Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“They’re fully booked?” I guessed, not the least surprised.
He nodded and stroked a hand down his beard. “And every other hotel, motel, and B&B. I tried everybody.”
Again, I wasn’t surprised, but I was aggravated because I didn’t know what to do. Other than offering for her to stay with me—which would have been my preference, but I doubted she would accept. That was probably for the best anyway since I very much doubted I’d be able to keep my hands off of her if we were sharing the same space.
Then I remembered that I had one last ace up my sleeve. “I have another idea,” I told them. “Excuse me for a minute.”
I pulled out my cell phone and walked to the back of the store as I dialed the number for my friend Raven, who owned The Snowed Inn and Lodge up at the ski resort.
“The Snowed Inn,” a cheery female voice answered.
“Hey, Raven, it’s Hayden.”
“Mayor Douglas!” she greeted me with a giggle. Raven’s brother Jake and I had been best friends growing up, so she was like a little sister to me. Which was why I let her get away with teasing me about being too serious and needing a life outside of being mayor. So when she called me by my title, she was actually giving me shit about it.
I sighed. “Put Colin on the phone,” I insisted, referring to her business partner.
“Okay, I’ll be good,” Raven chirped. “What’s up?”
“Remember when I picked you up and drove you to your senior prom so your mom wouldn’t know your date was Hughes Langston?” Raven’s mother had been obsessed with marrying off her daughters since the day they turned eighteen. She was convinced they needed to be a housewife and mother to be happy, just like her.
If she’d known that Raven was going to a dance with the son of one of the wealthiest families in town, she’d have embarrassed the hell out of her daughter with all the innuendos and leading questions about his intentions.
Despite knowing I was like an older brother to Raven, even I hadn’t escaped her mother’s attempts to find Raven a husband. And pretending to take her to prom hadn’t helped the situation, which meant I had to endure it longer than necessary. However, we’d eventually shattered Francie’s dream since the idea of Raven and I together had made both of us shudder with disgust.
“Wow…not something I was expecting you to say. But, yeah, I remember. Why?”
“I’m calling in my return favor.”
“You’re what?” Her incredulous tone made me chuckle.
“Yup. You owe me, and I’m cashing it in.”
“For the love of baby snowmen…you realize that was over fourteen years ago, right? You can’t possibly be suggesting I still—”
“There’s no statute of limitations on favors, ray-ray,” I interrupted, using the nickname she hated and trying not to chuckle at her flabbergasted state.
“Don’t call…whatever.” She sighed. “So what is it you’re wanting?”
“I need you to find a room for a friend of mine.”
“That’s all?” she asked suspiciously.
“That’s all,” I confirmed.
“Wow. I was expecting…you know what? Never mind. I’m not going to put ideas in your head. It’s no problem. What’s his name?”
“Her name is Laurel Carlow.”
“Her?”
Raven’s tone was deceptively innocent, and I grunted, “Don’t even think about it. Focus your matchmaking on Jake, Raven.”
She sighed, and I heard the clicking of her keyboard. “When will she be arriving?”
“Probably in the next hour. Her vehicle isn’t good for driving in the snow, so she’ll have to go slow.”
“Alright. She’s all set.”
“Thanks, ray-ray,” I teased.
“Call me that again, and I’m going to punch you in the jingle bells,” she snapped. Her habit of replacing swear words with Christmas things never failed to make me laugh.
I hung up, then walked back over to Butch and Laurel, who were quietly talking. “You’re all set with a room at The Snowed Inn,” I informed her with a smile. “It’s up on the mountain, though, so I should probably drive you up there.”
Laurel shook her head and tilted her chin up stubbornly. “I might not be used to driving in the snow, but I’m not leaving my van.”
I frowned, about to argue with her when the door opened, and Brinley walked in.
“Baby girl!” Butch greeted his daughter with a cheerful grin. “You’re right on time!”
“Oh?” Brinley asked as she shook off the snow from her coat and boots.
“Laurel here needs to drive up to the inn, and she’s not used to the snowy conditions.” He smiled at Laurel. “Since Brinley needs to make a delivery, I figured she can follow you and make sure you don’t get stranded.”
Brinley shrugged. “Sure. That’s no problem.”
I wanted to argue, but I didn’t really have anything that would hold weight. Fucking hell.
“Is that okay with you?” I queried, hoping Laurel would turn Brinley down and ask me to take her instead.