Ethan

  I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window, the storm that had brought us here now a fading memory. The first light of dawn was creeping through the heavy curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. I stretched, feeling that familiar, satisfying ache in my muscles from yesterday's activities. As I sat up, I glanced around, taking in the peaceful stillness that contrasted sharply with the chaos of the night before.

  This place—Victoria’s chateau, as fancy as it was—felt surprisingly comfortable. It wasn't my usual kind of place, but the overall atmosphere was welcoming. Probably had to do with the people. My girls naturally settled in and seemed so at ease. It was not what I would have expected.

  Still, I had to question what we were still doing here. I forced that thought out of my mine.

  I pushed the covers aside and stood up, heading over to the large windows to pull the curtains open. The view outside was breathtaking—rolling hills, lush trees, and the faint outline of mountain peaks in the distance. The air was crisp, fresh with the scent of pine and damp earth. The perfect morning after a storm.

  I had been coming to these mountains since I was ten, and I knew them like the back of my hand. Yet, the beauty and tranquility never ceased to amaze me. It was quite different experiencing the place from a castle that probably cost more than every asset I had ever hoped to have.

  Maybe I should look it up on Zillow.

  I shook my head. Stop. You’re being dumb. Get moving.

  I got dressed, pulling on a well-worn flannel shirt and jeans. My mind wandered back to the night before. I was trying to tell Victoria and Samantha that we should probably start packing up, but then the girls had to talk about THE PIE. Apparently, Victoria and Samantha are chocolate lovers because they insisted that I make it.

  So much for getting out of here today. Then again, my girls were having a blast. It had been so long since they connected with a female figure that it was painfully obvious they needed one. The thought of my ex-wife made me glower.

  I had full custody, but they still had to see their mother. If the court allowed it, I would cut her off completely. I'm told that isn’t good for the girls. I’m not so sure.

  As I buttoned up my shirt, there was a knock at the door, followed by the sound of it creaking open. I turned to see Lily and Maya peeking in, both of them looking excited.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Morning, Dad!” Lily said brightly, her voice full of energy.

  “Good morning, my angels,” I replied, smiling at the sight of my girls. “You two are up early.”

  “We couldn’t sleep in,” Maya chimed in, bouncing on her toes. “We were talking with Auntie Victoria and Samantha, and they said they want to take us into town today.”

  I raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Into Silver Ridge?”

  Lily nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! They said they’ve got some things they need to pick up, and they thought it would be fun to take us along. You know that we’ve never been there because it's so fancy. Can we go? Please. Please. Please.”

  I hesitated, the thought of venturing into that ritzy town making me a bit uneasy. Silver Ridge wasn’t exactly my scene.

  “Listen, girls,” I said slowly, “I am not sure that’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be better if we just head to the campsite? We shouldn’t impose on Victoria and Samantha any longer.”

  “But Dad, it's Silver Ridge!” Lily grinned and put her arms around me. “Come on. We’ve got to go!”

  Maya followed suit, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Yeah. We actually have an excuse. Besides, Samantha and Victoria will be sad if we don't.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes. I seriously doubted that.

  “Listen, I will discuss it with them. Go get ready, then. We’ll head down to breakfast and talk to Victoria and Samantha.”

  They dashed out of the room, their laughter echoing down the hallway as they disappeared from sight. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead. This was a fight I was going to lose. I could already tell. The girls wanted to go, and I had a hard time saying no to them, especially in this circumstance. F. My. Life. Seriously.

  As I finished getting ready, my thoughts drifted to Silver Ridge. The place was known for its luxury, the kind of town where people drove cars that cost more than my house and wore clothes that could probably pay off my truck. The idea of walking around there with Maya and Lily made me feel a little uneasy.

  Honestly, I am not even sure why. If I had to articulate it; I know how judgmental people could be. The last thing I wanted was for my girls to feel out of place or get any side-eye looks from people that they didn’t know.

  There are a lot of rich people in Silver Ridge. I mean I doubt people are going to point their finger and laugh. But is it really ok for us to go to a place meant for billionaires. Like I said I have been coming to these mountains for a long time. Theres a reason I haven’t been to Silver Ridge.

  But then I thought about Victoria and Samantha. They seemed so down-to-earth despite the lives they led. Surely they’d make sure that Maya and Lily didn’t feel out of place.

  I headed downstairs, intending to talk to Victoria and Samantha about heading back to the campsite and praying they might back me on not going to Silver Ridge. Again, I knew that I was going to lose the argument. We had talked about going into town the day before. I promised I would help. My failed realization that the town we were going to was Silver Ridge on me.

  Damn. The devil is in the details.