Their Midnight Mistletoe Kiss
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Michele Renae
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19.6K
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An unforgettable midnight kiss under the mistletoe forges an unlikely match in this White Christmas in Whistler story. A HOLIDAY THEY'LL NEVER FORGET! Former competitive skier Rayce and no-nonsense ski resort manager Cassandra are polar opposites. So when they're unexpectedly forced to work together, sparks are sure to fly. Especially since neither has forgotten their almost kiss ten years ago. And try as they might, they can't deny their growing desire. But while Rayce is recovering from a career-ending accident and Cassandra's still reeling from her mom's death, they can't fathom anything remotely romance related. Until a sizzling midnight moment under the mistletoe changes everything…
CHAPTER ONE
CASSANDRA DANIELS SNAPPED photographs of the massive floral display in the Cobalt Lake Resort lobby. It had been delivered an hour earlier and it had taken two delivery men to carry in the heavy vase overflowing with white and red poinsettia, deep red roses, sprays of glittered baby’s breath, and sprigs of wispy greens. A plush red velvet ribbon wove in and around the bouquet.
“Marvelous.” She studied the few shots and then color-adjusted her favorite to post on the resort’s social media feed. “Mom would be pleased.”
In fact, her mother, Cynthia Daniels, would only employ her approving “marvelous” when something was worthy of praise. Be it decorations around the resort, a chef’s special dinner or even the sound of boots crunching fresh-fallen snow on a peaceful Christmas morning.
With a heavy sigh, Cassandra’s shoulders dropped. It had been two years since her mother’s death. An avalanche while she was out skiing had taken her from this world much too early. Grief still teased at Cassandra and seemed to attack at the most unexpected moments. Tears in front of the guests? Never. She could hold them back until she retreated to her apartment. Yet the invisible emotional tears in her heart seemed never-ending.
Christmas had been her mom’s favorite season. As the resort manager, Cynthia Daniels had taken seriously the task of decorating for Christmas. Each year she employed a crew of temporary workers for a week to make it all come together. From the guest rooms to the lobby, the spa, the exterior and all through the outer areas, including the cozy wooden walkway that curled around the lake. Not a patch of property remained untouched by the festive spirit.
Last year Cassandra hadn’t been able to summon the spirit necessary to put up more than some interior garlands and ribbons. Her heart had felt the lack of her mother’s presence in those missing decorations. This year she was determined to pull herself up from the grief, rediscover her own joy and create a Christmas that would make her mother declare, “Marvelous.”
The outdoor decorating had been completed by a local crew. The trees were kept strung with lights throughout the year, as well as the lake walk. Inside the resort everything sparkled, glimmered and danced with sugarplums, tidy presents, tiny snowmen and snow-sprinkled figurines, poinsettias, holly and the requisite mistletoe. The spicy aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg greeted guests in the lobby. Each guest room was subtly touched with Christmas. And the last of the ornaments were currently being placed on the twenty-eight-foot blue spruce that greeted guests as they entered the lobby.
Cassandra heard someone call her name. One of the night maids had begged to help with decorations because Christmas was her jam, and she’d stayed on this morning to help.
“It’s finished,” Kay announced with a gleeful clap and a Vanna White–like splay of her hand toward the massive tree.
“It looks amazing,” Cassandra enthused.
She strolled toward the tree, her eyes moving up, down and around to take it in. She’d given exact instructions on how the decorations should be hung. The ribbons strung evenly, yet artfully. Tinsel used sparely. No two similar ornaments close together. The red glass ornaments hung equal distances apart...
Yes, she was aware of her need for perfection. But Cassandra never asked for more than was possible. And if she did notice something out of place she’d never call out an employee for what wasn’t a mistake but rather a misplacement. Her dad had once let her in on the backroom talk that the employees thought she could be demanding but they didn’t mind because she countered it with kindness and respect.
Kindness was never difficult. It should be a person’s normal mode; that’s what her mom had taught her. And if you put out a warm welcoming vibe, it would return to you in greater amounts.
With a touch to a handblown glass sleigh that she remembered her dad giving her a few Christmases earlier, she then trailed her fingers over the shimmery silver tinsel. Astringent pine filled her nostrils. The ever-present scent of burning cedar emanated from the fireplace opposite the tree. Nearby a trio of peppermint candles sweetened the air. Cap that with the cinnamon sticks hung here and there within the pine boughs. The delicious perfume epitomized Christmas.
Cassandra stood back, hands on her hips. The tree looked Instagram-worthy. More photos were necessary! Could this mean she was almost finished with decorating? Save a few smaller tasks she had on her list—
“Wait.” Her eyes darted over the tree hung with ornaments the Daniels family had collected over the twenty-eight years her parents had been married. She didn’t see it. The one ornament she’d requested Kay take special care in hanging front and center. “Kay?”
“Yes, Miss Daniels?”
She loved Kay like an aunt who tended to smile at her and then sneak up close to tuck in a stray tag or remove a bit of lint from her sweater. Just as fussy about some things as Cassandra could be.
“Where is the ornament I told you about? It was my mom’s favorite ornament. I made it for her when I was eight.”
“I didn’t see the ornament you described. A wood star?”
“Yes, a star made from twigs I collected in the forest. I glued them together. In the center was a photo of me and my mom. It gets front and center placement every year. It had to have been with the other ornaments. Did you check?”
“The bins are over there.” Kay pointed to a rolling cart stacked neatly with clear plastic storage bins. All of them empty. “The boys brought in all the bins labeled for Christmas yesterday evening. Should I send them back to the storage room to check for more?”
“Of course. Or no, I’ll do it.” They’d done their part. Besides, she was the best person to recognize the missing item.
“This is not right. It’s... It can’t be Christmas,” she said, her voice wavering. The courage she’d summoned to step away from the grief over the loss of her mother began to falter. Her stomach clenched. “Not without that ornament.”
She noticed someone near the wall behind the tree bend down. “No!”
The employee who held the light switch box connected to the tree froze, half bent over. He flicked Cassandra a wondering look.
“No light! Not until it’s perfect,” she said, a bit too loudly. She sucked in her lower lip.
“But shouldn’t we check to see that they work?” the startled man asked of her.
Cassandra shook her head adamantly. “Not until the ornament is in place. I’ll look for it. You can clean up and return the bins to the storage room. But no one turns on the lights until you get the go-ahead from me. Understand?”
The half dozen employees standing around muttered their agreement.
Cassandra gave her sweater hem a commanding tug and nodded. Christmas simply would not happen until that ornament held the place of honor on the tree.
Someone seemed very agitated about a missing ornament.
Rayce Ryan observed the commotion in the resort lobby. No one had seen him enter, though that was by choice, given he purposely stood near a frothy display of pine, ribbons and sparkly snowflakes; Christmas camouflage. The entire three-story open lobby was decorated to the nines with red, green, sparkles, snowflakes, wreathes—it even smelled like Christmas.
It had been a long time since he’d celebrated Christmas with family. Memories of cozy flannel pajamas, hot chocolates by the fire and opening presents leaped to his mind and gave him a rare genuine smile. He’d had a great childhood. But when he hit his teen years, life had changed in so many ways. Most of it good. The worst of it? He’d lost the only family he’d ever known.
Might he dream to someday have family again? And along with that, a real home?
Some dreams were impossible. Besides, he’d once had the sweet life. A guy had no right to complain. Even as broken as he was. Rayce had begun to make a new life for himself. To perhaps capture a bit of that sweet life again. And it started here at Cobalt Lake Resort.
Rayce veered his attention back to the lobby. Something wasn’t right. And it seemed to circle around the petite blonde wearing a white sweater and slacks. Her hair was silver-white as well. Visions of sugar pixies danced in his head. Er, no, it was plums or snow princesses—he always got his song lyrics confused.
With a swelling of his heart, he suddenly recognized the pale beauty. It had been years since he’d last seen her, but he’d thought of her often in the interim. That she seemed upset by a missing ornament didn’t surprise him. She’d always been—what did they call it—type A? Or more appropriately driven, as he’d once labeled her.
“Driven and unobtainable,” he muttered.
Another grin stretched his travel-weary jaw. His flight from Florida had been delayed, turbulent, noisy—two crying babies—and alcohol-free. It was mid-afternoon and he was ready for a nap. Or a beer. Probably both. As an Alpine ski racer, he’d once thrived on six hours of sleep and eighteen hours of training, skiing and partying. Now? Life had decided to shove him on his face. Hard. And he was still recovering.
After the snow princess commanded to those standing around the Christmas tree that there was to be no light, she then grabbed a clipboard and turned to look right at him. The recognition on her face was a mix of surprise, curiosity and...disappointment?
A look with which Rayce had become all too familiar. Had everyone watched his colossal crash when he’d lost an edge at top speed on the giant slalom at last year’s winter Olympics? Well, if they hadn’t, they’d likely seen memes of it on social media. His most immense failure endlessly repeated and looped, and even set to farcical music. All because he’d been betrayed by a woman he loved.
Stupid heart.
No, he couldn’t be reading the snow princess’s expression right. She was involved in taking care of business. Ever busy. Always on the go. Always out of reach.
He waved. She had to know he was due to arrive today. He’d dealt with her dad, Brad Daniels, throughout the hiring process. The man had picked him up from the airport. They had chatted about their hopes for good ski conditions and that Rayce would have to establish his own teaching schedule. Brad had dropped him off with apologies because he’d had to return to town to pick up some parts for one of their snow machines.
Left to himself to figure things out? Not an issue. Rayce was a self-starter and could pick up anything on the fly. This should be an easy gig. Thanks to far too many years of training, he was disciplined as hell. But while his body was in the program no matter the challenges presented, it was his heart that usually ended up bringing him down.
Thus, his reason for standing here in the Cobalt Lake Resort. He’d been hired for the season as their guest ski instructor. Like it or not.
He hadn’t decided if he did like it or not. The experience would reacclimate him to the slopes. And, with hope, allow him to start over. To figure out his next step. To...be a normal person for once in his life. Not some guy who had devoted over fifteen years of his life to training, competing, media appearances and giving 200 percent, including blood and sweat. And most of those years without family to keep him grounded and remind him that he was loved.
Rayce missed his grandparents. Was there anyone out there who could show him the immense love and kindness Roger and Elaine Ryan had? If there was, he desperately wanted to swerve in their direction.
With a nod toward Cassandra, he grabbed his suitcase and rolled it toward her, even as she started walking away from him while gesturing that he follow. He remembered her well. They’d attended the same high school in Whistler. He’d been a jock; she’d been all brains and academic achievement. She had been The One He Could Never Have.
He knew because he’d tried. And failed.
But did that mean he had to give up on the dream? No, Rayce Ryan never gave up—until the task injured him so badly he had no choice but to bow out.
Cassandra looked as beautiful as ever. Probably even prettier because she’d done something with her hair; it was snow-white instead of the sunny blonde she’d once been. Her mouth was soft pink. And the sway of her hair with each of her strides, the way it dusted her elbows...
Rayce knew his heartbeats weren’t skipping from exertion right now.
“Rayce Ryan!” She paused and turned to shake his hand. “Dad must have just dropped you off?”
“He did, with instructions to take the place in and get comfortable. I know the slopes. I did spend every winter here my entire childhood.”
“Right. How many times did my dad have to send out security to rein you in after midnight?”
“Too many to count.” He chuckled. “You can’t keep a ski bum off the powder.”
“No, you can’t. But I think you should claim professional over bum.”
“Eh. I’ll always be a bum, living for the fresh pow and carving my line through the corduroy.”
She smiled but caught her mirth quickly and adjusted her mouth to a tight line. “We’ve set up security cameras now. Just a warning if you have any midnight black runs planned. It’s for the safety of our guests. Is that your only baggage?”
“I left my skis and equipment in the side entry where your dad let me off.”
“Perfect. You can claim an employee locker later; that should fit most of your gear. If you’ll walk with me.” She strolled past the reception desk and down a long hallway. What a sensual sway to those slender hips. The woman was obviously a skier. She knew how to move. “I’m a bit busy right now,” she called over her shoulder.
Her wavy hair bounced, enticing him to catch up and consider touching it. Admiration from a distance had been about all he’d managed with Cassandra Daniels. Yet seeing her again after nearly ten years did inspire him to wonder if he could broach that distance. Walk alongside those swaying hips that reminded him of a skier’s schuss down the slopes.
“I’ll get you to your cabin and leave you to take the place in on your own,” she continued. “You’re familiar with the layout of the resort. Not much has changed since our teen days, though we did add another lift and the outdoor amenities have doubled. Do you have a schedule prepared for next week?”
“Not yet. Your dad said I could take a few days to familiarize myself with the slopes and figure out my schedule for private lessons.”
The look she cast over her shoulder judged him nine ways up and down. Rayce was used to that look. From everyone. Often it was accompanied by expectation. Everyone demanded so much from an Olympic athlete.
And he had let everyone down.
With an assessing nod, she finally said, “In a few days I’ll touch base with you and get your schedule entered into the database.”
Cassandra pushed open an outer door and barely broke stride as she took off down a heated sidewalk that curved around the backside of a high snow-frosted hedgerow. It was only ten degrees today, but she didn’t flinch from the chill. Rayce, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to the Florida weather over the past year he’d spent in recovery. Jet Skiing and scuba diving warmed a man’s soul in ways a frigid Canadian winter never could.
“This is the employee route,” she said over a shoulder. “You’re welcome to walk through the guest area, but it’s quicker and more efficient this way.”
“I suspect efficiency is your superpower.”
Another judging glance. Or was it curiosity this time?
The woman had changed little since high school. Still pretty, still put together when it came to clothing and makeup. Still holding her head a level above all others. Because she was smart, or because she felt entitled? Had to be the smarts. The Daniels family had owned this resort since he could remember and held a trusted place in the Whistler community.
As Rayce followed her sure stride, he couldn’t resist wondering if he might wiggle under her skin, nudge the snow princess off her throne to see if there was a warm, caring individual underneath the stoicism.
What the heck, man? His heart was interfering far too early. Keep your eyes off her hips.
“I mean,” he corrected his comment about her superpower, “from what I remember about our high school days. You were driven.”
“And you were a star.” She marched up half a dozen wood steps to a small cabin capped with an A-frame roof and a frosting of pristine snow. She tapped a digital code into the box by the door. “Here’s your new home away from home. The code is 5489. That’s your code for all entries around the resort. It’s written down in the welcome materials inside.”
A home away from home? Rayce hadn’t labeled a domicile home in—it had been since he’d left his grandparents’ house to travel the racing circuit. Since then, hotels, airports and the occasional couch had served as shelter. This cabin was merely another place to sleep and eat while life tried its hand at him.
Cassandra pulled open the door and he walked up. Before crossing the threshold, he stopped and when he tried to meet her gaze, she suddenly seemed nervous, avoiding eye contact and pushing her hair over one ear.
“Are you...okay with me working here?” he asked.
Her pale blue eyes darted between his, speculating, perhaps even making decisions that only the female species made; things he could never comprehend. Her soft pink lips parted in wonder. “Whyever wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged. Because he recalled her walking away from him once. It had been ten years ago. They had been teenagers. Surrounded by friends and anyone who mattered in their lives. Oddly, that moment still hurt his heart. Rejection proved a more brutal wound than failure could ever inflict.
“The Cobalt Lake Resort is excited to feature Rayce Ryan as our exclusive ski professional this season,” she said, or rather recited like some kind of marketing promotion.
“But what about you?” he tried. “Are you...excited?”
“I...I’m pleased you’re here?”
“Are you asking me or telling yourself?”
“I don’t understand the question.” She checked her watch. “I really hate to leave you, but I need to get back to the task at hand.”
“Something about an ornament?” That didn’t sound so pressing, but what did he know?
“Exactly.”
She offered her hand to shake, which he did. Despite the frigid temperature, her skin was warm, and it allowed him a few more seconds to stand in her atmosphere. Take in her beauty. And wonder about the thoughts that were bouncing around inside her head. What did she think of him? Dumb jock? Handsome not-so-strange stranger? Just another employee? Failed Olympian?
Her phone rang and she checked the screen.
“That’s my dad. I’ll catch up with you later, Mr. Ryan. You have free run of the resort. But do alert security to get an employee badge before you head off to a slope. The GPS in the badge constantly pings the security office, so if there’s ever an accident...”
“Will do.”
And then she was off, as quickly and efficiently as was possible, the phone pressed to her ear as she chatted with her dad. The moment was so—
Déjà vu struck Rayce with stunning precision. She’d run away from him during the high school dance. After he’d bent to kiss her. In that one precious moment when the world had stopped and his heart had leaped for the stars.
And he had fallen.
Running his fingers through his hair, he watched until Cassandra disappeared beyond the hedges.
“She’s going to disturb your heart again, dude.”
Or maybe, she’d never stopped.
