Page 2 of #Resort Romance
“Thanks, I think this will do it. Have a nice day.” With a smile and a nod, Jayce turned and walked toward the doors. Staring at the map as he went, he realized he probably could have found his way on his own. The route was fairly direct and when he stepped outside, the path was also clearly marked.
Still, he paused and checked his phone again, but realized it was a lost cause for now. If he really needed to do anything, he’d have to get in his car and drive into town.
Or cut this trip short.
It was his grandparents’ fifty-fifth anniversary, and this was where they wanted to celebrate with everyone. Last Jayce heard, there wasn’t a final head count on who was coming to the party, but he figured at least a dozen or so relatives. That meant he couldn’t really cut out early. He was here for a minimum of ten days, so he was going to have to make the best of it.
Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he took a moment to get his bearings when…
“Oof!” Stumbling forward, he turned to see who or what had bumped into him. “What the hell…?” His words died in his throat, and now it definitely felt like he had fallen back in time. The woman standing behind him was a petite brunette wearing a big floppy hat and oversized sunglasses. She might be hiding under all of that, but Jayce swore he’d know her anywhere.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going!” She fumbled with her purse and phone and suitcase while not truly looking at him. Reaching out, she asked, “Are you okay?”
Was she serious? “Um…yeah. Fine. No worries. Are you okay?”
Now she looked up and her soft gasp told him she was equally shocked.
“Hey, Kelsey,” he said softly.
Taking off her sunglasses, she continued to stare at him. “Jayce?” Then she let out a small laugh. “Oh my…what’s it been, like…ten years?”
“Thirteen,” he confirmed confidently, because he never forgot the last time he saw her. “So…how are you?”
Her smile was a bit on the shy side. “Other than being wildly embarrassed, I’m fine. I’m usually perfectly capable of walking without being a menace to people around me.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I’m really sorry. I was trying to read the map and should have paid attention to where I was going.”
Grinning, he held his map up too. “Me too. Although after all the years I’ve come here, you’d think I wouldn’t need it. And it’s not like the grounds aren’t well marked, but there’s something oddly comforting about having the map.”
“Exactly! It’s easily been ten years since I’ve been back, and I thought I would need it, but now that I’m looking around, it all looks the same.” Pausing, she smiled. “So, what brings you here?”
“It’s my grandparents’ anniversary and this was where they wanted to celebrate, although…” Pausing, he glanced around and knew he was frowning. “I don’t know why. It looks like nothing’s been updated since the last time I was here. We could have taken them anywhere they wanted to go, and yet…here we are.” Smiling, he asked, “What about you? What brings you back here?”
“Oh, um…it’s my mom’s birthday and…you know…nostalgia and all that.”
“It certainly doesn’t get more nostalgic than this.” Leaning in a bit, he added, “I’m feeling like I’m sixteen again. It’s like this place is frozen in time.”
She nodded. “I heard this is their last summer season and then they’re closing. It makes me sad because I have a lot of great memories of our trips here.” Sighing, she added, “It just felt like I needed to come back one last time before they close.”
“I had no idea they were closing, but…you have to admit the place has seen better days.” He was about to say more when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. “Excuse me a moment.”
Mom: Are you lost? Lol!
Mom: Do we need to send a search party?
Rolling his eyes, Jayce quickly tapped out a response.
Jayce: Just taking my time and admiring the view.
His eyes immediately went to Kelsey before he finished.
Jayce: I’ll be there soon.
Mom: Okay! Just checking!
Putting his phone away, he couldn’t help the smile on his face. Kelsey Brooks was the one who got away. They used to spend every summer together while they were at Lakeview Harbor Resort with their families. It was a summer romance sort of thing because they lived hundreds of miles apart the rest of the year. At sixteen, they had made promises about all the things they were going to do when they saw each other again, but none of those plans came to fruition because they hadn’t seen each other again.
Until now.
“So,” he finally forced himself to say. “I would love to catch up with you while we’re both here. What cabin are you staying in?”
