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Declan
Thecrunching snow beneath my feet makes me grunt in frustration at the impending snowstorm headed this way.You’dthink after living my life in this godforsaken state thatI’dgrow accustomed to the snowstorms that come with it, but that’s definitely not the case.
Thefront office for check in at the cabins is only a few feet away, but beforeIget on the steps, my foot finds a sheet of black ice andIfeel my legs start to give way under me.Luckily,Igrab hold of the banister just in time to catch the fall.
“Stupidsnow,”Imutter to myself, but a woman chuckles low behind me.SinceIdon’t want to be rude,Ichoose to ignore her, not even bothering to glance back at her, and continue my trek into the warmth of the office.
Thereceptionist smiles brightly at me, gazing approvingly at my body before fluttering her eyelashes.She’sdefinitely younger than me, and the way her lips tip up in a smirk that she thinks is sexy only freaks me out.
Ithrust my card into her freshly manicured fingers. “Baker,”Isnap, fed up with the way this day is already going for me and wanting to get into my cabin to relax.Ahot shower sounds more than fantastic right now, but this woman seems to want to take her time and it only infuriates me more.
She’spurposely going slower, trying to catch my attention by bending over the counter and pushing her breasts right in my line of vision.Icatch the swell of them, but her assets are the least of my worries right now.Insteadof giving her the satisfaction of looking at what she’s offering me,Ichoose to glare at her in hopes that she will “I’dlike to get into my cabin any day now,”Igrumble at her.
Sheflinches at my tone, but it hits her the wayIintended and she starts typing furiously on the computer.Herhand swings back, grabbing hold of a key just for me, and slaps it down on the flat countertop.WhenInod my thanks to her, the only thing she does is sneer at me before throwing her attention to the phone lighting up in front of her.
Ohwell,Ican’t quite seem to care if she expected more from me.Imight be a single father, butI’mdefinitely not on the market.Ilearned the hard way that women will leave you when you least expect it, and the way that affects your life.Myson’s mother was everythingIwanted in a woman, until she wasn’t.Itwasn’t my fault our relationship ended, but our son doesn’t miss the chance to blame it on me any chance he gets.
I’mnot even sure what he thinks happened between me and his mom, just thatI’mthe brunt of all his anger and it’s damaged our relationship more thanI’dlike.WhenIreach the red wooden door of my cabin,Iwalk inside and inhale the cedar scent wafting throughout the place.Theselog cabins are my favorite getaway, even if the only thingIcan see outside my window right now is snow-covered ground.
Nothingwill ever beat the view of the snow-capped mountains from this point, which is exactly whyIrequest this cabin every single timeIcome here.Sure, all the other ones have a view of the mountain just asIdo, but most of their views involve trees blocking it a bit.Minethough?Thereare a few trees thatIcan see in front of the mountain, but for the most part,Ihave an optimal view of the peaks ahead.
Ireach into my pocket, connect my phone to the built-inWi-FisinceIdon’t get service in this area, and openFacebook.WhenIcheckMessenger, it showsConnoris online andItry to give him a call, hoping that he will answer, but he lets it ring through.
Shower.That’swhatIneed.
There’sa fresh stack of towels piled high on the rack in the bathroom, along with a pile of washcloths, andIappreciate that they’ve accounted for the snowstorm coming in.Icalled ahead, letting them know thatIordered delivery from the local grocery store so thatI’dhave food stocked just in case andIglance through everything.Atleast they had the manners to put everything away for me,Ican respect that at least.
Icheck my phone one more time, releasing a defeated sigh whenIdon’t have any calls back fromConnor.Ifhe’d give me the time of day,I’dbe able to talk to him about my situation with his mom.Ifthere’s anyone to blame for our split, it’sher, considering she was in bed with one of her clients.Herefuses to listen to me, but that won’t stop me from trying.
Thebathroom door is open all the way, the light shining from it, and it’s calling my name.Thehot water will wash away all my worries.Islip my shoes off right next to the door, then pull my socks off and throw them into the foldable cloth hamperIalways bring with me.Therest of my clothes take time to remove, and onceI’mstanding gloriously naked in the middle of the cabin, the suffocationI’mfeeling eases slightly.
Thewooden floor is cool beneath my feet whenIwalk into the bathroom, prompting me to power the small space heater up that’s standing in one corner of the room.Igroan at the heat pushing onto my feet, then pad across the floor to turn the shower’s water on, cranking the heat all the way up.Withboth the steam and the heat from the space heater, the room is starting to feel cozy already.
Igrab one of the towels, placing it about a foot away from the heater, letting it warm up for whenIgo to wrap it around me, and step into the shower’s hot spray.
Itscolds me, like it’s burning through each layer of my skin, andIclench my teeth at the pain.Oncethe sting wears away,Ilean my head back and thread my fingers through my dark strands.Mostmen my age choose to keep their hair short and clean-shaven.I’mnot like most men my age though and prefer a neatly shaved beard and my hair long.
I’ma proud believer in keeping my body in shape, which is why you’ll see me at the gym daily, and eating as healthy as possible.I’llhave a cheat day every now and then, but not as often as most people.Thegreen smoothieIdrink every morning causes most people to look at me in disgust and it brings me much-needed amusement every time.
Thewater is starting to get cooler andIshut the shower head off, then step out of the shower.Mytowel on the floor is warmed up, feeling great whenIwrap it around my hips, andIwalk over to the bathroom mirror.Iwipe through the fog, staring at the redness of my skin from the shower before casting my gaze over to the toothbrush sitting on the back of the sink.
Igrab it, slathering a layer of toothpaste onto the bristles, and watch my reflection asIbrush back and forth.Asthe redness starts to fade away,Icatch sight of my sun-kissed skin that’s slowly beginning to fade.
Unfortunately,Ihaven’t had much spare time out in the sun and it shows.I’mnot some uptight older man, butIlove my body looking a certain way, a way that makes me feel better about myself, andIdon’t believe there’s anything wrong with that.
Mystomach rumbles, clueing me into the amount of foodIhaven’t eaten today, andIpush away from the sink.Ifigure sinceI’min this place all alone, walking around in a towel for a while wouldn’t be so bad.Insteadof getting dressed,Ihead straight for the kitchen to find something to make to eat.I’mtired, soI’llprobably go with something simple like spaghetti or chickenAlfredo.
Thethought of chickenAlfredoappeals to me, soIgather everythingIneed for that and get the water heated on the stove.Oncethe noodles start cooking,Ifry up the chicken in a skillet before cutting them into bite-sized pieces and throwing them back in with two jars ofAlfredosauce.Yes,I’mone of those people who use canned ingredients becauseI’mtoo lazy to make my own homemade stuff.Iwon’t feel bad about that.
Thiswill probably count as a cheat meal.Granted,Iusually count the entire week thatI’mhere as a cheat day since there are usually storms that come in to keep me from getting my healthier stuff.Istalked up on some stuff to have a salad or two every day, at least, so that’s a plus side to everything.Whenthe sauce starts to boil,Idrain the noodles and fix myself a plate.
JustasI’mlifting the fork to my mouth, ready to take a steaming hot bite of my food, the door to the cabin bursts open and a woman stands at the entrance.Herhead is turned back, focused solely on pulling her suitcase through the door, and she doesn’t notice me sitting there yet.
Whothe hell is this?
That’sanswered for me when she finally turns around, eyes widening at my half-naked figure sitting at the edge of the brown leather sofa.There’sa black and red plaid blanket hanging on the back of the couch, calling out for me to sling it over my lap, butIcan’t seem to pay attention to it.Notwhen my son’s ex-wife is standing in front of me, looking absolutely sinful in her tight jeans and thick light pink sweater.
“Whatare you doing here?” she asks, her lips pursing in annoyance, and that only has me thinking about what her lips might taste like.
