Pawliday Love

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

JAX

I shiver, zipping up my winter coat and pulling the collar up before turning and thanking the rideshare driver and closing the passenger door. Adjusting the strap of my carry-on bag on my shoulder, I grab my suitcase and pull it behind me up the short driveway then heft it by the handle and carry it up the steps to the front door of Crystal Slopes.

I’d been hoping to be on a tropical beach for Christmas, but instead I’m here in Denver with my best friend, Cody, and his wife, Madeline, at their ski lodge. Technically it’s Maddy’s family’s ski lodge, but Maddy and Cody have taken over running it this past year. When he called to invite me for Christmas, I was minutes away from booking my trip, but he and Maddy didn’t have a fancy wedding, and they’re using this gathering to celebrate, so of course I couldn’t say no.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the front door and step into the resort. A rush of warmth hits me immediately. If all else fails and I don’t remember how to ski, at least I can hang out in the warmth that is the lobby.

I glance around, trying to spot my friend. But he’s nowhere to be found. So instead, I join the short line of people waiting to check in.

“Hello.” The young woman greets me with a smile when it’s my turn. “Your name?”

She’s gorgeous, with piercing blue eyes that she’s fixed on me and long wavy brown hair that’s loose around her shoulders. She can’t be older than her late twenties—too young for me.

Plus, she seems vaguely familiar, but I can’t place where or how I’d know her. It’s not like I’ve been to Denver in years, so she probably just looks like someone I know. Doesn’t matter since I'm only here for the holidays anyway. Not that I would necessarily say no to a holiday fling.

“Sir?”

“Sorry.” I force myself to stop checking her out and answer her question. “Jaxon Bennett.”

She nods, typing into the computer for a few seconds before glancing up at me, her eyes wide. “Jax?”

My gaze drifts down to the name tag pinned to her chest. Holly. My eyebrows shoot to my hairline as I suck in a breath. That’s why she looks familiar. Fucking hell. Here I was checking out Cody’s little sister.

“Holly.” I grin at her. “I didn’t recognize you. It’s been a few years.” The last time I saw her was on her twenty-first birthday, five years ago. I happened to be in town for a few days and Cody invited me out for a drink and we ran into her and her friends. “What are you doing here?”

“Working.” She gestures around her.

I huff out a laugh. Duh, Jax. “I mean, the last time I saw you, you were planning to go to law school.”

She chuckles, shaking her head, as she goes back to typing on the keyboard. “I realized pretty quickly I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Changed my major to hospitality my senior year. Do not recommend doing that. Took me an extra year to finish, but it all worked out.”

She slides a key across the counter to me. “We have you in room ten. Just up the stairs”—she points, and I turn around to look at the stairs behind me—“and down the hall to the right.” I turn back to face her. “There’s a welcome basket along with an itinerary for you in the room if you didn’t get Cody’s email.”

“Thanks, Holly. Cody said there’s dinner tonight. Will I see you there? Maybe we can catch up.”

“Yep, I’ll be there.” She smiles at me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Sounds good.” I pick up my key, grab my bags, and head toward my room. “See you later.”