Читать книгу Snow Crystal Trilogy - Sarah Morgan - Страница 17

JACKSON ENDED THEIR snowmobile tour at his favorite mountain restaurant.

“We’ll have lunch here.”

Kayla pulled off her helmet. Her gaze was fixed on the view, which could have been because it was spectacular, but he had a feeling it was because she’d rather look at just about anything but him. “I’m grateful for the offer of lunch, but what I’d really like is to go back to the resort and do some work.”

She was running from him.

The kiss had shaken her, and he had some sympathy with that because it had shaken him, too.

For a brief moment in the forest, she’d thawed. Under his hands and mouth, Kayla Green had transformed from ice machine to warm, soft woman, but now she was frozen again, the layer of ice between her and the world thicker than ever.

He wondered what it would take to melt it permanently.

“This is work. You’re getting to know Snow Crystal.” Jackson chose the table with the best view. “Sit down. The specialty of this place is the hot spiced apple cider.”

If they hadn’t been on top of a mountain, she would have argued. He saw it in the way she held herself, tense and poised for flight. But there was no flight because her only way out of here was on the back of his snowmobile, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

So she sat. “If it’s a local specialty I’d like to try it of course, thanks.” It was a signal that she wanted to get this over with as fast as possible. “I’m interested in—” She broke off, her expression frozen, as a pretty girl wearing a red ski jacket and a Santa hat skipped across the deck to them.

“Jackson! I wasn’t expecting to see you here today.” The girl flung her arms around him and Jackson almost drowned in blond hair and perfume. As he gently extracted himself, he saw that Kayla was already on her feet.

“This looks like a good moment for me to use the bathroom.” She smiled her most corporate smile, and Jackson sighed because she was back in hedgehog mode, complete with a full set of prickles. And they were aimed right at him.

“Kayla, this is Dana. Dana is my cousin.” He emphasized the word gently and saw Kayla frown slightly.

“Oh. I assumed—” She stuck out her hand, as if she was making sure she couldn’t be on the receiving end of the same effusive greeting. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Hi, Kayla.” Dana gave a friendly smile, shook hands and then turned back to Jackson. “Guess who I have in my kindergarten class this week. The Foster twins, can you believe that? I babysat them. Now they’re on skis.”

“That thought is close to terrifying. How are they doing?”

“They’re awesome. Overexcited about Christmas, but who isn’t? Hey, Cliff—” Dana leaned back and waved her hand to the owner of the restaurant “—starving to death and dying of thirst here. Any chance of some service?”

Cliff strolled over, eyebrows raised. “You just told me you weren’t eating because you couldn’t afford my shocking prices.”

“I can’t, but that was before Jackson showed up. He’s paying.” She peeped at him and Jackson gave a half smile.

“My debts are so huge one burger isn’t going to make a difference.”

“In that case I’ll have the mountain burger with fries, thanks. Unless I’m interrupting—” Her eyes slid to Kayla, who was still wearing her corporate smile.

“What could you possibly be interrupting? It’s great to have a chance to chat with someone who lives around here. It gives breaking for lunch a purpose.”

She had a smile for different situations, he decided. And he preferred the one she’d given him when he kissed her.

She looked a whole lot healthier than she had when he’d picked her up that morning. The fresh air had whipped pink into her cheeks and added sparkle to her eyes.

Or maybe it was the kiss that had done that.

He pulled off his gloves and put them on the table. “Do you ever do anything just because it’s fun?”

“I find work fun.”

Jackson spoke to Cliff and ordered the artisan cheese board and the charcuterie plate, along with a basket of fresh rolls and Dana’s burger.

Kayla stared at the food. “I’m really not hungry.”

“You’ll be hungry when it arrives. The food is sourced from local suppliers. The quality of food around here is exceptional. It’s a definite draw for the tourists.”

At the word tourist she relaxed. “So what would you say is the special appeal of Snow Crystal, Dana?”

“If I had to pick a favorite, I’d have to say dogsledding, but I’m biased because my parents run Snow and Sled from the farm right next to Snow Crystal. We have a huge network of trails, and when I’m not teaching classes, I help out in the kennels. We have eighteen huskies. Twenty-two if you count the four that are retired.” Dana sat back as Pete delivered their drinks. “I can guarantee it is the most fun you will ever have in your life. If you like, I could take you out. We run daily most weeks and at this time of year we run at night, too.”

Kayla sipped her cider. “You go out on the sled in the dark?”

“If there is enough moonlight we use that. If not, headlamps. Going out at night is special.”

“It sounds romantic.” Kayla’s gaze connected briefly with Jackson’s. Just for a moment they were both back in the forest, mouths hot as they’d feasted on each other. Then she looked away. “Romantic destinations are an important draw for the traveling public. We try to target a wide range of media so we’re always looking for a story that’s a little different. A new angle. Something that sets you apart. That way we get top-tier placements.” She paused as Cliff delivered the food to their table.

“One artisan plate, one charcuterie and a burger. Enjoy. And don’t forget to tell your friends how good we are.”

“I always do. In fact this burger should be free, given the number of people I send up here.” Dana bit into her burger while Jackson looked on in amusement.

“Technically that burger is free since I’m the one paying.”

“You’re still repaying the debt for all those snowballs you stuffed down my neck when we were growing up. So, are you flying back to the U.K. for Christmas, Kayla?”

“No, I’m staying here.” Kayla reached across the table and helped herself to a thin slice of cheese. “I’m living the Snow Crystal experience.”

“You couldn’t find a better place to spend Christmas. It’s magical.” Dana slapped Jackson’s fingers as he reached across to steal her fries. “If you wanted fries you should have ordered some.”

“I ordered these and paid for them.”

They played verbal tennis, the banter bouncing backward and forward between them as it always did and, as lunch progressed, other people drifted over and joined them until the table was crowded with a dozen people, most of whom Jackson had known since childhood.

Kayla was polite, factual and impressive as they encouraged her to talk about her work. She didn’t seem overwhelmed as she had with his family, and he decided it was because the conversation wasn’t personal.

He was surprised to discover how much he wanted it to be personal.

“We should go.” He rose to his feet, exchanged a few words with one of the instructors about snow conditions and the forecast for Christmas itself, and checked his watch.

Dana was on her feet, too, pulling on her gloves and still chatting to Kayla. “If you want a sled ride, let me know. It’s something everyone should try once in a lifetime.”

“That would be interesting, thank you.”

“Not interesting. Magical. And romantic.” Dana gave Jackson a meaningful look, and he shook his head. He would have laughed but he knew better than to encourage her.

“Go! And keep those Foster twins out of trouble.”

“Not possible. Bye. Love you.” She stood on tiptoe, kissed him and then winked at Kayla. “I do that because it increases my cool rating among people who don’t know we’re related.”

“Goodbye, Dana,” Jackson said mildly. “Leave, now, before I charge you for the burger.”

“I could give Kayla a ski lesson.”

He reached for his gloves. “Or you could go do your job and leave me to give her a ski lesson.”

Kayla didn’t smile. “Maybe we should leave skiing for another day. I could use some time alone with my laptop, and I was hoping to talk to your mother this afternoon.”

The words made sense. Her expression didn’t. He saw panic in her eyes. The same panic that had been there when he’d kissed her. The same panic that had been there the night before.

It all added up to one thing.

She didn’t want to be alone with him.

KAYLA PACED THE length of the cabin, trying to regain her balance.

She’d come here to escape Christmas, expecting to find calm and peace to work until the whole thing was over. She hadn’t expected to find a hot guy with no respect for boundaries. It unsettled her. He unsettled her.

It wasn’t just because of that kiss—although admittedly it had been enough to make a girl forget how to stay upright on her own two legs—it was the way he behaved around her. He wasn’t prepared to be frozen out, and he seemed to have no issues with blurring the boundaries between business and pleasure.

Kayla opened her laptop. She wanted to work, but now her head was a mess, her concentration shot and all coherent thought tangled up with images of Jackson.

Trying to focus, she phoned the office and spoke to Stacy.

“I took a look at those activity reports—thanks for that. Any news from the Wexford Hotel Group?” She listened while Stacy updated her, calmed by the familiarity of the routine. “I need to call Howard—I’ll do that from here—and ask Melinda to send me through the timeline, proposal and business deck for the airline pitch. I’ll look at it in a quiet moment.”

“Over the holidays?”

“I’m working.”

“Not right the way through, surely. What about Christmas Day? Do yourself a favor and at least get up close and personal with that gorgeous guy. Find mistletoe if you have to.”

They hadn’t needed mistletoe.

They hadn’t needed anything except each other.

She felt color rush into her cheeks and was relieved she and Stacy weren’t in visual contact. “I would never get involved with someone I work with.”

“Kayla, you work all the time. The only guys you are ever going to meet are people you work with, so unless you plan on leading a celibate life, you’re going to have to cross your own line at some point. Brett wants you to bring back maple syrup. His wife and youngest daughter like it.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “He can buy it at the store.”

“It’s not the same as homemade in Vermont.”

Homemade in Vermont. She thought about the gingerbread Santas and the smell of baking.

“That’s it. I’m going to use that for our campaign. Homemade in Vermont. It’s all about traditional family values. A place you can share idyllic moments with those you love. Don’t most people want that?”

“Er—you don’t want that.”

“I’m not talking about me.” Kayla felt the familiar rush of excitement that came with ideas, swiftly followed by relief that at least part of her was operating normally. “People lead busy lives. They don’t have enough time for family and they feel guilty about that, and then the holidays come round and they want something that reaffirms their values. Snow Crystal does that. It’s a perfect place for families. We’ll put together some packages. And maybe we should profile the O’Neil family. They’ve built this place, stuck by each other—it’s the sort of story people love.” Her brain working, she strode back across the cabin and scribbled notes on her pad.

“That’s great. Are you having any fun there?”

“Fun?” She thought about the snowmobile ride. She thought about the kiss. “Everything is fine. I need to go. I want to talk to Elizabeth O’Neil about cookery.”

“You don’t know anything about cookery.”

“That’s why I need to talk to someone with knowledge.”

THE AROMA OF cinnamon and spice hit her as she walked up the snowy path to the front door. From the artful twist of fairy lights in the trees to the elaborate wreath on the door, the place sparkled with Christmas cheer.

Through the door she could hear Elizabeth singing along to Christmas songs. It made her want to run a mile and then she decided she didn’t want to be a woman who could be unsettled by a few twinkly lights and someone’s cheerful rendition of “Jingle Bells.”

Nor did she want to be a woman who was unsettled by one man’s kiss, even if that kiss had been insanely good.

Trying to push that out of her head, Kayla knocked briskly on the door and was greeted by ecstatic barking. Moments later, Elizabeth opened the door and Kayla saw the puppy springing up and down like a child on a trampoline.

“That’s a warm welcome.” Kayla was relieved at least one person in the family wasn’t bearing a grudge. “I wondered if you had time for a chat? But if this is a bad time—”

“It’s a perfect time! Tyler was supposed to be bringing Jess over, but there’s no sign of either of them. Maybe they’ve gone shopping. You know how it is at Christmas.”

Yes, she knew.

That was why she’d agreed to a week here. It was just a shame it wasn’t quite turning out how she’d planned.

She stepped into the hallway, saw boxes of decorations laid ready and tinsel heaped high and backed away like a wild animal sensing danger. “I’m disturbing you.”

“You’re certainly not disturbing me. It’s lovely to have company. I have biscuits in the oven and then we’ll trim the tree together.”

Kayla felt a rush of horror. She’d rather hug a moose than trim the tree. “No! I mean—I’m no good at it. I have no eye for what makes a pretty tree.”

“It will be fun. You’re so much taller than me, you can reach the top. Come through to the kitchen for a minute.” Elizabeth removed several trays of freshly baked cookies, which she quickly and efficiently transferred to a cooling rack.

Kayla tried to work out how she could escape from decorating a Christmas tree without causing offence. “Are you feeding the whole of Vermont?”

“Sometimes it feels that way. We sell them in the café, and we put them in the rooms when we have new guests arriving. I think those little touches make it feel less like a hotel and more like a home. Let’s go through to the living room. I’m waiting for Jackson to bring one more box of decorations from Alice’s attic.”

Kayla followed Elizabeth into the living room, careful not to tread on Maple, who was running happy circles around her feet.

Through the windows she could see past the trees to the lake and, beyond that, the snow-covered mountains. A log fire blazed and a large Christmas tree stood in the corner, waiting to be decorated. Kayla stared at it with an ache in her chest.

“Big tree.”

“Isn’t it a beauty? Tyler and Jackson dragged it from the forest on the sledge.”

Kayla picked out a chair angled away from the tree. Unfortunately that put her in direct line of sight of the mantelpiece with its garland of twisted ivy and delicate fairy lights. Keeping her head down, she pulled her notepad out of her bag. “Do you have time to talk about Snow Crystal?”

“I always have time to talk about Snow Crystal. Walter has taken Alice down to the village to buy more yarn, so Maple and I are on our own here.” Elizabeth carried the boxes in from the hallway and opened one of them. “I pack these away each year and then can’t remember what’s in them. Does that happen to you?”

“I—No. I rent a small apartment near Central Park. There’s barely room for me. I don’t decorate.”

“Not even a small tree? That’s terrible.” Elizabeth opened the first box. “Still, I suppose you have all those glittering New York shop windows to enjoy. Michael took me once. We saw them lighting the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center. I’ll never forget it, although I still maintain there is nowhere I’d rather be than Snow Crystal at Christmas. You’ll never want to leave.”

She didn’t just want to leave, she wanted to leave right now.

Coming here had been a bad idea.

She’d thought she’d be able to escape, but there was no escape when the thing you were trying to escape was buried inside you.

Kayla’s head was starting to pound. What had possessed her to offer to come here at this time of year? Thanks to that lapse in judgment she now had her back to a giant Christmas tree, while facing a box full of baubles and enough fairy lights to power Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

“Is something wrong, dear?” Elizabeth’s voice was quiet. “Did Walter upset you?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Tell me about Snow Crystal,” Kayla said desperately. “Tell me what makes it special.”

Elizabeth watched her for a moment and then stood up. “Why don’t I make us some tea? I could talk for hours about Snow Crystal.”

Hours?

Kayla wasn’t sure she’d make it through minutes let alone hours. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“I love the company.” Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen and was back a few minutes later carrying a tray loaded with a teapot, two bone china mugs and a plate of homemade cinnamon stars. “In the morning I drink English breakfast tea and in the afternoon Earl Grey with lemon. They all tease me, but it’s my little British treat. That and HP Sauce and the occasional bar of Cadbury’s chocolate.”

“Do you miss England?”

“I did at first, but not anymore. As soon as I met Michael and had the children, Snow Crystal became home. And I had no family left in England, so I suppose that was another reason why it was easy to leave it behind. But I brought a few traditions with me, and tea is one of those.” The puppy barked hopefully and Elizabeth glanced at Kayla. “Is she bothering you? I can put her somewhere else.”

“No. Don’t do that.” Keen to make a good impression this time, Kayla reached down and gave Maple a hesitant pat. The puppy’s fur was soft and springy under her fingers. “She’s pretty. And so friendly.”

“Did you have a dog when you were growing up?”

“No.” Kayla felt the pressure build in her chest. “No pets. Did you breed her?”

“Jackson found her in the forest when he was out on one of the trails this summer.” Elizabeth set the tray down on the low coffee table. “Someone had left her tied to a tree. Can you believe that?” Her mouth thinned. “She was skin and bones.”

“That’s terrible.” Shocked, Kayla stroked Maple gently. “So you kept her?”

“There was no way we’d let her go to the pound, so we gave her a home. But it hasn’t been easy. She’s a miniature poodle and we have two Siberian huskies, Ash and Luna, and they play rough. Maple gets in the middle of that.”

“I haven’t met your other dogs.”

“They’re living with Tyler at the moment. It’s good for Jess to have them around.” Elizabeth picked up the teapot and glanced up. “Maple was a bit overexcited last night. I’m worried she ruined your shoes.”

Kayla thought about the combined destructive power of paws and snow. “It was my fault for wearing unsuitable shoes.”

“They were the prettiest shoes any of us had seen around here for a while.” Elizabeth poured tea into the two china cups. “Now what do you want to know about Snow Crystal?” She was kind, warm and accepting, and Kayla felt a rush of guilt.

“I want to apologize for last night.”

“If anyone needs to apologize, it’s Walter.”

“No. I talked about things that didn’t interest you and didn’t seem relevant and—well, I was rude.” And it bothered her. Both the loss of control and the fact she’d offended them.

“You weren’t rude.” Elizabeth spooned sugar into her cup. “You were overwhelmed, and who can blame you. I remember the first time I met the O’Neils. It was like being buried by an avalanche. There were twelve of them sitting in the kitchen the night Michael brought me home. Twelve, not counting animals, all talking at once and not one of them stopping to listen to another, although somehow they seemed to manage to hear what was said anyway. I just wasn’t used to it. I’m guessing you’re not used to it, either. You’re used to order and shiny meeting rooms and suited executives. We’re nothing like your usual clients—I’m sure of that.”

Kayla thought of Jackson. Thought of those strong hands controlling the snowmobile through the deep snow. She thought about his powerful shoulders and the warmth of his mouth as he’d kissed her.

No, he was nothing like her usual clients.

Her heart thumped against her ribs, and she glanced around the living room, trying to distract herself.

The afternoon sun slanted through the large windows, bouncing light off photo frames. Deep sofas piled with cushions in earth tones faced each other across a large cream rug. It was a room that had seen a family grow. A room with a thousand stories to tell. The slight scuff on the leg of a chair where an active boy had smashed into it, the rug slightly worn by eager feet. It was a family room, comfortable and comforting. Except that it didn’t comfort her.

Kayla felt the ache build inside her. “You came here to cook?”

“It was meant to be just for the winter season.” Elizabeth sipped her tea. “I’d finished a course in Paris. Learned to make so many fancy dishes. Michael always said the day he tasted my braised lamb shanks, he was lost.” Smiling, she put the cup down. “He ate his way through the menu so he could have an excuse to talk to me. By the time he reached the last dessert we were in love. We were engaged after two weeks and I did all the cooking for our wedding.”

“Two weeks?” Kayla blinked. “That’s fast.”

“I’ve never understood people who have long engagements. If you know, why wait? And I knew. Michael and I connected straightaway. Losing him was a shocking blow.” Her eyes misted, and Kayla sat there feeling awkward and inadequate.

She knew nothing about the type of love Elizabeth had felt for her husband, but she knew how it felt to have your life irrevocably altered.

“It must be difficult for you, learning to live without him.”

“I miss him every minute of every day. I don’t talk about it much because I know Jackson worries about me, and he has enough to worry about.” She picked up her cup again, as poised and elegant as if she was indulging in tea at the Ritz in London. “But I’m glad to be living here. I feel close to Michael and it’s the same for Walter and Alice, of course. I have no idea how it would feel to have to leave this place—” Her eyes shone a little too brightly and Kayla sat still, staring hard into her tea because she knew.

She knew how it felt to lose a home.

She knew how it felt to be forced to move from somewhere safe and familiar. To have your roots wrenched from the ground so violently that only the scars remained.

And suddenly she understood why Jackson had come home. A man like him, with strong family values, would do that no matter what the cost to his own dreams and ambitions. It was about so much more than saving an ailing family business. It was about saving the memories for his mother and grandparents. Saving the jobs of people he’d known all his life. Saving the home he grew up in and the place he loved.

“I can help.” She was surprised by how badly she wanted to. Surprised to discover the desire to help had nothing to do with personal ambition. “You need more people through your doors, sleeping in your beds and eating in the restaurant. More people need to know about Snow Crystal. That’s what I do. I can put together a campaign that raises the profile of the resort.”

“That’s why Jackson brought you here, and I’ve never questioned his judgment.”

“Why did he leave? Why not just stay and run Snow Crystal right from the start?” She told herself that information on Jackson O’Neil was necessary for her job. It wasn’t because she had a personal interest and it definitely wasn’t because of the kiss.

“Michael would have liked him to stay, but Walter didn’t want him here. They clashed over it. Jackson found himself in the middle of that for a while, and then he went off to college and found his own path.” Elizabeth set a pretty china plate in front of Kayla. “It was the right thing to do. If he’d stayed here he never would have found out how high he could fly. And he flew high, as I always knew he would.”

Kayla heard the pride in her voice and wondered how it felt to be on the receiving end of that sort of love.

She’d given up telling either of her parents about her promotions and successes. Given up hoping they might be interested in anything she did.

“His father wanted him to stay?”

“Yes, but I think that was probably for selfish reasons,” Elizabeth admitted quietly. “Michael didn’t enjoy running this place. And Jackson was right to go. If he’d stayed, his wings would have been clipped by his father and his grandfather and those wings would have torn in the struggling.”

The vivid imagery made Kayla wince. “Ouch.”

“Eventually he might have resented them for holding him back, for standing in the way of him proving himself. He didn’t want something that someone else had created. He wanted to create something himself. He needed that.” Elizabeth passed Kayla a cookie. “They’re my cinnamon stars. At Christmas we package them up in pretty packages tied with bows. Try one.”

Kayla obliged, wondering if cooking was how Elizabeth filled the loneliness.

“Walter doesn’t agree with the changes Jackson has made?”

“Walter doesn’t understand why we would spend money when we’re losing it.” Elizabeth picked up a box of decorations. “I suppose I don’t understand that, either. But I trust Jackson. I need to sort through these decorations. Some of them need tender loving care. Some just won’t survive another year. Could you look through this one?” She pushed a box toward Kayla, who took it with all the enthusiasm of someone being passed a box of tarantulas.

It was just a few Christmas decorations. She could sort a few Christmas decorations without having a breakdown, surely?

Elizabeth smiled. “Why don’t you start hanging those.”

Kayla’s mouth felt dry. “You want me to hang them?”

“Of course. If you’re here with us over the holidays, the least we can do is let you share in our Christmas. I expect you have your own Christmas rituals. All families do.”

Kayla gripped the box. “We had a few.”

Put your stocking by the fire, Kayla. Let’s see what surprise Santa brings you.

There was a hollow, empty feeling in her stomach. She recognized the feeling because she’d lived with it for such a long time.

Loneliness could be felt at any time, of course, but there was something exquisitely painful about the loneliness that came along with Christmas.

She lifted a decoration from the box and stared at it.

A moment later it was gently removed from her hand.

“You don’t like this time of year, do you, dear?” It embarrassed and frustrated her that she still felt this way. That she hadn’t been able to put the past behind her and find the same joy in the holiday season that so many others did. “I find it difficult.”

The box was removed from her hand.

“Leave it. I’ll trim the tree later.”

“I’d like to do it.” She’d spent Christmas alone for the past decade. This time she was alone in the middle of a family. It couldn’t be worse, surely? “It’s been a while.”

“You don’t see your family at Christmas?”

Kayla hesitated and then the door opened, allowing a flurry of cold air into the living room along with Jackson. His collar was turned up against the winter cold, and he carried a large box in his arms.

Elizabeth gave Kayla’s arm a brief squeeze and walked toward him. “Is that the box we’ve been looking for?” Her voice gave no indication that he’d disturbed a conversation of significance, and Kayla was grateful for that. At the same time she wondered how much she would have said if they hadn’t been interrupted.

Jackson handed the box to his mother. “It was in the old barn tucked behind a stack of rusty machinery. I’m guessing Walter put it there after last Christmas.” Spying her rescuer, the puppy gave a yelp of ecstasy and shot across the living room, leaping on the spot to greet him.

Jackson scooped her up and made a fuss of her. “Sorry I took so long. After I found the box I only managed to walk three steps without being grabbed. Misbehaving boiler in cabin four, a leak in one of the lodge bedrooms and a child with a painful knee after a fall skiing.” He sprawled on the sofa and stretched out his legs. Maple snuggled onto his lap.

“I’ve been telling Kayla my life story.” Elizabeth picked up another box of decorations. “And she’s a good listener, unlike most of the folks around here. So where did you go this morning? I hope you took her somewhere nice.” She moved the conversation on and Kayla felt a flash of gratitude.

Jackson stroked Maple gently. “We went to the Chocolate Shack and the frozen waterfall.”

“Oh, that’s beautiful! Clever of you to show her that first. It’s my favorite place in the whole of Snow Crystal. Michael proposed to me there. Took me on a horse-drawn sleigh. The bells were tinkling, snow was falling…it was the most romantic thing you could imagine and even more so because he wasn’t a particularly romantic man. He surprised me.” Elizabeth lifted her hand to her throat. “He was romantic that night. Not just the proposal, but the way he did it. He’d thought it through, you see. Created something I’d remember. There was a fur rug and a bottle of champagne—” She broke off and Kayla saw concern in Jackson’s eyes.

“That sounds like a perfect proposal.” She took over the conversation to give Elizabeth a chance to compose herself. “Are sleigh rides popular among the guests?”

“Yes.” He told her about the horses they kept, about the route they took along the lake, and Elizabeth seemed to recover.

“Talking of guests, we had a request from the family renting cabin one for a Christmas tree. I asked Tyler, but he had to take that group skiing and Walter shouldn’t be chopping down trees and dragging them through the forest at his age.”

“I’ll do it.” Jackson massaged Maple’s tummy but his eyes were on Kayla.

She’d been trying not to look at him, but the pull of his presence in the room proved too much.

For a fleeting moment their eyes connected, and she knew he was thinking about the kiss. And so was she. The atmosphere was so thick she could hardly breathe. She was sure his mother should have been able to feel it, too, but Elizabeth’s attention was focused on the box of decorations in her lap.

Kayla stood up abruptly. “I’ll help you.” She snatched up the box Elizabeth had removed from her hand and hung a silver ball randomly on a branch, her hands shaking.

“You don’t have to do that, dear.”

“I want to.” It was just a tree. She ought to be able to decorate a tree. “I’ve been thinking we should definitely offer romance-themed packages.”

Elizabeth gave a sigh of approval. “I like that. Most people are too busy for romance today. No one slows down long enough to take time for each other.”

Jackson lifted Maple off his lap. “You think it’s better to go that route than showing Snow Crystal as a family destination?”

“We’re going to do both, although the method isn’t clear in my head yet.” It would be a lot clearer if she didn’t have her face stuck in Christmas. Kayla hung the decorations as quickly as possible, trying to get the job done. Why did the tree have to be so big? Branches stabbed her in the arm and in the face. Then she turned too quickly and they caught in her hair. “Ouch!”

“Family destination and romantic destination? Can a place be both?” Jackson rose to his feet and gently disentangled her, the backs of his fingers brushing her cheek. “Won’t we be diluting our message?”

Just for a moment she was back in the forest, surrounded by the smell of pine and the strength and power that was Jackson O’Neil. He smelled so good she closed her eyes, but that proved to be a mistake, because even though the baubles vanished her head was full of Jackson.

“Kayla?”

She opened her eyes, dizzy. “Mmm?”

“You’re no longer a decoration on the Christmas tree.” His voice sounded lazy and amused. “I was asking if you thought we’d be diluting our message?”

“No. We’ll be widening our audience.” Pulling away from him, she reached for the box and extracted another silver ball. “You can’t afford to restrict yourself to families only. And you have plenty to offer couples in search of romance. Sleigh rides, romantic dinner with champagne, breakfast…”

“For someone who claims not to be romantic, you seem to have a pretty good idea of how to create the right surroundings.” Jackson took the decoration from her and hung it from a high branch.

Kayla watched, distracted by the flex of male muscle. “I’m good at seeing what will work for other people. You just have to look at the facts.”

“Facts?” Elizabeth tilted her head to one side as she looked at the tree. “It isn’t about facts, dear. It’s about a feeling. A feeling in here.” She pressed her fist to her chest. “It sweeps you away and robs you of breath, and you know that no matter what happens in the future, this is a moment you’re going to remember forever. It’s always going to be there, living inside you, and no one can take it away.”

Kayla stood there, drowning under Christmas decorations and emotions she didn’t recognize.

She’d felt that way at the frozen waterfall when Jackson had kissed her.

She’d known right away it was a moment she wouldn’t forget.

Shaken, she forced a smile. “Then that’s the feeling we need to try to create. For other people, obviously.” She met Jackson’s searching gaze and saw Elizabeth glance between them thoughtfully.

“So what are your plans for the rest of the week? Are you taking Kayla skiing, Jackson?”

“Just as soon as I’ve found the ‘flat slope’ she’s requested.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “My boys tend to prefer the other sort of slope, Kayla. Steep ravines, gullies—the steeper the better. They loved the outdoors and they loved the adventure. They were wild.”

There it was again, Kayla thought. Pride. She sensed Elizabeth was a woman who would never feel anything but pride for her children.

“Not wild.” Jackson stooped and switched on the Christmas tree lights. “I knew what I wanted and I went after it.” He turned his head to look at Kayla, his gaze loaded with meaning.

Oblivious, Elizabeth stacked the plates and cups on the tray. “You were all wild. And once Tyler started racing—I couldn’t ever watch. I watched the recording, once I knew he was safe.”

Kayla tried to respond, but her mouth was dry, her brain empty and her gaze captured by Jackson. And then he smiled and that smile caught her somewhere behind her ribs.

She’d thought she’d experienced chemistry before, but nothing in her life had ever felt like this.

“Come over for breakfast tomorrow,” Elizabeth said. “You can sample our maple syrup with my homemade pancakes.”

Jackson’s gaze dropped to her lips and lingered there.

“Pancakes.” Somehow she managed to form the word, and she saw Jackson’s smile widen. Then he dragged his phone out of his pocket.

“I need to take this.”

She hadn’t even heard it ring.

This was not good.

“Afterward, we’ll make a batch of cinnamon stars together,” Elizabeth was saying. “Then you’ll be able to make them when you get back home.”

Kayla didn’t say that she was more likely to choose to poke herself in the eye with a pen than bake at home. She wasn’t capable of saying anything.

Jackson strolled back into the room. “I have to go over to the lodge. Chef trouble. Darren is threatening to walk out.”

“As long as it’s not Élise. She’s a fabulous cook,” Elizabeth murmured to Kayla, “but hot-tempered. French. Cooks like an angel and swears like she’s in the military. Darren drives her crazy because he likes to do things the way they’ve always been done. I expect she told him his food is boring, only not as politely as that. Go and soothe her, Jackson. Don’t let her leave. I just love her duck confit. You should try it, Kayla.”

Kayla decided she’d better sign up to Weight Watchers before she left Snow Crystal. “Maybe I will.” Without looking at the tree or Jackson, she picked up her bag. “Thanks for the tea and the chat, Elizabeth. You’ve given me some ideas to work with.”

Jackson slid his phone into his pocket. “I’ll drive you.”

Which meant being trapped in an enclosed space with him. She didn’t trust herself not to spontaneously combust. “I’ll walk. You go and sort out your chefs before they chop each other into tiny pieces.”

“In that case I’ll pick you up at seven for dinner.”

He was asking her on a date? In front of his mother? “Dinner?” She looked at him stupidly, and he gave her that slow, sexy smile that told her he knew exactly why she wasn’t getting in the car with him.

“Dinner, Kayla.”

She licked her lips. “I—er—”

“I’m keen to spend more time discussing your initial ideas for Snow Crystal. I presume you have no objection to dinner meetings?”

A dinner meeting.

No candles.

No seduction.

Work.

Aware of how close she’d come to making a total fool of herself, Kayla gave a relieved smile. “Dinner meetings work for me. Great use of time.” She breathed again. “I’ll see you at seven.”

She left the house and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the freezing air cool her heated skin.

Snow Crystal might be in a whole heap of trouble, but it was nothing compared to the heap of trouble she was in.