Ivy

I ’m not a cautious person. Confident. Assertive. Honest. Capable. I have many great qualities. Being careful isn’t one of them. That’s most likely the biggest factor contributing to the predicament I find myself in.

“Why would a woman in that situation be out on the roads she doesn’t know at night in the first place, princess?” The man whose coat is keeping me warm shoots back at me.

“I’m a very capable woman, Mr. Holloway. I’ve been driving a car for let’s see, at least a solid decade now, I can handle a ten-minute drive into town,” I snipe, but then remember that my SUV is stuck in a snowdrift on the side of the road. Minor details.

His smug grin is gas on the flames. He waves a hand to my SUV and opens his mouth. Then shuts it. I wait for him to argue my point. I hope he’s wrapped his wrists because I don’t pull punches. A sigh that’s visible out here in the cold air escapes him .

“I’m sure you are Ms. Rutherford,” he addresses me as I have him. “Do you need me to call you a tow?” he asks.

“I’ve called one, thank you.” I sound snobby, so I add. “I’m fine to wait here alone. You can get on with your night.”

“I’ve got nowhere to be. I can wait with you,” he offers.

“Not necessary,” I retort, sliding his coat off and holding it out to him. He just stares at me, a tight smile pulling his mouth to the side shaking his head at the outstretched garment.

“There’s that word again,” he muses. “I thought we covered that the other night…and stopping to check on you was not my way of pissing you off, just so we’re clear,” he lets me know. I sigh, and I am pissed, so pissed that tears gather in my eyes again, making his outline smudge. But not at him. Not really. Shit. I hate that I’m an angry crier. I’d just gotten a social media notification of Noah’s engagement being announced in the paper, and I needed to do something to take my mind off it. I knew he was engaged, and it’s not a shock that it’s in the paper, but it still hit me hard, and I decided I needed to get some more oranges for my sugared candy peel stash. A drive into town to the grocery store sounded perfect. Until I started sliding around.

Snow is starting to fall again, and I want to scream. It’s enough already.

“I—” My voice cracks. Swallowing, I try again. “I just needed a few things from town. My app said the roads were clear,” I defend myself through gritted teeth. He grips his coat that I’m still holding onto and takes it. Good. Leave me here to dwell in my own misery. I shut my eyes to ward off more tears, but the weight of the coat being placed back on my shoulders makes it really hard. I slowly open my watery eyes.

“Ah, I see. Those apps don’t always give the whole truth. They are mostly clear, but you still need to watch out for black ice.” I cock my head at his words. “The sun was out today and thawed the snow, then when temps dropped this evening, it froze over again. It’s like glass, really hard to see even when you’re familiar with it—” he cuts himself off with an easy smile then finishes, “—or a very capable woman.” I bite the inside of my cheek, not wanting him to know I find him funny. Charming. Not wanting him to know that I’ve thought about him at all after last night. I have one objective and role-playing the damsel in distress with a real-life action hero isn’t it.

“I guess that’s something I’ll need to be more careful of,” I relent.

“It could happen to anyone. Now, are you going to let me drive you back to the resort?” he asks me again.

“I think I should wait for the tow. The guy on the phone said it would be forty-five minutes,”—I check my phone for the hundredth time—“sixty-two minutes ago,” I say with a groan, hanging my head and pressing my right thumb to my temple. Crunching snow draws my attention to where Alder is now walking away from me and back to his truck. Okay, well, that’s not the reaction I expected. He roots around in the cab of his truck for a minute, not getting in. I look up at the swirling white flakes that are starting to come down faster.

“What’s your number?” he asks from right beside me. What?

“My number? You want my phone number right now?” I ask, flattered, but time and place, hotshot. He chuckles, interrupting my train of thought. He’s holding up a piece of paper and pen.

“I’m leaving the tow driver your information,” he informs me. Oh. “I doubt they even come tonight, but just in case, I’ve let them know you left because the weather turned. If you want to spend another night with me, we can do that somewhere other than the side of the road. You need to let me give you a ride before we get stuck here,” he insists again, and as much as I want to tell him that he can get lost, I know the only option is to accept the ride.

“Fine.” I sigh and tell him my number. He writes it down before trapping it under the windshield wiper.

“Let’s go,” he says it in a way that sounds like I have a choice, but I know a command when I hear one. He’s very self-assured. I’m annoyed that I like he isn’t afraid to take charge.

“Lead the way.” I extend an arm up the road from us.

Inside Alder’s truck, I already feel myself starting to thaw. I wrap his coat around myself tighter, and as stealthily as I can, I breathe in its scent. Spicy, but not like cologne. Soap? It’s clean and also warm and I snap my head up because he’s going to catch me smelling his coat. I glance at him from the corner of my eye, but he’s staring straight ahead.

“Do you mind if I turn on some music?” I ask, trying to avoid conversation. Not only am I in a bad mood, but I don’t want to talk about our night together.

He shakes his head with a grin and hands me his phone. “Not at all. It’s already hooked up to my phone. Feel free to play whatever you want.” Hmm, I’m surprised at how easily he hands his phone to me. I’m not going to snoop through his messages or anything, but the pull to know something else about him is strong. I settle for digging into the playlist he has pulled up. Soft Rock Goes The Hardest. A surprised laugh bubbles out of me, and I clamp a hand over my mouth.

“Something amusing, princess?” he questions. There’s that nickname again. I roll my eyes .

“No, no. I’m just looking through your music,” I tell him, hitting play, and Boston fills the space between us, singing about a woman named Amanda.

“Good choice,” he praises, and I let out an indelicate snort.

“It’s on your heavy rotation,” I state flatly.

“Exactly,” I don’t need to look at him to know he’s smiling. I continue to scroll the playlist. Alder is a very ’70s and ’80s classic man. As a very ’70s to now girl?I like that. Not that I need any more reasons to like him. He’s given me plenty.

After a few songs, I watch him lean forward and turn the volume down slightly. We pass the main lodge and drive on to all the cabins and chalets. I’m really not in the mood to talk, so I hope he isn’t looking for a dazzling conversationalist. My mood is as sour as the bag of candy in my room that I’m ready to devour.

“How are you liking Silverthorne?” His question makes me huff out a laugh.

“Considering I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours, and in that time, I was tackled to the ground and also had my car slide off the road? Not loving it,” I answer him honestly.

“I think you’re leaving out some key details about your first night here. But it does sound like you’ve had an interesting introduction…and I did not tackle you.”

“Who said I was talking about you?” I quip then point at the chalet up on the right. “That’s me.”

“Been plowed into more than once in the last week, princess?” His question is dripping with innuendo. My eyes are going to get stuck in the back of my head if I have to hear him call me that one more time. He parks, and I lean over the center console. Two can play at suggestive. I take my hand and absently let my fingers play with the sleeve of his flannel button down. I watch my hand as I speak to him.

“If I had been—” I start, sliding off his coat. Letting it fall to the floorboard, I drop my voice low. “—I can tell you one event was far more enjoyable than the other.” I slowly slide my eyes up to meet his icy gaze from under my lashes.

“Oh yeah?” He’s smiling, sure of himself. I bite my lip to conceal my laugh. “Tell me more,” he drawls and leans in.

“I would, but I don’t kiss and tell.” Then I swiftly open the door to his beat-up Bronco and slip into the flurries falling down. “Thanks for the ride, Lover Boy,” I call over my shoulder and shut the door with a slam. I’m smiling, pleased with myself when I hear him yell my name. I school my face and spin around.

“I’m available for a ride any time you need or want one, princess.” He winks and then drives off. Laughter bubbles out of me into the sparkling night. I tilt my head up and, not for the first time, feel like I’m living inside a snow globe—and Alder Holloway has just shaken it.

Once I’m inside, I take off my hat and jacket, both are damp, along with my hair since I stood outside for too long in the snow. My forgotten phone chimes and I find it in my discarded purse. Sixteen missed calls and seven texts. All from Sienna. The last text is time stamped seventeen minutes ago. Oops.

Sienna

You’re doing what now?

Sienna

Is this a joke?

Sienna

Stop being cryptic.

Sienna

IVY! What’s going on?!

Sienna

You sent me a message saying you were leaving town for three months with no follow-up, and now you’re not answering your phone.

Sienna

You’re already there?! WTF?

That one was from early this morning in response to me telling her I made it here.

Sienna

I know you like to do things on your own, but we talked about you keeping me in the loop. I just want to know that you’re safe.

Now I feel like a bitch. I think I just didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s drama over the situation when I’ve got plenty of my own. It wasn’t my intention to worry her though. It’s never my intention to hurt people, but man am I good at it. Sighing heavily, I hit her number. She deserves a phone call. She picks up halfway through the first ring.

“What’s going on?” she asks in way of a greeting. I mentally prepare myself to make her feel better about all of this.

“Hi. I’m fine, Sienna. It’s just been a long couple of days.”

“I’ve been worried sick, . You haven’t replied to any of my messages,” she accuses.

“I know. I haven’t been on my phone a lot.” Except for when I was checking Noah’s engagement announcement. “I didn’t have much warning with all of this. I was told I was coming here about three hours before I was on a plane,” I relay .

“And you couldn’t have sent one message explaining? Not even from the plane?” she whines, and the sound grates on my already frayed nerves. She doesn’t mean to, but Sienna will take any opportunity to make a situation about her. I’m guilty of the same. Tonight, I just don’t want to deal with it.

“Sorry, Si. It’s just been a lot to process,” I explain.

“Yeah, that part I get. I’ve been dealing with your disappearance all day. I’ve had to talk to everyone in town asking about you, and all I can tell them is that you’re in Silverthorne, Colorado, wherever that is, and I have no idea why,” she tells me, exasperated. Like it’s her whose life has been upended. I roll my eyes, not convinced anyone is missing me. They want to know the gossip, more like.

“It’s in Colorado,” I deadpan. “And I’m so sorry you had to deal with all of that. It must have been so difficult for you.” My voice is sickly sweet.

“Oh, fuck off, and thank you. It was,” she responds as though she’s accepting a real apology. God, she’s the most self-absorbed person I know. I laugh until she laughs with me and decide to tell her the condensed version of why I’m here. She was there for the wrecked boat and most of the nights that put me on my father’s radar as irresponsible. I may not speak to her for a while so I fill her in as best I can.

“Right. Well, unfortunately, I don’t have time to tell you all the details, but the short version is that I’ll be here for the next three months running this resort that my father purchased. Then I’ll be back home and ready to step into my role at Rutherford.” I breathe in deeply and shut my eyes. What a mess I’ve created. Was I always this way? No. I know that I wasn’t.

“Oh, so basically, a luxury resort winter vacation? That sounds like a dream, . I’m not sure why you’re being so dramatic about all of this.” I snort at her cavalier attitude. Why indeed.

“Right, something like that. Listen, I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.” Maybe. Maybe I won’t talk to her later. I haven’t decided yet.

“Sure, sure. Bye, babes!” She hangs up, and I’m relieved. I’m not sure when we became friends. If you can even call it that. I just remember feeling broken, and Sienna knew how to have fun. I needed to have fun. After years upon years of feeling trapped, trying something else seemed like a good idea.

I unpack one of my suitcases of clothing and put it into my drawers. I need to start brainstorming. Tomorrow, I’ll need to start making calls and sending emails. If I want this gift shop to open the week of Christmas, I’ll have to get it up and running in less than two weeks. I grab my stashed bag of sour candy and change into my comfy pajamas. Lying down on my bed, my mind races with all the things I need to get done, and then, unbidden to me, it fades to Alder Holloway right before I drift to sleep.