Page 71 of Suddenly Tempted
Penny greeted Darcy with a squeal as she walked back into the lobby of the Royal Alpine. She shot up from her chair and ducked out from behind the desk, running over to her.
“You’re all over the news,” she said. “Heartbook is going wild! Is it true? You and Devlin Storm?”
Darcy couldn’t help but smile, even though she felt terribly embarrassed at the fact her face was being broadcast to the world. She nodded, and Penny squealed again, drawing the attention of a few staff members nearby. They quickly returned to their tasks, but Darcy could feel the curious glances being thrown her way.
“I’m so jealous!” her friend said. “But I’m so, so happy for you. I mean, Devlin Storm. What are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you be off on some glamourous adventure with him?”
Darcy hefted her travel bag higher on her shoulder, feeling the weight of it pull her back into reality. The driver had taken her back to her apartment and kindly waited for her there while she gathered a few essential items — warm clothes, scarf, gloves, thermals, thick pyjamas. She had packed quickly, almost on autopilot, her mind too full of the events of the day to process what she was doing. Yet, somehow, everything had fallen into place. And now, here she was, back at the Royal Alpine, with a flutter of nerves in her stomach that had nothing to do with the helicopter waiting outside.
The truth was, she wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing back here. But she understood exactly what Devlin had said to her during the press conference — and those words had been for her, and her alone. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, where she was supposed to go.
“I came to say goodbye,” she said. “For now, anyway.”
“You’re leaving?” Penny asked. “With Devlin?”
Darcy nodded, a shy smile tugging at her lips.
“Yes, with Devlin. He’s . . . waiting for me.”
“You look radiant,” Penny told her. “Honestly, you look so happy. It’s like you’re a completely different person.”
“I am, I think,” Darcy said. “I don’t feel afraid anymore. I think I’m ready for an adventure.”
It was the first time Darcy had ever said those words out loud, and the realisation filled her with a quiet strength. She had spent so much of her life afraid — afraid of failure, afraid of the unknown, afraid of opening herself up to love — but something had changed. Devlin had changed her, or rather, had shown her the person she had been all along, buried beneath the layers of fear and self-doubt. She was no longer the timid girl from Wisconsin, scared of stepping out of her comfort zone. She was someone new — someone stronger, braver, and ready for whatever came next.
The staff door at the far side of the lobby opened and Abigail Lamb walked out, a bundle of winter gear in her hands. She smiled at Darcy as she walked over.
“You’re here,” she said, handing Darcy a thick thermal jacket and a pair of climbing boots. “There’s a helicopter waiting for you, as Devlin instructed, but the pilot doesn’t know where he’s supposed to go.”
“It’s okay,” Darcy said, taking the jacket and boots with a grateful nod. “I can show him.”
“Then put these on,” she urged. “And come with me.”
Darcy slid the coat on, zipping it up to her chin, then kicked off her heels and slid her feet into the boots. The heavy-duty nylon felt stiff on her ankles, but the warmth was immediate.
“Good luck,” said Penny.
Darcy flashed her a grateful smile and hugged her tightly, before following Abigail out of the lobby and down the staff corridor that led towards the hangar. It was a familiar path, yet everything felt different now. It was still freezing outside, but the sky was blue. She’d listened to the weather report while she was packing and there were no more storm warnings. Everything was perfectly clear. It was as if the universe itself had conspired to give her a smooth journey, a clean slate.
There was a helicopter on the landing pad, its rotors spinning.
“There’s a job here for you if you need it,” Abigail said with a grin. “But something tells me you probably won’t. Maybe we’ll see you again one day, as a guest.”
“Thank you,” Darcy said. “For everything.”
With a wave of gratitude, she clutched her bag and ran up to the landing pad. The pilot, a tall man in a flight suit, held the door open for her and she clambered in, fastening her belt and putting the headphones on. She’d thought that being on yet another helicopter would scare her, but it didn’t. She did feel like a new person, stronger and braver, and she knew that Devlin had enabled her to change. Adventure was waiting for her, and for the very first time in her life she was excited about it.
“Where to, miss?” the pilot asked, settling into his seat and glancing at her expectantly.
“East,” she said. “Head into the mountains. I’ll tell you when to stop.”
The pilot nodded, and with a gentle jolt, the chopper lifted off the landing pad, rising steadily into the air. Darcy looked down at the resort, waving a goodbye to Abigail and the life she had known there. Then they banked to the side and the mountains filled the windscreen, bathed in golden light. The peaks all looked the same, and for a moment she wondered if she would even be able to find her way, but she didn’t have to worry, the location was locked inside her. A place she would never forget.
“There,” she said after fifteen minutes of flying. “Can you see the lights?”
It was hard, because they were almost covered by the snow falling around them, but the pilot nodded, steering the chopper towards the slope. They touched down lightly.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay out here?” the man asked, his voice fed into her ears through the headphones. Darcy nodded as she took them off.
