Elkin Brothers Christmas: The Complete Series Read online

  “I’ve got something to admit also. I’m helping my brother narrow down the candidates.”

  “What?” The single word came out as a squeak, Tana horrified by what he’d just revealed. Chase laughed.

  “No, no. I was put in charge of sorting through the external applicants. We got about five hundred of them. People are really interested 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. You’d be great at it. But the final decision is up to Jonas.”

  “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, I’ll give up the helping Jonas. If I must choose between talking to you or vetting applicants, I choose talking to you.”

  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.”

  7

  Chase stood at the bottom of the hill next to the lodge. Lindsey came down the bunny slope with a confidence he usually saw in older skiers, and he went forward to meet her at the bottom of the slope. One of the other employees—a junior instructor—accompanied her to the bottom of the hill.

  “You look great out there.” He and Lindsey high-fived. “Next time make your turns bigger and wider. It’ll give you more control coming down the hill.”

  Lindsey screwed up her lips. “But I want to go fast down the hill.”

  “Speed comes later.” He patted the top of her helmet. “When you get on the harder slopes, you’ll need to be in control more than you’ll need to go fast. So do two more runs slow, and then we’ll talk about going a little faster.” He remembered what Tana had said. “Not too much faster, though. You still need to be able to stop.”

  “Okay!” Lindsey skied off toward the chairlift, the back of her new fluorescent pink jacket bright in the sun. Unable to resist, he’d bought one at the resort ski shop and delivered it in person. Tana had reluctantly allowed her daughter to accept the gift, but it wasn’t like he’d given her the heads-up so she could say no.

  Best of all, Lindsey’s first lesson was going quite well. She’d taken to the skis easily. Twenty minutes of practice on the flat ground, and she’d been off. He only wished he could go with her. Frustration flashed across his chest, watching Lindsey head up the hill with the junior teacher.

  Memories tormented him, knowing as he watched the skiers face the challenges of the slopes that they were moments of sheer joy he’d never get back. The exhilaration of the wind rushing his face.

  Chase just didn’t belong at Elk Lodge the way he had as a kid. That part of his life was over. And the other truth, lurking in the back of his mind, was that dreams like the one he’d had inevitably led to heartbreak. They always did, even simple dreams. Like the one of having his parents around to see him grow up. That hadn’t worked out either; the crushing pain of their deaths still haunted him.

  As Lindsey went back to the top, Tana came down the front of the slope with a little girl at her side, the two of them matching movements. An old familiar exhilaration coursed through him, watching Tana come down the hill. The two of them slowed down at the end of the slope and raised their arms into the air. The girl beamed, so proud of herself.

  He’d been right to recommend Tana to the girl’s family. It would be a win-win for all of them—Tana would be the beneficiary of their lavish tips, and their daughter would get excellent ski lessons. They’d shown up a few days before, ready to mingle with the other guests at the lodge. It was their annual tradition to come ski and flaunt all their new possessions, like the diamond tennis bracelet the father had bought the girl. Chase could buy expensive things, too, but sticking them in people’s faces like it was nothing was an arrogance he couldn’t stand. Real wealth didn’t need to show itself off.

  Chase hadn’t seen the jacket as an over-the-top gift, but perhaps to Tana, it had been. He’d do well to keep that in mind going forward.

  Lindsey came down the hill making smooth wide turns as Tana headed up the hill for one last run. Coming to a stop next to Chase, she too turned to watch her mother as she began her descent down with the little girl.

  “There’s my mom,” Lindsey said, pointing in Tana’s direction. “She’s a really good skier.”

  “I agree. And clearly, you take after her.”

  Lindsey beamed at the praise. “Thanks. Someday, I’m going to be just like her. And you,” Lindsey added, before rushing to meet her mother.

  “Hey, hon!” Tana stepped out of her skis and threw her arms around Lindsey. “How did it go?” she asked, glancing up at him.

  “She nailed it.” Lindsey had a fearlessness that reminded him of himself at her age.

  “Megan!” Lindsey thrust a hand in the air and waved to a friend nearby. The young girl ran to meet up with Lindsey like they hadn’t seen each other in forever. Before long, two other friends joined them, followed by their parents. Within a minute, the parents had all agreed to take the girls to the bonfire ring, where a fire was perpetually lit during the winter season. Staff members were stationed there all day with hot chocolate and marshmallows to roast, and it was a favorite activity of the families at the resort.

  Chase nodded his head in Lindsey’s direction. “Want to put the skis away?”

  Tana took in the scene, eyes bright. “Looks like I’ve got a few minutes.”

  She started toward the ski-rental building, but Chase stopped her. “We’ll go around back and put up your skis in the employee section ourselves. Looks like they are busy with the after-lunch rush.”

  The section in the back housed rows of equipment belonging to the family and the ski instructors. They could all stash their gear here, rather than hauling it back and forth from home every day. Chase reached the double doors first and pulled one open, allowing Tana to enter.

  Her arm brushed across the front of his chest. “Oh, excuse me,” Tana said, as he stepped in behind her.

  “No problem. There’s not a ton of room back here.” The narrow hallway was lined with racks for skis and poles, the boots stowed beneath.

  Tana found an empty spot on the wall just as he spotted one on the opposite side where he could put Lindsey’s equipment. They maneuvered around each other in a careful dance, trying to put up the equipment without knocking into each other.

  When he was finished, he found Tana standing in his path. They hadn’t spent much time together the past few days, and he had a suspicion she was avoiding him. He missed her and wanted to spend time with her. And here she was.

  “Need something?”

  “I just wanted to say, while we had a minute—” Tana pulled her hat off, flicking her dark hair away from her face. Chase’s heart stuttered. Gorgeous. “Thanks for the tips the other day. They have really helped. I know that’s a reversal from how we started out.” She laughed a little, and he wanted to capture the sound in a bottle and keep it forever.

  He thought of the almost-kiss and the thank-you kiss, her lips a breath away from his. This time he wanted more.

  Chase took a step closer to Tana. She was irresistible, and the hallway was narrow. He wanted the distance between them to get smaller and smaller until it was nothing at all. “You’re welcome. You looked so happy out there, and that’s all the reward I need. It’s clear you love skiing.”

  “I do,” she said softly.

  “Honestly, Tana, that’s what I find so amazing about you. You’re all in on everything. Your love for your daughter is like...it’s l
ike nothing I’ve ever seen. You tackle everything head-on.” His voice had gone gruff, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Out in front, the employees’ voices rose and fell, but all Chase cared about was Tana.

  Inches apart, the tension between them was thick, their heated gaze making him forget how hot it was in the cramped space in their winter jackets.

  Tana’s breath came light and fast. “Chase.” The whisper of her words landed against his lips. “Are you going to kiss me, or not?”

  Chase felt like she’d opened the gate at the top of a mountain run and set him free to soar over the hills. He went in for the kiss the way he’d attacked a thousand ski runs in his life—hard, fast, and focused.

  Tana’s lips were cold, but her tongue was hot where it battled his. He kissed her deeply, exploring her like he might not get another chance. He put an arm around her waist and backed her into the ski racks. The only thing that mattered was kissing her. Tana tasted sweet, her mouth holding a hint of caramel. His whole body leaned into the sensation, heart pounding, tongue searching, lips desperate for hers.

  “Chase.” His grandmother’s voice called out his name like a reprimand.

  Tana jerked away from him. He caught a glimpse of her red face and then her back as she ran faster than he could have imagined toward the front of the building, leaving him standing there. But not alone.

  He didn’t want to turn around, but he did. His grandmother stood in the narrow hallway, her eyebrows raised in question at what she’d witnessed.

  “Hello, Grandmother.” Chase’s brain was racing as he tried to think of a way to explain, but it was hard to focus. His skin still hummed from the kiss, goosebumps tugging at his skin. “I was—” There was no explaining it. He looked her straight in the eye. “You saw.”

  His grandmother surveyed him with the hint of a smile in her eyes but a serious set to her face. “I saw you entering the building and came to ask about something. Was that fleeing woman Tana? Aren’t you working with her daughter on ski lessons?”

  “What? No, that wasn’t Tana.” he said with a straight face. Chase had to protect Tana at all costs. This was exactly why they shouldn’t have done what they did, and now it was too late to go back. Especially because now, he only wanted more. “And I’ve taken her daughter out for a couple of sessions. Not a big deal.”

  His grandmother frowned at him, then reached out and smacked his arm. “Don’t you go making trouble for people, Chase.”

  He raised his hands in the air, ready to say that he wasn’t, but his grandmother sighed. A wistfulness came into his grandmother’s eyes, and when she looked back at Chase, he thought he caught a few tears gathered there. She blinked them away. Maybe he’d imagined them after all.

  “I’m not going to.” The last thing he wanted was to upset her, given everything she was dealing with. He did not want her to worry about the resort. But he also couldn’t lie. “I like her, but that won’t happen again.”

  “Life is short. Just be smart and maintain appropriate boundaries.” He’d wanted to reassure her, but somehow he hadn’t found the right words.

  Instead, his grandmother had taken the lead, just like when he was a young boy and being called out for some wrongdoing. All his emotions twisted up with one another, becoming indistinguishable. The only thing he could focus on fully was how good it felt to kiss Tana.

  She put a hand on Chase’s elbow. “I’m happy you’re back. Do you know that? It’s obvious you’re feeling more at home and that you’re falling for someone special.” Her eyes were shining again. “You’ve seemed so lively the last few days. I hope you’ll consider...staying here permanently.”

  Buzzkill. He couldn’t stay; the memories were just too painful. The noises of the resort fell away, leaving him in a roaring silence. “I’ll think about it.” It was the only answer he could give without hurting her.

  “Good.” His grandmother headed out, but Chase stayed behind in the quiet.

  For a fleeting instant, he imagined bringing Tana to his home permanently, and Lindsey. He imagined how it would feel to hear their voices echoing through all the rooms that were normally silent. He imagined Christmases and birthdays, singing carols, opening gifts. He imagined a quick run to the lodge in the winters and climbing the lush green hills in the summers.

  And then he blinked it all away, the images replaced by others. Like the moment he crashed and burned on the slopes, his skis tangling up and throwing him bodily to the ground. The agonizing pain that pierced his leg and knee. He’d known it was bad then, and he knew it now, too.

  Living here was not a choice he could make.

  8

  Tana couldn’t get the kiss out of her head.

  She hadn’t been kissed like that in a long time, if ever. And as she went through her lessons the next day, it had crept into all the quiet moments. Her skis cut against the snow and wind whooshed over her ears, setting her at ease. The familiar motions freed her mind to think of other, more exciting things. Like Chase’s lips on hers, firm and wanting. Like how close their bodies had been, separated only by a few bulky layers of snow gear. The hard ridge of the skis against her back when he pressed her up against the wall.

  Tana had worked in a lot of places that involved equipment racks over the course of her life, but nothing so sexy had ever happened near one. Nothing that sexy had ever happened, period, and it was because Chase himself was over-the-top attractive. The breeze seemed hot against her cheeks when she thought of him. If she kept this up, she’d have to press her face into a snowbank to cool down. That wouldn’t look great to her employers.

  One thing already didn’t look great to them—getting caught kissing Chase in the shed in the first place. And by his grandmother. Her face went hotter, and Tana moved to the side of the hill and took a side path along one of the bigger, longer slopes where there was more open hillside. She couldn’t decide if she’d done the right thing. Running away probably hadn’t been the best course of action, but the options had been sparse. Talking to Elin Elkin didn’t seem possible in the moment, but if she’d really wanted to prove herself worthy of a promotion, she should have…

  What? Shaken her hand? Put on a bright smile and pretended the kiss had never happened? But she’d liked that kiss. She’d liked it a lot, even though she was up for a promotion and Chase was the last man she should be kissing.

  She didn’t regret the kiss. Tana made a quick turn and held her arms out, letting the wind stream around her clothes. She wouldn’t regret the kiss. The main embarrassment was obviously not greeting Elin like any other employee would. Somehow, she’d need to fix that.

  But for now, Tana was more concerned about her aching muscles. Perhaps it was her lack of concentration, or just a careless skier, but either way, the fall she’d taken today during a lesson left her aching. One of the kids had cut her off from a strange angle, and her body hadn’t reacted the way she wanted. She’d gone off the edge of a gentle jump and landed on her side, one ski underneath her. Her back was probably going to be bruised. A hot bath sounded heavenly.

  Tana headed toward the parking lot. She spotted Chase just ahead, headed toward the path that led to his house. More like limping his way along. Something was wrong.

  “Hey,” she called out, her body lighting up at the memory of the kiss, as she tried to catch up to him, a move hindered by her aching back. “You okay?” she asked, joining him.

  Chase grimaced. “I spent all morning working through applications, and afterward I had physical therapy. It makes things worse before it gets better.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. But Tana knew it was.

  “We have something in common then. Except instead of physical therapy, I fell on the slopes. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.” She forced a smile to her face.

  Chase laughed, but the firm set of his mouth told her he was worried. “How bad is it? What hurts?” His eyes traced over her body, and Tana looked away.

  “I’ll be fine. Other than a big
bruise more than likely. And a bruised ego to match. I’m going home to soak my pain away in a hot bath.”

  Chase stopped short and looked around. “Where’s Lindsey?”

  “Lindsey?” Tana took a deep breath. "She’s staying with a friend tonight, and working on a school project, so I’m free.” Free. That sounded like she was asking him for a date. Chase stopped walking. “I mean—"

  “Don’t go home then. Come to my place. I’ve got a hot tub in the back yard—it’ll be way better for your back.” His easy grin made her want to say yes.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? After…what happened in the shed?”

  “Sure it is.” Chase held his hands up. “Look, I’m sorry that my grandmother walked in on us in the shed. I wish she hadn’t. But I don’t feel bad about kissing you. We didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Chase gave her a look. “Of course I’m sure. I wanted to kiss you, Tana. I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since the three-quarters kiss.” The corner of his mouth lifted, and she was taken yet again by how good he looked when he was happy—or at least when he was smiling. “And from the way you kissed back, you wanted it, too.”

  “I did,” she admitted. “But I’m still not convinced that we didn’t break some…some long-standing rule. You’re a part of the Elkin family.”

  “I am.” Chase put on a serious tone. “And in the Elkin family, we only kiss princesses and duchesses, women of the highest royal standing—”

  “Don’t tease.” Even though I like it when you tease. “We can’t keep up all the kissing.”

  Chase met her gaze, keeping his serious expression in place. It only made Tana want to laugh more. “We don’t have to kiss in the hot tub if that’s what you’re saying.”

  “We’re not going to kiss in the hot tub.”

  “Right. But you have to admit—it would feel great on those muscles.”

  No. Given her working situation and the attraction between them, it would be too dangerous. It was one thing to make out with Chase in the ski shed. Quite another to casually accept an invitation to strip down and get relaxed in his private hot tub, away from prying eyes. “Sure,” Tana choked out. It did not sound as casual as she wanted it to. “But I do need to go home first to get my bathing suit. I can’t very well go naked, now can I?”