“I’m great Tanner.” He’d be better than great if there was no Bryan. “And it’s Jace, remember?”
“Yes, sir.”
Tanner turned to Bryan. “Can I take those bags for you, sir? Checking in?”
“Yes, we’re checking in,” Bryan said in an annoyed tone as if Tanner was slow and not simply doing his job and being cordial.
“I’ll get these bags up to your room and have Julie over at the desk,” he pointed as if Julie thirty feet away smiling at them wasn’t obvious, “start the check-in process, Mr. and Mrs. …”
“Finland,” Bryan supplied.
Jace’s gut turned over. So they were married. Ah, no. Just another lesson in why he should stay away from exquisitely beautiful and appealing to him women. His gut churned with disappointment and frustration. He felt like he’d just lost his best friend, which was pathetic and far too dramatic. He didn’t even know Ayla. Why had she been so irresistibly cute with him? Why had he let her draw him in like that? Why had touching her felt like heaven?
Bryan should be angrier than he was. Here he’d thought Bryan was the jerk.
Jace looked away so he would stop ogling Ayla’s face. He also forced himself to step away so she wasn’t so close to him. She tottered on her heels and he almost reached out to steady her but caught himself. Didn’t she say her name was Ayla Thurston? Were they recently married and she hadn’t changed her name, or was Bryan being presumptuous? He hoped for the latter.
He checked the small crowd, mostly guests, but he did glimpse his brother Ammon walking passed in ski gear, heading out to teach a lesson probably. Ammon gave him a curious, smart-alecky, but also too-hopeful look.
Then he saw his mom. She stood back by the check-in desk, next to Jace’s open office, beaming as if she was absolutely certain he had found his match. Oh boy. Though his parents had no vested interest in the resort his mom came to help in the kitchen almost every day because she loved to cook for a crowd and loved to be near her boys. Bentley would be out skiing as he was every day of the week but Sunday. Their dad would be at home, watching whatever sporting event was on. His dad’s multiple sclerosis made it impossible for him to ski and be active like he used to be. It was hard for all of them to watch him deteriorate, but he was a great man and stayed as positive as anyone with such a condition could.
It turned out Ayla didn’t need him holding her up or any kind of encouragement to tell Bryan off. She whirled on Bryan, her expressive face showed abject frustration. She jabbed a finger at him, and said, “You promised me separate suites.”
He stepped back, holding up his hands but also rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, Ayla. It’s a two bedroom suite. You’ll have your own room. I paid a lot of money for the nicer, newer suite. You should’ve seen the pictures of the hotel rooms. Dumpy.”
Jace was confused, irrationally hopeful, and annoyed. His hotel rooms weren’t dumpy. They weren’t gorgeous, built to the highest quality standard by Klein and Alivia Vance, made to look rustic, and decked out with the nicest furnishings like his suites, but they were nicer than a standard hotel room.
But the more pressing issue—Were they married or not, and why was Ayla so uncomfortable? If they were dating a two-bedroom suite would give her privacy but allow them to relax together in the evenings, in front of the beautiful fire, with the snow falling outside, and the room all decorated for Christmas. He hated that image.
“It is not fine and it was not the agreement. I should’ve kicked your tush off the plane the second you showed up uninvited.” She whirled back to Jace. All the hope that she was available was pushed to the side with the concern he felt for her. Was the guy abusive or controlling? How did Jace intervene, help, and protect her?
It was the second week of December and they were booked completely. The only space available he could think of was his cabin that was a half mile from the main lodge. He and Ammon had both built cabins near their parents’ home so they could help their mom with their dad and Bentley. His cabin was great but small. Would it be the oddest thing ever for him to offer it? His rational mind couldn’t believe he was even thinking of it, wanting to grow closer to, protect, and comfort this intriguing woman. His caught up in Ayla mind was saying to whisk her off her feet and away from Bryan. To step up and be her hero, protect and hold her, and see where a relationship with such a woman could go.
Tanner held their suitcases looking caught and uncomfortable. Ayla looked even more uncomfortable. Most of the crowd had drifted away.
“Excuse me.” A tap came on his shoulder. He turned to see a young dad holding the escapist little girl Jace had almost knocked down.
“Hi,” Jace greeted him. “Is she okay?”
The toddler had curly dark hair and eyes and was a cutie.
“Yes, thanks to you leaping over her. We try to keep Quinn under control but she’s really fast. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. She’s cute.”
The little girl waved at him and rambled off a sentence so quick he only caught a few words, snow, me, and Santa were among them.
“It’s nice to meet you too Quinn.” He extended his hand.
The little girl laughed, put her hand in his, and squeezed tight.
“You’re the owner?” the man asked as Quinn pulled her dimpled hand back and clapped them together, tossing her curls from side to side.
“My brother and I,” Jace said. He chanced a glance at Ayla. She hadn’t moved but the look in her eyes changed a bit. She was obviously thinking if he was the owner maybe he could help her not sleep in Bryan’s suite.
“This resort is incredible, we’ve had the best vacation here this week with my wife’s family. The skiing is top notch and the food in your restaurant is delicious and we respect and appreciate you being closed on Sunday. We’re renting a house down in town and we love the little town, but next year we’re going to try to book early and each get a suite so we can stay right at the resort. We love it here.”
“Thank you.” Jace enjoyed all the compliments his resort got. “Dumpy” hotel rooms? He didn’t like to judge people but Bryan rubbed him the wrong way. Was it only because he was with the woman Jace was drawn to, or was Bryan a dink all the way around? Why would Ayla be with him then?