Page 2 of Beared at Christmas
I could hear the sneer in my mom’s voice, even though I’d told her many times that California got snow in the mountains. Besides, there was plenty of snow all around the cabin I’d checked into after a long bus ride to the Winter Wonderland Wilderness Lodge. While the bus had only taken me to Pinevale,Oregon, and I’d had to wait for a shuttle van from the resort to come pick me up, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I loved the snow, had since I was a kid, and planned to take advantage of many of the outdoor activities happening at the lodge and in the village.
“Yes, but I’ll try and get back after the game is released.” Or not, since there wasn’t a game and it depended on whether I longed to endure their brand of concern for me and my life.
“Okay, well. Merry Christmas, and don’t work too hard.”
“Merry Christmas.” I hung up before she could add any more guilt to the conversation. I didn’t want to think about them at all during my stay.
After taking out a change of clothes and laying them on the bed, I tucked my suitcase into the far corner of the cabin. I didn’t want to trip over it in the middle of the night since I wasn’t familiar with the layout. Then I headed into the bathroom for a shower. The bus ride had been very warm, but, after getting off at my stop, the cold hit me immediately, and I ended up with a bit of a chill. I planned to start a fire using the instructions in the online welcome package from the lodge. Not wanting to leave it unattended, I decided to shower first.
In the roomy herringbone-tiled stall, there were bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and an apple-and-cinnamon-scented body wash. That meant I didn’t need to use any of the toiletries I’d brought with me. At least, not right away. If I liked them, I planned to see if I could get more from housekeeping or the front desk.
It took a bit for the water to warm up. Once it did, stepping into the spray felt like the wonderland this place promised to be. I let it cascade over my head and fall down my body, rinsing away the sweat from the bus ride. The pressure was perfect from the large square rainfall showerhead, and the steam from the heat quickly condensed on the stall doors. I washed my hair thenafter working the conditioner through my strands, I used the body wash to get rid of the grime. It smelled delicious and made me hungry for an apple pie. Switching to the handheld, I rinsed off before returning to the rainfall to warm up just a tad more.
With one final breath of the hot steam, I turned the water off. While I didn’t look forward to getting a fire lit, I wanted to sit by it afterward and figure out what to do for dinner before planning my activities for the next day. Maybe I should have waited to shower, but I hoped I wouldn’t get too dirty with the fireplace.
I stepped out onto the floor mat when I suddenly noticed someone else in the bathroom with me. I froze, unable to scream or move in any way.
The guy was taller, wider, and seemed more muscular than me, even under his hoodie and jeans. I didn’t know what to do as he glowered at me with his fists clenched, seeming angry rather than intent on taking advantage of my nudity. “Who are you, and what are you doing in here?”
My body began to shake, as much from fear as not being able to dry off, and the water droplets on my skin quickly cooling off. “I, um…I was having a shower. In my cabin. Number 77.”
He seemed to growl as his eyes narrowed. “77 is my cabin. You’re in my cabin.”
“No, I…” My sudden burst of bravery quickly disappeared, but I couldn’t let him kick me out of my own cabin. I’d reserved the place and paid for it. “I have the documents saying this is my place for the week. I was given a key to get in.”
“So was I,” he snarled.
Obviously, since I remembered locking the door and tucking away my key card. Yet he’d still gotten in. “Maybe there was a mistake…at the front desk.” I started to shiver. The man stood between me and the towels. “We can get it figured out. I just need to dry off and get dressed.”
It was then he seemed to realize I was naked and stepped back, which made my self-confidence plummet. If I’d seen a naked man in front of me, I would have at least looked him up and down, but I hadn’t even gotten that from him.
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll wait out there. Hurry up, and we’ll go to the main lodge to get you a new cabin.”
Heck, no. I was the one who had checked in first. I wasn’t giving up this cabin. But I refused to argue with him. I would go with him until he got assigned a new cabin, and then I would come back and start the fire to warm up all over again.
Chapter Three
Ulrik
I slapped my hands on the steering wheel, frustrated with the whole situation. I’d taken the human named Brody up to the main lodge to get the situation figured out but had learned that every cabin at the place was double-booked over the holidays. Not just one or two. No, all one hundred and fifty cabins. Each with two sets of guests instead of one. How could a resort mess up so badly? And our compensation? Half off our stay, which I didn’t pay for in the first place, and a free pass to the maple sugar bush down the road. I rolled my eyes, sure those passes were complimentary from the attraction itself.
So, I was either stuck with a human stranger in the same cabin as me, or I could go home. Because Brody said he couldn’t leave until the next bus came to Pinevale, which wasn’t until the day we were supposed to check out.
I sat back in my truck and crossed my arms. Maybe the guy wasn’t so bad, and it wasn’t his fault the mistake had been made. He had to deal with sharing a cabin as much as I did. Plus, I really didn’t want to drive all the way home again. As for sleeping arrangements, I had no idea what to do. There was only one bed and a couch too small for either of us to sleep comfortably on. And, lo and behold, the front desk didn’t have any extra cots.
With Brody back in our cabin, I backed out of the parking spot and headed into the village. I needed space and would try to find something to sleep on there and maybe grab some food while I was out. Brody had vowed that he would start a fire, but I didn’t know how well that would go. He didn’t seem the type who knew how get a fire going. I would likely end up doing that when I returned.
The snow had stopped falling, simply lying on the ground and looking almost magical. I chuffed at the thought, not willing to let go of my frustration.
When I reached the hardware store, I found it open. Barely. I had five minutes, so I parked on the street out front. Normally, I would look around and likely buy another tool. With one purpose—something to sleep on—I didn’t have time to browse. It turned out that cots, foam pads, and blow-up mattresses were summer items, packed away as soon as the campgrounds closed in the fall. There was no way I would get one for the first night. Likely not for the rest of my stay, either, with the store closed over Christmas. I left the place contemplating whether I really wanted to stay or drive back home.
Instead of heading back to my truck, I wandered down the street to see what restaurants were open. Regardless of what I decided, I needed to eat first. I hadn’t had anything except coffee since breakfast, and I’d used up the energy from that long ago.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out, hoping the lodge had fixed the problem and found me somewhere else to stay. I would even take a place a few miles away. Instead, it was my sister.
I was supposed to text Clara when I’d arrived. Instead, I forgot the instant I found a naked human in my cabin. I didn’t want to tell her what had happened, and that her Christmas present to me wasn’t what she had expected and paid for. If I didn’t answer, I would make her worry.
“Hello. Sorry I forgot to text. I arrived safely.” I tried to recite all the important information before she could utter a word. The shorter the conversation, the better. At least until the situation was fixed or I arrived home. I did not want to put any of it on Clara and was still grateful for the gift and her overtaking the attention of our parents.
