Page 4 of #Resort Romance
They both softly laughed.
“Everyone’s a critic until you save them a bunch of money,” he added. “Are you still living up in Rochester?”
“For now.”
Dammit. Why did I say that?
“Oh? Are you thinking of moving?”
“You know me, I was always thinking of moving,” she said lightly, hoping he didn’t read too deeply into it. “Someplace warmer would be great. The winters are always brutal.”
“I left Long Island after college. I’m down in Raleigh now and while we don’t get a lot of snow, the winters can be fairly cold. Like you, I wanted to move someplace warmer, but I still wanted the seasons. I’ve got that now.”
She nodded and listened as he talked more about what he loved about North Carolina, and she was more than happy to let him carry the conversation. It was the perfect way for her to get through the walk to the cabin without being completely overwhelmed with painful memories.
“Now, see…look at these cabins,” Jayce was saying, gently nudging her shoulder again. “Peeling paint, weathered wood, and everything just looks a little…gray. Such a shame. I don’t think a fresh coat of paint would be enough to save them.”
Sadly, she had to agree. “Each cabin would probably require ten to twenty thousand in repairs. And that’s not including the main lodge. Don’t forget they have several dozen rooms in there too. These cabins were meant for families with kids so you could all stay together.”
“We always got the two bedroom and shared it with my grandparents—leaving me on the foldout couch—and then whenever other relatives joined us, they stayed up at the lodge. I’d be curious how those rooms have fared because the lobby was looking a little rough.”
The sigh was out before she could stop it. “It really is a shame. So many great childhood memories and come Labor Day, it will all be gone. Makes me sad that no other families will get the opportunity to bring their kids here to swim in the lake or paddle the canoes or roast marshmallows around the campfire.”
Jayce stopped walking and it took Kelsey a moment to realize they were standing in front of her cabin.
“Is your mom here already?” he asked.
A lump formed in her throat, and she had to force herself to simply nod before responding. “Yup. She’s here. And your folks?”
Before he could answer, his family was coming out of the cabin and calling his name. Carefully, she disengaged and took a step away.
“Jayce! You made it!” his mother cried as she came down the porch steps to hug him, followed by his father and grandparents.
“It was good to see you, Jayce,” she said, “but I need to get inside too.”
“Hang on a sec,” he told her before facing his family. “Everyone, you remember Kelsey Brooks, right?”
“Oh my goodness! Yes!” his mother said before coming over and hugging her. Kelsey felt herself tense up for a second before relaxing. Everyone greeted her and asked how she’d been, and it was all incredibly sweet.
“I hope you’ll all excuse me, but…I need to get inside,” she said, taking another step back.
“Here, let me help you with your suitcase,” Jayce said, reaching for it.
“No!” she said a little too abruptly. “I mean…no, it’s okay. I can do it. Go with your family. I’m good.”
But he wasn’t listening. Lifting her luggage, he laughed. “What do you have in here? It feels like everything plus the kitchen sink!”
Even though she knew he was joking, she still felt wildly uncomfortable. Following him up the porch steps, she took the key out of her pocket. “I got it from here, Jayce. Thank you.”
For a moment, he just studied her with a boyish grin. “I still can’t believe you’re here. Promise me we’ll get to spend some time catching up.”
Nodding, she held up her key. “I really should get inside and…um…your family is intently watching us, so…”
“Ah…got it. Okay.” Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before stepping back. “Tell your mom we all said hello and we can’t wait to see her. Maybe we can all have dinner together one night.”
The lump in her throat was back. “Maybe,” she whispered.
He seemed reluctant to leave, but when his grandmother called out, “Jayce, let the poor girl go see her mother! You’ll have plenty of time to catch up this week. We haven’t seen you in a long time either!”
