CA 35 Christmas Past Read Free Page B

Anywhere.”
               
                Fewell looked from one to the other. “You’ve got to be kidding? In
the whole city? That doesn’t seem possible.”
                Victory sent a rush of
adrenaline through Molly’s veins. “Told you.”
                He glared at her. “You
said there were no other rooms here. ”
                “I said,” she countered, “there aren’t any available. Period. Believe me, I was happy to
get this room, even though I didn’t really want to fork over the cost of a
suite.”
                Fewell turned back to the lodge staff. “There’s an easy solution to this.” Fury
simmered in his tone. “Just check your system and see who was first—”
                “Are you out of your
mind?” Molly demanded. He was determined, she would give him that. “I was
already in the suite when you arrived.”
                The staff’s collective
gazes swung from Molly to Fewell in anticipation of
what he would say next. It was their job to ensure all guests were satisfied
with the accommodations and the service. This predicament was unacceptable…and
completely beyond their control.
                “I mean,” Fewell rasped, “who made the reservation first. Surely
that’s annotated somewhere in the reservation system.”
               
                “Actually,” the
reservation clerk ventured, his hands wringing, “I already checked that. And it
seems the reservations were made—” he moistened his lips “—simultaneously.”
                Disbelief claimed Fewell’s face. “Is that even possible?”
                “I’ve never seen it
happen before,” the manager hastened to assure, “but it does appear to have
occurred in this instance.” He shook his head grimly. “Madam, sir, I do
apologize. I can offer you both a complimentary stay at some other time. But
there’s simply nothing more I can offer at the moment. One of you will have to
accede to the other. We will gladly attempt to find other lodging in a nearby
village.”
                “I’m not leaving,”
Molly announced, her words in perfect time with the
exact ones Fewell uttered.
                They stared at each
other.
                “We’ll leave this to
the two of you to resolve,” the manager offered. “Again, you have our sincerest
apologies.”
                The three men were out
the door before the announcement stopped echoing in the room.
                Molly would have to
call her friend and thank him. His little visit into the lodge’s reservation
system had not only worked like a charm but had been completely undetectable.
As pleased as she was that her old high school buddy’s hacking skills were so
primo, it was a rather scary thought. Good thing he was one of the good guys.
                “All
right.” Fewell set his hands on his hips in
finality. “What’s it going to cost me to get this room, Ms. Clark?”
                Molly adopted a
properly outraged expression. “Who do you think you are? This is my room, fair
and square. You cannot buy me off, Mr. Fewell .”
                “Ten thousand dollars,”
he announced. “That’s as high as I’ll go.”
                Her eyes widened. Was
he for real? “You’re out of your mind. Just because you’re evidently rich
doesn’t mean you can push the little people around. It took me all year to save
up for this vacation. I’ve always wanted to do Christmas in Aspen. I’m not
about to ditch it all for a guy who can take a fancy vacation anytime he
chooses. No way. The room is mine.”
                That hit the spot she’d
hoped for. His fury seemed to rush out of him as quickly as it had come.
                “I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean that the way it sounded.” He plowed his fingers