She chuckled. “Thanks, but I think I’ve used up my courage quota for a while.”
“It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
“Honestly, no. I’m glad I did it.”
They waited until the rotors stopped completely, and then Finn unfolded his big body from the chopper, happy to feel solid, packed snow beneath his feet again. He held out his hand for Lainey, pleased when she accepted without hesitation. He’d grown quite fond of the feel of her hand in his.
Over Lainey’s head, Beau flashed a knowing grin and offered an encouraging thumbs-up before turning his attention to something inside the helicopter. Finn decided to forge ahead.
“Do you have dinner plans?”
Her eyes lit up briefly before her smile faded. “The welcome dinner is tonight. I should probably go since I missed the meet and greet.”
Disappointment speared through him. He’d completely forgotten about that. Bill liked to have a big, fancy get-together at the beginning and end of each tour and, unlike the meet and greet, the dinners were for VIPs and guests only.
“Right.”
“Maybe we could do something tomorrow?” she asked.
Her eyes sparkled, giving him hope.
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
Chapter Seven
Lainey
With several hours to kill, Lainey went back to her room to chill. She had enjoyed the trip, thanks to Finn and Beau and their friendly banter, but she hadn’t been entirely joking when she said she’d used up her courage quota. Even mitigated by Finn’s soothing presence, the fear and exhilaration of flying were draining.
Plus, having the time to sit back and relax was a luxury she was going to savor. Her job required her to be on call twenty-four/seven; sick and injured beasties didn’t punch a time clock. Here, she had no one to see to but herself. It felt good to simply put her feet up, relax, and recharge before the welcome dinner.
She wasn’t thrilled about attending. Socializing, making small talk, and feigning interest for the sake of courtesy weren’t things at which she exceled. She much preferred exploring on her own to participating in group activities. Plus, with the hot tub and the fireplace and the luxuriousness of her accommodations, she would have been perfectly content to spend the remainder of her vacation in her suite with her e-reader and the room service menu.
Although she wouldn’t totally rule out a few additional, semiprivate explorations, especially if Finn was involved. He was great company and fun to be around. It was rare that she felt so at ease with another person, and that, too, was something she was going to savor while she could.
Lainey enjoyed the comfort and solitude of her suite for as long as possible before she forced herself to get ready. She briefly thought about blowing it off and then decided she could handle one dinner. It would give her the chance to meet her fellow guests and find out what was planned for the rest of the week—if for no other reason than to know what to avoid.
She put on a tiny bit of makeup, twisted her hair into a quick chignon, and changed into nice black stirrup leggings, selecting a festive but conservative tunic sweater. After putting in some simple crystal-stud gold earrings to complete the ensemble, she gave herself a critical once-over in the bathroom mirror. Her outfit wouldn’t win any fashion awards, but it was a step up from her preferred attire of scrubs or jeans and a hoodie.
With the backdrop of the snow-covered landscape visible through the picture window, the restaurant did look cozy and inviting. A fire burned in the hearth, the mantel of which was covered with boughs of fragrant evergreen and silk bows. Candles flickered and glowed from within hurricane glass centerpieces on every table. A large, lush evergreen stood sentinel in the corner, void of decoration.
Several smaller tables had been pushed together to form one big one in the center. A group of people she didn’t recognize were standing together near the window when she arrived, looking outward and conversing softly, but there didn’t seem to be any other guests in the dining room.
“You look lovely, dear,” Mo greeted with a warm and friendly smile from the hostess podium.
“Thank you. I’m here for the welcome dinner. Am I in the right place?”
Mo laughed softly. “Yes. The dining room is closed to the public tonight. VIP guests and hosts only.”
Lainey smiled through the disappointing news. Their group had to be pretty small to be able to fit at one table and that meant more pressure on her to be sociable. At least if it had been a large gathering, she could have floated along the fringes and left the conversing to others better suited to it.
“Dinner won’t be served for another half hour.” Mo nodded toward the bar, where a bow-tied bartender was waiting patiently and trying not to look bored. “Help yourself to complimentary champagne and feel free to mingle. Mayor Bill won’t start until everyone’s here.”
Lainey wasn’t much of a mingler, but she did her best, smiling politely and engaging in social niceties as other guests and members of the Aurora Falls Tourism Committee continued to trickle in and introduce themselves.
Finally, Mayor Bill called everyone over to the table, and after a brief welcome speech, the dinner began. On the plus side, the food was excellent, and conversation was limited, as they were treated to several mouthwatering courses. Mayor Bill was a funny and gracious host, regaling them with stories of local history and the polar bear antics that gave Aurora Falls its claim to fame.
After the meal, however, things took a turn for the worse. As guests got up to stretch their legs and move around, Lainey somehow found herself cornered by the older couple celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary. They seemed like nice people, but it became increasingly difficult to feign interest after they showed her hundreds of pictures from their latest whale-watching cruise.
To make matters worse, Mae, the woman who’d attached herself to Finn earlier that morning, kept shooting visual daggers her way, as if it were Lainey’s fault she hadn’t gotten to spend the day with Finn. Mae’s unfriendly, possessive behavior reminded Lainey a lot of Vicki’s when Vicki and Henry had started seeing each other. Lainey simply smiled politely and avoided her.
Then, there was Bradley, the wealthy entrepreneur who kept flashing his expensive watch and bragging about himself and his accomplishments. Lainey supposed that some women might find his good looks and allegedly substantial bank account attractive, but she wasn’t one of them.
The only guest who didn’t grate on her nerves was a guy named Liam. Thin, pale, and wholly distracted, he reminded Lainey a lot of Henry and didn’t seem to be enjoying the festivities much either. He did loosen up a little when he found out she was a vet and told her that he had come to Aurora Falls to interview for an opening at the nearby research center.
When she felt she’d stayed long enough to be polite, Lainey made her excuses, firmly declined Brad’s offer to “continue the party in a more private venue,” and returned to her room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her. The hot tub and book beckoned.
And maybe, just maybe, she’d see the bear again. A tingle of anticipation sparked deep in her chest.
Lainey was just about to step onto the deck when her cell phone chimed with a distinctive ringtone, the one she’d assigned to Henry.