can sink into your day-to-day—if you let it. But first I need to talk to Ted.

The elevator takes me to the third floor of the lodge. “Hi, Georgia,” I say to Ted’s faithful secretary and, I presume, intimate confidante. “I’d love to see Ted if he’s available.”

“Reese, I’m sorry, but Ted’s not here.”

“Oh, okay, when might you expect him back?”

“I’m not sure. The doctors have him on another new medication, and it’s really wiping him out.” She dabs at her eyes with a tissue she’s clutching in her dainty hands, one of which is wearing a large, sparkly diamond.
Interesting.

“That’s terrible,” I say. “Has he been working at all this week?” I bite the inside of my cheek and hope that Georgia can’t read my mind, but it doesn’t work.

She stiffens up and throws back her shoulders, pushing out her perfectly sized bosom and flashing her bright blue eyes. “If you mean, who has been running the daily operation of the lodge since you ran off, it hasn’t been him,
no
. Lawson has stepped up to take over where you left off.”

“Lawson?” I ask.

“Yes, he’s quite capable. After all, things were operating just fine here at Tremont Lodge before you came along.”

The accusation hangs in the air before dropping its full weight. “Thanks for the information, Georgia,” I say, biting my cheek again and moving on before I say something I will regret.

I’m exiting the elevator to the main level of the lodge as Lawson is preparing to enter. “Reese?” he says, surprised. “You’re back!”

“Yeah, I’m back. I bet you’re completely thrilled, too, aren’t you? It’s not all clear right now, but your hand is in this somehow.”

“What are you talking about?” he asks, entering the elevator and pushing the button for the third floor offices, the door closing behind us.

“You…you wanted me to leave the lodge! You hugged me so that Finn would see and think the wrong thing! You stirred the pot so I’d get so pissed I’d leave—not to mention contacting my dad so he’d cause more trouble. You’re the reason for all my problems. You have been all summer long!”

Lawson shrinks back into the corner of the elevator, but he’s no coward. He stands at his full height, flexing his arms as I move closer. “I didn’t force you into my arms, Reese. And it wasn’t done with a malicious intent. Despite my world turning upside down since you got here, I care about you.”

I take a deep breath and steady my heart with a hand over my chest.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
The door to the third floor offices opens again. “I’d like a brief of what’s been going on at the lodge the last few days. I’ll be back here in an hour to get it.” Lawson steps out of the elevator without another word. I continue upstairs, more determined than ever now to meet with Ted despite my trepidation after first speaking with Georgia. I don’t know what I was so afraid of. What do I have to lose, after all?

The elevator opens directly into Ted’s penthouse suite that encompasses the entire main floor of Tremont Lodge. I haven’t been here since the visit with Lawson to get clues about my last vacation to the lodge when I was five, but I remember the hidden key slot that I hope my master key will grant me access to get into the suite. I can’t help but feel like I am trespassing again, even with Ted being present this time. A collection of pill bottles litters the kitchen counter with dirty dishes piled next to the sink. An assortment of blankets lies in a crumpled heap on the couch that sits directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and overlooks the lawn. It seems odd that so many blankets would be out when the day’s low temperature hasn’t dipped below sixty degrees at night and eighty degrees during the day.

“Who’s there?” a frail voice asks from a room down the hall.

I take another deep breath. “Mr. Oakley, it’s me. Reese.”

“Reese?” I hear him repeat.

“Yes.”

After a couple of minutes, Mr. Oakley shuffles down the hall until he is standing in front of me. He is wearing a navy blue robe with matching slippers. His eyes droop like he hasn’t been sleeping in days. “I wasn’t sure you’d come back,” he says.

“I just needed a breather,” I say.

“I trust that you feel better now,” he says.

“Honestly, not really. Why don’t you sit down?” He motions to the couch that is covered in blankets.

“Sorry about that. It’s kind of cold up here.”

I nod like I understand, but I don’t. “I should go. You look like you’ve been resting. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“You are not bothering me, Reese. Truthfully, I feel a lot better now knowing that you haven’t abandoned me—I mean, the lodge—entirely.” He smiles weakly, and I smile, too. “What did you have to say?” He sits in a chair across from me. The late afternoon light from the windows shines on him, making him look like a heavenly figure which seems at odds with my thoughts on the man who also abandoned me in so many ways.

“My grandparents said they didn’t take any money from my dad—my…the man I thought was my dad.” There’s no right way to ease into this conversation, so I say what’s on my mind.

“I see. So, you think I lied about your
dad
?”

“No. I’m not sure…did you?”

“I wrote John Prentice a check for $100,000 to leave the lodge, to make arrangements for his children that didn’t involve him, and to never speak of the incident with your mother or Lawson’s mother ever again…or to come back to Tremont Lodge.”

The tears spring to my eyes, and I feel so sad. Both of my fathers chose a life of money over any love for a little girl—a little girl who grew up despite them both, a little girl who deserved love more than anything. “Thank you for the information.” I start to get up, but Mr. Oakley puts his hand on my arm and beckons me back to the couch with his pleading eyes.

“Reese, please sit down. There’s more.”

“What do you mean?”

This time it’s Ted taking the deep breath. “I’ve been watching your father off and on for the last sixteen years.”

“What? Why?” I blink back the tears in confusion.

“I couldn’t risk him coming back and spilling the horrible secrets of that night so long ago, so I needed to make sure he was staying away from you and your brother…that he hadn’t weakened in his resolve to go to the grave with the secrets of the past.”

“Go on,” I say.

“He’s been present in your life more than you know.”

The hair on my arm stands up. “What do you mean?”

“My private investigators found him at your high school a few times watching a game or in the audience at your graduation—things like that. He never got close enough to talk to you, but he was there.”

“Did my grandparents know?”

“I don’t think so.”

I think about the messages I have received this summer.

I think you look beautiful.

Looking forward to seeing you again today.

Even the picture he delivered in a wrapped box, the orange balloons a nod to my favorite color, my favorite Hello Kitty clock, the newspaper clippings. Even the last name he chose to use during registration—I suppose it could all point to a man with regrets over his choices to cut me out of his life. I suppose there is nothing sinister involved, but… “Do you know that he is here now?” I ask, my hand shaking almost as much as Ted’s.

“Son of a bitch.” He slams his hand down on the glass coffee table, and I’m surprised it doesn’t crack. “Sorry,” he says, responding to what must be my look of shock. “I called off the investigators about six months ago—trying to tie up loose ends if you will,” he says. “How in the world did he figure out you were here?”

“I assume you can blame Lawson.”

“Lawson?”

“He says he found dad’s,
John’s
, information in your private…Anyway, he told him I was here.”

“Reese, I am so sorry. I’ll take care of this. The investigator can be here in a couple of days, I’m sure. We’ll pay him, do whatever we have to do to ensure that he not contact you.”

The words tumble out before I have time to process what I am saying. “I’m not sure that’s necessary. Maybe I
should
talk to him. He seems pretty intent on getting my attention.”

“Reese, he’s a bum. He can’t keep a job—moves from town to town. I suppose that’s why he’s back, too—to get another pay-off.”

I wonder if what Ted says is true, but I hope he’s wrong. “I need to check in with Luis and see if he needs me to do anything.” I walk toward the elevator. “He’s really the brains of that lobby operation, you know? And Jeremy has a pretty good pulse on the rec department.”

“I trust your judgment. Thanks, Reese.” I wave
goodbye
and push the button to the elevator. “Reese!” I turn around before stepping onto the elevator. “Do what makes
you
happy.”

I watch Ted disappearing behind the closing door as I descend back to the lobby with more unanswered questions swirling in my mind. And part of me can’t help but wish that Ted might have cared a little about my life, too, all those years he had a private investigator keeping tabs on John Prentice. Maybe Ted Oakley asked for updates, too.

The lobby has transformed from rustic summer fun décor to a virtual inside fall forest with fake, colored leaves wrapping around the large wooden support beams. Even the totem pole in the middle of the lobby has red and yellow and orange bows tied at every separation between spirit animals. The only thing that hasn’t caught up with this change in scenery is the real scenery outside which still screams summer with an unseasonably warm September on the record books, and I’m grateful for every day closer to winter that stays warm.

Luis is doing paperwork in his office behind the front desk. His long black hair is tied nicely in a ponytail that hangs down the middle of his back, but in the suit jacket he is currently wearing he still looks professional and competent. What am I doing? I don’t belong in this role. I don’t want to run the front desk operations of a major resort. Sure, I could learn more if I stuck it out, but if I get no fulfillment, then why bother? And why take the job from someone that
does
love the job? “Hey, Luis,” I say.

He jumps at the sound of my voice. “Reese, you’re back. I…I suppose you want to know about what’s been going on,” he says.

“No, Luis. I really don’t, but thanks for the offer. And thanks for showing me the ropes. I am stepping down and promoting you back to sole supervisor of the lobby operations, effective immediately.”

Luis taps his pen on the desk a few times before looking at me again. “Thanks, Reese. You don’t have to do this, you know?”

“No, I do need to do this, and I’m sorry for the disruption to your life that I have caused. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go quit my other job.”

On the lawn, the sunshine gives me the renewed strength I need to accept those things I cannot change and faith that the choices I am making are the right ones. How can one really know if a decision is the right one?

Jeremy is outside the front of the rec department wrapping the handles of tennis rackets with new tape. “Perk of the job to work outside in the sunshine,” I say.

“Hey, Reese. Nice to see you back. Your shift started three days ago.” He doesn’t smile, but I do.

“Yeah, about that—sorry I bailed without an explanation, but I have no doubt you handled everything well.” He glances at me and goes back to taping the tennis racket. “Look, I just wanted to thank you for pointing out my flaws and to let you know that you are promoted back to sole supervisor of the rec department.”

He sets the tape down and looks me square in the eyes. “On whose authority” he asks.

“I guess mine.”

“Thank you for coming to your senses,” he says in complete seriousness before breaking into a huge smile. “No offense, but you kind of sucked.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll see you around, Jeremy.” I wave
goodbye
before turning back one more time. Jeremy is still watching me. “But be good to Bree or I’ll serve your ass on a platter.”

“Okay—deal,” he says, waving. “I’ll treat on the next double date.”

That makes me think of Finn and how much I want to see him right now. I stop in the landscaping office, but it’s empty. Everyone is on the job. I don’t hear any mowers, so the agenda for the day could be infinite. I pull out my phone.
The urgency to see Finn is overwhelming, and I punch in his number on my phone. He picks up on the second ring. “Reese?”

“It is so good to hear your voice.”

“Where are you?” he asks.

“On the lawn. Where are you?”

“In my room. I stepped in a bucket of paint when I was finishing the last of the fence work for the year—ruined a perfectly good pair of work boots.”

“Don’t leave your room. I’m coming up.”

“I have to finish the job, Reese. There’s white paint all over the grass.”

“It can wait…please give me ten minutes.”

“Okay.”

I sprint across the lawn and over the cobblestone roads that run between the now quiet lodge shops and into the dormitory courtyard. The pool guys are skimming leaves and bugs out of the pool and don’t look up as I rush up the stairs to Finn’s room.

He opens the door before I can knock. “Hi,” he says, no emotion sitting on his face but irritation.

I fling my arms around his neck and bury my head in his chest. It feels so good to make a decision that comes from the heart instead of doing what everyone else wants me to do. And the only decision I want to make right now is to be with Finn. Forget the lodge. Forget Samantha. Forget John Prentice. Forget Ted Oakley. Forget my grandparents. The only person that makes me feel whole and happy is Finn, and if he doesn’t feel the same way, then it’s time to leave. My need to be here is no longer pressing. The answers I have are enough.

“Damn, Reese, you’re going to knock me over. What has gotten into you?” He pushes me away from his chest so that he is looking at me. “When did you get back?”

“A couple of hours ago,” I say.

“And you’re just now getting around to saying
hey
. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You kind of do whatever the hell you want anyway.”

“No…no, you’re wrong. I’ve been doing what I thought everyone else wanted me to do—everything at the lodge—I did it all because I thought I had to. I thought I had something to prove, but now I know the truth.”

“What’s that?” he asks, holding me back by crossing his arms across his chest.

“The truth is that I only have to make
me
happy, and whatever happened with my parents or whatever is happening now with Ted—none of it really makes me happy. I mean, it’s okay, but nothing at the lodge ties me here anymore but for one thing.” He raises his eyebrows as if to encourage me to continue. “The only reason I want to stay is because you’re here, and if you want to leave and go on that cruise ship next spring, then I’m going with you—if you want me to.”

“Reese…” My name hangs on his lips, and he pulls me close to his chest again, cradling his arms around my back. I feel the tears coming, but this time I don’t try to stop them. Finn holds me and lets me cry. “We still have some stuff to talk about,” he says.

“I know,” I whisper. “I just need to know if you love me.”

Our eyes hold for a moment before he speaks again. “I love you, Reese Prentice, and I can’t imagine going anywhere on this earth without you by my side.” His lips find mine in a fury, intertwining with the want and passion of two lovers kept apart by too many distractions and the possibility of a future full of promise. “I want you so bad right now,” he whispers into my neck, “but I have to go back to work. I don’t want to rush, either. I need to enjoy you—to enjoy us.”

I kiss him back, for a moment more, before pulling away. “We have forever,” I say.

“Forever,” he repeats. “Tonight, let’s take a ride up the mountain.”

“But I didn’t think there were any more parties,” I say.

“A party for two is all we need.”

I inhale deeply and nod my head in agreement before backing away. “I like the sound of that. Have fun painting.”

One more kiss
goodbye
and I practically skip back to my room. The answer I needed was given. Now whatever happens at the lodge is of no consequence to me.

It’s when I am in my room that I remember that Lawson is expecting me to return for his report on the lodge operations while I was gone. Though I quit two jobs today, I’m not sure what my walking away from all responsibility at the lodge would do to Ted. And no matter his delinquent role in my life, I don’t wish him harm.

Georgia is not at her desk when I walk off the elevator onto the third floor of the lodge. No matter. She hates me anyway. I knock once and open Ted’s office door, expecting to see Lawson pretending to be busy doing managerial things. That is not what I find.

“Dammit, Reese! I thought you forgot about coming back!” Lawson yells, pushing Georgia off his lap and haphazardly putting his shirt back on and zipping up his pants. She’s doing the same dance in the corner of the room as she turns her back to me to hook her bra and pull a sweater over her head.

“I didn’t forget,” I say quietly, not realizing how much I am enjoying this show. “Should I come back in ten minutes? Or do you need more time?” I can’t help but giggle.

“Shut up,” says Georgia, walking past me toward the door, all of the sweet, innocent
I’m so concerned for Mr. Oakley
crap flying out of the room with her.

Lawson clears his throat, and I look back at him. “It’s not what you think,” he says.

I stare at him like he’s a complete idiot.

“I mean—that is what it looks like—but Georgia and I are in love.”

I start coughing on an ice cube from the glass of water I just poured and for a second think I’m going to need the Heimlich.
“In love?”

“She’s the only one from the lodge that visited me when I was in rehab. She really cares, and I really care about her, too.”

“That’s really none of my business, Lawson, but don’t you think Ted is going to be a little pissed? It’s no secret they have a little something-something on the side.”

“They don’t…anymore.”

“But she’s wearing a giant rock on her hand that would rival any Hollywood starlet’s engagement ring.”

“I know,” he says quietly.

“Wow. Sounds like you have yourself a little problem.”

“Look, I understand if your first reaction is to go running to your daddy.”

“Don’t call Ted my
daddy
,” I say, glaring at Lawson.

“Fine, whatever. But all you’d do is hurt him. Is that what you want?”

“I think I can ask you the same question.”

Lawson pours himself a glass of water before answering. “No, it’s not what I want. Ted is the only father figure I have ever had. But you can’t help who you love, Reese.”

“No, you can’t,” I say, thinking not only of Finn, but also of my mother and Ted and my father and Lawson’s mother. Sometimes things happen that seem out of your control. “Look, I didn’t come here to cause trouble, either, Lawson. All of this has been just as unexpected to me as it has been to you.”

“I know,” he says. “I want you to know that I sent an email to your dad and told him to leave you alone or he’d be arrested.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asked, surprised by my reaction.

“I don’t want him arrested.”

“It’s an empty threat. I wanted him to leave you alone, though. I told you I’d fix it.”

“Did he respond?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“He did.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he’d leave the lodge tonight and stop contacting you.”

“Tonight?”

“Reese, don’t be weirded out. Just hang with Bree or Finn. Stay in a group. I really don’t think he’ll hurt you. He should be gone any time.”

“I have to go! Thanks!” I grab my purse and run for the door.

“Wait! Don’t you want that report you came for?” he yells as I’m running down the hall.

“Forget it!”

I wave at Georgia who continues glaring and take the stairs two at a time to the main floor.