The next few hours pass in a blur. Every time I let myself think about what I’ve agreed to, I screw up someone’s order. So I don’t. I work to the end of my shift and go look for my father. He’s in his office, a grin curling his lips and the phone pressed to his ear.

“Yes, just as we discussed before. We could be ready to break ground in less than a month. There’s nothing to do but prep the land.” He pauses, unaware of my eavesdropping. “Perfect. I look forward to hearing back from you.”

He hangs up, his smile wider as I step through the doorway and finally get his attention.

“Hey, Daddy.”

He shoots up in his chair and claps his hands loudly. “Can you believe it, Junebug? They’re really doing it.”

His eyes are bright and his skin is flushed. His aura practically glows with hard-won satisfaction. I do my best to match his enthusiasm, but the rivalry with Edwin belongs to him, not me.

“I know. It is hard to believe,” I say.

Hard to believe I’m doing this. Hard to believe that in a matter of days—hell, maybe hours—I’ll be in Kase’s bed, letting him do whatever unspeakable things he has in mind for our time together.

“Are you sure about this, Daddy?”

He freezes. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

I avert my eyes, as if maybe he can somehow read the truth in them. “I mean, is it worth me being away from the hotel? I’ve never taken this kind of time off before.”

“Oh.” He waves his hand and drops down into his chair again. “That’s no problem. We’ll make it work. And anyway, I’ll get to put Edwin to work. Won’t that be fun!” He laughs heartily. “I should make him start with the bathrooms. Would serve him right for keeping us hanging like that all those years.”

I frown. “You’re putting him to work?”

“Well, see, that’s one of the conditions Kase stipulated. He said half the reason he’s agreeing to the sale is because Edwin can’t shoulder the work of the farm anymore, not even with Kase helping him now. He wants me to spend the next couple weeks showing him the ropes here at the hotel. Thinks maybe he could be helpful with maintenance and odd things that come up.”

“You’re going to hire him?” My eyes go wide at the thought. Two sworn enemies sharing a workplace sounds like a disaster in the making.

He shrugs. “Who knows. Hell, I may not be able to get him to lift a finger. He’s staying here on the pretense of a much-needed vacation. I’d rather toss him out on his can than look at him, but if it means getting this sale to happen, I’ll play along.”

He wags his eyebrows, and I almost laugh. I haven’t seen him this happy, well, possibly ever.

Maybe I didn’t give Kase enough credit. Bringing Edwin to the hotel was a clever move to keep him out of the farmhouse while I’m there. But it’s also a chance to bury the hatchet on their rivalry once and for all. Still, they were at odds before the land sale fell through. I can’t imagine two weeks will unwind the years of hatred between them.

“If something goes wrong, I can’t come back. You know that, right?”

My father looks serious for a moment. “I know. I’ve relied on you here for as long as I can remember, June. I don’t thank you enough for all you do.”

If he only knew what I would do for the family business…

“Thanks, Daddy.”

His phone rings again suddenly. “Oh, that’s probably one of the investors. You’d better go pack. Don’t worry about things here. We’ll have it covered, all right?”

Before I can answer, he’s back on the phone. “Hello? Hanson! Great to hear from you.”

I turn and close the door behind me as my father prattles on about the merits of the expansion. I move in a daze to the service elevator that takes me to the fourth floor, where my father and I reside in our off hours. I unlock the door, throw off my apron, and drop onto my bed, the drama of the day heavy on me.

I look around, taking in the familiar luxuries I’ve grown used to—the fancy damask wallpaper, the slick dark-wood furniture, and the windows that offer a famous view of the mountains. Instead of a room in a house, I’ve gone to sleep here every night for as long as I can remember. My father’s suite mirrors mine—a space that’s more like a studio apartment with its own small sitting area, kitchenette, and bathroom. Simple and tidy, thanks to our cleaning staff and a life consumed by matters four floors down and everything in between.

I’m not sure if this is what my mother envisioned when she had me. Regardless, this is where I am. I’ve only ever known this world, and I’m about to be introduced to Kase’s very soon.

I graze my hand over the bedspread, enjoying the way the silky fabric feels under my fingertips. I wonder what Kase’s room will be like. If I’ll like it. If I’ll care or even notice what it looks like when he has his hands on me.

I shake my head with a sigh, hoping to dislodge the thought the way I’ve tried to at least a hundred other times today. I glance to my bureau, instantly overwhelmed with the prospect of packing. I don’t even own a suitcase.

I go to the door that adjoins my room with my father’s and head for his closet. I dig past boxes and some piles of saved newspapers until I find a leather suitcase. It’s old and musty and nothing like the kind our guests travel with, but it’ll have to do. I flip the latches to find it filled with more papers. Carefully, I lift them onto another pile and bring the suitcase to my room to begin the inevitable.

Thoughtful of the number of nights I’ll spend away, I assemble a large pile of clothes and a few basic toiletries. As I begin arranging them in the suitcase, my fingers graze something tucked into an interior pocket. It’s a photo, faded and curled from age. It shows four young people—two women and two men—in their swimsuits standing in front of a waterfall. I bring my face closer and try to discern who they might be.

One undoubtedly is my father, with his dark hair and light-green eyes that match mine. His arm is draped around another woman. She’s pretty but looks nothing like my mother, who’s standing on the other side of my father. Another handsome man leans toward her, his hand casually hanging over her shoulder.

I stare longer and harder. I turn it over. Champagne Falls is written there in black handwriting. I turn it back and recognize the details in the background. Then I recognize something else.

“Oh God,” I whisper.

The other man by my mother’s side is a much younger Edwin McCasker. A closer look reveals her arm around his waist, their smiles soft and broad. Like two people who care for each other. Like two people who might be more than good friends.

I tuck the photo back into the pocket hastily, as if my father might appear at any moment and discover what I’ve seen. What would he say? How would he explain why Kase’s father knew my mother well enough to be photographed with her like this?

I go to the window and wrap my arms around my middle. The silhouette of the hotel casts a shadow over the back of the property. The darkness creeps gradually toward the base of the mountains as daylight recedes to the west.

For years I’ve longed to know more about Juliette Bell, the woman who gave me life before tragically losing hers. One night, after working late at the hotel, she’d been driving back to the country house her family shared with her, my father, and me as an infant. The roads were icy, and another driver coming around a curve on one of the treacherous mountain roads hit her head-on. That’s all my father would say. For years I cautiously pried for more, only to be given short, irritated answers—or worse, ignored.

A sudden rush of anger overtakes my curiosity. I know more about the ways my father despises Edwin than I know about my own mother. Why? Today’s not the day to ask, but I’m determined now in a way I haven’t been before. If only Edwin were staying at the farmhouse while I was, I could ask him. I’d have to get him alone another time.

No less unsettled, I return to the case. I pluck the photo from its pocket to stare at it once more before tucking it back and finishing the task of packing. Anxiety about tomorrow and whatever the next two weeks will bring hits me every now and then, but the restless night and long day are slowly wearing me down.

I finish packing, change into pajamas, and nestle under the covers. As the minutes on the clock tick by, I wait for sleep to drown out my spinning thoughts. Instead of surrendering to my dreams, my mind drifts to the photo of my young mother, father, and Edwin. Like in the photo, she’s been a phantom presence in my life, existing in her own quiet way. I’ve spent the past few years accepting her dreams as my own without question. What would I give for a day with her? An hour? A glimmer of a moment to know her better?

The air-conditioning kicks on, and for a minute, I imagine the sound is the steady rush of the falls, one of the many natural wonders here. An endless stream of mountain water crashing over a rocky ledge and onto dozens of smooth granite boulders, creating little pools perfect for wading.

I’d always been drawn to Champagne Falls for its peaceful magic, until one night when I was drawn there with Kase.

He’d been celebrating with the rest of the graduating class at a reception at the hotel. I worked the event, as I typically did. As the night came to a close, some of our friends who were looking for ways to keep the party going convinced us to break away from the rest of the group. We stole a few bottles of wine and ended up at a grove near the falls, passing around the libations and laughing at old stories and new gossip from the night.

The longer we stayed, the more I sensed Kase’s gaze on me. We’d lock eyes until one of us would look away, until neither of us looked away. For the first time, I let myself believe that the latent attraction I felt for him for so long may not have been altogether one-sided. After a while, I stopped hearing what everyone else was saying. Wanting some time alone, I hiked up the falls until everyone’s laughter was drowned out by the cascading water.

When I stopped long enough to look back, Kase was on my heels. The mist from the falls sparkled in the moonlight, floating between us, giving everything a dream-like quality. Then, for a few timeless moments, there was nothing between us but a kiss. A kiss that changed everything.