Page 1 of Stuck With Mr. Frosty (Delectable Protectors #5)
MIA
I ’m finally home, Mom.
All right, maybe the ski resort wasn’t home, but when I think of Mom, this is the only place I can picture her.
And right now, more than ever, I need to be able to connect with her. To be in the place where her spirit lingers. To talk to her about the way my life feels like it’s spinning out of control.
I take a deep breath and grab the hot-pink duffel bag and the matching case with my ski gear. I can do this.
The other volunteers are gathered outside the resort, laughing as snow falls down around them, their breath coming out in white puffs of air. They all gather their supplies, looking like they don’t have a care in the world.
And then a dog comes bounding through the snow, its tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth.
The Bernese Mountain Dog comes to a skidding halt in front of me, rooting through the drifts of snow, its black tail wagging back and forth. I smile and watch the dog, longing to run my fingers through its silky black fur.
It looks up at me, the two tan patches above its eyes looking like eyebrows. The long black fur and the white patches remind me of a paint-by-number kit of a similar dog I did as a child. The dog cocks its head to the side, letting out a low whine.
“Honey!” a man says, his tone sharp as he claps his hand to his thigh. “Come here.”
She turns without a second thought and races through the snow, leaping at the last moment and throwing herself into the man’s arms. Even with his puffy black jacket and what has to be ninety pounds of dog flying at him, he catches her with ease.
I stare at the two for a moment, considering going over and saying hello. It would be good to make friends here before the season starts. I’m sure most of my time will be spent on the slopes, teaching people how to ski for the first time or trying to make sure it goes smoothly for them.
Mom’s favorite part of the job was teaching people to ski.
The sun glints off the massive log resort coated in a powdery dusting. The windows still have the same shine, revealing the giant Christmas tree that has been decorated in golden hues. The lights twinkle.
For a moment, it feels like coming home.
I’m here, Mom. I came back to see you.
“You must be new,” a woman says as she picks up a bag near me. “We best get going inside to the orientation.”
“I’m Mia.” I follow behind her toward the long steps that lead up to a massive front porch with fire pits and wooden chairs. “And not entirely new. I used to come here with my mom. She was one of the instructors.”
“I’m Rosie.” Her brown eyes lit up with glee. “Is your mom here now?”
“Um. No.” I force a smile even as a sharp pain sits in the center of my chest. “She died a little less than a year ago.”
Rosie pauses, tucking her chocolate-colored hair behind one ear. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. Anyway, what’s this about the orientation?”
“We have it every year.” Rosie hauled her bag higher up on her shoulder, studying me for a moment. “You’re Heather’s daughter, aren’t you?”
My cheeks feel like they’re on fire as I nod.
Rosie smiles, her eyes turning glassy. “You have the same eyes; like the color of the valley in the spring. Same smile, too. I used to work with her when I first started working here. Didn’t get to spend too much time with her, but she always seemed nice.
Not like some of the other instructors who are going to see you as a threat to their jobs. ”
“Perfect. Just what I need.”
Laughing, Rosie nods to the group in the center of the lodge, a man standing on the front counter. “Looks like Jerry’s ready to start the meeting.”
More people filter into the room, forming a half-circle around Jerry. I set my bags down at my feet, rolling my shoulder to ease some of the pain from the duffel bag’s thin strap cutting into it.
“It’s good to see you all back for another year,” Jerry says, projecting his voice through the room. “We’re going to take the next couple hours to get to know each other and to get settled into the cabins.”
I glance at Rosie. “Cabins?”
She nods, glancing around the room like she’s taking it all in for the first time, her eyes wide and her hands on her curvy hips. “Oh, yeah. You share a cabin with three other people. They’re hidden back in the woods so the rich people at the resort don’t see them.”
“Or so they can’t find us to bother us on our days off,” a man says from my other side, giving me a wink. “Ryder.”
“Mia.”
Rosie rolls her eyes. “Don’t let him charm you, Mia. He’s slept with half the women here, and I’m sure his goal this year is to sleep with the other half.”
“Always have to ruin a good time, don’t you, Rosie Posey?” Ryder crosses his arms over his chest. “You should stick with me, kid. I know this place like the back of my hand. Know all the good spots to hide from ol’ Jerry too.”
Jerry, as if summoned by Ryder talking about him, looks straight at us. “Your cabin assignments are on the wall. And even though most of you are still young, I expect you to behave in a way that would be considered respectable.”
Ryder groans, his head falling back. People around us laugh, indicating that there’s no chance any of them are going to behave. Not that I’m surprised. I’m sure most of them are accustomed to running wild at night.
At least, they are if half of the stories Mom used to tell were true.
Jerry gestures to the desk he’s standing on. “If any of you have a problem, come and speak with me directly. I will be near this desk most of the time. If I’m not, have whoever is standing here call for me, regardless of the time of day.”
Murmurs go through the crowd before Jerry claps his hands together. He hops down from the counter. “Now, the seasonal manager, Steph, is going to take it from here.”
Rosie snickers and leans over to me. “I’m going to my cabin. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“You don’t want to stay here through this?”
“It’s the same every year. You should stay, though. Some information might be useful.”
Rosie turns and takes off, following behind a few other people filtering out of the room. I shift and look around at those who stayed, seeing the man with the dog in the corner.
Maybe I should go over and introduce myself.
It couldn’t hurt to have at least one person to get through the orientation with. I sidle around the edges of the room as Steph, a blond woman with big blue eyes, climbs on top of the desk, ready to give the rest of the speech.
I step beside the man, smiling when his cerulean eyes lock on mine. My gaze roams his face for a moment, taking in the black lip ring at the corner of his mouth, accentuated by his scowl.
“I’m Mia.” I hold my hand out as Honey starts to sniff at me. “Beautiful dog. I’ve always wanted one, but living with my mom and traveling a lot made it hard to get one. Never seemed to be enough time in the day.”
He grunts, shifting away from me.
“How old is she?” I run my fingers through her silky fur, smiling when her fluffy body collides with my legs.
“Three.” His jaw tightens. “Is that all?”
My mouth goes dry. “Excuse me?”
He gives a sharp nod, not saying anything else as he pats his thigh and strides out of the room, the dog trotting behind him.
I sink down against the wall, staring at the bags in front of me, wishing I could go back in time. It’s only been an hour, and I already feel like I don’t belong. Rosie was nice, but I don’t know if she’s going to be around much.
And if anyone else here is like the dog’s owner, then I doubt I’m going to have a good time.
There’s no way that everyone is like him, though. Maybe he isn’t like that normally either. I might have just caught him in a bad moment. I can’t imagine that anybody is at their best after traveling to get to Aspen.
I traveled for hours. I don’t feel my best right now. Though I may not be up for snubbing people, I’m still not in a great mood. I’ll try speaking to him again later, maybe apologize for bothering him.
Steph claps her hands together. “This is going to be a long winter, people. We’re booked out through the next couple of months, and there will be high-class guests here who expect only the best from our staff. There are going to be mandatory training sessions for staff tomorrow and the day after.”
With a sigh, I keep staring at the bags in front of me, wishing that I could go find my cabin and settle in for the night.
Though, the downside to that is having to be alone with the thoughts that have plagued me for the last year.
Mom, I don’t think this was the right thing to do.
Maybe I should just go home. Try to find another way to connect with her. To find those pieces of myself that have seemed like they’re missing since she died.
She wouldn’t want that, though. She would want me to keep pushing. To make the best out of what seems like a bad situation.
The only reason I’m staying is for her.