Page 49 of Wrapped in Winter


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Reuben stretches that gorgeous, muscled body to his full height, his dimples popping.

Yeah, I sure as hell want to make this work. Or at least try to. Each one of them brings something different to the trio of hotness, and I’m an open-minded woman ready for anything.

“Let’s do it.”

Dressed in our ski wear,we head for the cable car. Passenger numbers look light, and that’s probably because it’s still snowing heavily; it’s just not as fun as bright skies, the sun warming your face.

Visibility is poor as we journey higher up the mountain, the cable car groaning and juddering as the wheels pass over the supports. Fixed to the car walls are announcements about piste closures. About the dangers of ignoring closed-off pistes.

When we exit at the top, there’s barely a soul around. The conditions aren’t great, but it’s nowhere near blizzard-level. Getting our skis on quickly, we head down the advanced red. It’s the first time I’ve seen Brecken and Reuben ski, and like Luca, they’re expert skiers, their hips fluid and their bodies sinuous as they twist and turn down the run. Recent snow makes it powdery, perfect, and fresh, the crisp sound of the snow as we carve through it is music to my ears.

I pick out their ski jackets: black for Luca; navy for Brecken; red for Reuben.

As those three colorful figures weave down the slope, flashbacks from four years ago bombard me. Mom was in purple, Dad in gray, Clara in raspberry. I was following them when the top layer of snow dislodged, sliding down the mountain at speed and gobbling us up in its furious, rumbling whiteout.

Up ahead, the boys wait at a crossing point with another run. We veer off towards a four-man chair lift that’ll take us to a different section of the mountain, racing, whooping, and laughing, snow melting on my tongue and stinging my cheeks. We only have to wait for ten chairs before it’s our turn, shuffling into position before we’re hoisted up and away. At the top is a black diamond run. It’s extreme, testing our limits, but we’re all capable of the challenge.

We hunker down from the snow that hits us face-on, sweat cooling on my back and making me shiver. At the top, we set off. Red, black, navy, and then me. The guys all take turns to check I’m still following, looking over their shoulders as we swish our way down, the pines to the left thick and heavy with snow. We hit a patch of moguls, all of us keeping upright until we reach the red, and then the blue runs below, leading us back to the start.

Faces happy, bodies invigorated, we take the cable car back up to the top, repeating it all over again.

After a huge dinner,we rest on the couches, stuffed from a smorgasbord of dishes including baked ham, sausage, and scalloped potatoes baked in milk, melted cheese smothering them. I gorge on the scrumptious pork fillet and sausage pastries, something of a Stein specialty at Christmas.

Luca opens the second bottle of champagne, the cork flying across the room and landing somewhere amongst the sparkling Christmas tree baubles. When our flutes are topped up, he takes a seat next to me.

“We should talk about your contract.”

“Yeah?” Wow, he’s really serious about this job offer. And I want it. Returning to management has been my long-held wish, and while Aspen is preferable by a long shot, I could be happy in Vail. But remaining here won’t work if Elias continues to be in charge.

“I want to get it resolved before we leave.” He jumps up, grabbing some documents from within his pile of papers on the table. “Do you remember an Arthur Smith from WM?”

“A little,” I reply, intrigued. “He was in HR?”

“He works for me now. Yesterday, we talked, and he was very complimentary about you. He said you’d applied for a senior management level role, and had a good chance of getting it before you were fired.”

Bitter, I scoff. “True.”

“You’ll see that I’ve given you a promotion, Winter. One you deserved to get. So I’ve put in a generous remuneration package. As a senior manager, it’s commensurate to your level of qualifications, experience, and skill.”

It’s hard to contain my joy. Not only have I been reinstated to management, but I’ve been given the promotion I was going for at WM.

When I take the documents from him I feel like he’s passed me something of historical significance, like the Constitution or a king’s crown. “Seriously? A double promotion?” I study his face as he nods. “I don’t know what to say apart fromthank you,” I tell him. “You’re putting a lot of faith in me.” I’ve not even had to go through an interview, but I realize that in some ways, the past few days have been one long suitability process.

“You put a lot of faith in me. A lot of trust. I’ve appreciated your frankness.”

Hesitantly, I smile, but my stomach is twisting with delight. “Luca, I can’t believe this.”

“You’re welcome. The one area that’s up for negotiation is where you’ll be. Now, obviously, you can remain here if you want to, overseeing developments on the build, but as I said, we’re based in Aspen, and we’d rather you were there with us.”

Seated around me, Reuben and Brecken are listening to the conversation. I shake my head, still embarrassed about Luca’s identity. “I can’t believe you own Chateau Balthazar.”

“Sometimes it’s nice to be wanted as just a guy. Inheriting a multi-billion hotel brand with prestige locations around the world tends to make my name and face memorable to women.”

I laugh. “You had me fooled. The hotel was built by your great-great-grandfather, wasn’t it?” That’s the image I have in my head for Hotel Balthazar, an older man from a hundred years ago.

“Then it passed to my great-grandfather, then my grandfather, and then my father. Soon the company will be passed on again. My father wants to enjoy an early retirement.”

Wow. Talk about responsibility from a young age. No wonder he works all hours. I turn my attention to the other two, knowing only one of the other puzzle pieces. “And Brecken’s your corporate lawyer. What about you, Roo?”

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