- -
- 100%
- +
www.millsandboon.co.uk
Dedication
This novel is dedicated to the loving memory of
Michael Bruce Randolph, my friend of 40 years.
Michael, your warm and loving presence will be forever
missed by all of us who love you. May you rest in peace,
safe in the hull of God’s unchanging hands.
Sunrise: August 28, 1951
Sunset: March 18, 2007
This novel is dedicated to the latest addition to
the Smith family; a sweet little bundle of joy.
Our 6th grandchild and 2nd granddaughter.
Synia Justice Smith
Born: May 1, 2006
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 1
Stunning twenty-five-year-old Jessica Harrington couldn’t believe the beauty of the Aspen, Colorado, resort areas. She and her parents, Roman and Sahara, and her older sister, Jennifer, and her husband, Samuel Ellington, were actually spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in this wonderland. The other family members had been to Aspen several times, during different seasons of the year, but Jessica’s acrophobia, her fear of heights, had kept her away.
Jessica had finally learned to conquer her fear of heights and close spaces. There was no place or tight space on earth she wouldn’t now dare to venture to. Flying in an airplane had never been a problem for her. Driving up into the mountains and dealing with heights had been a major one, though, for as far back as she could remember. Just getting up on a six-foot ladder had once scared her silly.
The plush condominium/town house resort of Snowmass was located in the heart of Snowmass Village at Aspen. Base elevation of Snowmass Mountain was 7,870 feet, with a vertical rise of 2,030 feet.
Not so long ago those were heights Jessica wouldn’t have even considered taking on. Now, she couldn’t be happier to have made the trip to this winter paradise. She could hardly wait for all the festive holiday events to begin.
The Harrington family was joining up with Roman’s lifelong best friend, Jacque Chamberlain, his wife, Sandra, and their only son, twenty-six-year-old Weston. The two families would share separate three-bedroom town houses across the corridor from each other.
Jennifer and Samuel had leased a two-bedroom condo in the same resort, in the opposite building. A couple of other families were also joining the small group, good friends of the Chamberlains, who were not due to arrive in Aspen until the day after Christmas. The Carlyle and Holloway families and their two teenagers, a boy and girl, had also leased town houses at Snowmass.
Sahara stepped out on the balcony and lowered her arm around Jessica’s shoulder. “Isn’t it breathtaking way up here? Are you okay with the heights?”
Jessica reached up and patted her mother’s hand. “I’m fine. It’s a wonderful vision to behold. The stark whiteness is near blinding. Haven’t decided to try skiing, though. That may be a little too much bravery for my first trip up such a high mountain. Sledding sounds more interesting to me as an alternative to skiing. I think it’ll be fun.”
“Everything we do will be fun. The Chamberlains should be here any minute. Are you nervous about seeing Weston? You guys haven’t been together since your teens.”
Jessica shrugged with nonchalance. “Nothing to be nervous about. He’s probably the same nerdy guy he was back then. We never did see eye to eye. I don’t expect a different outcome this trip.”
“Oh, Jess, I hope you don’t act nasty with him. Pulling hair is what most boys do at that age. Are you still holding the pigtail incident against him?”
“Incident, my foot! He nearly scalped me, pulling my hair so hard. But I don’t hold it against him.” Jessica sighed. “Hope I meet an interesting guy up here, but there won’t be anything happening between Wes and me. That’s Dad and Mr. Jacque’s dream. Not ours. I’m only here out of all the guilt you guys made me feel about going away with my girlfriends for Christmas.”
“Guilt was not our intent. That’s nonsense. We’ve never been apart for Christmas. We’re not starting now. Just concentrate on having a good time. Don’t put restrictions on yourself. I’m going in to wake up Dad. He wants to be up and dressed when Jacque and Sandra arrive. Jenny and Sam will be over any minute. We’ll all go to dinner once everyone gets here. Besides, you and Wes might find something in common. Who knows?” Sahara kissed her daughter’s cheek before stepping back indoors.
“Fat chance,” Jessica mumbled under her breath. The only thing she and Weston had in common was their intense dislike for each other. She hoped he had at least grown up some. His immaturity had gotten on her nerves the last time they’d seen each other in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Jessica shivered as a blast of cold air hit her head-on, her hazel eyes watering at the shock. “Wow!” She didn’t waste another minute getting back inside where a warm fire roared in the stone fireplace. She hadn’t been used to this type of cold weather where she grew up, although California did get lots of snow up in the mountainous areas.
The Christmas music playing on the CD player was so nice. Jessica loved Nat King Cole’s mesmerizing voice. Her parents always played songs by him, Johnny Mathis and other singing greats during the holidays. This was the season her family practically lived for all year long. They had never visited a ski resort area at Christmastime because Jessica had only recently conquered her fear of heights. Seeing the beauty of the mountains had her repeatedly thanking God for what He had helped her accomplish.
While Jessica warmed her hands by the fire, rubbing them together vigorously, she enjoyed the blazing show of colors. The oranges, yellows, reds and warm blues helped to further light up the romance of the candlelit room. Her mother had set out most of the candles she’d brought along from home soon after they had checked into the resort. Sunset had occurred over thirty minutes ago.
The sound of a key being inserted into the door caused Jessica to jump involuntarily. She figured it had to be Jennifer and Sam. Sahara must have heard the key, too, because she had just come running into the room.
It always gave Jessica a warm feeling when her mother was affectionate with her and Jennifer. Neither of their parents had ever failed to show unconditional love for the girls. Sahara and Roman also thought of Samuel as a son, not just a son-in-law. They had wanted at least one male child, but they still felt incredibly blessed to have had such beautiful, healthy daughters.
Jessica had light hair and was fair-complexioned like her father. Jennifer had the same olive skin color and dark hair as her mother. Everyone knew they were sisters despite their hair and skin coloring. Two years apart in age, both Jessica and Jennifer had sparkling hazel eyes and full-dimpled smiles.
“Hey, Jess,” Jennifer sang out, “how you doing with the heights so far?”
“So far so good. It hasn’t bothered me yet.”
“Then it probably won’t.” Samuel crossed the room and gave Jessica a warm hug. “Proud of you, sis.”
“Thanks, Sam. I’m proud of me, too.”
“We’re all proud of you,” Sahara said, smiling brightly at Jessica.
The hard knock on the door caused Jessica to speed from the room. This time she was sure it was the Chamberlains. She had intended to comb her hair and put on fresh makeup long before they had arrived. Her face felt naked and a tad raw. For sure, she would have to keep her face moisturized against the cold weather. Sunblock protection was also a must. The cold air outside had done more than freeze her tail off.
All the animated greetings could be heard from the bedroom where Jessica repaired her makeup. The love between her father and Jacque Chamberlain was amazing. The men had grown up on the same street in southern California and had been as close as brothers. Amos and Gardenia Harrington, Roman’s parents, had treated Jacque like a son, making him very welcome in their home. Jacque’s mother had been ill a good bit of his youth so he had spent a lot of time with the Harringtons. After she’d died when he was seventeen, they had taken him in. His father was a long-distance trucker and had lived on the road a good bit of the time, even more after his wife had died.
Roman and Jacque had also attended the same college and had ended up working in the same profession. The two men had made their fortunes in real estate and had high hopes of merging their two companies in the near future. They also still hoped that Jessica and Weston would one day merge their families in holy matrimony.
Jacque planned to move back to California from New York City within the next year or so. He had grown tired of the harsh winter weather and longed to be back under the extremely agreeable Southern California sun. He had only moved to New York because his wife had wanted to be near her parents. Sandra’s wishes were his commands. Jacque had often said he lived to please his wife and only son, Weston.
After taking one last glance in the mirror, Jessica headed for the bedroom door. She couldn’t wait to get through the trauma of seeing Weston. She hated that she had to be around him for the next ten days, but she’d do anything to make her parents happy. Anything but marry the man her father and his best friend had in mind for her. The two friends had always said their kids would marry. Jessica didn’t even think Weston was marriage material, sure that he had grown up only to become all into himself.
Jessica was pulled into the warm embrace of Jacque and then Sandra before she had barely stepped into the room. She had seen them a couple of years ago, when they had visited in California. They were really nice people. Like her parents, they were big on doling out loads of love and affection.
Weston had the most stunned looked on his face as he stepped forward and brought Jessica to him for what he had planned on as a quick hug. Her warmth went straight through him—and he ended up holding her longer than anticipated. His mouth felt bone-dry as he affectionately pecked her on the cheek. He couldn’t believe this was the same person he used to taunt and rib unmercifully. Weston cringed when he thought of how he had nearly torn off her pigtail.
It had shocked Weston to see that Jessica was no longer the pudgy, clumsy, tomboyish teenager he remembered. The ugly duckling had turned into a magnificent swan, beautiful and graceful. He was so taken with her, but he had to hide it for fear of her shooting him down.
It wasn’t as though Jessica and Weston had gotten along famously as children; he wasn’t so sure they could be amicable as adults. The two of them thrown together every single day and evening for the next ten days would make it doubly hard for him to hide his wild attraction to her. Weston could only hope Jessica was as sweet as she was beautiful. Would wonders never cease!
Jessica clearly remembered Weston as a gangly, acne-faced, nerdy teenager, one who had possessed very little personality, if any at all. She nearly fainted when she first laid eyes on the drop-dead gorgeous, magnificent specimen he had turned into. It was then Jessica admitted that deep down inside she had always had a serious crush on Weston, though the feelings on his part had never been mutual.
Oh, how beautiful are those long lashes and dreamy eyes? She tried hard not to stare at him. It was obvious to her that the boy was in the gym on a regular basis. Muscles were bulging in all the right places on his rock-hard anatomy. When had he been blessed with such dark, softly piercing eyes and full, pouting lips? Her new attraction to him was as instant as his had been to her. His curly hair looked soft and silky, making her desperately want to drag her fingers recklessly through the strands.
Jessica tried hard to hide the tumultuous feelings inside her. She knew she would have constant thoughts of him whether they were together or apart. She knew for a fact she’d find it pretty hard to sleep at night with him right across the corridor. Thank goodness they weren’t sleeping in the same town house. That had been suggested initially. Jessica had been the one to protest the arrangement vehemently, vowing not to make the trip to Aspen if she had to sleep in the same space with the nuisance of a boy she recalled all too well. Now she had to wonder.
As if Jessica and Weston were the only two people in the room, they had become oblivious of the other family members, until Roman had asked if everyone was ready to go to dinner. She was happy for the timely interruption. Her uncontrollable thoughts had taken her to places she had once dreamed of on a daily basis, pining away for one Weston Chamberlain. Her thoughts about him had been torrid ones. That hadn’t changed.
In the car with her parents, Jessica suddenly felt so darn empty. It was as if someone had suddenly snatched away from her the warmth of intense sunlight that had nearly blinded her earlier. Her reaction to Weston was impossible. How could she feel like this about someone she didn’t even like? Oh, she liked him, all right. Jessica hated admitting how strong her liking was for him. Jessica couldn’t believe how silly she felt. The passage of time hadn’t changed a thing.
At the restaurant, it really surprised Jessica when Weston sat down in the wingback chair next to hers at the long table. There were so many empty chairs he could have sat in, but he had opted for the one closest to her.
The others in the Harrington party were all milling about, pointing out their favorite points of interest. The restaurant had high, vaulted ceilings and a massive wood-burning stone and marble fireplace, a definite focal point from nearly every seat in the house. A large rustic bar also made an interesting topic of conversation. The latest tunes were piped in over a state-of-the-art audio system.
“So, Jessica, how’ve you been? Long time no see for us.”
Too long, she thought, wishing she had some kind of control on her wretched emotions. She found it so hard to believe her heart was still going gaga over this man. “I know. Busy with work and all. Since we’re both in real estate, you know how long the hours can be. Sometimes I overdo it. I always find one more thing to do before I go home. What’s up with you?”
“Pretty much the same as it is with you. I stay busy at the job. Guess that’s why I don’t have much of a social life.”
What was Weston trying to tell her, if anything? Did very little social life mean no steady girl? Jessica had to wonder. She didn’t know how to respond to what he had said, so she said nothing. She wouldn’t be surprised if women were lined up to go out with him. Weston was really that good-looking and he hadn’t annoyed her once thus far.
As the rest of the party came and took seats at the table, Jessica and Weston’s conversation was abruptly interrupted. This time she wasn’t too relieved about the disruption, but she then figured they had lots of time to catch up on each other’s lives. She was certainly eager to find out everything she could about the new and improved Weston.
A waiter and waitress came up as soon as everyone was settled down at the table. Menus were quickly passed around to each of the patrons. The waitress took the drink orders and then left the food orders up to the waiter. Teamwork was the obvious intent.
In a matter of minutes everyone at the table had ordered their meals.
Jessica was impressed by the quick service. She had been to restaurants with large groups of people, where it had seemed to take forever to get the orders taken. When she had looked around the place a moment ago, she saw there was no shortage of waiters and waitresses. Under-staffing was a big problem in a lot of restaurants, even the extremely popular ones. It was not a problem here at the illustrious Rustic House Restaurant.
Conversations flowed with relaxed ease as the diners sipped on hot or cold drinks while waiting for the meals to be served. Roman and Jacque were chatting and laughing to beat the band. Sahara and Sandra were also catching up, talking up a storm.
Jessica loved seeing her parents so happy. She knew for a fact her father had never been as involved with a male friend as he was with Jacque. He had a few good golf buddies, as well as his bowling-league friends, but his relationship with Jacque was unrivaled. The two men and their wives saw each other three or four times a year at realty conferences or while vacationing in exotic locales. Each couple was often a guest in the other’s home. Her parents loved to visit the Chamberlains in New York City.
Weston had a hard time keeping his eyes off Jessica. The changes in her were remarkable. Perhaps she had always been pretty. In his adolescence he might not have been able to see it. It had taken him a long time to get interested in girls, period. Most guys had had several different personal relationships by age seventeen, which was the age at which Weston had had his first date. A young lady had asked him to take her to her senior prom. That evening had been one disaster after another. Weston hadn’t bothered to learn to dance, and his date had been furious with him when she had figured it out.
Weston had tried hard to get it going, though, but his soulful coordination hadn’t come together quite yet. Rhythm didn’t move into his body until a couple of years later. Now Weston could hold up against the best on the dance floor.
The variety of great music made Weston think about the possibility of dancing with Jessica. There should be plenty of opportunities. The formal New Year’s Eve gala sponsored by their parents was to be held in one of the resort ballrooms. A slow tune worked best for him, though he also loved to dance to faster-paced music.
Holding Jessica close to his body was right up there on the top of Weston’s list of desires. She had fitted perfectly into his arms when he’d hugged her earlier. His limbs seemed to have wrapped around her of their own accord, holding her much longer than he had anticipated. It had felt good, too. The feelings surging through him had been wild.
The delicious scents from the food caused Jessica’s mouth to water. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now. The family had had lunch right after they had arrived at the resort, eons ago.
Jessica was a perfect size-six petite, but the girl had a ravenous appetite. However, the only fried foods she ever ate were French fries and the occasional fish sandwich. The weight problems she had had in her youth had one day up and disappeared, without her resorting to dieting.
Weston gently nudged Jessica. “Pass the salt, please.”
That little insignificant touch from Weston had Jessica’s heart doing flip-flops. But it was those dark, dreamy eyes that made crazy things happen inside her body. “Sure.” She picked up the saltshaker closest to her and handed it to Mr. McHunk. In her mind she had already referred to him as such a few times.
As Jessica looked over at Jennifer and Samuel, she had to smile. The two sweethearts had been in love since junior high school. They were the same exact age, twenty-seven. She had often prayed to find the kind of relationship they had, with no immediate interest in forever after. She thought thirty was the perfect age for women to marry and thirty-three or even a bit older for men. That gave her five years to find her Mr. Right. Jessica wasn’t sure she wanted kids, but she hadn’t ruled them out, either.
The grilled Chilean sea bass Jessica had ordered tasted so scrumptious she closed her eyes to savor the expertly prepared seafood. Her salad greens were fresh and crisp; the tomatoes had to have been grown in the Garden of Eden. They were the most flavorful ones she had ever tasted. The others also seemed pleased with their meals, Jessica noted. Her family were huge seafood lovers, evident by what each one had ordered. Roman and Samuel’s favorite was grilled salmon. Sahara and Jennifer were into the different varieties of shellfish.
Weston had ordered a huge porterhouse steak that looked grilled to perfection. He had also ordered a Caesar salad, loving the tangy taste of the dressing. His baked potato was stuffed with everything imaginable. He had dug right into his meal as soon as Roman had passed the blessing.
Jessica would love to eat steak, but she had a hard time digesting beef. The only ingredients she liked on her baked potatoes were butter and sour cream, at a minimum. Jessica could tell that Weston was enjoying what he had put on his.
“Mind if I taste your fish, Jess?” Weston asked. “It looks good.”
Jessica was once again surprised. She didn’t object to giving Weston a bite, but how was she supposed to serve it to him? It was out of the question for her to put some on her fork and feed it to him. Weston handed Jessica a small bread plate and indicated for her to drop it there. She was glad he had solved her dilemma. She didn’t have to look up to know all eyes had been on her, anticipating how she might respond.
On purpose Jessica refused to make direct eye contact with anyone in her family. The look in her eyes might just be a dead giveaway for how besotted she had become with Weston. No matter what her misguided feelings were for him, they just couldn’t happen as a couple. That was like falling right into the trap their parents had set for them as mere babes in arms. No one with any common sense ever walked into a visible trap.
The small group had moved over into the lounge, where several tables for two had been put together. There was no odd man out.
Jessica was highly aware that she and Weston were the only two single people in their party. She was sure it had been by design, that both sets of parents were still hopeful they would become an item.
Jessica had thought about asking her best friend Jarred Wilkerson, to come on the trip with her. Her parents would’ve done their level best to talk her out of it. She and Jarred enjoyed each other’s company tremendously. Each valued their special friendship. He was happily single now after recently breaking off his two-year relationship with Melanie Holt. However, he and Jessica weren’t remotely interested in each other in a romantic way. They just hung out together a lot.
On the other side of the coin, Jessica had hoped and prayed Weston would bring along a lady friend. That hope had vanished in the same moment her mother had informed her he was coming to Aspen alone. Now she was glad he hadn’t brought along a date and that she hadn’t invited Jarred. She liked having Weston’s undivided attention. Of course, he hadn’t paid her an ounce of attention since his plate had first arrived, other than to ask her for a bite of her fish. It looked as if she had a meaty rival.
Jessica chuckled inwardly at her last thought.
Swallowing the lump in her throat came hard for Jessica after Weston had asked her to dance. Jennifer and Samuel were already on the floor gyrating to the funky beats. The four parents hadn’t stopped talking since sitting down in the lounge.
What was a girl to do? Accept his invitation. She tried to hush the little voice inside her head. Still finding it difficult to speak, Jessica simply got out of her seat. That move should be evidence enough that she wanted to dance with him. She had wondered if he would ever ask her. Now that he had, she was ecstatic about it.
Four songs later Jessica and Weston were still on the dance floor. A couple of times they had changed partners with Jennifer and Samuel, but only for short periods. When a step-dance tune came on, Weston didn’t miss a beat. He began stepping, glad that Jessica also knew how to. Their laughter rang out as they put on a show.