Page 1 of Close to Heaven

One

The fog draped across the mountains like it did every morning. Those who didn’t live here might have mistaken it for smoke, thus the name of the mountain range—Great Smoky Mountains.

Jax leaned his elbows on the deck railing, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, and looked out at the magnificent view. The tree-covered mountains dominated the landscape, reaching up to meet the sky. People often asked him if he ever got tired of it, and his answer was always the same: “Never.”

He was a man of few words, especially these days, and the peacefulness suited him. A rustling came from beneath him, and he glanced down to watch two squirrels chasing each other around the forest floor, the clean scent of pine rising to greet him. Early mornings, when most of the noise came from animals instead of humans, were his favorite time of day.

He looked at his watch and realized it was time to get to work. He slugged down the rest of his coffee, turned from the view, and went back inside. Then he grabbed his phone and keys off the kitchen counter and his jacket off the coatrack and went out the door, locking it behind him.

His morning commute consisted of walking down a hill and across the parking lot to the resort office. It was probably a quarter-mile trek, if that. Given the steep incline, it was more difficult on the way home, but still, he couldn’t complain.

A few minutes later, he unlocked the door to the office and went inside. His office was in a converted log cabin, which also included a lobby/reception area, small kitchen/employee lounge, and restrooms. Behind the building was a community pool and hot tub, and in front, a wooden sign read: Welcome to Sawyer’s Ridge Resort.

Every time he looked at the sign, he felt proud of what his family had accomplished. His parents had opened the resort ten years ago, and back then, it had consisted of four cabins and an open field where guests could pitch a tent. Now there were fifteen cabins and plenty of room to expand.

Most days, Jax enjoyed going to work, but not today. Today he had the arduous task of interviewing candidates to take over Mary’s position of front-desk clerk.

Mary had worked for them since the resort had first opened, and he hated to lose her. However, she’d just turned sixty, and she wanted to retire so she could spend more time with her grandchildren. He couldn’t fault her for that, though he’d tried to convince her to stay. She’d handled the front desk with the perfect combination of friendliness and efficiency, and he feared she was irreplaceable.

He was reviewing the stack of resumes he’d received when Mary swept into his office.

“I thought you might need this.” She set down a large mug of coffee in front of him.

“See. That’s why you can’t leave,” he said, shooting her a grateful smile.

“Jax Sawyer, stop making me feel guilty,” she teased.

“I don’t mean to, but we’re really going to miss you around here.”

“I’m going to miss it too. I’ve been here since the beginning.”

“I know, and we appreciate everything you’ve done. The resort wouldn’t have become as successful without you.”

“Now you’re going to make me cry,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

He plucked a tissue out of the box on his desk and handed it to her. “Now, don’t go doing that. My sister will have my head.”

Mary laughed through her tears. “Have you heard from Dakota lately?”

He nodded. “In fact, I’m interviewing her roommate today—Avery Wilkins.”

“Oh. I think I met her at your parents’…”

He looked down at the stack of resumes. “Right.”

“You don’t seem very happy about it.”

“I don’t like the idea of hiring my sister’s friend. If things don’t work out, it could get ugly.”

Mary chuckled, and she seemed like her cheerful self again. He hated to make a woman cry, especially one he liked and respected as much as her. She was like a second mother to him, which was another reason he was going to miss her.

“Anyway, I promised to interview her, but I didn’t promise to hire her.”

The bell rang in the lobby, announcing a visitor.

“Good luck,” Mary said and hustled out of his office.

His first interview was with an eighteen-year-old who’d recently graduated from high school. She sashayed into his office wearing ripped jeans in too many places, a tight black T-shirt, and combat boots. Her ears had too many piercings to count, and she wore her long blonde hair in a ponytail, which made her look even younger. She wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but he made himself conduct the interview anyway.