He pulled out his phone and held up his face to open it then said, “I didn’t want to see the door code and have you uncomfortable that I knew it so I haven’t opened the text from the owner. Click on the text icon and Klein Vance’s name.”
“Oh. Thank you.” She took his phone and clicked on it a couple of times then she read the text and her brow wrinkled. “I guess I just delete this text?”
“Sure. That’s fine. Did he say anything I need to know?”
She looked up at him and said, “Just said you are a stud and you might owe him now, with a laughing emoji.”
“Great guy.” Jace smiled.
“This is very nice of both of you.” She didn’t linger over that comment but turned and typed in the code. He held the door for her. Walking in, she looked around and then she turned to him with a genuine smile. “Wow. This is actually an upgrade from your cabin.”
He laughed. “I’m not quite sure how to take that.”
“Oh. Sorry, no. Your cabin was incredible and perfect. This is just … bigger and the design is fabulous and instead of only the tree …” She gestured around.
“I took no offense.” He smiled and did look around. He’d walked through these cabins when Klein and Alivia originally built them. The cabin was great with a large open area including the kitchen, dining, and living room on the main floor. A loft stretched above them that he remembered was a huge master suite. Everything in the cabin was top of the line with rustic wood trim, granite counters, huge two-story windows looking across the valley and to his resort. The fireplace was decorated, the bannister was decorated, the table and side tables had Christmas-y stuff on them, and there was a huge Christmas tree, almost a story and a half straight up, all professionally decorated. Alivia and Klein were not only incredible builders, they knew design and what appealed to people. It was very Christmas in here. Out of a magazine Christmas. He preferred his simple tree, but he could imagine women liked things a little more decked out.
“Oh, good. I wouldn’t want to offendyou.” She said it so sassily and the inflection on “you” showed he’d offended her and she could already tease him about it.
He’d been raised with brothers. They loved to tease and he’d always hoped he could find a girl who could take a tease. Dang, he was liking her a lot, and he’d not only offended her, he could bet she’d be gone Monday morning and it was already after five on Friday.
“That is good.” He studied her and he hoped his “soulful” eyes were doing something good for him. It should’ve been crazy to him that he’d shoved all his normal reservations aside because of Ayla’s appeal, the way she’d been hurt, the need to protect her from Bryan, and simply the woman herself. It wasn’t crazy. It felt right. “Ayla, I am sorry that I offended you.”
Her eyes widened and she put her hand on his arm. He got so warm he needed to peel off a layer, or two, and quick, and he was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt.
“Jace. I’m sorry. You had no idea I was sensitive about death and you’ve shown that you aren’t trying to buy me or put me in a bad situation.” She gestured around. “I can’t tell you how I appreciate you working this out.” Her blue eyes got feisty again. “And you dang well better bill Bryan. Promise me.”
He didn’t want to. He wanted to be the one taking care of her and he doubted Klein would even let him pay, but he’d explain the situation to Klein, get a bill, and have the resort send the bill on to Bryan. If it got paid that was fine, but it was fine if it didn’t too.
“I promise I will bill him.”
“And I promise that bill will get paid.” She grinned. “I actually know a girl.”
He returned the smile.
He thought they might be having a moment, but he must have been more rusty about “moments” than he’d thought. She broke eye contact and sidestepped away from him. “Well, I’ll just go get my bags and settle in then.”
“Oh, no. Give me a minute.” He turned and rushed out of the house, grabbed the bags from the sport utility and then he hurried back in.
She was waiting by the door. Was that a signal she didn’t want to invite him in? He wasn’t sure but with the landmines he’d stepped on today he wasn’t going to push his luck.
He set the suitcase with the purse strapped on top next to her feet.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” He backed toward the door but had to say, “You won’t have a car here. The town is really close if you need anything, or want to walk over for dinner, but I’d be happy to run you anywhere you need tonight.”
“No, I don’t need anything. I’ll just settle in, eat some of the snacks,” she gestured to the welcome basket on the counter, “start the fire, and read a Christmas romance on my phone.”
“Oh. Okay. Well I’ll come pick you up in the morning for your first ski lesson then.”
“You’re still going to give me a ski lesson?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She lit up. Her smile and the happiness in her blue eyes was infectious. “Thank you.” She looked down then asked, “Do you mind … bringing the gloves from the lost and found?”
“I’ll send some warm gear from the lost and found down with Tanner tonight and you can see what fits best. He lives a few houses down.”