With Jenni’s assistance, the two of them slowly made their way south from the Last Chance. “I’m so sorry,” Jenni repeated more than once. “I had no idea.”

  “How could you?” Emma’s head was swimming, partly from the wine and partly from the soap opera she had just escaped. “How could this happen? I moved hundreds of miles to get away from him, to get away from all of that… drama.”

  The salt and vinegar chips felt like they were going to make an appearance and Emma stumbled to the closest bench. “I need to sit down,” she muttered and slumped onto the wooden bench. Jenni slid down beside her.

  “Jason must have told Charlie something bad about me. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “What do you think he told him?” Jenni asked.

  “Who knows?” Emma rested her face in her hands. “After Adam and I split up I never heard from Jason or any of our mutual friends ever again.”

  Jenni squeezed Emma. “It doesn’t look like you’re missing much. And your ex seems like a real piece of work. I can’t believe you were with him, to be honest.”

  Emma sighed and sat up. “He had me fooled. For the first year, he was sweet and caring, and slowly, he just started making these changes. Looking back, I should’ve noticed, but it happened so slowly…”

  “A death by a thousand cuts,” Jenni nodded. “It looks like you dodged a bullet though, I mean, can you imagine if that was the man you were going to marry? I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes home with one of those strippers.”

  Emma nodded. “Would you tell her… Alison?” It felt odd for Emma to even say her name. There were so many good coincidences when she moved to Chance Rapids, but they were slowly being replaced by bad ones.

  Jenni sighed. “I don’t know if that would be my place – and I don’t know her.”

  “I do.” Emma stood up. “She was my best friend.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jenni’s eyes were wide.

  “Yeah,” Emma pursed her lips. “Listen, Jenni. I’m tired. I think I’m just going to go home.” She started walking down Main St.

  “Let me walk with you.” Jenni jogged a couple of steps to catch up. “You’ve had a rough night.”

  Emma knew that Jenni just didn’t want her to be alone, and she didn’t resist. She didn’t want to be alone either.

  Twenty

  Leaving Emma at The Last Chance had been hard, but Charlie didn’t want to be in the same room as the woman. He couldn’t believe her audacity, showing up at the bachelor party like that. He spent the night on the cot in the back of the Brewpub, tossing and turning under his wool blanket. Something just didn’t feel right. Adam’s behavior at his bachelor party had been embarrassing; if he had to guess at the cheater in that relationship, he would’ve guessed it was Adam, not Emma who had stepped out.

  Dawn had broken and the grey light filtered in through the front windows of the Brewpub. He walked into the fully functioning kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He had a big day of work planned and regretted agreeing to go for breakfast with Jason before their eight-a.m. tee time.

  “There’s no way he’s showing up,” Charlie said to himself as he finished the glass of water and poured himself another. If Jason bailed on their breakfast he was going to start unpacking and washing all of the new glassware. He got dressed in the paint clothes he had worn the day before. He gave the armpit of his plaid shirt a quick smell check, and satisfied that no one would die in his wake, he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready to get to work.

  As he loaded up the dishwasher, he heard a loud bang and a rattle from the front door. “No way,” he muttered to himself. He made his way through the pub and couldn’t believe that his very disheveled looking brother was standing at the front door. “You’re alive?” Charlie opened the door and was almost overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol coming off his brother. “Whew.” He waved his hand in front of his face. “You smell like a brewery.”

  “You’d better hope not, because if this is what a brewery smells like, your place is going to stink.” Jason stepped inside. “Man, the place looks great.”

  Charlie looked at the brewpub through his brother’s eyes and felt his chest swell with pride. Now that the artwork was installed, and the big copper pipes from the brewing system gleamed in the light from the new fixtures, it looked like an honest and true brewpub. His dream had become a reality. “Thanks, Jay.” How could he bail on breakfast now? “I can’t believe you showed up.”

  “I passed out early and slept in my car,” Jason shrugged sheepishly. “I invited the rest of the groomsmen for breakfast, is that okay?”

  “Sure.” Charlie didn’t care one way or the other.

  “Cool.” Jason tossed Charlie the keys to his car. “You’d better drive, I might still be drunk. We have to pick up the guys.”

  Charlie snagged the keys out of the air. “Should I be proud? You went to bed early and aren’t drinking and driving?” He joked.

  “I guess I have to grow up sometime.” Jason elbowed him as he locked up the front of the pub.

  “You do realize that someone shaved half of one of your eyebrows off, right?” Charlie pointed to his brother’s face.

  “What?” Jason got into the car and pulled down the visor to examine his face. “Those assholes.”

  Charlie laughed. “Those guys are never going to grow up. Where are we picking them up?”

  “The Sugar Peaks Hotel.” Jason slammed the visor shut and let his fingers linger on his forehead.

  “You okay?” Charlie looked at him as he navigated the rental car from downtown and headed to the covered bridge. As they slipped into the temporary darkness of the wooden structure Jason sighed. “I’m tired of all this, Charlie.”

  They emerged back into daylight. “You know you can change your life anytime. I did it.”

  “I know.” Jason was staring out the window as they wound through the switchbacks of the wealthy neighborhood that housed all the second homes of the seasonal ski crowd. Compared to the tiny mining homes that lined the downtown streets of Chance Rapids, the ‘cabins’ of the Sugar Peaks subdivision were palatial.

  Charlie parked the car and the two of them headed to the fancy hotel at the base of the ski resort. Instead of being filled with skiers, the summer guests of the Sugar Peaks Hotel were the golfing crowd.

  “Jason.” A woman’s voice shouted as the two of them reached the hotel. They turned to see a pretty brunette walking towards them, an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. Charlie didn’t recognize her and knew that she didn’t live in town.

  “Alison,” Jason smiled and quickly hugged the girl. “This is Charlie.”

  “Hi, Charlie,” she smiled and extended her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you, it’s so great to finally meet you.”

  “Same,” Charlie lied. Until that moment he didn’t even know Adam’s fiancée’s name.

  The doorman opened the door for the trio and Alison’s high heels clicked on the gleaming hardwood floors of the high-end lobby as they headed for the shiny gold elevator doors.

  “What are you doing here?” Jason asked as he pushed the button for the penthouse level.

  “I thought I’d surprise Adam with a helicopter tour.”

  Charlie wondered how Adam, the dog he’d seen the night before, managed to get these beautiful women to fall for him. It didn’t make any sense. First Emma, now this girl, who was pretty and seemed quite thoughtful. How did he do it?

  “Ooh,” Jason grabbed at his stomach as the elevator headed upwards. “I hope that he’s in better shape than me, I don’t think I could get in a chopper today.”

  “Did you guys have fun last night?” she smiled.

  Charlie didn’t know what to say. He had definitely NOT had fun, nor did he think that either Jason or Adam had gotten up to any kind of fun that this woman would’ve found appropriate.

  “It was perfect,” Jason said.

  Charlie nodded without saying anything and the elevator doors opened. “This way,” Adam waved the two of them to the end of the hallway. “We’ve got the suite.” Jason slipped the key card in the door and as the three of them stepped into the suite they were hit with the smell of stale beer. Charlie looked around the main room and immediately knew that Alison shouldn’t be there. Empty vodka bottles were toppled over on the coffee table, next to a mirror with rolled-up bills. But the worst part, there was a red shiny purse, one that Charlie knew he had seen before, sitting on the kitchen counter. Charlie pulled Jason aside and whispered, “We should’ve called.”

  Alison stepped into the room and surveyed the carnage then stormed to the master bedroom. “Stop her,” Charlie hissed. Jason seemed unable to move and Charlie leaped to stop Alison from seeing something he knew she’d never be able to unsee. His foot kicked something, and he stumbled, falling to one knee – he turned to see a pair of scuffed high heels that appeared to have been kicked off. “Alison, wait.” Charlie stood and tried to get to her, but she had already opened the bedroom door and was frozen with her hand on the lever.

  Charlie approached, hoping that Stacy was in the bedroom with one of the groomsmen, and not the groom, but the rigid stance of Adam’s soon to be wife, told him otherwise. “Alison,” he put his hand on her shoulder and could feel her trembling. She swatted Charlie’s hand away, but the touch seemed to break her from her spell, and she stepped into the tawdry scene ahead of them.

  “Adam?” The tangle of covers didn’t move. Charlie could see a woman’s foot sticking out, the man a mound under the duvet.

  Jason joined Charlie’s side and the two of them watched as Alison approached the bed. “Adam.” This time it wasn’t a reluctant question. She crossed her arms and stood at the foot of the bed as the mound stirred. Stacy’s teased hair appeared first, then her raccoon eyes, her red lipstick smeared across her face like a drunken clown.

  “Hey,” she hissed and shook the mount next to her, her eyes squinted at the group staring at her. “Who are you?”

  “Who am I?” Alison whispered. She balled her hands into fists and stood staring at the whore, who stared back.

  “What’s going on?” A man’s voice croaked.

  Alison gasped as Adam sat up and revealed himself. As soon as he saw her, his eyes shot wide open like he’d been given a shot of adrenaline. “Ali,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” she said through her teeth. “What am I doing here?” she repeated, this time a little louder. She stepped to the end of the bed and Charlie and Jason jumped back as she ripped the covers from the bed, exposing not only Adam and Stacy’s naked bodies but Pamela’s as well.

  “Oh god,” Jason whispered.

  Alison let out a guttural scream and fell to her knees on the Berber carpet.

  “Goddammit, Alison.” Adam got up from the bed and rushed to her side. “Get out of here,” he shouted to the women trying to cover up their nakedness with pillows. “Ali,” he crouched next to her and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry. It’s not what it looks like.”

  Alison turned her head slowly and then pushed Adam away by his shoulder. Unable to maintain his balance in his unstable crouch, he sprawled backward on the carpet. Charlie and Jason groaned as Adam’s nakedness was upended and visible in its flaccid glory. “It’s exactly what it looks like.” Alison brushed off her hands and turned on her heel. “Get me out of here.” She brushed between Charlie and Jason and marched to the door. “Come on,” she shouted. “Leave him to his whores.”

  Charlie shut the door and squeezed his eyes together tightly as if the motion could erase the scene he had just witnessed. No one should ever see what they just saw, especially someone’s fiancée. Charlie and Jason stepped over the mess of booze bottles and random cushions that were scattered around the room.

  “Not. You.” Alison held out her hand and stopped Jason in his tracks. She pointed at Charlie. “Please.” It was then that the tears started to form, and Charlie noticed that her hands were trembling so hard she wouldn’t have been able to write her own name. “Please, Charlie. Get me the fuck out of here.”

  “Go,” Jason said. He held up his hands like he was in a stickup. “Get her out of here.” He grabbed Alison’s overnight bag and tossed it to Charlie. Charlie nodded and followed Alison into the hallway. She stopped and leaned against the wall and he worried that she was going to collapse right there. “Come on, let me help you,” Charlie whispered. He slipped her hand over his shoulder and helped her to the elevator, the same way he would help someone who had sprained their ankle.

  “You can do it,” he said. By the time the elevator had reached the lobby Alison had regained some of her composure and was able to walk through the lobby on her own. Charlie carried her bag and tried to avoid eye contact with the staff, he did not want to be associated with the debauchery that had gone on in the penthouse suite the night before.

  Alison walked to the car at a pace so fast that Charlie practically had to jog to keep up. She didn’t say a word, and when she reached the car she pulled at the handle before Charlie could unlock it. She pulled again and screamed in frustration when it locked once again. She slid down the door and buried her face in her knees, seemingly not noticing the puddle beneath her. Charlie clicked open the car doors and reached to help her up, but she slumped onto her hip. The splash into the puddle seemed to awaken the fury inside of her and she wailed like an injured rabbit, one of the most bloodcurdling sounds Charlie had ever heard.

  Charlie sat down on the ground beside her, his back against the front tire of the car. “I’m sorry, Alison.”

  “Did you know?” she didn’t look at him.

  “I had no idea. I’m just as shocked as you are right now.” Charlie squinted as the sun made its first appearance above Sugar Peaks. “I don’t really know what to say right now.” Charlie put his hand to his brow to shade his eyes.

  “I’m not that shocked.” Alison let her legs flop to the side so she could face Charlie.

  “You’re not? What do you mean?”

  “You know that old saying? If they’ll do it with you, they’ll do it to you?”

  “I have heard that one.” Charlie dug his toe into the gravel in front of him.

  “I should’ve known.” The tears were falling freely from Alison’s eyes. “But I can’t say that I didn’t deserve this.” She could barely get the words out through the sobs.

  “Nobody deserves that.” Charlie pointed to the hotel.

  Alison cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her cheeks with her hands. “I’m soaked.” Charlie stood and helped Alison from the puddle. She wiped at the ass of her jeans as if her hands could somehow miraculously dry them. “You’re wrong, Charlie.” She teared up again and seemed to be examining the granules of gravel on her palms. “I deserve that.” She brushed her hands together and pointed to the hotel. “Adam cheated on his fiancée with me.”

  “What?” Charlie took a step backward. “I thought that she cheated on him.”

  Alison laughed, and then stopped, and then started laughing again. “Is that what he’s telling people?” She shook her head and picked up her overnight bag. “No, Charlie. He cheated on Emma with her best friend – me.”

  “That’s not…” Charlie couldn’t finish his sentence. It was his turn to lean against the car. “You’re telling me Emma didn’t cheat on Adam and steal all of his money?”

  The laughter returned, this time it was a little maniacal. “No. It was the other way around,” she said between the laughs. “Adam cheated on her. Adam left her with nothing.”

  “But I thought—”

  “Listen, Charlie. Don’t listen to what anyone says. I was there.” She played with the ring on her finger. “He was so pissed that she kept the ring. I used to think that was petty, but I get it now.”

  Charlie took a deep breath. Why had he listened to his brother? Everything had been perfect with Emma and he had hurt her – for no reason. “I have to go,” Charlie said, his voice devoid of emotion. Contempt had replaced the empathy he’d felt for Alison. He opened the door and gestured for her to get in.

  “Thank you, Charlie, but I’m fine now.”

  “Are you sure?” As much as Charlie didn’t want to have anything to do with the woman, he felt obligated to take care of her.

  “Yes. I’m going to go tell Adam to go fuck himself, change into some dry clothes, and maybe sleep with a helicopter pilot.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and waved as she walked away. “Thanks.”

  Charlie watched Alison walk away, but his mind was elsewhere. Emma wasn’t a terrible person; she was the same person he’d fallen in love with the moment he saw her. He drove the rental car as fast as it would go, the tires smoking as he navigated the hairpin switchbacks all the way back into town.

  His heart was pounding as he pulled up in front of the little house on Aspen St. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Emma. He was ready for her to tell him to go to hell, but there was no way he was going to let another second go by without apologizing to her. The thumping in his chest stopped when he looked at Emma’s house and saw one of Charlotte’s real estate signs on the lawn, the words ‘for lease’ staring him in the face.

  “Oh no.” He fumbled to find the door handle, sprinting alongside the white picket fence to the front door hoping it wasn’t too late.

  He took a deep breath and paused before knocking on the red door. He exhaled when he heard footsteps and saw her pull the lace curtain aside.

  “Emma, I…” he spoke as soon as the door opened, but his voice faded away when he realized he wasn’t looking at Emma.

  Jenni crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Charlie. “Emma’s not here. She’s gone.”

  Twenty-One

  Years earlier, if someone would’ve told Emma she’d be staving off hangovers with a hike she would’ve laughed in their face. Now, she inhaled in the cool mountain air and felt her head growing clearer with every step she took along the well-worn pathway.