Page 5 of Better Than the Beach
I can’t help but giggle, and Mallory tries and fails to hide her own smile.
“Bye, Cassie,” Mallory says as she steps out onto the front porch, then points again to her grandmother. “You be good.”
“Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Mrs. Montrose,” I say sincerely once Mallory is gone. “Mal said you’re not technically open, so I hope I’m not too much trouble.”
“Fooey, it’s no trouble. And call me Nan,” she says, then beckons me to follow her through the house. “I’m happy to have you. You must be dog tired, so I’ll give you a quick tour and then show you to your room.”
After showing me the common rooms on the lower level, including the massive kitchen and heated outdoor sitting area with the hot tub, Nan leads me to the second floor and into a beautiful guest room. There’s a four-poster queen bed covered with a beige patchwork quilt, a large oak chest of drawers, a matching desk and full-length oval standing mirror, and a window seat complete with a cushion and several throw pillows. It’s decorated for Christmas, and the room even has its own fireplace, though it is no longer useable. It’s gorgeous, and I take a minute to soak it all up. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten this kind of charm at the Hilton.
“Mallory said you haven’t any warm clothes, so I brought in some things for you,” Nan says after I set my backpack and carry-on down. There’s a small pile of clothing folded on the bed, as well as a couple pairs of thick, wool socks.
“Thank you so much,” I beam. “I packed for Hawaii beaches, not a Colorado snowstorm.”
“Well, now you won’t freeze your tits off,” Nan says, and a laugh bursts from me. She grins at me and her eyes twinkle with mirth. “The bathroom is across the hall. Towels in the linen closet. I’m on the first floor if you need something and remember you can help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Mon—I mean,Nan.”
Nan winks playfully, then wishes me a goodnight before walking out the door.
Once she’s gone, I unpack my carry-on and place my laughable clothing selection into the top drawer of the dresser. Eight sundresses, six different bikinis, two pairs of cut off shorts, two ratty graphic tees, some basic underwear and bras, and two lacey, scandalous matching bra and panty sets.
I scowl at the last item in my carry-on—an unopened pack of condoms—then shove it into the drawer next to the lingerie. So much for losing my virginity to a sexy long-haired surfer who looks like Jason Momoa and fucks like a god. I’ll probably freeze to death in Golden, Colorado, with my cherry still intact.
Ugh.
I dig through the pile of clothes Nan left. Linen pants and cable knit sweaters similar to the ones she was wearing, a few pairs of sweatpants, and some crew neck sweatshirts. I grab a pair of gray sweats with the words “Golden High Mountaineers” written in blue down the leg, and a matching crewneck with the same words plus an image of some sort of mountain man looking mascot wearing ice skates and holding a hockey stick. Then I snag a pair of the wool socks and make my way into the bathroom.
I need a shower and then bed, ASAP. Tomorrow, I’ll worry about how to meet up with my girls in Honolulu. As cute as this all is, it’s not at all how I want to spend my winter break.
Stupid snow.
TWO
nolan
It’safter midnight by the time I pull into my mom’s place, and I’ve spent the last hour crawling my way through snow and icy conditions that had my eyes aching and my hands cramping.
I probably shouldn’t have driven, but the roads weren’t bad when I started the drive down from Boulder, and by the time my head cleared enough to realize I should check the weather, the snow had already begun. My options were to white-knuckle it the rest of the way to Golden or turn around and head back home.
But home isn’t really home, anymore.
I grab my laptop satchel and duffle bag from the back seat, then make my way into the house from the side door that leads to the garage. I find Ma sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of what’s probably chamomile tea.
“Nolan,” she says with a sad smile. “I’m glad you made it safely. You had me worried sick.” She stands from the table and embraces me. “No Colleen?”
I just shake my head and tighten my lips, and Ma sighs.
“I never liked that witch anyway,” she says, then sits back down. “How long do I get you this time?”
“Figure I’ll stay through the holidays,” I answer, fixing myself a cup of tea since the water in the kettle is still hot. “All the exams are online, and I gave Colleen until then to get her stuff out.”
“You trust her not to take your stuff, too?” Ma asks with narrowed eyes.
“Honestly, no. But I don’t care at this point.” I set my tea on the table and sink into the other chair, then scrub my hand down my face.God, everything has gone to shit.“This should have happened a long time ago, when I first found out about Max.”
My mom reaches over the table and pats my hand. “You did what you could. You gave it a valiant effort.”
“Oh, I know.” I laugh, but it’s humorless. “I gave too much.”
