One Walk in Winter Read online

  “Oh, I’m a New Yorker,” Hayley said.

  “Well, so am I, if we’re getting technical.” Olivia bumped Hayley with a shoulder.

  “Ah, a girl who needs specifics. I see. All right, let me amend that. I am a Manhattanite.”

  Olivia’s eyes went wide. “Really? Like, you live there?”

  “All my life,” Hayley said, borrowing Olivia’s words.

  “I’ve never been to New York City,” Olivia said, her voice probably a little dreamy.

  “Seriously? That’s a shame. It’s the most amazing city in the world. So much to see and do.”

  “The city that never sleeps.”

  “A totally accurate description. You should definitely come some time. I could show you around.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “I would.” Hayley nodded, and something passed between them. Something almost tangible. Olivia wondered if Hayley felt it, too, or if she was just being a silly, fantasy-prone romantic.

  “Are you here for long?” Olivia felt a small surge of disappointment at the thought of never seeing Hayley again, which she didn’t understand. At all. In her line of work, people came and went all the time. It never bothered her; it was the nature of her job. But she felt a very odd…“connection” was the only word she could come up with to describe how she was feeling. She felt a very odd connection to Hayley. Something she’d never felt before. It had her off-balance.

  “I’m not sure yet.” Hayley squinted at the sky as if searching for the answer.

  They reached the end of the path, which spat them out into the parking lot, where only two cars were parked. Oddly, they both seemed to stutter a bit in their forward momentum, taking what felt to Olivia like somewhat hesitant steps, as if not wanting the walk to end. Which, she knew, she didn’t. As she turned to try to put words to her thoughts, Hayley must’ve hit a small patch of ice.

  It seemed to happen super fast and also in slow motion. Hayley’s arms flailed, Olivia reached out to catch her, and in the next moment, she was holding Hayley. Very tightly. Really close. Their faces were barely an inch apart as she stared into those eyes. Hayley’s skin was even more flawless this close up, her bottom lip full and pink. She smelled like cinnamon somehow.

  Time seemed to stand still.

  Hearts raced. Olivia could hear her own in her head and was pretty sure she could feel Hayley’s even through their winter gear.

  A beat went by. Another.

  Finally, they each slowly shifted, standing upright and putting a smidge more space between them. Probably for the best, Olivia thought, even though the rest of her body was crying out at the loss.

  Hayley cleared her throat. “Thanks.”

  “Sure. Falling’s no good.” Olivia cringed inside. Falling’s no good? Seriously, Liv?

  “Well. I should probably get back.” Hayley jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of her car.

  “Yeah. Me too.” Olivia reached down to pet Walter, who had, surprisingly, sat quietly through the whole stumbling/catching event.

  With a nod, Hayley turned toward the BMW, but then looked back at Olivia. “Maybe we could grab a drink or some coffee some time?”

  Olivia pulled the back door of her SUV open so Walter could hop in. She didn’t turn around right away so Hayley wouldn’t see the goofy grin that had spread across her face. “I’d like that.” She pulled out her cell, then turned to face Hayley, who was now a good fifteen feet away, and that was too far, in Olivia’s opinion. “What’s your number?” Hayley rattled it off from her safe distance, and Olivia punched it into her phone. A few seconds later, Hayley’s phone pinged in her pocket. “There. Now you have mine, too.”

  “Excellent.” Hayley smiled at her, and Olivia felt like it lit up her entire face. God, the woman was gorgeous. “I’ll text you.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  They got in their cars and Olivia waited until Hayley had pulled back and out of the lot before allowing the goofy grin to come back, grow, and spread out over her face.

  “Did you catch all that, Wally? Did you? Were you even paying attention?” She looked over her shoulder at her dog. Walter was lying on his blanket across the back seat, pink tongue lolling out, doggy smile on his face. “I hope you were. Because she was hot. My God. And she asked me out. And, did I mention how hot she was?”

  Walter continued on with his doggy smile.

  Before she could shift the car, her phone rang. Seeing it was Tessa, she picked up. “You’re not going to believe what just happened to me,” she said, forgoing any greeting.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Tessa said, her tone laced with amusement. “I was going to see how you’re doing this morning, but your stuff sounds way more interesting. Tell me.”

  As her car warmed up, Olivia told the story of meeting Hayley, of walking together with her, of the chemistry she’d felt and the catch and of the invitation out.

  “So, she felt it, too,” Tessa commented.

  “Right? I spent much of the walk wondering if it was just me, but then when she slipped and I caught her and we had this…moment…it was pretty clear. And then she asked me out, so…” A glance in the rearview mirror told Olivia she looked as giddy as she felt.

  “I can’t believe you managed to find a date in the middle of the damn woods at seven o’clock in the morning.” Olivia could almost see the scowl on her best friend’s face. “I can’t even get one through an online dating service, and that’s their only job.”

  Olivia laughed. “You’ll find one. You just have to be patient.”

  “Yeah, yeah. At this point, you just sound like the teacher in the Peanuts cartoons.” Tessa did an impression of the “wah-wah” voice to punctuate her statement. “That’s all I hear.” They laughed together and then Tessa asked, “How’re you doing? You ready for today?”

  Olivia took a deep breath and blew it out. “As ready as I can be, right? Not a lot I can do about it but smile and push forward.”

  “Good girl. It’s all going to be fine. Don’t worry. Okay?”

  Olivia forced a smile onto her face and gave one nod, even though Tessa couldn’t see it. “Okay.”

  “I’ll see you there for the staff meeting.”

  They signed off and Olivia finally put the car in gear and backed out. Walter’d put his head down and was now close to napping. A good sign, since she had a busy day ahead and probably wouldn’t have a chance to stop home at lunchtime like normal. Luckily, her mother was going to drop in on Walter.

  Pulling out of the parking lot, Olivia headed for her small bungalow three miles away. There she’d shower, change into her work clothes, and head to the Evergreen Resort and Spa where she’d meet the new manager…the person who’d gotten the job that Olivia not only wanted but richly deserved, given how much work she’d done over the past six months.

  In her driveway, she turned off the ignition and sat there in the silence for a moment. Walter had apparently grown used to her “thinking moments” and sat patiently as his person stared out the windshield at the door of her small garage.

  Finally, Olivia took a deep breath and let it raspberry out, then pulled on the door handle. “All right, Wally. Let’s do this.”

  * * *

  The snow had stopped falling and whatever had stuck earlier that morning would most likely melt by midafternoon, judging from the bright blue sky and not-quite-warm sunshine. Olivia admitted to herself that she’d be sad to see the snow go, though it was only just past the middle of November and still a bit early for feet of it. But once it arrived in full force, this was the kind of day she loved. The contrast of the electric blue of the sky and the clean white of the snow with the joy of the sun shining down on it all was something to behold. A thing of beauty that she’d been unable to find anywhere else, and a big reason she’d never moved away from Evergreen Hills.

  Well, that and her mother would kill her.

  Not officially expected to start work until 9:00 a.m., Olivia glanced at
her watch as she entered through the employee door at the back of the building, happy to see that it read 8:25. She wanted to be in her office and ready to meet the new manager, show her the ropes, introduce her around, as well as get a feel for her competence (or lack thereof). She absently wondered how much slack she’d have to pick up the way she had with Roger, the previous—hopeless—manager.

  “Nope. Not going there,” she muttered to herself as she walked down the hall, her heels clicking on the granite. Every time she thought about how hard she’d worked cleaning up after Roger Stiles, she got more upset that she hadn’t been given his job when he’d left, and she did not want that resentment showing when she met the person who did get the job. No, Olivia was nothing if not a team player and an asset as an employee. Plus, she loved the Evergreen. She wanted it to be the best resort it could be, and frankly, she had ideas. Lots of them. Ideas for improvement. Ideas for bringing in more profit. Lots and lots of ideas.

  Maybe she’d get to share them. Finally.

  “Good morning, Stephanie,” she said to the woman behind the front desk.

  “Good morning, Olivia. How is my boyfriend, Walter, this morning? Did he get a walk in the fresh snow?” Stephanie had worked the front desk of the Evergreen for more than a decade. Since before Olivia had worked there full-time. She was in her fifties but looked several years younger. She was a petite blonde who perpetually smiled, even when faced with the most difficult customers imaginable. Her shift began at 7:00, and she was never later than 6:30.

  “He did. You know him. Ran like a rabbit through it. Stuck his nose in it. Rolled a little bit. The usual.” Olivia walked around to the doorway on the side and joined Stephanie as the phone rang. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she asked, “Is she here yet?”

  Stephanie shook her head as she put the phone’s handset to her ear and said, “Front desk, this is Stephanie.” She waited a beat, then, “Good morning, Mrs. Jorgensen. How can I help you on this beautiful morning?”

  Olivia gave her a wave and entered the office that was situated behind the front desk area. Actually, there were two offices there. You had to walk through Olivia’s small one to get to the larger one in the back that belonged to the manager. While the size of her office wasn’t of huge importance to Olivia—she did a lot of walking around the resort, attending meetings, putting out fires—it sure would’ve been nice to move into the big one. She stood in the doorway of it, leaning against the doorjamb with her arms folded across her chest. All of Roger’s things were gone now. No framed photos, no personal items on the desk. With the exception of a phone, a computer, and a lamp, the desktop was completely cleared. And shining. Mabel from housekeeping had done a fabulous job getting the room ready for the new manager. Olivia made a mental note to tell her so.

  Resigned to being as cheerful and competent as she could, Olivia took a seat at her own desk, woke up her computer, and did some work. Reservations were looking good next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, one of their busiest times. They were close to completely booked, and people were already checking in for the week. She made a note to talk to Tessa—who was the head chef at Split Rail, the Evergreen’s restaurant—about the menu for next Thursday, make sure she had everything she needed.

  Scanning through the reservations, she saw names she recognized—regulars who stayed with them every year over the holiday—and a few new names. She knew there was still one penthouse suite on the top floor that was available.

  Wait.

  No, she was wrong. All four suites were booked.

  “Well, that’s good news,” Olivia said to her empty office. The last suite had been booked and occupied last night by somebody named H. Boyd. “Thank you, Mr. Boyd, for taking the last of our most expensive suites through the holiday. Corporate will be happy.”

  Closing up the reservations app, she settled in to answer some email until the new manager arrived at nine. When she checked the clock to see that it was now 9:05, she gave a slight eye roll. Late on your first day. Impressive. Her phone rang, breaking into her thoughts, and she answered it.

  Another phone call and three emails later, it was 9:35.

  Olivia wandered out to the front desk where Stephanie was checking a couple out of their room. She put on a smile and asked if their stay had been to their satisfaction.

  “Oh, my God,” the woman said, pressing a manicured hand to her chest, an enormous diamond ring sparkling in the sunlight that came through the skylights in the lobby. “It was wonderful. The spa. The food. The room. We’ll definitely be back.” She laid a hand on her husband’s arm as he signed.

  “Fantastic,” Olivia said. “We look forward to it.” She waved as they headed toward the exit to their waiting car. Once they were out of earshot, she murmured to Stephanie, “Any word on the new manager? I thought she’d be here by nine.”

  Stephanie shrugged and shook her head just as they heard the ping of the elevator doors from around the corner.

  “Great,” Olivia said. She had just decided she should probably give Corporate a call and see if they’d gotten any word about the new manager when the person who must’ve been on the elevator came around the corner.

  Olivia’s breath caught in her throat.

  There was no red parka. No camera. No fur-lined hood to obstruct the view this time. But those green eyes were still just as engaging. They still sucked Olivia right in like some kind of weird vortex. Hayley from the woods did a small stutter step when she saw Olivia, seemed to falter for just a second before recovering and walking up to the desk.

  “It’s you,” she said cheerfully. “Hi again. No Walter?”

  Olivia felt herself blush, felt the heat start at her chest and rise up her throat, felt it bloom on her cheeks. Act like a professional, for God’s sake. She cleared her throat. “No, I’m afraid Walter is home. Probably in the throes of a deep morning sleep.”

  “Well, that’s too bad.” Hayley wore black jeans, black knee-high boots, a black-and-white striped T-shirt, and a black blazer that might have been designer the way it was so perfectly cut for her. Her sleeves were pushed up to reveal her forearms, and Olivia took a moment to look at her hands. Soft looking. Feminine. Pretty. The light brown hair was pulled back and clipped at the nape of her neck, and Olivia could see blond highlights she hadn’t noticed on their walk. Unlike earlier that morning, Hayley wore makeup now. Subtle, but there, dark mascara doing nothing but further accenting the green of her eyes. She was a little shorter than Olivia—maybe five five?—but her smile and presence made her seem bigger. “So, tell me, Olivia, where can a girl get a good cup of coffee around here?” Those eyes shifted their focus from Olivia to Stephanie and back to Olivia again as she waited expectantly.

  “Well, the café is open.” Olivia pointed to Hayley’s right. “Or there’s a Starbucks down that hallway on the way to the spa wing.”

  “Oh, okay. I thought maybe there was a lounge or something.” When Olivia squinted at her, she clarified, “Like, designated for employees or something, you know? Though I do love Starbucks, which you can tell by the fact that I drank the stuff that was in my room already.”

  Olivia blinked at her. “I’m sorry…I’m a little confused.”

  A beat went by as the two of them looked at each other, both seeming slightly puzzled, before Hayley snapped her fingers and made a face that said she’d forgotten something important.

  “Oh, my God, I’m such an idiot,” she said with a chuckle. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”

  Olivia’s brow furrowed in yet more confusion as she shook her head slowly.

  Hayley stuck out her hand, even though they’d already shaken hands in the woods. “Hayley Boyd. I’m your new manager.”

  Chapter Two

  Holy shit, what are the chances?

  That was the first thought that ran through Hayley’s head when she’d turned the corner and her gaze had landed on the stunningly beautiful girl from the woods that morning.

  “Oh. Oh!” That was what
she’d said when Hayley had introduced herself. The shock was clear on her face as she slowly put her hand in Hayley’s. “Olivia Santini. Assistant manager.”

  Olivia Santini. Assistant manager. Hayley’s right hand in this job.

  Seriously, what are the fucking chances?

  Olivia hadn’t left Hayley’s thoughts all morning. Which was so weird as they’d spent, like, twenty minutes together and had exchanged what? Fifteen words? Twenty? Maybe? But something about her eyes—large and the richest, deepest brown Hayley had ever seen—captivated Hayley’s attention. And Olivia had been wearing a hat earlier, so all that gorgeous, wavy dark hair that now hung past her shoulders was…unexpected. Hayley’s fingers itched to dig into it.

  “So, no Walter behind the front desk. Bummer,” Hayley joked, hoping to erase that expression of…was it disappointment? Dejection? Irritation? It was one of those things. Maybe all of them. But they were all over Olivia’s face. Hayley was used to being looked at that way, but something about it coming from Olivia made it sting more than usual. She had no idea why.

  “I was expecting you by nine.” Olivia was all business now. Her clipped tone of voice, the way she seemed to stand a little bit taller—which was unnecessary as far as Hayley was concerned, since Olivia was the taller of the two of them anyway—lifted her chin slightly.

  “Oh. Right. Sorry about that. I lost track of time. Good thing I’m right upstairs.” She grinned as she pointed upward.

  Olivia furrowed that beautiful brow of hers. “What do you mean, you’re right upstairs?”

  “My room. It’s on the seventh floor.”

  “You’re staying here.” It wasn’t a question, and Olivia didn’t look at all happy about it.

  “Well, not for free, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m paying for it.” Not the whole truth, but not a lie either. Hayley swallowed, not liking what was turning out to be a continually disapproving expression on Olivia’s face. Hell, it’s not like I don’t see that look every day of my life. She managed to keep from rolling her eyes. Not an easy feat, as that was her go-to when somebody expressed their disappointment in her.