Park raised her hands. “I definitely have a ticket to ride.”
Wow.
He glanced behind us and caught me checking out his ass. A dark laugh left him.
I shook my head and looked in a different direction.
Keep on laughing. I’m going to kick your butt later. Who are you to tell me how to run my business?
I could have argued with him earlier, but he was right about one thing. My assistants kept on quitting due to my overworking them. I glanced at Park, whose mood had definitely lifted since I agreed to let her leave.
Why didn’t she just tell me she wanted off? Was she scared too?
Continuing forward, I chewed the side of my cheek.
Maybe she was trying to tell me and I didn’t listen. I’ll have to work on that.
I tried not to think of all the work that would not get done while Park was gone. While I planned to help Holly out with her wedding, I’d really hoped to get several designs completed. But with the way Saint was beginning this trip, I could tell that Holly and he would not let me handle any business.
Santa Village?!
Bile rose in my throat.
Here we go again. The Madison Twins will force me to celebrate this godawful holiday again.
When I walked outside, cold wind whipped around me. I stiffened my spine and drank in the white landscape of snowcapped mountains and clear pale blue skies.
Wow.
The freezing wind bit at my skin. While New York had a record-breaking winter, my city had nothing on Lapland.
At least it looks even better than the pictures.
Lapland lay in the northernmost part of Finland. It was the home of reindeer, Santa Claus, and the Northern Lights. Many considered it a magical arctic region. In the wintertime, Lapland was as close as reality gets to a winter wonderland.
When Holly picked this location for her destination wedding, I helped her do the research. While her parents were easy going and fun, Nikolas’ mother and father were hard to please. The few times I’d been around them, they complained the whole time. With this event, Holly was determined to please everyone. It would be impossible. Still, I helped her come up with tons of activities to keep everyone happy and busy.
We made sure there was something to do for everyone. The adventurist guests could go on snowmobiling safari tours. Those that chose that, would cruise through Lapland’s frozen landscape to explore forest trails and icy lakes. At the end, they would get complimentary hot cocoa and gingerbread.
For the families with kids, they could go down to Santa Claus Village. The next day, they could venture out to one of the many reindeer and husky farms.
For the women in the wedding party—including the mothers—most of the time would be spent in the spas. I helped Holly purchase spa packages for all of them. Personally, I couldn’t wait to sit in the hot springs and catch up with my bestie.
Holly also signed up both fathers and some of her uncles for an arctic fishing trip. I didn’t think it would be a good idea. Although it included ice-fishing, there would be a moment when the men would don float suits and plunge into the freezing lake. With Nikolas’s father, there would be endless complaining. Plus, that evening would be the rehearsal dinner. So I hoped for the best.
This is going to be a long week. Let’s hope everything turns out well.
We followed Saint. It was so freezing that I was happy to get to the car. Saint opened the passenger side for me and remained there, watching me as I climbed in.
I whispered, “Thank you.”
“I’m happy to see you.”
“Me too.”
“Good. We have a lot to talk about.” He closed the door.
“What?” I stared at the shut door.
Dang it, Holly. I know you’re busy, but you could have sent someone else! This situation has your Cupiding written all over it.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be right next to Saint as he drove. It would be hard to not glance his way several times or find comfort in that alluring scent of his.
Saint opened the back door for Park, she curtsied and got in. He laughed and shut the door.
“He is a sight to take in.” Park kept her voice low. “I can’t believe you used to play with Chef Saint?”
“He lived next door to me. Holly and his parents would watch me when my parents had date nights.” I held a sad smile. “And then when my father and mother separated for a year, she got a part-time job as a freelance seamstress. Their parents would watch me when Mom worked at night. Sometimes she would have an evening theater job or ballet performance to be on call for just in case costumes were ripped or something needed to be fixed.”