Christmas Treats Box Set: Books 1 - 4

by Holly Rayner

  “Why not?” she said, then realized how rude she was being. “I’m sorry,” she added swiftly. “I shouldn’t have asked that. I don’t know why I did.”

  “It’s all right. Some of us merely aren’t that lucky when it comes to family, I suppose.”

  “I realize I was really fortunate,” she said. “My mom and dad…they were my best friends.”

  “And now?”

  “Now it’s Corinne…and Taffy.”

  “Ah. How could we forget Taffy?” His eyes twinkled. “Where is she?”

  “Staying at Corinne’s. Probably keeping her awake at night by running around the apartment.”

  Ken ran his palm over his head, which left his hair ruffled a bit. “And you spend Christmas with Corinne?”

  “I do. It used to be us and her parents, but since they retired to Florida, it’s just us. Not much of a party.”

  “I bet it’s wonderful. Knowing you, it’s an event for the ages every year.”

  “Oh, come on. Dressing in costume and singing Christmas carols door to door is completely normal.”

  “Let me guess. You dress like you’re from a Dickens novel.”

  “I’d asked you to join us,” Adison teased, “but I probably won’t have time to do that this year.”

  “If the party is too much to handle, we could get you some help.” His eyebrows crept upward.

  “Oh, no. No. I didn’t mean to suggest anything like that. I want to be planning this party. It’s been terrific.”

  “Good, good. I’m glad to hear that.” He reclined in his seat, hooking one ankle over the opposite leg.

  Adison realized it was probably the most relaxed she’d ever seen him.

  She hadn’t thought about it much before, but Ken was kind of stiff. Like his mind was always racing and he didn’t know how to slow it down.

  “And what else do you do?” he asked. “Other than sing to strangers?”

  “Oh, bake cookies. Trim the tree. Make eggnog.” She ticked the list off on her fingers. “Make cards. Send gift baskets to families in need. Help with the food drive. Try and get Taffy into her Santa hat…”

  He laughed. “I imagine she isn’t partial to that hat.”

  “But she looks so adorable in it. I should probably let her be, but I can’t.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a picture, would you?”

  “Of my cat in costume?” Adison pressed a palm to her chest and pretended to be shocked. “Now why would I do that?”

  She picked her phone up, scrolled, selected, and sent the pic to Ken. His phone beeped accordingly. Wearing a knowing smirk, he pulled it from his pocket and looked.

  “Wow.” He shook his head. “It’s even better than I imagined.”

  “The hat was only on for about three seconds. It’s a miracle I got one picture.”

  “Perhaps you should bring Taffy to our Christmas party. She can be the greeter.”

  “Unless you’re paying her in a lifetime supply of tuna, I don’t think she’d be interested.”

  “I can make that work.”

  Adison waggled her finger. “Sorry. Did I say lifetime? I meant nine lifetimes. She’ll need nine lives’ worth of tuna.”

  He didn’t bat an eye. “Not to gloat, but I do have some money.”

  “You don’t say. I thought you borrowed this jet to impress me.”

  “If I wanted to impress you, it would be with something much more noteworthy than a private jet.” His gaze locked on hers, heat simmering in his irises.

  Adison’s pulse jumped, and heat rushed to her face. He was definitely flirting with her.

  She started to ask, What’s more noteworthy than a private jet, but she stopped herself. They’d taken things too far. Again.

  Abruptly, Ken’s gaze left hers. Clearing his throat, he stood. “I’ll see about dinner.”

  “Great,” she mumbled, tongue thick.

  Without sparing her another glance, he disappeared through the curtains.

  “Easy, Adison,” she whispered to herself.

  She needed to be careful. The trip had only just begun, and already she was flirting with danger. Ken had only been joking around. She’d read him the wrong way, and it had made him uncomfortable.

  Time to get ahold of herself before she put more than her heart at risk. This job at the Montoya Foundation was important, and the Christmas party would be a fabulous addition to her resume should she ever decide to go back into event planning full-time.

  She might have made some bad choices with guys, but this was her career here. She could not and would not screw that up for herself.

  Chapter 17

  Ken

  Ken didn’t know how to feel when the plane touched down in Wyoming. He’d only been with Adison a few hours, and despite himself, he was already wishing the weekend would never end.

  A car, courtesy of Thea, waited for them at the airport. Adison rode with her face nearly pressed to the window.

  “It’s gorgeous here,” she said, her breath fogging the window.

  “Yes. It is.” He wasn’t watching the scenery fly by. He was far too busy paying attention to her. He studied her profile, the smooth curve of her neck.

  He wanted to reach over and run his fingers through her hair, to press his lips to hers and discover what she tasted like.

  Arriving at Thea’s massive cabin was a relief. Another minute in the car, and Ken thought he might have gone insane.

  The home was two stories, with a wraparound porch and a creek running alongside it. Deep snowdrifts covered the sides of the driveway, and there was a massive garage.

  It was fully dark by the time they arrived, with the windows glowing a cozy yellow. Thea met them at the front door, a big smile on and her arms outstretched.

  “Welcome,” she cooed. “Welcome!”

  She gave Ken a side hug, while Adison offered her hand for a shake.

  “It’s good to meet you in person,” Thea said, placing one hand over the top of Adison’s.

  “You, too. Thanks for having me. Your home is gorgeous.” Adison laughed. “And I haven’t even seen the inside yet.”

  “Well, let’s get a move on. It’s freezing out here. Have you been to Jackson Hole before?”

  They entered the house, and Thea walked them through a den and down a hallway while she and Adison chatted about the activities on offer in Jackson Hole. Ken was jumpy, finding it hard to pay attention to the conversation. He blamed the plane trip on that.

  “And here are your rooms.” Thea stopped at the end of the hallway, a door on either side of her. “I didn’t know how much space you might need…”

  “Thanks,” Ken said quickly, ignoring the question that was implied.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled,” Thea said. “We’ll be in the living room when you’re ready. We’re eating in about thirty, but take your time, and let me know if there’s anything you need.”

  Adison waited until Thea had left to speak. “How many other guests are there?”

  “I’m not sure.” Ken didn’t like not having an answer for her, but he hadn’t asked Thea for specifics on the weekend because they didn’t really matter. The only thing that was important to him was pleasing his potential donor.

  “Oh. Okay.” Adison ran her hand through her hair, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the way the strands fell from her fingers. “See you in a few minutes, I guess.”

  He forced himself to turn away from her. “Yes. See you soon.” With that, he turned on his heel and went into the bedroom directly behind him.

  The room was spacious, with a queen-size bed and French doors leading out onto a small patio. The bathroom had a sunk-in bathtub and a large TV mounted on the wall. The setup itself was nice enough to spend the whole weekend in.

  That is, if you were staying there with someone.

  His chest constricted. Setting his bag on the bed, he began unpacking. Even though they would only be there for a couple days, he still planned on hanging all h
is clothes. It was simply his habit.

  When that was done, he went into the hall and knocked softly on the door directly across from his.

  There was no response.

  “Adison?” he called.

  He knocked again, louder this time. When she still didn’t answer the door, he opened it up and poked his head into the room. Her suitcase was on the floor by the bed, but other than that the room was empty. It appeared she’d gone to meet the others without him.

  Even though it shouldn’t have, that stung a little bit. He’d been looking forward to at least spending another half a minute alone with her.

  Why? It wouldn’t lead anywhere.

  He knew that, of course. Maybe he was simply masochistic.

  Even though the home was large, it wasn’t difficult to locate the party. All he had to do was follow the sounds of laughter.

  They were in a room with a fireplace; Thea, Adison, and six other people. An oil painting of a blue mountain hung over the fireplace, and furs were strewn across the furniture. Out of curiosity, he brushed his fingers against a white fur as he walked by it, and he decided it was fake.

  The place was decorated to look like a hunting lodge, but it wasn’t really. It was a retreat for people with money, and Thea had plenty of that. He’d researched her thoroughly before their first meeting and discovered that she came from a family that had made a fortune in car parts.

  “There he is.” Thea’s voice boomed across the cavernous room. “Our last guest. Everyone is finally here.”

  She went around the circle, introducing everyone to Ken. There were her friends from California, her friends from Manhattan, and her friends from Buffalo. Ken only caught two people’s names: Rich and Arlene McDade. Normally he could remember names easily, but he felt scattered and distracted, not his usual self.

  With the exception of Thea, he realized, they were all couples.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ken said to the last person…whose name he, of course, had forgotten after two seconds.

  Oh, well. They would be there all weekend. He would learn names soon enough.

  “Cider?” Thea offered him a glass.

  Taking the warm mug, Ken found a seat on a couch next to Adison.

  “Enjoying yourself so far?” he asked.

  She sipped her cider. “Yeah. It’s really nice here.”

  The blond woman Thea had introduced as her friend from Manhattan came and took a seat in the easy chair next to the couch. “So how do you know Thea?”

  “Through her work.” Ken sipped his cider. If it was spiked, he couldn’t tell. It tasted so sweet.

  “What about you?” Adison asked the woman.

  “We go way back.” She made a gesture to the sky, like she couldn’t even begin to explain just how long they’d known each other for. “You look familiar, Ken. I can’t figure out from where, though. Have we met?”

  “Ken’s kinda famous.” Adison half smiled, and it had to be the most adorable expression she’d ever made. “He has a philanthropic organization in Buffalo.”

  “Lovely,” the woman cooed. She turned her attention back to Adison. “You must be so proud of your boyfriend.”

  Ken’s breath caught in his throat, and he realized that he hadn’t specifically asked Adison to pretend to be his girlfriend this weekend. Once she corrected Thea’s friend, the truth about the relationship was sure to make its way back to Thea.

  How had he been so careless?

  “I am,” Adison said. “He’s quite the guy.”

  Ken felt his jaw drop.

  “Aw,” the blonde cooed.

  “Trish,” the woman’s husband called. He was standing with the other man whose name Ken couldn’t remember, looking at something on a tablet. “Come check this out, honey.”

  “Excuse me, please.” Trish crossed the room.

  Ken let out a slow breath. “Um…”

  Adison only laughed. “Should I have not done that? I figured, why not agree with her? We already know how to play house. It looks like everyone is mistaking us for a couple.”

  “Yeah. It’s…it’s okay.” If everyone was mistaking them for a couple, wasn’t that a sign that they would be good together?

  What a stupid thought, Ken realized. He had to be tired from the week and the flight. Clearly, he wasn’t thinking straight.

  “Okay, everyone!” Thea’s voice rose above the chatter. “Dinner is ready. It’s self-serve so help yourselves.”

  They’d eaten on the jet, but Ken didn’t want to be rude, so he figured he’d make a light plate while he engaged in conversation.

  Adison stood up, moving toward the kitchen with everyone else, but Thea stopped Ken with a touch to his elbow.

  “One moment, Ken,” she said quietly.

  He saw Adison throw a glance over her shoulder. Before he could tell her to go ahead, that he would catch up, she kept on walking.

  But of course she didn’t need him. She could make her way to the kitchen just fine.

  Thea waited until the two of them were alone in the living room. “I’m truly happy you were able to make it.”

  He inclined his head. “Thank you again for inviting us.”

  “Adison seems like a lovely girl.”

  “Yes. She’s definitely my better half.” He glanced in the general direction of the kitchen, remembering how she’d saved his butt back there by pretending to be his girlfriend.

  “It’s funny,” Thea chuckled. “I would have pegged you as a total bachelor for life.”

  “If it weren’t for her, I’m sure I’d be single.” He sipped his cider, which had cooled down to nearly room temperature. “I hope you don’t mind if I ask…”

  “Yes?” She arched an eyebrow. “What is it?”

  “This feels like a couples’ getaway. You’re the only person here without a significant other.” He made a show of looking around the room. “Unless they’re hiding out somewhere.”

  “Call that coincidence. As for my relationship status, I simply haven’t found the right person yet. He’s out there.”

  “I’m sure.” Was this why she’d held him back? To chitchat about dating?

  “Anyway,” Thea said, “I’m sure I told you I don’t do much business during the holidays.”

  “You did.”

  Ah. Here we go.

  She continued. “I just want you to know that I haven’t forgotten about our talks. I’ve been sitting on your request, and I’d like to schedule a meeting for the first week in January.”

  Ken’s heart leapt. “That sounds perfect.”

  “Wonderful,” Thea purred. “I’ll have my assistant call yours. Now come on. I’m ravenous.”

  He followed her out of the living room, feeling the best that he had since touching down in Wyoming. This was why he was jumping through all these hoops. The Christmas party, the fake relationship, coming to Jackson Hole. He needed that medical supply donation.

  And it looked like the goods were within reach. He’d sufficiently impressed Thea. From here on out, it would be smooth sailing.

  Chapter 18

  Adison

  Adison opened the sliding glass door and peeked out at the woods surrounding the house. Snowflakes swirled to the ground. She reached a hand out and caught one in the palm of her hand.

  Clasping the towel around herself, she darted onto the deck. She’d already uncovered the hot tub before going inside and changing into a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra, and steam curled off its surface.

  Holding onto the edges of the tub, she slowly slid in first one foot then the other. The delicious heat welcomed her, and she sank into the comforting water.

  It was Sunday, their last day in Jackson Hole, and Adison had spent the afternoon skiing with Trish and Arlene. While on the last run, she’d taken a bit of a tumble, and she felt it now. Her right hip ached, and there was a stiffness in her lower back.

  Luckily, there happened to be a hot tub attached to her bedroom. Obviously, she’d lucked o
ut, because Ken hadn’t said anything about a hot tub on his deck.

  Closing her eyes, she sank as low into the tub as she could go. The snow tickled her cheeks and ears, but below the chin she was warming up fast.

  The next morning, it would be back to reality. She’d miss the snowy heaven she’d found in Wyoming but hoped to come back one day.

  After Trish mistaking her and Ken for a couple Friday night, not much had been said on the matter. Adison and Ken had actually spent little time alone together, since the days had been filled with group activities. They’d gone shopping, skiing, and sightseeing around Jackson Hole, and the only time Adison could remember seeing Ken alone was when they randomly passed each other in the hall.

  Which was good. Their flight here had been enjoyable—too enjoyable. When it came to them, there was no such thing as too much space.

  She did wonder, though, why Ken hadn’t corrected Trish. Did he not care if anyone thought Adison was his girlfriend?

  No, that wasn’t it. He must have set Trish straight later, sometime when Adison wasn’t in the room.

  The sound of the sliding glass door opening made Adison’s eyes pop open.

  “Adison?”

  Ken!

  With a yip, she spun around in the hot tub. Ken stood in the doorway to her bedroom, looking at her.

  “There you are,” he said. “You didn’t hear me calling?”

  “No.” Her heart hammered in her chest. She wasn’t naked, but she wasn’t fully dressed either. Lacking a bathing suit, she’d put on the clothes that seemed most practical for a hot tub dip.

  He didn’t seem to notice her discomfort, though.

  “Guess what?” He grinned.

  “What?”

  “Thea wants to go Christmas caroling. I assume you’re up for that?” His eyes twinkled.

  That flipped her mood. A grin stretched her lips, and she bit into it. “When?”

  “Soon as everyone is ready.”

  “Count me in.” She went to stand, then changed her mind. It didn’t feel appropriate for Ken to see her in such little clothing.