Keanna
I lift an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?” He’s being sneaky and excited, and it’s written all over his face. “Did you get us a flight out?”
Jett shakes his head. “I’m good, but not that good.”
“So what is it?” He’s been on his phone for a while but I figured he was just playing online or something. This holiday is so totally screwed up, I can’t seem to care anymore right now. I just want to go home.
Jett leans forward, biting on his bottom lip. “I have a plan, and it’s going to save Christmas.”
I give him a disbelieving look. He laughs. “Okay, well, it won’t get us to Colorado, but it’s going to save our Christmas.” He stands and reaches for my hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
In the Uber car ride, Jett tells the driver not to say anything about our location because it’s a secret. I’m still pretty bummed out about being stuck in Texas, but his excitement is getting a little contagious. I have been stressed about all the snow and being so close to my family for a week straight, so maybe spending Christmas with just Jett can be a blessing in disguise. After all, he’s my favorite person on earth and there’s no place I’d rather be than with him.
The driver turns into a parking lot that’s so huge it’s all I can see at first. Just long stretches of parking and concrete. Then I see the building looming in the distance. It looks like a hotel, only impossibly huge. Jett squeezes my hand. “This is going to be fun, I promise.”
I look out the window as we pass a sign. Great Bear Lodge. Huh?
“Is this like a ski lodge but for a state where it never snows?” I ask.
Jett chuckles. “Nope. It’s perfect for Texas weather. You’ll see.”
As we drive closer to the hotel, I notice a big colorful tube slide that comes right out of the building and then goes back inside. To the right, it looks like a ten story hotel just like most other hotels, but to the left of the building, there’s big walls and colorful shapes and—realization dawns on me. “It’s a water park.”
Jett nods. “Indoor and outdoor. So now we get to partake in Texas’ snow skiing – which is actually water slides.”
I laugh. I’ve never been to a water park, or even an amusement park for that matter. Our driver pulls up to the entrance and lets us out. I throw my head back and marvel at the gigantic concrete bears that line the entryway to the hotel. They must be thirty feet tall. The front façade of the place looks like a massive log cabin, and nature sounds play from speakers above.
Jett and I make our way inside and that’s where my mind is totally blown. The lobby is a vast room with a ceiling that arches at least five stories tall. It’s a glass dome that shows the sky above, and all around us is decorated like we’re in a forest. Sure, the massive trees are fake and the branches hanging out everywhere have plastic leaves, but it’s awesome. Nature sounds play in here too, and up ahead is a giant fake bear next to a bench for taking photos. To the left, the wall is glass and it shows the indoor waterpark. I swear it’s the size of a freaking Walmart back there. There are slides and pools and a lazy river.
Jett holds onto my hand as he walks us to the front desk. I’m too busy looking around at how amazing the place is to watch where I’m going. Unlike the airport, this hotel is fairly empty. I only see a few families walking around, and no one is at the front desk.
The woman behind the counter is wearing a Santa hat and a necklace of little Christmas lights. That’s when I remember that it’s almost Christmas. This place isn’t really decorated at all. I guess that’s because the whole fake forest theme is enough of an attraction without needing to add fake snow to it all.
We get checked in and the woman gives us these plastic bracelet things. “They’re waterproof,” she says with a smile as she fastens it to my wrist and then does Jett’s. “They get you into the water park and into your hotel room. You just press the computer chip to the door and it’ll open.”
“Awesome,” I say, admiring my band. It’s silver with the resort’s logo on it.
She beams at us. “Have a wonderful stay. Let me know if you need anything at all.”
“Thanks,” Jett says, throwing an arm around me and nodding at the woman. “You’ve saved our holiday. Otherwise we’d be staying in some stupid hotel.”
“You made the right choice,” she says. “Great Bear Lodge is the best!”
We make our way down the main lobby and toward the elevators. On the way, we pass two restaurants, a gift shop, and the entrance to the Fun Center, whatever that is.
“This place is totally awesome,” I say, my eyes wide as we take in all the beautiful scenery.
“I’m glad you think so.” Jett punches the up button for the elevator. “I was a little nervous that this would be too childish…”
He sets down our luggage and scratches his elbow. “But it just seemed so much cooler than all of the other hotels in the area, plus there’s an indoor water park.”
“It’s perfect,” I say, leaning up on my toes to kiss him.
The elevator door slides open and we step inside. I press the seven button for the seventh floor and it makes me smile. That’s a lucky number, and maybe this will be a lucky vacation.
Even the elevators are decorated as if we’re in a magical forest. There’s a fake baby bear cub in the corner, and the walls are painted with trees and other forest characters.
“Maybe it is a little childish,” I say with a grin as I pet the top of the fake bear’s head. “But I never got to do stuff like this as a kid. So I like it.”
Jett squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry the weather fucked us over, but we can have our own holiday. Our own vacation.”
I lean against his chest as the elevator rises until it gets to our floor. Jett carries our bags and I take the lead down an impossibly long hallway lined with hotel doors. Finally, I find ours, number 743, and press my wristband up to the lock. A green light blinks and I open our door.
“Holy. Crap.”
I’m blocking the doorway, I know, but I’m so surprised I can’t seem to move forward.
“Is it awesome?” Jett asks over my shoulder. I not dumbly and then step to the side to let him in.
Our room is nothing like a hotel room I’ve ever seen before. The ceiling is painted like the sky. The walls continue the forest theme. There is a king sized bed against the wall, but on the other side of the room, is something amazing.
A fake tree like the one in my brother’s bedroom, only about fifty million times cooler. It’s fat and short, and you can crawl inside of it. The fake trunk has been hallowed out into a bed. There’s a wooden sign nailed to the top of the entrance that says Cub House – No Parents Allowed.
Clearly, it’s a cool little bed for kids on vacation, but I’m still in love with it. I crawl inside and look around at the walls of the fake tree. There’s little twinkly lights and fake fairies hanging from the top. There’s even a little flat screen television on the wall. So very cool.
I crawl back out and check out the rest of the room. We have a balcony that overlooks downtown Dallas. There’s a small kitchenette, a couch, and a large TV on the wall in here. The bathroom is all marble and glass and looks like it belongs at a spa.
I turn to Jett. “This place is amazing.”
He sits on the bed, a grin playing on his lips. “It’s definitely cooler than the photos online. And those were pretty amazing.”
I walk over to him and sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Thank you.” I love the way his hands hold onto me like he doesn’t ever want me to leave.
“I love you,” he whispers.
“I love you more.”
I nuzzle against his chest and close my eyes, breathing him in. Leave it to Jett to find the perfect way to fix the holidays that Mother Nature ruined. I love this boy so much it’s insane.
I call my parents and let them know we’re okay, and Jett does the same with his parents. Apparently, the snow storm is so bad, they can’t even go outside right now so they’ve been holed up at the resort drinking hot chocolate and watching TV instead of skiing. I think about all of that snow gear I bought and how I shouldn’t have ripped off the tags. I won’t be using any of it now.
And then something else occurs to me, and I look over at the dresser where Jett dropped both of our carry-on bags.
I have a few books, my phone charger, my laptop, and exactly one change of clothes that I brought in case the airline lost my luggage. My big suitcase with all my clothes in it is in Colorado with my parents.
“Jett,” I say with a frown. “I just realized I only have this outfit I’m wearing and one more in my bag.”
He laughs. “Yeah, well I only have the clothes I’m wearing. Next time we travel separately, remind me to bring my own suitcase.”
I laugh. “Well, there’s not a snow storm here, so maybe we can get an Uber to take us to the closest mall for some new outfits.”
“I have a better idea,” Jett says, wiggling his eyebrows. “Let’s go raid the gift shop and look like tourists all week.”
I roll my eyes. “My wardrobe is severely lacking in shirts that say DALLAS across the front.”
He grins. “Want to go check out the rest of the resort?”
I plug my phone into the charger and decide to leave it there. These next few days are about me and Jett, so the outside world isn’t necessary. “Yes,” I say, reaching for his hand. “Let’s go enjoy our Christmas vacation.”