Page 81 of The Lodge

My heart sinks. Staying with me is absolutely, unquestionably not an option—I have too much work to do, not to mention the impending storm.

At least the snowstorm makes for a good excuse.

“I’m so sorry, but everything’s a little chaotic around here right now—there’s a huge blizzard headed this way. Chloe was actually planning to come up this weekend, but it’s looking like she’s going to have to stay in New York.”

Lauren is quiet on the other end.

“You can handle this,” I tell her. “It’s going to be okay. Do you have any other friends from the museum who can make sure you get home safely? You could ask one of them to walk you up if you’re afraid to go on your own.”

“That’s a good idea,” she says.

“Call me if you need anything, okay? And worst case, I know Chloe will be there for you in an emergency, even if you feel awkward.”

I make a mental note to fill Chloe in ASAP—and to tell her to unblock Lauren’s number.

When we end the call, I look up to see Tyler rubbing out some smudges on his ski goggles, trying to pretend he hasn’t overheard every single word.

“So, uh,” he says. “That seemed… rough. Are you okay?”

I blink back tears. Now that I’m reasonably sure Lauren will be okay for the night, it’s sinking in that I truly might lose my apartment over this—noise complaints, property damage, people staying there who aren’t on the lease. I could have handled things more responsibly,shouldhave been more on top of things somehow, shouldn’t have let it even get to this point.

“Could be better,” I admit. “Hanging out with you will help.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m here, then.”

Tyler pulls me into a tight hug, and I bury my face against the firm muscle of his chest.

“I’m really glad you’re here, too.”

Black Maple Lodge

Stowe, Vermont

Dear Valued Guest—

As you’ve no doubt heard, we’re expected to get an unprecedented amount of snowfall over the next day or two. In the interest of keeping every guest informed, we want to make sure you are aware that the latest timeline for this week’s weather event has been pushed up: Black Maple Lodge could begin to see snowfall as early as tomorrow morning, possibly even some flurries tonight.

Please know that we are doing everything within our power to ensure a safe and memorable stay for every one of our guests. We have generators on hand in the event that we lose power, and we’ve also stocked up on food and beverage staples above and beyond what we anticipate we will need. In short, you are in good hands with us, and we will do our very best to ensure that your stay is impacted as little as possible by events that are out of our control.

Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to inquire at the concierge desk.

We look forward to serving you,

Julie Wu

Owner/Operator, Black Maple Lodge

24

Tyler seriously missed his calling as a chef.

My entire place is filled with the savory aroma of chili—garlic, onion, ground beef, a bottle of Blue Moon, roasted tomatoes—and I can already tell it’s going to be the most perfect cozy meal for the impending snowstorm. Even though the worst of it won’t hit until tomorrow, the wind has already started to pick up.

“You like things spicy, right?” Tyler asks as I watch from the kitchen island.

“In what context?” I say, just to mess with him. “Food or romance books or—”

He laughs. “Yes. All.”

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