Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3) (6 page)

Finn grabs hold of my wrists. “Reese, look at me.
Look at me!
” I can’t stop crying, and I feel like I might pass out because of the labored breaths I am taking between open mouth sobs. His mouth coming down on my mine is the only things that registers with my mind, and I collapse in his arms. He holds me until I stop heaving. “I will take you to the hospital to see Ted. But going to talk to Lawson is senseless. It will only add fuel to the fire. Plus, you don’t even know for sure that he talked about you negatively to the police.”

I pull away from Finn. “Are you serious? Of course he told the police I screwed up at the lodge. They probably told him I was in this so-called will now, and he was pissed. He wanted them to think that I had something to gain from Ted’s death because he was angry he wasn’t in the will, but maybe he
is
in the will. That’s the crazy part of all of this. Ted doesn’t owe me anything. I never expected money or a job or anything. Lawson
has
been like a son to him. I’m not angry if Lawson gets an inheritance from Ted. I don’t sabotage him. Why is he sabotaging me?”

“Quit tormenting yourself. I’m going back to my room to shower. I’ll swing by in an hour.” Finn kisses me on the cheek and leaves me pondering what the hell is going on in my life.

Thirty minutes later there is another knock on my door. “Come in, Finn,” I yell and pick up my mascara wand. He clearly judges an hour’s time in his own Finn way.

“That’s the kind of greeting I get!”

It’s not Finn. I drop my wand and stare into the angry, beautiful, terribly missed face of Tinley. “Tinley!” I grab her tightly and squeeze, hardly believing that she is back at the lodge.

“Good gosh, Reese. You’re going to suck the life out of me, but it
is
kind of nice to know you missed me after all. I kind of expected you and Finn to meet Murphy and me at the airport, though.”

“Oh my gosh, Tinley! I completely forgot you were even coming.”

“Well, now I’m feeling like crap again. Geesh!”

“No, you don’t understand. So much has been going on the last few days—you have no idea.” And for the next half hour I fill her in on my life at the lodge from my administrative leave to finding Ted unresponsive in his room to being almost accused of poisoning him. And when Finn arrives, with Murphy, a half hour later, my hope in humanity has been restored.

When the four of us reach the hospital, we ask the information desk for Ted’s room number, but when we get off the elevator, there is a police officer sitting outside of Ted’s room. Just great. We see her, but she doesn’t see us as she’s talking to a nurse. We duck into a family waiting room across from the elevator. “How do we see Ted if we can’t get past the police officer?” I ask.

“Leave that to us,” says Tinley. Just pay attention, and as soon as you see a chance, slip into the room.”

Before Finn walks out of the room with Tinley, I grab Finn’s face and pull it down to mine. “I love you—so much. I don’t know what you see in me that you keep walking this crazy road with me. But I’m glad you’re not scared off by crazy.”

“Crazy?
Nah, you’re not crazy. Maybe a little cuckoo, but not crazy.”

“Oh, Reese is crazy,” says Tinley, grinning. “And I’m glad she is because normal is
so
boring.” Tinley grabs hold of Finn’s hand and pulls him out into the hall. Murphy closes the blinds, so I’ll have a protected view of the antics that are no doubt about to begin.

“What are they doing?” I ask Murphy.

“Here. Put this on.” Murphy takes off his University of California sweatshirt and hands it to me.

“Why?”

“Just do it. And tuck you hair into the back.”

I do what he says. Murphy studies me with a skeptical look on his face, and pulls a few layers of hair out until it looks like my natural hair length is a bob. “How do you know what to do?” I ask.

“Let’s just say that I’ve had plenty of practice sneaking around with Tinley.”

“Her parents still aren’t accepting of your engagement?”

“That’s the understatement of the century, but let’s focus on you right now.” He hands me a pair of large glasses. If I had poor vision, this nerdy chic vibe is totally the look I’d go for.

“Thanks, Murphy.” I peek out the slats of the blinds. Finn carries two cups of coffee down the hall with Tinley following close behind. The police officer looks up as they pass right on by. They get three or four doors away. Finn hands a coffee to Tinley who bobbles the drink and pours it all over her very expensive Fendi winter jacket. I’d seen the label when I’d hugged her.
That
is true love right there. There appears to be a very heated argument between the two of them. Sure enough, the police officer gets up from her post to address the loves of my life.

“Okay, it’s go time. Come with me.” Murphy grabs hold of my hand and pulls me briskly down the hall toward Ted’s room. We slip into the room as Tinley is screaming at Finn about hot coffee, and the police officer is trying to pull her off of him. I can’t help but smile.

“I kind of have to stay, too,” whispers Murphy, “or you might be busted when I walk out of the room.”

I nod my head in agreement while Murphy slinks to the corner of the room. Ted is awake, watching
Sports Center.
That’s a good sign. He smiles when he sees me. Another good sign. “Hello.” What a brilliant opening.
Ugh.

“Come here, Reese.” His voice is weak, but he’s not shaking. In fact, he looks great. He points to a chair next to the bed.

I sit down and pull it closer to him. “How are you?” I ask. “I’ve been…worried.”

“Thank you. That is kind. The funny thing is, I feel better than I have in months.”

“I guess that is odd considering—uh, that, you know, someone tried to—”

“Poison me,” Ted says.

“Kind of surreal, don’t you think?” I say.

“Yes. That’s exactly how I think of it, too.” An awkward pause fills the space between us. “Reese, look at me.” I lean forward, taking in the tired eyes and worry wrinkles that cover his forehead. “I know you had nothing to do with this. Never—
never once
—did I think you would harm me.”

“I’m relieved to hear that, but tell it to the police officer guarding your door or the two cops that interrogated Finn and me.”

“How
did
you get past Officer Cutie?” His twinkling eyes warm my heart.

“Let’s just say I had some accomplices,” I say.

He waves at Murphy who is trying very hard to blend into the room. “I take it your partner in crime is visiting,” he says.

“Oh, yes. I forgot you know Tinley’s father,” I say.

“That is true, but you might think I’m unaware of all of the shenanigans that happened up on the mountain last summer, but I’m not as out-of-touch as you might think. I do believe that young man over there nearly burnt down my forest proposing to that girl.”

I laugh as I watch Murphy wiggling closer to the door. “S…sorry about that, Sir.”

Ted laughs, too. “Well, it all turned out now, didn’t it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I assume she said
yes.
”

“Yes, Sir.”

“True love is hard to find. You hold on tight and do whatever you have to do to keep the romance alive, even when you’re tired…or sick. Do whatever you have to do to keep her happy.”

“Yes, Sir. Thanks for the advice,” says Murphy.

“That goes for you, too. Finn’s been a loyal employee for many years. I hope he’s making you happy, yes?”

“Yes, Ted. He makes me very happy.”

“Good. Then I won’t hold it against you when you leave in the spring to follow him on his next journey. Just please stay in touch.” He grabs my hand. “And you are always welcome back at the lodge, doing whatever makes you happy. I know I put you on administrative leave, but it was really just to appease the blasted City Council of Tremont City who got their panties in a bunch after the falling out at the Christmas ball.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” For the first time since I’ve been here, Ted’s eyes glass over with wetness.

“Was that the first time you knew—”

“About Georgia?” he asks. “I had suspicions, but I didn’t know Lawson was involved.” He looks past me and out the hospital window.

“Ted, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Lawson would have done anything to harm you, either.”

“I know that, Reese. I should have spent my life being your father, but I was a coward, and I can never apologize enough for that, but with Lawson I tried to be the parent he needed. Perhaps he’s a little entitled and selfish, but he means well…most of the time.”

“Truthfully, he can be a pain in the ass.” Ted grins. “But he loves you like a father.”

“I know that.”

“Reese, I hear a cart in the hall. I think it might be dinner,” says Murphy.

“I don’t want anything, Murphy,” I say.

“Reese?”

“Oh, yeah, crap! How do I get out of here?”

“Can’t you just walk out of the room?” asks Ted.

“No way. I don’t want those cops getting any more crazy ideas that I might somehow be involved in your poisoning.”

“Come on, Reese! The bathroom!” Murphy pulls me into the bathroom just as a volunteer rolls the dinner cart in for Ted. I put my ear to the door.

“Thank you so much,” says Ted. “The meatloaf looks great, but I was wondering if I might be able to get someone to take me for a short walk. I am getting a bit antsy.”

“I don’t know, Mr. Oakley. You really should eat your dinner while it’s warm.

“Miss, I’m sure you don’t understand since you’re such a beautiful, young woman with—no doubt—an active social life, but perhaps you can put yourself in my shoes, uh, slippers, and imagine what’s it like to be cooped up in the same space for hours and not feel like you want to take this fork and jab your own eyes out with it.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Mr. Oakley.” We hear the cart leave the room along with the young woman pushing it. That seems to do the trick. I suppose Lawson learned some of his talents with the ladies from Ted. I wonder if he was this charming with my mom. A short while later a couple of nurses come into the room to assist Ted out of bed. As soon as the IV pole rolls out of the room along with him, Murphy opens the bathroom door.

“Wait right here,” he says, peeking out into the hall. “Okay, good. Ted had the brains to walk away from the elevator.”

“What about the cop?” I ask.

“She must be with him or on a break or something. Let’s go.” He grabs my hand again and pulls me into the hallway. Thankfully, we don’t pass any hospital staff until we are almost at the elevator where two nurses carrying charts pass us without a second glance.

“No, not the elevator,” I say, when Murphy pushes the elevator button. “We should take the stairs.”

“Reese, we’re on the sixth floor. That’s a lot of stairs,” says Murphy. It’s true that Murphy doesn’t look near as fit as he was looking when he left the lodge in September when he was still in the
trying to impress Tinley
stage. Poor guy could use the gym to burn off some stress.

“We can’t risk running into someone else. Let’s go.”

When we’re safely outside, we meet up with Finn and Tinley in Finn’s truck, and Murphy’s first love before he sold it to buy Tinley’s engagement ring. “Thanks,” I say, hugging Finn and Tinley simultaneously.

“It’s about damn time,” says Tinley. “It’s freezing in this state,” she says.

“Freezing?”
says Finn. “It’s twenty degrees today. That’s a regular heatwave. Did you get to say what you needed to say?” Finn asks me.

“I did. It was great, actually.”

“Let’s get out of this depressing place,” says Tinley. “I have
got
to change.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. How did your little performing act turn out?”

Tinley glares at Finn. “Mr. Loverboy nearly got our butts thrown in jail,” she says.

“Me?”
says Finn, his eyebrows raising as high as the bottom of his snug winter hat. “You are the one who spilled my coffee on the police officer!”

“You didn’t?” I say.

“I didn’t
mean
to, but when I spilled my own coffee in a very convincing way, mind you, that damn near scalded me, it was so hot. My nerves made me bump into Finn and spill his coffee on the hot officer—pun intended—but it was Finn’s insistence on drying her off that went overboard.” She grins devilishly.

“Tinley! I was trying to help!”

“Sure, call it what you will, Finn. Let’s get out of here, okay? I didn’t travel 2300 miles to spend it in the parking lot of a hospital. Seriously, Reese how did you survive without me?”

“I have no idea, Tinley. I have no idea.”

The lodge is crazy busy with the after Christmas crowd. I haven’t seen this many kids since the summer. Only kids running after a Frisbee are not nearly as dangerous as kids on snowboards or skis. Finn has been skiing with Tinley and Murphy all day today, his day off. Though I wasn’t as much of a klutz as I thought I’d be that day Finn taught me how to ski after my first fall, I’m better suited to staying indoors, and even though Ted is feeling better, I need to be in tip-top shape to be ready to help him out in whatever capacity he needs. That means I’ll ride that chair lift to the top of the mountain but only to transfer supplies to the restaurant for their concessions and to wait for Finn and the crew to warm up next to the restaurant’s roaring fire.

I settle the box of supplies—new hot chocolate mixes, bags of marshmallows, and Styrofoam cups—next to me on the chair lift. A group of foul-mouthed boys are screaming behind me, undoubtedly trying to impress the girls who are in the chair behind them. I turn around to glare at them, but they couldn’t care less. In that short amount of time, someone slides onto the chair next to me, and we continue moving up the mountain.

“Hey! Shut the hell up back there!” Lawson picks up where my glare left off, though he gets more results than me, and the screaming subsides, at least for now.

“What are
you
doing here?” I ask.

“Helping deliver restaurant supplies it looks like,” he says, the flaps of his furry hat covering both sides of his face. I can see my reflection in his sunglasses, and I wonder why I agreed to wear the new hat Tinley brought me. What do people from California know about practical winter head-gear? I am probably the only one wearing real white rabbit fur on my head.
Ugh.

“In skis?” I ask, pointing to his feet.

“Just watch. I can ski while holding supplies. I’m
that
good.”

“That’s what you say about everything.” I roll my eyes, glad that I didn’t wear my sunglasses and he can see how unimpressed I am with him.

“Why the piss-ant attitude?” he asks. “You know, besides the usual reasons.”

“You sent those police officers breathing down my neck.”

“I didn’t send anyone to breathe on you.”

“Ha!
Not funny!
” I say. “Yes, you did. Officer Bad Cop Kanicki and Officer Good Cop Folet. They wanted to know all about my relationship with Ted and knew about my, uh, shortcomings, in some of my lodge responsibilities. They knew about our administrative leave.”

“I know exactly who you’re talking about, but only because that jerk Kanicki and Folet talked to me, too. They woke me the day after Christmas at 10:00. Who wakes someone that early anyway?”

“They were at my door at 8:00.”

“Oh—sorry. Anyway, I just assumed you told them to talk to me. They knew about me not being Ted’s real nephew and—”

“Well, I did tell them that.” He slaps his leg and nearly drops the box of supplies. “Sorry. I thought you sent them to me, like I already said.”

“But they asked me about a lot of stuff you wouldn’t know, too.”

“Like what?”

“Like about my relationship with Georgia and some gambling debt I’ve acquired over the years from a casino in Traverse City.”

“You didn’t tell them about Georgia, did you?”

“I didn’t tell them anything about Georgia. Do you think she had something to do with this?”

“You mean about poisoning Ted?” I can only imagine his eyes are as big as saucers behind his sunglasses the way he sounds so surprised.

“Did the cops tell you about a change in Ted’s will?”

“Yeah, they said something about it.”

“Think about it, Lawson. Georgia was dating you and Ted simultaneously. Let’s say it’s true what they said about the will. Maybe Georgia counted on being Mrs. Oakley someday, and she found out that Ted put the two of us in the will. Why wouldn’t she be pissed?”

“She wouldn’t try to
kill
him, Reese.”

“Well, I guess you know her better than me.” I jump off the chair lift when we get to the top of the mountain. It’s sure a lot easier stepping off in boots than in skis. Lawson’s wearing skis, though, and it isn’t but a couple of seconds when the box he’s carrying goes flying out of his hands, opening up, and spilling its contents all over the snow, exactly where skiers and snowboarders are beginning their descent down the mountain. I bend down to pick up the supplies when one of those bratty, show-off kids goes flying right over my hand, “Hey! Son of a—” I pull off my glove and shove my hand in the snow because it cuts the pain.

“Sorry about that,” says Lawson. He snaps off his skis and yells at everyone to go around us as he starts picking up the restaurant supplies. A trail of marshmallows from a hole in the bag forms behind him. His hat hangs loosely onto the back of his head, his wispy hair hanging loosely over his sunglasses. He looks up and smiles. “I guess you can make marshmallow snowmen while you’re down there.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Maybe I should just head to the restaurant. I can take the box from here.”

“And risk being pommelled by another pint-size tot? No, I’ll carry the box, if you can carry my skis.”

As I follow Lawson toward the restaurant, I can’t help but wonder if our relationship would have been different if I’d just met him, minus all the drama when he found out I was Ted’s biological daughter. I shake off the fleeting thought when I see Finn, Tinley, and Murphy sitting by the roaring fire in the restaurant.

Tinley waves when she sees me. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she says when she sees Lawson.

“Good to see you, too, Tinley.”

“At least the marshmallows have arrived. You can’t have a proper hot chocolate without them.”

Tinley grabs the nearest bag and reaches in for a handful of marshmallows. They are dissolving in her hot chocolate before I can stop her. “Tinley! There are health codes we have to abide by, even up here. You can’t just reach into the bag like that!” I snatch it back from her, undeterred by her pout, which compliments her bright yellow snow suit quite well. Of course, the California girl would have a designer snowsuit in a color that screams,
Look at me!

“I’ll take that from here, Lawson,” says Finn, grabbing the box out of his hands before he can protest.

“Dude, the kitchen’s right there. I think I can handle it.” Lawson pulls the box back.

“I’m sure you’ve helped enough already today,” says Finn. He yanks the box back out of Lawson’s hand, but Lawson is prepared this time, and when he pulls, all that he succeeds in grabbing is the bag of marshmallows with the hole, and it goes flying open—again—all over the ground.

“Dammit, Finn! Cut it out!” I say.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Jealousy is not an attractive quality. All I wanted was to hang out with my boyfriend and best friend and have a relaxing afternoon. Instead you embarrass me.”

“Sorry you feel that way, Reese!” he yells. “Tinley, Murphy, I’ll catch you later. I suddenly have better things to do on my day off.” He grabs his skis and stomps toward the door, but he turns around and comes back. “You know what, Reese? If you’d rather stay here with Loverboy and play house in this great big lodge of yours, feel free. I don’t want you to come on that cruise ship since it’s so obvious that you don’t want to go.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing, and I can’t believe that he’s doing this in front of our friends…and Lawson. “I do want to go, Finn. Stop being an asshole.”

“Yeah? If you wanted to go so badly, you’d have lined up a job on the ship by now, just like the police officers pointed out. You never intend to leave the lodge. That’s pretty damn clear.” This time he doesn’t look back as he storms out the door of the restaurant.

I want to follow him. I want to tell him he’s wrong—that I do want to go on the cruise ship with him, but my feet feel stuck to the floor. Lawson doesn’t say a word but takes the box of supplies to the kitchen. Tinley’s face has transitioned from pouty lip to sad puppy dog eyes. Murphy picks up the dropped marshmallows and leaves to look for a trash can. “I
do
want to go with Finn, Tinley.”

“Then maybe you need to figure out why Lawson has such a hold on you that you can’t tell your boyfriend how you really feel.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Tinley’s right. It’s not just Tremont Lodge that’s become a part of my life I’m not sure I can live without. But it’s not for the reasons everyone thinks.