Mae turned to look over her shoulder, but before she could verify, Finn was already making his getaway.
He walked behind the bar and through the kitchen, exiting through a side door. He took a moment to breathe in a lungful of clean, fresh air. No one with a working nose would have any trouble finding that woman if she wandered off.
Finn thought about going back in and then decided against it. There was no reason to stick around any longer. He’d done his part by meeting the guests and getting a feel for what they’d like in terms of the experience, so he could direct the kids.
A plan was already forming in his mind. Some playful antics for the older couple. Limited exposure and interaction when Specs was around, lest that antisocial awkwardness turn into professional curiosity. Perhaps an exhibition of size and strength for Cashmere and Cougar Mae.
Piece of cake.
Finn was looking forward to an icy dip and some time in front of the television, watching his favorite ice hockey team lay waste to his least favorite. Bright and early the next morning, he’d meet with the team and give them a game plan. If they did a good job, he’d have Beau reward them with a helicopter ride back out to the floes.
Lainey
LAINEY SIGHED WITH relief when the lights of Aurora Falls appeared in the distance, like an oasis in a dark, frozen desert. It had been a long trip, and more than once, Lainey had thought she might not make it.
First, it was Henry’s increasingly frequent calls, wearing down her decision to vacation alone. Each one was slightly different, but they all said basically the same thing. Henry wanted her to reconsider spending Christmas in Vail, confident that Vicki would eventually come around.
Lainey was actually beginning to cave too—she’d always had trouble saying no to her twin—until Henry admitted that all of the guest rooms at the ski house had been spoken for, so if she did go, she’d have to stay somewhere else.
Not only was that a bad idea, but it was also well out of her price range. A quick internet search confirmed that her ten-day VIP holiday travel package to Aurora Falls cost less than three days of renting a place in Vail would.
Then, there was the string of emergencies at the animal hospital that made her miss her original flight. Since there was no direct route to the remote northern Canadian village, that one missed flight resulted in a chain reaction of missed connections requiring a lot of scrambling and reorganizing. Thankfully, the travel agents she dealt with were very accommodating.
Now, however, she’d finally arrived, much later than originally expected but there just the same. She swallowed the slight nausea that came from flying and gazed down at the snowy expanse below, illuminated by the lights on the chopper, and felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. For the next ten days, there would be no family drama. No life-or-death animal emergencies. Just peace, rest, and relaxation.
“Here we are, pretty lady.” The pilot’s words came through Lainey’s headphones as he landed the craft expertly.
Beau was a personable sort, empathetic to her anxiety about flying in a helicopter over icy water at night. He’d maintained an upbeat, funny running monologue to distract her, which she appreciated. It was her first time in a helicopter, and she found the experience as thrilling as it was terrifying.
She responded to his easy compliment with a genuine smile, happy to be on solid ground again.
Two strapping young men came out to meet them, and her pilot, Beau, tasked them with taking care of her luggage while he led her toward the lodge. Her first impression: the place looked every bit as good in person as it had in the brochure, a massive log cabin frosted in snow and warm, welcoming lights glowing through a multitude of large picture windows.
“Welcome to Aurora Falls Lodge,” Beau said as he guided her to the reception desk. “Mo will get you all checked in, and then you can come to the bar. Drinks on me.”
After the trip she’d had, Lainey just wanted to go to her room, change into flannel PJs, order room service, and then sleep for the next twelve hours. Beau was nice and admittedly handsome, but she wasn’t interested.
“Thanks, but I’m going to pass. It’s late, and it’s been a long day.”
“Of course,” he said with a smile and a slight bow. “The offer stands. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
“I do, thanks.”
Mo was a short, round woman with plenty of laugh lines and sparkling blue eyes. She reminded Lainey of Tanta Kringle from the old, animated Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town claymation special.
“Don’t mind Beau, dear. He’s persistent, but he’s harmless.”
Lainey laughed. “Good to know.”
“I’m Maureen, but folks around here call me Mo, and I expect you to do the same. You must be Dr. Swann.”
“Lainey, please.”
Mo handed her a folder and gave her a brief overview of the contents. Key card, amenities, schedule of events, menu, et cetera. “The boys will escort you to your suite. Settle in and get some rest. Kitchen’s open until midnight. Call the front desk if you need anything, you hear?”
“I will, thanks.”
Her escorts were massive, identical-looking white-blond cuties with dimples and infectious smiles. Neither of the boys, who she’d learned were named Mike and Mark, wanted to accept the tip she’d shoved into their hands but relented when she told them to think of it as a secret Christmas bonus.
The suite, like the lodge, lived up to the hype. She had a bedroom, large bath, and living area, but what really impressed her was the hot tub on her private deck. After a quick call to the lodge restaurant to order some dinner, Lainey dug through her suitcase to find her swimsuit and changed. Unpacking the rest could wait.
She used the switch inside the door to retract the mechanical cover, revealing a glowing, steaming pool of awesomeness. The five or six steps from the French doors to the hot tub were cold ones, but Lainey soon forgot all of that as she sank into the heavenly, fragrant water and closed her eyes.
The next ten days were going to be amazing.
Chapter Four
Finn
A few steps were all it took to be swallowed up by the darkness. Finn was nearly to the ice hut when he heard the thwump-thwump-thwump of Beau’s approaching chopper.
Mildly curious about the last guest, he turned around and headed back, watching from the shadows as Beau landed the craft on the helipad behind the lodge.
Beau was practically tripping over himself to help the woman from the helicopter, which meant she was probably young and attractive—two of Beau’s favorite qualities in a woman. Finn couldn’t make out much beneath the parka—now, there’s a woman who knows how to dress sensibly—but he did catch a glimpse of blonde hair, the color of corn silk.
He lifted his snout and sniffed the air. Beneath the scents of snow, helicopter fuel, and Beau’s cologne was a uniquely feminine scent. Warm and fresh, she smelled like the first day of spring after a long, cold winter.
An unexpected growl rumbled in the back of his throat when Beau placed his hand on the woman’s lower back and led her inside.
Where the hell did that come from?
Forgetting about the game, Finn adjusted his immediate plans and reentered the lodge through the back entrance. Beau entered the bar alone a few minutes later and spotted him. The newcomer’s fragrance clung to Beau, the result of sharing a tightly enclosed space with her. Finn had the sudden urge to bare his teeth. He bought Beau a drink instead.