Sweet Victory

by Melanie Shawn

“Of course I will, Mom. I'll still see you all the time. If I do, in fact, get the job that is.”

  “Oh, please. Of course you're going to get it! I mean, didn't you even say there were two positions open? There's no way they won't ask you to take one of the spots,” Ellen said confidently.

  “Actually, one of the positions had already been filled,” Luke said, a smile tugging at his lips as he thought about the person who had taken that job.

  “What? That's crazy! I thought when you called last week to tell me that you were coming, you said that they weren't even starting to see people until yesterday. Weren't you one of the first people they interviewed?” Ellen asked incredulously.

  “The very first, as it turns out. The other slot was filled by Samantha Holt. She's a friend of the owners, and she's just moved back to Hope Falls. So, obviously, she was a natural choice,” Luke explained.

  “Ooooohhhh. I see,” Ellen said slowly, drawing out the words, as realization dawned, “So, looking after your old Mom isn't the only reason you're considering taking this job.”

  Luke smiled enigmatically, “Well, I don't know what you're trying to get at. But if what you're implying is that I've also grown tired of watching my nieces and nephews grow up via Skype, then, yes – you've hit the nail on the head. I want to live in one place, put down roots.”

  “Put down roots, huh?” Ellen teased, “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

  Luke saw a twinkle in his Mom's eyes that he hadn't seen since his Dad had passed. As much as he liked seeing that, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea about things. Trying to set her straight, he said, “Mom, seriously. I just want to come home and this is a good opportunity to do that.”

  “Oh please! Give me a break, Luke. I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday,” Ellen said with a warm-hearted chuckle, “You’ve had a thing for that girl for years. I know it, your brothers know it, and your sisters-in-law know it.

  “Heck even your Dad, who was clueless when it came to these things like that, used to ask me when you were gonna 'remove your head from your rear and ask the girl out.' So does this mean you're finally removing your head from your rear?” Ellen asked hopefully.

  “Dad said 'rear' did he?” Luke asked skeptically.

  Ellen pursed her lips, “OK, maybe I'm paraphrasing a bit. What he actually said was...”

  Her face flushed, but Luke decided to press her on it. This was the first time he'd seen his Mom talk about his Dad with genuine laughter and joy at the memory, with not even a hint of melancholy seeping through at the edges. He wanted to see it play out.

  “What did he say, Mom?” Luke asked innocently.

  “Oh, you know!” she said, flustered, smacking Luke on the shoulder.

  “I really don't!” He insisted, his face and voice the picture of purity.

  “He said...” she lowered her voice to a whisper and her cheeks burned red, “A. S. S.”

  Luke began laughing at his Mom’s inability to even spell the word ass while speaking at a normal volume.

  “Oh, stop,” she said as she playfully hit him with a washrag that was sitting on the table. “I don’t see what’s so funny about the fact that I don’t have a potty mouth, but I’m glad I could amuse you.”

  Luke didn't care about getting smacked with the used washrag. She could pelt him with dirty laundry all day long for all he cared, as long as she kept smiling the way she was right now – the smile that reached all the way to her eyes.

  Luke's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. Looking at the face, and then turning to show his Mom the lettering which showed that it was Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures calling, he took a deep breath and said, “Well, moment of truth.”

  He answered the phone with a professional sounding, neutral tone and kept his voice completely devoid of intense inflection throughout the call, so that by the end, Ellen was aglow with anticipation.

  “OK, well, thanks for the call,” he said and hung up the phone. Without saying anything to his mother, he put his phone back in his pocket, picked up his coffee, and took a casual sip.

  “WELL?!” Ellen practically yelled.

  He looked at her, his body language nothing if not blasé, and said, “Well...looks like it's time to get my head out of my...” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “A. S. S.”

  Ellen shrieked and threw her arms around his neck, “You brat! I thought for a minute there you really didn't get it!”

  Hugging his Mom, Luke knew he was doing the right thing by taking the job. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact that she was so happy, or the fact that he had just secured a guaranteed way to get to know Samantha Holt, or if it was the simple fact that he was home after almost 20 years of living a transient lifestyle – but whatever the case, in that moment, he felt happier and more excited about the future than he could ever remember being in the entirety of his adult life.

  Chapter Eight

  Today is the day, Sam Holt thought to herself. The first official day I'll be working with Luke Reynolds at Mountain Ridge. My first real job, the first time I will be in charge of anything other than myself. The first time I will be forced to spend any significant length of time with Luke. Lots and lots of firsts.

  As Sam dried her hair and looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror, she tried to objectively take inventory of what was staring back at her. She had never been one of those girls that obsessed over the mirror. She had never put too much stock in outward appearance, hers or anyone else's. Her philosophy had always been as long as she was fresh, clean, moisturized and lathered in sunscreen, she was good to go.

  But, somehow knowing that she was about to share close quarters with Luke Reynolds, she thought she may need to revisit that philosophy.

  Objectively she could admit that she wasn’t bad looking. She had a nice smile, and people were always commenting on her “amazing” hair and eyes. But she just never could see “beautiful” when she looked at herself. “Cute” maybe. But not beautiful. Never beautiful.

  Well, this year was all about redefining her life, taking some control back. Maybe it was time to put a little more effort into how she looked. Nothing crazy, just maybe a little mascara and lip gloss.

  And she didn’t always have to wear sweats and gear from her previous sponsors. She had a few pairs of jeans and some pretty sweaters that would be appropriate for the office, considering it would be a few weeks before the slopes were officially open and they would mainly be working behind the scenes.

  They had a lot to do to get ready for the Grand Re-Opening and normally Sam’s first inclination was to dress for comfort and convenience. But not today. Nope. Today, Sam was turning over a new leaf to go along with her new life.

  --- ~ ---

  Luke had to be honest with himself, he was feeling a little nervous as his truck climbed the mountain to Hope Falls. It hadn’t yet completely sunk in that he would (finally) be getting a chance to get to know Samantha Holt. All these years he had known, if only sub-consciously, that he would get a chance like this eventually. A chance to find out who Samantha really was, a chance to find out if all the pent up years of chemistry were based on something more than physical attraction.

  After he had gotten the call yesterday that Amanda needed him to start ASAP, the rest of the day had been somewhat of a blur. He was busy tying up loose ends with his previous employer in Aspen, making sure his replacement was up to speed. He did a few repairs around the house that had been neglected since his Dad had been gone.

  Then, his brothers and their kids and wives had all come over for dinner, which turned into game night. He was having so much fun that, before he knew it, it was after 11 and he needed to get some sleep so he could be on the road by 6 am.

  Because of how packed his day had been yesterday, he hadn't been able to make any arrangements for a place to stay up in Hope Falls. He had done a search on Google and had not been able to come up with single motel or hotel.

  He did remember, howe
ver, that when he was a kid coming through with his family on their way back from San Francisco once, the roads had closed while they were eating at Sue Ann’s Cafe. Because she didn’t have a tenant at the time, she had let them all stay up in an apartment above the Cafe that she owned and rented out.

  He hoped that, first of all, she still rented the place, and that, second of all, it was currently unoccupied.

  Worst case scenario, Amanda had offered to let him stay in a bunkhouse at Mountain Ridge, but he always liked to separate his home from his work life. That was hard to do when you lived where you worked. So, he decided he would make a quick stop by Sue Ann’s to see about a renting a room before heading on to Mountain Ridge.

  Luke opened the door to Sue Ann's Cafe, and was immediately enchanted by the delicious smells of pancakes and bacon cooking. He waited by the front door for a moment until a busty blonde came over to him, wearing a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

  “Hey, handsome,” she said in a slinky tone, “I'm Kelly. Table for one?”

  Realizing suddenly that, while he had known that it was a crap shoot whether Sue Ann would still be renting rooms above the place, he had actually taken for granted that she still owned it. That might not be the case. He needed to start there.

  “Actually,” he told Kelly, “I'm here looking for Sue Ann. Does she still own the place?”

  Kelly laughed like that was the most ridiculous question she'd ever heard, “Well, of course she does, silly!”

  She gave him a playful little shove on his arm, “She's just in the back, I'll go and get her.”

  Kelly winked as she headed toward the back of the restaurant. He shook his head. She had a way of making even the most innocuous comments sound like a double entendre.

  See? THIS is how he was used to being treated by the opposite sex! Winking. Flirting. Not ignoring and avoiding. He smiled. He realized that he had his work cut out for him with Samantha, but at least he knew he hadn't lost his touch.

  He looked up and saw Sue Ann Perkins bustling out through swinging doors that he assumed led to the kitchen. An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia washed over him. Sue Ann looked exactly the same as he remembered her, right down to the long flowered skirt and knit cardigan. He smiled and enjoyed the warmth and contentment he was feeling. Sue Ann and her cafe were tied to so many happy childhood memories, ones that he hadn’t thought about in so long. It felt really good to be there again.

  “So, sonny, what can I do ya for?” Sue Ann asked, an open and welcoming smile spreading across her face.

  Luke dove right in, getting straight to the point so as as to not take up too much of her time during the morning rush.

  “Hi Sue Ann. I’m Luke Reynolds. I was actually wondering if you still rented that apartment upstairs, and – if so – if it was vacant?”

  Sue Ann eyed him appraisingly. She said slowly, “Well, now. That depends.”

  “I’m sorry, depends on what?” Luke asked, not really following.

  “Well first of all, you've told me your name, but not much else,” she said this in a firm voice, as if that statement should clear everything up.

  “Fair enough. What would you like to know?” Luke asked with a small smile. He hadn’t remembered Sue Ann being so distrustful of outsiders, but sometimes people changed as they got older.

  “Well, for starters, how did you even know there was an apartment to rent upstairs? I haven’t advertised that in over 10 years. Also, how long do you plan on needing a place to stay? Most importantly, though – what business do you have here in Hope Falls?”

  Luke had a fleeting urge to laugh at the rapid-fire questions, but squelched it. Seeing that she was very serious, he wanted to do his best to put her concerns to rest.

  “Well,” he began, “I am going to be working up at Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures. Today is my first day, actually. So I'll need a place for the entire season. As for how I knew about the room, it's because when I was about 11 years old, you let my family stay there during a snow storm. The roads had been shut down while we were passing through, back home to Tahoe.”

  “Oh, I remember that,” Sue Ann said, visibly softening, “It was you and your folks, right? And you had brothers, if I recall correctly. Two of them, right?”

  “Yes, Ma'am, two younger brothers, Chad and Bobby. Who are both married with their own families now.”

  He smiled, happy to see the return of the Sue Ann he remembered. He hadn't felt particularly comfortable around the “new” version of Sue Ann – in fact, she had kind of made him feel like he was up to no good!

  “And your folks,” she continued, “Ellen and…and…”

  Seeing her struggle, he finished, “Carl. But, my Dad actually passed away about a year ago. My Mom, Ellen is doing OK, though. You know, as well as can be expected.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Sue Ann replied, sympathy filling her eyes, “You tell your Mama she’s in my thoughts and prayers.”

  “I will,” Luke said, touched at the genuine connection he felt to Sue Ann.

  “Well, OK, sure. Now that I know you’re on the up and up and not one of those crazy pastaroozis,” Sue Ann said in a huff.

  “A crazy what?” Luke interrupted.

  “Paparazzi,” Kelly interjected as she strutted by.

  Luke was confused. He didn't know if there was a joke that he was supposed to be in on, but just wasn't.

  “Are the paparazzi a big problem in Hope Falls?” Luke asked.

  “Well yes! Ever since Karina moved back and then the YouTube video, and that sweet boy Kyle sure does attract his fair share as well,” Sue Ann said, shaking her head, seemingly satisfied that she had cleared everything up.

  As far as Luke was concerned, she had cleared nothing up. He had no idea what she was talking about. Still, although he was curious, he didn't have the time to stick around and find out. It was almost seven thirty a.m. now, and he didn’t want to be late on his very first day. He decided not to press the issue with any more questions that could easily lead off on a tangent.

  “Oh, right!” He said, pretending to understand. Then, in an attempt to get the conversation back on track, he added, “So is the room available?”

  “Well yes and no. Yes, it is available, but I can’t get you in there now. See, Ryan, my grandson, was staying up there and he just moved in with Karina, but he still has the tenant key. Plus, I want to make sure he’s had a chance to get all of his personal belongings out.

  “But he’ll be in today around ten, so I can have him clear on out anything he might still have up there. Then, I’ll get it nice and spruced up for you. So if you come by this evening, I will have the lease agreement ready. Plus Ryan will have the key for you.”

  She had gone through this speech so happily that Luke would have felt bad if she had known that half of it was still outside of his frame of reference. Still. The important questions had been answered, and those were – Was the apartment available? Yes. Would she rent it to him? Yes. When could he move in? Tonight. Perfect!

  “Great!” he said enthusiastically, “Did you need me to leave a deposit, or any of my info? You know, to run a credit check or anything.”

  Luke definitely didn't want to lose the place to someone else before he got back there that evening.

  “Oh no, that’s not necessary,” Sue Ann said dismissively, “If you’re working up at Mountain Ridge, then I trust that you're good people. They don’t hire just anybody. See you tonight!”

  The last thing he saw of Sue Ann before she bustled back into the kitchen was her waving him a friendly goodbye.

  --- ~ ---

  Sam felt a sudden onslaught of nerves as she waited in Amanda’s office. Looking down at her chosen apparel, she was starting to think she should, indeed, have just stuck to sweats. She felt like an idiot.

  She had on a long-sleeved, form-fitting navy sweater and light blue jeans which hugged her tightly. She had completed the ensemble with trendy brown UGG boots. For anyone else, i
t would be the epitome of casual. To Sam it felt like borderline formal wear.

  She had blown out her hair with one of those big barrel brushes that added volume. It was not the kind of thing that Sam would ever buy for herself – in fact, now that she thought about it, she wasn't even quite sure where one WOULD buy such a thing. But she did have one that a hairstylist had given to her after a photo shoot.

  She grimaced. Even the hairstylist must have realized she was hopeless on her own.

  Sam had also applied a light coat of mascara to her lashes that morning, and cherry blossom lip gloss to her lips. Nothing over the top or crazy. Both of the cosmetic additions were light and subtle, and both had also been gifts.

  For most women, she knew, what was on her face right now would barely be considered wearing make-up. To Sam, though? She felt as if she was painted up for Halloween.

  OK, this is ridiculous, she thought. My attempt to take more control of my appearance was supposed to make me feel more confident! I feel like an insecure mess!

  A thought suddenly occurred to her. YES! She always kept an overnight bag with everything she would need for training in her trunk, just in case she got stuck somewhere. She could just run to her car, grab her sweats, make a quick trip to the ladies room to change – and presto! That and a quick face wash before anyone arrived and no one would be the wiser.

  Thank God she was always early!

  Sam hustled out of the chair she was sitting in and reached for the door. However, no sooner had her fingers wrapped around the knob than it was torn right back out of her hands. The door flew open, and in walked Amanda, looking down at some paperwork she held in her hands.

  “Hey Sam,” she said with the briefest of glances up, and then continued on to her desk.

  Well, then, Sam thought to herself, maybe I don’t look as ridiculous as I thought. Still. Better safe than sorry.

  Sam was just about to tell Amanda that she was going to take a quick trip down to her car when Amanda turned on her heels and did a double take.

  Sam froze guiltily, feeling like a kid who got caught with their hand inside the cookie jar. She knew that, obviously, she hadn't done anything wrong by dressing up, but logic had nothing to do with her feelings. She felt exposed.