NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!

Resolutions are made to be broken …!

Childhood friends Mira and Ellory each make a New Year's Resolution to stay away from love. Little do they know that fate has other things in mind …

When two hunky doctors hit the slopes, escaping their past in the deep snowy mountains, the last thing they expect to find is two wonderful women who can heal minds, bodies and souls … and maybe these brooding doctors’ hearts!

This New Year, lose yourself in these magical snowy romances from

Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ authors

Tina Beckett and Amalie Berlin

Read Jack and Mira's story in

HOW TO FIND A MAN IN FIVE DATES

Read Anson and Ellory's story in

BREAKING HER NO-DATING RULE

Dear Reader

I seem to have a love/hate relationship with New Year’s resolutions. I love making them. Keeping them? Hmm … not so much.

When the heroine of HOW TO FIND A MAN IN FIVE DATES makes a crazy resolution one snowy New Year’s Eve she has every intention of keeping it. After all, she’s fresh out of a disastrous relationship and not looking to start anything new. What she doesn’t count on, however, is coming to the rescue of a surfer-dude-turned-newbie-skier when he wipes out on his first run down the slopes. What starts off as one date turns into two, and soon she is doing some slipping and sliding of her own … emotionally.

Thank you for joining Mira and Jack as they make their way down a treacherous slope where trust and self-forgiveness become rules to live by—and hopefully find love along the way. I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I loved writing it!

Have fun on those ski slopes of life—and maybe even break a resolution or two of your own!

Love

Tina Beckett

Born to a family that was always on the move, TINA BECKETT learned to pack a suitcase almost before she knew how to tie her shoes. Fortunately she met a man who also loved to travel, and she snapped him right up. Married for over twenty years, Tina has three wonderful children and has lived in gorgeous places such as Portugal and Brazil.

Living where English reading material is difficult to find has its drawbacks, however. Tina had to come up with creative ways to satisfy her love for romance novels, so she picked up her pen and tried writing one. After her tenth book she realised she was hooked. She was officially a writer.

A three-time Golden Heart finalist, and fluent in Portuguese, Tina now divides her time between the United States and Brazil. She loves to use exotic locales as the backdrop for many of her stories. When she’s not writing you can find her either on horseback or soldering stained glass panels for her home.

Tina loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website or ‘friend’ her on Facebook.

How to Find a Man
in Five Dates
Tina Beckett

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Table of Contents

Cover

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright

PROLOGUE

HERE’S TO A brand-new year.

Dr. Miranda Dupris clutched her empty champagne flute and waited for the dreaded annual countdown to begin. The huge gathering area of her father’s lodge—with its vaulted ceilings and blazing fireplace—was packed, the free food and drinks drawing in legions of guests and employees, all hoping the year ahead would be kinder than the one they were leaving behind.

Or maybe that was just her.

A fresh glass of glittery amber liquid was pressed into her hand, while the empty one was plucked free and deposited onto the tray of one of the serving staff. The smell of champagne clogged her senses, its sharp bite a welcome diversion.

“Mira, we totally forgot to make our resolutions!” Her best friend grinned at her, long blonde curls bouncing as she swirled the contents of her own glass. “Let’s do them now. That way you can dump Robert into the universe’s nearest black hole and start over.”

At the mention of her ex-fiancé, Mira curled her toes into the ankle-slaying red stilettos while the familiar sting of betrayal lanced through her gut.

Never again. Never, ever again.

If anyone was jumping into the nearest black hole, it was going to be her.

She was done with relationships. For good this time. Three failed engagements in the last seven years should tell her something.

“I’m all for that.” She forced her lips to tilt upward, trying not to ruin their New Year’s Eve tradition, something she and Ellory had done for the last ten years in this very room. She lifted her glass. “I’ll even go first. I hereby swear off committed relationships for the next twelve months.”

Her friend laughed. “What about uncommitted ones?”

What about them?

Oh! Her foggy brain finally put two and two together. Ellory was asking if she was swearing off men altogether. Was she?

Maybe that was a bit too extreme. She did like men. Some of them, anyway. Just not certain bastardly ski instructors.

“Uncommitted is good. More than good, actually.” She raised her glass even higher. “Okay, how about this, then? I resolve to date twenty-five men over the next year with no emotional involvement whatsoever. Zip. Nada.”

Her friend blinked. “Whoa.” Ellory now had to yell over the crowd as the clock hands on the huge screen across from them shifted closer and closer to the witching hour. “Are you serious? Miss Monogamy Dupris is going to serial date?”

Um … yes. Why not?

The idea sounded more and more attractive. Or maybe that was the three glasses of champagne she’d had. Whatever. She took another bracing sip. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Serial date. Twenty-five men … one year.”

“This I’ve got to see. Bet you a hundred bucks you either back out or you don’t make it past man number five without getting attached to him.”

Ha! Unless the fifth guy was a puppy hiding in a man suit, she didn’t see that happening.

“Make it ten men. No, wait … all twenty-five. And backing out is not an option.” She waggled her shoulders back and forth, her courage growing with each passing moment. “Tell you what. Next New Year’s Eve we’ll see who pays whom. Your turn. What’s your resolution? And it’d better be good!”

“Well, if you can swear off serious relationships, I can swear off men altogether—maybe work on myself for a change, take on a project. And I’ll bet the same amount of money that I will follow through.” Ellory’s expression had taken on a serious note, totally out of character for her fun-loving friend.

But with the hands almost at the top of the dial, she didn’t have time to question her. “Okay, so we each have a hundred dollars riding on our resolutions, right?”

“Right.”

She’d just gotten the words out when a cacophony of voices began chanting backwards from ten. Ellory clinked her glass against Mira’s and they downed the last of their drinks.

Confetti rained all around her, the cheers and laughter of the crowd forming a frothy wave of mirth that carried her up and out of her funk. Mira caught her friend up in a tight hug, so glad Ellory had come to stay with her for a while.

She stepped back, about to say something, when a masculine voice came from behind her. “Well, well, well. Looks like I’m not the only one without a date tonight. Or are you two together?”

Mira’s eyes widened when she realized the slightly slurred tones were far too close to her ear for comfort. Still holding onto one of Ellory’s hands, she raised her brows in question. Surely not.

“Turn around,” her friend mouthed. “He’s talking to you.”

Knees quivering, Mira released her hand and pivoted on the spiked heel of her shoe until she was face to face with a beefy hunk who could have stepped straight out of an ad for a gym membership. He was tall and buff, and his too-tanned-to-be-real neck rose from a pressed white shirt and black tux. His blue eyes gleamed with something that looked like … interest. Or boredom. She couldn’t decide which.

“I—I …” Her mind went blank, and she scrabbled for the nearest coherent sentence. “Er … hello.”

How the hell did one serial date, anyway? She’d have to ask Ellory for some pointers later.

The man’s smile grew. “I waited a whole ten minutes to make sure no irate boyfriend was going to bust my jaw for coming over here. I noticed you as soon as you walked through the door. Are you alone?”

Oh, no. Not this fast.

She glanced back at her friend, who opened her beaded purse and tipped it toward her with a knowing jiggle. “You want to pay up now, honey?”

Egads. The woman knew right where to hit.

Straightening her spine, she turned back to the man in question. “Yep. I’m alone.”

“What say I buy you a drink, then?”

Since the booze was free, that was hardly an enticing offer. But if her job was to stay unattached, this guy seemed like the obvious choice.

“What say you do?” Mira tried for a purr, but it came off sounding like an asthmatic wheeze.

Before she could chicken out, she handed her empty champagne glass to Ellory, who stared at her with undisguised shock. Mira leaned forward and whispered two words, drawing them out for emphasis. “Game. On.”

CHAPTER ONE

JACKSON PERRY WAS going to fall.

No matter how many times he tried to stab his ski poles into the snow, they ended up flailing around like twin javelins about to be launched by a drunken athlete.

Make your skis into a wedge to slow your rate of descent.

The instructor’s mandatory lesson played through his skull, but actually obeying that advice was almost impossible, since he was too busy trying to find his center of gravity as his body continued to pick up speed down the slope. He tried to ride it out like a surfer on a killer wave. Only skis were nothing like the smooth, wide surface of his well-waxed board. And the ground looked a whole lot harder than the soft embrace of the ocean.

Wobble.

Correct.

Wobble.

Correct.

Not. Gonna. Freakin’. Work …

A brilliant plume of white spray rose up as Jack belly-flopped onto the snow, his skis detaching from his boots—thank God. He bounced his way over some moguls, instinctively tightening his abs to absorb as much of the impact as possible. Fifty yards later he slid to an ignominious halt, still facing the bottom of the hill. He had one pole in his hand, the other was long gone, probably back there with his skis.

Good thing he hadn’t tried a tougher slope.

Sucking down breaths into lungs that felt like they were on fire, he assessed his body bone by bone, tendon by tendon. Knees? Undamaged. Wrists? Still there. Ego? He’d come back to that one later. Skull? Intact, although he wondered about his sanity in agreeing to this damned vacation.

He raised a hand to wipe away some of the snow on his face, only to find his gloves were also covered in the stuff.

Hell!

Take a vacation. Have some fun. You need a break.

Or else.

His coach may not have added those last two words, but Jack had seen them written in the tight lines of the man’s face when he’d been late to yet another early morning meeting. The product of a recurring nightmare followed up by a sleeping pill. He hadn’t even heard the alarm the next morning.

Go skiing, Jack … or I’m afraid we’ll have to find ourselves a new doctor.

So, was the plan working?

Oh, yeah. So far, he was having a blast.

And every damn memory he’d been trying to forget had followed him right down that hill, crashing into the snow beside him.

Several more skiers sailed by, none of them seeming to have any trouble with the so-called “bunny slope.” Nothing like wiping out on your very first run.

A pair of skis came into view. Angled just like the instructor had described. Perfect. He glanced up, squinting to see past the blinding midmorning sun.

“Need some help there?”

A vision in a white ski jacket and matching snow pants stood before him, the light seeming to halo around the figure’s shoulders and head.

Maybe he’d hit the ground harder than he’d thought.

He shook his head and then struggled into a sitting position, but the slick fabric of his own suit caused him to slide down the hill a few more feet. The person matched his downward trajectory inch for inch, again coming to a halt right as he did. Still on her feet.

A quick feminine laugh met his ears. “Here, take my hand. Your boots should help you gain some traction. I’ve already picked up your skis and pole.”

He glanced up again and saw that the woman—and she was definitely a woman—did indeed have his errant equipment caged in the crook of her arm. A white-gloved hand stretched down toward him.

Definitely not a beginner. At least, he hoped not, otherwise he might as well throw in the towel and stick to football and watersports.

“I’m good.” The last thing he wanted was to bring her down with him. He struggled to his feet, somehow succeeding on the first try. She was right, though, about the boots giving him traction.

“Think you can make it to the bottom?” She flipped her goggles up over her head, causing the fur-trimmed hood of her jacket to fall back, revealing a pink knit aviator hat. Soft brown eyes that were alight with humor regarded him.

She’d probably get a lot of mileage out of this story over drinks with her friends later on.

She was exactly what he pictured when he thought of snow bunnies, from her matchy-matchy suit to her obvious ease in the frigid environment. Even her complexion was pale and frosty, with just a touch of pink warming her lips and cheeks. Cool and untouchable. All except for the flaming locks now visible from beneath her hat.

Just like Paula’s hair had been. His teeth clenched.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Right. She was still waiting for him to tell her if he could make it down the hill.

“I’ll be fine from here. Thanks again for the help. If you’ll just hand me my gear …”

“First time on the slopes?”

Wasn’t it obvious? A spark of male pride urged him to tell her that he’d once competed in some of the biggest surfing competitions California had to offer. But that had been before he’d gotten his medical license and changed his focus to football. Before the accident that had changed his life forever.

Coach was right. He’d let himself go over the last four years.

“Yep.” His eyes tracked a little girl zipping down the course with ease. “They make it look so easy.”

The woman glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Yes, they do.” She turned back and held out her hand again. “Miranda Dupris.”

“Jack Perry.” He took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, suddenly glad they both had on gloves. Even so, something in his gut twisted at the brief contact.

A voice came from the side. “Hey, Florence Nightingale, do you mind clearing the slope? I don’t want a pile-up on my watch.” His instructor from a few minutes ago pushed his poles into the snow and surged past them, heading on down the hill. He didn’t glance their way, but something about the wry twist to his voice said he knew Miranda. Quite well, in fact.

Of course the guy knew her. She was a snow bunny. She probably knew all the instructors by name.

Then a strange thing happened. Instead of waving to the man with a laugh, her brown eyes went from smiling and carefree to cool and irritated in the space of a few seconds.

A woman scorned? Or something else?

“Come on,” she said. “I’ll buy you a hot chocolate once we get to the bottom.”

He almost groaned. He’d been hoping to clomp his way down the hill and head straight to his room, where he could lick his wounded ego in private. The last thing he wanted to do was hang around the bar with a woman who’d seen him at his worst.

He swallowed and retracted that last thought. She hadn’t seen him at his worst, but his coach had. Including the twenty pounds he’d shed over the past six months as the dreams had swallowed more and more of his nights and haunted his days. It’s what had made the man book this vacation in a frozen wasteland. Why couldn’t he have chosen Hawaii instead?

Maybe he could refuse her offer with grace. “No need, but thanks.” He held out his hands for the equipment she still held.

“Maybe not, but standing here without working my muscles has made me realize I’m freezing my tushie off, and I could sure use something to warm it back up.”

Those words finally yanked him free of his morose thoughts and put them right on …

No, you don’t, Perry. Don’t you dare look.

Too late. His eyes had already skated over her hips and mentally guessed what lay beneath all those layers of clothing. And it was good.

Wow. If she knew what you were thinking, she’d dump your gear in the snow and march her oh-so-cold tushie right back down the hill.

Damn. Time to renew his gentleman card. Paula would have given him a single raised eyebrow if she could hear him now.

But she couldn’t. Thanks to him. And the coach. And the team.

No. That was no one’s fault but his.

Suddenly the last thing he wanted was to be alone. Even if it meant spending a half-hour with a woman who’d probably made the rounds more than he had during his entire internship. “Hot chocolate sounds good. Thanks.”

She gave him a quick grin and handed him his equipment. “Don’t hurry, unless you enjoy sliding down the hill. I’ll meet you at the bottom.”

With that, she turned around and pushed off, her skis flashing as she leaned forward and took the slope like an expert.

Sighing, Jack juggled his poles and his skis and took his first shaky step.

Did forcing someone to drink hot chocolate count as date number five? Mira scrunched her nose as she waited for her next victim to finish trudging his way down the hill. She wouldn’t have pushed so hard if it hadn’t been for that Florence Nightingale crack Robert had made as he’d sailed past her.

Yes, it was spiteful to head for the bar with another man when she knew her ex was there on his break, but she wanted to make it as plain as the icicles hanging from the man’s heart that she was done. No amount of sweet-talking would get her to take him back. Seducing your female students was not part of a ski instructor’s job description, no matter what most people thought.

Ellory was right. She needed to move on. Not getting emotionally attached was something that came hard for her, but if she kept choosing men who were not her type, it should be a breeze.

Jack Perry was definitely on the “not” side of the equation. Her newly written “not” side, anyway.

With his chiseled, clean-shaven jaw and refusal to let her help him up, he was evidently a man’s man, something she was now avoiding like the plague as far as relationships went. She’d been there, done that—three times, in fact—and had the heartbreak to prove it. The next guy she got serious with was going to be a poet. Or an artist. Someone who was in touch with his feminine side.

There was nothing feminine about the man she’d met on the slopes. She’d bet he was an athlete—from the easy way his wiry muscles had pushed him up off the ground. Yeah, he might have crashed and burned on that slope, but that was from lack of experience, not lack of strength. Those glutes had some power behind them.

Something she was better off not thinking about.

Hot chocolate. Nothing else. She might have joked with Ellory about bedding a man or two during the next year, but she wasn’t planning on actually doing that. Too dangerous. For her, anyway. The words sex and casual? An oxymoron. It always became personal.

So far she’d racked up three losers. Three men who couldn’t resist the thrill of the chase, even when that chase involved someone other than their fiancée.

No more bad boys for her.

Surely after a year of empty dates she’d be able to tell the difference between a player and a guy who was capable of monogamy. Until then, she had to stick to the plan.

But, man, oh, man, as Jack sidled the last twenty feet, making short work of each step in those heavy boots, he was making her little heart go pitter-patter.

Reaching down to undo her skis when she realized she’d been watching him instead of attending to her own business, she stepped out of them and hefted them upright. “Ready?” she asked, when he reached her.

“Yes.” His voice was a little tighter than it had been up the hill, although she didn’t see how that could be, since he hadn’t been jumping for joy at the thought of spending some time with her. She’d had the opposite problem with man number three. He hadn’t exactly been happy when she’d closed the door to her room with him on the wrong side of it.

Well, from Jack’s guarded expression, getting rid of him should be a snap.

They turned in their skis and poles at the equipment center next to the ski lodge and then Mira led the way into the foyer of the main building. The familiar honeyed tones of wood-covered floors and walls welcomed her like a snug, warm cocoon, especially when compared to the vast snow-covered surfaces outside its doors. The crackle of the fire in the huge stone fireplace in the middle of the room only added to that sense of welcome.

Moving over to the long hallway lined with pegs and cubbies, she shimmied out of her jacket and hung it up along with her hat. As she ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it up a bit, she was far too aware of the man next to her shuffling out of his own coat and snow pants. She smiled at the snug black jeans he had on beneath his clothes. And, man, she was so right about those glutes.

Damn!

He swung back around, catching her in the act. One brow lifted, and his lips tightened just a touch. So he didn’t like her looking. Well, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t checked her out on the slope. She’d seen those dark eyes skim over her in quick appraisal. Right after her ex had zoomed past, like the jerk he was.

Forget about Robert. He was not on her current shopping list. Jack was.

She refreshed her memory about the goals of this particular encounter: have a quick cup of cocoa and then she was free to move on.

To man number six.

CHAPTER TWO

JACK’S SKI INSTRUCTOR was currently staring at his rescuer. And not a subtle kind of stare, either. This was a full-on, you-will-look-at-me kind of unwavering attention.

And yet as Miranda set their drinks down, she was chatting away as if she had no idea.

He gave himself a mental palm to the head. Of course. She had to be a ski instructor as well. No wonder she’d helped him up and made sure he got down the hill. It also explained why the other guy had told her to clear him off the slope.

What it didn’t explain was why the man was now staring at them.

Best to settle this right here and now, in case this was a pity drink. Surely he didn’t look that badly off. He’d have to work on his cheerful see-ya-later grin. “You don’t have to sit with me. I’m fine, really.”

She frowned. “Never thought you weren’t. I’m sitting here because I’m cold and tired and wanted some hot chocolate.”

“I didn’t see you up at the top when I was having my lesson.”

“That’s because I wasn’t there. I was skiing one of the harder slopes. I decided to finish up on the bunny. As a cool down.”

Cool down. No wonder she was in such great shape. And she was. He might deny it until he was blue in the face, but he’d glanced at her a time or two. Enough to know that her slender legs were strong. So were her arms. If he’d met her anywhere else, he might think she was a distance runner. But she wasn’t. She was a skier.

“I bet you have to rescue lots of guys like me.” The second the words were out of his mouth he wished he could retract them. He hadn’t needed rescuing. Not on the slopes, and certainly not anywhere else, despite what his coach might think.

He could have handled things himself, given a little more time.

Yeah? Like he’d handled those dreams? Popping sleeping pills like they were candy was not the best prescription—as he’d soon discovered. The good thing was he’d almost weaned himself from them. The nightmares were back, but maybe they were just something he’d have to live with. Like his guilt.

“Not too many rescues. Just the occasional stray.”

She picked up her chocolate and took a long sip. “Ah. Just what I needed. Something to keep me warm and happy.” Before he could dwell too long on those words, she continued. “So where are you from?”

Four years ago that would have been an easy question to answer. He would have asked whether she meant originally or at the moment. As it was, he wasn’t sure of his actual location. Halfway between anger and grief, if he had to guess, a place he’d been stuck at for far too long. “California, originally, but I live in Texas now. And you?”

“Silver Pass. Born and raised right here on the mountain.” She raised her mug and took another drink.

So why didn’t she seem thrilled to live in a gorgeous place like this? He took a gulp of his own hot chocolate and then sputtered when an unexpected burn slid down his throat.

“Hot?” She gave him a grin that could only be described as mischievous.

“No. Spiked.” His brows drew together. “How do you know I’m not an alcoholic?”

“Are you?”

He could have been, but a couple of years ago he’d realized drinking was not only not helping him but it could get someone hurt. His team relied on him to make good decisions. One wrong move and a career could be finished forever. Much like his had almost been.

It’s why he’d agreed with the coach about this vacation spot. The cold climate kind of fostered isolation. At least in his head it did. With all that gear on, it wasn’t very easy to talk to strangers. It wasn’t the same as lying on a beach or surfing. Because the waves always carried you back in to shore. With skiing, you could simply race away from strangers who were a little too anxious to start a conversation.

Like this one?

“No, I’m not an alcoholic,” he admitted, although the steamy brew slid down his throat in a way that was a little too comforting. He took one more long pull and then set it aside. He wasn’t going to switch one habit for another.

Miranda studied him for a few seconds. She started to say something then the instructor who’d been watching her from across the room appeared beside the table. “You headed back for the slopes, Mira? If so, I’ll ride up the lift with you.”

The guy pointedly ignored Jack, which was fine. He had no intention of stepping in between these two.

“I think I’ll go back to my room and read instead. And I can catch up on some reports, while I’m there.” The chill in her voice was unmistakable.

“Mira—”

She held up her hand. “I’d rather not do this right now.”

The man’s lips thinned. “You can’t avoid me forever, you know. We both live here. Eventually, we’re going to have to sit down and talk.”

Jack’s glance went to where her left hand gripped her mug. No ring. But there was a definite indentation there.

That’s why he’d been staring at her. These two had been involved at some point. Married? An affair, maybe?

Whatever it was, it was none of his business. In fact, maybe it was time for him to take his pity party somewhere else and let these two go at it in private.

Mira beat him to it, standing up, her chin angled at a dangerous height. “I don’t see what we have to talk about.”

“How happy do you think your father is going to be once he hears about all this?”

She gave a hard smile. “You’re right, Robert. I imagine he won’t be very happy at all.”

Jack was surprised to see the other man’s face drain of color.

So that’s how it was. The jerk had done something. Something bad enough to make her want to avoid any contact with him. A dark thought came over him.

When the guy reached out to take hold of her arm Jack rose to his feet, no longer trying to remain impassive. He held the man’s gaze for ten long seconds before “Robert” backed down.

“I’ll catch you later,” he said to Mira.

“Don’t think so. Let’s just stick to our own sides of the slopes.”

With an irritated roll of his shoulders the man spun away from them and stalked toward the nearest exit.

Mira dropped back into her seat. “Well, it looks like we’re even. I rescued you. You rescued me. Thanks.” She sighed. “Sorry you had to witness that, though.”

“No problem. Ex …” He had no idea why he gave that leading sentence.

“Fiancé. But that’s neither here nor there.” She pursed her lips. “You shouldn’t go up on that slope again without another lesson or two. Next time you could really get hurt.”

If she was worried about her ex pulling something, she needn’t bother. He could take care of himself. “I’ll do that.”

She must have sensed he was just handing her a line. “No, I’m serious. Robert’s not going to be a happy camper, so I wouldn’t count on him playing nice.” She eyed him. “I could give you some pointers if you want. Make sure you stay out of trouble.”

That was pretty much impossible. He’d stayed in trouble in one form or another for the last four years. Maybe he should have asked for the beachfront condo vacation despite his earlier thoughts. At least surfing was something he was actually proficient at.

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I think I can manage.”

“Like you did today? Come on. I really do want to show my appreciation.”

It was either accept graciously or be a jerk about it. “Did I look that bad out there?”

She laughed. “You want honesty or a gentle lie?”

He found himself smiling back. “Hmm … I’d take the lie, but I think it’s already too late for that. Okay, I’ll accept the pointers, but I don’t guarantee I’ll show much improvement. I’m a beachside kind of guy.”

“So you’re better on the surf than on the turf?”

His smile grew. “No, the turf I can handle. It’s cold, slippery surfaces that I struggle with.”

“Interesting. So, are we on?”

Why did that seem like a loaded question all of a sudden? But unless he wanted to make a big deal out of what was probably an innocent offer, it was better to let it slide on by. “Yep.”

“Great!” She paused to wave at someone across the room. A blonde grinned and held up five fingers.

Mira nodded.

They must be meeting up in a few minutes or something. That was his cue to leave. “What time were you thinking tomorrow?”

“Does tennish work for you?”

“Sounds perfect.” He stood. “Thanks for the hot chocolate.”

“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With one last smile she picked up her cup and headed over to where the other woman was standing. And heaven help him if he didn’t watch her hips bump and sway for a couple of beats before forcing himself to turn away.

It’s not a date. She hadn’t even used that word.

Why he needed to explain that to himself he had no idea. All he knew was that his heart rate had just kicked up a notch and a zing of anticipation was edging through his veins, picking up momentum as it went.

This could be bad.

Very, very bad.

Unless he nipped it in the bud right here. Right now.

The only question … was how.

“Where did you get your goggles?”

Mira peered into her patient’s red, streaming eyes as he sat on the exam table in her tiny clinic. Around twenty-two years old, he was here for a week with several buddies. Yesterday evening, after coming off the slopes, his eyes had begun burning. When he’d looked into the mirror that morning, he’d been shocked to see his lids were swollen and his eyes looked terrible.

“I picked up all my gear at a second-hand store right before coming. It was a bargain.”

And like any other bargain, sometimes you paid the price later on. Mira had found that out the hard way when it came to relationships.

She clicked off her penlight and leaned back to check out the eyewear lying beside him. They had the customary reflective surface, but there were no markings that indicated the UV protection the lenses offered. “Your goggles and skis are two pieces of equipment you really shouldn’t skimp on. This is why.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ever hear of snow blindness?”

Her patient scrubbed moisture from his cheeks. “Snow blindness. Doesn’t that only happen to people who are stranded in the snow?”

“Nope. I see it fairly often up here. It’s basically a sunburn of your corneas.”

He blinked, squinting one eye to look at her. “Can you treat it?”

Swiveling around to her desk, she pulled her prescription pad forward and started writing. “I’m going to give you a prescription for some eyedrops, but you need to stay off the slopes for the next couple of days. Believe me, your eyes aren’t going to want to face any light, much less what you’ll find up there on the mountain.”

“But we’re only here for a week.”

She felt for him, really she did. “I know. I wish there were a quick treatment, but it’s just like any other sunburn. You have to stay out of the sun for a while.” She glanced up. “Oh, and make sure you see an eye doctor when you get home.”

The man swore a couple of times before finally nodding and taking the slip of paper. He then took his goggles and dumped them in the trash. “I guess I won’t be needing those any more.”

She smiled. “We have some regulation eyewear at the rental kiosk. Make sure your friends are covered, so they don’t wind up in the same boat.”

“I will. Thanks, Doc.”

“You’re welcome.”

Once he left, she locked up the clinic and headed up the mountain to meet Jack. It was still a little early, but she wanted to make sure she arrived before he did so she could prepare herself.

Man number five.

Okay, so the guy was cuter than the other men she’d met for drinks or a quick trip down the slopes. In fact, she’d been with one such guy yesterday on the advanced slopes. She had finished on the bunny slope in order to cool down—like she’d told Jack—but only because guy number four had seemed to have hands that never stopped finding excuses to touch her in little ways. Add him to the guy she’d been with two nights ago, and she began to wonder about the wisdom of her resolution. How did serial daters go about avoiding the creeps … and worse?

She needed to be a little more careful about picking these guys. She certainly didn’t want to get in over her head. Ellory had forced her to put her cellphone number on speed dial, so Mira could reach out with the touch of a button in case she got into trouble.

She didn’t plan on that happening. So far it had just been the two weirdos. Of course, since she’d only been out with four guys in all over the last several weeks, that wasn’t much of a track record.

And what about Jack? She’d never been out with a surfer dude before. Although the serious guy who’d sat across from her at the table yesterday did not match her image of a California beach bum.

Just look at the way he’d stood up to Robert.

Yeah, that had been a little heady. She hoped seeing her with Jack had drilled it into her ex’s brain that she was moving on—whether it was true or not. Robert had blown it. She’d learned the hard way not to give people second chances.

That included him, and it included her father.

This might be her dad’s resort, and he technically might be her boss, but that didn’t mean she was going to fall all over him. He’d hurt her mother badly. And even though her mom had been the one to convince her to come back to the lodge and work after she graduated from medical school, she didn’t forgive him for his transgressions any more than she’d forgive Robert or her two other exes.

It was exactly why she’d sworn off men. And if she could just get past man number five and move on to the next guy, she’d officially win her bet with Ellory.

Should be a snap.

She leaned on the rail and surveyed the line of chairs on the ski lift.

Speaking of bets, she spied Jack about halfway up the mountain. His safety bar had not been pulled down, making her frown. She’d have to add that to the lesson.

She sucked down a deep breath as he drew closer. She’d just about convinced herself that he wasn’t as good looking as she’d thought he was yesterday. But he was. Even from this distance. With streaky brown hair that was in need of a cut and those broad shoulders, he pretty much filled the chair. She’d have to tuck herself under his arm to fit on there with him if they ever rode up together.

The image made her swallow. Silly. You’re here to teach him to ski and put a notch in your … Hmm, what should she notch, since she had no intentions of sleeping with him or any other of her dates?

Her skis, that’s what. Okay, so he’d be one more notch in her skis.

He slid off the chair with lithe grace that had been lacking yesterday when he’d smacked the ground and slid to a halt. How that must have cost him in the ego department. Except he just stood there.

“Slide over here.”

He glanced over and saw her then eased down the hill to meet her, a little less shaky than he’d been yesterday.

She had a feeling he’d be a quick study when it came to skiing. Well, whether he was or wasn’t, it didn’t matter. This would be his one and only lesson with her—a favor for saving her from Robert’s pestering. Tomorrow he’d be on his own.

“Hi.” He pulled a hat down over his head, juggling his poles as he did so.

At least he’d remembered to put his skis on before getting on the lift. She checked out his eyewear, nodding at the item in his hand. “Did you get those here at the resort?”

He glanced down at them. “Yes, why?”

“Just wondering. Don’t want you to get snow blindness.”

His brows went up, but he didn’t question her comment.

“You ready?” she asked.

“I have to admit I thought about standing you up.”

Interesting. He had seemed a little skittish at the bar yesterday.

“Yeah? Well, I’d have had to come and track you down.” Ellory had spied Jack from across the room yesterday after her encounter with Robert and claimed that this time she was going down hard. This one was just too yummy for her to resist.

Oh, she could resist him all right. He was just one more guy. In fact, it was quite liberating to be with a man and know there was no future in it. She didn’t have to worry about whether or not she’d have to watch her words or get all prettied up.

The time she’d spent in front of the mirror this morning had been strictly about personal grooming. She’d do that for anyone. No need to send people scurrying for the nearest exit with her morning rat’s nest and dark undereye circles. And her lips were chapped from the cold, so of course she’d had to put on something to soothe and protect them. The fact that it had a little dab of shine was just a coincidence.

He smiled. “I guess it’s a good thing I showed up, then.”

“Absolutely.” Luckily, Robert was off this morning, so one of the other instructors was working with a small group of newbies. She could have sent Jack to the class, since her professed reason for meeting him was because her ex might do or say something she would end up feeling badly about. But since she’d told Ellory he was man number five …

Really, who would know she didn’t meet him?

Ellory, for one.

Yeah, and why was that? Because she couldn’t tell a lie worth a damn.

“So, let’s start with your skis. You got them on, but it’ll help if you know how to click in and out of them quickly.”

She gave him a quick lesson on doing just that. Once they were back on, she had him face the bottom of the hill, but with the fronts of his skis pointed toward each other.

“I’m sure Robert showed you, but once you start out, you’re going to want to stay like this. Think of it like a wedge of pizza, only made with skis instead of food. If you keep your skis completely parallel to each other, you’ll pick up too much speed, as you found out yesterday. So wedge them just a bit until you get the feel of your angle and speed.” She pulled her goggles down over her eyes. “Let’s do a practice run. I’ll go first and you follow me down, trying to imitate my movements.”

He muttered something that she couldn’t quite catch before she used her poles to push off. A hard swish behind her said that he’d done the same thing. She concentrated on going as slowly as possible, not an easy task when you were used to zipping down difficult slopes at top speed. Her father had had big plans for her after she’d won several competitions, plans she’d thwarted when she’d decided to become a doctor. What father in his right mind was disappointed when his child decided to become something other than a professional athlete?

Hers.

Then again, he’d disappointed her as well.

She’d changed courses right after her parents had divorced, and, yes, maybe it had been partly to get back at him. But she loved being a doctor, even more than she loved the slopes and the snow. Jack had talked about surfing. The ocean didn’t appeal to her at all. She was a mountain girl through and through. She didn’t think she even owned a bikini other than the underwear kind.

Jack came up beside her, showing a pretty good sense of balance. And every time she changed the angle of her wedge, he imitated her. Out of nowhere came the thought that it might be worth a trip to the ocean just to see him up on a surf board, that streaky hair of his catching rays of sunlight.

He hit a mogul and wavered for a second or two, the tips of his skis wiggling back and forth, but he caught himself. His speed increased fractionally and Mira let off her brake and matched him. “Good job!”

His face was a mask of concentration, so she wasn’t even sure whether he’d heard her or not. At that moment someone passed them on the left at a much quicker pace—which wasn’t all that difficult, considering she and Jack were creeping along.

Two more people went by.

Mira was concentrating so much on the man beside her that she almost missed the screams from the pair of teens who’d just passed them. They’d gotten too close, and the left ski of the girl closest to them had overlapped the other girl’s. Both were struggling to remain upright.

“Move away from each other!” Her training kicked in, knowing if they didn’t get their skis apart one or both of them would fall.

They either didn’t hear her or were too panicked to do what she said, because they were still tangled. Then one of the girls shoved the other one, maybe to try to push off her and get away. Instead of working, the girl who’d been shoved careened sideways, taking her friend with her. They fell down hard, landing in a heap in the middle of the slope. The girl who’d pushed the other one sat up laughing, but her giggles soon faded when she saw the other teenager lay still in the snow.

Every muscle in Mira’s body went on high alert as she drew closer and saw the girl’s right arm sticking out at an odd angle.

The uninjured teen must have seen it as well, because she suddenly leaned back and gave out an unearthly shriek.

CHAPTER THREE

“YOU GO DOWN the hill,” Mira said. “I need to stay here.”

“I can help.”

“Just do as I say.” Her tone was a little more impatient this time.

He didn’t care. “No can do. I’m a doctor.”

Mira gave him a sharp look. “Yeah, well, so am I. I’m the concierge doctor for the lodge.”

His heart stalled for a second, and he stared, fumbling a bit as he tried to remain upright. “I thought you were a ski instructor.”

“Pizza it, Jack, if you want to stop.”

He forced his mind back to what she was saying, using his skis to form a barricade and coming to a halt beside the still-screaming girl.

“What’s your specialty?” She nudged him aside so she could get to their patients, sinking to her knees in the snow to look at the unconscious teen. She laid a hand on the panicked girl’s shoulder, and like magic she quieted.

He was still struggling to process the fact that he was up on the slopes with a doctor, of all things. “I’m in sports medicine.”

Mira’s eyes widened when he mentioned the name of the team.

“The Hawks? Are you kidding me?” She gave him another quick glance. “What are you doing skiing, then? Isn’t this your busiest time of year?”

No way was he going to tell her he’d been sent off to recuperate. Especially not knowing what he did now. “I’m taking a short break.”

Speaking of breaks, they might have a bad one on their hands here. The teen hadn’t seemed to fall hard enough to do any real damage, at least it hadn’t looked that way, but the human body was a strange animal.

“Let me check her arm.” Carefully unzipping the girl’s jacket enough that he could slide his hand down the limb, he found the fracture immediately. Although the bone wasn’t protruding from her skin—a good thing—it was pressed right against it. A little more force and it would have come through. The edge felt jagged, though, so it could still break through, if they weren’t careful.

The girl was also out cold.

Mira spoke softly to the uninjured girl, while Jack focused on the friend.

“She’s still breathing,” he said. “Can you get her vitals, while I check her head?” He clicked his boots out of his skis, just like Mira had shown him, and then slid around until he was kneeling beside her shoulder.

Mira nodded, pressing her fingers against the girl’s right wrist, while Jack carefully undid the strap to her helmet. He checked it for cracks before running his fingers over her hair, looking for obvious signs of trauma. Her white beanie cap, which had probably been pulled down to hide the unfashionable headgear, lay a short distance away, knocked off by the impact. He couldn’t feel any bumps, but he knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Peeling apart her eyelids one at a time and wishing he had his medical kit, he peered at them to judge pupil size. Equal, and they reacted to light in a way that appeared normal.

Two guys who were evidently with the ski patrol slid to a halt beside them, asking Mira what she had.

“Broken arm at least.” She glanced at Jack.

“No contusions on her head that I can see, but I want to stabilize her neck and back just in case.”

Her friend stifled a sob. “Is she going to be okay? I wasn’t trying to knock her down. I was trying to get my ski loose before I fell. Instead, I made us both fall.”

Mira reached over and squeezed her hand, giving the two men a warning look when one of them started to say something. “Of course you didn’t. Where are your parents?”

“At—at the lodge. They said we could come ski, but that we had to stick to the easy slopes.”

Smart parents.

“And you did what they asked,” Mira said. “What’s your name?”

“Sandy. And that’s Marilyn.”

“Okay, Sandy, if you’ll go with Hans and help him locate your parents, we’ll take care of your friend.” Mira stood and helped the girl to her feet, waiting until she’d stopped swaying before saying anything. “Does anything hurt?”

“No. I’m okay.”

“Do you feel well enough to ski to the bottom?”

“I—I think so.”

The man she’d called Hans patted the terrified girl on the shoulder and gave her an encouraging nod. Then they slowly made their way down the slope, while the other guy went in search of a stretcher and called in the accident, telling the instructors and employees at the top to hold everyone right where they were.

Jack glanced at her. “At least they were wearing helmets. Let’s hope she’s out because of the pain and not anything else.”

“My da … er … the lodge requires all minors to use helmets on the slopes. Her pulse is steady. If we’re lucky, she just fainted.” She reached her fingers out and smoothed back her hair. “The EMS guys are pretty familiar with the routine up here, they should have something to stabilize her arm.”

“I’m beginning to think surfing is a hell of a lot safer.”

One curved brow went up. “I can think of a few things that make me think differently. At least you can’t drown on a ski slope.”

Maybe not, but when her brown eyes met his, looking all soft and warm as she kept her hand protectively on the injured girl’s head, he thought it was possible to drown in something other than the ocean.

He shook away the thought.

She’s a doctor, Jack. Not someone you want to play around with.

He was glad when a pair of emergency service guys came clomping down the hill, heavy-duty boots making easy work out of the packed snow.

After a quick rundown of her vitals and injuries and explaining what they’d seen, one of the paramedics asked where the girl’s parents were.

“We sent her friend and a member of the ski patrol to find them.”

In short order, the pair had immobilized the teen’s injured arm and done their own assessment of her injuries, coming to the same conclusions as he and Mira had. Then they stabilized her neck and removed her skis before loading her onto a blue stretcher with a metal pull bar attached to it. The girl started to come to, moaning as her eyes fluttered open.

Mira leaned close and whispered to her.

The sight made a pang go through his chest. If he and Paula had had any kids, is that how she would’ve looked as she comforted them?

Not the time, Jack.

He cleared his throat. “They’re going to pull her down the hill?”

“That’s the safest way. It’s hard to keep your balance on the snow, if you haven’t noticed.” The right side of her mouth curved slightly, as if she was fighting a smile.

“Oh, I noticed all right.” In fact, he was having a little trouble keeping his balance right now, and it had nothing to do with skiing. He felt like the wind had been knocked from his lungs the second he’d realized she was a doctor. He was still struggling to catch his breath fifteen minutes later.

She stood and went over to retrieve the girl’s hat and skis. “I’ll bring these down with me,” she told the men. “Hopefully they’ve located her folks. I want to be on hand if something changes.”

“Sure thing, Mira.” One of the medical workers threw her a quick smile.

It seemed everyone knew her around these parts.

The paramedics started down the hill, leaving them to follow.

“Do you want to walk down or ski?”

“At the rate I go, it’s probably faster to walk.” He took the girl’s skis from her and lumped them together with his, tucking them under his arm with his poles.

Together, they trudged down the bunny slope, staying a few yards behind the rescue team. His mind couldn’t help wandering back to her instructions on how to maneuver with his skis and how her words had yielded much better results than the lessons her ex—the professional—had given him.

Wanting to show off for the pretty doctor, Jack?

Self-preservation was more like it. Something he should probably remember. Because the fact that she was a doctor was all the more reason he should avoid her for the rest of his stay. If his coach were here, he’d be calling for a time-out and hauling Jack’s ass off the playing field.

And the man would be right. Injured players should remain on the sidelines until they had time to heal.

Yeah? Well, he’d had four damn years. How much longer would it take?

Some players never recovered. Maybe he was one of them. He could just throw in the towel right now.

His body gave a quick tug of irritation, one that grew when Mira glanced back at him with a smile. “Keeping up okay?”

Oh, he could keep up just fine. He balled his hands into fists when his mind immediately headed into more dangerous territory. Of Mira saying those words under very different circumstances.

Sidelines, Jack, remember?

Thankfully, they reached the bottom of the slope, and he had other things to occupy his mind, like the small crowd that had gathered near the door of the lodge, and the woman in a pink parka rushing forward to meet the EMS guys as they headed for the pick-up site where their truck was probably parked. Forced to stop, the guys lifted the stretcher just as he and Mira arrived.

Habit made him start toward the group to brief the girl’s parents, but Mira beat him to it, smoothly maneuvering right into the center of the gathering. Besides, he wasn’t here with his football team. This was her gig, not his.

He could see her gesturing as she explained the situation, but he couldn’t hear the words. Whatever she said, it seemed to have the right effect. People started to move away until all that was left were a man and a woman who looked like they were in their early fifties—Marilyn’s parent’s probably—standing near the stretcher. Jack debated slipping through the glass doors of the lodge and escaping while he could, while Mira’s attention was fixed on something else.

Coward’s way out. He’d decided four years ago that he wasn’t going that route ever again. He’d lost his head in a bottle for a while after his wife’s death. Once he’d picked himself up off the bathroom floor after a particularly bad hangover, he’d decided to live a life Paula would be proud of rather than throwing it away in a booze-filled haze. He obviously wasn’t there yet—this temporary exile and the sleep aids were proof of that.

What he needed was something to take his mind off himself for a few hours.

His eyes slid back to Mira, whose glossy hair showed beneath her cap as she leaned over the stretcher to talk to the injured girl once more.

Nope. No matter how tempting that might be, it wasn’t smart. He needed something light and easy. Something other than skiing with pretty women.

Large black letters from a flyer taped to the door of the lodge caught his attention:

Not a Ski Fan?

Ha, you could say that. He continued reading.

Check out Silver Pass’s other exciting offerings.

The bullet points proceeded to list things like evening sleigh rides, trips down the mountains on inner tubes, gondola lifts that boasted spectacular views, and even snowmobile rentals.

The snowmobiles sounded interesting. Maybe even a little bit like jet skis.

He pulled out his smartphone to store the number in his address book.

“The gondola ride is a lot of fun. And there’s only room for two in each car.”

A sultry voice came from just over his left shoulder. Not Mira’s, since she was still over by the stretcher.

He turned around and found a brunette with darkly penciled brows that matched the carefully modulated tones of her voice. Overdone. Whispering of desperation. And when the woman smiled, nothing happened to the skin around her eyes.

Botox.

He’d thought of Mira as a professional snow bunny when he’d first met her, but her sparkling eyes and sunny disposition had dashed his suspicions away. This woman, however …

Swallowing, he nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

She took a step closer, her jacket pulling tight across her breasts. “Did I overhear someone say that you’re a doctor?”

Oh, Lord. Not what he wanted to deal with right now.

Why was it that a quick fling with Mira appealed to him, despite its dangers, while the thought of spending the night with this woman just left him cold? He didn’t want to hurt her feelings—if they hadn’t already been paralyzed by the overzealous needle of her surgeon.

“I am. Just here for a couple of days’ R&R.” Okay, a couple of days was on the verge of being a lie, since he still had three weeks left of his vacation.

“That’s enough time to squeeze in a fun activity or two, isn’t it? It’ll be a tight fit, but it would be well worth the effort.”

She said the words with a completely straight face, but she had to know how they sounded.

Hell. He was surprised she wasn’t listed on that flier as one of the lodge’s alternate activities, along with her name, phone number, and measurements. And that she promised a tight fit.

“Well—”

Mira suddenly appeared beside them, looking from one to the other. “I wondered where you went.” She glanced at the advertisement and then the phone in his hand. “Planning something fun?”

“Thinking about it. Did Marilyn get off okay?”

“She’s on her way to the hospital right now.”

The brunette quirked a brow. Wow, maybe there wasn’t as much happy juice in her face as he’d thought. “Girlfriend?” she asked, her voice not quite as sultry as it had been.

He wanted to say yes, just to get rid of her without having to be rude. Would Mira kill him? He could always explain later.

“She’s—”

“Definitely a girlfriend. And you are?” Mira wrapped her hands around his right bicep, giving it a quick squeeze as if to say she knew he was in a tight spot.

Squeeze. Tight spot. Well the woman might not have done anything for him with those words, but Mira’s touch was definitely doing something to his gut. It clenched, one muscle group at a time, until his whole abdomen was a mass of tension.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” The brunette tossed her head.

Mira’s hand ventured from his arm, sliding low across his back until it curved around his left side. She left a trail of heat in her wake that he felt even through his coat. “He’s too nice. Women get the wrong idea all the time.”

Evidently she didn’t have any of the same reservations about hurting the woman’s feelings as he did, because she continued. “So did you get the number for that sleigh-ride company, Jack, or what?”

“I was just doing that.”

“Good.” Her glance shot to the brunette. “Thanks for keeping him company for me. I’ve got it from here.”

With a strangled sound the woman wheeled around and then jerked open the door to the lodge before disappearing inside.

The breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding whistled out through his teeth as relief swept over him. “How did you know?”

She let go of his side and lifted her hand to pat his cheek. “Your face is about as red as the walls in the dining hall.” She laughed. “And she’s a regular. She comes on to all the men.”

There was a bitter edge to her words.

So much for thinking she’d singled him out. Ouch. The punch to his ego stung.

“So I wasn’t in any real danger.”

“I didn’t say that. She’s dangerous all right.”

As much as he tried to school his face into a blank slate, a smile crept up from somewhere inside him. “How do you know I don’t thrive on danger?”

“Do you? I didn’t take you for the type.”

There it was again. That quick one-two to his pride. “I might surprise you.”

“Really? In that case, I think you owe me a sleigh ride. For bailing you out of what could have been an awkward situation. Especially if her husband had found out.”

“She’s married?” Maybe he did owe her something.

“Aren’t they all?”

He wouldn’t know. He hadn’t been on the dating circuit since he’d met Paula. “I guess you wouldn’t accept a simple thank-you.”

“I would, but I couldn’t promise I’d bail you out a second time. If her being married doesn’t stop her, do you really think me saying I’m your girlfriend is going to scare her off? But if she knows you not only have a girlfriend but that you’re happy with that girlfriend, she’ll probably leave you alone.”

Jack’s head was spinning, partly at the audacity of married women propositioning men who were taken and partly just because of the clean crisp scent of the woman at his side. It reminded him of frosty days and mocha-filled nights. He leaned in closer. “Did you just have coffee?”

Why he asked that he had no idea.

She blinked at him in surprise. She could match that look and raise it. His face heated again.

“I just ate a coffee-flavored candy.”

“Sorry. I think my brain is misfiring over what just happened.”

“You’ve never been propositioned by a married woman before?” Her voice was shocked, like it was something that happened all the time.

“Never. If you were married, would you do it? Proposition someone who wasn’t your husband?”

“Oh, but I’m not married.” Although light and delivered with a smile, her words contained a hint of darkness. Because of her ex? Had he slept with Mrs. Botox or something?

He decided to change the subject entirely. “So this sleigh ride. Is it worth going on alone?”

“Um, yeah, but if she finds out you’re planning on going solo, she’s going to show up and invite herself along for the ride.”

He glanced through the glass to see that the brunette in question was indeed eyeing them while sipping on something boozy that looked like it had a tiny plastic ski sticking out of it. He guessed ski resorts didn’t want little umbrellas reminding people they could be in a tropical paradise instead. “As much as I never thought I’d say it, would you mind going with me? To ward off trouble …” He wasn’t sure that “warding off” trouble was the right way to put it. Because it sure felt like he was busy cultivating it at the moment.

“No problem. I haven’t been on a sleigh ride in ages, actually.”

So her ex hadn’t taken her on one? Maybe they’d had fun in other ways.

Something that made his jaw tense.

She grabbed his hand. “And now for my last good deed until our sleigh ride.” She hauled him through the door and paraded him right in front of Mrs. Botox, their hands firmly joined. They were about halfway to the receptionist’s desk when she turned to grin at him and then promptly plowed into an older man who stepped into her path.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She turned around. “I didn’t see …”

Her voice died away, and her face drained of all its color as she looked up at the man she’d just run into. She let go of Jack’s hand in a rush.

The stranger’s brows came together, and his eyes narrowed as he studied Jack and then Mira. Then he addressed her, saying, “I think you have some explaining to do.”

Her arms went around her waist, and she drew in a shaky breath. “Daddy, what are you doing here?”

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