Page 75 of Forbidden Love

“I trusted someone I shouldn’t have. I dated the owner’s son, and in the end, my boss picked him.” I laughed without any humor. “Are you sure you trust me to run anything at the lodge?”

“You trusted the wrong person; that doesn’t make you a bad person,” Mom said.

“It makes me gullible.”

The house was quiet. Either my brothers were cleaning the grill or they’d left to give us space.

“No, it doesn’t,” Dad said emphatically.

“It means you have a big heart,” Mom added with confidence.

“You should have told us what you wanted back then. We would have assured you had a spot here.”

“I didn’t know.”

We moved at the same time, me hugging my mom first and then my dad.

When Dad eased away, he said, “You’ll always have a place here. I’m sorry you felt like you didn’t.”

I couldn’t manage much more than a nod.

“Take your time with figuring out what you want. It would be great to have an event coordinator for this summer, but your happiness comes first,” he continued.

“Thanks, Dad.” This conversation was long overdue. Even though I felt emotionally drained, I was glad I’d had enough courage to say how I was feeling.

“Now, let me wrap up some food for you to take home.” Mom bustled around the kitchen while I stood with my dad.

“Do you think my brothers will come around?” I wasn’t sure if they felt the same way.

“Your brothers want you here. They’ve always regretted that you didn’t feel at home here like they did.”

Even though Killian traveled a lot for competitions, he always came home to Telluride.

“I’m starting to think it was all in my head. I didn’t think there was a place for me, therefore, Telluride wasn’t my home. It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud—”

“It’s not ridiculous if that’s how you felt. I just wished you would have told us sooner.”

“Me too.” I received hugs before I left and assurances that there would always be a place for me in the business, and then I drove home.

I felt exhausted and drained, yet hopeful. I’d read things wrong over the years, but we hadn’t communicated. But if it hadn’t happened this way, I wouldn’t have studied abroad during the summer of my junior year. I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Paris. I’d gotten good experience working at the hotel, and those skills would come in handy anywhere else I worked. So, I couldn’t be regretful. Not when life turned out the way it did for a reason.

Maybe Tyler and I wouldn’t have had a chance if I’d stayed here. I couldn’t regret the way my life had turned out. I was smarter and had more experiences than I would have had if I’d stayed in Telluride.

The question was, where did I go next? Was I content to stay in Telluride, to build a life here with my family and maybe Tyler? Did he even want that? What if our relationship was only temporary and he didn’t want anything lasting?

CHAPTER 21

TYLER

Dinner at my parents’ house was lively and fun. I teased my brothers, played with my nieces, and wished Kylie could be with us.

“Why didn’t you go with Kylie to her parents’?” Mom asked, rinsing the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.

I wasn’t sure how to describe our relationship in a way my parents would understand. I finally settled on, “They don’t know about us.”

Mom straightened. “Why not?”

“Her brothers told me to stay away from her.”

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