"And before this moment?"
"I've had a few girlfriends," he conceded.
"Probably more than a few. You were always very popular," she said, a tighter, tense note entering her voice. "When was your last serious relationship?"
"Serious? I'm not sure I've ever had a serious relationship."
"Why not?"
"I've traveled a lot, which makes long-term anything difficult."
"I don't think that's the reason. And you've been back here for what—two years?"
"About that. I haven't been in a hurry to settle into anything. Anyone looking for Mr. Right would have to settle for Mr. Fun Right Now. That guy I can be." He gave her a grin. "Sounds like you and I might be on the same page."
"We had our run. I don't want another one."
"Are you sure? That kiss on Friday night…"
She frowned and shook her head. "We're not talking about that. You took me by surprise. Whatever you might think about my response, it was only because I didn't know it was coming."
"You're very defensive about your reaction."
"I'm not defensive. I'm being honest."
"No, you're not. You liked kissing me as much as I liked kissing you."
Conflict played through her eyes, and then she said, "Fine. We still have chemistry, but I'm not going to do anything about it. We had a bad ending, and I can't put myself in a position to have another one. I can't trust you, Jake. You want honest—that's me being honest. You hurt me, and you embarrassed me, and I don't let anyone do that to me twice."
"I wouldn't do it to you again."
"That's what you say. But I didn't think you'd do it the first time. My instincts about you were wrong. So, that's it."
"That's nowhere close to being it," he argued.
She sighed. "I don't know what you're trying to prove."
"I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want a second chance."
"You haven't earned it."
"Okay," he said. "Then I'll earn it."
"I didn't mean to make that a challenge."
"Too late. I've already accepted."
"Jake, give it up already. We can coexist more peacefully than we have. We can be friends, but that's it. We are not going to be what we were before."
"I have no intention of being what we were before. I want you to know me now, and I want to know you. I'm going to show you that I'm someone you can count on."
"Are we here yet?" Brett piped up from the backseat where he'd been watching a show on Hannah's tablet.
He'd almost forgotten Brett was there. Thank goodness he had been wearing headphones the past several minutes, not that he would have understood what they were talking about.
"We are just about there," he said, spotting the turnoff for Northstar.
"Is our sled going to go really fast?" Brett asked.
"As fast as you want it to go," Hannah put in, turning to look at Brett.
"I want to go fast. Mommy said she'd take me sledding but not until after."
"After what?" he asked, curious about Brett's comment. Was there a much-needed clue about to come their way?
"After my little sister comes," Brett replied, dropping not just a clue but a bombshell.
Chapter Eleven
Hannah couldn’t believe what Brett had just said. Was he telling the truth? Was Kelly pregnant? Or was this just another fantasy like the one about the unicorn?
"When is your little sister coming?" she asked.
"Valentine's Day. We're going to make her a heart and name her Violet."
"That's a pretty name." She calculated the dates. If Kelly was having a baby in mid- February, then she had to be seven and a half or eight months pregnant. But Adam hadn't mentioned the pregnancy after speaking to Kelly's boss. Wouldn't that person have said that Kelly was pregnant? And who was the father of Kelly's baby? Was it the boyfriend who had disappeared at the same time as her? The one who might have been harassing her?
She was still trying to come up with answers when Jake turned into the busy parking lot at the snow park. As he searched for a spot, she took out her phone and texted Adam the information she'd just received. She didn't know if he was working on Sunday, but hopefully he'd get back to her. She felt like the stakes were even higher now that she knew Kelly might be pregnant. But maybe Violet was just a story in Brett's head. That was as plausible as anything else.
She didn't want to upset Brett by asking more questions, so she let the subject go as they got out of the truck and entered the park. They met up with the rest of the group in the great room of an enormous lodge that had once been the home of a wealthy landowner. It was spectacularly decorated for the season with an enormous Christmas tree and plenty of colorful wreaths. It also smelled like pine and cinnamon. Gianna, Zach and Hailey were there as well as Chloe and her son Leo, Lizzie Cole and her fiancé Justin Blackwood, and rounding out the group was Keira, who was flying solo today.
Lately, she and Keira had been the ones to do most of the solo flying as members of their group had started coupling up, but today Hannah had Jake by her side, and she knew their arrival together would raise a lot more questions. To her surprise, everyone acted as if it was completely normal to see her and Jake together. They must have made some sort of pact not to say anything, which was fine with her.
Eight-year-old Hailey immediately took Brett's hand and asked him if he wanted to go on the sled with her. Brett was thrilled to have the little girl's attention and immediately attached himself to Hailey as they headed out of the lodge.
The guys led the way, with Zach keeping a close eye on his daughter Hailey and her new best friend, Brett. Jake put Leo on his shoulders as he walked alongside Justin, and the women fell into step with her. The interrogation was on.
"What do you want to know?" she asked with resignation.
"First, any news on Kelly?" Keira asked.
"Nothing yet."
"Well, no news is probably good news," Chloe said. "And, by the way, we filled Lizzie in."
"I figured. Your brother is looking for my sister."
"Adam is the right man for the job," Lizzie replied, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I hope everything works out."
"So do I."
"Now, let's talk about you and Jake," Gianna said pointedly. "You were with him at the carnival. You're with him now. What's going on? Are you back together?"
"No. He happened to be with me when I discovered Brett, and ever since then he's been helping me."
"But you hate him," Gianna reminded her.
"She doesn't hate him anymore," Keira put in with a mischievous smile. "Come on, Hannah, be honest. I saw the way you were looking at Jake last night, and it reminded me a lot of high school."
"I may not hate him as much as I used to, but we're not getting back together. He's being a friend, and I'm letting him. The only thing I'm concerned about right now is making sure my nephew has a great day."
"We can help you with that," Chloe assured her. "And I'm glad you and Jake are able to at least stay in the same space together."
"I agree," Lizzie said. "Let's concentrate on having a great day. We'll sled, we'll build snowmen, we'll get those spicy hot chocolates with marshmallows. It's going to be a great day."
"That's quite a positive declaration," Keira put in with a dry smile. "Since when did you become so calm and Zen, Lizzie? You're usually running around like a madwoman, especially during the holidays. Isn't the inn packed this weekend?"
Lizzie laughed. "We are sold out, but I'm trying to enjoy my guests instead of worrying about every little thing. Justin has had a surprisingly calming influence on me. Last summer, I was trying to keep my head above water, but now things at the inn are going really well. I just needed to reassess my priorities. Plus, I have a great man who believes in me, and has been willing to change his whole life for me. I feel really lucky."
"Have you set a wedding date yet?" she asked, happy to be talking about someone else's love life.
"Probab
ly next summer. We're not in a rush."
"Well, I still hope you have a ceremony and don't elope like this one," Keira said, giving Gianna a wink.
"Hey, after all my disastrous non-weddings, I was just ready to be married," Gianna said. "But I think you should do it up big and grand, Lizzie, like you do everything else."
"It probably will be over the top," Lizzie admitted. "And you'll make my dress, Keira. It has to be even better than the one you made for my sister. But don't tell Chelsea I said that."
"Your secret is safe with me."
"How's the boutique going?" she asked Keira. "Will this upcoming year be the one where you ditch the real-estate and go full force into your fashion design business?"
"I hope so. We'll see."
"If I can help in any way…"
"I'll let you know. And by the way, we won't talk about your sister while we're with Brett, but just so you know, we have your back."
"Whatever you need," Gianna added, with Lizzie and Chloe smiling their support.
She appreciated each and every one of them. She might have lost her real sister a long time ago, but she had these women. Three of them had been her friends for most of her life, and Lizzie was becoming one of her best friends now.
For the next hour, they played on the bunny slope, taking turns riding down the hill of soft white powder with the kids, who were all in absolute heaven. She loved seeing Brett so happy. He hadn't known any of these people three days ago, but now he was one of them. He was Hailey's adored little friend and Leo's big brother figure. Most importantly, he was her nephew, and more and more, she saw not only bits and pieces of Kelly in his expressions and in his personality, but she also saw her dad. Her father had missed so much, and his passing had left a huge hole, but there was a new generation now. Brett had a lot of her dad's easy friendliness. His legacy lived on.
As Jake swept Brett up into his arms for another run down the slope, her smile broadened. Jake was like a big kid himself, and in this instance, all the children were benefiting from his zest for adventure. They were willing to follow him anywhere. She could relate to that feeling. He had a powerful charisma that had always made it difficult for her to look away. That's why she'd stopped looking at him. She could feel the pull even when their eyes didn't meet, but when they did…
Her heart flipped over as he caught her gaze now, his smile spreading across his lips, as something passed between them, something she didn't want to define.
"Nothing like watching a man with a child," Gianna said.
"What?" She forced herself to break the connection with Jake to turn to Gianna.
"Jake looks good with Brett," Gianna said. "When I first saw Zach and Hailey together, I was overwhelmed by the tenderness and love between them. They don't even share blood. He was her stepfather, but he loved her so much, and it touched me deeply. I was already falling for him again, but that was the real kicker."
"Zach is amazing with Hailey. I forget that he's not her biological father." She paused. "I also sometimes forget that you and Zach had a teenage history, too."
"It wasn't as long or as complicated as yours and Jake's, but summer camp was certainly memorable that year. Our story was also different, because I'm the one who hurt Zach, whereas Jake was the one who hurt you. I wasn't sure Zach could forgive me, but I'm lucky that he did, because it allowed us to get to this incredible place."
"You think I should forgive Jake?" she asked curiously, feeling like Gianna would understand her conflict better than anyone else.
Gianna frowned. "I don't know. I feel like you think we're belittling the pain you went through because we've accepted Jake back into the group. But we haven't forgotten, Hannah. We've just seen a different side of Jake, one that you haven't allowed yourself to see—until maybe now."
"I have to admit it has bothered me," she said honestly. "Everyone was so willing to welcome Jake home."
"Not at first," Gianna protested. "It took a while, but he and Brodie became friends through the search-and-rescue team, and Jake started working with Lizzie giving tours to her guests. Then he made Zach's day by taking him skiing down Skyhawk Trail. The friendships started with the outsiders and then spread to us. Keira resisted the longest."
"She's under his spell now," she said dryly, seeing Keira laughing hilariously at something Jake had said.
Gianna smiled. "You kind of seem like you're warming up to him."
"I don't know how it has happened, but he does bring the heat," she muttered.
"That sounds interesting."
"Or dangerous. I don't want to make another mistake. I loved him so much, Gianna."
"I know. I was there."
"I thought we had the greatest love story of all time. I guess everyone thinks that at seventeen. I thought he believed that, too. But he didn't. He threw us away with that stupid, slutty Vicki Thompson." She took a hard breath. "I know he was drunk. I know he was sorry. But what I don't know is why. And he's never been able to tell me. He wanders all around the subject: everything from getting cold feet about how serious we were becoming to his friend Eddie plying him with alcohol, to some mysterious incident that he can't talk about. He clearly can't tell me the truth."
"Maybe he doesn't know the truth. Maybe he can't remember."
"You might be right, but I'm tired of alcohol abuse being the get-out-of-jail-free card for every bad thing you do in your life," she said sharply. "And I know that's mostly because of my mom, but in some ways, it feels the same. Everyone wants to apologize and to be forgiven for doing shitty things because they were drunk. Maybe just don't get drunk and do shitty things. Start there." She paused. "And I know I sound very harsh when I say that, so I don't usually say it. I usually accept the apology and agree to move on. I've certainly said that to my mom."
"But you can't say it to Jake."
"In some ways, I want to, but…I'm not there yet."
"I get it. You have to do what's right for you. Like you said, it's not on you to absolve everyone else of their sins."
"Right?" She felt a little better that Gianna got it. "I will say this, though. I can see that Jake is a better man now. He has built a good business, and he puts his life on the line to rescue people he doesn't know. He's certainly been very supportive since my sister left Brett with me, so I'm trying to let go of the past and see him as he is now. Beyond that, I don't know."
"Well, you don't have to know yet. See how things go. And maybe…just let yourself have some fun. The other thing I remember about you and Jake before the big breakup was how much fun you had together."
"That is true," she admitted.
A shrill clanging bell interrupted their conversation and the rest of the group came back as the announcement for the beginning of the snowman competition played across a speaker.
"I think we should split into teams," Keira said. "Make a friendly wager on who gets the highest score."
"That works for me," Justin said, putting his arm around Lizzie. "We'll take anyone on."
"We're in," Zach said, speaking for Gianna and Hailey.
"I'll team up with Chloe and Leo," Keira said.
Hannah sighed as Jake looked at her. "I guess you can do it with me and Brett.”
“But I want to build the snowman with Hailey," Brett announced, clinging to Hailey's hand. "Can I? Can I?"
While she would have preferred to have Brett as a chaperone, she could hardly deny the request. "Of course you can," she said.
As they headed toward the meadow where the snowman-building competition would be taking place, Jake walked alongside her.
"You didn't do any sledding," he said. "Why is that?"
"I had fun watching all of you and taking photos."
"But you can't come to a snow park and not sled." He suddenly stopped walking and put a hand on her arm. "Why don't we concede on the snowman competition and take the lift up to Grizzly's Peak?" He tipped his head toward the advanced run that was not for kids.
"I should stay with Bret
t," she protested.
Jake smiled. "I hate to break it to you, Hannah, but Brett has a big crush on Hailey. And he's very happy to be hanging out with her. I'm sure Zach and Gianna will watch him."
"I suppose," she muttered, torn between what she wanted to do and what she should do.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"It wasn't a—" Her words were cut off as Jake yelled to the rest of the group that they were going to pass on building a snowman and hit Grizzly's Peak.
Her traitorous friends just grinned and told them to have a good time. And then Jake's hand was on hers, spinning her around so fast she felt dizzy. Although, she suspected that the dizzy feeling was more from Jake than anything else.
His inviting smile was too sexy to refuse, and she didn't even pull her hand away as they walked toward the lift. They'd ride a chair up to the top of Grizzly's Peak about 200 yards, then grab a sled and come down the steep and icy slope. She felt both nervous and excited, which was pretty much how Jake always made her feel.
As they got in line, she saw a couple come flying down the mountain, crashing in a somewhat spectacular fashion at the bottom. But they picked themselves up with a laugh, brushing the snow off their clothes.
"Let's not do that," she told Jake.
"Amateurs," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Trust me. Our ride will not end like that."
"It already did," she couldn't help saying.
He frowned. "This ride will be different."
"I hope so." They stepped into place and then sat back in the chair as the lift swept them upward. As they rose up over the trees, they had a beautiful view of the park and the surrounding mountains. It was a gorgeous day, no trace of the storm that had kept them in the cabin all night together or the one that was forecast for later in the week. It was a perfect moment in time, and she was just going to enjoy it.
"You look happy," Jake commented.
She turned her head to meet his gaze. "Is it crazy to say that I love riding a lift up a mountain more than I like skiing or sledding down?"
"That is crazy," he agreed with a smile. "I like both."
"There's a peacefulness up here, swinging our legs above the treetops."
Just One Kiss: A heartwarming Christmas romance (Whisper Lake Book 4) Page 11