Page 71 of Luke

Thirteen

Five days later, Lizzie knew how Luke had felt when she didn't show up at the airport ten years earlier, when she didn't answer her phone, when she hadn't had the guts to say good-bye to his face.

She'd thought he would say good-bye before he left the resort. He'd told her he loved her, so how could he just leave? But that's exactly what he'd done. He'd taken off before breakfast on Saturday. It was now Thursday, and she hadn't heard a word from him.

Would she ever see him again? She really had no idea, and the pain in her heart had settled into a steady ache that occasionally ran through her in sharper waves when she thought about him. It felt worse than it had the first time they'd broken up.

Sighing, she looked at the computer screen in front of her and tried to put Luke out of her mind and concentrate on work. She would continue to do her job until someone fired her. Hopefully, even if Luke had decided to sell the resort, it would take at least a few months. School had started a few days ago, and Kaitlyn seemed happy enough about her classes and the potential of friends. The last thing she wanted to have to do was pull her out of school now and move somewhere else.

Which was why she really needed to know what Luke was thinking. She couldn't understand what was taking him so long. If he'd decided to leave, then she should have at least heard from one of the Brannigan lawyers by now. She supposed she could call them directly. On the other hand, did she really want an answer? At this point, no news was better than bad news.

Pushing back her chair, she stood up and walked out of the office. She needed fresh air, and while business at the lodge had slowed down since Labor Day, it was Thursday, and there were some guests checking in for the weekend.

As she entered the living room, she was happy to see Brad and Shari walking in the front door. Brad held a baby car seat in one hand, and their beautiful daughter was fast asleep.

She'd been to the hospital twice to see Shari, but she'd thought the baby would stay in the hospital a few more days.

"You're back," she said with delight as Brad set the car seat down on the big coffee table in front of the couch. She threw her arms around Shari and gave her a warm hug. "It is so good to have you home."

"Thanks. It feels good to be home."

She sat down on the couch in front of the baby and felt a yearning deep within her soul as she stared at the infant. "She's beautiful and perfect."

Shari sat down next to her. "I think so, too. I still can't quite believe she's ours."

"And I am outnumbered by females," Brad added with a laugh. "So the second one will have to be a boy."

"Let's not talk about a second child right now," Shari protested.

"Fine, I'll give you a few months," he said with a teasing smile. "I'm going to take our beautiful daughter to our cabin."

"I'll be there in a minute," Shari said. After Brad and the baby left, she turned to Liz with a questioning gaze. "So how are things around here? Is Val holding her own?"

"She's doing a great job. She's not you," she added quickly. "But she's a solid cook and she's getting the job done."

"I'm glad. And Kaitlyn—is the good attitude still holding?"

"Shockingly—yes. She's gone back to the girl I remember, and it is such a relief. She's talking to me. She even showed me her homework last night. She's still on her phone a lot, but she has new local kids she's texting now. There's a girl who lives about a mile from here, and she seems like a good kid. Her father is a doctor at the urgent care center in town."

"That's great. To think it just took a hike…" Shari teased.

"And both of us almost dying," she reminded her. "But that dangerous moment finally broke down the wall between us, so I'm grateful for it. I did tell Tom that he's now prohibited from telling the story about the rock at our campfires, and I'm taking the lure of hidden gold off our flyers."

Shari smiled. "I'm sure the story will still get around."

"Maybe, but I'm going to make it a little more difficult to hear."

"And Luke? What's happening there?"

Her breath caught in her chest. "I haven't heard from him since he left."

"We really need to know his plans," Shari said, concern in her eyes. "If we have to move, we need time."

"I know. I don't know what to tell you. I can try to track him down, but he could be anywhere in the world by now. And part of me thinks that it might be better just to wait, see what happens. Maybe he just hasn't decided, and he's letting things ride."

"I know it's complicated for you, Liz, but I think you might need to call him. Every one of the staff members who came to visit me at the hospital was concerned about their jobs. I'm afraid people will start looking for other positions just to protect themselves."

"I'm aware. I have the same concern. I'll give it until next week, then I'll look for him. I really hoped Luke might see this place as a good investment, or that maybe he might like owning a place in this beautiful valley. He's such an outdoorsman. But that was a fool's dream."

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