Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3) (7 page)

BOOK: Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3)
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Chapter 14:

Officer Folet is waiting outside my room when I get back. To say that this couldn’t be a worse time would be the understatement of the day. “There you are, Ms. Prentice. Helen said you would be arriving shortly.”

“Helen? Why would Helen know when I was arriving?”

“It seems that your friend Bree told her where you were.”

“Bree? I don’t understand. What do you want? I’ve had kind of a rotten day.”

“But shouldn’t you be happy? Mr. Oakley is on his way home from the hospital.”

“That’s wonderful news,” I say, and I mean it. “How is he getting back to the lodge?” I know Lawson is still on top of the mountain, and he sure as hell didn’t call Georgia—thank goodness.

“Helen,” says Officer Folet.

“Oh, I understand now. Was Helen looking for me to pick up Ted?”

“I highly doubt that. I think she’s inclined to keep you
away
from Mr. Oakley.”

“Why would she want to do that?”

“Ms. Prentice, there are people here at the lodge that still think you had something to do with poisoning Mr. Oakley.”

“But that is ridiculous!”

“If not you, then perhaps you’d like to enlighten me on why Lawson also made his way to Mr. Oakley’s penthouse suite the evening you both
found
him lying on his bedroom floor?”

“I don’t know why Lawson was there. Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I know I’m not hiding my defensiveness, but this guy is really pissing me off, and he’s supposed to be the
nice
cop.

“And remind me—you were there to give Mr. Oakley a Christmas present?”

“Y…yes.”

“We didn’t find any Christmas presents in the suite. Perhaps you brought it back here with you?”

“I was going to invite Ted out to dinner—as a Christmas present. And I wanted him to know how much I wanted my job back.”

“But didn’t you tell me that you plan on leaving Tremont Lodge this spring?”

“Yes, I am—I mean, I did tell you that, and I
am
leaving, but I still needed Ted to know how much I was going to miss the lodge…and him.”

“That’s all very sweet, Ms. Prentice. I do hope that you are telling me the truth. You still have that business card I gave you if you can think of any more helpful information?”

“Yes.”

“All right then. Have a great evening.”

I unlock the door to my room as I try to digest the second interrogation of the day. Who on earth would really think that I would harm Ted? Or that Lawson would for that matter? Yet, someone
did
harm him. I pull out my phone to text Lawson.

Me:
Check on Gloria. Please.

Lawson:
Why? What’s wrong with her?

Me:
Just make sure she doesn’t have anything to do with Ted.

Lawson:
Leave it alone, Reese.

Me:
I can’t. Someone hurt Ted. If it wasn’t me or you, then who?

Lawson doesn’t answer. I imagine his brain spinning a million directions, too, trying to make sense of it all. And thinking about Lawson again reminds me of what I am supposed to be doing now…finding Finn, but he doesn’t answer my texts.

When I knock on Finn’s door, he doesn’t answer, either. I use the spare key he gave me to let myself inside. His snow pants are hanging in the shower to dry though the bathroom is still pretty steamy, and on the counter is his plumeria soap—so cute—and an open bottle of cologne. Did he change and get ready to surprise me tonight, to tell me he’s sorry for acting jealous, that he knows how much I love him? I smile for the first time in hours.

I decide to check the library. Of course, he’ll know I’ll go there. He knows me so well. I wish I had time to change out of my snow pants and Under Armor long johns and sweatshirt, but I don’t want to keep Finn waiting. Even the kids playing tackle football on the lawn in the snow as I cross to the lodge don’t bother me.

I wave at Luis who is manning the front desk all by himself at the moment. At least the line to check in isn’t too bad. He calls me over. “Hi, Reese.”

“Hi. What’s up?”

“Hey. Sorry to bother you, but could you do me a favor?”

I consider the time on the clock but know I still owe Luis for bumbling on the job when I worked the front desk. “Sure.”

“Thanks. Can you take these towels to the pool deck?” He hands me a fresh stack of towels. “Someone just called down that they are almost out.”

“No problem.”

I take the set of crisp white towels toward the outdoor pool, always 90 degrees. I feel the steam as soon as I enter the changing room where guests often leave their robes or shoes. I stack the towels neatly in the cubicles marked clean towels and decide to help out and collect all of the dirty towels for the cleaning crew, which during this time of year includes Helen and Bree on the pool deck. I push the dirty towel bin into the exercise room to get those towels, too. It’s a pretty quiet time today as most people are up on the slopes. A cute redhead is bench pressing in the corner of the room. I pause and admire her technique. She’s clearly not new to weight-lifting, but she doesn’t look manly, either—kind of the perfect mixture of masculine muscles and perfect womanly body as her tight workout tank displays all the goods. I imagine the guy spotting her has the most envious position in the room. I see his hands helping her lower the bar to its perch before I see his face, and when I do, I drop the dirty towels I’d just collected, and they crash onto the floor sending an inflatable exercise ball rolling down the middle of the floor. That’s when Finn notices that I am standing in the room watching him look between the hot girl lying on her back, legs spread open over the weight bench and me, bending over to pick up sweaty, dirty gym towels. Even from where I am standing I can see his face turn the color of the girl’s red spandex tank top.

I do a half-wave from under the stack of towels. I feel like I’m going to throw up, but I refuse to let Finn know how angry I am now. He gets jealous over Lawson, so the next chance he gets he’s fawning all over some hot girl.

“Hi. I’m Pandy.” The girl sits up and shakes out her perfectly sweatless hair. “I needed a spotter, and Finn saved me. I’m not sure I could have finished that last set without him.” She turns around and smiles.

“You two have fun,” I say, my voice cracking as I pick up the last of the dirty towels, deposit them in the dirty bin, and head toward the door, but I don’t get far. Finn catches me in the hallway on my way back to the lobby.

“Reese, it’s not what you think.”

“I don’t think anything,” I say, shaking his hand off of my arm.

“I needed to blow off some steam after your little show with Lawson up on the mountain.”

“Show? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Reese, it’s no secret. Everyone can see the sparks between you and him. I just wish you’d admit it. It would be a hell of a lot easier to accept myself if you just came out with the real way you feel about him. I suppose that explains why you haven’t looked into getting a job on the boat. You don’t even intend to leave with me in the spring, do you?”

I watch the people pass on either side of us in the hall. “Come with me,” I say. I reach for his hand, but he doesn’t let me take it, though he follows. I know the library will be teeming with people knocking out the chill from the slopes, so I pull him down the hall into the empty ballroom. Even Marge is out of the office for the day. The next scheduled special event isn’t for two more weeks, a fiftieth wedding anniversary party. I can’ imagine being married to someone for that long, though I am not opposed to the thought of it. I click on the lights and close the door behind us.

“Reese, what are you doing?” Finn asks, running his fingers through his hair.

“Why did you put cologne on to go work out?” I ask.

“How did you know I…were you in my room?” He takes a step back.

“I came to find you.”

“I didn’t put cologne on. Maybe I’m just not as neat as you. Damn. If I needed an interrogation I’d go find the police who are still snooping around here.”

“And that girl just happened to be there—working out?” I ask.

“You make me so mad sometimes, Reese. No, I planned a date with her even though I never knew her name before she introduced herself to you. All I knew is that her husband was laid up in his room with food poisoning.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. So get over it. I distinctly remember someone recently saying
that
Jealousy is not an attractive quality.”

“I know. I’m sorry. You’re right. Finn, I don’t have feelings for Lawson, not the way you think anyway. He drives me crazy, but he’s also there for me if I need something. He’s like an older brother. And, yes, I’ve been dragging my heels about leaving Tremont Lodge. Lawson and Ted are like the family I never had. I know our relationship seems dysfunctional, but I know that they’ve got my back no matter what, and I’ve never had that with family before. Sure, Blake is my world, but he’s always going to be just a kid to me, and he isn’t damaged goods the way I am. Plus, he’ll be leaving for college soon. Lawson—and Ted—we’re all damaged goods, and we’re good for each other.”

“Reese, are you telling me that you don’t need me? Is this what it’s all about?” Finn takes another step toward the door.

“No, no, you don’t understand. You’re my savior. I realized it when you left the mountain a little while ago. I realized that I can have it both ways—I can have my
family
of sorts—that they’re not going anywhere if I physically leave, but that if I’m not with you, then everything in my life is meaningless. I love you, Finn.
You
make me whole, not the lodge. It defines who I am as so much of my history is because of what’s happened at the lodge, but you fill all those empty places. I love you…and I want to be with you forever.” I throw my arms around him, tangling my fingers in his hair and pulling my ear to his beating chest. He’s stiff, but I don’t care. I hold him tighter and cry into his chest. “I love you,” I say again, and I will go anywhere
anytime
with you.” I look up into his eyes. “Please say that you love me back.”

Finn steps back and drops his arms which had hung loosely around my waist. “Reese, you completely ruined my plans for this day.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, blinking back tears.

Then he grabs my hands and massages them in his. “I needed to know what you just said—that you’d follow me no matter where life takes us—that your life isn’t complete without me in it. Reese, I needed to hear that because I feel the same way about you.” I can feel the tears falling down my cheeks, but I can’t wipe them away. “I don’t have fancy fireworks or a cake.” He laughs. “All I have is my heart and the feelings it’s full of—for you.” My head is spinning with possibilities. Finn drops to one knee and reaches into his back pocket. He pulls out a small red velvety box and opens it, displaying a sparkling solitaire diamond. The tears drop off my face. “Reese Prentice, you are complicated and at times exasperating, but you have a good heart, and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without anyone else because I don’t think it’s possible to love anyone more than I love you. Will you marry me?”

I drop to my knees, too, so that I am closer to Finn, so that the distance between the words he’s just spoken hang closer to my ears. Finn waits for me to speak, his tears matching mine. “Are you sure?” I ask through my tears.

“Reese, I am always sure about the decisions I make.”

“But I’m broken and dysfunctional and—”

“Shh…” He puts his finger on my lips. “I love the good and the screwed-up Reese. And I don’t want her to change. Now, just answer my question. I banged up my knee the last time I came down the slopes.” He smiles as he rubs his knee.

“Yes, Finn. Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you.” I push him over as I throw the weight of my body next to his. We lie in a tangled heap of our bodies on the cold dance floor of the empty ballroom. Finn’s lips caress my face, and I have never felt more relaxed than I do in this moment. I close my eyes and will it to never end.

But my phone dinging reminds me that life won’t stop for my happiness. I try to ignore it, but it dings again.

“Just answer it,” says Finn as he strokes my arm, sending chills throughout my body.

Lawson:
Meet me in Ted’s office.

Lawson: 
It’s really important.

Lawson:
It’s about Ted.

“It’s Lawson,” I say.

“Of course it is,” says Finn.

“He says to meet him in Ted’s office right away—something about Ted.”

“Isn’t he back in his suite now?”

“I’m not sure. Helen is picking him up sometime today, I think. I was going to go see him later.”

“But you have to go see Lawson, right?”

“I do. But come with me. Please.”

Finn sighs as we get up from the floor. “Just remember I’m doing this because I love you.”

“And remember that I love you, too, I say.” “But first put that beautiful ring on my finger.” Finn slides the diamond onto my ring finger, and I stare at it for a second, still too surreal to process. “You carried the ring in your pocket to the gym?” I ask.

BOOK: Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3)
2.97Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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