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“Oh—I—No, I don’t eat breakfast. I suppose there might be something in the cupboards, but really I should be getting on and—”
“You don’t eat breakfast?” Brenna sipped her coffee. “That will change when you’ve been here awhile. Breakfast is an important meal in the O’Neil household.”
When she’d been here awhile?
“I’m just here for a few days. Then I’m going back to New York.”
Brenna shuddered. “In that case, all the more reason to make the most of breakfast while you can. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted Elizabeth’s pancakes with maple syrup. Did you know they make their own maple syrup here? Come back in February and you can see them tapping the trees. They have a working sugarhouse.” She chatted away, open and friendly, apparently oblivious to Kayla’s discomfort.
“I won’t be coming back in February. I’m just here until Christmas.”
“You’ll be back. Everyone who visits Snow Crystal wants to come back. You’ll book a vacation.”
Kayla didn’t point out that if that were the case, Jackson wouldn’t need her help. “I don’t take vacations.” She cast a desperate glance at her laptop. “I should probably get dressed and I expect you’ll have finished your coffee by the time I’m done, so I’ll say goodbye and—”
“I’ll wait while you try it on. If nothing fits, we can sort something else out.”
Realizing that the sooner she did this the sooner she’d be allowed to get back to work, Kayla grabbed the box of clothes and retreated to the bedroom.
Guilt pulled at her.
Elizabeth O’Neil had spent all day in the kitchen preparing a meal to welcome her, and she’d rejected their hospitality and walked out.
How on earth was she was going to recover this situation?
Jackson had told her he was having trouble getting them to support his ideas. They were already suspicious of her as an outsider. Even more so since she’d acted like one.
Her head started to pound, and she rummaged through the box and found a pair of black ski pants. They fitted perfectly, as did the fleece zip sweater and ski jacket. Socks in her hand, she walked back into the living room.
“This is all great, thanks.”
“Wow.” Brenna whistled. “Ski pants make most people look fat. Not you. I might have to hate you.”
Join the rest of the O’Neils.
“Don’t bother. People will know I’m a fraud the moment I step onto the snow. Horizontal and soaking wet isn’t a good look.”
Brenna studied her over the rim of her coffee mug. “You don’t ski?”
“No. In fact I suspect I don’t do anything that is going to endear me to the O’Neil family.”
“They’re a sporty family but they’re not employing you for your ability to ski a double-diamond-black trail.”
Kayla felt a rush of despair. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s a difficult one that makes you want to throw up your breakfast. Hey—cheer up.” Brenna grinned. “We’re all expert at different things. I don’t know anything about public relations or whatever it is you do.”
Right at that moment Kayla didn’t feel as if she knew much about anything. Her confidence was at rock bottom. She sank down onto the sofa. “But you know Snow Crystal.”
“Grew up here. Went to school with the O’Neil boys, although they were a few years ahead of me. I skied with them. Followed them wherever they went.”
“Even down those—what did you call them?—diamond-black trails?”
“Those, too. Gave my mother panic attacks. Whatever they did, I had to do it, too, and they never once slowed down for me.” She grinned. “Bastards.”
Kayla remembered what she’d read about the O’Neil brothers. “And you run the ski program?”
“Yes. Although now Tyler’s back I guess that could change.” Brenna finished her coffee, strolled to the kitchen and rinsed her mug.
“What do you mean, now he’s back? Has he only just come back?”
“Tyler’s never been one to hang around Snow Crystal for long. Too wild.” Brenna bent to straighten her socks. “Came back for the funeral and then flew off again. He and Walter drive each other crazy. The more Walter tries to control him, the more Tyler rebels. It was the same when he was a kid. If Walter says white, Tyler says black. In many ways they’re alike but neither of them can see it.”
“So what made him come back?”
“Jess—that’s his daughter—announced she was coming to live with him.”
“Oh.” She remembered the brief glimpse she’d had of the girl before the puppy had trampled her shoes.
“She has spent Christmas here for the past twelve years, but now she’s here for good. Her Mom just had a baby.” Brenna’s voice changed. Hardened. “I don’t know the truth, but I’m guessing she and that guy she picked instead of Tyler don’t want poor Jess around. I can’t even imagine how bad she feels.”
Kayla sat still, staring straight ahead.
She didn’t have to imagine it.
She knew.
“It’s a mess,” Brenna said, “but she won’t really talk about it. And Tyler isn’t really helping. For some reason he’s being really strict with her, and it’s driving her crazy.”
“But he’s here.” Somehow Kayla formed the words. “He didn’t send her away.”
“I guess not.” Brenna looked thoughtful. Then she smiled. “I brought you some snow boots. They should be fine for walking around the resort. When you’re ready to ski, we’ll kit you out. I’d offer to give you a lesson, but I’m guessing Jackson wants to be the one to do that. You’ll be okay with him. Unlike Tyler, he slows down for beginners.”
Kayla was relieved by the change of subject. “Tell me a bit about Jackson. He handed over the running of his business to someone else and came home. That must have been hard.”
“Jackson has always been the responsible one. More controlled. Tyler is impulsive, but Jackson—” Brenna frowned. “He’s different. He weighs up all the options and then picks the best way, and once he’s picked it, he won’t deviate. He has total faith in himself. I saw it when he was younger. When we were skiing backcountry, Jackson would pause at the top of a slope and take a minute to pick his route. It was as if his brain was computing all the dangers. Tyler would just hurl himself off and trust his ability to get himself out of trouble.”
“And did that work?”
“Most of the time. He’s very gifted. Has strong instincts.” Brenna stooped to pick up her boots, her dark hair swinging forward and obscuring her features. “Trouble has always followed Tyler, and he’s never been one to run from it. Now Jackson—” straightening, she pushed her feet into fleece and warmth “—he treats trouble like a puzzle to be solved. When they were young, he was the one who refereed the fights between Sean and Tyler.”
Kayla thought about the way he’d handled the different personalities in the meeting. “He’s good with people.”
Brenna pulled a hat down over her ears. “He must be or I wouldn’t have come back here. I was perfectly happy in Switzerland, and at least there I didn’t have to—” She broke off and gave a distracted smile. “I should get going. I’m teaching a class in twenty minutes. Perhaps we can grab a drink sometime. Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome.” Kayla wondered what it was Brenna hadn’t had to do in Switzerland. “Thanks for the clothing.”
“Glad it fits. Hope you can fill this place with people.”
“Brenna?” She stood up and followed her to the door. “What do you love about Snow Crystal?”
“What do I love?” Brenna tilted her head back and stared at the tops of the trees and the mountains beyond them as if she was surprised Kayla couldn’t see it for herself. “All of it. I love the crunching sound of snow under my boots and the way the cold air feels on my cheeks. I love the summer here and the fall foliage of course, but winter is special. You’ll understand that as soon as we put you on skis. There is no better feeling than being alone on the mountain skiing the last run of the day when the only sound is the soft rush of your skis over fresh snow.”
“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.
Jackson felt an urge to power her back into the cabin and put some color into those pale cheeks. Instead he forced himself to step back and give her space.
“Santa’s not real? No one ever told me that. You just ruined my day.” He kept it light and saw her relax slightly.
“If you dump me in the snow, you’ll ruin mine.” She zipped the jacket to the neck and pulled on the gloves he handed her. “I hardly dare ask why I’m dressed like this. I’m not sure I’m going to like the answer. Does it involve bear or moose?” She turned to lock the cabin door.
“It might do. And you don’t need to worry about locking up. My mother hasn’t locked her door since she arrived here thirty-five years ago.”
“I live in a city. Force of habit.” Dropping the keys into her pocket, she stepped gingerly onto the deck, testing the surface. “These feel more stable than my other boots.”
“Anything would feel more stable than your other boots. Those should be fine on most surfaces, except for sheet ice. Here—” He handed her a helmet and she looked at it in alarm.
“I need a helmet?”
“For protection.”
“Protection from what?” Their feet crunched on snow as they walked down the path and she turned the helmet in her hands, looking at it from all angles. “I should have worn one of these last night when I met Walter. And maybe a bulletproof vest.”
He was impressed that she could treat it with humor despite feeling bruised. “Put the helmet on. We’re going to explore some of the Snow Crystal trails and backcountry.”
“How? I saw that picture of you jumping off a cliff, and frankly I don’t think I could—Oh—” She stopped at the gate and saw what was parked there. “What’s that?”
“That, Cinderella, is your carriage.”
She eyed the snowmobile. “We’ve been reading different fairy tales.”
“Cinderella would have loved a snowmobile. You’ve never been on one?”
“Er—no. There’s not a lot of call for them in London or New York.”
“They’re the most flexible mode of transport around here. They can cope with the forest tracks and the frozen lake. Guests love them. We have forty miles of groomed trails through the forest and the mountains.”
“The guests use these?”
