Throughout the day we discussed many books, childhood experiences, and even some things we did as teenagers. The longer I spent confined to a small area with Logan, the more I wanted to know. He was the most interesting man I’d ever known. I kept thinking how much my parents would have approved, which made me want to cringe. This was the guy they would have picked for me. He had a good paying job, he was responsible, he had values, and most of all, he wasn’t a criminal. He’d saved my life in more than one way.

He was also another reason why I couldn’t go home. I didn’t want them knowing I was living with another man; one I could see myself getting closer to. They’d say I was moving too fast; that I’d pushed myself into his life, or that he only helped me because I’d turned my back on them.

Another thing that made me nervous was the fact that some things are just too good to be true. There had to be flaws about him. There had to be something he was hiding from me. No man could fit so perfectly in my life. There were no exceptions. He either had deep dark secrets or I’d died and this was all some alternate life in a purgatory reality. Maybe I was seeing things that weren’t there at all. It was possible he was just a nice guy trying to help. Maybe the chemistry I thought was there was just courtesy. For all I knew, he could have been gay, just like Charlie. Maybe he thought I was disgusting, after being strung out and sleeping with my criminal boyfriend, knowing he’d been running around on me. The reasons were almost endless.

It was obvious I was making excuses for not wanting to see if something was happening between us. I’d be a fool to think a couple days at a ski resort wasn’t going to result in either an opportunity for something new, or proof that I was losing my mind.

Almost a month ago I’d lost the man I thought I loved wholeheartedly. Believing someone was my future and finding out he was everything but that had crushed me. My poor judge of character left me vulnerable. I wondered if it was love at all. Can you love someone you don’t fully know? If it was love, why was it getting easier to let go? Why was I imagining someone else making me happy?

With so many questions hovering in my mind, I feared I was acting out of desperateness. Perhaps I was codependent, and needed someone in my life to be happy. It was all too much to think about, especially with one of the men in question only twelve inches from where I sat.

Logan navigated us through the mountains to find the resort we’d be spending the next two days. When we pulled up into the parking lot I felt like I was dreaming. It was beautiful. The cedar logged lodge was more like a mansion. It was three levels with huge windows surrounding the whole building. Since it was a weekday, it wasn’t very crowded. I was able to pull into a front parking spot to make it easy to carry in our bags and get registered. Of course, Logan handled my bag, insisting it wasn’t a big deal.

Right before he walked up to the front desk he stopped and turned in my direction. “I forgot to ask. Are you okay sharing a room again, or do you want me to see how much two will be?”

I didn’t know how to answer. If I told him it was okay to share, he might think I was easy. If I said to get two rooms, he might think I didn’t enjoy being around him. “Um, you pick. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well since we have to rent ski’s, and probably get some heavier clothes to wear, let’s just share one room. The internet said they were pretty large anyway.”

“That’s fine with me. Like I said, either way.”

Several minutes later we trekked to our shared room. The moment Logan opened the door for me I wondered if this had been his plan all along. Had this road trip given him a reason to make a move? Had he been getting us rooms together to see if something would happen between us?

I decided to stop worrying about it and let it play out. Neither of us were in a relationship. We were currently residing in the same house. Having been around each other for weeks, it wasn’t surprising something could be happening between us, especially now after discovering how much we had in common.

I didn’t know if I was ready to date, and certainly not fall into another serious commitment, but I was human and I’d been hurt pretty badly. I was still entitled to live out my life, and if I wanted to explore what was happening between me and this man I had to chill the hell out.

The room was spacious. The beds were a good eight feet apart and a wide end table was positioned between them. There was a full sized round table in the corner of the room with four chairs. A recliner was in the other corner with a lamp hung behind it to read. The glass windows were the full length of the room. The mountains were the only view we had. It was tranquil and serein. “This is insane. Come check out this view,” I suggested.

“Come check out this bathroom,” he countered.

I hurried to the opposite side of our room to find him standing in the middle of a large bathroom. A two person Jacuzzi tub took up the whole one side. A double sink was on the opposite side, and in a separate room sat a commode. “Holy crap. Did you pay extra for this?”

“No. It’s the standard room.” He noted. “I may never want to leave.”

“Well, it’s getting pretty late in the afternoon. We’re going to need to eat, and I’m sure it would be better for our skiing tomorrow if we had the proper gear and jackets. I know it’s winter, but you and I both know it’s not very cold in Vegas. Just walking in this place made me feel like I was going to freeze to death.”

“I’ve got a heavy coat in my trunk that will be fine. I can double up. We’ll still need to get you something, and then grab two pair of pants so we’re not getting hypothermia.”

I didn’t have much money to my name, but I knew this was an opportunity to enjoy myself for the first time in a long while. If I needed to spend some of it to get the necessary gear, I was going to do it. “Should we go now?”

“Yeah. The sooner we get done the faster I can put my ass in that jacuzzi.”

“You may have to fight me for first dibs.” My response caused a ornery smirk across his face. I had to look away to avoid feeling uncomfortable. If this was just my imagination, I was definitely losing my mind.

Chapter 26

Logan

I was probably getting myself into a situation I’d later find it hard to get out of. It didn’t take a genius to see something was going on between us. She was happy, and it seemed contagious. We clicked, unlike I’d been able to do with plenty of other women. While knowing this was only going to be temporary, I felt like I had every right to be selfish. If the two of us were on the same page, why not act on it? We were both adults, fully capable of stopping if we felt the need to. I was willing to let it ride, even though I knew our goodbye would probably be final. There was a chance I’d never see Cassie again, once I took her home, and I had to be okay with it.

The resort had it’s own shops, so it took us no time at all to find what we needed and reserve our equipment for the next day. While downstairs we located the restaurant to grab some dinner. Just like the views from our room, the snow capped mountains were all the eyes could see, unless they were staring at Cassie. Her eyes were like getting lost in heaven; like going to a place I never wanted to leave.

“I think we should play cards tonight.”

“I’m not into gambling,” I replied.”

“We don’t have to bet anything, silly. Haven’t you ever played for fun?”

I had to look down at my empty plate for a moment to gather myself. “When I was a kid I used to play cards with my family. We kept a tally. You know that box you found with the charred remains of my things? The notebook is still in there.” I turned and stared out the window for a second. “Sorry. I keep that box sealed because I still can’t handle dealing with the secrets it holds.”