“You too?” When Rick winked at her roguishly, there was absolutely no way she could be offended. As Lana hustled off to the helicopter pad on the far side of the complex, she couldn’t help the curving of her lips.
He’d called her sweetheart. Lana was pretty sure she liked it.
* * *
This must have been a slow week for Locketts, or else Ash was working outside her comfort zone for some extra Christmas money. The familiar helicopter with its telltale dragon artwork rarely played courier for travelers uninterested in making the drive from Anchorage International Airport to Moose Springs.
Lana waited for her cousins with Jake at her side, standing far enough away that there was no risk of Jake getting accidentally hurt by strong propellers blowing ice and snow around them. Ash landed with a harder thump than usual, at least from what Lana had seen of the pilot’s skill.
Silas got out of the helicopter, a telltale sneer on his face as he ignored them all, focus on his phone. A bemused Killian followed, catching Lana’s eyes from behind Silas’s back and making a face at Silas. She didn’t even try to cover her amusement.
“Did you get a dog?” Killian asked.
“I’m puppysitting.” Lana took a step back. “He’s blind. Let him sniff you first.”
Sniffing completed to Jake’s satisfaction, he pushed his muzzle into Killian’s hands. “Hey, buddy,” Killian said, instantly charmed. “I like your hat.”
“Only the finest in attire for him.” Lana deliberately sounded aloof, making Killian laugh.
“At least you didn’t stuff him in a Chanel bag,” he said.
Abruptly, Silas looked around, sniffing in distaste at the stunning scenery. “So this is Moose Springs? The pictures online did it more justice than it deserves.”
Lana rolled her eyes. Silas was family, but he didn’t have the Montgomery name. That shouldn’t have been a bad thing, but Silas had always been insecure about his place in the family. Where Lana was privately envious of Silas’s anonymity, he was desperate to prove himself to the group. Lana felt compassion for him…but honestly? The man was tiresome.
“So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Lana asked, even though she already knew. Silas was about as sneaky as a pig in an inspector’s cape. “If you’re here for the ski slopes, I’m happy to arrange a private lesson.”
Lana could practically see Silas’s hackles raising. Like all the Montgomery family, her cousin had learned to ski practically as soon as he could walk.
Before Silas could answer, Ash cut the engine and climbed out of the helicopter, grabbing two bags out of the cargo area. Killian moved to help her, but Ash didn’t need help dropping Silas’s custom-made, hand-stitched crocodile leather suitcase to the snow. She did hand Killian his much more modest, if equally well-made, bag with slightly less contempt.
“I should have guessed these two belonged to you,” Ash said to Lana.
“I take it you failed to impress our local helicopter pilot.” Lana grinned as she greeted her cousin with a hug. “Killian, you’re losing your touch.”
“You’re lucky the mouthy one didn’t get tossed out halfway between here and Anchorage,” Ash added. Silas shot her a dirty look, which Ash returned in spades.
“The customer service was as lacking as the amenities,” Silas said.
“I offered him a beer.” Ash shrugged. “Not my fault he had to get all snooty about the brand. Hey, Jake.”
The border collie wagged his tail, wriggling at the sound of Ash’s voice. “I can take him,” she told Lana as she moved over to scratch Jake’s ears. “Graham can suck it up and survive without him until tomorrow.”
“No, it’s okay. He’s making my day far more pleasant than it would be otherwise.”
Ash snorted, glancing at Silas. “Yeah, I can see why.” Patting Jake one last time, she stood and nodded briefly to Lana. “Later.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s her version of a loving hug goodbye?” Killian watched Ash head back to her helicopter, his eyebrow raised in appreciation.
“I wouldn’t suggest it,” Lana said. “She’s liable to make mincemeat out of you before you can blink twice. Not that you’ve ever listened to a warning to play it safe in your life.”
“I’m perfectly capable of being circumspect. Where’s your friend Zoey?”
“Point made,” she said.
“We’re not here for that.” Silas sniffed, dismissing Ash and the helicopter as he turned around, taking in the stunning winter scenery. “The Montgomery Group wants to know more about the Moose Springs acquisition.”
“Information I’ve been forwarding regularly. Silas, haven’t you been reading my emails? I’m hurt.”
She wasn’t. Most of the emails he sent, she shoved in a folder to be looked at later. The man had never learned to be brief in his life.
“Your reports are filtered through rose-colored glasses, Cousin.”
Lana didn’t miss a beat. “And you two boys were sent to check up on me. I’m not sure whether to be embarrassed or offended.”
“Offended, knowing you,” Silas shot back.
“Oh, Silas, not offended for me,” Lana said pleasantly. “Offended for you. You wouldn’t know what to do with a town like Moose Springs—or any town really—even if I tried to teach you. Your lack of bedside manner might be appropriate for other markets, but frankly, you have the likability of a garden slug in a salad bowl. No one wants you around. And in an acquisition like the Moose Springs properties, getting along with the business owners is far more important than flexing your muscle.”
Needling him was too easy…and too tempting to resist. Which was why she patted his arm. “What muscle you have, Cousin.”
Oh, if looks could kill.
“Do I need to separate you two?” Killian asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked in between them in amusement.
Before Silas could respond, Lana shut him down.
“Silas, this isn’t your town. It’s their town. We’re simply trying to bring in something that will both increase the value of our current holdings and put more money in the pockets of the residents. Coming together to find common ground on how to make it work isn’t something that happens over a conference table. You have to spend time with them. Listen to their concerns. Understand how they’re affected.”
Silas ignored her, instead choosing to frown out at the future condominium site just beyond the current resort grounds. He took in the lack of significant progress. “Why aren’t we further along in construction?”