Chapter 30
The plane banked sharply to the right, and the ground began to take shape below the window. Squared patches of land and properties appeared below, peppered here and there with high mountain peaks.
Gray’s mood didn’t improve as he watched the patchwork turn into trees and roads. The plane banked again and began its final descent. He braced his legs on the floor as the ground rushed up to greet them. He saw the sparkle of hard snow on the peaks just above, and his spirits sagged. He had never been a fan of cold weather, and that hadn’t changed. He was, however, the president of the Riley Teeters fan club, and for whatever reason, she needed to be here. He had no choice but to make the best of it.
The airport was packed as they worked their way to the rental car counter. Gray insisted on paying for it, even though he knew there was a depressing balance in his bank account. The idea of not doing anything was not something he could handle.
As they stepped out of the airport to get into the car, a hard wind slammed against Gray’s tan body. He shivered and let out a yelp akin to that of a wounded Chihuahua.
Riley laughed and wrapped her arms around herself. “We’re gonna need winter clothes, I guess.”
He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. “I’d say.”
The tiny rental didn’t leave a lot of space, but it was equipped with four-wheel drive.
“I’ll drive,” Riley said, then piled into the driver seat.
He looked at her and arched a brow.
Her lips canted. “Gray, have you ever even driven snow?’
“No.”
“Then, like I said, I’ll drive. Besides, the GPS isn’t great up here, and I know the way.”
He wanted to refuse, but he didn’t, for obvious reasons. He didn’t know a damn thing about snow, and he was clueless as to where they were. “The air is so thin here,” he complained as they road took them higher and higher.
Riley, messing with the heater vents with one hand and driving with the other, gave him a distracted smile. “I know. Isn’t it great?”
“Yeah, beautiful,” he managed. He couldn’t deny the natural splendor of the place, but it didn’t exactly speak to him.
“Dinner will basically be ready when we get there,” Riley announced.
Gray tensed. “Say what?”
“The housekeeper promised to have it all set up. We’ll just have to toss the steaks on a flame, and we’ll be good to go.”
The playful smile on her face was a happy one, but that happiness stung Gray. Their budget hadn’t let them within staring distance of a steak, and the thought of them dining on such culinary goodness struck him with guilt all over again. He’d denied her the things she was used to, and she’d taken on a shit job for him, just to avoid wounding his pride. Now, they were headed to a house that had a housekeeper. His ego deflated as fast as his spirits as they reached a large gate.
A drive that seemed to take forever, and yet no time at all came to a rolling halt in front of a large set of iron gates.
A guard stood and stepped to the window of a booth. “Good evening, Miss Teeters,” he said, not even breaking a smile.
“Hi, Rodney. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“True. Welcome back,” he said in the most robotic and unfriendly voice Gray had ever heard, staring at the well-used, compact rental car in total disgust.
“Thank you.”
Rodney nodded, then hit a button, and the gate slid open. Riley drove through, and they began to ascend slightly. Houses behind even more gates stood on long sweeps of lawn covered in a light dusting of snow. The mountains rose on one side, and the crystal-blue waters of the enormous lake sat on the other.
Gray’s mood swung from exhaustion to wonder and back again. He’d seen mansions in Florida, of course, but nothing on Earth could have prepared him for the so-called cabin Riley finally stopped in front of. The two guesthouses in front were enormous masterpieces constructed of natural stone and wood. The fortress of a house beyond them had massive windows, tall and arched, and a long driveway with a view of the secluded, wide yard, the mountains, and the lake. It was as if he’d stepped right into the pages of some sort of rich and famous magazine, and he’d never felt so out of place in his entire life.
Riley took his hand. “Run, damn it, before we freeze to death!”
That remark galvanized him, because he took it to be true. They raced up the driveway, hauling their suitcases behind them. They entered the massive foyer, complete with a giant atrium and vast skylights. Gray gawked openly, unable to conjure up even one word to describe all that he saw.
“Hello, Mrs. Gates,” Riley finally said, smiling at a woman who had silently stepped into the enormous entryway to greet them.
“Hello, Miss Teeters. I have done all you’ve instructed. It’s good to see you again,” the woman said, sounding almost as robotic as the guard out front.
“Thank you. You may go if you like.”
“You don’t need help with your luggage?” Mrs. Gates asked as her eyes went to the battered cases they held.
Gray shifted uneasily but didn’t offer the woman even a hello or an introduction.
“No, thank you. We’re fine. It was a really long flight, and we’re about done in. We’ll probably just eat in the kitchen, then call it a day.”
Mrs. Gates nodded. “I’ll be in my quarters if you need me.”
“Thank you again,” Riley replied.
Her quarters? The freaking maid has her own quarters? Gray wondered, unable to laugh at the fact that the only quarters he had in the world were the two left in his shattered bank account. Until that moment, he had no idea just how well off Riley Teeters was. Once he did have an idea, he was pretty sure he didn’t belong anywhere near it.