"The highways are going to be a mess," Colin said reading her mind. "I barely got here and I have four wheel drive."
She nodded and raised her glass to her mouth.
"You could just stay," he said. "I already promised you I'm a nice guy. And besides, it's not good to be alone on the holidays."
She flipped in her chair so she was staring at him head on. "Who said I was going to be alone?"
"Who said I was talking about you?"
***
He didn't think she would agree to it. It was a spur of the moment offer to share his villa with her, but she was cute and stranded and he was alone. Colin was determined to make this Christmas the best he'd had in years. With his recent history, it wasn't going to be hard to top the past, but the addition of a beautiful woman would definitely make things more interesting.
Colin swiped the card in the key lock and held the door open for Andi.
"Thank you." She swept past him, her arm brushing his chest. "Sorry," she said turning around to look at him. The slight touch, despite the barriers of thick coats, had sparked something and he could tell by her eyes, she'd felt it too.
He shrugged and Andi turned to enter the villa.
Colin assumed since she'd received a promo invitation from her company, that she'd been on the receiving end of many such offers, and had probably seen her fair share of elegant accommodations. Even so, how could she not be impressed with the room? He had to make a dedicated effort to keep his mouth from hanging open in shock as he entered behind her, followed by the bellboy with a trolley of her luggage. A smaller scale of the lobby in the main building, this room was two stories of vaulted, wood beam ceilings. A fire had been laid in the rock work fireplace and there was even a Christmas tree, fully decorated in the center of the window. With the snow still falling outside, the room looked like it belonged on a greeting card. He made a mental note to talk to Rose about booking such lavish rooms.
"What do you think?" he asked Andi. "Have you been here before?"
She turned around but he couldn't read the expression on her face.
"I've stayed at the Lodge before, but never in a villa. This is," she stopped and spun slowly, encompassing the room with her arms, "amazing," she finished. When she stopped moving, she stood in front of him and he was rewarded with a smile on her face that made her eyes sparkle. He realized he hadn't seen a smile from her yet. It was gorgeous. "I could do without all the decorations though," she added.
"I must admit," he said. "I didn't expect anything like this either. But I like it." He watched for her reaction and added, "And I think the Christmas decorations are a nice touch."
"Sir," the bellboy said, interrupting them. "Which room shall I put the bags in?"
Colin turned. He'd forgotten the bellboy was still there. "Oh," He glanced at Andi who was now standing at the window, staring outside. "You can put them all in the master suite," he said to the boy, "except the duffle bag. Choose another room for that one."
The bellboy nodded, but gave Colin a strange look. He was probably wondering why they were sleeping in separate rooms. And no doubt, the kid was likely thinking that if he had a woman as beautiful as Andi in his villa, there would not be separate rooms involved. Maybe, with any luck, he could manage one room later.
"Make yourself at home," Colin said to Andi. "I really don't want you to feel like a guest. Please just think of it as your space."
She turned away from the window at the sound of his voice. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like she was fighting back tears. "Thank you," she said. "I mean it, Colin. You didn't have to do this. But I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I don't think I could-"
"Will there be anything else, Sir?" the bellboy asked, appearing at Colin's side. "Would you like me to show you the controls for the hot tub?"
"There's a hot tub?" he asked.
"Of course, Sir. On the deck. It's quite simple to use."
"I'm sure it is," Colin said. "I think we'll be fine. Thank you."
He handed over a twenty-dollar bill and the boy disappeared.
Colin wanted to finish the conversation with Andi. He wanted to know more about why she was here, more about her, period. But when he turned his attention back to her, she was in the small kitchen, searching through the cupboards.
He watched her for a minute before asking, "Looking for something?"
She looked up and smiled. "Did you know they stocked the fridge? You have quite the spread here."
"You mean, 'we' have. I told you, this is your place too."
Andi turned around and said, "You know, I just realized that I didn't get a chance to ask you about your situation. Won't your girlfriend be upset that I'm here?"
Colin crossed his arms. She was obviously fishing for information, and by the smirk on her pretty face, she already knew the answer to her question.
"I don't have a girlfriend," he said. "Women are nothing but trouble." Her smile faltered a little at his gruffness and he immediately softened his tone. "I prefer to be single. There isn't any room for women in my life, at least not for anything long term."
"Well, I guess that's good then," she said. Her smile was back, teasing him, sparking something inside him. Could she be interested in a little festive fling? "I wouldn't want some jealous woman chasing after me." She laughed and Colin let his fantasy slip away.
"Are you hungry?" he said and pointed to the jar of almonds she'd pulled out of the cupboard. "We could go find one of the restaurants, or if there's something to cook here...or, maybe you don't want to spend all your time with me. I'm sure you have something you want to be doing. After all, you didn't plan on spending your holidays with a stranger." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he realized how much he hoped she didn't have any other plans. What was it about this woman? He'd never been so unsure of himself around the ladies.
Colin waited while Andi walked around the kitchen island, back into the living room. She looked like she wanted to say something but instead she stopped and said, "You know, you're right. I should probably get my things unpacked."
"Of course." He pointed her towards the room the bellboy had put her bags in and watched her go down the hall. As soon as she was out of sight, Colin wished she were back. It had been a very long time since a woman had stirred such intense feelings in him and intrigued him so completely. The last time had been many years before. And remember how well that turned out? He reminded himself. No, he wouldn't get involved. No matter how strong the pull towards her might be.
Chapter Four
It didn't take long for Andi to unpack her bags and get organized. She'd felt strange taking the master bedroom in the villa, but when she'd gone back into the living room to ask Colin about it, he was gone. It was stupid, but she was disappointed that he wasn't there. She liked him. There was something about him that allowed her to relax and it was nice to spend time with a man without it feeling forced. She felt more comfortable around Colin, who was still a relative stranger, than she had around Blaine, at least at the end.
Eva was always telling her that relationships shouldn't be so hard. Eva. At the thought of her friend, Andi had to laugh. She would never believe where Andi was staying. She grabbed her cell phone and walked to the window to call her.
The phone went straight to voice mail. Of course, Eva would be busy putting the finishing touches on the events this week. Andi had a flash of guilt. She should be there to help out. After all, it was her company too.
"Hi," she said into the phone. "It's me. I just wanted to tell you I got here alright and my reservation got messed up. But you'll never guess how it worked out." Andi smiled, knowing her message would drive her friend crazy with wonder. "Anyway, let me know how everything's going. We'll talk soon."
After she hung up the phone, she didn't know what to do with herself. She hadn't thought much beyond getting out of the city for the holidays. She wanted to hide, and the mountains seemed to be a good place to do it. But she hadn't considered what she might do once she arrived. A glance at the clock over the mantel told her it was still a bit early for dinner. Besides, she didn't want to be inside.
The snow was still falling, but it didn't seem to be coming down quite so hard. Looking through the window at the darkening village, Andi watched the lights in the nearby buildings come on, giving the covered earth a sparkle. The Lodge staff were out, busy with shovels and mini snow plows doing their best to clear the paths. The scene outside, while frosty, also looked inviting. Andi grabbed her gloves, hat and coat and headed out for a walk.
Right before she let the door of the villa close behind her, she wondered if she should leave Colin a note telling him where she'd gone. But he hadn't left her one. And why should he? He had told her to make herself at home, and he would have his own things to do.
Shoving thoughts of Colin out of her head, Andi tucked her hands into her pockets and strode out onto the cleared walkway. She'd noticed the path system when they made their way from the main lodge earlier and the bellboy had told them the trails were all well lit and maintained. When she asked, he told her they travelled through the village, and made up a total of 15 kilometers. The system was designed so there was no need to drive anywhere. Everything was in walking distance. With the chill in the air, Andi was pretty sure she would turn into an ice cube before she walked all 15 kilometers, but she was definitely looking forward to stretching her legs for a little bit.
Andi walked, letting the trails lead her away from the buildings, where the trees were thicker. She wasn't the only one with the idea of an evening stroll. There were other guests out as well. Couples holding hands, a few families, and every once in awhile she saw another lone walker, like herself.
Her thoughts drifted to Colin. What was his story? Why was such a handsome man alone for Christmas? There could be a million explanations and he had made it pretty clear that he didn't want anything to do with a relationship, but there had to be more to it than that. Instead of creating stories in her head, she resolved to ask him about it when she saw him again. If she saw him again. She didn't know anything about the man. Maybe he was at the Lodge for business, although she couldn't imagine what business he would have in the mountains the week of Christmas.
Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't notice the little boy until he crashed into her legs.
"Oh," she said, bending down to help him up. "Are you okay?"
The moment she spoke, the little boy burst into tears.
Andi glanced around, looking for a parent. She didn't know how to handle kids, especially ones that were crying. For the last eight months, she'd done her best to avoid children, even her half brothers, when she could manage it.
She looked around desperately, but there was no one around, except her and the little boy, whose cries had only become more intense. She crouched and took his hand. "It's okay," she said, trying her best to sound calm. She could feel her body shaking and hoped he wouldn't notice. "Where's your mom?"
The boy looked to be about four. "I'm lost," he managed to choke out between sobs.
"Don't worry," she said. "We'll go find your mommy, okay?"
The little boy nodded and wiped his nose with the back of his mittened hand. She took his hand in hers and stood. They only got a few steps when she heard a woman's voice calling through the trees. A moment later, she turned the corner on the path and spotted them.
"Noah," she called and jogged as best she could with a baby strapped to her chest, towards them.
The little boy dropped Andi's hand and ran towards his mom. Andi watched the reunion and squeezed her now empty hands together. It had felt nice to hold him.
After a moment, the woman and boy walked towards Andi. "Thank you," she said. "He just ran ahead on the path and the next thing I knew..."
"It was no problem," Andi said. "I'm glad I was here when he needed me."
"At least this one isn't walking yet," the woman said.
Andi felt her chest tighten with the familiar pain as she looked at the baby. She knew it was socially acceptable to ask how old the baby was, or even what her name was. Instead, Andi managed a smile and said, "You're very lucky."
"I'm Sarah." The woman extended her hand.
"Andi." She took the woman's hand but couldn't tear her gaze away from the sleeping child. She must have been about six months old. She would know if she asked. But she couldn't. She didn't want to know. Not really.
"Sarah? Noah?"
Both women turned towards the voice as a man came running down the path towards them.
"Dad!"
Noah tore away from his mom and ran towards his dad who swept him up in a big hug.
"I'm glad I could help," Andi said again and excused herself from the happy scene.
"It was nice to meet you, Andi," Sarah called after her and smiled one more time before turning and joining in a family hug.
Andi walked as fast as she could, so their voices were far behind her. Paige would have been a few months older than that baby. They would have been celebrating her first Christmas as a family.
She couldn't stop the thoughts from forming. But as soon as they did, she wished them away. The fact was, she would never know what Paige would have looked like if she'd lived, and there would never be a happy family scene for them. She was alone, and the sooner she accepted it, the easier it would be. She sniffed hard and wiped her gloved hand across her face.
I refuse to think about it this week, she thought to herself, as if willing her brain to cooperate with her heart would make a difference this time.
***
He should have waited for her, Colin thought for the hundredth time. Or at least left a note. He'd struggled with the proper way to handle leaving the villa earlier. He hadn't wanted to disturb her while she was in her room. He'd been more than pleasantly surprised that she'd agreed to stay, he didn't want to make it weird for her.