Chapter 1

"There you are, Peter. I was wondering where you'd run off to."

I turned at the sound of Katie's voice, as amazed at her beauty as the first time I'd ever seen her. She was simply gorgeous. I held out my arms and enjoyed the sound of her sigh when she snuggled against me. The concrete bench, on the cliff overlooking the ocean, was cold and hard, even in the middle of summer, so we stood, lightly buffeted by the warm wind. Winters would be less pleasant, but it was the middle of July, so what did that matter now? Besides, as I'd learned, one simply didn't spend the winter in one's summer home.

"Hey you," I said quietly. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Katie's voice was barely audible over the crashing of the waves below us. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just thinking," I answered. The truth was I was still trying to make some kind of sense of things. It had been a whirlwind six or seven months, and none of it had really sunk in yet-not the wedding in a castle in Ireland, not the mansion Katie quaintly referred to as the "summer cottage," not the private island the "cottage" was on, and not the small army of servants staffing it. It didn't feel real, and I had my doubts it ever would. What was a nice guy like me doing in a joint like this?

It was crazy! I had delivered pizzas and washed dishes to pay for college, for goodness' sake. It was a crazy roll of the dice that brought me here. Even more unlikely than this comfortable world was that Katie wanted me to be a part of it with her. Not an hour went by that I wasn't sure I would wake up and find it had all been a dream. A pleasant one, to be sure, and one I would remember fondly, but a dream nonetheless.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

I shook my head, not wanting to tell my wife how lucky I felt that she had chosen me.

"Come on, what are you thinking?" she asked. But still I was silent. "Okay, if a penny isn't enough, how about a dime? A dollar, maybe?" she teased.

"Too rich for me. I'm not sure my thoughts are worth that much at the moment."

Katie looked at me, a look of intense curiosity in her bright green eyes. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, more insistently this time. "What's bothering you?"

I sighed, realizing what an open book I was to her. It both thrilled and worried me. What if I ever needed to keep a secret?

"Are you sure about all this, Katie?" I asked. "About... about me, about us? How can you be?"

A melancholy look flickered over Katie's face. She gazed at me, her expression changing from serious to something else as her lips formed a gentle smile. She leaned up and placed a tiny kiss on the tip of my nose.

"How could I not be sure?" she asked. "Don't you remember what I said? Why do you even need to ask?"

Why indeed? I wondered that myself. As frightened and insecure as I had been about our relationship, Katie had always been completely sure, one hundred percent at ease. Even from the moment we met.

"Dammit!"

Stranded. Again. In the snow. For who knows how long this time.

I slammed the receiver back down onto the cradle and looked around my hotel room. Everything was packed, and I was ready to leave. In fact, to make my flight home for Christmas I needed to be at the airport in an hour, but my mother had just called with bad news about the weather.

"Honey?" she had started. "The airport is closed here. An ice storm blew through this morning and everything is shut down."

"Shit," I had sworn before I could stop myself. Certain habits I'd picked up at college my mother wouldn't approve of. Swearing was one.

"Peter!" Came my mother's shocked reply.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just... frustrated. I was looking forward to seeing you guys for Christmas, even if it was going to be a short visit."

"Oh, Peter. I was too."

I could sense her frustration, even if my mother didn't let it creep into her voice.

"I suppose..."

"What?"

"I suppose I could try and get a train ticket, or something. Maybe a bus? Are the roads clear?"

"Peter, that would take days."

"I know. But I'd like to see you. It's been since September."

"It would be good to see you."

"It will work out. I'm sure of it. A bus will take two days, and two days back, so..."

"You'll only be here for one day." This time my mother did sound sad. "It's not worth the effort."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, hush. There'll be other Christmases," my mother replied, trying to make the best of it.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But I graduate in six months. I'll get my own place, and I'm guessing it won't be too long before my room won't really be my room anymore, you know?"

"I would like a sewing room," my mother said wistfully.

"See?" I laughed. "It's starting already. I can't even see you but I know the look you've got on your face right now. You're already figuring out how to arrange the furniture, aren't you?"

"I am not," my mother protested, but we both knew it was a lie. We burst out laughing at the same time. But deep down I still wanted to say, 'Fuck!'

"Dang it," I said instead trying to avoid another motherly language lecture.

"What's wrong now?" she asked.

"I just realized I have nowhere to go." While my Christmas break was actually two weeks long, I had stayed at school an extra three days, working to prepare for student teaching in the spring. I'd also made plans to return a few days before New Year's in order to complete my preparation.

Because the school dorms were officially closed during the holiday break, I had stayed in a hotel, and while I had room reservations again for the days before the second semester, I figured my chances of finding a room on such short notice this close to a holiday were slim, especially considering where I go to school. Bozeman isn't a large town, but it is a resort town. A lot of people came to Montana to ski over the holidays, and I'd been fortunate to find a single room available even after New Year's.

"Can't you stay at the hotel?" my mother asked with concern in her voice.

"I'll check," I sighed. "But I really doubt it."

"And the dorms are..."

"Locked since finals were over. And none of my friends are staying around. Unfortunately, I'm not really close with anyone who's actually from here." I began to get a bit desperate as I went through the list of people I might stay with and coming up empty.

"Oh, honey, I know this is sudden, but..."

"I'll figure something out, Mom." We said our goodbyes, and I hung up the phone. I thought one of my study partners from my English Literature class might still be on campus. Ted worked in food service, and in the past he had stayed close to school to help cater events, but when I tried his apartment his answering machine said he wouldn't be back in town until after New Year's.

"Dammit!"

There was no point in going to the airport. My flight was cancelled. Thankfully, I was able to get a refund on the plane ticket, for all the good that did me in the short term. My bank account might have been a couple hundred dollars richer, but I was still stuck with no place to go.

I walked down to the hotel lobby. The chain offered a continental breakfast, which turned out to be toast, cereal and all the juice I could drink. It wasn't much, but I wasn't that hungry.

"Peter?"

At the sound of my name, I turned in the chair to see who had spoken. Behind the counter stood Kathryn Stewart. We had been study partners for a Freshman biology class. Not to say we really knew each other, however. I knew her name, and that she was a bit squeamish around dead frogs. Much to my regret, our relationship had been purely academic.

Katie was a nice girl and very easy on the eyes, if you call gorgeous easy. But during the time we were study partners, I had been involved in a slowly deteriorating relationship with my "girl back home." There had always been a little something, a spark of interest, between the Katie and I, but the timing was off.

"It is Peter, right?" she asked.

I nodded. "That's me."

"I thought I recognized you. From biology?"

"Yep. Good old Professor Harris. Hey Katie." I remembered she hated being called Kathryn. "I didn't know you worked here."

Katie squinted at me as if she were unsure about something, She gave me the look a person gives when trying to decide if a joke is funny. I hadn't meant to be funny, but I suddenly found myself hoping Katie thought I was. Apparently she did.

"I guess I have to make some spending money, don't I?" she said, flashing me a smile full of brilliant white teeth. I breathed a bit easier.

Katie had a model-quality face, stunning, wavy red hair, and a body most women would kill for. Why she was working behind the desk at a hotel was beyond me. But as she said, I guess Katie needed the spending money.

"I can understand that," I said. I deposited my trash in the garbage can, refilling my cup with orange juice before heading over to the front desk. While Katie filled out forms, the two of us chatted about school and work. We agreed we'd both be much happier without either.

"It's just so frustrating sometimes," Katie growled, throwing her pen down on the desk. "All of this paperwork... it's just like school!"

"Why don't you try something else?" I asked. "Surely there are other jobs that pay just as well."

"I would if I could," she said sadly. "It's not that simple though."

"Why not?"

Katie blushed. "Hotel Management is my main focus. I'm a business major."

"And you hate it?"

"Kind of, but... it's sort of a family thing."

"And let me guess, everyone would be really disappointed if you did something else?"

Katie nodded.

"I know how that goes. My father, and his father, and most of my uncles and cousins have been either firemen or police officers. It made for some really awkward family reunions since the firefighters in my family didn't always get along with the policemen, but either career would have received a warmer reception than the one I received when I told my parents I was going to be a teacher.

"I can still remember Dad's eyes narrowing as he stared at me. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but for some reason he paused. Instead, he shook his head and walked out of the room. We never spoke of it again, but I could feel his resentment just under the surface every time the two of us talked about anything. I always wondered what he was going to say.

"And then, a few weeks after I graduated high school, there was a call. A warehouse on the edge of town was on fire, and there were people trapped inside. My father was the first to go in after them. No one knew about the gas leak, and with the first spark from his axe the whole place exploded. He died instantly.

I looked at Katie. She smiled sadly and it helped sooth the feelings of anger and frustration I felt whenever I thought of my father's death.

"My mother, on the other hand, was thrilled at my career choice," I continued, ignoring the tight feeling in my throat. "The life of a fireman's wife is maybe worse than actually being a fireman. At least, that's how it looked to me growing up. My mom died a little bit each time my dad answered a call. Even though he'd never been injured, the thought that this time might be the one hung over my mother. And when it finally happened, and the job took him from her forever, she was a complete wreck. So the fact that I had decided to teach kids how to paint and mold clay pleased her to no end.

"My dad's never home," she said quietly. "Not that it's anything close to what you went through with your father," she added quickly. "He loves me, and always brings me a present from wherever he's been, but I wish he wasn't so busy."

"At least you've got your mom."

"I wish I did," Katie replied. "I never knew her. My dad keeps a picture of her on his desk, but he doesn't talk about her much. She died when I was really little."

"I'm sorry," I reached out to hold Katie's hand. She jerked at the contact, her entire arm stiffening in surprise when my fingers brushed over the back of her hand. She smiled apologetically and her hand slowly relaxed, allowing me to give her a quick squeeze before withdrawing.

"Thanks," she whispered.

We stood there a moment before her face brightened. "What are you doing here anyway? I'd have thought you would have headed home to see your mom and brothers."

"I was going to," I said. I explained that my flight had been cancelled due to icy runways.

"So you can keep me company, right?" Katie asked. "It's so boring this week. I'll be your best friend if you hang out with me." She batted her eyes in a playful, puppy dog look.

"I wish!" The idea of having Katie as my best friend, or more, was certainly appealing. "Actually, I came down here to grab a little breakfast and hand back my room key. I have no idea what I'm going to do for the next few days. Sleep in my car at a rest stop, I guess."

Katie frowned. "Sleep in your car? Why can't you stay here?"

"I'd like to," I said.

"Do you need money?"

"No. I was able to get a refund on the plane ticket."

"Then stay here!"

"I would if I could. Isn't it tourist season? Are there actually rooms available?"

"Should be," Katie said. "Let me find out."

I waited while Katie looked through the room assignments and reservations.

"Well?" I asked once she finally looked up from the computer screen. "What's the situation?"

"Good news and bad news," she said. "Good news first?"

"Sure."

"You can keep your room for... five more days."

"Seriously?" I asked. "That's great! So, tonight, tomorrow, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas, right?"

Katie nodded.

"But after that business starts to pick up and we're all booked through the New Year," she continued. "Sorry."

"Eh, at least it's a start. Seriously, I had no idea where I was going to crash so this is great." I leaned over the counter, surprising Katie by planting a kiss right on her cheek. "Thanks! You're the best."

Katie blushed. "Make it up to me by getting me out of here, if just for an evening," she winked. "It was no problem, though. Really. Besides, you'll still have to find somewhere to sleep until school starts up again."

"Yeah, but that's only a couple nights. I got a special okay from campus housing to move back into my room a few days early."

"How early?"

"Four days."

"Four! Wait a minute. Classes start up again on January third, and housing actually opens back up a day earlier, so you're allowed back in on..."

"December twenty-eighth," I said.

"So you're only stranded for one day!"

She was right; I just hadn't done the math. At the realization, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders.

"Excellent," I said, laughing and high-fiving Katie's offered hand. "That's great. I won't even mind sleeping in my car for one night."

"Oh, no you don't," Katie said. "We'll work something out. Trust me."

"It's not a big deal, believe me," I said. "I've slept in my car instead of getting a hotel room before by choice, so this will be fine."

"You have?" Katie asked, clearly shocked. "Why?"

"Hotels can be expensive, especially when I'm not splitting the cost with someone, and usually when I'd do it, I was driving somewhere to see a concert, so I was already paying for a ticket and gas for the car."

"Humph," grunted Katie. "I don't like it."

"I know, but what are you going to do about it?" I shrugged, not caring one way or the other about sleeping in my car, but Katie seemed determined.

"I'll think of something," she said.

"You do that," I replied. "While I think of a fabulous date we can go on."

Over the next few days, Katie and I spent quite a bit of time together and not so surprisingly, I found I was falling for her. We weren't going on romantic dates, far from it. Most of our time was spent in the hotel's lounge just outside the front desk. Although one evening after Katie finished working, we did go out. It wasn't much-just dinner and a movie-but she seemed more than relieved to get away from the hotel.

One of the ironies of the typical dinner and a movie date is that the two people don't really get to know each other. You spend the first part of the evening watching each other eat, and the other half not allowed to talk for fear of angering other moviegoers. Katie and I were lucky to spend most of our free time together, so we'd already gotten to know one another very well.

Because of Katie's job, whenever she was available and I wasn't working on school stuff for the next semester, we chatted in the hotel lounge. I'd like to think it was because of all that talking that the two of us clicked so well, but I don't know if that's really true. But whatever the reason, I was falling for this girl, hard and fast.

Even with the fabulous company, I was ready to scream. Hotels were great, but after a while I needed to get out. Katie seemed altogether too wrapped up in the day-to-day workings of the hotel. The place was obviously understaffed so Katie found herself working more than either of us would have liked. Especially me.

"It's okay," she said when I asked her about it. "If I really get into this hotel business I know I'll end up working a ton of hours and there won't be overtime pay, so this is fine."

She had a point. I was pretty sure I'd end up doing the same in my teaching profession. Long hours, before and after school, hours I wouldn't be compensated for, but which would be necessary.

Still, it was frustrating that I had basically nothing to do and Katie seemed to always be on the run. I brought her snacks, and once, a dozen roses to say thank you for finding me the spare room. It was a fun time, but I still wished the two of us could actually be alone.

On Christmas Eve, I got my wish. The day had been surprisingly slow, so Katie and I spent most of it together. That evening, it was once again the two of us, alone in the lounge. Katie said that most hotels are really busy the day before Christmas, but in a small town like ours it was often just the opposite.

"Everybody comes here the day after Christmas," she said, and the nearly-empty parking lot proved her correct. I started telling her about some of my family's Christmas traditions on Christmas Eve, and I was suddenly reminded I hadn't talked with them.

"Oh no," I said, nearly knocking my chair over in my haste to stand up. "I'll be back in a second. I've got to run up to my room and call my mom."

"Just use the phone down here," Katie said, pointing to the phone on the front desk.

"Katie, I can't do that."

"Why not?

"It's a long distance call," I reminded her, but Katie simply shrugged.

"Not a big deal," she replied, smiling up at me.

The look she gave me sent chills over my body. I had to make a real effort to remember what I was doing.

"W-won't you get in trouble?" I stammered.

"Trouble?" Katie asked me, laughing a bit. "Do you really think that's likely?"

"What do you mean?" I looked at her, not exactly sure what she was getting at, but Katie ignored my confusion.