A Long Way to Fall Read online

  A Long Way to Fall

  Synopsis

  Bridget Berg grew up on the slopes of Elk Mountain, Utah. The daughter of a famous downhill skier, she was chasing her own Olympic dreams when her father’s unexpected death forced her to take over his ski lodge. It’s her home and she’ll protect it at all costs—especially from her insufferable neighbors.

  Kennedy Fleming is only in Utah to put her dad’s vacation home on the market. She has no interest in living there. That is, until she meets her sexy redheaded neighbor. Sure, she’s rude and unwelcoming, but Kennedy isn’t one to shy away from a challenge.

  When Kennedy makes a discovery that could cause Bridget to lose everything, she’s forced to choose between her family and her heart. There’s a mountain of history between their families, but as tempers rage and sparks fly, they’re about to discover that a love worth fighting for is right in front of them.

  What Reviewers Say About Elle Spencer’s Work

  Give In to Me

  “As always, Spencer writes great banter. It’s natural. It’s not so perfect where you think, “Nobody is that witty all the time.” …Spencer nails the locales, the beach vibe, and the behind-the-scenes movie drama Southern California is known for. The entire atmosphere of the book feels right which in turn helps make Whitney and Gabriela feel authentic. There’s an easiness to this romance that left me content and gratified.”—Lesbian Review

  The Holiday Treatment

  “If you are looking for the perfect Christmas read, The Holiday Treatment should be top of your list for Santa. Light-hearted, laugh-out-loud funny with all the right ingredients for a perfect Christmas rom-com, it would make the ideal screenplay for a Netflix special. …It’s well written, well-paced and brings welcome relief after a difficult year. Perfect reading for the holiday season and a great stocking filler for your friends.”—Curve Magazine

  “The whole book is funny. Holly our main character is a hot mess. She is adorable, witty, and keeps you in stitches. Meredith is 100 percent taken with her and the chemistry is palatable. The push-pull of their love story keeps you engaged the whole time. At times it is so sweet and the other times, well it is super sexy. Great read, highly recommend. If you need a book to escape, this is it. You will love this adorable read that gives you a ton of fun.”—Romantic Reader Blog

  “The Holiday Treatment is well-written and the details connect nicely between chapters. And an awkward disaster lesbian is what we all need in a romance.”—Hsinju’s Lit Log

  Waiting for You

  “I laughed, I cried, I fanned my face (hot, sexy scenes). …Elle Spencer is becoming one of my favorite writers!”—Marcia Hull, Librarian, Ponca City Library (Oklahoma)

  “I do have to give it to Spencer: she is really, really good at writing chemistry between romantic leads. Ren and Lindsay’s romance is hot and heavy almost from the start, and their scenes are filled with some excellent flirty dialog. …This is a book that has just about everything, comedy, feelings, sexy scenes, a great supporting cast and past lives. Fans of rom coms or dramadies will love this.”—Colleen Corgel, Librarian, Queens Public Library

  “I’ve come to count on Spencer to take me away from whatever drama is going on in the world to a place where sharp, attractive, women will entertain me with their wit and warmth.”—Lesbian Review

  “The main characters have amazing chemistry which Ms. Spencer exploits in and out of the bedroom. Every single character was written with such knowledge of the writing craft that they all seem to come alive out of the page. They are complex and endearing, very easy to relate to.”—LezReviewBooks

  30 Dates in 30 Days

  “Spencer is adept at dropping an emotional bombshell at just the right time for maximum impact. She adds her own brand of flair, making the romance formula feel new and fresh.”—Lesbian Review

  “I’m an Elle Spencer fan. I want to say that this was surprisingly good, but I guess I shouldn’t really be that surprised. She generally delivers on everything I love about reading romance. Feelings, chemistry, conflict, angst, tears, and happiness. The characters were likable. Fun situations. Great chemistry. A slow burn romance that satisfies in the end.”—Bookvark

  “As usual with Spencer, the characters are wonderfully layered and flawed, [and] the chemistry is out of this world…”—Jude in the Stars

  “Spencer imbues the story with some great humour and witty banter that brings the characters to life and the romance works wonderfully. I really enjoyed this one—it hit all the right notes for me and left me with a bit of an aw, shucks smile on my face when I finished.”—C-Spot Reviews

  Private Equity—Novella in Hot Ice

  “This story had a lot of heart and quite a bit of depth for so little time. This was the strongest among the three novellas.”—Bookvark

  The Road to Madison

  “The story had me hooked from its powerful opening scene, and it only got better and better. I feel like Spencer tailored this book just for me. For anyone who has read my reviews, it’s no secret that I love romances that include lots of angst and The Road to Madison hit the bull’s-eye.”—Lesbian Review

  “Elle Spencer is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. She transports me into the story and I feel like I’m living vicariously through the characters.”—Les Rêveur

  Unforgettable

  “Across both novellas, Elle Spencer delivers four distinct, compelling leads, as well as interesting supporting casts that round out their stories. If you like angsty romances, this is the book for you! Both stories pack a punch, with so much “will they or won’t they” that I kind of wondered how they’d turn out (yes, even though it’s marketed as romance!)”—Lesbian Review

  “I was stunned at how Elle Spencer manages to make the reader feel so much and we end up really caring for the women in her novels. …This book is perfect for those times you want to wallow in romance, intense feelings and love. Elle Spencer does it so well.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  Casting Lacey

  “This is a very good debut novel that combines the fake girlfriend trope with celebrity lifestyle. …The characters are well portrayed and have off the charts chemistry. The story is full of humour, wit and saucy dialogues but also has angst and drama. I think that the book is at its best in the humorous parts which are really well written. …An entertaining and enjoyable read.”—Lez Review Books

  “This is the romance I’ve been recommending to everyone and her mother since I read it, because it’s basically everything I’ve been dying to find in an f/f romance—funny voices I click with, off-the-charts chemistry, a later-in-life coming out, and a host of fun tropes from fake dating to costars.”—Frolic

  “In Casting Lacey, Elle Spencer gives us a hilarious new take on a classic storyline, complete with nosy mothers, fawning assistants, and two beautiful actresses who might learn about true love. If they don’t kill each other first.”—BlackstoneLibrary.com

  A Long Way to Fall

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  By the Author

  Casting Lacey

  Unforgettable

  The Road to Madison

  30 Dates in 30 Days

  Waiting for You

  The Holiday Treatment

  Give in to Me

  A Long Way to Fall

  A Long Way to Fall

&
nbsp; © 2022 By Elle Spencer. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-006-0

  This Electronic Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: May 2022

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Barbara Ann Wright

  Production Design: Susan Ramundo

  Cover Design by Tammy Seidick

  eBook Design by Toni Whitaker

  Acknowledgments

  Huge thanks as always to Rad, Sandy, and everyone at Bold Strokes Books who does the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting so well and makes my author life so easy. A special thanks for all you’ve done during these challenging times to virtually keep us authors and our books in front of readers.

  To my editor and friend, Barbara Ann Wright, thank you for once again getting me, and my writing, and for keeping me laughing during edits. I wouldn’t want to do it without you.

  Thanks to my other BSB friends, who I haven’t seen for far too long, for the support and laughs from afar: Carsen, Kris, Melissa, Georgia, Ruth. Can’t wait to see you in person again.

  Thanks to the “Poodles” for making Covid isolation more bearable. Also, FU for never reading my books, haha!

  To my BFF…you are a BFD! How did I get so lucky? When I snap, you’ll be second to last to go. #rideordieuntilisnap

  To my incredible wife, Nikki…I still swoon every day. Multiple times a day. In fact, just call me Swoony McSwoonerson. You and me, baby. Forevs.

  Last, but never least, thank you to the readers who continue to read my books. I appreciate every comment, review and email. Hope you enjoy Bridget and Kennedy’s story.

  Dedication

  This one is for Sue and Jerry (who is much more charming than the “Jerry” in this book). Thank you, for all of the love and support.

  Chapter One

  Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. The sounds of early morning skiers trudging awkwardly down the hallway in their heavy ski boots crept under Bridget’s door.

  Normally, she’d be on the slopes with them for the first hour, then hard at work the rest of the day in the lodge. Especially after the kind of snowstorm they fondly referred to as an “overnight dump” had added six inches of fresh powder to what was already a decent snowpack for early December. There was nothing quite like being the first one to carve a path through fresh snow, but being a Friday, she’d opted to rest up for what was sure to be a busy weekend. There would be no complaining, though, since a heavy snowstorm was what the entire resort had been praying for. A deep snowpack meant that the lodge’s clientele wouldn’t go elsewhere to ski during the Christmas break, which was only a few weeks away. The last thing Bridget needed was a half-empty lodge during what should be their busiest time of year.

  She opened the curtains and sat back in her chair so she wouldn’t be seen while she sipped coffee in her thermal underwear. From that window, she could see everything going on in front of the lodge, not that much was happening just yet. It was barely seven a.m.

  That early, the real action happened at the back of the ski-in, ski-out lodge. Her employees would be busy helping guests with their gear, serving hot cocoa or a cup of their famous dark roast. They spent more time than they probably wanted to looking out for underdressed skiers. Bridget would never understand how someone could show up on one of Utah’s biting-cold days thinking they could navigate the slopes without a jacket. The staff would try to convince them to add a few more layers, and if they wanted to lose those layers once the sun came out, the staff would be there to take their coats and return them to their rooms so they didn’t have to interrupt their day on the slopes. Happy skiers spent more money, ate more food, and gave better tips, so if the staff could keep them from getting frostbite, it was good for everyone.

  Of course, no amount of staff attention could help the person—and there had been more than one—who insisted on skiing in a swimsuit. As one particularly memorable guest put it, “Hypothermia is a small price to pay for a viral post.” The entire staff had bets on how long TikTok Tiffany would last in her skikini. When she came skulking back about forty-five seconds later, the schadenfreude was palpable. She spent the rest of the weekend après skiing without actually skiing. Bridget suspected that particular TikTokking guest had influenced exactly no one.

  Fortunately, the majority of their guests were there to ski. And then ski again. Sure, they were well-off and sometimes had unreasonably high expectations. Oh, you’d like fresh orchids delivered daily? At the top of a mountain in January? Let me get right on that. But, hey, at least they knew how the zipper on their two-thousand-dollar Gucci ski jacket worked.

  Bridget chalked her cynical thoughts up to being a big bag of nerves. She’d always loved their guests, most of whom she knew personally. At least, that was how she felt before she’d been so abruptly put in charge of absolutely everything. Unfortunately, those carefree days were over. But again, she couldn’t, or rather shouldn’t, complain.

  The Boden Berg Lodge was one of only a few ski-in ski-out hotels near the summit of Elk Mountain. That alone made it exclusive. Add in the cachet of it being owned and named after a famous Olympic downhill skier who regularly mixed with his guests, and you had a recipe for success. At least, that was how it had been before Boden’s unexpected death almost a year ago.

  Bridget set her coffee aside and doubled over with her face in her hands. The weight of it all, along with the grief that never seemed to subside, felt overwhelming at times. She wasn’t her dad. She wasn’t the legendary storyteller who’d stop by the Peak, the lodge’s fireside bar, to charm his guests. Men were always greeted by her father with a hearty slap on the back and an offer to share a drink. Women often got a kiss on each cheek. It was the “European way,” Boden would say. They either didn’t notice or didn’t care that while his parents were Swedish, he’d been born and raised in Utah.

  Boden Berg was a national hero who’d brought home gold—twice—in the downhill. Guests paid a premium to wear themselves out on the slopes all day and then stay up all night to hear skiing tips, gossip about well-known Olympians, and exaggerated tales of mischief in the Olympic Village. Bridget felt confident a famed Russian ice dancer did not, in fact, make vodka out of nothing but glacier water and his partner’s brassiere, but the guests never doubted him. It was all part of Boden Berg’s charm. And it was why the high season was usually sold out by regulars more than a year in advance.

  With her dad gone, Bridget worried how she’d ever be able to honor his legacy. She knew people came for the world-class skiing, but Boden Berg the man was what set the lodge apart. Sometimes, she thought she should just look for a buyer while the travel sites still listed the lodge as an exclusive getaway for the wealthy. She knew she never would, though. It would break her heart to sell the place, as if it wasn’t already broken after losing the most important person in her life. No, her only choice was to do everything she could to keep it up and running.

  Was she up to the task? She asked herself that question constantly. She’d soon find out since the first big weekend of the season was upon them. But the truth was, she didn’t have a clue how she’d restore the Boden Berg magic. In so many ways, her father was irreplaceable, and she considered herself a poor substitute for such a special man who managed to make everyone he met feel important and cared for.

  A part of her wanted to get back in bed and hide under the covers the way she used to when she was scared as a kid. She tried to remember the last time that had happened. She wasn’t sure,
but she could still see her dad leaning against the doorway in his jeans and boots, telling her it was safe to come out. He wasn’t there to do that this time.

  He wasn’t there. Those words had brought her to her knees more than once. Not only because of the heavy load that now rested solely on her shoulders. She’d also lost her best friend. Her confidant. Her teacher. Her ski buddy. He wasn’t just Dad to her. He was also Boden.

  It never bothered him that she sometimes called him by his first name. Then again, Boden was a free spirit who didn’t let much in life bother him. If he felt agitated, he’d go ski the moguls for an hour and come back with a smile on his face. Everyone loved Boden, but no one more than Bridget.

  It startled her when she heard laughter in the hallway. She lifted her head and wiped away a few tears. It wasn’t as if the guests knew which room was hers and could come knocking if they needed something. It was more that she didn’t want the employees to witness her sadness. Even when she didn’t feel strong, she felt like it was her duty to at least give an air of strength. For the lodge. For her dad. For everyone who was counting on her.

  As the sound of laughter faded down the hallway, the familiar roar of the county snowplow working its way up the road got louder and louder. Bridget stood and peered out the window in hope she’d see the food delivery truck following behind the snowplow. They were high enough up the mountain that they needed to stock up on supplies and liquor when heavy snowfall was in the forecast. The county kept the road plowed, but if it was bad enough, the lodge’s vendors could decide not to deliver until the weather cleared up. The guests wouldn’t be happy if their favorite wine or whiskey wasn’t available, but it was nothing compared to the fit Chef Lawrence would throw if he didn’t have the right supplies.