Up to Snow Good - Kelly Collins Page 0,27
a guest around, she seemed alone, abandoned, as if the entire town turned its back on her. That only inspired Max to stand with her. She had a vulnerability that called to him, lighting fires in him that had long seemed a passing childhood obsession.
He’d had girlfriends, but none had filled him with a need to rise up and protect, to be the man he’d always hoped and tried to be.
It was almost as if Moss Creek wanted him to be the only one to stand beside her. He still couldn’t believe that he could be so lucky, if it was luck at all, and not some greater force at work in the universe.
He worried that his father had some grand strategy that would make Max a pawn. Does he hope I’ll marry her, and we’ll gain the land that way? Pops was so dead set against it initially but now had a complete reversal. Was it Jane who changed his mind? If so, why? How would this benefit her? Lauren was back in his life, and no one could change that.
Lauren, he thought, enjoying her presence as they sat together, the smell of pine rich in the air. Finally, after all these years, they had a chance. Could he be the man she needed?
He was unaccustomed to the case of nerves he was trying to suppress. What if my father really is up to something, and I accidentally play into his hand?
“Maybe the winter village isn’t such a good idea, after all.” She looked around, sadness welling up in her eyes. “Maybe everyone is right, and it’s time to let it go. Realistically, it’s only a matter of time. Even Sam said I was two months from defaulting on the mortgage.”
“No,” Max said. “Don’t give up. Do not sell the lodge, trust me.”
She tilted her head to the side, a wordless bid for an explanation.
There was so much Max didn’t want to share. If his father was legitimate about encouraging their love, there was no reason to mention the agreement he held or the offer they would make. His father’s change of heart had accomplished just what Max had hoped and resolved those issues without them being raised. Mentioning them would only derail their budding romance. After so many years, after so much disappointment over their future together, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Look, it’s just a hunch, but I feel like if you sell now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
She broke a sad smile. “I can’t disagree with that, I’m sad just thinking about it. We cannot get by on winter promotions. I mean, look at this place, it’s a winter lodge in a ski town without snow; talk about the writing on the wall.”
Max wrestled with differing thoughts and conflicting impulses. “What if you … no, never mind, forget it.”
She sat up. “What?”
“Well, I agree, you have a point about the weather. There was no snow at all this year, and who knows how things will go. It’s probably safe to say they’ll get worse before they get better. What if you repurposed the property?” That seemed to gain Lauren’s interest, “You’re already doing a winter village, just something along those lines.”
“Like a storybook village, a kid’s attraction?”
Max nodded. “Maybe, but let’s do what it takes to make a success of the place. That’ll make things better for the whole town.”
“That was the idea.”
He hated to use his father’s idea, but it was something to consider. “Okay, so what about something like a water park?”
“A water park? With all those ugly plastic slides? No way, yuck.”
“No,” he said, “nothing like that, but we can make them look like those old flume rides. Maybe tie it into something educational. That would take advantage of the hotter seasons, bring in people from all over the state.”
Lauren seemed fascinated, but the end result was to shake that pretty head. “I appreciate the thought. It’s sweet that you’re here, and you want to help.”
“Well, I do want to help, and I’m grateful you’ve made me welcome in your home.”
She looked around, seeming to gravitate closer to him, her eyes finding his lips. “It’s a special place and always had an effect on our guests.”
“Oh, and what effect is that?”
“It brings people together.” She leaned in, almost touching his lips.
“Does it?”
She nodded, seeming to swallow hard. “It does, actually, I know several people who have fallen in love here.”
“Really?” Their mouths were just a breath away.