Page 10 of #Resort Romance
“Okay, so…Kelsey is here on a…memorial trip.” When no one said anything, he explained. “Her mother recently passed away and asked to have her ashes scattered here at the resort.”
There were gasps and whispers and words of condolences. “That poor girl,” his grandmother said solemnly. “And here we all were yammering on about her mother joining us!”
“You really should have given us a heads-up, Jayce,” his father admonished. “That had to be very uncomfortable for her. It was very insensitive of you.”
“I didn’t know how to handle it. She just told me when we walked down to the lake. There was never going to be an ideal way to say it, but now that everyone knows, hopefully we can all just…look out for her. This is going to be an emotional trip for her.”
“I’m so glad we happened to be here at the same time,” his mother said before giving him a slow smile. “It will be very comforting to her to have a familiar face—someone she knows almost intimately—to help her through this time.”
Oh, good grief…
“Yes, it’s good that she has friends here to help her through this.” He put the emphasis on the friends part so his mother didn’t start getting ideas.
Even though Jayce was already having them.
After dinner, they had eaten freshly baked cookies and roasted marshmallows around the fire, and his family had gone back to their cabin about an hour ago. Now, he and Kelsey were sitting alone next to the fire pit in a pair of Adirondack chairs and getting caught up on each other’s lives.
“I love what I do,” she was saying, “but sometimes it’s just so hard when the resources aren’t there or the rules aren’t favorable and someone is desperately in need. It can be emotionally draining, and most days I don’t feel like I’ve done anything except let people down.”
He heard the weariness in her voice. “That’s got to be tough. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t get me wrong…there are also times when I practically pull a rabbit out of my hat and do some amazing things to get families exactly what they need, but those times are feeling very few and far between.”
“Would you ever consider changing careers?”
She immediately shook her head. “No.” Then there was a long pause. “Life is just…hard right now. I don’t think I’d change careers, but I’d definitely change where I live in a heartbeat.”
“Any idea where you want to go?”
Glancing over at him, she grinned. “Promise not to laugh?”
And that just made him grin. “Um…maybe?”
“There are three places I’m considering,” she began. “I definitely want to move someplace warmer. I don’t need tropical, but it has to be above fifty degrees most of the year.”
He nodded.
“My top pick is Charleston, South Carolina. It just looks so charming and wonderful. Plus, the average daily temperature is sixty-five degrees!” She hummed happily. “I could seriously get on board with that.”
It was all very logical and nothing to laugh at, so he was a bit confused. “It’s a beautiful city, that’s for sure. What’s your next pick?”
“Okay, option number two is Savannah, Georgia. It’s very historical and has a fabulous art scene and I think I could enjoy living there. The weather is obviously going to be even warmer than Charleston, but you still get all the seasons.”
Another nod. “I’m guessing this third pick is the one I’m not supposed to laugh at, right?”
“Yup.” Her smile grew. “Orlando, Florida.”
“Because…?”
“Theme parks!” she said excitedly. “Duh! How fun would it be to have all those theme parks right in your own backyard? I would never be bored! And I think it would be a great way to make friends outside of work. After all, when you’re stuck in a line for a ride, you can strike up all kinds of conversations!”
It certainly wasn’t the worst idea, and he found it to be more adorable than laughable.
“None of them are bad choices,” he reasoned. “What’s holding you back from making a decision?”
“Because that would make it all…real. Final,” she quietly replied before sighing softly. “It means moving away from the place I grew up and all the memories I had there with my family. Scattering Mom’s ashes is one of the final steps for me and I’m hoping to have some clarity while I’m here.” Shaking her head, she met his gaze. “Crazy, right?”
Reaching over, he took her hand in his. “No, not crazy. Making a move like that is a major life decision and it’s scary as hell! Trust me, I know because I did it.”
