Stuck With You: A Christmas Romance Read online

  “Hello, hello!” He says as he comes in, his mannerism warm and friendly despite the circumstances, matching his large frame and impressive gut. He stamps his boots on the mat as I did earlier and pulls his woolen hat off to reveal thinning hair on top of a ruddy face with a salt-and-pepper beard. I step back to make way for him and he looks between Tristan and I. “I’m so sorry about all this. So sorry. This isn’t how anyone wants to be starting their vacation at all.”

  I can’t help but smile at that, the accuracy of the words and his willingness to jump right into the matter making me like him immediately.

  “I’m Greg. I own Aspen Hideaway and - mostly - manage it. And I’m guessing you’re…Lauren?” He says, looking at me, before his gaze flicks back over to Tristan, who is standing slightly further back with the same unreadable expression as earlier. “And…Tristan?”

  “Yes.” I say, as Tristan nods.

  “Right, well, there’s no other way to put this. There’s been a monumental cock-up, if you’ll excuse my language.” He runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. “Somehow you both managed to book this cabin for the same dates. I can only guess that you made the booking - Lauren through my own direct system and Tristan through another website - at about the same time, and the unavailability didn’t register, one way or another. Don’t know why it was never flagged up to me that I’m expecting two guests at the very same time, but the damned systems never talk to each other properly—don’t know why I’m on one of them stupid sites in the first place—but, well, I guess you don’t really care about the ins and outs of it. What you want to know is what I’m going to do about it, eh?”

  That surprises a short laugh out of me, and even Tristan cracks a smile, despite this sounding less and less like it’s going to have a simple solution. There’s definitely something about Greg that seems to make it impossible not to like him, even in these circumstances. He is exactly the type of guy who would insist on setting his cabin out of sight of the road and lining the trail with path lights - and I can see how this place has been successful regardless of wonky systems and somewhat questionable management.

  “Well, I wish I could tell you that I could offer a simple fix and let you both get back to your vacation, but…there’s no easy answer, I’m afraid.” He says, sounding genuinely remorseful. “What I can do is offer a full refund and a half price discount on your next stay, if either of you would be willing to accept that and stay somewhere else instead.”

  I glance over at Tristan, my gut churning with uncertainty, and he meets my gaze.

  “It’s six days before Christmas and Aspen is one of the most popular towns to stay.” Tristan says quietly, the deep voice rumbling out of him. “Is there anywhere else to stay at this short notice?”

  He’s got a point about that, but just the fact that he’s asked gives me a small burst of hope. Maybe he’s not quite as set on this cabin as I am, after all.

  “Um, well I can make some inquiries—but no, I guess probably not.” Greg says, sounding a little defeated.

  Even with the advantage of someone local asking around for any vacancies, the chances are slim to none at a time like this.

  Tristan looks at me, raising one eyebrow again. “Would you be willing to take it, if Greg could find something?”

  Aaand…that’s enough for my small burst of hope to flicker and die. I guess he wasn’t asking for himself, after all.

  “I…ah…no, I don’t think so. Not unless it was a pretty similar place.”

  Which it wouldn’t be. I already know that now. I spent a long time researching cabins in Aspen, looking for just the right place for the holiday getaway I had in mind. I don’t care about the money or a future Christmas vacation. It’s this one that I need so badly.

  “Me neither.” Tristan nods. “So it’s probably not worth your time inquiring unless - as Lauren says - you know of somewhere that can offer the same things this cabin one does…remote, with access to the outdoors and all the best hiking trails…things like that. I’m guessing you won’t find that?”

  I blink. Those aren’t the features I was thinking of at all.

  “Ah…no. That’s why this place tends to be so popular.” Greg admits, with a regretful look, before glancing between us. “Well, if you’re both set on it…what do you think of sharing the cabin instead? It’s got two bedrooms, lots of space…I usually get families in here, no problem, and I’d give you both half your money back for the inconvenience, plus the discount on a future stay to make up for all this. It’s the only other thing I can think of - otherwise, we’ll have to find a way to decide who gets to stay and there’s no fair way for me to make that decision so you’d have to figure something out between you. Flipping for it or some such.”

  Flipping for it? Leaving my entire vacation plan up to pure chance?!

  I grimace, a sour feeling in my gut - and I guess my expression gives away just how I feel about the idea of that, because Greg continues with a nod.

  “And from the looks of it, neither of you want to risk that.” He looks between us again, but I don’t follow his gaze to meet Tristan’s eyes. I can’t even get hold of my own thoughts - I’m not sure I can face whatever he might be thinking as well. “So maybe sharing the place would be better? That’s up to the two of you, though, and you probably need some time to decide. I’m sorry I can’t offer a better solution, but I’ll let you think about it for a while and work it out between you. If you let me know once you’ve decided, I’ll sort everything else out.”

  He gives a last glance at us, looking even more apologetic than when he came in, and then starts to turn.

  Wait—he’s going?! Just like that? Leaving me alone with this stranger and—and—no solution?

  I step forward, but then hesitate as he pauses at the door. I can’t help wanting something more from him - but what’s he going to do, really? What can he do? As much as I’d love for him to come down on my side and tell Tristan that - unfortunately - he’s going to have to find somewhere else to stay, I can’t deny that he’s right—it wouldn’t exactly be fair. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one given a pronouncement like that.

  “I’m sorry.” Greg says again. “I’ll make some calls in the morning and get to the bottom of the system fault—so that something like this doesn’t happen again—but…I’m sorry it’s screwed things up for you both.”

  When we don’t say anything more, he disappears…taking all of my disappointed hopes with him. He leaves a moment of silence behind him - a lull as neither Tristan nor I seem to know quite what to do now.

  Then the situation we’ve been left with seems to hit me all over again, and I sit down abruptly on the couch.

  Jeez, looks like nothing is going right for me this year. I still can’t catch a break?

  “Well, this is shit.” I say, my breath whooshing out of me before I shoot a glance back at Tristan. “No offense.”

  “None taken. You’re right about that.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair and leaning back against the wall, his knee bent and one foot propped up against it, which I only belatedly notice is still bare. The cloth pants he’s changed into look comfortable and loose, while showing hints of the strong form of his legs, and the slightly tighter t-shirt only adds to my initial thoughts about his broad chest. The posture and clothing gives the impression of him casually lounging, but there’s still something about him that feels mildly intimidating anyway…maybe the sharp perception in his gaze, or simply the overwhelming physical presence of the man…

  “So you’re as set on this place as I was, huh?” He continues, giving me a rueful look and drawing me half-embarrassed out of my observation.

  “Ah, yeah…yeah, I am.”

  He nods, then pauses for a moment before continuing. “So…what do you think about what he said, then? I guess I wouldn’t mind sharing the place for half the price. Seems better than completely wrecking one of our plans’ this close to Christmas.”

  I hesitate, kno
wing that it’s obvious but also not at all sure how I feel about the idea.

  I’m not sure what Tristan is looking for all the way out here, but a large part of the appeal for me was the isolation that this offered. The chance to be alone and get away from everything.

  Will I really be able to relax with him here too?

  It’s not like I want to flip a coin and leave this up to pure chance either - not with the possibility of ending up stuck with nowhere to go - but can I really share this place with a complete stranger?

  It’s one thing to ditch my family to spend a quiet Christmas by myself, but to spend it with him, however unintentionally? That just feels wrong, somehow. I have no idea who even he is, except that he’s the kind of guy that seems to think nothing of walking around in a towel with a far-too-distracting body, and while Greg was right that there’s some space here for two of us, it’s not like we could avoid each other the whole time.

  Wouldn’t it be awkward?

  But then…isn’t a bit of awkwardness worth not ruining all your holiday plans?

  “I…I don’t know.” I say, knowing that he’s waiting for a response and struggling to come up with one. I give him a slightly rueful look, deciding to be honest about it. “The idea of sharing the cabin with someone I don’t know shrugging as I decide to be honest about it. “The idea of sharing the cabin with someone I don’t know is a little…disconcerting, I guess. It doesn’t bother you at all?”

  “Not really, no.” He gives me a smile and a casual shrug, his eyes flicking across me. “I’ve shared worse accommodation than this before - and with far more objectionable people - so there’s really not much to complain about here.”

  I’m not sure what he means by more objectionable people - after all, I did walk in totally uninvited and start insisting this place was mine - but there’s something in his voice that has me suddenly flustered. I look away before nodding, not quite able to meet his eyes.

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right. It could be worse.” I shrug, then glance back at him as something else occurs to me. “Hey, did you say you wanted this place for the hiking trails? The access to the countryside surrounding Aspen?”

  He nods and I can’t help feeling selfishly hopeful.

  “So…if we did share it…you might not be here the whole time? In the cabin, that is?”

  “I’m mostly planning to explore the surrounding area, yes…but if that’s what you’re basing your decision on, I’m not going to make any promises. I’d expect to be just as free to come and go as I please.” He says, with an arch look that makes me squirm slightly, feeling guilty.

  “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean—” I flush, slightly embarrassed and not entirely sure why. “It’s just that, I guess, I was looking forward to the whole cozy winter cabin experience - you know, spending the time lying out next to the fire, reading and watching festive films, that kind of thing. So I wouldn’t want it to be awkward if I spent a lot of time here, that’s all.”

  Tristan nods again, considering for a moment before replying with a shrug.

  “I wouldn’t find it awkward, so it wouldn’t bother me - but it’s up to you how you feel about it. If you’d rather just flip a coin for the place, as Greg said, then we can do that.”

  “No. No, I don’t want to do that.”

  It comes out before I can think about it - and just like that, I guess I’ve decided. Sharing with this stranger - with Tristan - obviously does sound better than risking all my holiday plans.

  I’m not at all sure that I won’t end up feeling awkward him seeing me lazing around here and doing all the little things that make me happy, but I guess I’ll just have to find out because this is probably the best I can hope for.

  For once in your life, you’ll just have to stop caring what other people think. Do what you want. Wasn’t that the whole point of this vacation?

  “Okay.” I finally say, meeting his expectant gaze with a nod. “Sure. Let’s share it. We’ll make it work, I’m sure.”

  “Good.” He pushes off the wall, offering me a smile and holding out his hand. “We didn’t make proper introductions earlier. I’m Tristan.”

  “Lauren.” I say, standing up and walking over to take his hand, appreciating the chance to start fresh. My gaze drifts to the doorway at his back instinctively, as my thoughts shift to how we’re going to make this work. “So…have you already settled in?”

  I try to ask it as tactfully as I can, but I can’t help wondering whether I’ve drawn the short straw too, simply by showing up later. There’s only one master bedroom, after all.

  “Heh…you could say that.” He says, following my gaze with a wry look that tells me he knows exactly what I was getting at. “See for yourself.”

  He gestures into the short hallway, then leads me through and pushes open the door opposite, standing aside so I can step into the room. I do, before coming to a complete halt, just staring.

  It’s a nicely sized room with a comfortable looking double bed, nice mountain pine furnishings and tasteful decor, but none of that is what catches my attention. The entire side wall is stacked with complicated, technical looking equipment. Sleek, black boxes and shiny looking cameras with frames and parts that I couldn’t possibly guess the use of. There are cables coiled up on the floor, a couple of tripods leaning against a wall and several boxes scattered open on the bed to reveal different lenses. It’s a generously sized room and there is not a lot of room to move around.

  Woah.

  Definitely not your average vacation setup.

  “I’ll be honest about it, this is definitely the bigger room - I’m not even sure if all of this would fit in the other one - but I’m happy to flip for it if you want. I’m not so opposed to blind luck when we’re talking about a minor inconvenience.” He says, amusement playing across his face. “But I did have another thought…”

  “Oh?”

  He steps past me - our bodies only inches apart for one brief instant that he doesn’t even seem to notice - and walks over to another door, opening that one as well.

  “This is the en-suite.” He says, gesturing me forward as I nod, still not quite sure what he’s getting at as I peer in, taking in the still-wet shower cubicle and sink already arrayed with a few of his products.

  Of course, the better room has an en-suite as well. Yet another point in its favor. My heart sinks at the idea of working out this as well - without any hard feelings or resentment that will make the next two weeks awkward - when all I really want is to settle in and shake off the tension from this less-than-ideal start to my vacation. I’ve already had enough disappointment at not quite getting what I’d imagined.

  “This is more than enough for me, but the main bathroom is much nicer. I’ll show it to you - it’s just down the hall - but I imagine you might have more use for it than me. We should probably take one bathroom each anyway, so I thought we could trade exclusive use of the main bathroom for the bigger bedroom, if that works for you.”

  I pause at that, surprised - I wasn’t expecting him to suggest something that actually sounded appealing - and before I can say anything, he uses the lull to lead me back into the main living area and through to the doorway at the back. I follow him, a glance to the right revealing the kitchen before he walks past and opens another door on the left. I’m irrationally irritated that he already knows where everything is in my cabin and that this is the way I get to explore it, but I push that aside. None of it is his fault.

  I step up to the door and then I can’t help myself - I gasp slightly. I think I’d forgotten all of the little details and description that had sold this place to me originally. Inside, there’s a deep, sunken jacuzzi tub with a shelf dotted with plants and candles running alongside it, beyond which the frosted window shows the dim gleam of snow. It’s simply perfect. There’s a large, rainfall shower too and some other things I barely notice, because this is my ultimate bathing fantasy all laid out in front of me.

  This is exactly how I pictured s
pending my vacation.

  “Okay.” I say, the smile coming unbidden to my mouth as I think about soaking in that gorgeous, luxurious tub. I know my excitement is written all over my face and I don’t even try to conceal it. “Okay, you’re right. You’ve got a deal. I want this bathroom.”

  He laughs and the sound is deep and warm enough to distract me from even that glorious tub, my gaze darting to him as a matching warmth rushes through my chest.

  “You’re not even going to check the second bedroom first?” He raises an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

  “Heh. Yeah. I guess I should probably do that too.” I say, but I’m grinning and totally unashamed of my reaction. Deep down, I already know that whatever the second bedroom looks like, he’s got me.

  This time, he lets me go to find it on my own - whether that’s because he sensed my earlier irritation at following him around, to give me some space to make the decision, or simply because there’s only really one direction and door left to go through, I’m not sure - but I appreciate it nonetheless.

  I follow the hallway to the end and open a door on the opposite side, peering inside to find much what I expected - it’s a perfectly pleasant room, just about two-thirds of the size of the other one and with slightly less decadent-looking furnishings. The decor is still nice, with photos of the mountains on the wall and artificial flowers set in a vase on the windowsill, and there’s enough room for me to unpack everything I’ve brought, but not much more. It’s still a double bed, at least, but that manages to take up most of the space and leaves no room for the desk and chair in the other one. Still, if I’m honest with myself I don’t actually need all that much space - certainly not as much as I need a good bathtub, and not as much as Tristan needs it for his equipment - and this is good enough for me.

  Between this and bathroom, it’s more than enough for me to feel like I’ve gotten most of what I wanted, and I feel a sudden burst of appreciation that he thought of it. Especially as the last of my awkward tension finally melts away, and I don’t have to worry about yet another difficult discussion of how we’re going to do this.