Page 27 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

“Mom, we have togo,” Lindsey whined.

Tana was pushing her luck. She went into the living room where Lindsey stood with her rolling suitcase, a picture of Elsa and Anna fromFrozenon the front.

“Hey.” She knelt in front of her daughter and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry I was short with you.”I wish Chase was your dad, too.“I shouldn’t have been. Did you have a good birthday?”

“Yeah.” Lindsey rested her head on Tana’s shoulder. “But I really want to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s.” She yawned. “I’m tired.”

“Then let’s go meet them. Okay? Couple more car rides, then you can go to bed.”

Tana drove Lindsey back downtown to the pizza place. The timing couldn’t be more perfect—her parents were coming out the front door as they pulled up to the curb. She got Lindsey’s suitcase out of the car and loaded it into the back of her parents’ Honda.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” Lindsey ran to them with a squeal, even though she’d just seen them at her party. It warmed Tana’s heart. They were going to have a great weekend. Lindsey wheeled around on the sidewalk and came back for one more hug. “I’ll see you on Sunday, Mom. Don’t be too lonely without me. I’ll call you, okay?”

“Okay.” She breathed in the scent of her daughter’s shampoo and hugged her tight. Whatever came next, they’d get through it together. That was the one thing Tana could count on in life. “I love you, Linds.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

Her parents came up and took Lindsey by the hand. “Time to get going, birthday girl,” her dad said. “It’s a bit of a drive. But we can listen toFrozenon the way there, if you want.”

“I do, Ido!”

Lindsey dragged her grandparents toward the car, and Tana was left waving on the sidewalk in her little black dress. Tana’s mother leaned out of the car and gave her one last wave, a broad smile on her face. “You have fun too, my darling.Lovethe dress.”

“I will. Tomorrow maybe I’ll take a nap after my lessons, get some reading in…” Why? Why was she saying this? What she really wanted to do was spend all weekend in bed with Chase. “Have a good time. Call me if you need anything.”

“We won’t need anything,” sang Tana’s mom. “Now get out of here. Have the time of your life.”

16

CHASE

Chase glanced around the room, noting all the smiling faces. The employee happy hour—really, a cocktail party hosted by Elin Elkin—was a big event for the staff at the Lodge. She’d been hosting them for decades, and they’d settled into a familiar pattern. They always started with a staff meeting but then ended with lots of food and drinks. Employees loved it.

They especially loved the cocktail hours hosted at Christmas, and this one—so close to the holiday—was one of the best. A tall Christmas tree took up most of the space in one corner, soaring toward the ceiling with a rainbow of glass globes decorating the branches. A champagne fountainanda chocolate fountain graced the center of the room. Chandeliers glittered overhead, bathing everything in a warm light that probably made most people think of glamorous fireside Christmases.

It just wasn’t Chase’s favorite. For one thing, he preferred casual attire. For another, inevitably spending the evening making small talk about his injury held zero appeal. Surrounded by all the people in the room, an odd feeling of loneliness settled over him.

Lonely.

After his skiing career ended, Chase welcomed the solitude. Now, he missed Tana. He was lonely, even in the middle of the crowd, without her. He didn’t like it. It made his suit seem itchy, the lights too bright, and everyone’s voices too loud. She’d said she’d be there, though.

Chase crossed the room and picked up a plate, helping himself to the appetizers, before circling the ballroom again. There was no sign of Tana.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and his heart leaped, hoping it was her. But the name on the text wasn’t Tana’s.

Chef Chris: Dude! It’s been ages. I’ll be headed out your way for my show. We need to get together. I have an idea I want to run past you.

…

Tell me I’m still not in your contact list as Chef Chris.

Chase grinned at that and took a screenshot of his friend’s contact info and texted it to him and the response was immediate.

Chef Chris:Asshole!

He slid the phone back into his pocket. Chris Denton’s family owned Denton Hotels, and much like Chase, rather than go into the family business, Chris had carved his own path by becoming a celebrity chef. He looked forward to getting together with his old friend to commiserate over family drama.

Chase continued his laps around the room hoping Tana would arrive soon. Two ski instructors stood in the corner, both describing routes down the slopes based on their hand motions. His grandmother held court at one of the center tables, a smile on her face. Even Jonas had come to the cocktail hour. However, he alternated between listening to his grandmother and studying his phone intently. If he knew Jonas, he’d rather be working.

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