Page 15 of The Proximity Effect

“Right, because nothing says ‘professional’ like serving burnt toast to paying customers.” I took a sip of the apparently offensive coffee but found it to be amazing. “Face it, Arch, we need help.”

His jaw ticked. “Don’t call me that… or Archie. And we need someone with resort experience, not a personal chef with a canceled wedding and nothing better to do.”

“Wow.” I set my mug down harder than necessary. “Tell me how you really feel about our guest.”

“I’m being practical.”

“You’re being an ass.” I gestured around our sad excuse for a living space. “In case you haven’t noticed, nothing about this situation is practical. Gavin left us a resort we barely know how to run, forced us to live together like some weird sitcom, and?—”

“Don’t.” Archer grabbed his leather messenger bag.

I watched him head for the door, his shoulders rigid. “You can’t keep running from difficult conversations.”

“I have a meeting in town.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Try not to burn the place down while I’m gone.”

“That was one time in college!” I called after him as the door slammed. “And it wasn’t even my fault!”

Left alone in the quiet cabin, I looked around at what our lives had become. Four chairs at the table, but only three of us to fill them. The empty seat mocked us daily, a constant reminder of everything we’d lost.

“You’re a real bastard, you know that?” I said to the empty chair that would have been Gavin’s had he been here. “But I guess you always did know what was best for us, even when we didn’t.”

After getting ready and heading to the resort, I grabbed my gear from the office, double-checking that I had everything needed for today’s hike. The YouTube tutorial had been pretty helpful, though I’d never admit that I hadn’t been joking about it.

My heart did a little skip when I spotted Tessa among the small group gathered at the meeting point. She wore fitted snow pants and a purple jacket that made her look way more attractivethan anyone had a right to be. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she was chatting animatedly with two men who looked to be in their thirties.

“Good morning, everyone!” I called out, approaching the group. “I’m Evan, and I’ll be your guide today. Before we head out, let’s do some quick introductions. I already know the lovely Tessa.” I winked at her, earning an eye roll that didn’t quite hide her smile.

The two men I’d seen Tessa talking to introduced themselves as David and Chris, here celebrating their honeymoon. The older couple was Barbara and Tom, marking their thirtieth anniversary with a winter getaway.

“Thirty years?” I whistled. “That’s impressive. Any secrets to share with the group?”

Barbara patted Tom’s arm. “Separate bathrooms and a sense of humor.”

“Good thing we’ve got separate bathrooms then, eh?” Chris nudged David, making everyone laugh.

I went over the safety briefing, trying to sound more professional than I felt. “We’re heading to Eagle Point overlook, about two miles through the backcountry. It’s a moderate trail with some elevation gain, but the views are worth it. We’ll be skirting along the edge of the lake and heading into the trees.”

Once everyone had their snowshoes attached and walking poles distributed, we set out toward the lake. The morning sun sparkled off the snow like scattered diamonds, and the air was crisp and clean in that way that only mountain mornings can be.

I kept our pace steady but manageable, occasionally stopping to point out interesting features or let everyone take a break. David and Chris were natural athletes, while Barbara and Tom took things slower but steady. Tessa stayed near the middle of the group, though I noticed her stealing glances at me every chance she got.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I stopped beside her during one of our breaks, pretending I wasn’t hyperaware of how close our shoulders were. The air carried the faintest hint of her vanilla-scented shampoo, and I had to force myself to look ahead at the snow-laden pines instead of staring at her like some lovesick teenager.

“Uh, what?” She startled slightly, as if I’d interrupted some deep thought. A light blush colored her cheeks, and I wondered what she’d been thinking about.

“The scenery...” I gestured around us. “It’s different from what you’re used to, isn’t it?”

“It certainly isn’t the sunny beaches of SoCal.” She adjusted her hat, cheeks pink from exertion or cold—or something else. “Though I have to admit, you seem to know what you’re doing. I’m impressed.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ll have you know I’ve been doing this for...” I made a show of checking my watch, squinting at it dramatically. “Almost an hour now. Besides, it’s just walking. You know, one foot in front of the other. I mastered that skill sometime around age two.”

Her laugh rang out, bright and infectious, drawing knowing smiles from the rest of the group. David and Chris exchanged a look that said they knew exactly what was happening here.

Something warm bloomed in my chest that had nothing to do with physical exertion and everything to do with the way Tessa’s eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed at my ridiculous jokes. There was something magical about being the reason for someone’s happiness, even if for a moment.

“All right!” I called out, reluctantly moving away from Tessa. “We’re about to enter the tree line. Stay close and follow my tracks. The path gets a bit trickier from here, but trust me—the view at the top is worth every step.”

I caught Tessa’s eye one more time before leading the way into the forest.

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