by Carrie Elks
“Holly.”
“Mom.” She kept her voice even.
Her mom touched her neck with her hand, her huge diamond ring catching the light. “I didn’t know you were coming here.”
“I didn’t know you’d be at the Inn either,” Holly said pointedly.
Her mom faked a smile. “I guess we need to communicate better.”
Or at all. That would be a major step forward.
“Well, we should go,” Uncle Noel said, placing his hand on her mom’s shoulder. Her mom nodded, looking relieved to be able to escape the silence.
“Yes, we should. My husband is waiting for me.” Her mom glanced behind her, into the conference room. “Thank you again. It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
“And you,” Mr. Smooth talker replied. The next minute he was walking out of the door. All six foot two of him. Wearing a beautifully tailored gray suit, and a shirt unbuttoned at the neck, revealing tanned skin and a hint of hair.
Holly’s gaze clashed with his and the air rushed out of her open lips.
Gerber. That was his name. Josh Gerber. Alaska had been right about the business name after all.
Recognition sparked in his eyes. He tipped his head to the side, his gaze scanning her face, before he looked back at her Uncle Noel.
“You haven’t introduced us,” Josh said.
“Oh I’m sorry. Girls, this is Mr. Gerber of Gerber Enterprises. Mr. Gerber, these are my nieces, Alaska, Everley, and Holly.”
Josh curled his mouth into an easy smile as he held his hand out, shaking first Everley and then Alaska’s hand.
Then he turned to Holly, his palm enveloping hers. It was soft and warm and made her body want to melt against him.
“Holly Winter,” he said softly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Again.”
5
It had been eight years since she’d last laid eyes on Josh Gerber. Back then, she’d been twenty years old, and covering the reception desk while her cousins appeared alongside their grandma in that year’s Holiday Revue when a tall, handsome twenty-four year old man walked in and asked for a room.
And she’d told him they didn’t have one.
Somehow, she’d ended up suggesting he stay in her room. And for one night, she’d stayed with him. Even all these years later, she could still remember how his lips felt on hers. How he’d touched her in all the right places.
How they’d gone almost all the way before he pulled back.
The next morning, he’d left without a word, and she hadn’t heard from him again.
And sure, she was fine with that. He hadn’t promised her anything, and she hadn’t asked for anything. But it irked her that he expected her to remember him after all this time.
As if he’d given her the most memorable night of her life.
Sure, he was still devastatingly attractive, wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit that enhanced his broad shoulders and strong chest along with a crisp white shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. He looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ instead of standing in the lobby of the Winterville Inn.
She ignored the way her blood rushed through her body at the memory of him and tipped her head to the side, keeping her back straight and firm. “Have we met before?” she asked, her voice casual. “Surely not. I would have remembered.”
Take that, Mr. Smooth talker.
Everley blinked, looking from Holly to Josh, like she was trying to figure out exactly what was going on.
The smile didn’t waver from his face. “Yes. We met here eight years ago.”
“I’m sorry.” Holly shrugged. “A lot of guests pass through these doors. I can’t remember them all.”
His eyes dipped to her mouth. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and he swallowed.
“You let me use your cabin.”
Oh, she let him use far more than that. Even worse, she enjoyed it. Realization washed over Everley’s face, and Holly shook her head almost imperceptibly. Don’t spoil it now.
“I did? That old place?” Holly laughed, grimacing. “I guess you would remember that. Well, I’m sorry. And I hope you have somewhere better to stay tonight.”
“We do,” Josh murmured.
“Speaking of which, we should get back there,” the man next to him said. “If you’re ready, that is?”
Josh glanced at Holly again. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.” He nodded at Uncle Noel. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Elizabeth will be in touch to discuss the arrangements for the theater.”
“Of course. You have my direct number,” Uncle Noel said. “I should be going, too.”
It only took a moment for them all to leave. Josh Gerber and his co-workers, followed by her uncles and her mom. Then the lobby was empty, save for Holly, Everley, and Alaska.
“Oh my god,” Everley said, her eyes wide as she looked at Holly. “It’s him.”
“I know.” Holly shook her head. “It’s crazy, right?”
“Who’s him? Who are you talking about?” Alaska asked.
“Josh. That guy who stayed in Holly’s cabin that one time and helped us out with the Christmas Eve parade.” Everley prompted. “You helped him with his Santa outfit, remember?”
Alaska’s mouth dropped open. “The guy that North hit?”
“Oh god, I’d forgotten that.” Everley grimaced. “He’s not going to be happy about this.”
Holly rubbed her face with her palm. “Ugh.” She could remember it all so clearly. North had caught Josh with a pair of Holly’s panties and assumed the worst, smashing his fist into the man’s face before waiting for an explanation. After, she’d taken him back to her cabin, cleaned his face up, then he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her like his life depended on it.
Yep, he was the best kisser she’d ever met. And she hated that she remembered that.
Especially now that he’d bought the town her grandma built.
“What a weird family,” Kevin said, as they climbed into Josh’s shiny black Escalade. “How could they not know their kids would be in town?”
“I don’t always tell my parents my plans.” Elizabeth shrugged.
“Yeah, but they didn’t even hug each other, or looked pleased to see them. There’s something going on there.” Kevin frowned, shaking his head.
“Well, as long as it has nothing to do with the purchase, they can do whatever the heck they like.” Josh started up the engine and pulled on his seatbelt.
He wasn’t really thinking about the rest of the family. He was too busy thinking about Holly Winter and the fact she didn’t remember him. Because he remembered those pretty lips and dark, tumbling hair. Not to mention those delicious curves that made his body ache.
Did she really not remember him?
It stung.
Sure, he didn’t think that every girl he’d ever kissed should remember him. But they’d spent a whole day and night together. Her lips were swollen from their kisses, and her body warm and soft from all his attention by the time he’d left.
And he’d made her happy. Very happy. Three times, not that he was counting.
How the heck did she not remember that?
He drove out of the parking lot and around the main town square. Kevin glanced out of the window at the tree and surrounding buildings. “Do you really think the business owners are going to let us flatten this square?” he asked.
The square was the only part of the town that was suitable for the new ski village to be built. It was even and accessible, but close enough to all the slopes for the lifts to start there.
“They don’t have much of a choice,” Josh said, his voice even. “We own the land. We just need to give them notice.” But he’d rather they left willingly. That’s what the point of tomorrow’s meeting was about. To persuade them that redeveloping the town was a good thing. That it offered opportunity, not pain. “The buildings have all seen better days. It’s only a matter of time before they’d have to be torn down.”
“Do you think the grandc
hildren are going to be a problem?” Elizabeth asked, her brows furrowed together.
“What do you mean?” Kevin asked.
“Didn’t you see the look Joseph Winter gave those two girls. As though he was scared of them.”
“Scared of his daughters?” Kevin asked. “Why would he be scared?”
“I don’t know, I just feel like there’s more going on than we know about. And I don’t want us to be blindsided again.” Elizabeth sounded anxious. “I messed up before, I don’t want a repeat.”
Josh looked at Kevin. He shrugged.
“We’ll keep an eye on it,” Josh said, steering the Escalade into the driveway of the house Willa had rented for them. It was picture perfect, with a low roof that stood against the backdrop of the snowy mountains. It was on the other side of the town limits, something he might be grateful for if the residents turned sour on him. Plus, it had a lot of space and great wifi – something they were all going to find useful.
Not that he was planning on staying here long. He’d try to keep the peace tomorrow before he headed home. And not think about a certain brunette who really should remember his name.
He parked in front of the house and looked at Kevin and Elizabeth.
“The thing to concentrate on is our town meeting tomorrow,” he told them. “We need to tell these people that things will be changing around here, and somehow keep them on our side. We don’t want any adverse publicity.”
“Easier said than done,” Kevin murmured.
“I know,” Josh said, his voice low. “That’s why we’ll be working through the night.”
North walked into his open plan kitchen and living area and wrenched open his refrigerator. “Anybody want a beer?”
“I’ll take one,” Gabe called out. North grabbed two bottles and twisted the lids, passing one to Gabe as he walked back into the living room. All five of them had gathered at North’s ranch house again.
“We have wine,” Everley said, smiling at him. “We started without you.”
Alaska was sitting next to the fire, her legs curled beneath her. She’d been the last to arrive, waiting for her shift at reception to be over, and had made herself a hot chocolate rather than share Holly and Everley’s wine.
“So, Holly has something to tell you.” Everley was trying not to grin. She was finding the situation with Josh hilarious, much to Holly’s embarrassment.
“You do?” North took a sip of his beer. “What?”
Holly swallowed hard, her cheeks flaming. “I know who’s buying the town.”
“We all do. It’s Gerber Enterprises.” Gabe shot her a weird look.
Everley rolled her eyes. “She means, she knows the CEO. Josh Gerber. The guy who met with our parents today.”
Gabe blinked. “How do you know him?”
Holly cleared her throat. This was actually more mortifying than she’d realized. If only she’d actually not recognized him. That would’ve been so much easier.
“Actually, you all know him,” she said, looking down at her hands. “He stayed here around eight years ago. Remember the Christmas my mom flew to Barbados to be with that guy and left me on my own?”
“When you were still in college?” North frowned.
“Yeah.”
Gabe took a mouthful of beer, swallowing it down. “So wait, he was here for Christmas? With his family or something?”
“His car broke down. We were fully booked so I let him stay in my cabin,” Holly said, shifting on the sofa. It was way too hot in here. “He stayed for two days. Helped us with the Christmas Eve charity singalong.”
North’s brows pinched together. He ran a finger along his jaw. “Wait,” he said, his voice low. “This isn’t the guy I…”
“You punched him.” Everley was trying not to laugh. “Because you thought he was trying to take advantage of Holly.”
North looked like he’d been punched himself. He looked at Holly, who gave him a shrug. “Are you sure it’s the same guy?” he asked her.
“Certain.” How could she forget those eyes? Or those lips, dammit. Ugh, what a mess. She had no idea why she pretended not to know him when they were introduced earlier. It was a split second decision. Maybe it was pride, but she didn’t want him to know that she still thought about that night sometimes.
Or the fact that he walked out of her life on Christmas morning and never once tried to contact her.
“Damn.” North leaned back on his chair, shaking his head.
“I can’t believe you hit him.” Gabe was trying not to laugh. “Why the hell did you do that?”
North’s eyes flickered to Holly’s. She swallowed hard. “It was a misunderstanding,” she said, her voice thick. “He thought Josh had seduced me.”
“He had your panties in his pocket. I jumped to conclusions.” North grimaced at the memory.
“He had your panties?” Gabe’s eyebrows shot up. “Why did he have those?”
Holly sighed. “It was Rudolph’s fault.” Rudolph had been the Inn’s resident Saint Bernard. A shaggy, friendly, and surprisingly lazy dog who spent most of his time sleeping under Holly’s bed when she stayed in the cabins. He’d passed over the rainbow bridge six years ago, but he was still a legend in town. “He found them under my bed and gave them to Josh. He’d hid them in his pocket so he didn’t look like an asshole. But then everything went to hell and North overreacted.”
“I did not overreact. You were twenty. I was protecting your virtue.” North had the good grace to look ashamed.
Everley bit down a grin. “You did the opposite, actually. After you hit him, Holly took him back to her cabin and we didn’t see either of them all night.”
North frowned, putting his fingers to his temple like he was in pain. “I really don’t want to know.”
That was good, because Holly didn’t want him to know, either. He was her cousin and she loved him but there was no way she was discussing her love life with him.
Holly exhaled heavily. “I just wanted to tell you that this guy has a connection with Winterville and with us. In case it helps.”
“Do you think this is some kind of revenge?” Alaska asked, her voice soft. “For North hitting him?”
“I have no idea.” Holly shook her head.
“What do we know about his company?” Gabe asked. “Gerber Enterprises, right?”
“Holly Googled it as soon as they left the Inn,” Everley told him.
“They’re a multi billion dollar company. Privately owned and funded.” Holly moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “They have fingers in lots of pies, but their real estate division specializes in buying land to sell for development. Particularly large estates or resorts.”
“So they’re like a middle man?” North said, his eyes on Holly.
“That’s a nicer description than I’d give them, but yeah, that’s essentially it.”
“What’s a less nice description?” North asked.
Holly put her wine glass down on the table in front of her. “They’re like corporate raiders for land acquisitions rather than businesses.”
“You’re gonna have to put that in words of one syllable,” Gabe said, pointing at his chest. “Jock over here.”
“Have you seen the movie Pretty Woman?” Holly tipped her head to the side. She had no idea if Gabe had even heard of it.
“The one with Julia Roberts?” Gabe asked.
She tried to hide her surprise. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“Don’t look so shocked. I’ve dated a lot of women. And some of them love chick flicks.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I kind of enjoyed it. Especially that piano scene.”
Everley sniggered.
Holly took a breath, ignoring Gabe. “So, Richard Gere’s character is a corporate raider. He buys up companies, tears them apart, and makes a profit by selling them in pieces to other companies.”
Gabe nodded. “Yeah, I remember. Except Julia Roberts persuaded him otherwise.”
Everley grinned. “That’
s the power of the pu—”
Holly cleared her throat. “As I was saying, Gerber Enterprises is a bit like that.”
“But how do you pull a town apart?” Gabe asked, shaking his head. Next to him, North was leaning forward, his fingers steepled. He was looking intently at Holly.
“They don’t. They level it. Make it ready for development.” Holly pulled her lip between her teeth. “Then sell it to a developer.”
North’s eyes met hers. He knew exactly what she was trying to tell them. She could see the clouds darkening his gaze. “Grandma should never have left this town to our parents,” he said thickly.
Holly gave him a half smile. “No, she shouldn’t have.”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “Dammit.”
“So, what do we do now?” Gabe asked.
Holly picked up the wine bottle and refilled her glass, passing it to Everley. “They’ve signed the contract. Technically, there’s nothing we can do.”
“But it’s Grandma’s town. Her dream.” Alaska’s voice wobbled. “They can’t just raze it to the ground.”
“We don’t know they’re going to do that,” Gabe pointed out.
“What else are they going to do?” Everley asked him. “Paint a few fences and hope somebody gives them double what they paid?”
“Well there’s nothing we can do right now.” North raked his hands through his hair again, his eyes catching Holly’s. “We’ll go to this meeting they’re holding tomorrow and see what they have to say.”
6
The crowd outside the Jingle Bell Theater was lively and talkative. Old friends hugged each other, while long-timers gossiped about grandchildren and how much they were looking forward to seeing them at Christmas. Holly joined North and Everley at the edge of the hoard who were slowly entering through the open double doors, and rubbed her hands to get some circulation back into them.