by James, Ava
"Thank you," Isabelle called behind him after the door had closed. She felt bad that she didn't have any cash to tip him.
Isabelle sat and stared at the table. It didn't look like enough food for two, and she was disappointed that it looked like Donovan wasn't coming back for the night. Slater? Isabelle felt awkward at the realization that she didn't even know the last name of the man who had rescued her and made her come twice today.
Whatever it was, it all smelled amazing. Donovan must have good taste. She scooted to the end of the bed next to the table and peeked under the plate covers. Donovan had ordered her quite a feast. Fire-grilled steak with mushrooms, garlic butter potatoes, crisp dinner salad, a carafe of iced tea, and a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies with a bottle of milk. Her dream meal. It all smelled delicious and it did not disappoint. It was the first meal she had eaten in days, other than the dry pancakes and inedible eggs at the hospital. She was starving, and devoured every bite. The one thing missing of course was Donovan.
Isabelle had never known a firefighter, let alone one who was a "volunteer fireman." She wasn't even sure what that meant. Does he not get paid for all his work? How does he survive? Live off canned beans? Charming. That's what's wrong with him. He's bound to dutiful service and lives a fruitless existence. Figures. Maybe it's just as well that he's gone. Maybe this weekend will just remain a memory of two of the most incredible orgasms I've ever had. Next week, I'll go back to my job, find an apartment and a vibrator and my life will go on.
Isabelle grew sick of her thoughts and turned on the TV to drown them out. She didn't know what any of the channels were and flipped around trying to find something interesting. She finally found a local news station. The weather reporter said that a cold front was moving in and showers were expected overnight. Then they cut to the mayor of Applewood speaking outside city hall. She explained that the controlled burn on Friday had been an egregious error and took responsibility for it. She expressed her gratitude for the rain and the team of firefighters who had helped control the blaze. Isabelle hoped that they would interview Donovan so she could see him again.
Full from dinner, Isabelle hadn't touched the cookies and milk. She watched the rest of the news and rolled over onto her left side cuddling a pillow against her body. The plush pillows and blankets of the hotel bed felt like pure heaven compared to where she had slept last night. Her physical aches and pains had somewhat subsided and she wondered when the emotional pain she was in would ease.
Nobody would believe her if she told them about the bear who had watched over her. She wasn't sure if it was real herself. All she knew was how she had felt next to him. He had made her feel safe, the same feeling she'd felt with Donovan sitting next to her hospital bed. Just safe. Donovan would probably have her committed if she told him about the bear she had spent the night with on the mountain. She couldn't escape the fact that the bear could have easily killed her. Why didn't he? Isabelle closed her eyes and saw the bear's face. His dark eyes peered into her and burned into her soul.
*******
Donovan quietly sat down on the bed, trying not to wake her up. He watched her as she slept, just like he had done the night before. Conditions in her hotel room were a far cry from last night on the mountain, and he loved watching her sleep so peacefully.
She had left her TV on and he grabbed the remote to turn it off. Isabelle gasped as she sat up. "Who's there?" Donovan set the remote back down on the dresser. "I'm sorry, Isabelle. It's me. Donovan. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. You scared me. I was having a dream about last night."
"You're safe now."
"That's the thing."
"What?"
"I was safe last night too." Isabelle wasn't sure how to say it, but she felt so safe with Donovan, like she could tell him anything. She hoped he would understand.
"I'm sorry?"
"I was safe last night. You probably wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Okay, well, I don't know. I'm sure I dreamed it all anyway. Doesn't matter, never mind."
"No, tell me. It's alright."
"It's dumb. But last night, I wasn't alone on the mountain. I was so cold and scared. I was so tired and I tried not to, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw a bear fighting a mountain lion right in front of me. The mountain lion ran off, but the bear stayed with me all night. It had to have been a dream. A bear like that would have killed me."
"Isabelle, there's something I need to tell you."
"What?" Isabelle had a sinking feeling that she was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.
"It's about...It's difficult to explain...but there is a lot you don't know about creatures on this mountain." Isabelle watched Donovan as he struggled for words. She wasn't sure why it was so hard for him to get the words out.
"What? I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"
"Well, these creatures aren't what you've read about or seen on TV. They're different. They're...they're protective."
"Protective?" Donovan read her skeptical expression and began to lose his nerve. He wanted to tell her the truth, but now he feared that she wouldn't be able to accept what he had to say.
"Yes. They live in a tourist area, and are acclimated to people. They're not afraid of people, and over time they have developed really strong protective instincts."
"Protective instincts? For humans?"
"Yes, protective instincts."
"Donovan, I'm not sure where you're going with this."
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I better get back to the guys. We've had a long weekend and need to debrief. The rain finally moved in and I just wanted to come by and see you, make sure you were okay. So get some rest, beautiful, and I'll see you later." Donovan kissed her on the forehead and stood up. He drew in a deep breath of her scent and wished he could just stay the night and hold her to his chest. He glanced over at the room service table. "Good dinner?"
"Yes, it was incredible. Thank you so much."
"No thanks required. I wish I could have been here with you. Well, good night." Donovan headed out of her room without another glance. The sound of the door shutting echoed throughout the room.
Isabelle rolled over onto her side and pulled the covers up to her face. "I guess that's that, then. Goodbye, Donovan." She wasn't sure what he had been trying to tell her. It was obviously hard for him to talk about, but whatever it was didn't seem to matter now.
*******
The door shut behind Donovan and he stood outside her door. He looked down at his hands; they were covered with smoke and dirt. He hadn't bothered to wash up before heading over to the hotel to see Isabelle.
He leaned up against the door for a minute. All he wanted to do was go back in her room and hold her. She was all he had thought about since the moment he had first laid eyes on her. But how could she love him? He wanted her to be his mate and hoped that she was fated to be with him. The sorceress had professed that one day his fated mate would appear and that there would be no doubt in his heart. He'd been with other women over the years. A firefighter in a tourist town pretty much had his pick of one-night stands. But he wasn't into that. A couple of his wilder brothers liked to find a new woman almost every weekend, but he wanted to find his mate. She'd come to him in dreams before and he knew it was her. Now that she was in front of him, Donovan realized that she was everything he'd always wanted. But for him, the intensity was just too much to bear.
"Hey, Brandon. It's me, Isabelle."
"Hi, Isabelle. What's going on?"
"We'll, I came up to Scarlett Mountain for the weekend and I was injured on a hike. My ankle is sprained and I can't drive back."
"What about Tim? Why can't he drive you back?"
"I'm not with Tim...anymore."
"What do you want me to do about this?"
"I'm just calling to let you know that I won't be in today. I'm not sure when I'll be able to come back."
"The Chapman v. Atkinso
n file is on your desk. It has been for two weeks now. When are you going to have that ready?"
"I'm not sure. Listen, I almost died on Saturday and went to the hospital."
"I didn't tell you to go to Scarlett Mountain and go on a hike. I have a law firm to run. If you can't get your shit together and get back here to do the job I'm paying you to do, then I will find someone who will."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm not. I don't threaten people. But you have no vacation time left. If my memory serves, you took off the week of New Years to go to Las Vegas with Tim. I'll give you a mulligan today, but if you're not here by eight a.m. tomorrow working your fingers to the quick on the Chapman case, then we're done here."
"So that's it?"
"Yes."
"Well, fuck you, then!" Silence on the other end of the line confirmed what Isabelle already knew. Not only was she homeless but she was now jobless as well. The credit card she had used to reserve this very hotel room had barely enough on it to cover a two-night stay. Now that she was on day four, her card would be declined if she checked out today. She slammed the phone down and looked down at her fingernails. Three had broken when she fell and still had dried blood on them.
Isabelle had to use the bathroom and decided to test her ankle. She was afraid to put her weight on it and injure it even more. In the hospital, they had given her a walking boot to help stabilize her ankle. She hadn't tried to walk in it yet but needed to get out of the room. She pushed herself up off the bed onto uneasy feet. It didn't hurt too bad to walk on her ankle and she made it to the bathroom.
She couldn't stop thinking about Donovan. He was so cute and wasn't like any man she had ever known. She had never believed in the Lifetime movie version of soul mates, but she couldn't help but wonder if they did exist. Could Donovan be my soul mate? Impossible. He couldn't get out of here fast enough last night. Probably fucks a new woman every weekend.
After she freshened up in the bathroom, Isabelle put on fresh clothes and the walking boot. To her surprise, her ankle didn't feel too bad. The pain medication had kept it from throbbing too bad through the night and she hoped walking down to the lobby wouldn't cause any more damage.
Once in the lobby, she looked around for Laylah. She made it over to the front desk. "Hi, I'm–"
"Ms. Wilson. Yes, I know. How are you?" The bubbly twenty-something desk clerk was all smiles.
Isabelle saw her name tag. "Amber, hi. Is Laylah around?"
"No, she's not in until one. Is there something I could help you with?"
"I'm not sure. I really wanted to speak with her directly. I can come back."
"I'm technically the manager while she's gone. I assure you, I can help you with whatever you need."
"Well, I don't know how to say this, but I'm sort of stuck up here and I don't have most of my stuff. I'm afraid that the only credit card I have isn't going to cover all of my charges and I don't know what to do."
"I believe Laylah was going to speak with you today when she got in. Don't tell her I told you, but, she mentioned comping your stay. We all feel terrible about what happened to you on Saturday, so your room, any room service charges, basically anything you need is on us."
"Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I don't know what to say. Please tell her to talk with me when she gets in later."
"I surely will, Ms. Wilson."
"You can call me Isabelle."
Amber nodded and smiled.
Isabelle was able to make her way back to her room and ordered breakfast. Within the hour she was watching a daytime talk show and devouring bacon, eggs, and pancakes. The hotel's coffee wasn't nearly as good as the coffee at Mini's, but there was no way she could walk all the way over there. She didn't want to leave her room and risk bumping into Donovan anyway. She made herself believe that it was better to just end it now, before either of them got hurt. I'm probably the one who would get hurt, anyway. A man like that could have his pick of any woman and he would be tired of me in no time.
He sure is cute, though. Isabelle sighed as she finished her milk. Free food, huh? Almost too good to be true.
Denial was the only thing keeping Isabelle sane. She didn't know when she'd be able to make it back into town, but if she did, she had no job and nowhere to live now. She finished the last of her pancakes while half-listening to the women on the TV blather on and on about the latest makeup and clothing trends for the upcoming summer season. Apparently, they were of the 'more is more' camp when it came to makeup and 'less is more' rationale for clothing sizes.
Donovan mindlessly made it through his morning meetings. With the fire in Applewood officially contained, there wasn't much left to do but wait for the next one to pop up. He'd spent the rest of the morning writing a scathing report to the Applewood city council regarding their incompetent city manager and his approval of the controlled burn on Friday. It was a relatively peaceful Monday morning for the firehouse. He never wished for a fire to come along, but he needed something to think about other than Isabelle.
"She could never understand me." Donovan looked down at his phone. He'd fought the urge to call her hotel room and ask her if she wanted something from Mini's. Jake and Axton had already told him to just let her go. His life was complicated enough, but he couldn't stop himself from craving her. It wasn't just about craving her sweet honey. He truly wanted her, and he didn't know how to stop himself and his bear from wanting all of her.
His phone rang, zapping him out of his daydream.
"Hey, Laylah, what's up?"
"Don, I don't know what to do. I've talked to corporate, and they want to send a lawyer up here to deal with Ms. Wilson. Did she say anything to you about a lawsuit?"
"What? No. She didn't say anything about suing. Where's this coming from?"
"They're just trying to cover their ass, I guess. Well, I fired Jen yesterday. I felt horrible about it, but corporate insisted. They want to know if Ms. Wilson is planning anything. She made a call from her room this morning and we looked up the number and it was to a law firm."
"Listen, Laylah, I have no idea, okay? She never mentioned anything to me about suing the hotel."
"Alright, well, I'm coming in at one, and I'm going to talk to her. Have you talked to her today?
"No, I wasn't planning on it."
"Oh, okay. Well, thanks anyway. It's a little strange, don't you think?"
"What's strange?"
"Well, you said her cell phone had been destroyed, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"I just find it interesting that her phone was destroyed and she hasn't bothered to call and figure out a replacement phone, but she did call a law firm. Alright, gotta run, Donnie."
Laylah hung up and Don wasn't sure what to think of the call. Isabelle didn't seem like the type of person to sue the hotel. He couldn't shake the feeling that Laylah thought maybe the whole situation was part of a scheme to sue the hotel. They all made mistakes. She had gone out on a hike completely unprepared. But she definitely had a case. Don hoped that those corporate assholes would offer her some type of compensation.
Isabelle didn't realize she had dozed off until someone knocked on the door.
"Ms. Wilson, it's Laylah Moss, manager of the hotel. Do you have a minute?"
"Yeah, please come in." Isabelle didn't get up and had gotten used to shouting at the hotel room door.
Laylah let herself in. Isabelle looked like she had just woken up; her hair was disheveled and her eyes groggy.
"Hi, Ms. Wilson. I wanted to come up here and apologize for your ordeal this weekend."
"Please, call me Isabelle. It's okay, really. I'll be good as new in a few days."
"Amber told me that you confided in her about a financial matter."
"Yes, I think I only have enough room on my credit card for the two days I was planning on staying."
"I see. Well, given the situation, we have decided to cover the expense of your stay, including all of your meals. We want you to know how ter
rible we feel about everything. The Scarlett Hillside Inn is over a hundred years old. It's survived wild fires, floods, even a crashed economy. We would hate to see our reputation blemished due to your experience here."
"I understand."
"In exchange for complimenting your stay, we'll need you to sign an agreement stating that you won't leave any disparaging reviews of the hotel in any media."
"I don't understand. I wasn't planning on leaving any bad reviews, but whatever, I'll sign your form."
"That's wonderful, darling. I'll have a copy ready for you to sign when you check out."
"But..."
Laylah, having gotten the response she had been praying for, had already turned to head for the door. The prospect of Isabelle's caveat stopped her and she returned to Isabelle's bedside.
"Yes?" Laylah tried to look not the least bit worried. Isabelle had no idea that corporate had put her job on the line if there were any complications from Isabelle.
"Well, I don't know how to say this to you. I'm sure I probably shouldn't say this to you. I, um, don't have anywhere to go."
"You what?"
"I came up here on Friday because I caught my boyfriend cheating on me. We live together, and I'm homeless now. And when I called in sick to work this morning, my boss threatened me because I don't have any paid time off left, so I don't think I have a job to go back to, either." Isabelle did her best to fight back tears and was barely succeeding. She didn't want to cry in front of this striking woman who looked about the same age as her and clearly had her life together.
"You're been through quite an ordeal. You definitely have our sympathies. But I'm not sure what you're asking."
"I'm not sure either." Isabelle could feel the change in the air of the room. She'd put Laylah on the spot, shared much more about her life than she'd ever imagined she would with a stranger. A tear escaped and ran down her sunburned cheek.
"Let me make a couple of calls. Just stay in here and relax and I'll be back in a little while." Laylah turned around and left the room without waiting for Isabelle's reply.
