Top of the list, lights!
Pulling the covers off, she heard it go crashing to the floor. It had a screen protector so it should’ve survived just fine. Now finding in on the floor in the dark was going to be challenging.
Had there been a light on the ceiling? A lamp on the nightstand? Neither as far as she could remember. There were two options right now. One would be stay in her room till morning, or the other was to see if she could remember which direction the door was. Since it had been a long drive and she needed to use the bathroom, it really made the decision easy. Now finding a bathroom on the other hand might not be.
God, please let them have indoor plumbing, because if it’s an outhouse, I’m out of this house for good.
She’d heard stories about bugs or rodents being inside those and she wasn’t fond of either. But in desperate situations, which she hoped this wasn’t one of them, she’d do what she had to. Kollette hadn’t gotten where she was by letting anything stand in her way. No spider was about to change that.
Feeling her way from the edge of the bed, she slowly shuffled her feet across the floor, hands out in front of her, until she made contact with the wall. It was a real log cabin and the walls were rough. Gently she felt her way till she found the door. As she stepped back to open it, she tripped on her suitcases and went tumbling backwards landing on her butt with a loud thud.
“Damn it!”
Seconds later, her bedroom door flew open. The bright light from behind him casted a silhouette of him as he came in to help her up. Kollette gratefully extended her hand and he gave her a quick tug, practically yanking her off the floor. Gee Roy. You’re a lot stronger than I thought.
“Thank you Roy. I guess I forgot to move my luggage,” she said.
“You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head on that bedpost. And my name is Ethan, not Roy,” the deep voice corrected.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized he definitely wasn’t Roy. This guy was not only half Roy’s age, but twice his build. He didn’t seem to fit here anymore than she did. He looked like a sexy lumberjack, but he was clean shaven, wearing sweet cologne that made her think otherwise.
“Sorry. I thought you were Roy. Are you his…son?” Roy had only mentioned a wife, which she still hadn’t met.
“No. I’m a guest here. I have the room across from yours. I take it you’re not family since you don’t know Roy and Mabel don’t have any children.”
Guest? Someone else actually wanted to stay here? And someone who looked like Ethan? Why? Maybe he was on the run from the law or here trying to fight an addiction. Or maybe his father sent him on a wild goose chase looking at this property too. Kollette always had a wild imagination. If she hadn’t followed in her father’s footsteps, she probably should’ve been a writer. Of course she didn’t have the patience to sit long hours on end typing away on a laptop. She needed to be around people. And being a hotel manager provided her that.
“I’m a…guest too. My name is Kollette.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“I guess I slept through dinner,” she said.
He nodded. “Roy and Mabel are early risers, but also in bed before nine.”
“You just got here but seem to know more about them then I do,” she stated.
Ethan replied, “It’s not my first time here. When I want to get away from it all, this is where I come.”
“Then maybe you wouldn’t mind showing me around a bit? I’ve only seen the inside of my room so far.”
“Sure. Why don’t we start with the kitchen and you can get something to eat?” he suggested.
“How about the ladies room first?”
“Sure, come with me.” She followed him through the main living area and into the kitchen. There he pointed to a door on the opposite end. “The light switch is on the right when you go inside. I don’t want to have to pick you up off the floor twice in one night,” he said with a grin.
It eased her embarrassment somewhat. But she wasn’t about to stand there a moment longer. She needed to go and peeing her pants wasn’t going to make the situation any better. She quickly made her way to the bathroom, and without a moment to spare. When she was finished, and entered the kitchen, she was met by the wonderful aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
“That smells good.”
“I know it’s late, but I can drink it any time. Did you want a cup?” he asked.
“I’d love one, thanks.”
He handed her the mug and said, “Sugar is in the mason jar on the counter and milk in the refrigerator. You won’t find any fancy creamers or anything here.”
“That’s okay. I take my coffee black.” He shot her a look as though that wasn’t what he expected. “Is there a problem with that?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. Just you look more like the…”
“Maybe you should stop while you’re ahead,” she suggested. She didn’t need him telling her she looked like someone who needed the frills. She’d heard that all her life. Even her step-brother Connor had made fun of her. Just because a woman was pretty and successful, didn’t mean she couldn’t take care of herself. If she cared, she’d set Ethan straight on that fact as well. But she wasn’t going to be here that long to need to worry what he thought.
Ethan dropped the subject and said, “Mabel had made a chicken stew. There’s plenty if you want to warm some up. If you don’t eat it today, you’ll be eating it tomorrow. They don’t let anything go to waste out here.”
The town wasn’t much more than an hour drive, but she could understand why someone wouldn’t want to do it every day.
“I don’t think I’ve had chicken stew since I was a kid,” she said as she opened up the container and looked inside. “There’s so much left. Even if I eat some tonight, I think we’re all having it again tomorrow.”
“Mabel always cooks like she’s feeding an army and usually there is only her and Roy.”
“So it’s rare that they get guests?” she asked.
“Let’s just say this is the first time I’ve come here and there are two.”
She made a mental note. People weren’t attracted to his location. Probably the lack of amenities.
“Guess this is your lucky day,” she smiled.
“Not if you were coming here to get away from it all,” he stated flatly. Pouring himself another cup of coffee he said, “You know where my room is if there is anything you can’t find on your own. Have a good night Kollette.”
“You too, Ethan. Thanks again for the quick tour. Maybe if you’re free, you can show me around the grounds too?” She was good with people, and getting them to open up and get involved. Somehow Ethan looked like he was going to be a challenge. His response confirmed it.
“It’s going to snow. There won’t be anything to see.” With that, Ethan left her alone in the kitchen.
What a waste of a drop dead gorgeous guy. There definitely was more to him than he was letting on. No one came out here for a vacation. The question was, did she really want to know why he was here? Probably not. It might bring on more problems than she was prepared to handle. It was better that Ethan was so reclusive. It also meant she had more time to concentrate on her research.