by MG Braden
her robe, she answered the door to see an abundance of flowers, with legs and feet coming out the bottom.
“Hello?”
“Flowers for you ma'am?” A bellboy’s head peeked out from behind the huge bouquet.
“Oh, thank you, bring them in.” She grabbed for her purse to find a tip for him, as he placed the vase
on the small table in the room. “Here you go,” she said handing him some money. “Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome. Someone obviously likes you. Have a nice day.” He smiled, and then walked
back out the door, pulling it closed behind him.
She was so excited. Someone obviously likes you. The bellboy’s words echoed in her head as she
looked at the flowers. There were red and white roses mixed with some wildflowers and greenery. This
was so extravagant. Could Daniel have sent them? Where on earth would he have found these up here?
Just as that thought came, another one followed rapidly and she knew who the flowers were from. She
opened the envelope that had been buried down in the flowers.
“I’m sorry,” was all the card said. Rick. She knew it was silly to be disappointed. For goodness
sake she and Daniel had only had one date. It wasn’t even supposed to be a date. Granted it had turned
into one. A long one. But still. Throwing the card on the table she looked dispassionately at the flowers.
How many times? How many times had they gone through this exact scenario? They’d fight, he’d leave,
then there would be flowers. Or, more correctly, he’d yell, leave, and send flowers. This time it had taken
longer than usual for him to send them but still, here they were. It was almost ruining roses for her.
Lifting one of the delicate flowers up to inhale it’s fragrance she poked her finger on a thorn. “Ow.”
She dropped it back into the vase. “Big surprise. He sends me flowers and I still get hurt.” Sucking on her
finger she glared at the flowers.
The phone rang, breaking her out of her mildly violent thoughts toward the foliage.
* * *
Cassidy smiled as she wandered dreamily back to her room. She’d just finished eating brunch with
Daniel and it was all she could think about. When he’d called earlier to ask if she was hungry, she’d leapt
at the chance to see him again. They seemed to have so much to talk about and got along so easily. She
was already regretting that she’d declined to go back out skiing with him. Unfortunately, she was just too
tired and was thinking about a nap. She had agreed to meet him again for dinner and she felt her stomach
tighten, just a little, in excitement.
She opened the door to her room and promptly dropped her key card. What is going on? There
were flowers everywhere. More flowers. Red, white and pink roses. Long stems, bouquets and petals.
They filled every corner of the room. The smell itself was overpowering as she’d left the heat up a little
high this morning before she’d left—she tended to be cold when she was overtired.
Cassidy had no idea where to look. There were so many flowers she couldn’t even see the original
bouquet that had arrived earlier. She headed straight for the large bouquet in front of her. There was a
card that had only the word me on it. What the heck? She perused all of the flowers. Some had cards and
some didn’t so she went through all of them, gathering the cards and laying them in from of her on the bed,
brushing aside the petals that covered it. Each card only had one or two words on it. She just kept moving
them all around until they made sense.
I love you. Let’s get married. Meet me this afternoon. Log Cabin Chapel. Back Run. Rick.
Holding her hands over her mouth, she stared at the words. She sat in stunned silence. She had no
idea this was coming. She’d dreamed of him asking for so long, but not now. Not when they weren’t even
together, when he’d been so rude and left her all on her own. Not now that she’d met Daniel and knew the
difference between a temper and emotional abuse. Not now.
This afternoon? What time this afternoon? She glanced at her watch. It was already pushing two
o’clock. She called Rick’s cell phone, but it said it was out of the service area. How am I supposed to
know when this is supposed to happen? Log Cabin Chapel . Where had she seen that before? Jumping up
she ran over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She had thrown the hotel promotional info in there
after reading through it when they first arrived.
“Yes, here it is,” she muttered to herself. She flipped to the right page and read the information she
needed. The Log Cabin Chapel is located on our back run and is the perfect place for private services
and ceremonies. It is only accessible by ski or snowmobile in the winter, and bikes or ATV in the
summer. The back run is an intermediate run that is considered more rustic and picturesque since
there are no lifts to bring you back up. You must cross country ski around the base to the front and
side lifts. She looked at the accompanying map. It looked like it would take some time to get there.
Probably forty-five minutes to an hour between getting to the front lift, then trekking to the back side and
skiing down to the chapel. She tried Rick’s cell phone again. No luck. Although Cassidy had no intention
of marrying Rick she felt she owed it to him to talk to him about this in person. There was nothing to do
but go and find him. Even if that meant making her way to this remote chapel.
“He could have at least given me a time. Knowing him I’m already in trouble for not being there
now.”
“Think, Cass. If he had the flowers delivered while you were at lunch then he had to expect it could
be about this time when you returned, so it should be fine.” She talked openly to herself as she changed
into her ski gear. Becoming tense, she realized she was already anticipating Rick’s mood. “What was he
thinking? Oh sure, just send me a bunch of flowers and we’ll be fine. It doesn’t matter that you abandoned
me at a ski resort. Cripes.”
Grabbing her toque she dashed out the door, stopping only when she hit the lobby, where she
realized she would probably be late for dinner with Daniel. If she could make it at all. She quickly wrote
out a note for him, which she gave to the desk clerk before heading back out to the ski lift. By the time she
got her skis and boots on and made it to the bottom of the lift an hour had already passed. She still had to
make it up the slopes and back down the other side to the chapel. This is crazy! Why are things always
like this with Rick? It’s either all excitement and fun or just plain misery!
She once again realized she’d spent far too long trying to be with someone who wasn’t very good
to, or for, her. As the chair lift rose up the mountain she thought about the good times she and Rick had
shared together. Truthfully, in the last few years there just weren’t many. When they had first gone out
she’d been nineteen and Rick had made her feel like a million bucks. About a year or two into the
relationship there was some weird family stuff that went down with him and his attitude toward her began
to change. Suddenly he found more things wrong with her than were right. They had broken up several
times already and probably should have stayed that way the first time it happened.
Cassidy never thought she deserved better, until now. She’d thought she was desperately in love
with Rick when maybe she was just desperate to n
ot be alone. Yeah, we all have our things. I was so
desperate not to be divorced several times over like my parents that I stayed with someone who was
wrong rather than be alone. She knew when Rick wasn’t around she was much more confident and
outgoing. Her friends at home had told her the same thing over and over again. They had grown tired of
constantly having to build her back up after Rick tore her down. They were good friends but sometimes
hard love is an eye-opener. In fact, her best friend had even advised her against this trip. It was probably
a good thing she hadn’t been able to get a hold of her, because she was sure to have heard an earful.
The vibrations of the chair lift indicated that she was almost to the top. It shook her out of her
memories. Better pay attention now, Cass. Don’t want to end up on the wrong run again. Skiing off the
lift, she moved over to the side to check her run map to see if she was headed in the right direction. She
then glanced up at the run board to make sure the back run wasn’t closed. When she didn’t see any signs
indicating that it was, she headed off to find the Log Cabin Chapel.
Skiing off to a shindig that was supposed to be your wedding in order to tell the so-called groom
you weren’t interested was a strange thing. If only she could have reached Rick and been able to get this
sorted out before having to come all the way up here. However, he’d really gone all out with those
flowers, getting the chapel and everything. It was best that she do this face to face. For all the things she
knew Rick to be, she didn’t think he was purposefully hurtful.
Unfortunately, he was just inherently selfish. Still, she felt she needed to face him and explain why
this was the last time they would break up, why this is the last time they would go through any of this, and
why she could not and would not marry him. Although, in the end, their bad times outweighed their good,
he’d still been her first love, and he would always hold a small piece in her heart
Chapter Ten
As she skied the final fifty feet to the Log Cabin Chapel, Cassidy could see a snowmobile parked to
the side. She assumed that meant Rick was there. Clicking off her skies, she stuck them, along with the
poles, in the snow near the machine. She trudged into the chapel and stopped just inside the door in awe.
It was so beautiful. There were flickering candles and white roses everywhere. A fire was lit in a
beautiful stone fireplace to the left of the altar. It was breathtaking. For a moment she forgot why she was
there.
“How nice of you to show up.” Snapping back to reality was quick due to the tone in Rick’s voice.
“Well, hello to you, too. I came up here as soon as I got the message. If I hadn’t gone back to the
room until later I wouldn’t even be here now.”
“You’re right, I was just so anxious to see you. I’m sorry. I’m glad you came.” He rushed over and
tried to kiss her. She sidestepped his arms and turned her face, so his kiss landed on her cheek. When she
looked around at all he’d done to make things up to her, she grew suddenly nervous. How could she tell
him this time it was truly over? Seeing him only clarified it further for her. This time her heart didn’t race.
His hazel eyes, curly brown hair and stocky, muscular build seemed to have no effect. This time all she
felt was dread.
“Rick, we’ve got to talk.”
“Wait. First I have something to show you.” He pulled a small, blue velvet box out of his pocket
and snapped its lid open. Cassidy gasped. Inside was the largest diamond she’d ever seen up close. It was
square cut and set on a platinum band with a smaller diamond on each side. It was actually a bit too much
for her tastes, but it was still tempting to see it closer, to touch it. With a tentative hand, she reached
toward the box and then stopped. No. There was no point. Was there? Maybe things could be different
this time. Give your head a shake, Cass. Things are never different for more than two weeks. She
closed her eyes, took a deep break, squared her shoulders back, and then reopened them. Trying to build
her nerve she looked around the room. That’s strange . Where was the chaplain or pastor or whoever
performed services up here? It was a one room building and she didn’t see anyone other than Rick.
“What time is the officiator supposed to be here?”
“Oh, we’re not getting married here. That’s ridiculous. In this remote place? In this tiny room? No,
this was all about the proposal, baby. I thought it rather romantic. But still not the appropriate place for a
wedding. We need something more elegant, of course.”
She couldn’t believe it. This place was beautiful and ideal for a wedding. Something more elegant,
sheesh. She was formulating a response to that when he went on.
“I’ve already checked you out of the hotel. We’ll take the snowmobile down to the bottom, where I
have a car waiting for us. We’ll get back home and arrange the perfect wedding. Now, let’s get this ring
on your finger and get out of here. We need to get down before it gets too dark.” He grabbed for her hand.
“I can’t.” She pulled her arm away. She was shocked he’d checked her out of the hotel without even
discussing it with her. The whole thing was just appalling when she thought about it. At first, she had
given him credit for arranging this romantic wedding and everything up here. But now she saw it for what
it really was. Just another way to control her, to get her to do what he wanted. This was what he always
did and it became crystal clear to her that he was not the man she needed or wanted. Part of her wondered
how he ever could have been, but they were young when they first got together. They had both changed a
lot since then.
“What do you mean you can’t?” His eyes took on a glittery, almost dangerous look.
She took a step back and wrapped her arms around herself, defensively. “I mean, I can’t put the ring
on, I can’t go down the hill with you on your snowmobile, and I can’t marry you.”
“Is this a joke?” He paced around the room. “I said I was sorry. Jeez, Cass, what more do you want
from me. I got you a big ring. Spent loads on flowers, and you know how I feel about them.”
Oh, yes, she did. He thought flowers were a waste of money. They were expensive and then they
died. Better to buy something that had value and would be appreciated rather than something that wouldn’t
make it more than a couple of days. Romantic he was not, which was why this whole thing had caught her
by surprise. But he was nothing if not self-serving and he was smart enough to know what should sway
her. “This isn’t a joke, Rick. Although, I’m starting to think maybe our relationship was. At least the last
few years. You left me up here at the beginning of the week. Left me. All by myself. You walked out,
Rick. You, not me. And this time there’s no going back. I can’t marry you.”
“So now our relationship is a joke. Where’s your head? I think the altitude has affected your brain.
Come on, Cass. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I had some time to think and I have to have you in my life. Let’s
give it another shot. I want to get married. You’ve been bugging me about that forever.” He grinned at her.
The infamous grin that use to drive her wild, but tonight it left her cold.
“See? You’re doing it again. You put me down on one hand and then try to hold me up with the
other. It just doesn’t work for me anymore. I deserve to be treated better. You deserve someone who can
give you whatever it is you are looking for, because obviously I don’t.” Tears threatened to spill from her
eyes because even when she was angry, she had trouble keeping them at bay.
“I treated you like a queen. I gave you so much stuff. I gave you—”
“You gave me stuff! You gave me things and then you’d take them away when you were mad, so
they were never really mine to begin with.” She was yelling now. “I don’t want this. I don’t want to fight
all the time. I don’t want...I don’t love you anymore, Rick.” She turned away from the anger she saw
growing in his face and whispered, “It’s over.”
She sensed his movement right before she heard the crash. Whirling around, she saw him sweeping
several vases of flowers onto the ground, then picking others up and just dropping them.
“You don’t deserve these flowers. All of this was for you, but now it’s not worth anything. I went to
a lot of trouble for this. For you.” He stomped over to her, almost childish in his tirade and grabbed her.
“You will be sorry. You will come crawling back and I won’t be there for you. So if you’re ending it
you’d better be sure. No one is ever going to love you like me.”
“You’re hurting me. Is that how someone should love me?”
Rick threw her from him. She slipped in the water from the flowers, but managed to catch herself on
the wall before falling. She was so shocked she didn’t know what to do or say. He’d never been physical
with her before. He’d thrown things and said things, but never had he touched her in violence. Cassidy
was frightened so she kept quiet.
He looked at her with a sneer on his lips. “You’re not worth it. I’m outta here.” He opened the door
and, without looking back, he left.
Cassidy waited until she heard the snowmobile engine rev up, and then a few minutes more to be
sure he was gone, before stepping outside to leave. The sun had dropped in the sky and if she didn’t get
down soon it would be dark. She went to the side of the chapel where she’d left her ski gear. It was all
