“Ivy mentioned you were bringing family with you this year. How nice.”
The vague reference to family disturbed Hadley. Why couldn’t Liam just admit that he had a daughter? He obviously loved Maggie. What blocked him from acknowledging her as his? This flaw in his character bothered Hadley more than it should. But it was none of her business. And it wasn’t fair that she expected more of him. Liam was her employer. She had no right to judge.
“Nice to meet you, Ben,” she said.
While Liam and Ben emptied the SUV of luggage and ski equipment, Hadley carried Maggie inside and passed through the two-story foyer to the large living room. The whole front of the house that faced the mountain was made up of tall windows.
“There’s a nice room upstairs for you and Maggie.” Liam came over to where she stood staring at the mountain range. “Ben said he was able to get a crib set up in there.”
Hadley followed Liam up a broad staircase. At the top he turned right. The home sprawled across the hillside, providing each bedroom with a fantastic view. The room Hadley and Maggie were to share was at the back of the house and looked west, offering views of both mountains and the town. At four in the afternoon, the sun was sliding toward the horizon, gilding the snow.
“Is this okay?”
“It’s amazing.” The room was large by Hadley’s standards, but she guessed it was probably the smallest the house offered. Still, it boasted a queen-size bed, plush seating for two before the enormous picture window and a stone fireplace that took up most of the wall the bed faced. The crib had been set up in the corner nearest to the door that led to the hall.
“I’m next door in case you need me.”
Her nerves trumpeted a warning at his proximity. Not that there was any cause for alarm. She and Liam had been sleeping down the hall from each other for almost two weeks.
Plus, it wasn’t as though they would be alone. Tomorrow, five others would be joining them, and from the way Liam described past years, the men would be occupied with cards, drinking and conversation late into the night.
“What time should I be ready to leave for dinner?”
“I think we won’t want to have Maggie out late. What if we leave here in an hour?”
“I’ll have both of us ready.”
With Maggie snug in her new winter clothes and Hadley dressed for the cold night air in a turtleneck sweater and black cords, they came downstairs to find Liam waiting in the entry. He held Hadley’s insulated jacket while she slid her feet into warm boots and then helped her into the coat. The brush of his knuckles against her shoulders caused butterflies to dance in her stomach. The longing to lean backward against his strong chest was so poignant, Hadley stopped breathing.
Because she’d had her back to him, Liam had no idea how the simple act of chivalry had rocked her equilibrium. Thank goodness she’d learned to master her facial expressions during her last five years of being a nanny. By the time Liam picked up Maggie’s carrier, set his hand on the front door latch and turned an expectant gaze upon her, she was ready to offer him a polite smile.
Liam closed and locked the door behind them and then offered his arm to help Hadley negotiate the driveway’s steep slope.
“You have Maggie,” she told him, considering how lovely it would be to snuggle against his side during the half-mile walk. “Don’t worry about me.” She might have convinced him if her boots hadn’t picked that second to skid on an icy patch.
“I think I can handle a girl on each arm,” he said, his voice rich with laughter.
Hadley slipped her arm through Liam’s and let him draw her close. The supporting strength of his muscular arm was supposed to steady her, not weaken her knees, but Hadley couldn’t prevent her body from reveling in her escort’s irresistible masculinity.
At the bottom of the driveway, Hadley expected Liam to release her, but he showed no inclination to set her free. Their boots crunched against the snow-covered pavement as they headed toward town. Sunset was still a little ways off, but clouds had moved in to blanket the sky and speed up the shift to evening. With her heart hammering a distracting tattoo against Hadley’s breastbone, she was at a loss for conversation. Liam seemed okay with the silence as he walked beside her.
The restaurant Liam chose was a cute bistro in the heart of Vail Village. “It’s my favorite place to eat when I come here,” he explained, holding open the door and gesturing her inside.
The early hour meant the tables were only a third full. The hostess led them to a cozy corner table beside the windows that ran along the street front and offered a wonderful view of the trees adorned with white lights. Above their heads, small halogen lights hung from a rustic beam ceiling. A double-sided stone fireplace split the large room into two cozy spaces. White table linens, candlelight and crystal goblets etched with the restaurant’s logo added to the romantic ambience.