Page 46 of Christmas at Pine Ridge Inn
“That sounds incredible,” he said taking her hand in his again. “Poor guys won’t know what’s hit them.”
She smirked at him. “Funny. You know, some people actuallywantme to make changes to their hotels. Anyway—I haven’t had any time to think about this yet—but it would put me closer toSarah too so we could spend more time getting to know each other.”
“I know she lives here in Colorado somewhere. Colorado Springs?”
Lila shook her head. “No, just outside of Denver. She works at an elementary school there.”
Brady’s expression grew hopeful. “How long would a project like that take?”
“Three to six months, depending on the scope.” She looked at him carefully. “I’m thinking about applying for it.”
“You’d move here? For six months?”
“I’d move here to be close to Sarah, to figure out what kind of relationship we can build. And I’d move here to be close to you.” She felt heat rise in her cheeks. “You know, if you wanted more of me and my obnoxious suggestions.”
“Lila, if you’ll come back, I’ll listen to all your suggestions. Maybe I’ll even try one, just for fun.” Brady’s smile was so bright it could have powered the cabin. “But what about your condo? Your friends? Are you normally gone this long for a project?”
“I can sublet the condo, and I never really put down roots in Huntington Beach.” Lila shifted closer to him on the couch. “The truth is, I came here looking for my past, and I think maybe I found my future instead.”
Brady cupped her face in his hands. “I have to warn you, if you hang around here more, I might just fall for you.
“I might just fall for you too,” she whispered back.
He kissed her then, soft and sweet and full of promise. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers.
“So, you’ll really stay? For six months?”
“If I get the consulting job, yes. And after that ...” She shrugged. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”
They sat in comfortable silence, watching the fire and processing everything that had changed in the span of a fewhours. Through the window, Lila could see the lights of the inn twinkling through the snow-covered trees.
Snow was continuing to fall on Pine Ridge, blanketing the town where Lila had been born, where she’d found her birth mother, and where she was beginning to believe her future might unfold. Tomorrow, other guests would begin departing, and she and Sarah would have to decide what came next. But tonight, in Brady’s arms, Lila felt perfectly, completely at peace.
She’d come to Pine Ridge looking for answers about her past. She’d found that, along with people she’d never known she was looking for.
Seventeen
Lila woke to sunlight filtering through the curtains. For a moment, she lay still, remembering everything that had happened the night before. Sarah. Her birth mother had been right here with her all week. She’d been someone Lila had felt instantly connected to, even before she knew the truth.
Lila pulled out her phone so she could share the news with Jenna.
“Please tell me you’re calling with good news about the lumberjack,” Jenna said as soon as she answered.
“His name is Brady, and yes, but that’s not why I’m calling.” Lila settled back against her pillows, still in disbelief about what she was about to say. “Jen, I found her.”
“You were right? It was Carol?” Jenna asked excitedly.
“No, it wasn’t her. I ended up asking her about it, and she said she wished she was but that she’d had a miscarriage and never been able to have children. But ... she did know who it was and wanted to let them make the decision whether to tell me. And itturned out she’s been here the entire time! Her name is Sarah, and she’s one of the other guests. We’ve been having coffee together every morning, talking about all sorts of things. We had this immediate bond.”
“Oh my God, Lila.” Jenna’s voice was breathless. “So, she just came out and admitted it? Had she suspected it all along?”
Lila told her about the quilt, about Sarah’s reaction, about the conversation in her room where everything came together, about her birth father, David. She could hear Jenna crying on the other end of the line.
“She’s been coming back here every Christmas for thirty-four years because this is where I was born,” Lila continued. “She never stopped thinking about me.”
“That’s incredible. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
“I’m ...” Lila searched for the right words. “I’m overwhelmed in the best possible way. She’s exactly the kind of person I hoped she’d be. Gentle and caring and she became a school counselor because she wanted to help other children as a way to sort of atone for giving me up.”
