by Ali Parker
“What do you mean?”
“Nick gets his charity event and you get some seriously good PR.”
When he didn’t answer, I turned to look at him. He was focused on something else. I followed his line of sight and watched a little boy, probably about five, struggling to roll a snowball. A volunteer offered help, but the boy rejected it. The determination was pretty clear.
“Hold this,” he said and handed me the cup of cocoa.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. He walked into the snowman arena and started to help the boy. At first, the boy tried to reject him, but Chase was far more stubborn than the kid. I stepped forward, wanting to listen to what they were saying. I couldn’t make out all the words, but he was talking in a soft voice.
The boy was softening toward him.
“Ready?” Chase asked him.
“Yes,” the boy said with eager eyes.
“You have to help,” Chase told him.
I watched them work together—well, Chase was lifting but the boy was giving it his all. My heart swelled watching the two of them work together. Chase was so patient with him. They put one snowball on top of the other and then another. I watched as Chase waited for him to pick out the accessories he wanted for the snowman. It was truly the most adorable thing ever.
I was falling hard. Not falling. I’d already fallen. Damn it all.
I had fallen for the man, and he was a man. He wasn’t the same boy I fell in love with way back then. He wasn’t the same guy who broke my heart when he left me. The Chase in front of me was the kind of man I knew he would always be. He was the kind of man I dreamed about settling down with one day.
All my good senses were telling me to get out while I still could. Just because he changed and just because he was charming and adorable right then, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t break my heart. I just didn’t think I could survive being broken by him again. Especially now. The way I felt for him was so much the same and yet so different than the first time. It was more intense.
“Your boyfriend is very sweet,” a blonde woman said.
I turned to look at her. I was going to correct her but figured it was a waste of breath. “Is that your son?”
“It is. He thinks he is five going on twenty. I love that he is independent, but it makes me crazy at the same time.”
“Independence is a good thing,” I told her, even though I really didn’t know.
“My husband, his father, is overseas. He’s been there more than he’s been here. He’s so used to being the man of the house it can make him seem a little obstinate.”
“He seems sweet,” I said.
“Your boyfriend seems sweet. How long have you two been together?”
“Uh, not long,” I answered. I didn’t want to explain our complicated relationship.
“Are you here with your kid?”
I smiled. “No, no kids. I work for the resort.”
“Oh. Does your boyfriend work here as well?”
It was cute. She didn’t know who he was. I knew he would be amused by that. “Yes, he does.”
“That must be nice. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not only have my husband in the same country let alone working together.”
I smiled again. “It’s nice.”
I felt like a fraud. There was nothing to do for it.
“Can we take a picture?” the boy asked.
“Absolutely,” Chase answered, waving to the volunteer with the polaroid camera.
The two posed with the completed snowman before Chase gave him the picture. When he turned to look at me, all I could think about was getting the man in bed. I was one of those women. I was turned on by a man showing good father skills.
I was hopeless.
Chapter 45
Chase
Her smile lit up my world. I took her hand in mine as we meandered back into the hotel to check out some of the games that were set up in the ballroom. The change in temperature had me stripping off my jacket. I wasn’t used to wearing a jacket unless I was on a ski hill.
I didn’t spend a lot of time outside, but when I did, I didn’t mind a little chill. It made me feel alive. That was one of the things I missed about Boulder when we moved to Malibu. I missed being cold. It was crazy, and my family couldn’t understand it, but I felt like the cold invigorated me.
“Warm?” I asked her.
“I’m good,” she answered, her green eyes bright. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold outside. She had never looked prettier. Her coat hugged her body, giving her a perfect hourglass figure. She was wearing a cute white knit cap that perfectly framed her face.
“Want more cocoa?”
She leaned closer. “Would it be bad if we snuck into the lounge and got a hot toddy?”
“It would not be bad. It’s for health purposes, right? We need to get our body temperature up.”
“Yes, I like the way you think. We’re warming up.”
“You sure gave those kids hell in that snowball fight,” I teased.
She softly giggled as we walked toward the lounge. “I can’t help it. I can be so competitive at times. I don’t know what comes over me. I feel like a bull with a red flag being waved in front of it. No mercy.”
“You’re a vicious woman. Remind me not to wear red around you and to never challenge you to anything.”
“Hey, that one little kid totally deserved what he got.”
“I agree,” I told her. “You nailed him.”
“I don’t think his mom was very happy with me.”
“I think his mom wanted to shake your hand,” I replied.
“I think a lot of the kids wanted to shake my hand. He was kind of a bully.”
“Yes, he was.”
We got our hot drinks and meandered around the ballroom watching the kids play games. We went into one of the conference rooms that was being utilized for the craft part of the fair. I cringed at the sight of the clutter and mess. The volunteers were struggling to keep things clean, which was expected, but damn, to see it in person was alarming.
“They seem to be enjoying themselves,” I commented.
Harper was watching the kids. “Yes, I think so. It’s a good balance. Some kids seem to prefer quiet activities and then you have those kids outside that are borderline feral.”
I laughed at her choice of words. “Definitely some wild ones in the bunch.”
We checked in with the volunteers, looked at some of the completed ornaments the kids made and were waiting to dry, and finally made our way back outside.
“Want to hop on one of those sleds and take a run down the hill?” I asked her.
“No,” she gasped. “I could never.”
“Sure, you can.”
“Chase, I haven’t been on a sled since I was a kid. I’ll probably break a hip.”
I laughed. “Live a little. Be adventurous.”
“I think I should stick to skiing.”
“It will be fun. Where is your sense of adventure?”
“It went with my health insurance when I lost my job.”
“I will cover all medical bills in the event of an injury, but I know you’ll be fine.” I leaned close to her ear. “I happen to know firsthand that you are bendy and plenty flexible.”
She blushed, slapping me away. “Stop.”
“Come on. Look at the kids going down the hill. They are having a blast. Even the ones that are going down face first.”
She winced, her face twisting as we watched one particularly brutal wipeout. When the kids jumped up laughing and begging to go again, she was finally convinced. “All right, I’ll go but I do not want to go face first.”
“I would never let that happen,” I assured her.
We grabbed two of the sleds at the bottom of the hill and made the trek to the top. She stood at the top, staring down. “I don’t know,” she hesitated.
“It’ll be fine. Sit down and I’ll give you a push.”
She pulle
d another face before finally sitting down with her legs stretched out in front of her. Her gloved hands gripped the handles as she looked up at me. “Not fast,” she said.
“Baby, it’s gravity, I have no control,” I said with a laugh before I gave her sled a solid push that sent her on a slow slide down the hill.
I knew she’d be picking up speed in no time. I put my sled on the snow, took a few steps back, ran, and flopped on my belly onto the sled. The momentum had me moving down the hill in no time at all. It was just like it was when I was twenty years younger and a lot smaller. I kept my feet up as I flew down the hill, snow flying into my face and blinding me completely.
I heard her scream and assumed I passed her on the way down. I was having an absolute blast. I truly felt like I was flying. I felt carefree and wild, and for one brief moment, I remembered what it was like to be young with no worries.
The sled began to slow, and the next thing I knew, I was thrown off. I rolled through the snow. When I finally stopped moving, I wiped the snow clinging to my face from my eyes.
Harper was looking at me with concern. “Are you okay?”
I grinned and got to my feet, dusting off the chunks of snow that clung to my coat and jeans. “Never better.”
“You are covered in snow.”
“That was awesome. Do you want to give it a try?”
“On my belly? No thanks. Are you cold?”
I ran my hand through my hair, shaking out more of the snow. “Not at all.”
“You are crazy,” she exclaimed.
“Don’t you remember going down on your belly?”
“No. Only boys do that.”
I reached for her. “It was really fun.”
She dusted off my shoulder where more snow was clinging. “You’re nuts.”
She turned to grab her sled and I couldn’t resist. I bent down, scooped up a chunk of snow, and stuck it down the back of her jacket. She squealed and turned on me. I was laughing so hard I didn’t see her grab a handful of snow until it was smeared against my face. After my wild ride down the hill, my face was partially numb anyway.
I grabbed her again, wrapping my arms around her waist and tugging her against me. She fought, laughing as she tried to get away. “Not a chance, woman.”
“Chase,” she cried out while laughing.
Her struggles and the slippery snow had us falling to the soft snow-covered ground. I rolled, pinning her under me for half a second until she found her own strength and rolled again. This time, she was on top. She grabbed more snow and smeared it into my face.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
I rolled over and pinned her to the ground. I stared down at her eyes filled with laughter and was tempted to kiss her but remembered where we were. She fought, bucking under me until I finally released her. We both got to our feet, out of breath and laughing.
“You better watch your back,” she warned. “This snow isn’t going away anytime soon. I’ll get you when you least expect it.”
I had no doubt she would. “You get me, and I’ll get you,” I promised.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Just then, a snowball was tossed through the air, barely missing me. “Sorry,” someone called.
I nodded at the war happening. There were little walls that resembled fortresses set up on either side of a wide space. There were plenty of volunteers to keep an eye on things, ensuring no one packed a snowball too hard. It was the one area the little kids weren’t allowed in. I couldn’t afford to get sued.
“Wanna fight?” I asked her.
“I think we just did.” She pointed to my face. “You’re still wearing the remnants of that fight.”
I grinned. “Chicken.”
“You’re on, buddy, but don’t go crying to mama when our team wins.”
I wasn’t sure who was going to decide who won, but I took my side while she walked to the other side. We tossed a few snowballs at each other, being careful to avoid any of the kids already playing. It wasn’t long before someone from my side beamed her in the chest.
“It’s on!” she shouted across the divide.
“Uh oh,” I teased the kids. “I think we should duck and cover.”
Harper’s team launched a snowball strike that left my team cowering behind the barrier. Anytime one of us would stand up to see if it was clear, we were promptly met with a snowball.
“Anybody have a white flag?” I asked.
The kids looked at me like I was crazy.
I put my hand up and waved it. “We surrender,” I shouted.
“Just you,” she shouted back with laughter in her voice.
I looked at my team. “I’ll take one for the team, guys.”
They didn’t look sad that I was sacrificing myself. They all gave me little waves before practically pushing me out of the shelter.
Harper walked over to join me. “Surrender, huh?”
“I surrender.”
“Good. I didn’t want to have to annihilate those poor kids, but I absolutely would have in the name of winning.”
I pulled her under my arm. “Anyone ever tell you you’re just a little competitive?”
“I win. Call it what you will.”
“Ready to get something warm?” I asked her.
She looked around the action and nodded. “I am.”
I couldn’t resist trying to get her one last time. I knew I was pushing my luck, but I had to try. I reached down and grabbed a handful of snow. She saw what I was doing and took off running. “I don’t think so,” she shouted.
I gave chase with the snowball in hand. She disappeared behind a booth. I rounded the corner in time for her nail me with her own snowball. I reached out to grab her. She darted out of my reach and ran across the fenced-in area where we were keeping the kids contained. She went under the rope and into the trees behind the resort.
“Catch me if you can,” she called.
I was going to catch her, and I didn’t mind the chase. I slowed down and looked at the ground, following her fresh footsteps. I caught a glimpse of her powder-blue coat and lunged, barely missing her. She screamed and took off running again.
“You better run,” I warned. “I’m going to get you.”
More laughter filled the air around us. The trees provided plenty of cover for her to hide and for us to stay out of view of the people at the fair. I was thrilled to have a little privacy. Once I did catch her, I was planning to kiss her until she was begging for mercy.
A snowball flew past me. I grinned and bent down to grab more snow. “Keep running because when I catch you, you’re going to be sorry.”
“You’ll never catch me,” she teased. “You’re too slow.”
That was a challenge I was willing to accept. I would show her how slow I could be.
Chapter 46
Harper
I was trying to slow my breathing to keep him from hearing me. I found a nice big pine tree to hide behind and waited for my chance to sneak up behind him.
He’d stopped talking, which meant I couldn’t track him by sound. I couldn’t hear his footsteps crunching in the snow either. My heart pounded, and my smile felt like it would break my face. I was having a blast. It had been forever since I played—actually played.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he called in a husky tone.
I slapped a hand over my face when I realized he was close. I didn’t dare move and give away my location. I took a chance and peered out from behind the tree. I scanned the area and didn’t see him. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me against him.
A playful scream erupted from my lips but was quickly swallowed by his mouth over mine. I could feel his cold nose pressed against mine, a stark contradiction to the heat of his mouth. He held me close, kissing me until any hint of cold I felt was gone. Just when the kiss really started to heat up, he pulled back.
He wiped his lips and smiled. “Caught you.”
I smiled in return. “Yes, you did.”
“Let’s get you inside before you turn into a popsicle.”
I let him take my hand and lead me inside. We stopped by the lounge and got a spiked apple cider before meandering down the hall and into the ballroom again.
The games were a hit. The sounds of laughter and excitement filled the air. Kids darted in and out, carrying their goodies as they went to show their parents what they won. It was a joy to see the kids having such a good time.
I glanced over and saw Chase staring at one of the signs on the tables. There was a look of concern on his face. “Everything okay?”
He looked up and smiled. “Yes, fine. All good. I was just looking at the sponsors.”
“We made sure we got everyone listed. I doublechecked it myself.”
He nodded before we walked away. “Do I dare?” he asked and pointed to the strength game.
“You know, I didn’t even call that business. They heard about the fair and offered to bring a few of their games. I wasn’t sure the strength one was a good idea, but it seems to be a hit.”
He smiled, and I knew right away he’d called them. I suspected he was working behind the scenes to get some of this stuff done so quickly. I appreciated his help, even though he never admitted to giving it. I knew he did.
“I think I have to see if I still have what it takes to ring the bell,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh no, the macho thing.”
He waited in line while I held his drink and stood to the side. When it was his turn, he gave me a wink before slamming the hammer down and ringing the bell. His next two turns resulted in the same. For his effort, he was given a pretty white teddy bear with a gorgeous blue bow tied around its neck.
“For you,” he said and handed me the bear.
It was just like the teddy bear I’d stashed away. “Thank you.”
Memories flooded me. Good memories. Memories of our long talks under the stars and the many times he showed me how much he truly loved me. Times were good back then. Really good. I usually tried to avoid all memories of him because I didn’t want to think about him, but I let the good times roll in. Snippets of moments flashed through my mind.
