Brynn sighed as she watched the snow fall outside. This was supposed to be a fun getaway for Mark and her. Cozy ski cabin, warm fire with a view of the mountainside, all the luxuries that they couldn't afford at home. Mark had come up with it as a celebration for six months together.
Work had been difficult lately, and Brynn had been counting on the few days away to relax. The bar was fully stocked, thank goodness. She'd brought a book to read and had plans to curl up by the fire and read as a way to unwind.
Instead, Mark had invited another couple to come with them. Wyatt and Cassie were nice people. Brynn had nothing bad to say about them. Cassie was bright and fun to talk to, and Wyatt was definitely easy on the eyes. Brynn knew that money was tight for Mark, but he opted to include another couple to defray the costs, rather than come to her for help. She would have gladly chipped in.
The big shock, though, had come when they arrived at the cabin. Wyatt was there, but Cassie was nowhere to be seen. Wyatt, who had apparently already broken into the bar, called Mark aside and they went into the other room to talk.
When Mark returned, he had a grim look on his face. Brynn already had an inkling of what was going on, though she didn't know the details of the story. "So what happened to Cassie?"
Mark sighed. "When Wyatt got to Cassie's place, she dumped him. Apparently, she'd met someone else and so she's going to date the other guy instead. Wyatt was so shocked that he just drove up here without thinking."
"And now he's too drunk to go home, right?"
Mark nodded. "Trust me. I gave him a sobriety test to check. He's nowhere near ready to drive."
"So we're stuck here with him tonight?" Brynn looked over at her book, suspecting that it was the only comfort she would have tonight.
Mark nodded. "Afraid so. Is that - I mean, are you mad?"
Brynn looked at him, gazing into his eyes. He was a kind man, but sometimes she wondered if he understood women. "I'm not thrilled, but I'm not going to throw a fit, if that's what you're asking."
He nodded. Mark went to the bar and got the ice bucket. Brynn watched from the window as he went outside and filled the bucket with snow. "This should work well," Mark said as he thrust a bottle of champagne into the snow-filled bucket.
He came back with a plate of appetizers. He set them in front of Brynn, and then popped the cork from the champagne. "I have the grill fired up, so we'll have steaks soon. I didn't invite Wyatt for the cocktail hour. He's already had too much of that, but I invited him to have dinner - I thought it might help sober him up somewhat."
Brynn gave him a twisted smile. "Sounds good."
By the time that they finished the bottle of champagne, Brynn could almost tolerate having someone else in the cabin. Wyatt hadn't shown his face since the talk with Mark, and she could pretend that he'd gone away.
Dinner had been a bit less than a success. Mark had overcooked the steaks a little, and Wyatt had come to dinner, looking no less drunk than he had earlier. Brynn wondered if he'd stashed some bottles in his room before they had arrived.
Wyatt dominated the conversation, unfortunately, spending the entire meal talking about Cassie and how he'd been too good for her. Brynn had tried to change the conversation several times, but everything always led back to Cassie.
Dinner had finished, and Wyatt disappeared. Brynn flopped back on the sofa, saying, "I'm glad that we don't have to see much more of him. He's exhausting me with all this talk of break-ups."
Mark stood behind her and began to massage her shoulders. "I'm really sorry for this. As soon as he sobers up, I swear he's out of here."
His hands slid lower on her back, rubbing out the knots and tense muscles. Brynn let out a soft moan.
"Save those for later," Mark said softly. "I have an idea for now. The hot tub is outside, and I can't think of anything more fun than being outside under the stars with you and a bottle of champagne."
Brynn tilted her head back and smiled. "I'm having trouble figuring out if you're more interested in me or the champagne."
"Both," Mark said, as he moved his hands away. "Meet you out at the hot tub in ten, okay?"
Brynn agreed and headed to her room to change. She was looking forward to this. She'd brought a low-cut bikini that left little to the imagination. It was definitely something that should spark the evening.