“You skated in competitions? Did you ever wear one of those incredibly short and revealing dresses?”
“Yes.”
With a groan, he lowered his head toward hers, ignoring the wolf whistling from his brothers. “Can I tempt you to wear one of those again?”
“You’re warped.” But her heart picked up pace and she saw his eyes darken.
“Remind me why we got up this morning instead of staying in bed?”
“Because I’m experiencing Snow Crystal, and you wanted to talk to your grandfather. How did that go by the way?”
“It went well. You were right about a lot of things.” He seemed about to add something to that comment but then looked over her shoulder and stopped. “Later. Jess is on her way over here.”
“Wow, Kayla!” Jess skated over to them, her face alight. “That was so cool. Will you teach me?”
“Sure. I’ll swap skating lessons for ski lessons.”
“Done. I want to learn how to spin.”
“You need to glide on your edge, turn your shoulders—” She demonstrated it several times and then they all skated together until Jackson was called away to deal with a problem at the lodge.
Kayla returned to the cabin, determined to work while she could.
She’d just removed her boots and jacket when Elizabeth arrived with Maple.
“Do you mind taking her for a couple of hours? I have to take Alice into the village to do some last-minute Christmas shopping and then Élise is giving me a cookery lesson.”
Maple leaped ecstatically at the sight of Kayla, who discovered she didn’t mind at all.
“I’m glad of the company.”
Which should have surprised her, because normally she resented interruptions when she was working.
She lifted the puppy and was rewarded by canine kisses. “I’ll bring her back over later.” Was it her imagination or did Elizabeth seem different? There was a glow to her smile and an energy in her step that hadn’t been there a few days earlier. “How’s it going in the restaurant?”
“Incredibly busy. It’s a crazy environment, but you’re part of a team and—it’s hard to explain, but I feel as if I have a purpose. I feel needed.”
“That’s because you are needed,” Kayla said drily. “Without you, Élise would be slitting her throat with one of her own kitchen knives.”
“She’s giving me a sauté lesson later.”
“Good luck with that.” But she was pleased to see Elizabeth looking so happy and pleased that she’d played a part in that.
Left alone, Kayla stripped off the clothes she’d worn for skating, took a hot shower and washed her hair.
She stepped onto the towel, her mind on work, and almost jumped out of her skin as something licked her toes.
Maple wagged her tail and Kayla pressed her hand to her chest and waited for her heart to slow down.
“You frightened the life out of me. I’d forgotten you like to do that.” She picked the puppy up and carried her through to the bedroom. “Good job you weren’t here last night because you are far too young to witness what went on in this room.”
With Maple watching, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a chunky cream sweater and left her hair to dry naturally.
Walking through to the living room, she spread out all her notes while the puppy settled down on the rug.
She worked harder than she’d worked in her life. Every account was important to her, but this was the first time an account had mattered to her on a personal level and she was determined to do all she could to get results.
She lost track of the time and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Maple bark and looked up to see Jackson standing there.
“You scared me.”
“Yeah, we need to work on that. You’re far too jumpy for your own good.” He reached down and tugged her to her feet. “I love your hair like that.”
“Messy?”
“That’s not the word I’d use. You look relaxed. Less uptight. I like it. When did you last eat?”
“Er—breakfast?” She ran her fingers through her hair, self-conscious. “You cooked it. It was cold.”
“You’ve been working all this time?”
“I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ve been finishing up this proposal, making a few calls—” She was excited enough to want to share the details, but decided it would be better to talk to them all at the same time. “When do you want me to present to your family?”
“You’re prepared to do that again after what happened last time?”
“Of course. This is a family business.”
“How about Christmas Eve? Élise is cooking.” He picked up Maple, and Kayla followed him to the door, work forgotten.