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Jaxon laughed out loud and slapped his hand on the table. “I like you, Holly. Having you around will really set the cat amongst the pigeons.”
“Well, as grateful as I am for your hospitality, I meant what I said about looking for a vacancy.”
“I understand,” Jaxon replied, nodding his head, and losing some of the perkiness she loved about him. “But I also want you to know that you’re welcome here for as long as you need somewhere.”
Holly looked into his bright, blue eyes and gave him a soft smile. God, it was a shame he wasn’t single… or straight. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I appreciate it.”
CHAPTER SIX
A new blanket of pristine snow glistened under the weak winter sun, which although providing little heat, still cast a warm and inviting ambiance over the quaint mountain town.
The cabin was maybe a mile out of town, in the shadow of the Northern Cascades, but Holly had declined a lift from Nick, not wanting to put either him or Jaxon to any more bother than necessary. Besides, she needed the time to think and make a new plan of action.
Each footstep made a satisfying crunch in the powdery snow beneath her boots. The chill in the air nipped at her nose, drawing forth a shiver that echoed the loneliness within her soul.
What? No, it didn’t. She was purely shivering from the cold. Wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck, she continued on her way to the Winter Lodge.
But the random thought still nagged at her. The holiday season had always been a time for joy and togetherness. She missed that. This wasn’t how she’d expected to spend her Christmas, she thought, as her breath formed tiny clouds in the cold morning air.
As she arrived in the village and walked through the charming streets, her journey led her past twinkling window displays filled with festive ornaments and cheerful wreaths, but as much as Holly wanted to, she didn’t stop to look. The love and laughter of couples and families venturing out to explore the unique sights of this quaint Christmas village filled the streets, and their warmth and happiness only served to heighten Holly’s sense of isolation. She sighed softly, feeling almost like an outsider looking in on a world she no longer belonged to. What on earth had possessed her to come on a trip like this alone?
Lord, what the heck had gotten into her? She wasn’t usually this melancholy. Time to pull up her big girl panties and make the most of things.
It was check-out time when she reached the lodge, and she hung back for a while since everything was just as hectic and stressful as yesterday. But after a few minutes, she found herself heading behind the reception desk to help out the short-staffed Crystal once again.
The young girl gave Holly a quick wave and a curious look, but they didn’t have time to chat as they each dealt with customers.
When things finally eased, Crystal turned to Holly and asked the question she’d been expecting. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your assistance this morning?” She raised her hand. “Not that I’m complaining, you understand. But you’re on holiday; I would have thought you’d be busy doing the tourist thing.”
Holly trained an experienced eye over the booking schedule. “Actually, I just popped in to ask when you next had a vacancy, but I could see that you were slammed. It just seemed like we’d both be done quicker if I lent a hand.”
“Well, I could have told you yesterday that we have nothing until after Christmas, but the woman you gave up your room to yesterday had a booking for the 27th which is still available if you’d like me to reserve that for you.”
Holly sighed heavily. “That’s a week away. If I can’t find something before then, I should probably just go home early.”
“You didn’t find a vacancy last night?” Crystal asked with a frown as she automatically tidied up the disorder that had befallen the reception area. “Where did you sleep?”
Holly felt herself flush as she jumped in to help, remembering that Crystal was Jaxon’s sister. “Umm… Well, actually, your brother came to my rescue like the Good Samaritan.”
“Jaxon?” Crystal stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Holly, her voice high-pitched with surprise. “He let you stay at the man cave?”
“Well, only because I don’t think he wanted to find me stuck like an icicle to the restaurant door last night after he found me a table.”
Crystal’s eyebrows rose even higher if that was at all possible. “Jaxon found you a table at the restaurant? Do you have any idea how impossible that is? It’s booked up weeks in advance.”
“Well, it wasn’t without its challenges,” Holly conceded. “Some guy came in and yelled at me for using his table. Apparently, it’s permanently reserved for him. I thought I was going to get kicked out before I got to enjoy my dinner.”
Crystal’s mouth dropped open. Was this really all so shocking? “What happened?”
Holly shrugged. “He allowed me to stay and share the table with him in the end.”
“You had dinner with Kris?” Crystal squeaked. Clearly, she was familiar with the man.
“Well, like I said, it was under duress.”
Crystal shook her head. “Oh no, you must have made an impression on Kris for him to let you stay. He has no trouble whatsoever speaking his mind, and if he didn’t want you there, he wouldn’t hesitate in telling you to get lost.”
Yeah, Holly could totally believe that. “Well, take my word for it, allowing me to stay was the only nicety. Apart from that, he either ignored me or was rude.”
