by Carrie Elks
“Freezing. I didn’t realize it’d take you this long to wake up.”
He bit down a laugh. “How long have you been laying there?”
“Long enough for my nipples to feel like they’re about to drop off.”
He walked toward her, his gaze catching hers. Dipping at the knee, he ran his hands over her bare stomach, closing his eyes at how soft her skin felt.
“Can I open this?” he asked, his fingers trailing along the bow.
“You can.” Her lips curled. “Merry Early Christmas.”
“I have no idea how I’m going to top this gift,” he murmured, pulling at the bow. The thick red ribbon parted, leaving her completely naked.
He ran a finger down her abdomen, touching the scant hair covering her core. Holly swallowed hard, letting out a soft sigh as he slid his finger along where she needed it most.
“I have to leave in an hour,” he said, to himself as much as to her. How the hell could he walk away from this?
“I know. So get started, Santa.”
This was turning out to be the longest day ever. Holly glanced at her watch, grimacing when she saw it was only one in the afternoon. She’d spent the morning with Everley, who’d been patient enough to listen to her mooning about Josh, before sending her off to the coffee shop so she could work in peace.
Then she’d spent an hour with Dolores, who was asking her about the plan to save Winterville now that Josh was gone. As one of the three strategic businesses buying their buildings, she was excited about being able to keep her café. She was even more excited when Holly showed her how she could save money on her supplies, start charging a few cents more for each cup, and how it would make the difference between being in the red and the black.
But now the lunchtime rush had taken Dolores’ attention away, and Holly felt lost again. She stopped at Frank’s table, gamely answering his math questions for five minutes, but even he’d gotten bored and had started working on his third crossword of the day.
There was nothing left to do except head to the Christmas Tree Farm and annoy North.
Today he was working in the shop. Though most of their customers had already bought their trees by this point in December, there was still a steady flow of people coming in. A couple of women were carefully looking at the Christmas garland, discussing the merits of holly versus ivy, while sending hot looks over at North as he leaned on the counter.
“Hey stranger,” he smiled at Holly as she walked inside.
She leaned on the counter and smiled at the two women. They were frowning because she was blocking their view. “I see your fan club is here again.”
“Shut up.” He shook his head. “They’re just really keen on the garland.”
“How long have they been here?”
North sighed and shrugged. “About twenty hours.”
She started to giggle, because the expression on his face told her how awkward he found this female attention. It was his own fault. In his younger days, he’d been a little too free with the ladies of Winterville. Now he had to pay the price.
“Where’s Amber?” she asked. North’s business partner usually ran interference for him, but she was conspicuously absent.
“She’s delivering trees and garland to the theater. You probably passed her on the way. I said I’d cover the shop while she and Alaska decorated.” He looked like he was regretting that offer.
“Hey, two of my favorite people.” Gabe walked in, a grin on his face. He leaned down to press his lips against Holly’s cheek. “I brought you some lunch,” he said, passing a brown bag to North.
The women behind them started to talk in low tones. There was only one thing better than a Winter man; and that was two Winter men. Gabe had broken his own share of hearts while he was a young man. And now that he was a successful snowboarder, he got even more attention.
And unlike North, he seemed to revel in it. “Hello, ladies,” he said, shooting the two of them a grin. “Are you looking forward to Christmas?”
They were about to hyperventilate at any minute. When Gabe gave a person his attention, there was no telling what would happen.
“Stop encouraging them,” North said through gritted teeth. “Can you two just get out of here? You’re ruining my mood.”
“I didn’t say anything.” Holly held her hands up.
“Yeah, but you’re all jittery. And I know why and I don’t want to talk about it.” North lifted an eyebrow.
“Why is she jittery?” Gabe asked, his brows knitting.
“Because her boyfriend’s gone until Christmas Eve.”
Gabe’s lips formed a big ‘oh’.
“I’m not jittery. I’m just bored. Everley doesn’t need help, and you don’t either. Even Dolores told me I needed to go out and get some fresh air.” Holly wrinkled her nose. She never got bored. But now she couldn’t remember how she kept herself occupied before Josh came into her life. It was stupid, she knew it.
“I have a ton of paperwork you can do if you’re looking for something to occupy yourself with,” North said, inclining his head at the office behind him. Holly looked at the stacks of bills and invoices on the desk and grimaced.
“No thanks.”
“I’m going cross country skiing in a minute. Why don’t you join me?” Gabe suggested.
“I haven’t skied in years.”
“It’s like riding a bike. All you gotta do is shuffle your legs.” Gabe shrugged as though it really was that simple. “Come on, we’ve hardly spent any time together and I’ll have to leave for training in a few weeks. We’ve got Everley’s old gear at North’s house. She won’t mind you borrowing it.”
Holly nodded. “I’ll give it a try.” It had to be better than overstaying her welcome here.
Holly had skied a lot in her youth, but she’d always gotten frustrated that she couldn’t keep up with her boy cousins. But right now the distraction was exactly what she needed. She smiled as she and Gabe sat outside North’s lodge and clipped on their skis.
She was wearing ski pants and a sports top – necessary to soak up the perspiration – along with a light winter coat that would keep the wind out but stop her from getting overheated.
Because one thing was for sure, cross country skiing took a lot more energy than propelling yourself downhill.
Gabe took it easy on her at first, leading her along the simple trails that were used for hiking in the summer. There were no specific cross country routes in the backwoods of Winterville, just like there were no ski slopes or snowboarding hills. Candy had wanted to keep the town simple, and dedicated to all things festive. So they’d always been allowed to ski where ever it was safe, among the trees and around the mountain, where very few people went in the winter.
Holly kept her knees and ankles loose, letting out soft breaths as she thrusted herself forward with each leg sweep, her thigh muscles protesting at the effort they were putting in. She was moving in a herringbone pattern, the same way she would skate on ice, her body sweeping from side to side as she followed her cousin ahead.
“We’ve got a little downhill coming up,” Gabe shouted, grinning at her as he looked over his shoulder. “You remember how to do that, right?”
“I put my skis in your tracks and hope I don’t die?” She was panting now. How unfit was she? Even those long nights of exertion with Josh hadn’t prepared her for this.
Gabe grinned, easily skiing down the slope, even though he was cutting through virgin snow. He held his poles up, and angled his body forward, the only sound the rush of his blades against the track.
She took a deep breath. She never did like downhill skiing. Hated the way it made her feel so out of control. But still, she wasn’t going to let Gabe know that, he’d tease her for days. So she pushed herself off with a pole, and tried to line her blades into his tracks.
“You’re a train, Hol,” Gabe shouted, waiting for her at the bottom. “Just keep in the grooves.”
Her speed started to accelerate, the cool air rushing past he
r face. Gravity was pulling at her, trying to drag her down as quickly as it could. Her heart was racing too fast, matching the rhythm of her panicked breaths. She didn’t like this at all.
And she was going to fall.
“Do a half wedge,” Gabe shouted out. “Slow yourself down.”
What the hell was a half wedge? Holly tried to lean back, bending her legs when she should be keeping them straight, as her arms started to windmill in panic as she attempted to decelerate her descent.
She could hear Gabe laughing, the bastard. If she had any breath left, she would have shouted at him. Instead, her teeth were clenched, her legs screaming, the air rushing through her ears like they were a wind tunnel.
“Turn!” Gabe shouted. “Watch out for the tree.”
What tree? She looked up at the looming overgrown fir. Shit! She leaned to the side, but her feet kept heading straight for it, leaving the tracks that Gabe had made which circled to the right.
“Stop!” Gabe wasn’t laughing any more. He was unclipping his skis and running up the hill. “Throw yourself down. Do it now!”
Her rapid breath caught, as the streak of green and brown got bigger. Then she did as Gabe said, and launched herself to the left. Her body hit the bank of snow, the air rushing out of her, powder spraying all around as Gabe reached her, panting.
“Are you okay?” He leaned over, frowning.
Holly lifted her head, winded.
He touched her helmet, nodding with satisfaction when he felt it was still firmly fixed to her head. “Anything hurt?” he asked.
She inhaled deeply, trying to regain her breath. “Just my pride,” she managed to stutter.
Gabe laughed, relief washing over his face. “Dammit, Hol, I wish I’d been recording you.” He reached for her hand. “Can you sit up?”
“Yeah.” She let him pull her up until her back emerged from the snow.
He sat down beside her, rustling in his pocket until he brought out a flask. “Want some?”
“What is it?” She shook off her helmet, flakes flying everywhere.
“Whiskey. The good stuff. From the G. Scott Carter distillery.”
“Only the best for you.”
He loosened the lid and passed the flask to her. Holly took a swig, wincing at the burn. “You’re gonna have some bruises tomorrow.”
“I blame you for every one of them.” She passed him the flask back and he took a sip, his eyes still sparkling.
“I told you to wedge.”
“Remind me what a wedge is again?”
He started to laugh again. “Man, you need some lessons.”
“Yeah, well I’m not planning on coming out with you again.”
He bumped his shoulder against hers. “I’m glad you did. This is nice. We don’t often spend time just the two of us.”
She nodded, because he was right. This was nice. And despite the throbbing in every muscle she owned, it had taken her mind off things. Made her less jittery, if a little more bashed up. Gabe passed her the flask and she took another mouthful.
“So you and Gerber, huh?”
“Did North ask you to talk to me?” She gave him a half-smile.
Gabe tipped his head to look at her. “Nope. I just want to make sure you’re happy.”
“I am. Very happy.”
“That’s good.” He nodded, looking into the distant valley. “So how are you going to handle this double crossing him thing?”
Holly frowned. “I’m not double crossing him. We’re just trying to find a way to save this town. And anyway, we talked and agreed that business is business. He’d do whatever it takes to win, and so would I.” Her stomach still gave a little twist, though. The sooner they got this over with, the better. She wasn’t a natural liar. She hated deceit, even if it was for a good cause. “He’s a businessman. He’ll understand it isn’t personal.”
Gabe shrugged. “I guess.”
Holly turned to look at him. “You don’t think he’ll understand?”
“I’m trying to put myself in his position. If it was a fellow snowboarder who I was in a relationship with but ended up double crossing me and winning a race, I’d be pretty pissed. No matter how hot she was.” He pressed his lips together. “Not that a woman could beat me.”
“You’re a sexist ass.”
“I meant because we don’t compete in the same competition.” Gabe rolled his eyes. “And anyway, we weren’t talking about me.”
“You’re always talking about you.” She was feeling grumpy, because he’d ruined her vibe.
“Touché.” He chuckled. “Anyway, it’s not the same.”
No it wasn’t. But it didn’t stop three tiny lines from appearing in her brow. She and Josh were equals, she knew that. If he’d have won fair and square she would accept it. And he would, too. He had to, because otherwise it meant he didn’t think she was as good as him.
She blew out a mouthful of air, watching the vapor dance before it dispersed. “Do you think I should tell him?”
“North would kill you if you did.” Gabe gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’ll be okay. Ignore me. If he loves you, he’ll understand.”
“Who said anything about love?” Her chest tightened.
Gabe twisted the lid back on his flask and stuffed it in his pocket. “You guys have been practically tied at the hip since he’s been here. You bought him a tree. And let’s not even get started on the way Dolores has been dealing with your coffee bills. Where do you see this thing going?”
She wanted to be with him. She knew that. But there was a truth in Gabe’s questions that she didn’t want to think about. What if saving Winterville meant losing him?
Holly exhaled raggedly. “Can we talk about something else? How about your love life?”
Gabe laughed. “You want the x-rated details?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, no.”
“Then it’ll be a short conversation.”
She stood, dusting the snow from her ski pants. “In that case, I think we should start skiing again.” At least the exertion would stop these confused thoughts from crashing through her brain.
“You sure you’re okay to go on? We can turn around if you’d like.”
Holly shook her head, reaching down to clip her skis back on. “I’m good. Throw all the downhills you can find at me.” At least she could take her frustration out on the snow. None of this was her fault, yet somehow she felt guilty. Responsible.
“It’s your funeral.” Gabe shot her a wicked grin.
23
The elevator arrived with its usual swish, the doors opening to reveal the familiar polished mirrors. Josh pressed the penthouse button then leaned against the rail, watching as the numbers counted up.
When he stepped onto the executive floor of Gerber Enterprises, a feeling of surreality washed over him. His footsteps sounded wrong as he walked along the carpet, and it took him a moment to realize that’s because he was wearing sneakers instead of the polished brogues he usually favored.
Willa looked up with a smile as he walked into the office. Her eyes gave the briefest sweep over his jeans and sweater. A look of surprise momentarily passed across her eyes.
“How was your trip yesterday?” she asked, regaining her usual unruffable demeanor.
“It was fine. A little snow along the way, but the blue skies appeared when I drove out of the mountains.”
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a white Christmas?” Willa said, looking wistful. Then she glanced over at Josh’s office. “Oh, you have a visitor.”
“Who is it?”
Before she could answer, the door opened. He wasn’t surprised to see his grandfather standing there, his body supported by a perfectly polished cane. He was wearing a gray suit and red tie, a matching pocket square tucked jauntily into his jacket.
“I see standards have dropped,” he said, taking in Josh’s casual clothes.
“I’m only here for a couple of days. I figured I’d be more comfortable in jeans.” Jo
sh pushed the door open, worried about his grandfather’s stability. “Would you like to sit down?”
“Not really.” With slow, labored steps, his grandfather walked further into Josh’s office. “So are you back for good now? Or are you still pretending to be Jimmy Stewart in some god awful festive movie?”
“I’m here to meet with Oren Stiles, then I’m going back to Winterville for Christmas.” Josh grabbed a bottle of water from his refrigerator. “Would you like a drink?”
“I’m not here for drinks, young man. I’m here to find out if you’re going to start doing your job.”
Uncapping the bottle, he poured it into one of the cut crystal glasses on the wet bar. “I’ve been doing my job. There’s this amazing new thing called the internet. You can make calls on it and everything.”
“You know what I mean.” His grandfather’s voice was rough. “A CEO needs to be seen in his office. Otherwise the staff doesn’t work the way they should. Especially at this time of the year. The finance department were all crowded around donuts when I walked in. I had to clear my throat for them to even notice me.” His grandfather’s lips formed into the smallest of smiles. “You should have seen them scurry when they did. Like rats off a sinking ship.”
“It’s the twenty-third of December. They’re allowed to relax a little.”
“It’s the end of the year. They should be working harder than ever.” His grandfather wobbled, and Josh shot forward to steady him, but the old man batted him off. “Anyway, I’m not here to talk about our employees, as much as they need some discipline. It’s you I want to talk about. When are you going to come to your senses and let one of your staff handle that little town? You have more important things to deal with. Like Oren Stiles. He’s been badmouthing us all over town, saying how unresponsive we are.”
“Oren is impatient. He’ll be fine after we meet today.”
His grandfather stared at him through narrowed eyes. “Are you having some kind of breakdown?”
Josh started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. Maybe it was the strangeness of being back in the office and not feeling like he belonged any more. Or perhaps it was the glorious exhilaration of his time with Holly. Either way, once the laugh started, it wouldn’t stop.