He rapped on the door to Kris’s suite. She swung it wide and grinned at him even wider. She was a model-gorgeous woman, there was no denying that, but there was a predatory gleam in her dark eyes that made him wary. He liked the innocent light he’d seen in Ashley’s blue eyes, but right now he needed to focus. Get the information, get out. Just like a military op.
“There you are!” Kris squealed. “Get your handsome body in here with me. I’m about to make all of your dreams come true.”
Chase’s eyebrows rose. He wanted to spring the other direction, but foolishly he let her lead him into the suite. Hopefully she thought his “dreams coming true” meant finding his father’s family. When he was a small boy, he couldn’t imagine anything better than having a dad. Well, a couple tough older brothers and a little sister were high on his list also, but he’d shut those dreams down when he realized how much they hurt his mom.
As the door swung shut behind him, louder than a coffin lid closing, he wondered if he should’ve insisted on meeting in a public place. Kris was wearing a silky red robe that clung to her shapely body. She tried to drag him to the couch. He stopped near the door and folded his arms across his chest.
“I appreciate you asking me here to give me information about my family.” He got straight to the point, not wanting to give her any indication that he was interested in anything besides information.
Her plump lips turned down in a pout. “I was hoping we could get to know each other better before I told you all my secrets.” She winked and gave him a sultry look, loosening the tie on her robe and giving him a glimpse of cleavage spilling out of a lacy black bra.
Chase’s eyes widened and he backed toward the door. “Maybe it’s smarter if we meet in a public place. I’ll plan on the steakhouse for lunch at one.”
He spun and grabbed the door handle, yanking the door open.
“I thought you’d be interested in more than just my information,” she flung at his back. “Your brother certainly was.”
“My … brother?” He whirled to face her but stayed in the open doorway.
She walked slowly toward him, letting her robe fall off one shoulder. Chase backed into the hallway. If she took that robe off, he was running. He didn’t believe in shallow hookups and this woman was giving him all the wrong vibes.
“Quill Chadwick.” She leaned against the doorframe, tossing her hair so it spilled over her chest. She slowly undid the tie on her robe.
Nope. Chase was done with this interaction. He whirled and ran for the elevator. Her throaty laughter followed him. “You’ll be running back this direction soon,” she taunted.
Chase darted past the elevator and to the stairs, sprinting up one floor to his suite on the fifth floor. He shut himself in and deadbolted the door. He wanted to laugh at himself, the tough army doctor running from a small woman. But that woman was terrifying. What was she about? Had she only claimed to have information so she could seduce him? Why? She was a famous woman. He was good-looking and a lot of women liked the thought of dating a doctor, but there was no gain for someone like Kris Bellissima to undress for him. She was a renowned influencer who surely had a lot of men pursuing her. Was it some weird play to get back with Quill?
His mind focused on the information she’d tried to give him. Quill Chadwick was his brother? He paced the large suite, looking out the windows at the beautiful view. The mountains, snow, and trees did nothing to calm him. He couldn’t believe anything that woman told him, but he wanted to pound on her door again, tell her to put some clothes on, then demand to hear her information.
Over the years, people had claimed he looked like Cedar Chadwick, the stunt double for the famed actor Bennett Pike, or Quill Chadwick who played for the Colorado Avalanche. He had several times wondered if that could be his father’s family, but his mom had always redirected when he asked about his dad. If he persisted, she clammed up or even a few times locked herself in her bedroom. Out of respect for her, he had stopped asking.
Could it be possible? Why had Kris only mentioned Quill? What about his dad and his other siblings?
Chase was here now. Maybe over the next five days, he could get to know some of the Chadwicks. But even if he did, what was he supposed to say?
Hey, I think I’m your illegitimate brother and son and I’ve always wanted a brother and a father. You probably don’t want me around, but can we hang out?
He should call his mom. He’d always assumed his dad was a junkie or a loser, but if he was the father of the impressive Chadwick family, he must be pretty amazing. The thought gave Chase a weird clutch of hope in his chest. He’d never seen anything about the Chadwick parents when he’d seen any of the brothers in the media.
He pulled out his laptop and went to trusty Google. There were quite a few pictures and even articles of Cedar Chadwick, the stuntman for Bennett Pike; Quill, of course, as the superstar of the Colorado Avalanche and when he was on the arm of Kris Bellissima last year; and their cousin Cruz Chadwick who had some incredible videos on snow skis and doing all manner of tricks on different boards behind a boat. There wasn’t much about Aster besides that he owned a large construction company in Jackson Hole, and Ren, the youngest, was a smokejumper firefighter in California. There was one small article about Iris and Catalina Chadwick taking over the Mystical Lake Resort. He studied the picture of Iris for a long time. She was a beauty with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. Could he possibly have a little sister? The idea made his insides feel warm.
He scoured the internet, but he couldn’t find anything about their dad. In one of the pictures of Quill after a hockey game, there was an older lady who must be his grandmother. She had a welcoming smile and a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes. He liked her on sight. He thought he might’ve finally found a picture of the man who might be his father, but the tall, angular man with the distinctive blue eyes was Quill’s uncle, Jay Chadwick. Catalina and Cruz’s dad.
He did find an obituary for Lucy Chadwick, his maybe-siblings’ mother. The obituary was glowing about her angelic status as a mother, wife, aunt, friend, and sister. It said she was survived by husband, Peter Chadwick, but that was it. He felt bad the Chadwick family had lost their mother. Where was their dad? Maybe Chase would find him this Christmas. But there was no guarantee this was even his family and not just some weird ploy by Kris Bellissima to seduce him.
He shook his head, walked into the bedroom of his suite, and changed into warm workout clothes. He wasn’t going to sit in his suite and stew about it. He’d go on a hike and work some of this junk in his head out. He wished he could simply think about the beautiful Ashley Casey, but he was afraid she might be married, so that wasn’t a great path either.
He wished his mom was home. This Christmas was looking to be a lonely flop.
Chapter Two
Ashley woke early and went straight to the window. It was still dark outside. Too dark, even though it was five a.m. Snowflakes slammed against the glass.
Please don’t let it be too bad for the wedding guests to get here.
She had a patio on her suite, so she shoved the door open—or tried to. The wind howled and she was immediately plastered by wet, heavy, cold snow. The storm had started last night as the welcome party was winding down and the Chadwicks were heading to their homes. They’d all hoped it would blow itself out. Apparently it hadn’t.