Sleigh Bells in the Snow (26 page)

“I’ve worked the last four Christmases in a row. Figured I deserved parole.” Sean caught the attention of the waitress and ordered a green salad.

“Does Mom know you’re home?”

“Of course. Hence the green salad. I’m full of gingerbread Santas and I’m saving myself for dinner. Tonight is family night. Which means Gramps wanting to know why I have to fix bones in Boston when there are plenty of the broken variety around here, Mom stuffing me with food and Grams knitting while Jackson talks profit and loss.”

“It’s mostly loss, which you’d know if you read your emails.”

“I spent ten hours operating yesterday. It was precision work. By the time I’d finished my eyes wouldn’t focus enough to read emails.”

“I just thought since you own a share of this place you might like to know what’s happening.”

“I own the wine cellar. That might see a significant loss tonight. I’m thinking we’re going to be at least half a crate down.” Sean winked at Kayla. “I hope you’re joining us for dinner. I need someone to dilute the concentration of O’Neils and add some New York sophistication to the proceedings.”

“It’s family night. I’m not family.”

Jackson knew she was thinking about the last time she’d had dinner with all of them and he waited, knowing she’d refuse. And when she did, he intended to invite her to dinner at his place, which would give them a chance to have a proper conversation, this time without being observed by half the inhabitants of Snow Crystal.

Her gaze met his briefly and then skidded away again.

“Family night.” Her smile was fixed. “I’ll be there.”

She’d be there?

Taken by surprise, it took Jackson a moment to realize what she was doing.

By choosing to eat with the family, she’d managed to avoid an evening with him.

Which meant only one thing.

Kayla Green was running again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

S
EAN
ZIPPED
HIS
jacket against the shearing winds, stared down the steep pitch of the chute and wondered why he’d agreed to ski with his brother. “So what’s going on with Jackson and Miss New York?”

“She’s not Miss New York. She’s Miss Great Britain. Or Miss—” Tyler paused at the top of the gully, testing the snow. “Frankly I have no idea what she is. She’s certainly not Miss Downhill Skier and she’s not close to Miss Slalom, either, whatever she may think. But I like her.”

Sean thought about the sharp intelligence in those eyes and the way she’d come back at Tyler. He also liked the way she’d laughed at herself when she’d fallen. “I like her, too.”

“You’re going to have to like her from a distance because your twin has eyes on her. I suspect he’s also had hands on her, but you might not want to mention that part just yet. You may have shared a uterus, but last time I looked the two of you didn’t share women.”

“Didn’t say I wanted to share her. Said I liked her. Not the same thing.” He digested the news that his brother was involved with a woman.

“You should get to know Élise. You both appreciate good food and wine. The two of you should have a lot in common.”

Sean stared straight ahead. Neither of his brothers had any idea just how well he knew Élise, which was probably a good thing. He was the first to admit his track record with relationships was less than impressive, and he had no doubt Jackson would see him as a potential threat to the well-being of his chef. And what was the point in mentioning it? What they’d shared had been fleeting. One hot summer night where chemistry had gotten the better of both of them. It wasn’t going to happen again. This was the first time he’d seen her since that night. They’d had no contact.

Sean studied the narrow chute in front of them.

“Are you seriously expecting me to ski down that? You always were right on the edge of crazy.” But he knew it wasn’t true. Tyler’s judgment when it came to the mountain was close to flawless. He had an almost-preternatural ability to separate the skiable from the unskiable. It was a skill that had put him right up among the elite.

“You skied down it your whole life until you left home. Working in a city has turned you soft.”

“I value my limbs. I can’t fix other people’s broken bones if my own are smashed, and I don’t trust anyone else to fix mine.” But Sean felt the familiar rush of adrenaline. The pull of temptation that was hard to resist. Normally he forced himself to deny it. It was the reason he’d sold the Ducati even though he’d almost cried doing it. His compromise had been to buy the Porsche. All the speed without the direct exposure to the limb-destroying effects of a motorcycle crash on a hard road surface. “Oh, hell, one run. But you’re going first.”

“Because you’re a coward.”

“Because if you trigger an avalanche I’d rather be above you than below you. But I promise to dig you out.”

“If you men could just step to one side—” Brenna shot past them both with Jess close behind her.

“Hey, just wait—” Tyler’s words were swallowed by the frozen air as the two girls negotiated the gut-swooping drop that led to the top of Scream gully. Neither hesitated. Neither screamed. But they did whoop. A holler of pure enjoyment as they shot through the air and then turned swiftly on the ridiculously steep slope.

“And there’s someone else who borders on the edge of crazy,” Sean murmured, watching as Brenna tackled the terrifying slope with effortless ease.

“Are you talking about my daughter?”

“I wasn’t, but I think she’s probably right there with you. On the other hand she’s got your DNA so it’s not entirely unexpected. Not that you’d understand. It’s science and that’s always been beyond you.”

“Which is the science that has sex in it?”

Sean sighed. “It’s isn’t that simple, but I’ll make it simple as it’s you. Biology.”

“I aced that one. You ready? Because I’m damned if I’m going to be outskied by a kid, even if she’s my kid.”

“You skied Scream at her age. Or maybe you were a year older.”

“Your memory sucks. You should talk to a doctor about that. I was seven when I skied Scream, and you know it since you were the one that pushed me off the top.”

“It was my duty as big brother to toughen you up.”

Tyler grinned. “And you think I’m the one on the edge of crazy?”

* * *

F
AMILY
NIGHT
?

Why had she agreed to that?

Because the alternative had meant being alone with Jackson.

Thumping her palm against her forehead, Kayla paced the length of the lodge and back again.

She’d tried to work, but so far her brain refused to cooperate. Halfway through her session, Elizabeth called in to drop off Maple so that she could go and spend time with Élise in the kitchen.

The puppy settled down on the rug and watched Kayla, head on her paws.

Kayla sighed. “You think I was a mess last night? I’m worse today.”

Maple wagged her tail and rolled over on the rug.

Kayla put in a call to Brett, knowing he would still be in the office right up until late on Christmas Eve.

While she waited for him to pick up, she drank her coffee. Another fall of snow in the night had added a thick layer to the trees and they glistened in the winter sunshine.

“Kayla? How are things out there in the sticks?” Brett’s voice boomed around the cabin, and Maple shot to her feet, barking frantically. “You still there, Green? What the hell’s that noise?”

“It’s a dog, Brett. Four legs. Tail.” She scooped Maple onto her lap. “You have one at home. It’s just that you don’t often see it because you’re always in the office. I’ll send you a picture if that would help.”

“Didn’t know you were a dog person, Green.”

She hadn’t known, either.

She smiled at Maple, snuggled on her lap. “Turns out I might be a dog person.”

“Just don’t bring it into the office or go home at lunchtime to feed it. So how are things there?”

Kayla looked at the trees. “Snowy.”

“Bet you can’t wait to get back to civilization. You’re probably so desperate you’re willing to leap on the back of Santa’s sleigh and grab the first ride out of there.” Brett laughed at his own joke while Maple watched her with gentle eyes and Kayla absorbed the fact that she wasn’t at all desperate to get back to New York.

She told herself it was because the job still wasn’t done. “I’ve made progress.”

“So what do you need to turn progress to profit?”

“I’m going to send the proposal across in the next couple of hours. I’ll brief the team, but I want printed and bound copies delivered here ASAP.”

“What’s wrong with electronic?”

Kayla thought about Alice and her glasses and Walter and his fear of progress. “I want hard copy.”

“Think of the trees, Green.”

She’d thought of nothing but the trees since she arrived here. “I’m looking at trees, Brett.”

“I forgot you were in the dark ages over there. Hard copy. No worries.”

“Thanks. And happy Christmas, Brett.”

“Why are you wishing me happy Christmas? It’s ages until Christmas.”

“Two days.”

“That’s what I mean. Ages. Now get back to work and stop wasting my time. And don’t bring the dog with you when you come back to New York.” He hung up and left her staring at Maple.

* * *

T
HEY
ATE
FAMILY
dinner in the kitchen. Brenna joined them, but not Élise because she was busy in the restaurant. Instead, she provided a creamy leek-and-potato soup, and Elizabeth cooked lamb shanks.

Jackson barely tasted either.

Kayla had chosen a seat at the far end of the table, as far away from him as possible. She was wearing a soft sweater with black pants tucked into the snow boots she’d bought earlier in the week. Her hair was loose over her shoulders and she was laughing at something Sean had said.

He wondered how long she could carry on pretending this thing between them wasn’t happening.

“Are you listening to me?” Brenna poked him in the arm.

“What did you say?” He knew he was lousy company.

“I was telling you a story, but somehow I don’t think I have your full attention. In fact I don’t think I have any of your attention. I’m not flattered.” She picked up her glass. “When you took me out to dinner you didn’t look at me like that.”

Jackson dragged his gaze from Kayla to Brenna. “Like what?”

“Like the meal was a formality before you got to the interesting part of the evening.”

He sighed. “Sorry, Bren—”

“Don’t be. You and I never had any chemistry.” She sipped her wine. “I like her, Jackson. She can’t ski to save her life, but she’s genuine.”

“I like her, too.”

“So do you have a plan?”

“Yes.” What he didn’t know was whether it was a good plan.

He was going on a hunch. Trusting his instincts.

“I’d give you advice, but I’m no expert.”

Jackson eyed Tyler across the table. “How are you finding working with him?”

“About as infuriating as growing up with him.”

“That’s what I figured. Is it awkward? Should I be worried?”

“No and no. I won’t be driven from my home and the place I love by a man with the insight of a boulder. He treats me like a little brother.”

“Maybe you should ski naked. Or wear that black dress you wore when we went out to dinner.”

“You wouldn’t fire me if I taught my class naked?”

Jackson reached for his wine, an excellent sauvignon blanc provided by Sean. “I don’t have too many people on my side at the moment. I can’t afford to fire you.”

They talked for the rest of the evening, mostly about the ski program and how they could expand it. And all the time he was aware of Kayla at the far end of the table, chatting with Sean about the differences between New York and London. It didn’t surprise him they were getting on well. What surprised him was how much he minded.

They lingered over the meal and then finally Kayla stood up, thanked his mother and walked across the room to get her coat.

Clearly she thought the evening was over. Right now she was probably congratulating herself on having avoided intimacy.

Then she tilted her head as she heard a noise outside. “What’s that?”

Jackson rose to his feet, hoping this was going to play out the way he wanted it to. “That,” he said, “is your lift home.”

“I can walk.”

So far, so predictable.

“I’ve arranged an alternative mode of transport.”

Frowning at him, she wrapped her scarf around her neck and tugged open the door. Her gasp interrupted conversation. “Dogs?”

“Dogsledding by moonlight. This is one of the oldest forms of winter transportation.”

“Jackson—”

“It’s a tourist favorite,” Elizabeth said happily, walking to the door to wave at Dana. “You can’t go home without trying it, dear. I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

Jackson noticed that this time Kayla didn’t recoil from the
dear
or from his mother, who now had her arm around her. She stared at the sled and then finally,
finally
looked at him.

“A sled ride.” Her voice was croaky. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“I don’t know what you mean. This is all part of the Snow Crystal experience.”

* * *

T
HEY
MOVED
THROUGH
the magical midnight landscape, weaving and winding along well-groomed snowy trails, the peace broken only by the clink of the harness, the panting of the dogs and the soft crunch of the sled running over packed snow.

Stars sparkled in the velvet black sky and the full moon reflected off the snow, spreading silvery light across the silent forest.

The outside temperature was below freezing but Kayla was warm, snuggled inside a large sleeping bag with Jackson.

She was a coward. She knew she was a coward, because she’d dodged conversation about the night before. In her head she’d tried to dismiss it as a one-night stand, but she knew it was more than that and knowing scared her. She knew what to do after a one-night stand. Walk away. This was different.

She’d avoided it, but there was no avoiding it now as he wrapped his arm around her and hauled her close. Whether that was to add to the warmth, the feeling of security or just because of what they’d shared the night before, she didn’t know. And there was no opportunity to explore it, because Dana was behind them, driving the dog team. They surged forward with enthusiasm and excitement. Occasionally she’d call out a command, but otherwise they glided through the moonlight in silence, part of the wilderness, absorbing the unique atmosphere of the forest at night.

It was the most relaxing, magical experience of her life, a million miles away from her job, New York and all the small irritations that punctuated her working day. Here in this snow-covered wonderland there were no complications, no pressures, no decisions to be made. Her whole world was the forest, the silence and the man next to her. It was all about the moment, and she knew it was yet another moment she’d never forget.

The cold stung her cheeks, and she was grateful for the goggles that protected her eyes from snow kicked up by the dogs’ paws.

She sat snuggled against Jackson, until Dana brought the dog team to a halt. The lamp on her head showed they were at the junction with another trail leading deep into the forest.

Jackson levered himself out of their cozy cocoon, spoke to Dana and came back moments later holding snowshoes. “I want to show you the forest at night.”

Kayla wished she could just stay in the sleeping bag pressed against the warmth of him, but that wasn’t an option so she forced herself to wriggle out of the comfort, shivering as the freezing air bit through the warmth of her jacket.

He took a rucksack from Dana. “We’ll be half an hour.”

Dana walked around to tend to the dogs. “No hurry.”

“Half an hour?” Kayla’s teeth were chattering. “How long does it take to freeze out here?”

“Not long if you don’t have the right equipment. Fortunately we do. These help you walk on deep snow without sinking into the powder.” He helped her put on snowshoes and hefted the rucksack onto his back.