Page 19 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"Always has been," Lizzie agreed.

"Shay mentioned she was a country star."

"One of the best. I'm incredibly proud of her. She's only fifteen months older than me, so we've always been close. Plus, we had to hang together, just to hold our own with our three older brothers."

"Sounds like a fun family."

"Yes, and I'm thrilled to have at least two of my siblings living nearby."

"Who's the guy you're sitting next to?"

"That's Zach Barrington. He's an architect and married to my friend Gianna, the blonde on his other side. Across from them are the Morgan's—Chloe and Kevin, who are celebrating a rare night out away from their ten-month-old son, Leo. Next to Chloe is Keira. She's a real-estate agent."

He felt happy once more that there didn't appear to be a man in the group who was attached to Lizzie. "Where's Hannah?"

"She's still at work, but she's hoping to stop by later. Hannah, Keira, Gianna, Chloe and Kevin all grew up here together. They were nice enough to welcome Chelsea, Adam and me into their group, along with Brodie and Zach." She paused. "And I'm sure you're not at all interested in any of this. You might have noticed that I sometimes talk too much."

"You are very friendly."

She shrugged. "It's just who I am."

"Brodie looks familiar to me; I'm not sure why."

"He was a world-class skier. He won everything except Olympic gold when he suffered a horrific crash on a practice run."

"Right. I remember that. One of my college friends was a huge skier and snowboarder. He took me to Aspen when McGuire was training there. Brodie inspired everyone on the mountain that day. He was fearless and fast. I'm sorry he didn't get a chance at the Olympics." He shook his head, a little surprised by the path Brodie had taken. "Now he's a police officer in a small town... That doesn't seem like a natural next step."

"Brodie couldn't go back to professional skiing, so he had to change his life around. His grandfather was chief of police here for a long time, and he encouraged Brodie to go into law enforcement. Aside from being a cop, he is also part of the town's new search and rescue team, which was busier than anyone hoped for this past winter. We had a bad avalanche, but fortunately no one died. Brodie and his team were able to rescue two men who got caught in it."

"So, he still does some skiing?"

"Some. Now, he's more tied up in wedding planning. He and my sister are getting married in August. They fell in love last summer, and in the nine months since then, they have bought a house together and built a music studio in the back of their property. It's very cool. I'm so happy to have Chelsea make Whisper Lake her home base. She used to travel all the time. Now, she'll tour, but when she's home, she'll be here." She paused. "What about you, Justin? I know your grandparents live in Los Angeles. Do you as well?"

"I'm based in San Francisco, but I travel half the year."

"Do you enjoy that?"

"For the most part. I go where the business takes me."

"Then business must be good."

"Opportunities are presenting themselves around every corner. While I'm missing London this week, I'm scheduled to go to Tokyo next week, then Australia after that."

"I'd love to go to both those cities."

"Have you traveled much?"

"Not internationally. I've done a tour of inns that has taken me through New England and the South: Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans. I have been to San Francisco and Los Angeles. I actually worked in LA for a year at a big hotel chain. I liked the beach, but I missed the mountains of Colorado. And I knew that I had to get back."

He was surprised she'd traveled as much as she had. He'd had the idea that she'd just been in Denver and then Whisper Lake, but clearly there were a few more twists and turns in her story. "There's still a lot more for you to see. I'm sure there are charming inns all over the world."

"One day, I hope to see them all, but for now I'm spending all my time at the Firefly. My business is my life."

"I know what that feels like," he said, finding himself relating to her more than he'd imagined he could at their first meeting.

"I wouldn't even be here tonight if it wasn't my brother's birthday," she added. "I keep thinking I'll reach a point where I have better control, where I can slow down a bit, but I don't know when I'll get there. Have you reached that point?"

"Theoretically. But there's always more to accomplish."

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