She laughed and so did he.
“Me, too.” He rubbed his chin on the top of her head and held her lightly in his arms.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
Their sleigh ride was getting close to its end and the snow started to fall a little more heavily. They huddled together but the snow was cold as it fell on them. Will maneuvered around and pulled the blanket up over their backs and then their heads. She looked at him and realized how safe he’d made her feel tonight.
Not just physically safe, but emotionally. He’d listened to her and didn’t judge her. Just let her be who she was. Probably because they weren’t trying to impress each other. Though, frankly, he’d more than done that with dinner, the gift and this sleigh ride. She had relaxed her guard.
He kissed the tip of her nose as they returned to the Lodge. “Thank you for making this a very special night.”
She shook her head in bewilderment. “How have I done that?”
“By sharing your stories and that sparkle that I think might just be you.”
“I sparkle?” she asked with a giggle. “Did you really just say that?”
He freed them both from the blanket and stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her to her feet and then out of the sleigh.
She stood to one side as he thanked the driver and tipped him and then turned back to her. The snow still fell over him, making him look even more strikingly handsome, and for a moment she wondered if she might have made a huge mistake. This arrangement was just supposed to be about having fun, but she saw signs that Will might be the kind of man she wanted in her life for a lot longer than one Christmas.
* * *
TWO DAYS LATER, Will walked through the quaint Park City streets looking for some new ski gear. He and Penny had said good-night at her front door after their sleigh ride and he’d walked away without a kiss. But the ride hadn’t gone exactly to plan. He had meant it as a prelude to seduction but the truth was he liked her. She stirred things deep inside him that he liked to pretend he never felt and didn’t care about.
But that was a lie.
He’d always been one of those men who knew where he was going. When he’d gotten out of rehab, he’d made choices that had pointed him toward his future. He eliminated all the things that were enablers for him.
First order of business: he’d stopped partying 24/7 and started working. A part of him found it surprising that he had the golden touch when it came to making money. But he had found his niche and that was enough for him. However, two nights ago, he’d felt like that had begun to change. He hadn’t slept well since then and he wondered if he would again.
And it was all her fault.
As Will continued his stroll through the town, he paused at the corner where a mural of the Wasatch Mountain Range was on the side of Fresh Sno’s retail store. It was really well done.
“Nice picture, eh?”
He glanced over his shoulder to see Penny standing there. She had a Fresh Sno bag in one hand. Her blond hair was hanging around her shoulders under a pink knit hat. Her coat was a deep turquoise wool and she had it buttoned to the top with the scarf he’d given her wrapped around her neck.
“Yes, it is. Are you following me?” he asked with a grin. For the first time in a long time, he was struggling to keep his flirtations light. He knew that was a danger sign. It might be better for both of them if he just walked away now. They hadn’t even slept together. No harm, no foul.
“Following you? No, not at all. I decided I need a little retail therapy and my friend Bradley owns this place. He’s the guy half of my cutesy friend couple. I stopped by to get some new ski gear. Want to join me on the slopes?”
Just like that, she made it seem normal that he hadn’t talked to her in one entire day. They had only a limited number of days to spend together and he’d wasted one.
“Sorry about not being able to see you yesterday.” He’d sent her a note via the hotel concierge desk that he’d had to work.
“It’s fine. To be honest, this arrangement is harder for me than I thought it would be. But I understand about having work commitments so it’s not a big deal.” She spared him a look. “Of course, if we were a real couple, it might have bothered me. But that’s clearly not the case...”
Work had been a convenient excuse, but he’d needed distance and now he regretted it. He’d never been a coward— Ha! his conscience jibed. Alcohol had been his crutch a long time ago and now it seemed like Penny was.
“Any word from the people in New York on your new job?” he asked.
“Just that they were still weighing their options and would be getting back to me in the new year. So I have nothing else to do in the meantime.” She flashed him a coy look. “And the way I see it, I have two options here. I can either distract myself by having fun with you, or I can just relive my interview over and over again, trying to come up with all the things I could have done better.”
He was willing to bet she’d wowed them. Penny had that thing that made people notice her. Made her stand out.
“I don’t want to be responsible for all that misery,” he deadpanned. “So skiing? That’s your idea for today?”
“Yes. I’m not an expert at it, and I’m certainly not very daring, but I do like to spend a few hours on the slopes. Want to join me?”
“I would enjoy that. But I could use some new ski gear, too,” he said. “That’s why I’m here at Fresh Sno. I’ve heard about the brand and directed several of my investment clients toward them, so I thought I’d check out their retail space.”
“I’ll leave you to your shopping, then. Want to meet me at the ski rental at the Lodge in two hours?” She was being more cautious with him today. But then in the light of day that wasn’t too surprising. Night seemed to be the time for daring.
“Want to join me? Where else are you going?”
“That kitchen shop up the block. I need some sprinkles for cookies,” she said.
“I think the ones at the Lodge’s bakery come with sprinkles.”
She flashed a grin. “They do, wise guy, but I’m making my own. I mean you have to bake cookies at Christmas. I think it’s a law or something.”
“I’ve never done it. I hope the cops don’t find out,” he said.
“You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head.
“That’s sad, Will. Really sad. You’ve spent your whole life missing out on eating the batter and broken cookies.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.”
She nodded. “Well, it is. I’m not baking cookies until Saturday. Want to come to my place and help me?”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll do that. Which kitchen store are you going to?”
She pointed to the big chain kitchen store down the block. The streets were draped with festive garland. “If you meet me there after you get your ski gear, you can pick out a couple of cookie cutters, too.”
He nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
She smiled at him. “Later then.”
He stood where he was, watching her walk away and wondering when he’d lost control of this affair. He had a feeling that it had started the moment her cell phone had come flying out of nowhere. As soon as he’d seen that pink jewel-covered case, and