The Hazards of Mistletoe (6 page)

I noticed a message light blinking on the phone. I picked it up and listened. My bags had been delivered to the front desk. I called down, and they said they’d bring them up. “Well, at least my bags were found.”

“Awesome. Although I wouldn’t have minded sharing.” Laney smiled from her spot next to me.

“You really don’t have to sit around with me. Go enjoy the mountain.”

“I’d rather just relax. It’s cold.”

I shrugged. “Suit yourself, but it’s going to be really boring.”

“What’s going to be boring?” Dalton pushed his way into the condo lugging all three boards.

“Thanks.” I grabbed my board. “You didn’t have to grab mine.”

“No I didn’t.” He gestured to his chest. “Considering you thought it was appropriate to douse me with water.”

“You deserved it.” I grabbed my stuff and moved into my room. Hopefully Laney would get the hint not to follow.

All thoughts of staying away disappeared the moment I saw her. She looked older, her face seemed a little bit thinner and her hair was longer, but otherwise it was still the same Savy. What wasn’t the same was the guy who had his arm around her like she somehow belonged with him. She didn’t.

It was bad enough when she blew me off the first time I saw her, but to blow me off again? I’d thought leaving Savy alone was best for her, but maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t look happy, and I refused to believe all of it came from being upset at seeing me. There was a sadness in her eyes that went much deeper than an awkward meeting, and I was going to find out what exactly had happened. I was going to make that sadness disappear. It was Christmas time. Savy lived for the holidays. I’d bring that joy back to her. I just wasn’t sure how.

Once she disappeared from sight I jogged back down to the gondola. I didn’t need to add being fired to the list of activities for the day. I’d offered to take Savy to lunch, but my break wasn’t for another half hour.

Winston gave me a shit-eating grin as soon as I saw him. Luckily I’d been able to avoid him after the first run in. “What were you saying? The girl’s just a friend?”

“Shut up. I’m too busy to deal with this.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Do you think she was with that guy?” I hated to even bring the discussion up with Winston, but I wanted his take. He clearly felt invested in it.

“I couldn’t tell. You’ve never seen him before?”

“Nope, but I haven’t seen or spoken to her in a year so it’s hard to know.”

“Whether she’s with him or not, you have to make your move.”

“I’m not making any move. I just want my friend back.”

“That’s bullshit. You don’t want to be that girl’s friend.”

A woman glared at us. I guess we were talking loudly. I lowered my voice. “Just drop it for now.”

“You’re the one who brought the guy up.”

“I can’t let this go.”

“I’ll handle it,” Winston said with surprising resolve. I wasn’t sure why he even cared. “It’s going to work.”

“You’ll handle it? No thank you.”

“Trust me, I know how to work these things.”

“Sure.” I wasn’t leaving anything up to him.

“Trust me on this.”

I noticed our boss walking over. “Fine. Drop it for now.”

Winston caught the direction of my gaze. “Fine. We’ll talk tonight.” We got back to loading the gondolas, and I tried to keep thoughts of Savy at bay. It was impossible. She was the only thing on my mind.

“What did you do to her?” Winston tossed a beer over to where I sat on the couch.

“What makes you think I did something?”

“I saw the panic on her face when she saw you. Besides, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you don’t just repel woman on sight.”

“Very funny.” I popped off the top and gulped down some of the cold liquid. I’d cut back on a lot of things since getting cut off from my parents, but I still hadn’t settled for cheap bear. I needed my IPAs.

“Just tell me. What did you do? Mess around behind her back? Sleep with her sister or something?”

“We weren’t together. It’s more complicated.”

“Complicated?” He sat down on the ancient chair across from me. “I doubt it. Women are pretty simple to understand once you spend enough time with them.”

I laughed dryly. “Yeah, I bet you understand them.”

“Are you going to tell me or are you just going to mope around for the rest of the week?”

“I wouldn’t have sex with her.” There I’d said it.

“Uh… what?” Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it.

“You heard me.”

“Is there a reason you didn’t have sex with the girl… based on the amount of time you spend jerking off to her picture I assume you find her attractive?”

“Shut up. And of course there was a reason.”

“And….?” He gestured with his hand.

“She deserved better. I’d just found out about school, and I knew I couldn’t give her what she needed. We’d been friends for years, and I couldn’t just use her like that. She deserved more.”

“And when did you tell her this?”

“Why does it matter?”

“I’m hoping you rejected the girl before you took her home with you.”

“She was naked.”

“What?” he spit out his beer. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Yeah.” I set down my beer on the table. “I couldn’t. I wanted her so bad, but it wasn’t worth it.”

“Let me get this straight. You got the girl naked and told her you couldn’t have sex with her because she deserved better?”

“I think the actual words I used were she was too beautiful and innocent.”

“And then what?”

“I walked out and told her to be scarce before I got back.”

“Are you the biggest idiot on earth?” His eyes were nearly bugging out of his head.

“I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t trust myself.”

“Did you see her again or did you leave it at that?”

“I saw her outside, but I just stared at her.”

“I kind of want to punch you right now.”

“Why? What do you care?” I slumped down on the uncomfortable couch. “You’re not exactly Prince Charming yourself.”

“This takes the cake. Besides, you actually like this girl. You have a history.”

“Yeah, well. Like I said, I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“What changed your mind?” He sat forward. “Why do you suddenly deserve her now?”

“I don’t deserve her, but I’ve never seen her so sad. Savy loves Christmas like no one I’ve ever met, yet I saw her cringe when they turned up the holiday music. If this time of year can’t make her happy, then she must be seriously gone.”

“Then do something about it.”

“I’m going to, but I don’t know what.”

“Who are your allies?”

“My allies?”

“Yeah. Who do you have on your team? I know your parents hate your guts, but what about hers? I assume they come here with her.”

“Her grandfather thinks I walk on water.”

“Ok there’s a start.”

“And her dad likes me, I think.”

“Then start there. You need to get her alone. You work on that, and I’ll take care of the other stuff.”

“The other stuff?”

“The guy. Whoever he is, he’s in the way.”

“What are you going to do to him?”

Winston laughed maniacally and then stopped. “What do you think I’m going to do? I’m going to make sure he stays out of the way.”

“You think I actually have a shot at this?”

“Maybe. I’m going to get real here. You were an asshole.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But I also know you actually like this girl, so I’ll help.”

“I’m so lucky.” I didn’t hide the sarcasm in my voice.

“You’ll thank me later.”

“I’ll thank you if she’ll even talk to me again.”

“Oh yeah.” Winston shook his head. “All you wanted was to be friends again with her, right?”

“You’re right. That’s bullshit.” I wanted so much more from Savy. I wanted everything whether I deserved it or not.

“I thought so.”

“All right. I guess I need to give her grandfather a call.”

“Go charm the old man.”

“That’s the easy part.”

“Glen, so nice to see you.” Layden Fells stood up from his seat at the café.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for my meeting with Savy’s grandfather. I’d known the man for most of my life, but this was the first time I was coming to him for a favor. It was also the first time I had seen him since my parents cut me off, and practically cut me out of their lives. “Hi Layden. It’s nice to see you too.”

“Come. Sit down.” He gestured for me to take an empty seat at the small table he was occupying. He sat back down and quickly folded up the newspaper he’d been reading when I walked in. “It was such a nice surprise to get that phone call from you earlier this afternoon.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Especially on such short notice.” I unzipped my coat and put it behind me on my chair.

“Of course. And stop acting so nervous. It’s just me.”

“I know. I also know my family probably told you what happened.”

He made a sweeping motion with his hand knocking the paper off the table. “I know who you are. The kind of man you’ve grown into. I am positive there is more to the story than they’re giving me.”

“There is.”

“But that isn’t why you’re here is it?”

I shook my head. “It’s not.”

“Go get us both a cup of coffee. When you get back I’ll be all ears.”

“Thanks.” I stood up.

“Take this.” Glen slipped a fifty into my hands.

“I can handle the coffee.”

“I know. But you may need it if my hunch about why you’re really here is right.” He smiled faintly.

“I can’t take this.”

“You can, and you will. Go get us some coffee.”

Arguing with the man wasn’t going to help my case, so I walked over to the counter and ordered two coffees. I remembered he liked his the same way as mine. Black.

I returned to the table and set them down. “You still like it black, right?”

“What’s the chance after eight-five years that’s going to change?”

“Not very high.” I smiled to myself. I liked Layden. He was an easy man to talk to. He always kept it real. I understood why my grandfather had counted him as a close friend.

“So tell me. What happened between the two of you?”

“Uh, how did you know?”

Layden sipped his coffee. “As much as I enjoy seeing you, Glen, we both know there’s only a few reasons you’d go out of your way to meet me. By your response to my offer of cash, that’s not what this is about.”

“Of course not.” I might have been broke, but I certainly wouldn’t have hit up a family friend for money.

“Which leaves Savannah.” He took another sip of coffee and set down the cup. “So I’ll ask again. What happened between you two?”

“You don’t want to know.” I held my plastic cup between my hands. It was hot almost to the point of uncomfortable, but the warmth was welcome.

“Why would that be? Unless you hurt her.” His eyes locked on mine.

“I take it you knew that already too?”

“I know she left Vail last winter like a bat out of hell, and I don’t believe for a second it had to do with her mother’s engagement.”

I buried my head in my hands. “I’m an idiot.”

“Possibly, but something tells me you had a reason for what you did.”

“Are you psychic?”

“No. I’m eighty-five. It’s practically the same thing. I’ve lived through a lot in my life.”

“I was trying to protect her.”

“Ok. I’m getting the picture here. You rejected her under the misguided idea that you were somehow doing her a favor?’

“Exactly.” Layden had figured that one out fast.

“Did you try to apologize?” He took another sip of his coffee, but his eyes never left my face.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Today.”

“You didn’t think to apologize slightly closer to when you rejected her?” He raised an eyebrow.

“That would have defeated the point. I wanted to keep her away.”

“And I suppose you’ve come here to get my help? Or is it my advice?”

“Both if possible.”

He laughed. “First, tell me why.”

“Why, what?”

“Why do you want to fix things? Why now?”

I waited while a couple walked past our table. They were laughing and clearly having a good time. The guy had his arm around the girl, who was leaning into his side. Watching them made me jealous. All happy couples seemed to make me jealous now. “Because my feelings for her are even stronger, and she’s sad. I did the right thing, and she still ended up unhappy.”

“She’s had a tough year.”

I sat up in my chair. “What else is going on?”

“Nothing specifically. At least on the surface she’s enjoying school, but she’s lonely. Her father’s worried sick about her. Even more now that she’s lost weight.”

“She did look a little bit thinner.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it.

“What? What were you going to say?”

“I don’t want any details. None at all, but did you happen to reject her in a way that would hurt her body image?”

My entire body froze. “Why?”

He looked right at me again. “You know why. Most kids gain weight in college. They don’t call it the freshman fifteen for nothing.”

“You think I made her think she was fat?”

He shrugged. “I would like to think my granddaughter has a stronger self-image than one that would allow her to be so swayed by one man’s opinion, but it’s worth considering whether you contributed to a larger issue.”

“Damn it.” I buried my face in my hands again.

“You’re not going to find any answers in the palms of your hands.”

“I know. And I’m not going to find any from you now.” I pushed back my chair.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I figure I better move before you kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you… at least not if you fix things. You know I’ve always been rooting for you when it comes to Savannah. I’m not giving up on you yet.”

“Fix things? How the hell am I going to do that?” I took my first sip of coffee. The bitter taste matched my mood.