Chapter 1
Sam
Icouldn’t tell if the rhythmic thudding came from the laptop keys or my pounding headache. If I didn’t finish the psych paper and turn it in before eight o’clock, I’d have to take the grade reduction. Quietly. Stoically. Like a man. I snorted and reached for my coffee mug only to find it empty.
Maybe I should have invested in a small coffee maker for my room instead of relying on the overworked machine that came with the place. My two roommates shared my coffee addiction. If I made a pot, they’d appear in minutes and fill their huge travel mugs before disappearing again. I couldn’t really blame them. I made better coffee than they did, and they had no problem sharing theirs when I needed a quick boost.
Shaking my head, I turned back to my paper. It was the final bit of work to finish before the winter break. Edit the last section. Include the footnotes for the academic research. Write a quick conclusion. If the professor got that far, they probably wouldn’t have the energy to mark me down for a dull summation paragraph.
At least I hoped not. I sent the file and got up to flop down again on my unmade bed. Sleep was for the weak, right? That’s what my father had always told us growing up. Now, my oldest brother had an ulcer and a fifty-hour work week at a financial firm in Boston. My other brother shot a great big middle finger to the world and headed to Wyoming to serve drinks in the bar at a dude ranch. I’d be a youth mental health counselor after I got my master’s degree in May. At least I would be if I managed to turn in all my papers on time.
It certainly wasn’t the type of future my parents had envisioned, but my choice of career wasn’t the only thing that didn’t slot into their neat idea of life. After their second son became a whiskey-slinging cowboy out west, it didn’t seem like such a big deal if the third liked men and wanted to help traumatized kids. Over the years, my family became more like an old friend group I hadn’t seen since high school. Nice, but not particularly interesting. None of us had much in common besides our last name and red hair.
A door down the hall thumped closed, and Emilio shuffled down the hall toward the living room. He and Dave weren’t bad people to share a rental with, but we didn’t spend time together outside of occasionally meeting up in the kitchen to drain the coffee pot. Part-time childcare didn’t pay enough to afford my own place. I did my best to keep the student loans as small as possible. It wasn’t like youth counselling was a ticket to the high life.
I flopped back on my bed, pushed my hair out of my face, and stretched out to wrap my fingers around the bed frame. My vertebrae crackled, and the ache that had settled into my lower back began to fade. Just as I started to consider falling asleep, my phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I rolled over to check the message.
Talisha:RU free 2 wks? FT – 10mnth girl
Working with the childcare placement organization online made finding short-term work easier when I started. I passed all the background checks easily, of course, and the child-focused degree program helped. Not everyone felt comfortable with a male caregiver, which sucked, or a gay one, which sucked even more, but I still got enough work to pay the bills.
After completing two years of successful jobs, Talisha became my client coordinator. Her contacts were a lot better than competing on the main site for local opportunities. Full-time though? Did I want to give up my whole winter break for one job?
Sam:Full-time like 8-hour days or live-in nannying?
The phone rang, and I took her call. “Hi, Talisha.”
“Full time like twenty-four-seven. The single father is a wedding planner and seems desperate for help with his daughter. He has clients at an inn down your way and wants someone who can stay there for the duration. He’s covering room and board, of course.”
My nose scrunched up in thought. “Two weeks at an inn for winter break with a baby girl and a single father wedding planner.” It could either be lovely and simple or a massive headache that involved keeping the little one away from her workaholic father at all times. I hated jobs like that, but the money sure would come in handy.
“When do I start?” We went over the particulars, she gave me the address, and I hung up to pack a bag. Sensible, family friend clothes, my toiletry bag with all the essentials, and my laptop so I could work in my off hours filled my rolling suitcase. I stopped in the kitchen to fill my own travel mug with some fresh brew and mixed in my favorite caramel creamer.
Emilio, Dave, and I shared a huge wipe-off fridge calendar and dry erase markers. We marked off home maintenance tasks and whether we’d be gone so the others knew to pick up the slack. I really lucked out with them for roommates. I picked up my designated purple pen and marked off the following two weeks. “Out of house 24/7 for work.”
Twenty minutes after settling in my car, I turned into the driveway of the Halcyon Inn. Talisha told me to go inside and talk to the inn manager to find my client.
The freezing cold wind off the lake whipped through the parking lot and around the edge of the impressive building. White fairy lights intertwined with pine garlands around the windows and railings. I pulled my case out of the back seat and headed up the ramp to the front door.
“Welcome to Halcyon.” The dark-haired man behind the lobby desk had a smile that could warm up any frozen heart. “How can I help you?”
“Hello. My name’s Sam Burkhart. My manager, Talisha Jackson, said you could direct me to my childcare client. He’s staying in one of the cabins.” As the professional words poured out of me, I realized with growing horror that I didn’t know myclient’s name. Luckily, the manager, whose nametag said Tomas, caught on right away.
“Oh! Yes, she called just a little while ago. That Evie is an absolute doll.” He smiled a sweeter, more natural smile. “They’re in our Cardinal Cabin.” He tapped his phone screen a few times. “Ryan can run you out there. It’s not a bad walk, but he’s free right now, so you might as well take advantage.”
A young man loped into the room and smiled from Tomas to me. “Hi there. Cardinal, right? Do you have other bags?”
I jiggled the handle of my suitcase and shook my head. “No, just this one.” With a final nod to Tomas, I followed Ryan through the lobby, past a cozy looking parlor, and out a back door into the biting wind.
We climbed into a fancy gray golf cart protected by a snap-on plastic cover which afforded some protection from the wind. “It’s bitter out here today,” I said and wrapped my arms around myself, tucking my fingers under my arms.
“Yeah. The weather says snow tomorrow or the next day.” He looked over at me before turning back to the paved path through the trees. “We have a fire in the parlor every night, and if you need anything… extra blankets or whatever… just use the inn app.”
“Oh, I’m not a guest. I’m working for a man staying here.” Damn it. I wish I knew his name. The baby girl was Evie, Tomas said. Other than that, and what Talisha told me, I was flying blind. Unaccustomed nerves swirled through me. It wasn’t like me to start a job so woefully unprepared. It wasn’t like Talisha to omit something so important. Maybe she’d said his name, and I just blanked for some reason. Not a good start to a full-time job.
Ryan shrugged and slowed the cart to turn down a narrower path next to a sign that said Cardinal Cabin. “That’s okay. We’re not going to let you freeze or starve or anything. I’m sure Mr.Barron won’t begrudge you a blanket or some time off to relax a bit, right?”
Mr. Barron.At least I had that information and could introduce myself professionally when we got to the door. It didn’t take more than another thirty seconds to reach the end of the path. The small cabin huddled in a circle of pines that tossed their branches in the increasing wind. The gunmetal gray lake visible between them had pale ridges of waves that reflected the overcast sky. I hopped out of the cart and pulled my case from the back.
