Love Fast

My assistant tried to convince me to wear a suit tonight, but I just can’t. Not even without a tie. The Colorado Club isn’t New York, and I have no desire to turn it into New York. This is a place to escape to—even on opening weekend. I’ve traded the plaid shirt I wore the night I was in Grizzly’s and a runaway bride walked in and sat down beside me, because I’ve worn it every day since Rosey came back to me. I figure it’s lucky because the Colorado Club is open on time. Instead, I’ve gone for the cable-knit sweater that Rosey says is her favorite of mine.

“You look handsome,” Rosey says as she comes out of the bedroom of my chalet. This is our home for now, until we can get a place built on the site of the cabins. As long as we’re together, I don’t think it matters where we live. “You excited?”

“Yeah,” I say. “It’s going to be a long weekend.”

“Did you win the argument with your party planner about not having fireworks?” she asks. I roll my eyes and she laughs. “They’re used to New York, Byron.”

“I guess. It was such a stupid idea. Setting off fireworks in the woods? Sending every living thing in the forest into a tailspin and starting a fire?”

“They clearly haven’t seen the Star Falls sky at night. They don’t realize the Colorado Club doesn’t need anything else.”

I nod, grinning at her. Rosey’s appreciation for my hometown has let me see it through new eyes. She’s changed everything for me.

“Where’s Athena?” she asks.

“She left about five minutes ago. She can tell when we’re heading out. Doesn’t want to risk being shut in.”

Rosey laughs and I feel the sound deep in my bones. It’s a sound I hope I hear until the day I die.

“You ready?” I ask.

She’s changed into her waitressing uniform and is looking around the kitchen counters.

“I just need to find⁠—”

“I got it.” I hold up her water bottle.

Her face breaks out into a grin. “You made me my water bottle?”

“I unscrewed the lid and turned on the faucet, if that’s what you mean.”

She pulls at my waistband. “You thought about me. You knew I needed my water bottle and you got it for me. It’s kind. And I love you.”

She lifts up on her toes and presses a kiss to my lips. I glance at my watch. If we had a little more time before people were scheduled to arrive…

She swipes me on my ass. “Don’t even think about it. I’m due on shift in seven minutes. And seven minutes with you just won’t do.” She steps into her shoes, pulls on her coat, and takes her water bottle from me. “Besides, you have a party to get to.”

We have some ground rules at work. We don’t speak when we’re on site unless we’re in the chalet. We don’t ignore each other, but we don’t chat, or say, “Honey, can you pick up some milk?” There’s no evidence of our personal relationship at work. But people know. I’ve told Hart. Rosey’s told the people she works with. It’s not a secret. But I’ve also told them Rosey doesn’t expect any special treatment.

The chalet is on the far edge of the resort, so we take the golf cart to the staff entrance. As usual, there’s no kiss goodbye, but as she gets off, she turns to me and says, “Have the night of your life. You deserve it.” She flashes me a smile and heads off to her shift.

I know she means it. She’s rooting for me every step of the way.

Members and potential members have been arriving all morning. I’ve been on site all day, shaking hands and smiling. There’s nothing more for me to do.

Cocktails are being served in the lounge in ten minutes. I head there so I’m the first to arrive. But as I take the steps down from the lobby, I see a group of people have beaten me here. Five guys I’d do anything for are sitting around one of the low tables by the window.

“Byron!” a woman’s voice says from behind me.

I turn. It’s Efa, Jules by her side.

“This place is so—it’s incredible. I don’t have the words. I want to move here.”

They pull me into a group hug and it feels like family. A pang of regret hits me in the belly. I wish Mary could be here. I haven’t been close to my sister since we were kids—since I left Star Falls and we started living separate lives. But having spent some time here and reclaimed this town, I think about her more often. I sent her an invitation to this weekend, but she couldn’t make it. Maybe she will another time.

Fisher’s the first of the group to hug me. Instead of cracking a joke—which is usually how Fisher greets me—he just whispers how proud of me he is. It hits me like a mallet, and I have to blink back tears.

“We wanted to ensure we were the first to your party,” Bennett says. “Nothing like standing in an empty room wondering if anyone’s going to show.”

I chuckle. Doesn’t matter how much money we have, we’re all human.

“And by the way,” he adds. “There’s no fucking way this place qualifies as a hotel under the terms of our bet. You’re going to make a killing in this place, but you’re fucking disqualified from our arrangement.”

“And that’s why Bennett always wins,” Jack says. “Because he decides the rules.”

“Exactly,” says Bennett. “There’s a lesson in there for you.”

“You’ve left Manhattan twice in a month,” I say, greeting Jack. “Proud of you for expanding your horizons.”

I expect him to say something about how he’ll have to stay on Lennox Hill for the next three years to make up for it, but instead, he says simply, “Wouldn’t have done it for anyone else.”

God, I’m a lucky bastard. All my friends—the family I chose—are here, celebrating with me.

“Where’s Rosey?” Worth asks.

“She’s working,” I say. “It’s all hands on deck.” We talked about her attending as my date, but she didn’t want to create any awkwardness among her colleagues. Tonight is work. For both of us.

“Have you talked about what happens when you come back to New York?”

I pull in a breath. “Yeah,” I say. We’ve done a lot of talking over the last week. All we know is wherever we’ll be, we’ll be together. Rosey knows she doesn’t want to be a waitress her entire life, but she doesn’t know what she wants to do yet. Neither of us is in a rush to get to the next part of our lives, so long as we’re together.

“I thought when all this is done tonight, we could go into town,” I say. “Drink some beer and shoot some pool at Grizzly’s.” I’ve arranged for the place to be open late and the bar’s free from ten. I’m hoping the people of Star Falls will help me continue the celebration of the Colorado Club’s opening.

“Grizzly’s wings?” Fisher says, his eyes popping out of his head. “Hell yeah. That’s music to my ears.”

“These wings better be good,” Leo says. “That’s all we heard about on the way over.”noveldrama

“Yeah, the wings are the best you’ll find,” I say. “But they’re not the best part of Star Falls.” The people are. I’m hoping Fisher feels the same—about one of the people of Star Falls in particular. I know for a fact Juniper French will be at Grizzly’s tonight.

I push my hands into my pockets, my fingers brushing the velvet ring box I stuffed there before leaving the chalet. There’s only one thing that could make tonight any better—when Rosey says she’ll be my wife.