“Well, the joke’s on you… I have a fabulous vagina. Very responsive.”
“Your parents should have grounded you more,” he muttered next to me.
Choosing to ignore his surly disposition at the mere mention of my lady bits, I continued. “Besides, there’s nothing healthy about you fearing any vagina. Move that to the top of the list to tackle with your therapist. Lucky for us, you won’t have to get near my big, scary vagina to make it through the week. Neither of our parents will expect PDA if I’m dating you—”
He snorted. “Why does that feel like a dig?”
The frigid air chugged in and out of my lungs, leaving a biting sting with every breath. Cars rolled through the north entrance and lined up, waiting to unload. The resort gleamed as it did early in the season, with their vast revamping efforts from during the offseason on full display.
“Not a dig, just truth. You’re not flashy, pretty boy. But that works for us. We can go through this whole week with you doing nothing more than pulling out my chair and brushing your hand over my lower back when you guide me into a room. Oooh,” I said with a snap of my fingers. “And make a show of holding my hand at some point and our parents will be neck deep in planning our wedding and the littles to follow.”
He skidded to a stop. “Littles?”
I grabbed his hand and tugged him back to my side. “Kids.”
“Jesus.”
“Jesus was a nice guy and all, but he can’t help you. Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
“Terrifying,” he muttered.
“Isn’t it? Anyway, just treat me like I’m human. I’ll put a hold on the Nair, and in a week, we’ll both have our freedom. Actually, less than a week when you think about it. Five days. We can handle five days. And no worrying about teeth… you won’t be going near either set.” Laughter bubbled up in my throat, releasing some of the tension coiled in my gut.
“Christ.”
“Ah, ah, no swearing, Saint Nick.”
“And it’s six days. Five nights, but six whole days.”
I yanked open the door for him, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a little shove since it looked like his feet might refuse to take another step. The blood had completely drained from his face. “Get your shit together… it’s showtime.”
ChapterThree
A gustof warm air carrying a hint of cinnamon and chocolate washed over us the minute we stepped through the doors, reminding me of a happy childhood here. When I spent most of my time with the boys and no one judged me for it.
The main room of the lodge where families checked in opened into a two-story massive room with knotted pine walls, tall windows facing the slopes, and dueling fireplaces on each end, both with stonework shooting straight up to the ceiling.
Cozy seating areas arranged in clusters of coordinating warm creams, blush, rose, and camel shades dotted the room, most already occupied by families and kids.
So many kids.
“Does it seem busier to you this year?”
“They added two black diamond trails and a new quad. It’s busier.” His voice rumbled next to my ear, catching me by surprise.
“Super.”
Garlands draped from corner to corner of every window, giving the room an underlying scent of the fresh, crisp scent of pine. Dueling arrangements of three interlocking wreaths, each at least four feet tall, hung high on the stone-face chimneys over the twin burning fireplaces. Golden bows gleamed in the rays of the sun breaking through the clouds and streaming through the expansive skylights.
And none of it was nearly as stunning as the massive tree in the corner wrapped in a generous swath of white lights. Red suede bows adorned the tips of the branches and in between, delicate scalloped-edged angels with pleated skirts dangled from golden thread, a Christmas wish written on every single one.
And despite the kind of money everyone here had, so many of those wishes would go unanswered.
I managed to put away five thousand dollars to put toward them, and while I felt good about it, I hated that I couldn’t do more.
Even more than that, I hated that my mother wouldn’t bother grabbing a single one.
“There you are!” My mother feigned excitement at seeing me. Not because I was her daughter and she loved me, but no doubt because she thought she had the upper hand with Daniel firmly in her back pocket. I’m sure she thought she held on to this wonderful secret that would make me so grateful I’d act like a true McAllister for the first time.
