Sleigh Bells in the Snow (5 page)

“They’re understanding.” Now it wasn’t just her stomach and her head, it was her heart and her throat.
Damn.
She’d thought she was tougher than this. “Thanks to Jackson O’Neil, I now have enough work to keep me going through the next five holiday seasons, so if you wouldn’t mind—”

“Brett should have gone.”

“Brett has a wife and four kids, although when he had time to
make
four kids I have no idea given that he’s always in the office. Anyway, O’Neil asked for me—he’s going to get me.”

Stacy’s eyebrows lifted and Kayla rolled her eyes.

“Not in
that
way. He’s going to get the working, professional me.” She tried not to think about those blue eyes or the width of his shoulders.

“Is there any other version? Kayla, you should not be spending the holidays alone.”

“I won’t be alone. There will be moose, raccoons and—and—” she racked her brains “—other lovely, cute Christmassy furry things.”

“Have you actually ever
seen
a moose?”

“Not in the flesh, no.”
Thank goodness.
“But I’m sure they’re adorable. Why do you ask?”

“Because a moose is not a cute furry thing. I’m checking, so you know what you’re getting into.” Leaning across the desk, Stacy tapped Kayla’s keyboard and a moment later a large image of a moose appeared, its elongated bony face filling her screen.

“Dear God—” Kayla recoiled. “That is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I rest my case.” Stacy straightened. “Still keen to spend Christmas there?”

“I won’t be spending it with a moose, that’s for sure. It will be fun. I’ve always thought log fires were romantic.”

“Not by yourself.”

“I won’t be by myself. I’ll take a pile of DVDs. My gift to myself is a boxed set called The Ultimate Horror.”

“Kayla, that’s terrible. Who spends Christmas Day watching horror movies?”

“I do.” She picked up a stack of papers destined to be her bedtime reading.

“What about food?”

“According to Brett I feast on work, but I’ll probably take popcorn.”

“Christmas Day is about sharing good food with people you love, not microwaving popcorn.”

“I love watching horror movies. It will be a treat. Now, kindly remove that moose from my desktop. I have work to do, and I can’t do it with that thing watching me.”

CHAPTER THREE

H
E
SAW
HER
before she saw him, striding purposefully through the airport, her shiny blond hair drawn into a ponytail that swung across her neck and drew glances from the men around her. She wore a long cashmere coat in a pale shade of caramel that brushed the tops of soft leather boots the color of dark chocolate. Over her shoulder was her laptop bag, and behind her she dragged a medium-sized suitcase.

Walking through the crush of tourists in their colorful ski jackets, she stood out like a gazelle in a shopping mall.

Eyeing the cashmere coat, Jackson hoped she’d packed something suitable in that suitcase.

Kayla Green might be an expert in integrated marketing, but she clearly knew sweet nothing about dressing for Vermont in December.

“Kayla!”

Seeing him, she lifted her hand in acknowledgment.

And then she smiled and the smile was sweet and genuine, as if she was really excited to be here.

It kicked at his ribs and lower. Heat shot through him. Every thought in his brain went up in smoke. Gripped by raw lust, he strode to meet her, reminding himself he had enough complications in his life without adding another one. “You were lucky. The flight after yours is grounded in Newark.” Surprised his voice sounded even vaguely normal, he reached for her case but she gripped it tightly.

“I can manage, thanks.”

“Right.” Jackson decided the case would give her something to hang on to once those soft leather boots hit the snow outside and sent her spinning to the ground. “Then let’s get going.”

“I appreciate you meeting me.” She was brisk and businesslike and he wondered how long she’d keep that up once she met his family. They had a way of sucking the professional from a person.

“You’re welcome. As a matter of interest, did you pack any winter gear in those bags?”

She glanced down at herself. “Exhibit A. Warm coat. Boots. Scarf. What am I missing?”

He thought about pointing out she might be missing fingers and toes if she didn’t find herself a few more layers, but decided she had brain enough to work it out for herself soon enough. She was dressed for Manhattan not Mount Mansfield.

“You look great.” Truthfully she looked better than great. “You might need to add some thicker layers. The snow is pretty deep at the moment. We had a big storm a few days ago and another is forecast.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. What a nuisance.”

Her comment confirmed everything he already suspected about her relationship with snow. “We’re a winter sports resort, Kayla. Snow is good. In fact it’s essential.”

“Of course it is.” Her gaze didn’t shift from his. “I knew that. I just meant, what a nuisance I didn’t bring my other boots.”

“You own a pair that doesn’t have a four-inch heel?” He tried not to look at her legs and then decided
what the hell.
He hadn’t seen anything that good in Vermont in a long time, and he was going to make the most of it.

“Actually, no. But it will be fine. I’m developing a public relations strategy for you, not skiing downhill.”

He refrained from pointing out she was going to be skiing downhill the moment those heels touched the ice. “We’ll find you something when we get to Snow Crystal.”

He unlocked the car and stowed her bags.

Kayla sprang into the passenger seat and her coat parted, giving Jackson another glimpse of those incredible legs.

Lust slammed into him, and he was just recovering his balance when she turned and hit him with her smile.

Christ.

Felled by that smile, Jackson wondered how the hell he was supposed to focus on the words that came out of that mouth when all he wanted to do was kiss it.

He slid into the driver’s seat and tried to erase those lips and legs from his brain. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this attracted to a woman. Lately he’d been working too hard to notice the sex of the person he was talking to.

But not this time.

Deciding that employing Kayla Green might just have made his situation more complicated, not less, he picked a neutral topic. “Have you seen much of the U.S. since you’ve been here?”

“I travel quite a bit meeting journalists and clients, but I mostly see the inside of an airplane and a hotel. You know how it is.” She settled in her seat and her perfume wafted over him, swamping his senses.

Jackson kept his hands firmly on the wheel. It was that or grab her and haul her onto his lap. He was shocked by how badly he wanted to mess up that hair and ravage that soft mouth. Eighteen months at Snow Crystal and he’d obviously lost his grip on professional. “So you’ve never been to Vermont?”

“Never. But I’ve read extensively since our last meeting. You were born here?”

So she had the facts about the place, but not the feel. “Yes, but my mother is British. She came over to work in the hotel for a winter season and met my father. Married him and stayed.”

“The last eighteen months must have been hard for all of you.”

“She’s struggling.” He decided an understanding of his family was essential to understanding the unique needs of the business. “My grandparents live at Snow Crystal. My mother has been focusing all her energies on caring for them and making sure they’re coping.”

“And how are you coping?”

No one had asked him that question before. He hadn’t even asked it of himself. Hadn’t dared.

“I’m coping fine.” He ignored the tension in his shoulders. “But it’s been hard on my family.”

“Is your mother involved in the business?”

“She helps out where she’s needed.” And that was part of the problem, of course. The lack of structure.

“What else do I need to know about your family? You mentioned a brother?”

“There are three of us. It’s a wonder my mother is even remotely sane, given what we put her through growing up.”

“Three brothers.” Something in the way she said it made him turn his head toward her, and he immediately wished he hadn’t because there was her mouth again.

“You don’t have siblings?”

“Only child. You’re the eldest?”

“Yes.” The responsibility landed like a heavy weight on his shoulders. “Then Sean, then Tyler, who lives with his twelve-year-old daughter.”

“He’s the downhill skier—retired from racing after an accident. He’s married?”

“Single parent. Jess’s mother decided Tyler wasn’t marriage material and married someone else instead.” He was surprised by how much trauma could be condensed into one short sentence.

Kayla murmured words of sympathy, and Jackson thought back to that time, thought about the boy his brother had been and the man he was now.

He wasn’t about to talk about the custody battle. Nor about the fact that Janet had never wanted Jess, just Tyler’s money and a slice of the fame. “Burned him badly. He hasn’t had a serious relationship since.”

“Not surprising. But Jess lives with him now?”

“She’s been back with us for a month.” It had been a surprising turn of events, and he felt a rush of concern for his niece. “It’s complicated.”

“Relationships are always complicated.”

“Are yours?”

“I keep mine simple.”

“What’s your secret?”

“Not to have any.” Her tone was light and then she moved off the subject, talking about work again, grilling him on tourist numbers, hotels in the local area and transport links.

She’d whipped a tablet computer out of her bag and made endless notes as they talked.

The landscape was dotted with red barns and white-steepled country churches and the late-afternoon sun sent a wash of light over breathtakingly beautiful forests turned white by snow. The view caught him in the gut. He’d traveled the world, but in his opinion there was nowhere more beautiful. Expecting some comment from her, he glanced sideways and saw that her head was bent, her attention focused on the screen on her lap.

“You’re missing the sunset.”

“Mmm?” She glanced up and her expression changed. “Oh! That’s stunning.”

And Jackson realized her lack of response had nothing to do with indifference. She simply hadn’t noticed. But she was noticing now, her eyes fixed on the snowcapped mountains that rose in the distance. “I can see why people choose to visit. It’s beautiful. And relaxing.”

For a person who knew how to relax, he thought, and that person was definitely
not
Kayla Green.

There was an almost-feverish energy about her, and already her head was back down, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she made more notes for herself.

She fascinated him.

“Where do you normally take your vacations?”

“I haven’t taken a vacation in three years. I’m not good at vacations. But I’m good at knowing what other people enjoy—” she gave him a quick smile “—so don’t start panicking about my ability to do the work.”

He wondered what she’d say if she knew he hadn’t thought about work since she’d climbed into his car.

They drove through villages, over covered bridges, past pretty clapboard homesteads and local stores. Doors were decorated with fresh evergreen wreaths and windows strung with sparkling lights and Christmas decorations.

Kayla alternated between looking at the screen and the gentle rise of the mountains, their snowy tops turning pink under the setting sun.

“That’s part of the ski area?”

“Yes. See the mountains to the far right?” He gestured. “You’re looking toward Stowe, home of the Front Four, some of the steepest and most difficult runs in the Northeast. And we have our share of steep in the mountains above Snow Crystal. The names are designed to make you think twice before getting off the lift—Devil’s Gully and Scream being two of them.”

“Scream? I think I could do that bit.” She turned her head as they passed a sign by the side of the road. “Moose Crossing? How do the moose know they’re supposed to cross there?”

Jackson laughed. “It’s a warning to drivers that this is an area where moose are often spotted. You have to be particularly careful when driving at night. Moose have long legs. If you hit one, the likely scenario is that the moose comes through your windshield, and if that happens you might not live to tell the tale.”

“That’s one fact I don’t recommend using in any marketing campaign.”

“You might be surprised. Tourists love spotting moose.”

“Really? I’ve only ever seen one in a picture. I think I might want to keep it that way.”

As they drew closer to Snow Crystal, Jackson lifted his hand in greeting to the people they passed, and she raised her eyebrows.

“You know everyone?”

“Small community. Everyone knows everyone. I’m talking about the locals, obviously. The population swells by a few thousand tourists all year round.” He turned the wheel and eased carefully into the long road that twisted and turned through the forest toward the lake. “Where did you grow up? I’m guessing not in the country.”

“London.” It was a typically brief answer and Jackson wondered whether it was because she didn’t want to talk about herself or because she was careful to always focus on the client.

They passed the sign for Snow Crystal and she tilted her head. “Someone built a snowman.”

“Favorite activity for kids around here.”

She studied the carefully sculpted snow and the twig arms and mouth. “Was it yours?”

“Mine was stuffing snow down my brothers’ necks and then running like hell before they could retaliate. We were more into destroying than creating.”

“I suppose that’s what happens when you have three boys. Tell me about your other brother.”

“Sean? He’s an orthopedic surgeon. I take credit for that choice....” He slowed as the surface became more uneven. “I broke my arm snowboarding when I was seven. Ran into a tree. Instead of running for help he stood there staring at the bone sticking out.”

“Oh, please—”

“I was yelling at him to get help, and all Sean could do was wonder how it was going to go back under the skin. He insisted on coming with me to the hospital so he could find out. He went to Harvard and then spent time at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore indulging his fascination for difficult fractures, before switching to sports medicine. At the moment he’s working in Boston and when he isn’t wearing scrubs he dresses in smart suits, drinks fine wine and dates beautiful women.”

He’d done the same,
he remembered. There was a time not so long ago when he’d worn smart suits, enjoyed fine wines in good restaurants and dated beautiful women.

Now he rarely wore a suit, and apart from a couple of friendly evenings out with Brenna, who had grown up on the farm nearby and followed them around when they were kids, he hadn’t dated anyone. For the past eighteen months his life had been about saving the business.

“So he’s not back in the family fold?”

“No, but he’ll be home for Christmas.” Following an impulse, Jackson pulled over and parked. “This is one of my favorite views of Snow Crystal. From here you can see the lake, the mountain and the forest. If you come here early in the morning and late at night in the summer you can sometimes see black bear and moose.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

He smiled. “It wasn’t a warning. The wildlife is important to the tourists. Have you ever seen a bear?”

“Never. And truthfully, I hope not to. I don’t think it would be my thing, although I do meet quite a few sharks in my job.” Her eyes gleamed. “Any other wildlife I should know about apart from bear and moose? Er—anything small and friendly and less likely to kill you? A cute rabbit perhaps?”

“The animals leave you alone if you leave them alone.”

“I’ll be leaving them alone. No doubt about that. So what else interests the tourists here?”

“The view.” He considered himself good at reading people but he was finding it hard to read her.

“I’ve already written that down.
The view.
See?” She turned the screen toward him. “It’s on the list, above ‘moose.’”

“Instead of writing it down, why don’t you try looking at it?”

“At a moose?”

“At the view. Get out of the car.”

“Get out—you mean actually go outside and stand in the snow?” She said it slowly, as if he’d asked her to strip naked and run in circles. “You’re the client, so if you think it’s necessary then of course I’ll—” Taking a deep breath she opened the car door and then gasped and slammed it shut again. “Crap, it’s
freezing
out there.”