“You’re coming?” she asked, suddenly even more excited about it than before.
“I am,” he replied with a smile. “And I expect the first dance with you.”
“Done,” she promised.
And maybe after we can go to the hot-spring, she thought to herself. The image of Nathan in a swimsuit beckoning her into a steaming pool was just too good of an idea to pass up.
They put on their winter gear and pushed open the wooden doors to go back outside. It took both of them pushing to get the door open. Snow had drifted against the door and the wind howled. Holly pulled her scarf up high around her nose.
Their skis had a couple of inches of snow sitting on them. Nathan laughed as they brushed them off, but Holly began to wonder if she would make it home tomorrow. This seemed like a lot of snow, even for the mountains.
The last run down the mountain was Holly’s favorite. Thick snow coated the trails and she was able to swoosh and spray snow with every turn. With her fancy skis, she felt like a photographer should be following her.
But the bottom of the hill meant that she had to leave Nathan. Even though she knew she’d see him in just a couple of hours, she didn’t want to be separated from him. The time they’d spent together today had been wonderful.
“You aren’t going to ditch me tonight, are you?” she asked him as they skied into the basin and toward the ski rental return area. She clicked her skis from her boots and leaned them up against the side of the building.
“Not in a million years,” he promised. He put a hand on his heart in promise. She felt a little better, but wished that it was already time for the fundraiser to start.
“Okay.” She stood there awkwardly for a moment. She wanted to kiss him, but they both still had their helmets on and that had already failed once today. A hug? A handshake? A wave?
She went for the hug, wrapping her arms around him. Their bulky jackets got in the way, but it was still a decent hug. It was way better than a wave, at least.
“See you soon,” he told her, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. “Do you need any help carrying these inside?”
“I got it,” she replied, regretting it instantly. If he helped her, she could spend a couple more minutes with him.
“Nathan!” a deep male voice called out.
Holly turned to see a giant of a man heading toward them. He didn’t have a jacket, but snow already covered his dark hair and the tops of his shoulders.
“Yes, Gregory?” Nathan turned and faced him.
“You have a phone call,” the man informed him. Nathan sighed and looked at the man. The man grunted. Some more silent communication went on between them. Holly wasn’t sure who Gregory was, but Nathan seemed to know him.
“Fine,” Nathan said after a moment. “I’ll be right up.”
Gregory gave a curt nod and headed back to the hotel.
“Go answer your phone call,” Holly told him when Nathan looked back to her. “I’ll see you at the party.”
A smile crossed his face. He stood before her and she wondered if he was going to attempt another kiss. She was willing to risk it if he was.
But then he simply smiled one last time and turned away. She hoisted her skis up on her shoulder and headed inside the rental building, giving one last glance at Nathan. His dark form disappeared into the heavy snow.
“There you are,” Merryweather said as soon as Holly walked in. “I was afraid you were going to be late.”
“For returning my gear?” Holly asked, handing the skis, poles, and helmet off to Merryweather.
“No for your hair appointment,” Merryweather replied. “I’m managing a couple of stations today. The snow has us a little short-handed.”
“Oh.” Holly nodded as she sat down on a small wooden bench and took off her boots. She groaned with pleasure at the sensation of loosening the boots. They fit perfectly, but they were still ski boots and made to keep her ankles immobilized. It felt good to move them again.
“Come with me,” Merryweather said, motioning Holly to just leave the boots on the floor. “I’ll take you up.”
Holly slid on her regular snow boots from the small storage area and followed Merryweather into the lobby. They went past the check-in desk and up a wide staircase. The hotel was quiet.
“What do you think of the snow?” Merryweather asked as they walked. “The weatherman is saying it’s the storm of the century.”