Page 12 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

The man was incorrigible, but it made her heart dance a merry tune. Twenty minutes later, they slipped into a booth at the back of the Alpine-themed bar, where the menus were held in a holder shaped like the main lodge. The vintage Christmas decorations complemented the theme making her feel as if they were in some sort of Christmas movie. The Elkin family pulled out all the stops at Christmas. All the artwork on the wall had been wrapped like gifts with silver and gold paper, and a tree in the corner glowed with multicolored lights and gold ribbon. All of it went together seamlessly, but then it should. Linda had told her they always hired a decorator.

Tana took a sip of her beer, trying to decide what to talk about.

“Has Lindsey always wanted to ski, or is this a relatively new thing?” Chase made the decision easy. He wanted to talk about her daughter. One of Tana’s favorite subjects.

“Definitely not new. She’s wanted to ski ever since she learned to walk.” Tana cradled her glass in her palms and leaned in closer. “Not just an average skier, a great skier. Like you, in case you couldn’t tell.”

“Icantell.”

They both laughed.

Tana felt comfortable enough to ask the question on her mind. “Is it hard? Not being able to ski anymore, I mean.”

Chase’s gaze grew distant. “Yes. This past year has been rough and then coming back here…” His voice trailed off and he stared into his ale. “It’s been a struggle, but at the same time, it’s made me slow down and take stock of my life.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. “I have thought about leaving Elk Lodge. Moving away and going somewhere that doesn’t remind me of what I’ve lost.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah.” Chase took a long drink of his beer. “ It’s tough having to adjust your expectations after something happens. You know what I mean?”

“I do.” Of course Tana did. Life had dealt her plenty of adjusted expectations that started long before she ever found out she was pregnant.

“But at the same time, I know I can’t stay here forever.” Chase’s blue eyes lingered on hers, and Tana looked down at her beer to hide her blush. “I want to spend the holidays with my family, but then I need something else.”

Chase was only beginning to come out of what seemed like a depression over his ski accident. Another good reason this wasn’t the best time for them to explore their attraction. He didn’t even know what he wanted in life. And yet—his determination to move forward with his life drew Tana to him.

“It’s difficult,” she said after a minute. “Things happen. All you can do is roll with it.”

“I could have been better.” Chase winked, his grin a good sign.

“You? I don’t believe it,” Tana scoffed, playing along with him.

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.” Chase laughed, and Tana felt herself falling into his laughter headfirst. Heart-first. Enjoying his company was a risk.

She wiped the smile off her face and straightened. “Listen, I don’t think we should...continue this…umm, this,” she waved her hand back and forth between them, “whatever it is that’s going on between us.”

Chase leaned back in the booth. “Why not?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked. “It was just a simple kiss.”

There was nothing simple about it—not to Tana. “It wasn’t afullkiss,” she pointed out.

“Right. And why not?” Chase raised his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t have minded a real, honest-to-god kiss instead of a three-quarters kiss.”

“We can’t.” Tana couldn’t keep the laugh out of her voice. “A three-quarters kiss?” Ridiculous.

“I’d say we can.”

“It’s inappropriate. I have a second-round interview coming up soon with your brother Jonas for the ski director position.”

Chase looked pleased and maybe even a little smug, which Tana had to admit was a good look on him. Everything was a good look on him, which was what made everything so hard. It was hard not to talk to him. It was hardtotalk to him.

“I’ve got something to admit also. I was put in charge of sorting through the external applicants. We got way more than anticipated. People arereallyinterested in this job. But Jonas and I split up the work. I have nothing to do with internal applications. Honestly, Tana, if it was up to me, you’d already have the job. From what I’ve seen, you’d be great at it. But the final decision is up to Jonas and my grandmother.”

“Right, of course it is. But wouldn’t people wonder if I got the job after we’d been talking?”

Chase shrugged. “If I must choose between talking to you or vetting applicants, I choose talking to you. Jonas can handle it on his own.”

Tana looked at him, the backdrop of snow-covered hills and gorgeous pine trees perfect for him. Chase was not making things easy. Flirting with him could only be a temporary thing, especially since he was talking about leaving. But flirting with him could also be a permanent mistake. If things ended badly, she’d be the one left behind looking bad to her coworkers and her bosses long after he left.

“That’s good to know.” Tana smiled and took one last drink of beer. She stood, their time together at an end. “I’ve got to run. See you around, Chase. And thanks for the beer.”

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