“Yeah, I suppose…” Jensen murmurs.
“The SUVs are here,” Zander declares, looking out the front windows of the house.
“Oh, okay.” Jensen tucks his phone into his pocket again. “You all should get going. Don’t want to be late.”
The guys help us get bundled up, and as Owen slips my coat up my arms, I get the distinct feeling that we’re being shooed away.
When we’re ready, we step outside and make our way to the SUVs whose engines are humming softly. It’s starting to snow. Gentle, big flakes drift from the sky, and it makes the landscape around us look even more like in a Hallmark Christmas movie. Owen leads me to one of the vehicles and leans in to kiss me goodbye, his hand warm at the back of my neck, his lips brushing mine in that lingering way that makes my toes curl.
“Enjoy yourself,” he murmurs, eyes glinting almost mischievously.
I slide into the backseat of the first SUV with Grace and Skyler, waving as Rylee and Sutton climb into the other car behind us. The ride winds us through the pines, sunlight catching on the mountain peaks in the distance. This really is such a scenic location.
“Okay, so what are those guys up to?” Grace asks, looking between the two of us.
“Hell if I know,” Skyler replies with a chuckle. “They’re doing a pretty terrible job of playing it cool, though. Carson does thisweird nose wiggle thing when he’s keeping a secret, and he’s been doing that the last couple of days almost nonstop.”
“Jensen effectively distracted me from asking too many questions by letting me do all our packing for the weekend.” Grace sighs almost dreamily. “We’ve officially reached the stage of marriage where I’m aroused by organized luggage.”
Skyler snorts. “Yeah? Well my guy brought twelve energy drinks and no underwear. What stage of the relationship is that?”
Grace wrinkles her nose. "Gross. That's my brother."
Skyler reaches over and pats Grace’s shoulder with a grin. "Ahh, don't worry, I loved you first babe."
Rubbing my belly, I let out a sigh and grin. “Well, whatever they’re up to, they’re going to a lot of trouble to distract us. I say we just enjoy the day and let them scheme away.”
Grace and Skyler laugh.
“You’re right,” Grace nods. “They’ve sprung for a day of luxurious relaxation for us. We shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Agreed,” Skyler says.
When we pull up to the spa, all our chatter dies at once. The building looks like something out of a magazine — stone and glass nestled against the mountainside. While the house we’re staying in is trying to look rustic, this place is boldly modern. The SUVs park, and Grace and Skyler help me out into the cold morning air.
Rylee and Sutton get out of their vehicle and join us as we walk up to the glass door entrance.
“This place is fancy,” Rylee whistles.
“Here I didn’t think your collection of hockey hotties had any real taste other than for women,” Sutton grins. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”
The moment we step through the glass doors, the faint scent of lavender and eucalyptus greets us first. The soft trickle of a water feature echoes from somewhere near the reception desk, blending with an instrumental version of something I vaguely recognize. Maybe Norah Jones? Not sure.
The lobby features warm stone accents and honey-colored wood. A wall of windows frames the snow-dusted peaks outside, sunlight spilling through and catching on the steam that curls up from a line of herbal teas displayed beside glass jars of dried fruit and honey sticks.
A woman in a linen uniform glides toward us, her smile broad.
“Welcome to Solace Spa,” she says, her voice calm and even. “You’re the Vaughn party, I presume?”
“Uh, yes,” Grace nods, speaking for us and confirming the reservation Jayce clearly made. “That’s us.”
“We’re very happy to have you. There are cubbies right over there.” She indicates the wall to the far right of the front door. “You can leave your shoes there and put on the slippers you’ll find prepared for you.”
We all exchange little grins. We make our way to the row of cubbies, set our bags down, and trade our boots for plush white slippers.
The smiling woman offers us citrus water when we get back to her. When I take a drink, the bubbles dance along my tongue. There’s the distinct flavor of tangerine.
“If you ladies will follow me, I’ll take you to the changing rooms.”
