Sarah Morgan - Snow Crystal Trilogy - Sleigh Bells in the Snow / Suddenly Last Summer / Maybe This Christmas

“Toppings?”

Jackson glanced at Tyler for inspiration. “What do Brits like on their pizza?”

“How do I know? Stick to cheese. She might be vegetarian. She looked stressed enough to be one. Although, come to think of it she looked the way we all look after an evening with the O’Neils. My advice? Hold the pizza and send over whiskey.”

“Cheese and tomato.” Jackson dug out his wallet and handed over a note.

“Why are you paying when you own the place?”

“Because I want the books to balance.”

“Fat chance of that. So she didn’t want to eat dinner with you.” Tyler shook his head sympathetically. “You’re losing your touch, bro.”

“Unless you like your eyes black and your jaw broken, I suggest you keep your thoughts on that subject to yourself.” The door opened again, letting in more cold air and a young woman with a bright smile.

“Hi, Jackson!”

“Brenna—”

“Good to see you.” Chocolate-brown hair peeped out from under a fur-lined hood. The pretty smile dimmed when she saw his drinking companion. “Tyler.” She gave a brief nod and slipped her hood back. “Glad I caught you. I’m two instructors down. They’re forecasting a foot of fresh snow and I’ve got a couple wanting to do Sunrise and Powder and no guide—you can take them.”

Tyler choked on his beer. “Me?”

“It would make their day to be escorted by an exmember of the U.S. ski team.” She levered herself onto the bar stool and charmed Pete with a smile. “Coke, no ice, thanks. Are you a daddy yet? How’s Lynn?”

“Big enough to be having twins. She can barely move, or that’s the excuse she gives me when she asks me to make tea.” Pete handed her a Coke. “Doctor thinks it will be here before Christmas.” He looked dazed at the thought, and Brenna beamed as she unwrapped her scarf.

“Best gift of all. Text me the minute you have news. I cannot wait for our Snow Crystal baby to arrive.” Sipping her Coke, Brenna turned back to Tyler, her gaze a fraction cooler. “About tomorrow—”

“Are they experienced? Last time I took a group into deep powder they were clueless. The woman thought powder was something she put on her face.”

“These are experienced, but it’s their first time skiing the East Coast.” She tugged off her gloves and pushed them into the pocket of her jacket. “They don’t want an instructor, just a guide, and you know this area better than anyone.”

“Why can’t you take them?”

“I’m teaching a ‘bumps ’n’ trees’ class.”

Tyler lifted his beer to his lips and drank, and Jackson wondered how two people who knew each other so well could turn every conversation into a combat zone.

They’d grown up together. Played together as children and skied together as teenagers. They’d been fiercely competitive and inseparable until the day Tyler had announced he’d gotten Janet Carpenter pregnant.

Soon after, Brenna had announced she was leaving New England to train as a ski instructor in Colorado. She could have done that here, of course, but she’d picked a place where there was less risk of bumping into Tyler. When she’d graduated, Jackson had offered her a job with his company running the kids program in Switzerland. She’d never once asked about his brother.

Jackson hoped it wasn’t going to be a problem now that Tyler was back home.

The last thing he needed was to lose Brenna.

As if to prove that, she pulled out her phone and checked her calendar. “I’m running the teen course and taking ‘bumps ’n’ trees’. Then I’m filling in for Todd, who is taking his wife for a checkup. The only person without commitments is you. We can’t afford to turn away the business. They’re willing to pay good money for the privilege of leaving ski tracks in fresh snow. All they want is a cheerful guide. Think you can manage to hold the sarcasm for a few hours, O’Neil?”

“I’m not the only one with that name around here.” Tyler glanced at Jackson, who shook his head.

“I have plans tomorrow.”

“Fine, I’ll do it. At least, I can do the guide part. Not so sure about cheerful if they want an early start. Smiles are extra at that hour of the morning.”

“They’re paying us extra, so you’ll smile.” Brenna slipped her phone into her pocket and picked up her drink. “By the way, Jess asked if I’d ski Devil’s Gully with her someday this week. Says you banned her from doing that run.”

“I banned her for a reason.” Tyler’s fingers tightened on the bottle and his eyes glittered dangerously. “And that reason is she’s way too young and inexperienced.”

Brenna lifted her brows. “You and I skied that run when we were half her age.”

“And were grounded for a week as a result.” Tyler gave a laugh and then remembered he was trying to be a responsible father and glared at her. “That’s different. You and I skied more than we walked. Jess has been living in a city. Nearest she’s been to mountains is a picture on her wall.”

“She’s your daughter,” Brenna said softly. “She’s inherited your natural aptitude.”

“She’s twelve.”

“It isn’t about age, it’s about ability, and she’s got it, Tyler. Talent. She feels the slope. She knows the mountain. Call it whatever you will, you need to let her do this.”

“Kill herself?” Stubborn, Tyler shook his head. “Not on my watch.”

Remembering their conversation earlier, Jackson felt a twinge of sympathy for his brother. It had taken long enough for him to have the opportunity to prove he could be a good father to Jess. He didn’t want to blow it in the first month.

Tyler was frowning at Brenna. “How come you know so much about what she wants anyway? I can’t get more than five words out of the girl.”

“She often stops by my cabin.” Brenna took a sip of her drink. “Yesterday we had lunch.”

“Lunch? Why don’t I know any of this?”

“Maybe she’s afraid you’d say no. For a guy who never understood the meaning of the word, you sure as hell use it a lot now.” Brenna slid off the stool. “I see our chief of police enjoying a quiet few minutes. Think I’ll just interrupt that. I need to talk to him about our Emergency Response Plan.”

“Wait, Brenna—” Jackson caught her arm before she could walk away, “don’t you keep a supply of spare ski clothes in case someone needs them?”

“What size?”

“About your size. Maybe a little smaller. Not that I’m saying you’re big,” he added hastily, “but you’re strong because of the skiing and—”

“You pick up many women with that line, Jackson?”

He cursed himself and then saw that her eyes were bright with laughter. “Brenna—”

“Shut up, before you fall into that hole you just dug for yourself. What do you need? Apart from a spade to dig your foot out of your mouth?”

“Whatever you’ve got.”

“I assume this is for the woman from New York? Is she going to be able to help us?” Anxiety shadowed her eyes, and Jackson wondered how many of the Snow Crystal team were worrying about their jobs.

“She’ll help us.”

“In that case I’ll drop off what I have at her cabin on my way to the slopes tomorrow morning. If any of it fits, she’s welcome to it.” Ignoring Tyler, she flashed Jackson a smile and then turned and walked across the room, unzipping her coat as she went.

“How come she smiles at you and not me?” Tyler watched her. “If I’d made that remark about her being strong, she would have felled me, and not just to prove me right. And what is up with Jess? Why didn’t she just ask me again if she could ski Devil’s Gully?”

“Would you have changed your mind?”

“No.”