Page 14 of No More Love Songs

“Ari?” I don’t remember him mentioning that name before.

“Aria. My daughter.” He moves for the door, rearranging my bags to one hand so he can open it with the other. “After you.”

I take the lead and step in, bowing my head in gratitude as I go by. “Thank you.”

Once inside I’m pleased to find everything is just as lovely in as it is out. More so even, when Kit steps in behind me, and three dogs come racing from a hall to the left of me to greet him.

“Don’t worry, they’re all friendly,” he assures me as the pack surrounds him, wagging their tales and barking for his attention. “Pushy,” he remarks, reaching to pet the loudest of the three. “But friendly.”

No sooner has he assured me, than all three grow bored with him, and encircle me, sniffing their way up every inch their little noses can reach between my toes and my waist. “I know,” I tell them, “It’s my lotion. It smells divine.”

Kit starts to shoo them away, giving me space to move again. ‘Sorry about that. I usually don’t let them roam the lodge, but I wasn’t expecting guests today.”

“Where do they normally stay?” I ask, falling into step right behind him as he starts for the stairs.

“Ari and I have our own space to the left of the entrance. It’s part of the lodge’s structure, but it feels like its own little cottage once you step through the adjoining door. The dogs stay over there with us, though you’ll see them outside roaming the property quite a bit. They don’t run off, so don’t be worried if you see them out and about.”

He reaches the first landing just as he’s done talking. “Let’s see. You had an interest in hammocks. You’re not bothered by height, are you?”

“Nope.” Used to want to be a bird when I was little. “I probably wouldn’t have come to a rock-climbing lodge if I was.”

“You’d be surprised how many people don’t make that rather obvious connection.” He turns right at the landing, taking me down a short hall until we reach the last door at the very end. “I’ve had people geared up and ready to climb before they gaze up and grasp how high one can go. Doesn’t seem to matter after that if I tell them they can stay however low to the ground they wish, panic always ensues, and the rest of their trip usually winds up taking place on the porch in a rocking chair.” He smirks, then slides a key into the lock and turns until it clicks and the door swings open. “May I present, option number one, the Rock You Softly Suite.”

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KIT

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The look on her facewhen she walks in the room is even better than I expected. I don’t think her mouth or eyes close once while she walks around, taking in the space. Everything from the canopied king bed with the sheer covers and twinkling lights woven through the frame to the hand painted armoire, vanity and matching rocking chair should meet her fairy tale heart’s every desire. Then, to top off the fantasy –

“A hammock on my private balcony?” She reaches for the handles on the French doors leading outside and pulls them open. “And that view!”

The view is pretty spectacular.

“The best from anywhere in the lodge, in my opinion.” I step outside to stand beside her and point out toward the left of us. “See that cluster of trees right there? If you look closely, you’ll see the hawk’s nest built in the one third from the right, near the very top.” I adjust my finger to direct her a little higher. “The mountains just beyond hold some of my favorite spots to go climb. And right over there,” I move my hand again, “sitting in that old pine closest to the lodge, you can find the owl that hoots like clockwork every night at eleven.”

“Do you honestly have other rooms better than this one?” she breathes, leaning over the railing like she’s trying to become one with all that lies beyond it.

“Rooms that you’ll like better?” I turn my back to the railing and look at her instead of the scenery. “No, I’m pretty sure this is the one you’d choose over all the others. But you don’t have to trust my judgement. I’m more than happy to show you some of the others.”

Her eyes close and the smile on her mouth melts into the rest of her face. “Nope. I’m good.”

“I see that.” I push of the rail. “I’ll go put your bags on the luggage racks so you can get settled and unpacked.” I start back for the open doors. “Ordinarily we serve lunch between noon and one but as you’re our only guest I don’t see why we need to keep to any schedule today. Any special dietary needs I should know about before I fix something for you?”

Her eyes pop open again and her head spins back to look at me. “You do the cooking?”

“Not always, but often enough.” It’s hard not to laugh at her obvious disbelief.

“Can you teach me? Outside of making the best damn pancakes you’ll ever taste, I’ve never learned.”

“Your level of confidence in my skills just went from zero to a hundred in record time there, Sky.” I’ll probably regret this, but since I’m the one who’s opened the door to her sudden deep dive into self-discovery, I say the only thing that wants to come out, “Sure, I can teach you.”

I head inside and fix her luggage like I said I would before I stop just inside the open doors again. “Meet you downstairs in about thirty? Kitchen is easy enough to find if you follow the music.”

“You play music while you cook?” She’s beaming at me like she just won the lottery instead of a lesson in fixing lunch.

“I play music while I do everything.” Then I hurry out of her room before I find a reason to start another in depth conversation with her.

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