family first.
"Good
morning , Jade,” her Abuelita called as
Jade stepped into the living room. Her grandmother’s eyes widened as she turned
to see Jade fully dressed already. “Aren’t you having breakfast this morning?”
she asked, disappointment coloring her tone.
"Si,
Abuelita. ” Jade sat down at the table
where heaping plates of rice and potatoes and eggs were already set out. Her
grandmother was just finishing up the sausage. “But, I have to go back to LA
afterward. My boss called and says he needs me.”
"So
soon? ” her grandfather asked, coming
through the doorway. His mustache and coat were covered in flecks of snow,
indicating he’d already been outside. “But you just got here, nina .”
Guilt
burned inside Jade ’s
chest at the crestfallen look on her grandfather’s face. “I’m so sorry,
Abuelito.” She stood up from the table so she could wrap her arms around his
burly torso. “If I could stay longer, I would.” She forced a smile for him that
she didn’t really feel, looking up into his weathered face. “Hopefully I’ll get
this project done early and can be back to spend Christmas Day with you.”
"That
would be nice, ” her grandfather said
gruffly. “Then maybe you can introduce me to that young man you were skiing
with the other day, if he’s still here.”
Oh God. Dawson. “Maybe,” she said cautiously, sitting down at
the table with her grandparents to eat. In her rush of panic, she’d totally
forgotten about her afternoon date with him. She was going to miss it
completely. Sadness filled her, and she wondered if she should stop by his
cabin to say goodbye.
No ,
she thought to herself as she looked at the clock on the wall. If she did that,
she might end up back in bed with him, and then she’d definitely get back late.
She couldn’t afford the distraction. Much as she hated it, she was going to
have to leave without saying goodbye.
Chapter Eight
Dawson
waited outside the rental shack for over an hour, but Jade never showed.
Frowning, he scanned the snowy landscape for her with his keen eyes, then
turned and walked around the shack so he could search the slopes, wondering if
he’d missed her somehow. He didn’t know how that could happen, since she would
have had to walk passed the shack without him, but that must've been what
occurred because the only other explanation was that she’d stood him up.
And
there was no way that had happened —not
after the incredible sex they’d had last night, and the wonderful companionship
they’d shared for the last two days .
But
as one hour became two and his search of the slopes turned up nothing, Dawson
had to admit that though she might not have
purposely stood him up, she definitely hadn’t shown. The worry that had been
steadily gnawing a hole in his gut started to burn, and, unable to handle it
anymore, he turned and headed toward the lodge where Jade had told him she was
staying.
"Hi, ” he told the woman behind the desk, a dark
skinned Latina who bore a faint resemblance to Jade. He wondered if they were
related and then remembered that it was a family business. She most likely was.
“I’m looking for Jade Garcia. Have you seen her?”
The
woman —whose name tag announced
her as Rachel—sat up straighter, her dark eyes glowing. “Oh, you must be
the guy she’s seeing,” she said, her voice bubbling. But then a frown bunched
her brows together. “She... she didn’t tell you that she’d left?”
"No. ” Hurt, he recoiled. “She... she’s gone? As in,
gone from the resort?”
Sympathy
filled Rachel ’s eyes as she nodded.
“Her boss called and told her she was needed back at the studio. She left
"Good
morning , Jade,” her Abuelita called as
Jade stepped into the living room. Her grandmother’s eyes widened as she turned
to see Jade fully dressed already. “Aren’t you having breakfast this morning?”
she asked, disappointment coloring her tone.
"Si,
Abuelita. ” Jade sat down at the table
where heaping plates of rice and potatoes and eggs were already set out. Her
grandmother was just finishing up the sausage. “But, I have to go back to LA
afterward. My boss called and says he needs me.”
"So
soon? ” her grandfather asked, coming
through the doorway. His mustache and coat were covered in flecks of snow,
indicating he’d already been outside. “But you just got here, nina .”
Guilt
burned inside Jade ’s
chest at the crestfallen look on her grandfather’s face. “I’m so sorry,
Abuelito.” She stood up from the table so she could wrap her arms around his
burly torso. “If I could stay longer, I would.” She forced a smile for him that
she didn’t really feel, looking up into his weathered face. “Hopefully I’ll get
this project done early and can be back to spend Christmas Day with you.”
"That
would be nice, ” her grandfather said
gruffly. “Then maybe you can introduce me to that young man you were skiing
with the other day, if he’s still here.”
Oh God. Dawson. “Maybe,” she said cautiously, sitting down at
the table with her grandparents to eat. In her rush of panic, she’d totally
forgotten about her afternoon date with him. She was going to miss it
completely. Sadness filled her, and she wondered if she should stop by his
cabin to say goodbye.
No ,
she thought to herself as she looked at the clock on the wall. If she did that,
she might end up back in bed with him, and then she’d definitely get back late.
She couldn’t afford the distraction. Much as she hated it, she was going to
have to leave without saying goodbye.
Chapter Eight
Dawson
waited outside the rental shack for over an hour, but Jade never showed.
Frowning, he scanned the snowy landscape for her with his keen eyes, then
turned and walked around the shack so he could search the slopes, wondering if
he’d missed her somehow. He didn’t know how that could happen, since she would
have had to walk passed the shack without him, but that must've been what
occurred because the only other explanation was that she’d stood him up.
And
there was no way that had happened —not
after the incredible sex they’d had last night, and the wonderful companionship
they’d shared for the last two days .
But
as one hour became two and his search of the slopes turned up nothing, Dawson
had to admit that though she might not have
purposely stood him up, she definitely hadn’t shown. The worry that had been
steadily gnawing a hole in his gut started to burn, and, unable to handle it
anymore, he turned and headed toward the lodge where Jade had told him she was
staying.
"Hi, ” he told the woman behind the desk, a dark
skinned Latina who bore a faint resemblance to Jade. He wondered if they were
related and then remembered that it was a family business. She most likely was.
“I’m looking for Jade Garcia. Have you seen her?”
The
woman —whose name tag announced
her as Rachel—sat up straighter, her dark eyes glowing. “Oh, you must be
the guy she’s seeing,” she said, her voice bubbling. But then a frown bunched
her brows together. “She... she didn’t tell you that she’d left?”
"No. ” Hurt, he recoiled. “She... she’s gone? As in,
gone from the resort?”
Sympathy
filled Rachel ’s eyes as she nodded.
“Her boss called and told her she was needed back at the studio. She left
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