He was booked for morning ski lessons, something I knew he now regretted, but he’d promised Jacob he’d help him out and it would seem Gray didn’t back out of a promise. I liked that. I liked that a lot.
To be fair, I liked everything about him.
“Oh my God, you are so cute,” Catie teased at breakfast the next morning.
I made a face at both her and her grinning husband. “I am not.”
“You are, too. You’re sitting there gazing dreamily out at the snowy mountains wondering if your Prince Charming is one of those moving dots in the powder.”
I rolled my eyes to hide the fact that she was right. “Am not.”
“Are too. We can safely assume the date went well?”
I glanced between Catie and Kyle, wondering if I told them the truth if they’d think I was crazy.
Catie frowned, sensing my concern. “What is it?”
I lowered my cup of tea. “You’ll both think I’m insane.”
“Why? What is it?”
I exhaled slowly. “I think he… okay, I know this sounds nuts and I would think it was nuts if it wasn’t happening to me but… I think he might be… well… the one.” I flinched, bracing for their reaction.
When all I got was silence, I slumped in my seat. “You think I’m nuts.”
“I don’t.” Kyle shrugged. “I knew Catie was it for me the moment we met.”
I smiled as Catie stared adoringly at her husband. “You did?”
“Aye.” He grinned back at her. “I felt like you’d slammed into me the moment I saw you because I couldn’t catch my breath. And I knew. I just knew you were it.”
“You’ve never told me that before.” She smacked his shoulder.
He winced while I laughed. “Well, I didn’t want to sound like a total Muppet. But Autumn’s being honest and I don’t want her to feel like an idiot. This shite can happen.” He turned to me. “But beware. Next thing you know you’re married at twenty-two.”
I chuckled. “I’m twenty-five.”
“You know what I mean. Catie and I met at twenty-one and less than a year later we got married.”
“I knew I loved him right away, too,” Catie said to me before turning back to Kyle, “but I didn’t know you felt the same way. You didn’t even say that in your vows!”
“I think getting engaged after six months and then getting married five months later pretty much says it all, babe.”
She snorted. “True.”
Not wanting to interrupt the warm moment between them but needing reassurance, I asked, “So you don’t think I’m nuts?”
“No,” they said in unison.
Catie continued, “However, men haven’t always treated you the way you deserve. One of them not too long ago. Be careful.”
I stiffened at the reminder I hadn’t been very good at choosing men. “I know that. But have I ever said any of them were the one? Gray… Gray would never hurt me. I don’t know how I know that. I just do.”
My friends contemplated me in silence for a while again until I was squirming with the need to bolt out of my seat. Then Catie reached across the table for my hand, like Gray had done last night, and squeezed it in hers. “You want to know what I think?”
No, I’m scared. “Yes?”
“I think after everything you’ve been through, the fact that you still have the biggest, most open heart of anyone I know, makes you the bravest person I know. Christ, Autumn, it is so much easier to hide from love than it is to give in to it. You’re such a special person and if you think this guy is the one then go for it. We’ll be here no matter what happens.”
Tears glistened in my eyes. “You’re the best friend ever.”
She grinned. “I know.”
I laughed but my amusement faded when I whispered, “Killian won’t be so understanding.”
“This isn’t his life. Who knows whether this connection with Gray will go anywhere… but you’ll never know if you don’t take a shot at it. However, if you need me to say it, I’ll say it: I trust you, Autumn. Trust yourself.”
Before I could stop them, the tears spilled over. “Best. Friend. Ever.”
* * * *
Now that Catie and Kyle emotionally had my back, I felt even more antsy to see Gray so we could further explore the immense connection between us. Which meant, without any spa appointments booked that day, I was bored and impatient as I lounged around the lodge. Eventually I found myself snuggled up in the corner of one of the couches in the reception area, my back to the fire, my knees drawn up with a notepad on them. My boots lay scattered beside me on the floor and there was a glass of warm cider on the window ledge by the couch.
I stared at the piece of paper I’d torn free from the notepad braced on my knee, chewing the end of my pen in thought.
POSSIBLE CAREER OPTIONS
1. Small catering company (on my own this time!!)
2. Bakery? Or catering company focused on baked goods only
3. Stylist to the stars (not realistic but I did a good job with Skylar)
4. Event organizer/wedding planner
5. PA at Killian’s new label--job is ready and waiting
6. Interior designer. No experience! Would be fun though!
7. AHHHH!
8. I suck
9. HOLD ME :(
I felt the heat of him at my back before he said, “What are you doing?”
I tilted my head back to find Gray leaning over me, looking down at my notebook. He was upside down to me but I could still see his eyes scanning the paper. I clamped a hand over it. “Nothing.”
Gray rounded the couch. He was dressed in dark jeans, winter boots, a navy knit sweater with a roll neck, and a winter jacket. His face was flushed from the cold and he vibrated with an air of masculine energy that created a shot of tingles between my legs. He smiled at me before leaning down to brush his lips against my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, which was why it was so easy for him to slide the bit of paper out from under my hand.
“Hey!” I cried belatedly, throwing my legs off the couch to stand up and reach for it.
But I was in socks and now significantly shorter than I had been the night before so he held the list high above him and out of reach.
“Give me,” I huffed, jumping for it.
Gray laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him so suddenly that I was immediately distracted by the feel of his hard chest beneath my hands.
He looked down into my face and his arm tightened around me. “You feel good here, angel.”
I frowned because I felt amazing against him but he still had my bit of paper. “Give me my notes.”
Instead he kissed me. Properly. Tongue and all. It was such a deep, luscious, hungry kiss, I curled my fingers into his sweater just to hold on. I swear my legs were trembling when he finally let me up for air. Gray released me with another soft caress of his lips and then snuggled me into his side as he brought the paper down to his eye level.
He was already reading it before I fully recovered from his kiss.
“Okay,” he said after a few seconds perusal. “Our plans for today just changed.”
“Our plans? What were our plans?”
“Honestly?”
I nodded, lost in his gaze.
He grinned, seemingly totally aware of how much he affected me. “Me fighting hard not to drag you to the nearest bedroom like a caveman.”
I gave a huff of laughter. “I’m sure.”
“But now I need to put those thoughts on hold.” He squeezed me again. “I think I’ve got a way to test your options.” He waved the bit of paper in the air. “Five birds, one stone. If you’re up for doing that while you’re here? Say you got the opportunity to cater, organize an event, style someone, and redecorate a room this week? See which one you enjoyed or succeeded at most?”
Bemused, I nodded. “I would do it. I don’t know how I can possibly do it here though.”
“Boots and jacket
on. I’ll show you.”
As soon as I did as asked, Gray took over pulling my hat down over my hair as I tugged on gloves. He pressed a sweet kiss to the tip of my nose before he let me go. “Come on.” He slid his arm along my shoulder and pulled me into his side, so I put my arm around his waist to make it easier for us as we walked. It was amazing how natural it felt to be in his arms as he led us across the car park toward the building that housed the holiday apartments.
As we approached the outer staircase of the building I remembered Gray said he was staying in one of the condos. “I thought you said you weren’t going to drag me to the nearest bed?”
He chuckled. “I’m not.”
“Oh.” It came out sounding way more disappointed than I meant it to and Gray threw his head back in deep, rumbling, attractive laughter. I found myself staring at him as he did so, loving that I made him laugh like that.
“Soon,” he promised. “But today I want you to meet someone. Someones actually. Molly and Susan Olsen. They’re here on a girl trip. They lost Molly’s younger brother to cancer nine months ago and reading between the lines, things have been hard with Susan’s husband ever since. He’s not here with them. Susan decided to bring Molly here for her thirteenth birthday because Molly has always wanted to learn to ski and they don’t live far from Cunningham Falls. I gave them both lessons a couple of days ago and then again this morning and Molly was going on and on about missing out on a birthday party.”
We trudged upstairs to the first floor. “That’s so sad about her brother.”
“Yeah, it is, angel.” Gray led me to a door near the very end of the walkway. “But I’m hoping we can make at least today a little better for them.”
Behind the door I could hear the murmur of conversation and when Gray knocked on it, it flew open almost immediately.
“Gray, did we forget something?” an attractive blonde with light green eyes asked. She was dressed in snow trousers but wearing only a T-shirt.
“Gray!” A cute miniature version of the woman pushed into her mother’s side. She was still dressed in a pink snowsuit. “You’re back.” Her eyes drifted to me and I saw them widen with curiosity.
“Susan, Molly, I want you to meet my woman, Autumn. Autumn, this is Susan and Molly.”
I smiled and shook their hands, reeling from having just been referred to as Gray’s “woman.” It was so macho mountain man and the feminist in me should have been affronted. The possessive, hungry woman in me, however, won out and wanted to enforce this claim by getting extremely naked with him.
“I know Molly said she was sad not to get a birthday party so I brought Autumn to help out.” He nudged me forward and stood behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. “You have in Autumn, Wonder Woman. She can cook, bake, event organize, interior design slash decorate and is literally a stylist to the stars—she styled Skylar Finch.”
Molly’s eyes grew huge at this information while what Gray was doing suddenly sunk in. “You know Skylar Finch?”
Since it was all over the news anyway and Molly had a “fangirl” light in her eyes I nodded. “She’s dating my brother.”
“You’re Killian O’Dea’s sister!” she practically shrieked, jumping a little. Susan let out a little burst of surprised laughter at her daughter’s reaction.
Gray dipped his head toward mine and I glanced back and up at him to find him grinning at me. “Think she knows who Skylar Finch is, angel.”
I shook with laughter and turned back to Molly. “I am Killian’s sister.”
“That. Is. So. Cool.”
“So… does that mean you’d be good with Autumn organizing your birthday party, handling catering, decoration, and helping you and your mom find an outfit?”
“Oh my God, yes! Mom, please?” She turned to Susan.
Susan cupped her daughter’s cheek and stared at her in a way that made me feel like she was sad and happy at the same time. “Of course, honey.”
“You good with that?” Gray asked me.
My smile couldn’t have been bigger. Give a little girl and her mother something good after something so awful had happened to them. Yeah, I was good with that. “I am so in.”
His expression softened to such tenderness I melted into him. “Knew you would be.” He turned his gaze to Susan. “How about I drive you girls into town, you get the supplies you need, we’ll do lunch, and I’ll bring you back up the mountain?”
“Are you an angel?” Susan said, shaking her head in amazement.
Gray squeezed my shoulders. “Nah, just found myself one.”
I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness as Susan laughed…but inwardly my knees turned to jelly.
“Okay, Mols, go back into the apartment and get changed out of the snow suit.”
“Yay!” Molly did a funny little victory dance. “I’m going to text Addy right now and tell her I just met Skylar Finch’s boyfriend’s sister!” She disappeared into the apartment.
Susan’s eyes were bright when she looked back at us. “I haven’t seen her this engaged or excited since…” Grief darkened her expression. “Well… thank you.”
“Happy to help,” I said, my words low and soft because they were constricted by emotion. I didn’t even know this woman but the pain radiating from her was palpable. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight.
She blinked back tears and clapped her hands together. “Let’s talk budget before Molly gets back. Do you think you can do everything on five hundred dollars—including outfits?”
“I can definitely do that.”
Susan let me into the condo so I could get a sense of the space for decorating. The apartment was open-plan and airy, with a wonderful picture window in the kitchen that looked out over the snow-covered evergreens. There wasn’t a lot I could do to it interior-wise, other than decorate, but I already had thoughts stewing.
Twenty minutes later, after I hurried back to the lodge to grab my purse (even though Gray told me I wouldn’t need it) and to get my phone so I could text Catie to let her know where I’d be, I walked out into the car park and found Gray standing by a black Chevrolet Tahoe.
“Nice.” I patted the side of his SUV as I approached him.
He immediately wrapped an arm around me to draw me against him while we waited for Molly and Susan, and I realized that he hadn’t stopped touching me all morning. It was like he couldn’t help himself and I loved it. I was a very affectionate person and I liked to be touched and cuddled—probably because I didn’t get a lot of that growing up—and the way I felt when Gray touched me was akin to that of an addict grateful for her latest fix.
“Thanks. Best SUV for the snow,” he explained.
I nodded but thoughts of his four-by-four were long gone as soon as he pulled me into his embrace. I tipped my head back to look directly into his gorgeous eyes. “How did you know I’d be cool with doing this for Molly and Susan?”
“Everything you told me about what you did for Skylar. And just… you. You’re kind, Autumn. It’s just who you are. You have the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
I blushed at the compliment, lowering my gaze. “I’m just doing what anyone would do. Molly and Susan have been through something unimaginable. Anyone would want to help make their day a little brighter.”
“Not just anyone.” He gently raised my chin so I’d meet his eyes. “Susan’s a good woman, putting her kid before her grief, trying to give her something, remind her that they’re alive and they need to live. Reading between the lines, her husband hasn’t been able to do that and not having that kind of support after losing a kid… Well, I can’t imagine. And Molly’s a cute kid. Always saying please, thank you—appreciative, you know. But now she’s a kid who knows something she shouldn’t know already—that the people you love can be gone in an instant. It sucks she learned that lesson so young and that’s something you know about more than anyone.”
Tears pricked my eyes.
“I wanted to do something for them bu
t what could I do? But you… you can do something for them. And I can drive you safely down and back up the mountain.”
My hands were resting on his chest and as overwhelming emotion flooded me I slid them up to wrap them around his neck. I drew up onto my tiptoes and pressed the softest, sweetest kiss to his lips. When I pulled back I whispered, “Tonight you’re mine, Grayson King.”
His grip on me turned almost bruising as his eyes darkened. His voice was hoarse when he replied, “I cannot fucking wait, angel.”
I grinned and lowered down to the soles of my feet. Gray looked like he wanted to say something more but suddenly Susan and Molly appeared, Molly practically vibrating with excitement.
Chapter Six
I was immediately enamored with Cunningham Falls. It was everything I imagined small town Montana to be—charming, friendly, beautifully snow-covered, and a world away from the city of Glasgow.
After driving expertly down the mountain, Gray stopped first at a coffee shop called Drips & Sips so I was fully caffeinated before we began our shopping adventure. Then Gray left us to it. He gave me and Susan his cell number and told us to call when we were ready to go to lunch. Gray was considerate, thoughtful, and sweet, but he was also a man in the traditional sense and shopping was something he just did not do.
Susan, Molly, and I chattered easily as we wandered around the small town together. Nothing could (or ever would) erase the hard glint of grief in either of their eyes, but Molly was excited and Susan seemed to be relieved by this renewed energy in her daughter. I talked to Molly about the ideas I had for décor and she loved them. I’d been worried it was a little too old for a thirteen-year-old’s birthday party but it would seem Molly was over “little girl stuff” and wanted something more sophisticated.
We stopped by Brooke’s Blooms, a flower shop, and although the budget didn’t allow for too many floral arrangements, we ordered a few in pinks and whites to be delivered to the condo on their last day of vacation, the day we were hosting the party.
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