“If I find myself alone on a mountain it will be because I’m lost.”
Laughing, Brenna opened the door, letting in a stream of cold air. “The snow patrol are last off the mountain. You’re going to be fine. Here’s Jackson now. I’ll see you later.” She walked across the deck and down the steps, sure-footed and confident.
Kayla stood watching her for a moment, feeling better.
The feeling lasted right up until the moment Brenna reached up and gave Jackson a kiss.
Jackson glanced toward the cabin. “You found something to fit?”
“Of course.” Brenna zipped her jacket. “But I don’t think she was pleased to see me. It’s frostier in the cabin than out. That girl is stiffer than a fir tree after an ice storm. If that’s what working in Manhattan does for you, I’m glad to be at Snow Crystal. You need to get her to relax, Jackson.”
“I’m working on that.” He could see her through the windows of the cabin, head bent over her laptop. Black ski pants showed off her long slim legs and that sleek curtain of blond hair was twisted neatly into a clip at the back of her head. She looked businesslike, but there was a vulnerability about her that hadn’t been visible in New York. Or maybe he hadn’t been looking.
“I have a feeling that getting that girl to relax will be one of your more challenging projects so I’ll leave you to it.” Brenna flashed him a smile, and Jackson caught her arm as she turned away.
“About Tyler—”
Her smile didn’t slip as she extracted herself gently. “What about Tyler?”
“Is it all right, working with him?”
“Fine. As long as he doesn’t decide to take my kindergarten class down a diamond black, we’ll be good. See you later, Jackson.”
He knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but he decided that as long as she wasn’t resigning, that was all he needed to know for now. He’d handle the problems one at a time, and the next problem on his list was currently pacing the cabin in front of him.
She met him at the door.
Their eyes held for a fraction of a second and then she was smiling, brisk and efficient.
He remembered what Brenna had said about her being frozen and wondered why his friend couldn’t see what he could. If there was ice, then it was on the surface. Underneath, Kayla Green was a simmering cauldron of suppressed emotions.
“Good morning.” She was formal and distant, and he wondered how the hell he was going to break down those barriers and get her to relax enough to enjoy Snow Crystal. Somehow he had to teach a woman who lived her life indoors, to enjoy the outdoors. Have some fun. And the first thing he needed to do was make sure she was suitably dressed because nothing killed “fun” faster than cold.
“Brenna found you some gear. Did she wake you?”
“I’m an early riser.”
“Yeah, I remember now. The five o’clock start. And late to bed.” He knew, because he’d seen the light from her cabin glowing long after the clock by his bed had told him it was the next day.
He wondered what it was that kept her awake when others slept. An overactive mind? Or something else...
She stood aside to let him in, but Jackson shook his head and handed her a bag.
“Let’s make a start. I want to show you Snow Crystal. We’ll grab breakfast while we’re out.” He put the boots he was carrying down in front of her. “You need to wear these. I’m taking you on a tour.”
“On skis?”
“Not yet. I’m still searching for that ‘flat slope’ you requested. When I find it, I’ll let you know. In the meantime we’ll try something else.”
“Something else?” Her expression was comical. “When is your brother coming back for Christmas? I have a feeling I might need the services of an orthopedic surgeon. And I already have boots courtesy of Brenna.”
“What she gave you will be fine for walking around the resort, but you need these for what we’re doing today.” He watched as she slid her feet into them. Felt a flash of satisfaction that he’d guessed the right size. “Cinderella, I presume.”
“Her footwear was a little more delicate, and you are definitely not Prince Charming.”
“You don’t think I’m Prince Charming? You sure about that?” He straightened and found himself closer to her than he’d intended. She made him think of summer. Her hair smelled of flowers and her eyes were the same washed green as the trees emerging from a cobweb of early-morning mist.
Chemistry punched him hard in the gut, and the shock in her eyes told him she’d felt it, too.
“I stopped believing in Prince Charming around the time I stopped believing in Santa and the tooth fairy.” Dressed in ski gear she looked younger than she did in her businesslike skirt and stilettos. Softer.