Chapter 5

5

O nce they returned from the ice rink and ate dinner, the group made plans to meet down at the hot tubs. Brent got dressed in his swim trunks and a pullover sweatshirt and flip-flops before making his way down to the main floor. The hot tubs were just out back behind the lobby.

Despite the massive amount of snow that had come down in Wintervale, the town seemed to work together to clear roads and pathways, making it easier for people to get around, which had allowed them to get to the ice rink. Luckily, the snow had quit falling, so they didn’t have to play catch-up with the weather daily.

Brent pulled his sweatshirt off as he got closer to the hot tubs, intending to ditch it on a bench to keep it semi-dry. Candace and Jessica had just stepped out of the hot tub as he approached. They picked up their towels and passed him.

Brent turned to watch Candace walking back toward the building. He got a glimpse just before the towel covered her exquisite body. But then his foot caught the edge of a bench that he swore jumped right into his path. He grunted before stepping on a patch of ice and flying face first into a bank of snow.

The yelp of surprise at the cold snow lodged in his swim trunks was less than manly. But he was in survival mode. He scrambled out of the bank and jumped up and down to shake the snow off him.

A peel of laughter told him Candace saw the whole thing.

“Dude,” Travis said, barely able to say the word between gasps of air.

Jessica bit her lip and held a hand in front of her face, at least attempting to contain her amusement.

She’s a doll.

Candace did no such thing. She was bent at the waist, laughing hysterically.

“Walk much?” She gasped.

She’s not.

“I’m fine. Thanks for your concern.”

He discarded his snow-covered sweatshirt on the offensive bench before quickly stepping into the steaming hot tub, the hot water biting at his snow-covered skin. Candace’s laughter followed her into the building with Jessica.

“Where are they heading?” Brent asked. He partially hoped to see Candace tonight, if only to get on her nerves.

Travis still laughed, but could compose himself enough to answer. “Getting drinks. I told them to grab you a beer.”

Brent nodded and glanced toward the door. A brief surge of excitement coursed through him. Candace had always been a mystery to him. She had a bit of hostility in her he loved to provoke. And her obvious annoyance with him made her feel like a challenge. Although he did not know why she was hostile toward him, it was a challenge he gladly accepted.

“You told both of them to?”

“Well, I told Jessica. I doubt Candace would.”

“Probably not. So how does it feel to be married?” Brent asked.

Travis shrugged and leaned back against a jet. The hot tubs were surprisingly quiet tonight. The last few nights, there had been other people in with them, but they had this one to themselves. A few other hot tubs nearby also weren’t near capacity, like they normally would be.

“It feels the same as when we were dating. Only it’s more official now.”

“I’m happy you found her. She’s a good one,” Brent said. And he meant it too.

Ever since he had met Jessica, he had taken an instant liking to her. Not in any romantic sense, but he knew she was perfect for his little brother. The way they operated around each other was seamless. Jessica always knew what Travis wanted before he wanted it, and he could always finish her thoughts when she had trouble explaining something.

It wasn’t like how Brent was with Candace. They were oil and water—complete opposites. She always picked at him with her sassy attitude, trying to push his buttons every chance she got. But he ate it up because he could dish it right back until she stomped off.

“Thanks man. Now, when are you going to hook up with Candace?”

Brent laughed. “Candace?”

“Come on. I see the way you look at her.”

“We both know she hates me.”

“But why?”

Brent shrugged. The ladies were walking back out of the building toward the hot tub. “No idea.”

Normally, he had an idea why women disliked him, which was rare in itself. But he truly didn’t know why Candace did. He couldn’t recall a single thing he had ever done to her to make her so hostile. Part of him assumed it was just her personality, but she wasn’t that way with anyone else. He had seen her around countless other people and it was like her attitude only shifted to sarcasm around him.

Jessica stepped into the hot tub first, carrying some sort of mixed drink and a beer for Travis. Then came Candace. She stepped in, kicking water across the hot tub and into Brent’s face before sloshing over to him and handing him a beer.

“Oops. Sorry.” She smiled sweetly before setting her drink down on the edge of the hot tub and heavily dropping into the water to slosh more water onto his face, getting both Jessica and Travis in the process as a wave rolled through.

Brent wiped the water out of his eyes before smiling back. “Oh, it’s no problem. I can see it was an accident.”

Candace only smiled in response as she picked up her drink before sliding as far away from him as she could—which ended up being only a foot away.

“I think the plan tomorrow is to head up the mountain and ski, right?” Jessica asked.

“I believe that’s up to you two since it’s your week and all,” Brent said.

Candace gave him a surprised look before turning a smile to Jessica and Travis. “If that’s what you want, it sounds great to me.”

“Great!” Travis said, a little too enthusiastically.

Truth be told, it didn’t matter if they all went up on the mountain together. They likely wouldn’t stick together, with the exception of Jessica and Travis. Everyone in their group had different skill levels, so the chances were that they would all split up and go to the runs they were most comfortable with and only meet up for food and drinks later. It didn’t matter if Jessica and Travis wanted to ski. Any of them could have said they weren’t up for it and it wouldn’t have made a lick of difference.

But with the glances Travis and Jessica had been giving one another, they looked like they were conspiring to do something. Brent’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you two up to?”

Jessica’s eyes widened briefly before she composed herself and took a long drink from her plastic cup. She and Travis looked at each other once again before shrugging.

“Nothing,” they said in unison.

“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” Candace said sarcastically.

Brent cracked a smile.

“Nothing is going on. We are just looking forward to skiing,” Jessica said.

Travis nodded emphatically, only increasing Brent’s distrust in him.

“So the wedding went well,” Jessica said, shifting the conversation. “Thank you both for everything you did. Without you, the day would have been a mess.”

“Well, more of a mess than it already was,” Travis said, laughing at his own comment.

Candace only smiled. “It was beautiful. You both looked incredible, and I think everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Brent couldn’t have said it better himself. “I agree. It was a great evening.”

“And now we’re all stuck in this town together,” Travis said.

Brent shrugged. “Could be worse. This isn’t a terrible place to be stuck. We were just lucky that all of us made it up before things shut down. It would have sucked if one of us hadn’t.”

They all nodded in unison. The groups in the hot tubs nearby were talking and laughing loudly, but the silence among the four of them was welcoming. Brent studied Candace out of the corner of his eye. She was nursing a drink, which looked suspiciously like water. She had never been one to drink a lot, and he had always noticed it. He wanted to ask why, but figured she would give him a snotty response, so he kept his comments to himself.

No need to poke the bear… yet.

Jessica was whispering something into Travis’s ear, and Travis’s eyes darted between Brent and Candace, not disguising the fact that Jessica was talking about the two of them. Shortly after she sat up straight, Travis fake yawned and stretched his arms over his head dramatically.

“Okay, well, we’re beat and going to hit the sack,” he said.

Jessica nodded and yawned loudly. Clearly fake.

They stood and said goodnight before hurrying off toward the lobby.

Brent looked over at Candace, who was watching their retreating forms before glancing back at Brent. He half expected her to make an excuse and leave quickly, but to his surprise, she didn’t. She only picked up her drink and slid over to the spot where Jessica had been sitting—even further from Brent.

“They’re acting weird,” she said.

“Definitely up to something,” he said.

She glanced at him before taking another sip of her drink. “So, are you going to get out or do I have to?”

“Why do either of us have to get out?”

She rolled her eyes. “Clearly we aren’t going to sit here and enjoy each other’s company, so one of us should leave.”

“And why can’t we enjoy each other’s company?”

“Because there’s no company to enjoy.”

He slapped a hand to his chest. “Ouch.”

She only shrugged before turning her attention to the sky. “There are so many stars out here.”

He looked up at the black sky speckled with white stars.

“It’s beautiful,” they said at the same time.

Their eyes met briefly before she shifted her gaze back up to the sky.

“Are you happy or upset that you’re stranded here?” she asked.

The question caught him by surprise. Not because she was asking something that might cause her to get to know him a little, but because she was asking at all. Normally, they sat in tense silence.

“A bit of both. I’ve got some work stuff that I really need to get back for, but at the same time, it’s nice to get a break. How about you?”

“Same.”

He thought that’s all he’d get out of her, but she continued.

“My work has really been hanging on me lately to get things done. I’m truly worn out. I feel like I haven’t had a break from exhaustion since…” she trailed off. “Anyway, I just really needed a break, and it’s nice to get one.”

She glanced at him, and before he could respond, she continued, “Even if I have to spend it with you.”

The hint of a smile that played on her lips kept him from getting offended.

God, she’s cute.

“Yeah. I’m a horrible one. So boring.”

“You are. So boring.” She cracked a smile and then shifted her gaze down.

And as if a switch had been flipped, and she suddenly remembered something, the smile wiped off her face and she turned cold again.

“I’m going to go. Don’t fall when you get out,” she said before abruptly standing up, wrapping a towel around herself, and walking away.

He mentally high-fived himself and took another swig of his beer. Despite it all, progress was progress.