Adrenaline coursed through her body, but she managed to put the car in drive and head home. It seemed too impossible to believe that anything good could come from that kiss. That kiss that invited all kinds of trouble and chaos, two things she didn’t need at work. Things Andy couldn’t afford while on probation.
Things she wanted more than she’d ever wanted anything else in a very long time.
Chapter Seven
Christmas morning arrived, bringing the best gift a ski town could ask for: snowfall. A beautiful snowfall consisting of gigantic flakes that appeared to be drifting toward the earth in slow motion.
“Did you check to see if your flight was canceled?” Andy handed his sister a to-go cup of coffee.
“It’s on time. The tricky part will be getting up to Montrose.” Avery sipped the scalding beverage and glanced over her shoulder, as if that might make Grey appear.
“Text me when you get there so I’m not worried about you being stuck on the side of some mountain road.” Andy crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the counter.
“I feel bad about leaving you on Christmas morning.” She grimaced.
“I’m fine. We celebrated together last night with the gang.” He patted his stomach. “I’m still full. Not much beats Emma’s baking.”
“True.” She tipped her head. “It’s weird, though. This is the first Christmas we won’t be spending together in, like, ever.”
“You’ve got in-laws now. Besides, I’m going to work soon.”
She shook her head, smiling. “I’m always surprised when people ski on Christmas.”
“Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and this is one of the resort’s busiest vacation weeks of the year.”
“I know, but it’s still weird to me. I love how we spend Christmas morning in our pj’s, then go to church and cook a big dinner.” She grabbed his hand. “I wish Mom and Dad had come this year so you’d have company tonight.”
“Without you as a buffer, I’d rather be alone than be around Dad.” His father was still sore about the embarrassment Andy’s arrest had caused their family. Not that they’d ever had that special father-son relationship. His dad had always considered him a bit of a disappointment because, unlike his sister, he’d never had traditional ambitions. “The warm weather in Phoenix is better for them, anyway.”
“Next year we’ll all celebrate together—plus a baby!” Her dimples popped into place, bracketing her huge smile, so he gave her a hug. Her voice grew muffled against his chest. “Who knows—maybe by then, you’ll have someone special, too. Isn’t there anyone in town you like?”
Yes, there was, but he didn’t need his sister to meddle. God forbid Avery mention anything to Kelsey, the perennial romantic. They’d be all over him and Nikki like honey on Emma’s sticky buns.
“I can manage my own love life. First, I’ve got to secure my job, and then I need to find a secondary source of income.” He decided to test Avery’s reaction to Nikki’s idea, because his sister had always been smart and a straight shooter. “Do you think anyone would hire me to do small remodeling jobs, like retiling bathrooms or installing kitchen cabinets and such?”
Her brows rose. “I never thought of that, but it’s a great idea. You’ve always been really handy, and those kinds of projects would give you a lot of flexibility. You should talk to Emma. Maybe they have enough money to pay you to remodel something instead of just maintaining what’s there. That would help you with word-of-mouth publicity.”
He hadn’t wanted to rely on Emma for help again. On the other hand, perhaps he should take advantage of a perfect opportunity. “Maybe I’ll call her.”
“Do!” Avery said. “You know she’d do anything for you. In fact, a part of me always thought you two might end up together. Guess I was wrong.”
“Guess you were.” He grinned. A year ago, he’d been a little disappointed by Emma’s infatuation with Wyatt. But now his thoughts—and his heart—had taken a turn in a new direction.
“Do my ears deceive me, or did your sister actually admit to being wrong about something?” Grey appeared from around the corner with their suitcase in tow. Avery elbowed him in the ribs.
“I’ll give you a pass because it’s Christmas.” She kissed his cheek.
“You’re brave, Grey.” Andy crossed his left leg, shifting his weight. “I never risk pissing her off.”
“I make up for it in other ways.” Grey slung his arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Don’t I?”
“You sure do.” She smiled.
Andy noticed only one suitcase at Grey’s side. “No ski bag?”
“We’re only there for two days. With Avery pregnant and my mom rarely getting out there anymore, why take chances?” Grey shrugged.
Andy nodded and extended a hand to Grey. “Well, Merry Christmas. Have a safe trip.”
“Merry Christmas,” Grey said, giving him a semi bro hug.
“One quick thing before you two go,” Andy said. “I think we’re getting to the point where we’d all like some privacy, especially with the baby on the way. If I’m able to establish a steady income soon, I’d like to talk to you guys about buying me out of this place this year.”
His sister and Grey exchanged a look—some kind of secret marital telepathy.
“Sure. We can talk about that when we get back, okay? Now we’ve got to catch our flight.” She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Andy walked them to the door. They hadn’t objected to his request, so maybe he’d have some extra cash soon. Kelsey could get him a lead on a decent little place when the time came.
He had about an hour before he needed to be at the ski school. Part of him wanted to go soak in the hot tub, with a big mug of chai. The other part wanted to lounge around in his underwear, simply because he could.
It had been ages since he’d had the house to himself. Maybe tonight he could convince Nikki to come over for a Christmas cocktail. The hot tub would definitely be better with company.
He’d been thinking about their kiss pretty often throughout the past forty-some hours. Yesterday, they hadn’t had a moment alone because it’d been busy, and then everyone scattered to spend Christmas Eve with family and friends. He hoped to catch a few minutes alone with her today. Had she been reliving that kiss, or had she had enough time to think better of things and decide the risks weren’t worth it?
He settled for some of the coffee remaining in the pot and then stared out the window at the snow. Maybe, for right now, he should be grateful for the great weather and another chance to do what he loved best. He didn’t want to rock the boat with Nikki and lose her as a friend. Putting her in an awkward position could do that and might even make her question her faith in him as a guy she could count on to do the right thing.
She’d be in the office soon, making assignments for the skeleton crew handling today’s lessons. No doubt it was a really dumb idea to pursue his feelings, but, by God, he might explode if he didn’t.
The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that he and Nik were well suited for something more significant than great sex. He hoped they’d be well suited for that, too, but this feeling—the pressure in his chest—was bigger than his libido.
Yet, if she was interested, he also understood the need to keep things on the down low, for both their sakes.
An hour later, he was crossing the open area in front of the ski school when he ran into Millie Tate. Millie was a regular visitor to the area, thanks to a second-generation family vacation home. Naturally her glossy cocoa-colored hair looked perfect, as did her figure in her designer skiwear. Until Andy had been let go, she’d been a regular client of his—one with benefits.
He felt a grin form at those memories because she’d been a pretty, lighthearted friend whom he’d looked forward to seeing a few times each year. He’d heard through the town grapevine that she’d gotten married last year to some rich older guy. He couldn’t picture that, but he hoped she was happy. It was just as well, considering he was no longer interested in her fringe benefits.
“Andy?” Millie’s eyes lit up even as they inspected his new Santa cap, which he always wore on Christmas. “Are you teaching again?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “Merry Christmas, Millie. And congratulations. I hear you got married last year.”
“I did, thanks. Mitchell Landry. But he’s in London for some business deal.” She waved dismissively. “Shoot. If I’d known you were back teaching, I’d have requested you today.”
“I’m sure you’ll be happy with whomever you get. Everyone here is a top-notch instructor.” He crossed his arms, knowing he would’ve earned a big tip.
“I doubt everyone else has your particular . . . skill set.” She glanced at his hips for a second.
Before he could reply, Nikki, Billy, and a handful of others came through the door.
“Oh, you are here on time,” Nikki said, her eyes darting from him to Millie and back before dropping to her clipboard.