Page 46 of Counting Down To You

Leo considers Burgers. “The thing is we’re in the middle of winter.”

“I’d noticed that, funnily enough.”

“I hate to be blunt, but no one is going to want to go hiking in the snow. What if we—”

“I would.” I say it without thinking, before I remember I’m not supposed to be listening. Both Burgers and Leo look over, and heat flushes my cheeks. “I mean, ahh…” But I can’t think of anything to add. The reception is empty, and short of grabbing the phone in a very obvious way, there’s nothing I can do to make it look like I was talking to someone else.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop,” Burgers snaps.

Leo gives him a one-eyebrowed look. “Kind of hard to lecture someone on rudeness with that tone, though, don’t you think?”

Burgers mutters something under his breath again, something that makes Leo smile.

“You’d go hiking in the snow?” Leo asks me.

“She already tried to,” Burgers mutters, louder this time.

I huff. “I didn’t try to, I did. As in, I went for a hike through the forest in the snow, yes. I’d love to do more of it. I just haven’t had time.” And, screw it, they already know I was listening, no point in pretending otherwise. “You’re talking about the hiking business, right?” I get a nod from Leo and a narrow-eyed look from Burgers. “Well, I know most people want to ski, but if I want to hike in the snow there are probably others. Look at Betty and Louisa—they wanted a day off skiing. For those of us who can’t afford helicopters, maybe hiking is a good option.”

Leo is looking at me thoughtfully, Burgers suspiciously. Then Leo gives a decisive nod. “Okay, then. Well, Ali, given you’re the GRM, I’ll leave it to the two of you to liaise. If you can figure out a way to launch the business again and if you both really think it’s viable to do in winter, then the hotel will do what we can to support.”

I open and close my mouth like an idiot. “I don’t…”

“Absolutely not,” Burgers says. “I told you I don’t need help.”

Leo raises his eyebrows. “No? Why did you come to me, then?” Burgers seems to have no answer for this. “Ali looks after guest activities as part of her role. She’s the perfect person to find the right guests for you. And, apparently, she’s also mad like you are and would rather hike than ski. So…” He gestures between the two of us. “Over to you.” He stands and checks his watch. “I’ve got to call the owners.” He reaches down, claps Burgers on the shoulder. “Come by for a pint soon, yeah?” And, with that, he strolls past reception and toward the office, winking at me as he does so.

I’m left blinking at Burgers. “Ah…” I clear my throat. “So do you want to…?” I gesture vaguely in the air, hoping that gets the point across. But, in truth, I’m not really sure what I’ve just agreed to.

“No,” Burgers snaps, getting awkwardly to his feet. Then he pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll call you if I need you,” he says, dropping his hand. And, with that, he turns to walk away, his limp slightly more pronounced than when I saw him in the forest.

I swallow, reaching automatically for headphones that I’ve stopped carrying around to avoid the temptation. It’s moments like this that I really miss the sound of Robyn’s voice. Instead of the headphones, I feel the slip of paper from the calendar.

I get it out, open it, and feel my stomach sink.

Call your brother.

“Thanks,” says a voice, and I look up to see Lucie coming back to the desk. “Any dramas?”

I give a laugh that makes Lucie raise her eyebrows. “You could say that.” I slip the piece of paper back safely away. “Burgers was talking to Leo,” I say by way of explanation.

“Right, I saw. Wants to get hiking again. No idea why now, after all this time off.”

“No, me neither.” And there had been an insistence to it, a reluctance to wait for better weather.

“Maybe he just needs the money,” Lucie says with a shrug. I vacate Lucie’s seat, and she takes my place. She looks up at me as I’m about to leave. “So I’m heading out for a ski after lunch, before the evening shift. Fancy coming along?”

“Oh, umm…”

“If you don’t want to—”

“It’s not that,” I say quickly, keen not to ruin this burgeoning friendship. “It’s just, I’m a terrible skier.” I get raised eyebrows in response to that. “I know, I know. Everyone comes here for the great skiing. Leo has been teaching me, but I’m, well, to call myself a beginner would be doing a disservice to the term.”

I wonder briefly if this plays into Lucie’s theory that I only moved here to be with Leo, but if she thinks that she doesn’t comment. “Brooks is teaching you?” she asks instead.

“Yep.” It makes it sound more “relationshipy,” doesn’t it, if it’s a general thing rather than a one-off.

Lucie nods slowly, then shrugs. “Well, I’m still going out this afternoon. I’m not saying I’ll be as good a teacher as Brooks—then again, I’m not saying I won’t be, either. I can’t imagine him having much patience. But we can go down an easy blue, if you like?”