Read Online Highlander for the Holidays by Janet Chapman - Free Book Online
Authors: Janet Chapman
Ads: Link
only trying to help. You’re okay now, I’ve got you,” she said, helping Jessie stand and then guiding her toward the elevator. “What happened? Did you get locked out? I heard Ian say over the radio that he found you on one of the ski slopes. Did you have a flashback?”
“No. Honestly, I didn’t. Toby ran into the woods, and when I heard equipment running, I went chasing after him.”
Feeling about two inches tall to learn that Jessie apparently had a problem with being carried, Ian pulled her slippers out of his bib. “Toby, come here, boy,” he said, patting his leg. “Take these to your lady,” he instructed, placing the slippers in the dog’s mouth. He immediately turned to the front desk when he saw Jessie stop. “Rachel, you wouldn’t have any doughnuts hidden out back, would you?” he asked, sensing Jessie walking up to him.
Jessie touched his arm. “Thank you for rescuing me,” she said softly. “And for explaining how dangerous Toby’s sweater is.”
Ian looked into her sincere eyes and smiled. “You’re welcome, Jessie.”
“And . . . and I think I’d like to try speeding down a mountain on an inner tube. That is, if you really do need someone to test the trail before the campers arrive.”
“Just leave a message here at the desk,” he said, nodding toward Rachel, “saying when you’d like to go, and someone will get ahold of me.”
She started to pat his arm, then suddenly thought better of it. “I’ll do that. Thanks again,” she said, turning back to Merissa—who was still wearing the clothes she’d had on last night, Ian noticed—her hands fisted on her hips as she glared at Jessie.
“What’s this about speeding down a mountain on an inner tube?” she hissed in a whisper, taking Jessie by the arm again. “Are you friggin’ nuts? You can’t—”
Jessie shrugged free. “I can’t believe you panicked and came looking for me. They broadcast it over the radio to everyone.”
Ian heard Merissa blow out a heavy sigh just as they stepped into the elevator. “I’m sorry. You know I panic easily when I’m sleep-deprived.”
“I forgive you, but only if you teach me how to make that nurse’s voice when you want someone to do something, because I swear I—”
Ian lost the rest of their conversation when the elevator door closed, the last thing he saw being Toby still holding Jessie’s slippers in his mouth.
“It’s a good thing you were grooming the beginners’ slope,” Rachel said, sliding a box of doughnuts across the counter toward him. “Miss Pringle could have gotten hypothermia or even frostbite.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Rachel. I believe hedgehogs are a lot tougher than they look,” he said, grabbing three of the doughnuts and heading for the door. He waved over his shoulder. “Tell Dad I said hi when he comes in later.” He stopped and looked back. “Oh, and have another key card sent to Jessie’s room, would you, along with an employee card that will work on the parking lot door. A good part of this morning’s mess could have been avoided if we’d thought to make accommodations for her to take her dog out. You might want to have Dad look into making that a policy for guests with service dogs.”
Rachel lifted one of her matronly brows. “Any reason why you can’t tell him?”
“Now you know I don’t want to encourage him to think I might be interested in what goes on inside this resort. I’ve just spent the better part of this last year convincing him I’m barely interested in what happens outside.”
Rachel made a tsk sound as she snatched up a key card and used it to wave him away. “You have him convinced about as well as you’ve got any of us believing that you don’t care about TarStone.”
“I care about the outside ,” he said, taking a bite of doughnut as he pushed through the door. Ian climbed in the snowcat and set his two remaining doughnuts on the dash, but stopped from starting the engine when he spotted
“No. Honestly, I didn’t. Toby ran into the woods, and when I heard equipment running, I went chasing after him.”
Feeling about two inches tall to learn that Jessie apparently had a problem with being carried, Ian pulled her slippers out of his bib. “Toby, come here, boy,” he said, patting his leg. “Take these to your lady,” he instructed, placing the slippers in the dog’s mouth. He immediately turned to the front desk when he saw Jessie stop. “Rachel, you wouldn’t have any doughnuts hidden out back, would you?” he asked, sensing Jessie walking up to him.
Jessie touched his arm. “Thank you for rescuing me,” she said softly. “And for explaining how dangerous Toby’s sweater is.”
Ian looked into her sincere eyes and smiled. “You’re welcome, Jessie.”
“And . . . and I think I’d like to try speeding down a mountain on an inner tube. That is, if you really do need someone to test the trail before the campers arrive.”
“Just leave a message here at the desk,” he said, nodding toward Rachel, “saying when you’d like to go, and someone will get ahold of me.”
She started to pat his arm, then suddenly thought better of it. “I’ll do that. Thanks again,” she said, turning back to Merissa—who was still wearing the clothes she’d had on last night, Ian noticed—her hands fisted on her hips as she glared at Jessie.
“What’s this about speeding down a mountain on an inner tube?” she hissed in a whisper, taking Jessie by the arm again. “Are you friggin’ nuts? You can’t—”
Jessie shrugged free. “I can’t believe you panicked and came looking for me. They broadcast it over the radio to everyone.”
Ian heard Merissa blow out a heavy sigh just as they stepped into the elevator. “I’m sorry. You know I panic easily when I’m sleep-deprived.”
“I forgive you, but only if you teach me how to make that nurse’s voice when you want someone to do something, because I swear I—”
Ian lost the rest of their conversation when the elevator door closed, the last thing he saw being Toby still holding Jessie’s slippers in his mouth.
“It’s a good thing you were grooming the beginners’ slope,” Rachel said, sliding a box of doughnuts across the counter toward him. “Miss Pringle could have gotten hypothermia or even frostbite.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Rachel. I believe hedgehogs are a lot tougher than they look,” he said, grabbing three of the doughnuts and heading for the door. He waved over his shoulder. “Tell Dad I said hi when he comes in later.” He stopped and looked back. “Oh, and have another key card sent to Jessie’s room, would you, along with an employee card that will work on the parking lot door. A good part of this morning’s mess could have been avoided if we’d thought to make accommodations for her to take her dog out. You might want to have Dad look into making that a policy for guests with service dogs.”
Rachel lifted one of her matronly brows. “Any reason why you can’t tell him?”
“Now you know I don’t want to encourage him to think I might be interested in what goes on inside this resort. I’ve just spent the better part of this last year convincing him I’m barely interested in what happens outside.”
Rachel made a tsk sound as she snatched up a key card and used it to wave him away. “You have him convinced about as well as you’ve got any of us believing that you don’t care about TarStone.”
“I care about the outside ,” he said, taking a bite of doughnut as he pushed through the door. Ian climbed in the snowcat and set his two remaining doughnuts on the dash, but stopped from starting the engine when he spotted
Similar Books
