stumbled toward the door and unlocked it. “I’m here,” she said, rubbing her sore neck. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep after work.” She moved to one side and gestured for her to come in. “Why are you here?”
Stacy stepped into the small trailer. “You never came back for the key to the cabin.” She dangled a large diamond-shaped plastic key ring in midair.
“Oh. Thanks.” Paige took the key from her and stuck it in her jeans pocket. “Do you want something to drink? Some water or a soda?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. What about you? How are you doing?”
Paige suspected from the look of sympathy on the blonde’s face that she’d heard the news about Michael and Chelsea. “I suppose you know what happened.”
“I’ve heard nasty rumors, but all I know for certain is that Michael quit his job.”
“He quit? I thought he’d called in sick.”
“Apparently he left a resignation letter in his desk drawer.”
Paige sank back down onto the small sofa. “I guess he and Chelsea plan to stay out there for good.” She was surprised that she could even say the words without crying. But it was as if she was talking about someone else’s life, not her own, and they came out on a note of indifference.
“I’m really sorry, Paige. For what it’s worth, that girl has no shame when it comes to men. It didn’t matter to her if he was engaged or not.”
“You don’t need to make excuses for him,” Paige told her. “Any way you look at it, it’s still the same outcome.” She swallowed back the lump in her throat. It would have been so easy to break down and cry, but she was determined not to do that. Especially not in front of Stacy, who always looked so composed. “I’d rather not talk about any of it if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Stacy assured her. “I didn’t come here to talk about Michael Cross. I just wanted to bring you the key and to let you know that if there’s anything I can do to make your Bulldog weekend easier, I’m here.” She spread her arms in a welcoming gesture. “You are still having your reunion, aren’t you?”
“I don’t see any way out of it now.” Paige tried to keep her voice even, but it wasn’t easy.
“Do you want a way out? At this time of year I’d have no trouble renting the cabin at the last minute. You’d lose your deposit, I’m afraid but…”
“No…no…I can’t cancel.” She scrubbed her hands across her face as if the motion would clear her head. “Everything’s such a mess.”
“Maybe I can help clean it up.”
“I’m not sure there is a way to clean up this one.”
Paige was grateful Stacy didn’t give her any of the words of encouragement women usually got after being dumped by their boyfriends. Stacy looked around, her gaze landing on the snacks and beverages lining the table and counter. “Is that stuff for your reunion?”
“I have a small box of decorations, too.” Paige nodded at a box on the counter beside the food supplies. “Michael was going to help me get the cabin ready tonight.”
Stacy placed a hand on the box. “I’ll take his place. I may not be as tall as he is, but I’m not afraid to climb a ladder.”
“Michael’s not afraid of heights,” Paige stated.
“Ever seen him on the chair lift at Lutsen?”
“No, but he doesn’t like to downhill ski. He does cross-country.”
“Has he hiked the Baptism River Trail with you?”
Of all the trails in the Superior National Forest, it had some of the steepest drops. She’d climbed it often with Justin and Kyle, but never with Michael. She tried to remember hiking to any of the breathtaking lookouts in the various parks along the shoreline, but most of their dates had been spent golfing. The one time they’d stopped at the Split Rock Lighthouse, he’d told her the reason he wasn’t going to climb the circular stairs to the top was he’d twisted his knee and wasn’t supposed to do stairs.
Stacy hoisted the box of decorations into her arms and said, “If you get the door for me, I’ll take this for you.” When Paige hesitated she added, “Look, there are some things you can control and others you can’t. You’ll feel better about the ones you can’t control if you take care of the ones you can.”
“I suppose everyone at the resort knows what’s happened by now.”
“Paige, you can’t worry about what people think. You did nothing wrong. Michael is the one who should be feeling ashamed, not you. Now, is there anything else you want to take over to the cabin besides what’s here?”
“The rest of the stuff is already in my trunk.”
“Why don’t we put everything in my Escape and you can ride with me,” she suggested. “There’s no reason for both of us to drive.”
A few minutes later Paige was in the front of Stacy’s SUV heading for the Cascading Waters Resort. The Pinecone was the largest of nine cabins that formed a horseshoe behind the main lodge at the resort. She took comfort in knowing that each cabin had a private parking area, which meant it was unlikely they’d run into any of the other employees.
Tires crunched on gravel as Stacy parked next to a towering white pine. Because of the wooded setting, the evening sun was but a flicker through the foliage.
Paige appreciated the fact that Stacy made no mention of Michael or the broken engagement as they hung the few decorations from previous years and stocked the refrigerator and cupboards with beverages and food. While they worked they talked mostly about the changes Stacy had seen throughout her lifetime as a resident on the North Shore. As they were hanging the last of the posters, Paige’s stomach growled.
“I bet you haven’t had any dinner, have you?” Stacy asked.
Paige shook her head. She hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner but she hadn’t exactly been hungry, either.
“We’ll go over to the Birchwood when we’re finished here,” Stacy offered. “My treat.”
“That’s really thoughtful of you, but it would probably just be a waste of money,” she said, shoving her tape dispenser and scissors back in her tote bag. “I don’t feel much like eating. You know what I mean?”
“Oh yes, I do,” she acknowledged with a nod. “I’ve had my heart broken. I know where you’re at tonight and it’s not a good place to be.”
“No, it isn’t, which is why I think I’ll just go home and go to bed.” Paige turned off the lights on their way out of the cabin.
“No, no, no.” Stacy wagged her finger. “You most certainly will not go home and have a pity party for one. I have a better idea.”
Stacy’s better idea was to stop and pick up a couple of sandwiches at a local deli on the way back to Paige’s trailer. When she pulled up to a liquor store, Paige said, “Unless you want something, you don’t have to
