Page 56 of Culinary Chaos
ESTES PARK, COLORADO - MOUNTAIN VIEW WEST
Chapter
Nineteen
“Welcome to Mountain View.” The young man stood just outside the front doors with his hands out to his sides and a brilliant smile on his lips.
Hope glanced at Angelica before she stepped forward with her hand extended. “We’re glad to be here.”
“I’m Tatum Beck. My family owns Mountain View West.” He took Hope’s hand and shook it firmly. He seemed so laid back, the energy around him warm and welcoming. Hope hadn’t experienced anything like it since she’d started this show so far, but there certainly couldn’t be an issue here with him, could there? “You must be Hope Lawrence.”
“I am,” she said. “This is Angelica Shields.”
Angelica stepped forward and held out her hand, but she didn’t look quite right. Did she seem a little grayish under the mask she always seemed to be wearing? Hope wasn’t entirely sure about that, but their flight into Denver hadn’t exactly been smooth. And the ride up the mountain had been windy and curvy. Perhaps Angelica was just suffering from a bad bout of car sickness.
“It’s good to meet you finally,” Angelica said, plastering on that smile that often could be mistaken for a grimace.
“As you can see, we’re in our slower season, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty to do in the area.” Tatum turned toward the front doors of the small hotel and held them open for Hope and Angelica to walk inside. “But we keep a laid-back atmosphere all year.”
Hope breathed in the atmosphere that Tatum was talking about. The entire front lobby was built in timber and stone, the woods and rock melding together to mimic the lines of the mountains that set the backdrops for where this hotel was nestled. God, it was stunning here. She knew she could stay here for weeks and maybe even months without a single complaint.
Angelica walked slower, trailing two steps behind Hope. Again, that was odd. But Hope kept herself in front and made sure to play the nice host of the show that was going to come in and somehow fix this place. Though from what Hope had seen so far, she wasn’t sure they actually needed help.
“I have your rooms set up. I put you two next to each other. I hope that was okay.” Tatum smiled as he slipped behind the counter and started to check them in. The worker who had been there smiled at each of them before stepping away to do something else. “I figured it might help you two get more work done if you were closer together.”
“That can be the case sometimes,” Hope said, again flicking her gaze over to Angelica who was being abnormally silent. “How often do you shuttle people to and from the airport?”
“We do it on an as-needed basis, but the majority of our guests have their own vehicles. That way they can see the sights while they’re here.” Tatum smiled at her, grabbing the old-school skeleton keys and handing them over. Nowthatwas a nice touch.
Hope took them both and handed Angelica hers.
“I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Tatum led the way through the winding hallway. The hotel wasn’t large, but it boasted a couple of floors in its A-line style and the addition they’d done in the last ten years. When they reached the rooms, they stopped in the hallway.
“Dinner is from six to ten tonight, and then the restaurant will close.”
“Only four hours?” Hope frowned, a line creasing in her forehead. She vaguely remembered reading something about that in the prep information she’d been sent, but she’d honestly thought it had been a typo.
Tatum nodded. “We cut the hours shorter in the warmer months. It helps us to control the costs.”
That made sense on one hand. On the other, they were missing out on a number of guests who might want to eat earlier or later. Hope would have to look into that more.
“I’ll let you get settled. We have a nice garden out back that leads into a gentle hike through the base of the mountain if you want to check it out.” Tatum bowed his head slightly. “When the rest of your things arrive, I’ll have them brought to your room.”
“Thank you,” Hope said, smiling at him. Tatum walked away. She stayed in the hallway as she waited for him to disappear around the corner before focusing back on Angelica. “You good?”
“I’m not entirely sure that car ride agreed with me.”
“Understandable.” Hope fingered the key in her hand. “Do you need anything?”
“Fresh air might do.” Angelica glanced down the other end of the hallway, the way that Tatum had said to go if they wanted to check out the gardens. “Want to talk outside?”
“Sure.” Hope nodded toward her room. “Meet you out there in ten?”
Angelica nodded but said nothing. She turned toward her room, dragging her small suitcase behind her as she entered.Hope waited until she was inside before stepping into her own room. This was much smaller than the other places they had stayed so far. It was a simple room with two full-sized beds, which meant that she and Rex and Eva were going to be practically on top of each other while they were there. Well, at least when Rex and Eva arrived. She’d have two nights without them.
Hope rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms over her head as she stored her bag in the small closet. The room itself held the same charm that the rest of the hotel did, and she was intrigued to see exactly what the dining room would look like. She just wanted to get her hands on the kitchen. She’d looked at their menu, and it seemed promising.
