Page 94 of Walk on the Wilder Side

“It won’t be that bad,” I answered. “You’ll see.”

“There had better be heat. And plumbing.” Alice gave me a stern stare.

“You’ll like it. I promise.”

After I’d seen the ads for this place online, I’d barely been able to keep a lid on all the excitement awaiting us. Seeing the Northern lights had always been a dream of mine, and now I would get to see them in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Olavi gestured toward the glass doors. “I have a vehicle waiting right outside. We’ll grab your bags, and I’ll escort you to the resort. If you’re here for the Northern Lights, you’ll be happy to know reports say we’re going to have an excellent show tonight.”

I hopped up and down and clapped, and Doris joined me.

“Oh, I can’t wait!” she said. “This is so exciting!”

“Where we’re staying,” Alice started as she stepped closer to him. “They have heat and plumbing, right?”

He furrowed his bushy brow. “Of course.”

“Oh, thank God,” she breathed out. “Okay. Then we can go.”

After grabbing our bags, we followed Olavi out to the SUV and piled in. After making sure we were buckled up, he started us off toward our destination. The thirty-minute trip took us through enchanting snow-covered landscape that had us all oohing and aahing along the way. When we turned down the wooded road to our resort, the excitement inside me nearly bubbled right out the top of my head.

“We’re here! This is it!”

“Where is this—” Alice started, but then when the glass domes came into view, her voice trailed off. “Wow.”

“Are we staying in those?” Doris asked, excitedly.

“Yep! We each get our very own luxury dome. An unblocked view of the Northern lights over our heads anytime. There are gourmet restaurants, hot spas, saunas, and lots of other luxury amenities, so you better not complain, Alice.”

“No complaints at all,” she said in awe. “This is incredible.”

I smiled as we pulled through the wooded landscape past all the beautiful wooden buildings and the glass igloos dotting around them. It looked exactly like it did online. Better even.

“This looks like a hobbit fairytale!” Marge smooshed her face to the window. “We really get to sleep in those?”

“Yep.” I grinned. “And the roofs are completely glass, so it’s like sleeping in a snow globe under the Northern lights.”

“Neat,” she breathed out, drawing out the word. “So neat.”

“And they’re heated?”

“Yes, they are heated, Alice.” I chuckled. “And you have your own bathroom.”

“Then neat is right,” she said as we pulled to a stop.

A woman came out of a rustic wooden lodge, waving as she approached the vehicle.

“My wife, Johanna,” Olavi said as he gestured to the petite brunette.

“Damn. He could break her in half in bed,” Alice whispered out the side of her mouth.

I swatted her shoulder and laughed. “Shh.”

“Just saying.”

We opened our doors, and Johanna greeted us with smiles and a tray of hot cocoa. “Welcome! We are all set up for you in your private domes. Olavi will take care of your bags. If you want to follow me, I’ll get you ladies settled in.”

We trailed along behind her, snow crunching beneath our boots as we sipped our hot cocoa and oohed and aahed at all the magical sights along the way.

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