Mistletoe & Kisses by Anthology

Author:Anthology [Anthology]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bolero Books, LLC
Published: 2014-11-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

I STILL WASN’T used to being treated like royalty. It was so not me and yet…there it was. We had valet parking, but first a couple of bellhops loaded up two rolling carts with all the shit we just had to bring with us. Sure, clothing for a week. Makeup and toiletries. Toys for the kids. Diapers for Hayley. Presents for our pretend Christmas. But had Brad and I really needed to bring our guitars and a laptop? All our shit looked decadent next to Gracie’s two small pieces of luggage.

Instead of being punished for going overboard, we had people fawning all over us. It didn’t hurt that Brad was loose with the cash. Before we headed inside, I looked at the surroundings. My God, what a beautiful place. The hotel itself was amazing, with perfectly sculptured plant life that I knew must have been gorgeous during the spring, summer, and even fall, but now it was all buried under snow. The hotel itself was beautiful, with modern architecture that made me think of the Swiss Alps. Even though I’d never been to that part of Europe, I had a definite image in my mind of what might be reminiscent of that place, and this hotel captured those sorts of details, all while feeling quite modern. And the stonework—from the paths that I could see to the raised flowerbeds that were all created using stone—took my breath away.

But nature itself rivaled what man had built. The evergreens stood proudly under a fresh coat of snow and the mountains hulked over our insignificance. The skies were gray, telling me we’d arrived just in time. I would be surprised if we didn’t get more snow here overnight. Part of me was excited, because I knew my kids would love it. We’d have to do a lot outside when the sun was out. I wondered if the resort would frown on us if we built a snowman in the middle of their planned beauty.

Of course, I’d been feeling the money ever since we’d passed Silverthorne. The ski resorts along I-70 catered to the rich—or, at least, the upper middle class who wanted to feel like one of the top tier—and it was evident. Vail had a huge golf course, for starters, but there was a feel in the air that I couldn’t deny. It wasn’t like other ski areas I was familiar with in Colorado, ones where regular people—people like me—frequented. They loved skiing, and they’d spend money on the gear and the trip, but it was one of those things—they’d gather up their buddies and go for the day, heading back at night and then planning their next trip. These places felt like they weren’t just about skiing. They were about a literal home away from home, and I would realize that even more once I was able to check out the village just a little way farther up the hill.

Gracie, the kids, and I sat on plush furniture in the lobby while Brad checked us in at the desk.

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