Page 5 of Wilder

“That’s too bad,” she said, coming around the table to sit next to him. “You should reconsider. They’ve redone a couple of the pools. One is saltwater, which a lot of people really like, and the other has a rock bottom.”

If he was going to swim in saltwater, Wilder much preferred the ocean. And sometimes that also came with a rock bottom, depending which beach he was at.

Another woman showed up as they talked, glancing around for a moment before sliding her way between people to takea seat in the back of the room. Anthony didn’t introduce her, though his gaze followed her.

It was the next woman who arrived that captured Wilder’s attention in a way the other women hadn’t.

The new arrival was small in build and stature, but as soon as she stepped into the room, she commanded attention. Her dark brown hair was pulled back, leaving just a light sweep of long bangs across her forehead. It was her eyes that stood out most to Wilder. They were a pale icy blue, framed by long dark lashes.

Coming to a stop just inside the door, her frosty gaze swept the room. She stood with her chin lifted and her shoulders back. The confidence with which she carried herself, even in stillness, fascinated Wilder.

It was like everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see what she would do.

Her gaze met Wilder’s for a moment, just long enough for him to give her a smile—which she didn’t return—before moving on to the woman beside him. When she did move again, it was to head toward the woman who’d arrived just before her.

Once she’d taken her seat, Trev got to his feet.

“Thanks for coming, everyone,” he said. “I won’t keep you too long. However, we’ve started to move into a new season, which means we have some new people joining our team. I thought it would be a good time to introduce everyone and to answer any questions you might have.

“First, introductions. I’m Trevor White, the recreational supervisor.” He motioned to Anthony, giving his name as he introduced the aquatic employees before moving on. “Wilder is our head ski instructor. He’s worked here the longest, so if you have any ski related questions, talk to him. Most of the skicrew will be starting in a few weeks, depending on the snow situation.”

Wilder nodded in acknowledgement. He knew from past years that Trev tended to be fairly hands off when it came to the ski instructors because he trusted Wilder to keep them in line.

“We have three new employees who’ve been hired to work at the skating rink.” Motioning to a middle-aged man who stood near the door, Trev said, “George is in charge of skate sharpening and rentals, along with ice maintenance. Alexandra is in charge of the rink and helping to people who need it on the ice. Talya is part-time, working the two days that Alexandra is off to supervise the rink’s use.”

Alexandra. The name held a regalness that matched the way the woman held herself. It made Wilder very curious about her. Maybe he would see what Kayleigh could tell him about the newest resort employee.

Although, asking any of his siblings about a woman was a sure way to crank their matchmaking attempts up to maximum. He wasn’t ready for that.

Alexandra kept her gaze on Trev as he finished his introductions and moved onto his expectations for staff members of the recreation department. Trev might come across as easy-going and laid back, but he ran the department with a tight fist. There was no way he would have kept his job at the resort if he didn’t.

There had been a few employees over the years who had mistakenly thought he’d cut them slack when it came to timeliness or the tidiness of their uniforms. They were now working elsewhere.

“Any questions?” Trev asked once he was done. “None? Okay. Just remember that you can always come and speak to me aboutany questions or concerns you have. I like to keep the lines of communication open.”

When no one else spoke up, Trev dismissed them. Anthony flashed Wilder a peace sign as he left the room with the other lifeguards. Wilder stayed in his seat, watching as Alexandra spoke to Talya. The other woman seemed a bit uncomfortable, which didn’t surprise Wilder too much.

Some people probably found the confidence that Alexandra carried to be intense. They didn’t know how to react to it.

In some ways, Alexandra reminded Wilder of Kayleigh. His sister also carried a very confident air and had always been focused and determined. She’d worked hard to earn—and keep—her position as manager of the resort. Sure, she was now married to the son of the owner, but she had earned the position well before she’d met Hudson.

Trev headed over to the two women. “Is everything okay at the rink, Alexandra? No concerns with the schedule or the building?”

“No. Everything is fine, though it seems to be rather dead most days.”

“I think it will be like that for a little while longer,” Trev said. “It’s something new at the resort, so it might take some time for it to garner more interest. Are you able to fill your time when there’s no one skating?”

Alexandra nodded. “I spend most of my time on the ice, whether or not people are there.”

Wilder wondered what sort of skater she was. He imagined they would want to make sure they had people who had some knowledge about skating. Even on the slopes, they didn’t just hire people who liked to ski. They had to have enough knowledgeof the sport to be able to coach others—especially those who were skiing for the first time.

He’d wager it was easier to teach someone to ski than to ice skate. Back when he’d been learning both sports, he’d definitely found that he picked up skiing faster than skating. But that could just be him. He enjoyed his time on skis more than on skates.

However, he might make the time to do some skating at the new ice rink.

“I have a couple of girls coming for a lesson on Saturday morning,” Alexandra said.

“Are they guests of the hotel or from Serenity?”

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