Gifted a Second Chance at Life

Chapter 3

The drive to the ski resort was a pleasant one. That was something Callie could not deny. She had always loved the long, twisty road that led up the mountainside to the lodge. Callie smiled as she drove, remembering how her brother, Jimmy, would let her tag along to the lodge when he and Mark went skiing. She would hang out by the fireplace, read a book, and drink hot chocolate until Jimmy was ready to head home after a day on the slopes. Those were the days she missed the most when she moved to Boise for school.

Pulling into the parking lot, Callie saw Mark’s black SUV parked in his reserved spot. Mark was lifting Maya out of her car seat as Callie drove by them, waving. She quickly found a parking space and made her way across the lot, dodging patches of ice as she did. By the time she reached where they were standing, Mark was smiling and shaking his head at her.

“Why didn’t you park in the reserved spot beside me?” Mark asked. “It is reserved for my guests. You, Callie Cat, your mom, and Maya are my guests today, no matter how much you want to argue about it.”

Callie opened her mouth to object, only to have Mark place his hand over it and laugh.

“I said no arguing,” Mark chuckled as he removed his hand from her mouth and put his arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know why you came home, and I won’t ask. You will tell me when you want me to know. But, as far as I am concerned, today is your day. Order anything off the menu, and I will cover it. Got it?”

Callie replied with a quiet nod.

Mark did not miss the brief glimmer of sadness in her eyes. He turned to Callie’s mother and said, “Rosemary, why don’t you take Maya inside where it’s warm? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind some of the complimentary hot chocolate in the common room. Or, if you want, you can go on into the dining room and order a cup for her. It would give you two a head start on the menu because if she is like Callie, Maya loves to eat, and it might take her a while to decide. Tell the concierge I would like us to sit beside the fireplace where we can enjoy the view of the mountains. He will take care of things. We will be inside in just a minute.”

Rosemary glanced between Mark and Callie before giving him an understanding nod. She scooped up her granddaughter and said, “Come on, Maya. Let’s get some hot chocolate and decide what to do until Mark and Mommy can join us.”

Callie and Mark watched Rosemary and Maya enter the lodge. Callie was watching because she was nervous about Maya being out of her sight. Even if she was with someone she trusted, she still worried. Mark watched to ensure they would not hear what he and Callie would speak about. Mark broke the silence after the doors closed behind Rosemary and her granddaughter.

He sighed, “Callie, I meant it when I said you don’t have to tell me what is going on. But please, don’t shut me out completely. I am still your friend. I have always been your friend. Since you came home, you have seemed really down and tense. Let me treat you to lunch. I just want to make you feel better the same way I have always done. Can you let me do that?”

“Yeah,” Callie agreed with a nod. “And I promise I will tell you everything. I’m just not ready yet. I don’t know. Maybe I’m still trying to process that I failed at a marriage to a man I had dated for years before we got married. I should have been able to make it work.”

“Something tells me that you did everything you could do, and if anyone is at fault, Mitch is. I always told you that you could do better than him. You were too good for him, and I think he knew it. If your marriage did not work out, it is because he found a way to sabotage it,” Mark told her.

Memories flashed in Callie’s head of all the things Mitch had done or done to her and then had said it was her fault. In a way, Mark was correct. Everything Mitch had done, he had done on his own, and it made her want to leave to protect Maya and herself.

Callie gave Mark a tired smile and said, “You know, you might be right. And I’m sorry. You’re just being the same friend you have always been. I admit I am more than a little oversensitive about almost everything right now. I’m sorry for that.”

“Don’t be sorry, and don’t worry about it,” Mark said, giving her one of his million-dollar smiles. “Worry about what you are going to order when you get inside. Order everything that looks good to you. I want you to take it home and enjoy it later. You were always the queen of the midnight snacks when you were in high school. Maybe it is time for the queen to retake her throne. What do you say?”

“Alright,” Callie giggled. “But only because it would be impolite to refuse.”

“Oh! Of course!” Mark laughed as he took her hand and tugged her inside.

The inside of the lodge had changed little over the years. It was made of local stone and massive logs from the trees that had been cleared to make room for the resort's ski slopes and other amenities. The gigantic windows allowed ample natural light and gave spectacular views in all directions. As they walked in, they waved to the clerk at the front desk, who was busy helping a guest. On their way to the dining room, they peeked into the common room to see if Rosemary and Maya were there, but they did not see them.

“It looks like they went to the dining room to begin making their choices for lunch,” Mark grinned.

“I can’t blame them. It used to take me forever to decide what to eat here, and something tells me that the menu has expanded greatly since then,” Callie grinned.

“You’re right. It has expanded quite a bit,” Mark admitted with a laugh. “When I come across something new on my travels that I like, I add it to the menu.”

“And you never take anything of the old stuff off the menu, do you?” Callie snickered as they stepped into the dining room.

“No. Why would I do that?” Mark grinned as he waved to Maya, sitting with her grandmother at the table he had asked for. “Everything on the menu is someone’s favorite thing. If I take it off, even if it is only ordered once a month by the same person, I would disappoint them and potentially take away their reason for coming here. What kind of person would I be to do all that just to save, quite literally, a few dollars a month?”

Callie laughed and shook her head as Mark pulled out her chair for her, placing her between Maya and Rosemary. She hugged Maya and kissed her cheek. Callie could feel the anxiety she had slip away as she held her daughter in her arms.

“Mommy! We got pink and purple decorations for Uncle Jimmy to put up,” Maya exclaimed.

“You did?” Callie laughed with joy at Maya’s excitement.

“We sure did,” Rosemary chuckled. “I swear, the entire backseat of Mark’s SUV is stuffed full of them. Jimmy might never speak to us again after this.”

“Hey, you were just following his instructions,” Callie giggled. “If he doesn’t like it, he only has himself to blame.”

“He had better not complain at all since I will be helping him put them up,” Mark grinned as Callie picked up her menu. “And remember to order anything you want and to get extra to take home as leftovers.”

Callie’s mouth watered as she scanned over the vastly expanded menu. Her eyes fell on several of her favorite dishes, including the triple-layer chocolate cake the lodge was famous for. Her stomach growled in anticipation.

She laughed as she smiled at Mark and said, “Oh, you might live to regret that decision.”

“I will never regret anything that makes you happy,” Mark said as he gazed at her, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

Callie could feel herself flushing at his words. She only hoped that no one else at the table noticed it as she felt her cheeks heat. Callie knew he was referring to the meal, but she could not help but wonder if perhaps he meant more by what he said.