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    Winter: Seasons de Santa Fe, #1
    Winter: Seasons de Santa Fe, #1
    Winter: Seasons de Santa Fe, #1
    Ebook217 pages3 hours

    Winter: Seasons de Santa Fe, #1

    By Jo Carey

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    About this ebook

    Ellie's life hasn't gone the way she expected.

    Forty something, divorced, she's moving to Santa Fe to help her dad run the family's art gallery on Canyon Road. It's another big change in a series of changes that has Ellie doubting herself at every turn. Right now the only two men she wants to focus on are her son, Tristan, and her dad, Gene. Romance is the furthest things from her mind.

    Rod has enjoyed the time he's spent in Santa Fe overseeing the building of his family's newest boutique hotel, the Seasons de Santa Fe. He's finally found a place in the family business that suits him. If he could just get his mom to stop fixing him up with women, his life would be darn near perfect.

    When fate throws Ellie and Rod together, neither of them is ready for what happens next in the first book of Jo Carey's Seasons de Santa Fe Series. 202 pages.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJo Carey
    Release dateApr 25, 2018
    ISBN9781386568070
    Winter: Seasons de Santa Fe, #1
    Author

    Jo Carey

    Jo Carey grew up in the Midwest but her curiosity and gypsy-spirit has kept her on the move. She's lived in eight US states and spent three years living in Ireland. She has always loved creature movies, so creatures and bugs often show up in her books. Jo, a former information security compliance guru, writes fast-paced, character-driven stories in a variety of genres from medical thrillers to space operas and cozy mysteries. Her novels are filled with humor, romance, and sometimes creatures or aliens, or maybe even all of the above. She often builds her stories around a strong female lead character surrounded by plenty of hunky male heroes. Jo's been under fire on a golf course and climbed out the roof of an elevator in the Netherlands. Life hasn't been boring. Now residing in Texas, setting often plays a huge role in her stories. Jo was intrigued by the League of Planetary Systems, a world her husband, Frank, created for his science fiction books, and she now writes mysteries and other types of tales sets in that world. Jo was bitten by a cat, a fire ant, and a snake, before succumbing to the bite of the writing bug.

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      Book preview

      Winter - Jo Carey

      Chapter 1

      Ellie closed the hatch on her Alien Green Kia Soul and did a final walk through of her studio apartment. She'd only been in the place a few months, having moved in when her marriage of twenty years disintegrated.

      The horrible plaid couch and scarred wood table didn't look any worse than the day she'd moved in. Ellie rented the space furnished, so she had very little to move. Standing in the empty apartment a wave of melancholy swept over her. She wasn't sorry to leave exactly, but she was sorry that her life was such a mess. Now in her forties, she'd expected to be settled.

      Come on, Lynk, she said, walking into the bedroom. There aren’t a lot of places to hide in here.

      She found him in the back corner of the highest closet shelf. Setting the cat carrier down on the bed, she pulled in a kitchen chair, climbed up, and grabbed Lynk. He voiced his complaint but didn't struggle. Ellie put the cat over her shoulder, held him with one hand, and used the other to steady the chair while she climbed down. With Lynk secured in his carrier, she locked the apartment door and took a deep breath, fighting back the tears that threatened.

      It wasn't that she was upset to be leaving this place. This wasn't home. It never had been. Her thoughts were on the home she'd built with Dave—the house where Tristan grew up. She'd thought that was home. Today, if someone were to ask her where home was, she wasn't sure she'd have an answer.

      Lynk was still complaining when Ellie merged onto I40 west. There were quicker routes to Santa Fe, but she was stopping in Durango, Colorado to visit with Tristan and see one of his football games. It would make the trip longer, a secret she'd kept from Lynk, but she needed to see her son.

      Concentrating on the traffic and trying to block out Lynk's wailing kept Ellie's mind occupied for the first couple of hours of the drive.

      By the time she stopped for coffee, Lynk had given up and fallen asleep. When traffic thinned after Ellie was back on the road, her mind started replaying all the emotional turmoil that had affected her life over the past year. When tears started streaming down her face, she swiped them away with a tissue. Maybe a good cry in the privacy of her car would help. She replayed the events that had altered the path of her life so completely.

      First her marriage dissolved. She was glad there hadn't been some major scene that led to her moving out, but it was sad that when it came down to it, after more than 21 years together—20 as husband and wife, neither she nor Dave had been willing to fight for their marriage.

      Her thoughts were transitioning to her mom's illness, when her phone rang.

      Hi, Ellie. It's Mark.

      Hi, Mark, she said, trying to get her emotions under control.

      Are you OK? You sound upset.

      I'm fine.

      I know it's been a few weeks. You said you needed some time. Would you like to go to dinner Friday night?

      Ellie smiled. I'm sorry, Mark. I'm in the car on my way to Santa Fe.

      That's great. Have a nice visit with your dad. Call me when you get back.

      I'm not coming back, Mark. I'm moving to Santa Fe to help Dad run the gallery.

      The line was silent for a minute. I'm sorry to hear that, but I hope it works out for you. Call or email if you need anything or just want to talk.

      Thanks, Mark. You've been a good friend.

      Ellie had been surprised when Mark made his interest known a few weeks after her split from Dave. Mark worked with Dave and the two couples had become friends. When Mark's wife was killed in an accident a couple of years earlier, Ellie had stepped in to help Mark with the arrangements. The two had become close, but Ellie had been shocked when Mark asked her out after she and Dave divorced.

      Ellie hoped someday she'd find love again, but she wasn't ready to even think about dating. She needed to focus on the gallery and starting to build her life in Santa Fe.

      Chapter 2

      Thanks for a lovely evening Rod, Patrice said. As she rummaged in her bag for her keys. It's so wonderful to spend time with someone when we have so much in common.

      Rod wondered if she'd been on the same date as he had. As far as he could see, the only thing they had in common was that they both lived in Santa Fe and even that was temporary for him. He'd walked her to her front door because his manners wouldn't allow him to do otherwise. When she finally got the door open, he said, Good night.

      I look forward to hearing from you soon, she said, moving in until her chest was crushed against his. She reached up and brushed her lips across his. Good night, Rod.

      He turned and made his escape as quickly as he could without tripping down the stairs. That was a truly painful experience, he said once he was back in his car. Rod Garcia was a handsome, confident forty-something male who hadn't been happy when his mother set him up on this date. Patrice was a friend of the family, so he couldn't refuse. She was cultured and attractive and, after five minutes of conversation, he was bored out of his mind. They had absolutely nothing in common.

      Rod was at a good place in his life. After some trial and error, he felt as though he'd finally found his spot in the family hotel business. As the COO for the company's new line of boutique hotels in unique locations, he'd found a way he could enjoy being in the hotel business. He never liked the large chain hotels that had built his family's fortune; he found smaller, more personal hotels like the Seasons de Santa Fe more to his liking. He loved the personal touch of knowing all of his staff and getting to know his guests.

      Moving to Santa Fe to open the company's first boutique hotel, Rod knew his social life wouldn't be likely to blossom. For the first year, he'd been busy overseeing the construction and launch of the hotel. He enjoyed the work and hadn't minded not having a social life, but now that things were going smoothly with Seasons, he had more free time, and his mother reminded him that he wasn't getting any younger. After making light of her comments, he'd really given his personal life some thought. He realized that he wanted someone to share his life with, the successes, and the challenges. He wasn't sure about kids. He knew his mom still held out hope that he'd give her grandchildren, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to tackle that at his age.

      His phone rang as he was pulling into his garage. Hello, Mother. Isn't it a little late for you to be calling.

      I'm in California, so it's an hour earlier here, she said. I couldn't wait to hear how your date went.

      I'm fine, Mom. How are you? he asked, hoping she'd realize that she'd hadn't even asked him how he was doing before questioning him about his date.

      I get it. I'm sorry. How are you, Son? How's the hotel going?

      All is well. My date was fine, he said.

      Will you be seeing her again?

      I'm sure I will. Santa Fe isn't all that big.

      You know that isn't what I meant.

      And you know I don't like you getting involved in my personal life.

      Yes, dear. Now, how are things going otherwise?

      Fine, mother, he said as he walked into the condo. They talked for a while before saying goodbye and getting on with what remained of the day.

      Chapter 3

      Ellie stopped for a cold drink and snacks, filled up with gas, and checked on Lynk. Back on the road, she started a book on tape and cruised through a couple hundred miles. The early November weather was good—no major snow events predicted along her route. Two cozy mysteries and several cups of coffee later, she stepped out of the car and stretched in the parking lot of her Durango motel. Lynk was happy to get out of his carrier as soon as Ellie opened the door. He wandered off to explore his temporary home.

      Tristan, it's Mom. Call me when you get this message, Ellie said. She'd talked with him during the drive and told him to go on with his plans for the evening since she wasn't sure when she'd get into Durango. She was exhausted from the trip and glad she decided to make a stop to visit her son before tackling the last leg of the journey to Santa Fe.

      Ellie was lounging on the bed trying to decide what to do, when there was a knock on the door. Mom, it's Tristan.

      I thought you'd call, she said, opening the door to find Tristan and two of his friends—one carrying a pizza, the other a six-pack of beer.

      I knew you'd be tired after driving all day, so we brought food, he said.

      Tristan had lived in the dorms the first two years, but last fall, he moved into an apartment with two of his teammates. Ellie had met them when she and Dave helped them move.

      Where's the Lynk? Tristan asked as they found seats around the room.

      Missing.

      Groaning, one of his friends said, I bet you love using that one.

      He's hiding. He wasn't pleased to be locked in his carrier all day. I'm sure he'll adjust by tomorrow.

      They talked about the upcoming football game and Ellie's plans for her visit. Tristan would be busy, but she planned to spend as much time with him as possible.

      XXX

      Ellie enjoyed walking along the main street in Durango. There were lots of shops and restaurants with a distinctive old west look. On game day, she dressed in her Fort Lewis College sweatshirt and made her way to the stadium. It was cold but the bright sunshine made it feel warmer than the number on the thermometer. Ellie was surrounded by FLC students, and she had fun cheering on the team. After the game, she went back to her hotel to wait for Tristan. He had a team meeting after the game and then he had to shower and change before meeting her for dinner.

      XXX

      Mom, are you sure you're going to be OK? Tristan asked.

      I'll be fine, honey, Ellie said. I'll be busy once I get to Santa Fe, and I'll get to see you again in a few weeks when you play in New Mexico.

      The guys all told me how hot my mom was. Are you sure you're ready to fight off all the men in Santa Fe?

      Ellie laughed. I think I can manage.

      You did good out there today, she said. It was fun to watch you play again. Ellie had watched Tristan play football from the time he was in the pee-wee leagues until he played his last game as a senior in high school. He loved the game, and she was glad he'd gotten the chance to play in college, but she hated that she didn't get to see all his games.

      She shed a few tears after closing the door behind him, but it wasn't too bad. It was always easier to say goodbye if she knew when she'd see him again. In this case, FLC was playing New Mexico Highlands University in a few weeks, and Ellie had already purchased tickets to take her father to watch the game.

      Chapter 4

      Good morning, Boss, Maria said. How was your date last night?

      Why can't any of the women in my life understand that my personal life is just that—personal, Rod said as he stepped in behind the reception desk beside Maria.

      You know we all just want to see you happily married.

      Perhaps if every woman I know wasn't so nosy, I wouldn't find the idea so unpleasant. So how was the overnight shift?

      Rod checked their bookings and saw that the inn was more than seventy percent full, which wasn't bad for a new hotel in the off season. He went to his office and reviewed the reservation reports for the rest of the year. It looked as though they'd see an uptick in bookings for the upcoming holidays. He was pleased when he checked the employee turnover report and saw that number was holding well below the numbers experienced by the chain hotels his company owned.  Rod knew that some of that could be attributed to the limited job options in the Santa Fe market and the fact that the hotel was still new, but he hoped the employee policies he'd put in place were also having an impact.

      After filling his coffee cup in the employee lounge, Rod headed back to his office for a conference call with the head office. Hi, Bro, his brother Diego said.  Are you about ready to quit loafing and get started on your next conquest? Diego was Rod's younger brother by four years. He was the COO for the chain hotel portion of the family business. Growing up the two brothers were just far enough apart in age to keep their competition to a minimum, but once they were both adults their competitive nature took over and nearly ruined their relationship at one point when they were both in their early thirties and trying to find their place in the business. Now in their forties, each had found a position that suited them, and they'd become close friends.

      You sound like Mom, but I hope you're talking about our next hotel.

      Did the date go well? Diego asked.

      I blame you for this, you know. With your beautiful wife, happy marriage, and two kids, you've set the bar impossibly high. How am I supposed to compete?

      It's not a competition. Mom just wants to see you settled and happy.

      If I was settled, I wouldn't be able to do my job moving around to spend a year or more wherever we want to build a new hotel.

      I guess that could be a problem, Diego said. Speaking of that, when are we going to break ground in Cedar City?

      The rest of the meeting was spent reviewing the plans for their next boutique hotel, which would be built in Cedar City, Utah.

      Chapter 5

      After a good night's sleep, Ellie had breakfast at her hotel, loaded the car, and headed southeast on Highway 550 to New Mexico. Lynk had enjoyed his break from the carrier, but now that he was confined again, he wailed all the way to the state line.

      Hi, Dad. It's Ellie, she said. I just left Durango.

      Great. What's the plan when you get to Santa Fe?

      I'll stop at the house and get Lynk settled in before I go on to the hotel to unpack.

      How about I pick you up after I close the gallery. We'll go have dinner, her dad said.

      On the drive from Durango to Santa Fe, Ellie tried to focus on her future. Her dad had asked her to move in and share his home, but Ellie was adamant about

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