Blue Creek Lodge 채니

Chapter 2

Her Dad started telling her about the cafeteria food back when he was in college, but she tuned him out- like she did with most of his college stories as soon as she saw the familiar little girl stumble into the restaurant.

"Ella," the mother called out as the girl got out of reach. She slowed down and turned to face her mom with the cutest, devil-like smile. Roseanne smirked at the sight and her Dad quickly turned to see what was making his daughter laugh.

"She's cute," her father pointed out.

"Yeah," she smiled, watching the mother lift the girl up onto her chair. After the two were seated, Roseanne wondered where the father was. Her question was immediately answered when the beautiful man walked in smiling with the brunette girl from earlier. Of course, Roseanne thought. It made perfect sense. Another perfect addition to the perfect family.

"So have you looked at all the activities?" Her father asked trying to get her attention. Roseanne tried to take her eyes away from the girl, but something about her made her hard to stop watching.

"Not yet," she mumbled.

"Well, there's a spa. The pools, skiing, snow tubing, shows, there's always something going on it seems like. And lots of places to relax."

"Yeah," Roseanne said mindlessly. She was trying hard to hear the shorter girl's words. It seemed like she didn't want to stay for dinner. She kept standing and he father kept gently pulling her back onto the seat. They were both giggling, though.

"Please," Jennie begged.

"After you eat something," her father said again. "Kai's family have to settle in any way."

"I'm not waiting for Kai, I just wanna go to the lookout!" She wasn't lying. Sure, Kai was planning on meeting her there later, but she just wanted to see her favorite place in the whole lodge. She didn't care who was there or who wasn't.

"It's not going anywhere," her mother said. "Spend some time with your family." Jennie pouted for a moment but quickly softened up when Ella began clapping her hands together.

Roseanne's eyes narrowed. She couldn't hear much, but she heard something about some 'lookout.' She quickly cursed herself for tossing the maps the employee gave her yesterday. How the hell was she supposed to find that place by herself?

"Oh, thanks," she smiled as the waiter brought over her hamburger.

Before she got too lost in her meal and her thoughts, she decided to clear up tonight with her Dad.

"Do you have something special planned for tonight?" she asked in between bites.

"Nothing in particular," he said. "I have some work I have to mail back by the end of the week, I was going to get a head start on it."

"Oh, nice," she said, happy that she wouldn't be abandoning him. "Wait," she said, "how are you going to send it?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Without internet, how are you going to send it?" Her Dad let out a breathy laugh.

"There's a post office a mile down the road," he smiled. "It's a package of files. There was life before the internet, you know," he joked. He always took the chance to remind her of life when he was a kid. "Plus, if I needed internet, it's not like the whole state doesn't have it, just the resort."

"Right," she said.

"Did you have something in mind?" he asked. "I can put off the work for a while."

"No, no," she quickly said. "I'll probably just explore or something."

As she finished her burger, her eyes flickered towards the exit where the brunette hair disappeared to. Roseanne's head snapped around and saw the rest of her family still finishing up their meal. The girl's plate was empty, though.