An Unexpected Love Story (Love Story Book Two) by Rachel Schurig Page B

but that was that. I knew I would never see him again.

    Chapter Twelve
    The rest of November passed painfully slowly. For the most part, I stayed in, throwing myself into my work to keep busy. I tried my best not to think about John, but it was hard. How had he managed to make such an impact on me in such a short amount of time?
    The week of Thanksgiving brought our first real snow of the season. With the snow came relief for me. We would soon see an increase in guests, as sportsmen and families headed north to take advantage of the winter season.
    Thanksgiving also brought with it a welcome addition; Emily came home the night before the holiday, bringing Elliot with her.
    “Brooke, how are you even more gorgeous than the last time I saw you?” She asked, as she bear-hugged me hello.
    “It’s good to see you, too,” I laughed, squeezing her back. She pulled away slightly, her arms still around me, to look at my face.
    “Seriously, you’re a knock-out. It’s from all the sex with Mr. Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
    I managed a laugh, though her words sent my heart plummeting. I think she could tell something was wrong, but she released me so I could hug Elliot.
    “I’m so glad you guys are here,” I said, as we walked arm-in-arm into the restaurant. It was pretty busy for a Wednesday night, filled with a nice mix of the hotel’s guests and locals not in the mood to cook before the holiday. “It’s been boring as all get out lately.”
    “November was always pretty lame,” Emily agreed, settling into a booth and taking off her scarf. “Too cold to do much outside, but no snow yet to have fun with.”
    “Exactly,” I said. “And bad for business, too.”
    “Well, we’ve got snow now,” Elliot said, peering out the window at the steadily falling flakes. “What should we do with it?”
    “Whatever you guys want,” I said, catching site of Paul across the room and motioning for him to come and join us. “Cross-country skiing, snow mobiles, sledding.”
    “Hey, Donovan,” Paul said as he approached the table.
    “Hey, Paul,” Emily said, standing up to hug him somewhat gingerly. I noticed a bit of frost in her tone and demeanor. Paul had apologized to me profusely for his comments on the porch, claiming he was just tired and ever so slightly jealous, but apparently Emily wasn’t ready to completely forgive him. “Are you hung over? You look like crap.”
    “Thanks,” he said drily, reaching out to shake hands with Elliot as Emily introduced them. “You guys making plans?”
    “Yeah,” I said. “Elliot’s a nature boy. I want to show him our fair city’s finest winter offerings.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t get out the snowmobiles, if I were you,” Paul said, nudging me over so he could slide in next to me in the booth. “Snow’s too powdery. Even with a few inches on the ground the trails are no good.”
    Emily made a face, and I knew she was disappointed. She probably hadn’t been on a snowmobile in years.
    “The skiing’s not bad, though,” Paul went on. “I was out yesterday. In fact, a bunch of us were gonna head out tomorrow night, ski for a while then have a big bonfire. Burn off some of the turkey, you know. You guys interested?”
    “That sounds great,” Emily said. “I love cross-country skiing.”
    We spent the rest of the night catching up over beers and a steady stream of hot food from the kitchen, Paul joining us whenever the bar was empty. As Emily updated me on the success of her physical therapy practice, I found myself feeling happier than I had in a while—namely, since I had left a certain someone in his bed in the suite. The restaurant was full of familiar faces. Laughter and conversation filled the air as people milled about, leaving their tables to mingle and chat with friends. My parents moved easily from group to group, socializing and generally holding court. A huge fire was roaring in the fireplace and the snow outside continued to fall.
    “Nights like this make