Chapter 24
VAL
Unclipping my bindings at the base of the mountain, I brushed globs of snow off my board as Frankie swooshed in beside me.
“So how’s Mr. Hot-and-Cranky?”
“A lot less cranky than he used to be,” I said, suppressing a smile as Frankie made a purring sound with her tongue.
A few weeks had passed since my family’s visit, and Nolan and I had gotten pretty hot and heavy since then.
In between our Arthur-mandated itinerary where we maintained a respectful distance, we snuck away together every chance we got.
At work, he’d ambushed me in the rental supply closet more than a few times, working me into a frenzy with his hands and tongue.
We still hadn’t, um, gone all the way, and with each passing day, I questioned my need to hold back from him.
He wanted me, I wanted him, and Cressida supported us. So what was the problem?
“This competition will put a bit of a damper on things,” said Frankie, interrupting my internal monologue. “Or make it that much more fun to sneak around.”
“Ugh,” I groused as we headed inside to stow our equipment.
In a last-minute bid, one of the biggest regional winter sports competitions was descending on Big Sky this weekend.
Hale’s Peak would be packed with spectator overflow and media hoping to catch a glimpse of the athletes enjoying après-ski, so we’d need to be extra cautious, and…
“Erica’s still skulking around too. She tried to intrude on Nolan’s nightly scotch with Hugh yesterday, but he told her off. ”
“Bet you loved that,” Frankie said with a smirk as we reached our lockers.
I shrugged, but my grin gave me away.
Leaning against the lockers, she crossed her arms. “You like him,” she said.
“Yeah, obviously.”
“No, I mean, it’s more than just having the hots for the guy, Val. That’s why you’re doing all of this. The sneaking around, pretending to be his lady butler. Lying for him.” Frankie ducked down so she could look directly in my eyes. “You care about him.”
“I care about me,” I countered, shutting my locker. “All of this is necessary so we don’t get caught. Nolan has that big board meeting coming up and his reputation can’t afford any bad press. And I don’t want to be in the media spotlight either.”
As we headed to the onsite convenience store to grab a snack, Frankie continued. “He cares about you too. I’ve seen how that man moons over you, and trust me, it’s enough to melt even my frigid heart.”
I rolled my eyes but a spark ignited deep within me.
With a shrug, Frankie grabbed a handful of beef jerky sticks from the shelf. “Anyway, are you going to that gala this weekend? Sounds like a big deal.”
“Gala?” I asked as I snagged a sleeve of sandwich cookies and a chocolate milk.
“Yeah, you didn’t see the very official signs posted around the lobby?”
“No?” I placed my items on the checkout counter and paid.
“You really have had your head in the clouds.” Frankie scooped up her snacks and steered me into the hall, pointing me to a calligraphy sign with a decorative light display around it. It looked like Mrs. Medford’s work.
A HALE’S PEAK WINTER WONDERLAND
Gala & benefit dinner
February 11
All are welcome (limited tickets available)
Resort employees attend for free
Silent auction, raffle, live entertainment
All proceeds go toward repairs and expansion of the Market & General Store. Any extra funds will be reinvested into the Hale’s Peak Chamber of Commerce.
“What the heck is this?” I asked.
“No clue,” Frankie said. “I saw Tess putting up the signs a few days ago, but she said she was just following orders.”
With the increased crowds in town, an exclusive gala was an excellent idea. I wish I’d thought of it myself. “Sounds fun, as long as you and Hugh will be my dates.”
“You want to go with me?” I turned to find Austin’s curly mop and languid smile greeting me.
“As—your date?” I almost choked on the last word.
“If you want,” Austin said with a sweet twinkle in his eye. “Still seeing that other guy?”
“Um, yes.” My stomach bottomed out at the thought of how Nolan would react if I waltzed into the gala with Austin on my arm. A bratty little part of me considered it would almost be worth it just to see the look on his face.
“Ah, well,” he said with a shrug.
“We’re all going as a group if you want to join our table,” Frankie offered.
“Great. Can’t wait.” He gave another signature smile and left.
“Well, that was easy,” Frankie said. “Didn’t even know about the gala ten seconds ago and now you have three dates to it. Must be some kind of record.”
I laughed, happy to have another friend added to our group. But secretly, I wished I could go with Nolan.
A few nights later, I fussed at my reflection in the floor length mirror of Nolan’s guest bathroom. He was working late, and I was bummed he wouldn’t get to see me in my fancy gala getup. All day, excitement and anticipation had buzzed through me in equal measure.
Upbeat music and happy chatter filtered down the hallway—Cora and Daphne had flown in and were pregaming in the kitchen with Cressida.
Another girls’ weekend sleepover was just what the doctor ordered.
A few minutes later, Cressida poked her head in the bathroom, her stark blonde hair twisted into rollers.
“Stop fidgeting. You look stunning. The guys won’t be able to keep their eyes off of you.
And one guy in particular,” she said in a low voice, waggling her perfectly plucked eyebrows.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I attempted to wrestle my hair into an updo.
“Here, let me.” Cressida slid the remaining pins into my hair with expert precision, then gave my curls a fluff and a quick spritz of hairspray. As she squeezed my shoulders, she made eye contact with me in the mirror. “You’re gorgeous. He’ll love it.”
“I thought Nolan was too busy to attend.”
“Oh, he’ll be there. He’d never miss out on seeing you in that dress.”
My cheeks warmed, but with the more time that passed, it felt good and less weird to have Cressida’s approval. “Nervous about seeing your family tonight?” I asked. Her parents had also flown in for the event, and I worried about their rocky relationship bringing her down.
“No more than usual. With all the paparazzi around, they’ll be on their best behavior. And they’ll be pleased to see Nolan and I on full display,” she said with a scoff. “But we both know who he’ll be staring at all night.”
With a wink, she bustled out to finish getting ready while I messed with my outfit for an extra minute.
I had to admit, I did look hot. The wine-red dress wrapped around me in a beautiful drape of satin.
A one-shoulder sweetheart neckline showed off my tattoo and a daring slit raced to my upper mid-thigh.
I loved it—Cressida had picked it from her own closet and had it altered to fit me.
With one last look in the mirror, I grabbed my clutch and headed to meet Frankie.
Cressida and the others were still half dressed and playing drinking games, and I waved to them on my way out.
When I arrived at the lodge, pillars of evergreen fronds woven with burgundy and white dahlias graced the front entrance.
Inside, the space was decked out in its finest—a trail of holly and greenery dangled from the ceiling, leading the way to the ballroom, where the evergreen and dahlia motif continued.
Gold tapestries draped from the high ceilings and flowed down the walls, transforming the normally dingy room into an opulent space fit for royalty.
Round tables with overflowing floral centerpieces dotted the back of the ballroom, the silent auction was set up to one side with the bar opposite, and the dance floor was up front.
A low whistle sounded beside me. “I’ve never seen the place look so dressed up,” said Austin.
“It’s fantastic,” I agreed. Austin looked dapper in a black suit and navy blue tie, his curls as long and free as ever. I nudged him with my elbow. “I could say the same about you. And myself. And everyone else for that matter.”
He chuckled. “You always look good. Don’t sell yourself short.” Then he offered his arm to me. “Let’s go find Hugh and Frankie. They already grabbed a table.”
“Really? The gala hasn’t even started yet.”
“You know Frankie. She was the first one at the door practically breaking it down to be let in. Said she wanted to get ‘primo seats by the bar.’”
I snorted a laugh. Sure enough, Frankie and Hugh were posted at a table right beside the bar.
Frankie looked badass in a slinky black dress with a sparkly overlay.
Her short black hair was pinned back in a bunch of twists fastened with star-shaped clips, and a deep aubergine shade painted her lips.
Hugh sat beside her looking spiffy in a crisp white shirt and suspenders.
“You look like Goth Queen Barbie,” I said to Frankie as we took our seats.
Lifting her dress, she showed off her black combat boots and full-sleeve leg tattoo. “You know it.”
While the guests filtered in, we chatted and drank.
As I catalogued every face that walked in the door, I told myself I was just people watching.
But who was I kidding? Anticipation zipped through me as I looked for Nolan.
With us both busy with work all week, we hadn’t had any alone time together—not even in the privacy of home.
Maybe we’d get a stolen moment tonight while everyone was distracted with the party.
It was risky with all the media around, but there were plenty of other guests to keep them occupied.
When Arthur and Cyrus walked in, each with a beautiful woman on their arms, my eyes bulged, and I nudged Austin and Hugh on either side of me. “Looks like we have quite the VIP guest list tonight.”
“That means no dancing on the bar, Frankie,” Hugh said with a mock harsh look.
“Aw, nuts!”